Yesterday, New York Jets defensive tackle Nathan ShepherdWas referring to the talent and depth of the line, saying “It sort of reminds of a Marvel Avengers Team.” Everybody has their little unique power.
Captain America has been lost by the Jets.
Defensive end Carl LawsonIt is available for purchase the season after rupturing his Achilles’ tendonA joint practice was held Thursday with the Green Bay PackersIt is a crushing blow for the Jets’ defense. This is an enormous blow to the Jets defense. Lawson was their most expensive free agent signing of the offseason and had the best camp experience out of all players. His daily sacks were impressive and he was showing signs of being the edge rusher that they’ve not seen in over a decade.
Lawson was the Jets’ most valuable player because of his talents and the position he was meant to play — wide rusher on the Jets new 4-3 front. He finished seventh in the NFL last season in sacks created by pass-rush wins (10.5), according to ESPN Stats & Information and NFL Next Gen Stats — and the Jets expected that number to increase.
Lawson’s absence has a ripple effect. Jets young cornerbacks who lack a steady pass rush will be exposed. You can draw a picture of the Jets’ young cornerbacks if they are exposed. It will not be beautiful.
Robert Saleh, Jets coach, said that he couldn’t learn much about the character of his team until it was faced with adversity. The good news is that the process of learning is already underway.
New York can replace Lawson. These are some options:
Stay calm: Second-year player Bryce HuffLawson is Lawson’s replacement at the right end. Although he has shown promise with pass-rushing (two sacks during the preseason), he is still relatively unknown. In 2020, he was an undrafted rookie and played 282 defensive snaps. He also had two sacks.
There are other choices. San Francisco 49ersVeteran Ronnie BlairHe is an injury-prone player who missed the last season. Jabari ZunigaHe is extremely injury-prone, and has not shown any signs of improvement.
Vinny CurryThis is a non-football injury checklist Kyle PhillipsBoth (physically incapacitated to perform list) remain in the wings but are not ready to play. Both are likely to be active by the first of the season. Curry was able to prove his worth in the years he spent with the club, despite having had an offseason knee surgery. Philadelphia EaglesAlthough he is able to get after the quarterback (33 sacks), let’s not forget that he’s only 33 and has never had a training camp. This means there’s a period of ramp up. He is best described as an incidental rusher.
The Jets could stay in-house so it makes sense for them to use a rotation and mix and match depending on the game and matchups.
Get a FREE agentIt’s not an easy task. Blue-chip players are not sitting around at home waiting for their phone to ring. These are the top agents who can be free. Olivier Vernon(Achilles’ surgery in January), Trent Murphy Everson GriffenAnd Adrian ClaybornThese are all over 30, with a variety of dings. Griffen is probably the best, but it’s possible he might be the one to join the rest of the group. Minnesota VikingsClayborn. Clayborn is attracting some attention from other teams because he was a player with the Jets. Atlanta Falcons under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
In essence, it’s all about the slim pickings.
Trade: Make a Call to The Jets Arizona CardinalsTo check the availability Chandler Jones31-year-old Jones requested a trade during the offseason. Jones is in his final year under contract and the Cardinals are not interested in trading him. However, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot. They have ample draft capital, with 11 picks in 2022 and a salary cap of $19 million.
The question for general manager Joe Douglas & Co. becomes: How much would the Jets, who are probably at least a year away from contending, be willing to pay for a Band-Aid? They could trade for someone younger and cheaper, with more scheme knowledge.