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Premium – Jets right guard Willie Colon is a free agent. He played under a one-year contract last year. He got hurt. What should the Jets do?
In the Jets’ final game of last season, in Miami, their right guard, Willie Colon, suffered a torn biceps injury.
What an unfortunate break for the veteran guard.
He was coming off a pretty good season, and a basically an hour or two before he would have left the season healthy, he tore an arm muscle.
Colon has been considered injury prone in recent years, so he was forced to sign a one-year league minimum contract with the Jets last off-season.
He needed to show the Jets, and others, he could stay healthy.
The injury happened in the second half of the final game of the season. He was so close to making that happen.
What a shame. He’s a really good guy.
From what I hear, he’s about a month away from being 100 percent.
I also hear the Jets haven’t made him an offer yet.
But once he’s back to 100 percent, they should make him an offer. Make it another one-year
deal.
They need him.
One of the real positives for the 2013 Jets was their running game, and he was a big reason for that.
This guy is a big-time road-grader – a powerhouse. He gets a lot of push in the running game.
I will give you some examples.
In the first Jets-Buffalo game, he mauled brutish defensive tackle Marcel Dareus on a Chris Ivory run to the right side that gained 10 yards.
In the Jets-Browns game, Bilal Powell ran behind Colon for a gain of 29 yards.
I have many more examples.
But there was a play, in the second half of Jets-Miami game, in SunLife Stadium, that might have been one of his more impressive displays of his sheer power.
On the first run of the second half, Colon was called for holding on nose tackle Paul Soliai. It was a bad call.
This was an amazing display of strength.
Colon basically fork-lifted the 340-pound Soliai and tossed him to the ground. I wouldn’t be shocked if this was the play he tore his biceps. I will check with him the next time I see him
“That isn’t a hold, that is a first class take down,” said Greg Gumbel of CBS.
“Throwing down Paul Soliai is no easy task,” said Dan Dierdorf of CBS.
Players come back with no problem from the injury Colon suffered.
The Jets need this guy.
Not only is he a very good guard (though he does need to cut down on penalties), but he’s a leader in the locker room.
And if you are the Jets, in a must-win year, do you really want to start the up-and-down Brian Winters at one guard, and make a change at the other spot, from a guy who is pretty solid. I wouldn’t.
Bring back Colon. It’s a no-brainer, and it won’t expensive.
March 5, 2014
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