With OTAs just around the corner, we breakdown the strongest and weakest positions for Mike Maccagnan’s New York Jets.
He burst onto the scene so loudly that everything about him was larger than life.Take Week 2 of 2009, for example. Coming off a rousing victory in Houston, the New York Jets returned to New Jersey to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
This larger than life character was of course Rex Ryan, and he became extremely huge in the Big Apple for reasons other than physical appearance.
It all started with his famous tape-recorded plea to the fans in anticipation of his first ever home game in Jersey:
It led to this:
Unfortunately, that was then, when the high point of Ryan’s tenure in New York were those first two years.
His tenure as Jets boss regressed, the exact opposite of what any organization is looking out of its fearless leader.
Heading into NFL 2016, it’s now time for the new regime to march through the second act.
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For Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles, 2016 won’t just be an ordinary season. It’ll be the first measuring stick. Everything that happens with Gang Green will be measured against the pleasantly surprising 10-6 campaign in 2015.
Though the careful onlooker understands how fortunate the Jets had it a season ago, progression, not regression, is expected.
This is how regimes in the NFL are measured.
With OTAs officially beginning next week, we take an in-depth look at the New York Jets greatest strengths and weaknesses.
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Notable Strengths:
- Coaching
- Darrelle Revis
- Mike Maccagnan
- 2nd Season of Gailey’s Offense
Notable Weaknesses:
- Tight End Position
- Right Side of O-Line
- The Muhammad Wilkerson Situation
- Offensive Speed
Until further notice, the coaching of Todd Bowles and his staff is a positive for the New York Jets. Sure the schedule was historically soft in 2015, but nobody saw 10-6 coming.
On the negative side of things, Jace Amaro‘s return will directly impact whether the tight end position regains respectability or remains completely void of a solid player. It’s on the notables section, however, due to Chan Gailey’s love of 4 WR sets and Quincy Enunwa‘s versatile existence (making the position not critical).
Though things seem murky right now with Muhammad Wilkerson, I expect Big Mo to, yet again, morph into that team guy we saw last July.
One of the more under-the-radar negatives of the roster right now relates to team speed offensively. While the names are huge and the weapons are plentiful, their speed isn’t great. Right now, of the guys who’ll see the majority of time, only Devin Smith is a true speed demon.
Now let’s get on to the big show:
5th Greatest Strength: Secondary
If we’re being completely honest with ourselves, we know that Antonio Cromartie‘s exit doesn’t hurt this secondary one bit. Cro is no longer the same player that saw him make it to four Pro-Bowls and be named to the 2007 NFL’s AP first team All-Pro.
With Darrelle Revis, Marcus Gilchrist, and now the best player in the Jets defensive backfield in Calvin Pryor, Bowles, who knows a thing or two about playing d-back in the NFL, possesses a solid group.
Bowles must now realize that Revis must be part of the gameplan instead of an island all to his own. He simply cannot take away half of the field as he used to during his Revis Island days.
No matter though.
Gilchrist is a talented centerfielder and Pryor proved to be one of the best box safeties in the league. To top it off, Buster Skrine is one of the better nickel backs in the league.
The only question revolves around whether or not Marcus Williams can play a solid No. 2 corner.
5th Greatest Weakness: Special Teams
Ever since the great Mike Westhoff rode into the sunset of retirement after the 2012 season, the New York Jets special teams has been in special need of improvement.
No longer was Brad Smith breaking off epic kick returns in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Jets have been void of return men in both the punt and kick varieties. Jeremy Kerley was sure-handed in fielding punts, but his top-end speed shouldn’t allow him to be anything other than a No. 2 returner used in those seldom, critical situations when the catch is a must.
Right now on paper, Eric Decker is the punt returner and Kenbrell Thompkins is the kick returner. This simply won’t fly. They’ll need a Jalin Marshall, Charone Peake or Devin Smith to emerge from the pack to provide a spark back there.
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Nick Folk has been one of the better kickers in the league over the last few seasons, but the punting situation is a different story.
The Jets are hoping seventh-round selection Lachlan Edwards can be their guy for a long time to come.
Even coverage has been sub-par since Westhoff’s departure. A lot of his is directly due to the poor depth John Idzik provided across the depth chart, but a lot of these woes came down to coaching.
As Bill Parcells used to say, “don’t ever take the foot out of football.” Special teams are critical and the Jets need to make sure it’s straightened out in 2016.
4th Greatest Strength: Offensive Weapons
Can you believe this? For so long this franchise had suffered with the same plague that was not having enough weapons offensively.
Now, suddenly, they’re loaded.
Matt Forte‘s arrival from Chicago only furthers that sentiment.
Whether it’s Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Bilal Powell, Quincy Enunwa, or even Jace Amaro, this group is locked and loaded.
Yes, offensive speed was referenced in the notables section. While it will be a light negative, Devin Smith’s hopeful emergence in year two could solve some of those ills.
Powell’s noticeable increase in burst in 2015 should keep the motor running as well.
In any event, there’s of plenty of talent to go around for whoever is touching the backside of Nick Mangold this season.
4th Greatest Weakness: Edge Rushing
Heading into the 2016 NFL Draft the top defensive need on everybody’s board for the New York Jets was an edge rusher.
Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams get the job done from an interior point of view. There’s no doubt about that. But when it comes to pure speed from an edge perspective, the hole was massive.
Now that the draft is over, this need is still present.
Or is it?
Lorenzo Mauldin is the guy who’ll be leaned upon in 2016. He has all the tools. Although he’s not a classic speed guy – 4.85 40-yard – he does a solid job in setting up tackles in those pin your ears back situations when getting to the QB is a must.
He, rookie Jordan Jenkins, and veteran Trevor Reilly are the candidates. At least one of these guys needs to step up to play opposite Big Mo on passing downs.
3rd Greatest Strength: Brandon Marshall
Didn’t we list offensive weapons as a strength already?
Yeah, we did.
Guess what though? Brandon Marshall is such a difference maker that he’s a positive in his own right.
What happens when Brandon Marshall is on the field is incredible. Jets fans couldn’t fathom such a change simply due to the fact they haven’t seen such a difference maker out wide in Jersey since Keyshawn Johnson‘s early years.
What No. 15 does is completely change defensive gameplans. On each play, the question of a double-team or at least defensive shading is an important one.
If the defense looks to be bringing pressure while leaving B-Marsh one-on-one, Ryan Fitzpatrick took advantage. If they gave the look with a safety shaded over-the-top, Fitz had Eric Decker on the brain.
Not only did Marshall remind the world of how dangerous he truly is a year ago, he did with anger. His 109 receptions for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns were good enough to earn Marshall his sixth Pro-Bowl nod.
If the Jets have any playoff designs in 2016, at 32-years of age, Marshall cannot slip.
3rd Greatest Weakness: Offensive Line
Even with all of his greatness over 10 seasons with the green and white, D’Brickashaw Ferguson was slipping.
2015 was a struggle for the iron man.
Now comes 29-year old Ryan Clady and while he’s better than Ferguson at this point in time, the questions are more plentiful.
Will Clady stay healthy? It’s as simple as that.
He missed all of 2015, a season in which Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl. Clady also played just two games in 2013.
This means he’s only participated in 18 total games of a possible 48. Extremely alarming for an O-Line that needs Clady’s presence.
Throw on the idea that Nick Mangold is another year older and the right side of the line (Brian Winters, Breno Giacomini) is shaky at best, and Maccagnan’s offensive line headache simply cannot be cured by extra strength Tylenol.
Aside from Mangold’s brilliant, consistent play, left guard James Carpenter is the only other sure thing in the trenches for the Jets.
Troublesome times indeed for this offensive line.
2nd Greatest Strength: Defensive Line
If there’s one position on this roster that needs zero help, it’s the defensive line.
The names are very well known. Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams are just the start. Free agent additions Steve McLendon and Jarvis Jenkins only make it scarier.
The only issue with this group is trying to get them all on the field at once.
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If Bowles plays a true base 3-4, only two of the three beasts can be on the field. If he goes to a 4-3, Big Mo could slide to the edge and do a solid job.
In passing downs, Big Mo will once again have to slide outside.
Even with Mo unhappy with where he stands contractually, this position is golden for 2016. One of the best, if not the best in the league.
2nd Greatest Weakness: Age
We’ve talked about it recently. Despite the names and the talent, the age simply cannot be ignored.
Most of the Jets top players are near or above that magic age of 30.
And while most fans will wave away the idea that any of them could see a drastic falloff, it happens to these guys when you least expect it.
Jets Older Top Players:
- Nick Mangold, C, 32
- Brandon Marshall, WR, 32
- David Harris, ILB, 32
- Darrelle Revis, CB, 30
- Matt Forte, RB, 30
- Breno Giacominii, RT, 30
- Eric Decker, WR, 29
- Ryan Clady, LT, 29
This list is startling considering these are the best talents the Jets have to offer.
Other players on the roster who are over 30 include Tanner Purdum, Kellen Davis, Nick Folk, and Steve McLendon.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick is 33 years old, but isn’t on the roster. Regardless, the QB is one of the few positions in which age doesn’t matter much.
Other Jets top players include Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams, James Carpenter, Calvin Pryor, and Darron Lee (depending on how quickly he splashes onto the scene). None of these players are over 27. Only one, Carpenter, is over 26.
It’s a concern heading into OTAs.
Development of youngsters will mean everything for Maccagnan and Bowles if they want perception of this new regime to be progression, not regression.
Greatest Strength: Defensive Versatility
Although it’s tempting to go with chalk and list the Jets defensive line as their greatest strength, a possible shift in philosophy suggests that versatility will be a key concept moving forward.
We already know Todd Bowles considers himself a versatile defensive mind. We saw it as he ran one of the better defenses in Arizona under Bruce Arians.
Bowles loved the blitz. He loved sending pressure. With the Jets, however, he didn’t blitz as much as we were used to seeing in the desert. Sure, he still sent heat, but it wasn’t crazy heat like we saw from the Cards in 2014.
The reason is simple: Arizona was so beat up in 2014 that Bowles was forced to blitz as an adjustement to the injuries.
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Now, with the addition of rookie Darron Lee, it seems as though the Jets will run more four-man fronts moving forward.
Other evidence includes the signing of a lighter nose tackle in Steve McLendon and the idea that he’ll want Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams on the field at the same time.
While the Jets base personnel on paper will always be a 3-4, their personnel is versatile enough to play a 4-3 as well. Lee fits the WILL position in a 4-3 brilliantly.
Moreover, getting pass coverage butcher David Harris off the field in favor of the speedy Lee on passing downs will increase this versatility. The thought of Lee and Calvin Pryor underneath with Marcus Gilchrist over-the-top is a scary proposition for AFC East QBs.
Big Mo’s ability to play both inside and outside only adds fuel onto this versatility fire.
Greatest Weakness: The QB Position
Of course it’s the quarterback position. How could it be anything else?
The way the National Football League is setup these days, the quarterback is the most important position in sports.
Just look at the teams and QBs who’ve won Super Bowls lately:
- Denver Broncos – Peyton Manning
- New England Patriots – Tom Brady
- Seattle Seahawks – Russell Wilson
- Baltimore Ravens – Joe Flacco
- New York Giants – Eli Manning
- Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers
- New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Ben Roethlisberger
- New York Giants – Eli Manning
- Indianapolis Colts – Peyton Manning
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Ben Roethlisberger
- New England Patriots – Tom Brady
- New England Patriots – Tom Brady
There isn’t a butcher in the group. Of course, Peyton Manning’s run a year ago wasn’t stellar, but there will always be exceptions.
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The rule, though, is that quarterback dominate this extremely pass-happy league. They dominate to the point that a great player at the position can carry an average team.
Right now the position is scary to look at from a New York Jets perspective.
It’s tough to have faith in Geno Smith, and both Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg are believed to be years away from readiness.
Mikey Mac needs to get Ryan Fitzpatrick back to Florham Park to professionally hold the bag until a permanent solution is realized.
Under Chan Gailey and teamed up with Brandon Marshall, Fitzpatrick can only improve in the second year of the same offense.