Forget best players, what we tackle today is which players are the most valuable to the success of the New York Jets in 2016.
When all-time great Jim Brown took home the very first NFL MVP award in 1957 for his Cleveland Browns, a new discussion had just commenced.The world didn’t yet know it, but it started that season.
Did the NFL MVP essentially mean “best player in the league?”
RELATED: New York Jets Player Power Rankings
Obviously, if you know a thing or two about major professional sports in this country, you understand the easy answer. It does not.
The MVP defines the “most valuable player” and has universally taken on that role in all sports. While it’s a mix of value and overall talent/skill, it’s very rarely simply handed out to the best player.
Today, as we float around in the year 2016, the meaning behind the award holds true. And perhaps in no other sport does this hold truer than in football.
The most important position in all of sports (quarterback) has taken home the award a ridiculous 39 times. Only twice have defenders won.
Aside from ticking off every defensive football player on Earth, the award has, for the most part, held its worth in only being dished out to most valuable pieces on the football field.
Staying in MVP mode while throwing the New York Jets into the equation provides great entertainment. Not only do the valuable parts not match up with their best talent, but one of their key parts is still lingering out in free agent land.
Nonetheless, the question has been posed and we’re here to rescue things. Here are the most valuable players who are critical in the New York Jets success in 2016:
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Notables
- Darron Lee, LB
- Ryan Clady, LT
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DE
- Lorenzo Mauldin, OLB
- Eric Decker, WR
Don’t believe just because Darron Lee is a rookie that it’ll minimize his importance. It won’t. Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles understand exactly how important he’ll be for the club in 2016.
When thinking about matchups against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the one that painfully remains with fans is that of the Pats tight ends and running backs destroying the Jets inside linebackers in space. Whether it was Rob Gronkowski, Shane Vereen, or even Kevin Faulk, the likes of David Harris and Demario Davis were continuously being eaten alive.
For more than 50 percent of the snaps in 2016, Lee will fill an extremely important void in underneath pass coverage.
Thanks to the plethora of options at Bowles’s disposal, Muhammad Wilkerson – arguably their best player – doesn’t even sniff the top of the list by way of “valuable.”
5. Darrelle Revis, CB
No. Darrelle Revis is most definitely not the same guy Rex Ryan used to build entire gameplans around. He can’t keep up with the speed burners of the NFL like he used to. His speed rating in Madden would now be around 86 or 87 rather than a 93 or 94.
It doesn’t mean he’s a lost cause.
Not only can Revis still get it done at age 30, he’s incredibly important to the Jets. His football IQ is off the charts and represents the leader this Jets defense constantly looks up to.
Without him on the field, the duo of Marcus Williams and Buster Skrine at the corners is not the most appealing. Skrine is an excellent nickel-back and a defense is best served when he’s in that position.
4. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB
That’s right. The man who isn’t even a Jet at all is No. 4 on our list.
Go figure.
Though Ryan Ftizpatrick lingers in free agency, his importance isn’t lost on the organization. The suits in the front office understand what the man brings to the table. What he brings is a stability to the position the Jets haven’t felt since Chad Pennington led the charge.
Do you believe 31 touchdown passes a season ago happened accidentally?
The naysayers will point to the fact Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker provide an excellent one-two combo out wide. They’ll bring up the fact New York paraded around the league against a cupcake schedule.
While it’s all true, there’s no reason in the world the Jets would want to take a step back and start all over by retooling the offense with another QB in mind.
Fitzpatrick isn’t the same journeyman QB when he’s teamed with Chan Gailey. He’s not. He’s elevated to a starters level when playing in this offense, and when B-Marsh is added into the equation he plays as a middle of the league starting QB.
This value is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly when compared to the unknown and inconsistencies of Geno Smith.
3. Brandon Marshall, WR
Brandon Marshall must be ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick on this list. He’s a downright stud, even at age 32.
It’s possible to believe Marshall was the single best reason Fitzpatrick was in the position to demand so much money this offseason. His skillset changes everything.
Playing in such a matchup league, offensive coordinators know how frequently things change at the line of scrimmage and just how important a quarterback’s mind truly is.
We saw it routinely in 2015.
When Fitz walked up to the line of scrimmage and saw the defense in a loaded 8-man box, pressure look, or situation in which Marshall looked to be single covered, B-Marsh got the ball.
Here’s a perfect example. On this particular play the Washington Redskins provided an 8-man box with a single-high safety look. Immediately, Fitz looked to exploit the one-on-one coverage with Marshall. Although he threw it in the wrong spot – should’ve been on the outside shoulder – Marshall came up with the incredible catch:
Now take a look at the Jets most memorable play from a season ago. In a goalline spread situation, the New England Patriots felt forced to put their extra safety over-the-top on Marshall.
The result?
Well, the result came down to Eric Decker, the guy who benefits so much from Marshall’s abilities on the other side:
Brandon Marshall is that important to this offense.
2. Nick Mangold, C
It was clear as day in 2015. When Nick Mangold missed time with injury, the Jets offense didn’t just struggle, it forgot who it was.
Mangold played in 15 games. He injured his neck late in a loss up in Foxborough against the Pats. The game his missed came in Week 8 when the Jets traveled to the west coast to take on the Oakland Raiders. It was the same game Ryan Fitzpatrick was forced to leave thanks to torn ligaments in his thumb.
While Fitz’s injury affected things too, the Jets entire offense and running game was completely amateurish. Here were the leading rushers for the Jets on the day:
- Geno Smith: 2 carries, 34 yards
- Chris Ivory: 15 carries, 17 yards
Mangold started the next week against Jacksonville and while they Jets did win, again, the rushing game was non-existent:
- Chris Ivory: 23 carries, 26 yards
- Zac Stacy: 1 carry, 3 yards
Mangold started but didn’t play every down. His neck was still recovering and he was forced to come out during different portions of the game.
Mangold isn’t just the leader of the offensive line, he’s been the leader of a Jets offense who’s been without a real quarterback for his entire career. He’s the man who signals out all the calls on the offensive line and the man the Jets simply cannot live without.
Without him on the field, this offense is lost. They completely forget who they are.
1. Calvin Pryor, SS
In perhaps a surprising upset, it’s Calvin Pryor who tops the list as the most valuable Jet heading into 2016.
There’s no arguing the idea of how important guys like Revis, Marshall and Mangold are. They’re critical. But what Pryor provides is just a little step up from all of them.
In 2015 Pryor missed three games. In those games the Jets went 1-2 with losses to the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills and a narrow win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The defense surrendered 451 yards in Oakland, 436 yards against the Jags, and 280 yards against a Rex Ryan offense who never wants to score points.
Much like Mangold from an offensive perspective, Pryor’s absence sent shockwaves that trickled down on the defensive side.
No longer is he the guy who was severely played out of position by Rex Ryan and John Idzik. He’s true strong safety who sticks his nose in everything box related and gets the defense ready from a physical perspective.
Don’t under-estimate the importance Todd Bowles has on this guy either. Bowles is a former safety in the NFL and is well equipped in getting the most out of his safeties. He understands the position and relies on his guys heavily.
The versatility Pyror brings to this defense is profound.