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So much was made about those who chose not to . . .
. . . play this year – the 66 opt-outs around the NFL.
That is 2.6 percent.
The way some in the media covered the opt-outs, they made this into a huge story
Why not make the 97.4 percent that didn’t opt out the big story?
Only 17 percent of the opt-outs were starters.
And while some players had legit reasons for opting out like New England Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon, who is a cancer survivor, it’s quite possible that a few of the opt-outs did it for reasons other than Coronavirus. How can you verify that every opt-out was truly about Coronavirus?
One thing I’ve learned over the years I’ve covered NFL football; there are more guys than you would think that play, but don’t love football. They put up with football because the money is excellent.
So maybe a few of the 66 weren’t football lovers anyway. This sport isn’t for everyone.
But my focus today is on the guys that are playing, and if you noticed, the teams that had opt-outs quickly signed other players to replace them. There is no shortage of guys waiting for a call – guys that have that flame for football.
Adam Gase last week talked about the excitement level on the Jets’ practice field early in camp:
“You can see how excited our guys are to actually work out and be on the field together,” said Gase. “We are obviously in smaller groups, but they are happy to not be stuck in a hotel room, an apartment or a house, and being able to lift, run, throw; you can tell our guys are really excited to be out there.”
And excited to be New York Jets.
Gase was asked a few questions about the team losing two key defenders before camp with the trade of Jamal Adams to Seattle, and C.J. Mosley opting out.
Gase made a salient point about how the timing wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
“The fact is this is how we’re starting,” Gase said. “It’s a little different when things happen mid-season, middle of training camp, after eight games – you have to make a bunch of adjustments. This is kind of what we do as coaches. Who is available? Who is able to go? This is what we get paid to do. We have to do a really good job of using the personnel that is ready to go for each week.”
While losing Adams and Mosley isn’t ideal, at least they have a long training camp to work on replacing them.
The Jets have no shortage of inside linebackers to replace Mosley, including Avery Williamson, who has been a good player in the league, Patrick Onwuasor a former Baltimore starter, and three guys who started for them last year after injuries to Mosley and Williamson in Neville Hewitt, James Burgess and Blake Cashman. They should find a solid pair from this group.
As for Adams, Bradley McDougald, acquired in the Adams’ trade from Seattle, is a better coverage safety than Adams, so they just have to fill the void of Adams in run support and as a blitzer.
And you want you want 53 guys on the roster who are “all-in” and clearly Adams and Mosley weren’t gung-ho about playing for the Jets this year.
And that isn’t ideal for the clubhouse.
Gase talked about the excitement level of the players who are there.
That’s what you want.
And my sense is that the Adams and Mosley departures aren’t going swing the won-loss record significantly one way or the other.
Adams played mainly in the box. If you can’t replace a safety who was primarily in the box, you need new coaches. As for Mosley – a good player, but the Jets overpaid, and you can find inside linebackers, as the Jets showed us last year.
August 10, 2020
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