Content available exclusively for subscribers
The Jets waiver claim on Kony Ealy makes a lot of sense, but to me, he clearly needs to
lose weight to play the role the Jets need him to play – 3-4 outside linebacker.
Looking at him up close yesterday, his best spot with the Jets is as a 3-4 outside linebacker, where the Jets need a top-shelf pass rusher.
He had three sacks in Super Bowl 50 for the Carolina Panthers.
But that was a 4-3 defense end.
He’s 6-4, 275 pounds. If the Jets can get him to drop 10 pounds, he could be a dynamic 3-4 OLB. Looking at him yesterday, he looked a little flabby at 275. It’s too big for 3-4 OLB. I definitely think he can play 3-4 OLB because as Nolan Nawrocki put it when the kid came out of Missouri, he’s a “loose athlete who moves like a linebacker — 6.83-second 3-cone drill paced defensive linemen at the combine.”
Clearly there are issues with this player. He’s now on his third team – Carolina traded him to New England on March 10, and then he didn’t even make to a regular season game in New England,
On March 10, 2017, Ealy was traded to the Patriots with a 2017 third-round draft pick for New England’s 2017 second-round draft pick. On August 26, 2017, Ealy was waived by the the Patriots. Something is wrong with this picture.
First of all, he’s very inconsistent player. He has flashes like in the Super Bowl, but then goes through stretches where he’s underwhelming.
Pass rushers are hard to find (just ask the Jets’ brass that have been looking for a special one since trading John Abraham to Atlanta in 2006).
And here is what makes his release by New England particularly perplexing. The Patriots recently lost two defensive ends – Rob Ninkovich (retirement) and Derek Rivers (torn ACL). And they traded their best defensive end Chandler Jones to Arizona last year. So they are pretty thin at the position, so to release Ealy on August 26, should signal some red flags. Heck, they didn’t even give him the fourth preseason game to show so more.
I’m going to keep digging on this Ealy story because there clearly is more than meets the eye on this one.
But when I asked Ealy yesterday why the Patriots would release him with a need at defensive end, he said “system fit.”
New England does play a 4-3 defense (Belichick made the switch two years ago), so why would Ealy, a 4-3 end in Carolina for three years, not fit the Patriots defense?
Well first of all as I mentioned, he’s inconsistent. Belichick likes guys he can rely on. Secondly, New England doesn’t like guys who freelance and venture outside their assignment. That is why he traded talented linebacker Jamie Collins to Cleveland.
As Belichick always says to his player, “Do your job.”
Clearly Ealy wasn’t “doing his job.”
But with that being said, the Jets made a smart move taking a flyer on him. Six other teams did also, putting in waiver claims. Talented pass rushers are hard to find.
Now the Jets need to have him lose some weight to increase his edge quickness, and have their fiery OLB coach Kevin Greene motivate the heck out of him, and just hope they catch lightening in a bottle.
August 29, 2017
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Wednesday.