The New York Jets brought in free agent offensive tackle Andre Smith for a visit on Monday, thus continuing the lower-tiered O-line strategy.
Allow the patchwork offensive line strategy to march forward with authority.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, free agent offensive tackle Andre Smith visited the New York Jets facility in Florham Park, New Jersey on Monday.
Meanwhile… the #AZCardinals hosted a pair of free agent CBs today: Morris Claiborne and Tramaine Brock. And the #Jets hosted FA OT Andre Smith.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 1, 2019
Smith, 32, was chosen just one pick after Mark Sanchez back in 2009 (No. 6 overall). Once considered a future stalwart tackle, Smith’s career has instead featured terrible inconsistencies.
It wasn’t until 2011 when Smith started more than four games in a single-season (14). He did receive a second contract from the Cincinnati Bengals, starting at right tackle for the better part of his time, but moved on to Minnesota in 2016, back to Cincy for the next two seasons, and then finally Arizona during the 2018 campaign.
At this point in his career, Smith isn’t an NFL starter. The connection is seemingly New York’s new offensive line coach, Frank Pollack, who coached Smith last summer and the beginning part of 2018.
The patchwork strategy is a necessity at this point of the calendar season. What alternative avenues exist? The troubling aspect is born when realizing, other than two fifth-round selections (Brandon Shell in 2016 and Jarvis Harrison in 2015), every Mike Maccagnan O-line acquisition has come via trade or free agency.
The NFL Draft can stop such a narrative cold in its tracks. For now, 32-year-old Andre Smith visiting Northern New Jersey fuels the fire to the older, patchwork offensive line theory.
