I agree with all you said here. I don't accept the OP's premise that the starters on the DL are overpaid. As for Ellis and his prospects of becoming a starter, he only got himself into 5 games last year, so that tells you something about how prepared the CS thought he was. Sure he gets a whole camp and pre-season this year, but that is no guarantee he can become a quality starter. And then there's that court date... I think the DL is the unit on the team that played with the most consistency last year. Those who complain the Jets do not rush the passer effectively enough imo do not understand the respective roles of LB's and DL in the pass rush in a 3-4 Ryan D. The other part of the OP's premise I have a problem with is I don't think it will take a great deal of money to upgrade the safety position. a better tackler/hitter than Pool and a more durable player than Leonhard (if both go) should be available at a JAG's salary. But on the DL, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Wilkerson is going to be a great player, but he is a completely different style player than Shaun Ellis. For one he's about 30 pounds heavier, isn't as quick off the snap but has much longer arms and better lateral movement. The more the year went on the more blocks he seemed to shed and more plays were made. I expect that to continue which will help this defense immensely. Rex's D does not require a bunch of dominant individuals along the D-line. You need smart, tough, versatile players who are able to play different styles on the fly. Rex doesn't play straight up 2 gap..there is alot of 1 gap mixed in.Take a look at the names that have started at DL since 2009 and you'll see my point. With Wilkerson and K. Ellis the Jets have 2 future plus performers moving forward, with a handful of cheap role players who can easily fill in the other spot. I respect those who have concerns with the DL moving forward, but I just don't see it. This is a solid group that rarely loses the battle upfront with 2 potential plus players already on the roster.
Bring back both Pouha and DeVito. A 3-4 D-Line of Pouha, DeVito, Wilkerson, Dixon, Ellis, and Ropati moving forward is not bad at all. If you had to get rid of somebody though that person would have to be Ropati. DeVito and Pouha are our two best lineman against the run, we need both back.
Wow, great insight. Are you able to gather this all just from watching the games? Either way, good post. My question is, was Wilkerson more of a run stop guy or pass rusher in college?
This is from profootballfocus. The 18 stands for their list of the top free agents in the NFL. 18. Sione Pouha, DT The only thing holding Pouha back is that you can scheme against him by simply getting the Jets in their sub package. He offers very little push in the passing game, but is so good in the run game that any team with a problem stopping the run (regardless of scheme) needs to make an offer to his agent. Second-highest number of defensive stops of all defensive tackles this year. Pouha will get much more than $3 million. I will guess and say double it.
Pouha is not the answer, and we have to see what we have in Ellis. He was decent in situations last year. That obviously is assuming the coaching staff believes that. Wilk, had a good rookie campaign. I would let devito walk, pouha walk, and make I push for calais Campbell. This obviously is assuming that he isn't franchised. Sign a role player to back up at each position. Campbell is going to get around 6mil a year, same as savings from devito and pouha I would also make a play for cliff action, and tyvone branch. Of course it is too early to know who will make the free agent market.
Lol, I was hoping not to over hype Ellis. Pouha is a good run stuffer, and is hard to move. Same qualities that Ellis has. The advantage of pouha is experience, and that obviously is extremely important. The down side is his age is going to start taking a toll. Ellis - I believe has a better push off the snap, and will demand a double team. He is much younger, and I believe he will open more holes for the linebackers. so many times last year we tried to blitz over nose, and got stood up with pouha. Again, JMO.
Pouha would be great to have back, but I can’t justify the $3M price on him. DeVito is a solid guy but he’s also replaceable. Both of the guys are replaceable in my opinion. Our D-Line wasn’t excellent, or even great this past season. I don’t see the justification of throwing big money to keep our D-Line when for the most part as a unit they played pretty average. We sucked against the run this year. I’m all for bringing in some younger guys or getting someone cheaper in free agency. Again, Pouha is solid and I’d like to see him back, but not for a long term contract. He’s getting too old.
To answer for Kurt, yes he is. If your interesed in learning about line play, both offensivly or defensivly, look up Kurts posts. Tons of good info and insights on positions, players, and often good looks at prospects that most of the board has written off. He was a supporter of Brick when most had him as a bust and can give good insights on why Ducasse was a 2nd rounder from a raw physical standpoint. Reading knowledgable posters like him helps break free of the "Oh my god he's not an all pro year one, BUST!!" mentality. You see many of the drop one line and leave posters will not coment on his stuff, because its harder to poke fun of actual football knowledge. As for Wilkerson, He was able to both stop the run and rush the passer at temple (10 sacks his junior year). He is a special talent that is able to fit several roles in several schemes. He's built perfectly for a 5 tech end in our 3 man front, but is able to get after the QB better than most who play this position. He is also a good fit inside as a one gap penetrating DT in a 4 man fron, so a great fit for our nickle packages. He is strong enough to hold the point of attack and skilled enough to disrupt plays by shooting the gap when its called for. This makes him worlds more valuable then a guy like DeVito who is a beast against the run but provides nothing in the way of pass rush. I hope he remains a Jet for a good long time.
Wow, I'm surprised at how little love Pouha is getting in this thread. He must be the most under appreciated guy on the team.
He is. Lots of fans are unable or unwilling to see on feild impact that does not show up on the stat sheet. I like waht both Devito and Pouha bring to our defense, but if it took cuttign Devito's 3+ mill salary ti keep Pouha I'd do it in a heart beat. The guy has great strenght at the point of attack and a very good motor for a big man. He's a rock at the nose and a team leader. We need to retain him.
I don't think it's only lack of football knowledge, although that is obviously a part of it. I also think some here and among fans in general get queasy thinking about one of the team's players being an FA, and not knowing if he'll be back, or only back at too high a cost as others bid for him. It's a kind of denial at work. The fact is Pouha was arguably the most important player on D after Revis last year.
