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New Jersey – People are quick to celebrate change as an exciting thing.
But sometimes it’s a dangerous thing.
When you look at the Jets cuts today of Bart Scott, Calvin Pace and Eric Smith, some fans first reaction might be – “Good – get rid of the bums.”
But remember one thing – these guys were solid player who knew the system like the back of their hands, and made few mental errors.
Who will replace them?
With Scott, it’s obviously DeMario Davis. Let me ask everyone something? Did you see anything from him last year that made it clear to you he can do the job?
He did some nice things on special teams, but as a linebacker, he was non-descript.
Granted, he was making the transition from college outside linebacker, to 3-4 ILB. That can encompass a major transformation.
But still, I’m sure the Jets would have liked to see a little more.
Remember, when Bart Scott hurt his toe, the Jets were wheeling him out there with baling wire and duct tape to keep him in the lineup most games.
Clearly, they felt an injured Scott was better than a healthy Davis.
Hey, Davis might turn out to be terrific. I’m just saying, we haven’t seem much yet.
As for Pace, with Bryan Thomas also gone, they have to replace both outside linebackers in the 3-4. Pace and Thomas might not be dynamic pass rushers, but they were both fundamentally sound players, who didn’t make a lot of mental mistakes.
The good thing for the Jets is Garrett McIntyre has one year left on his contract, and makes just $560,000, so he is a viable option. He’s tough as nails and very smart. So he should be able to do a serviceable job. The problem with McIntyre is that he is very, very stiff athletically, which isn’t ideal at the 3-4 OLB spot. But he’s very instinctive, and makes plays, so the Jets could do a lot worse.
As for the other spot, there is a good chance the Jets will pick a pass rushing OLB in the first round, like Georgia’s Jarvis Jones.
They also have Ricky Sapp, who is under contract for just $480,000 next year. But he has to show he can stay healthy. He had knee issues in Philly, and then last year had an ankle problem the entire year.
As for Smith, while he had average speed for a safety, he is so smart, he was able to make a lot of plays by putting himself in great position. Smith also was like a coach on the field getting guys lined up right.
So how do the Jets replace him? Well they picked two safeties in last year’s draft – Josh Bush and Antonio Allen, but it’s hard to say if either is ready, neither one played a lot on defense last year. They were mainly special team’s players.
Expect the Jets to draft a safety, and also sign a veteran, with Yeremiah Bell a possibility.
There is also a chance Donnie Fletcher moves to safety.
Hey, the Jets should be able to survive today’s cuts, but it’s never good for a team when three long-time, solid starters are bounced on one day.
February 19, 2013
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