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The Jets didn’t address it in the off-season which surprised some people.
I’m talking about adding an edge-rushing OLB.
I’m talking about in free agency or the draft.
I will say something in their defense. First off, in free agency, guys who can get your double-digit sacks rarely hit the street.
The Detroit Lions tagged Ziggy Ansah, so he’s not going anywhere.
So it would been hard to solve this problem in free agency. The Miami Dolphins traded for Los Angeles Rams edge-rusher Robert Quinn, so they could have done that.
At this point, it’s slim-pickings if are looking for somebody now.
The only option I see out there is Junior Galette, who had 12 and 10 sack seasons with the New Orleans Saints in 2013-14. He then suffered a pair of achilles injuries in 2015-16. He came back and stayed healthy last year with the Washington Redskins, and had three sacks in a limited role.
It might be worth the Jets taking a flyer on the New Jersey-native.
In the draft, after Bradley Chubb, it wasn’t a great draft for edge-rushers. Yes, the Jets had a chance at Chubb at three, but the whole world knows they traded up for a QB, not Chubb.
They picked Sam Darnold. Now you could make the argument that if 25-year-old Teddy Bridgewater gets back to his old form, he could be the Jets QB after Josh McCown, and they could have picked Chubb to solve their pass rushing issue. But if you said that, people would ask you if you wear a tin-foil hat.
So where are they going to get the improved edge-rush they so desperately need.
Some people wrote that draft picks Nathan Shepherd and Foley Fatukasi can help, but those people perhaps don’t understand the Jets’ defense. Those guys are interior 3-4 defensive linemen, who didn’t have big sack totals in college, so you expect those numbers to go up on a higher level of competition? They are good run-stuffers, who can also take up double-teams to help the linebackers. They might get you a few sacks here and there, but they will not be the panacea of the Jets’ pass rush issues.
It’s a long-shot that Dylan Donahue can be that guy. He has short arms, which is a big problem at OLB. He gets engulfed by massive tackles with long arms in practice and last preseason. But he will probably make the team due to politics, so maybe he will surprise.
Jordan Jenkins isn’t that guy. He doesn’t the quick-twitch, short-area quickness and bend (flexibility) to take the edge. He’s a good run defender, and does gets pressure at time with bull rushes, but edge rushing isn’t his deal.
A healthy Lorenzo Mauldin should help. He missed last year due to a back injury. He might be the best edge-rusher in the building.
Columbia’s Josh Martin is the X-Factor. He has a nice size-speed ratio, and if giving more playing time, he could surprise. Speaking of Ivy Leaguers, the Jets added Brandon Coleman (Penn), who flashed a little in Detroit.
Here is a sleeper to keep an eye on – Obum Gwacham. The Jets signed him off Arizona’s practice squad last year. He’s the most athletic player in the Jets OLB room – a twitchy 6-5, 246. He actually played wide receiver for a couple of years at Oregon State, so that shows you the kind of athlete he is. He entered the NFL still learning to play OLB. He’s now finally comfortable at the position and could be ready to have an impact.
June 1, 2018
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