Aboushi and Ijalana are Tackles. I can't see either making a transition to Guard. Aboushi also looked absolutely dreadful at OT in the preseason, and i don't believe dressed for even 1 game this year. Ijalana has really bad knees and hasn't played in awhile. I'd be hesitant if either of those guys were our primary OT backup. We also have concerns at Guard. Winters was the weakest link on the line, and routinely got beat on pass rush. Colon is a FA. Campbell is a long term conversion project. I'd love to see the Jets re-sign Howard, sign Asamoah, and draft a G or T in the first 3 rounds of draft. If they draft a T, then I'd also re-sign Colon to compete with Winters for starting G spot. If they draft a G, then I'd like a vet T to be signed as depth insurance (unless they saw something in Ijalana in practice)..
Should've included Campbell and you could probably also throw Freeman in the mix. Point is the Jets wouldn't have kept Aboushi, Campbell & Ijailana on the active roster all year if they weren't planning on giving them a shot in 2014.
A decent amount of NFL guards started off their careers at tackle. Best example on the team is Willie Colon. I don't think either Ijalana or Aboushi are going to be counted as the main backup OT, but I do think they will be in the mix to start at OG next year.
Agreed, Colon was very average. But the Jets would be wise to have a backup plan in case Winters doesn't drastically improve his play.
Winters was a college T as well, but projected better as a G in the pros, and was drafted to be a G. Aboushi was drafted to be a T. He has real long arms, decent athleticism, and isn't particularly stout. He looked absolutely terrible at T in the preseason against scrubs, and doesn't project well at G. I'm not counting on him for anything, especially not G. Ijalana, who knows? I don't think he has much experience at G, and has bad knees. He was a former 1st round draft pick and has good size though. Maybe he can make the switch...we'll see. Campbell is a complete wildcard. We haven't seem much of him. If he can be the next Jets converted lineman like Brandon Moore, that would be amazing. Might take some time and seasoning.. We are real thin at quality for G, and thin at depth for T. I hope it's a top offseason priority, and pride over 5th and 6th round picks doesn't blind Idzik..
It pains me to admit this given the lack of skill players on offense..but fixing the OL has gotta be priority #1 this offseason. Jets have juggled & gambled that position for far too long. Ferguson/Mangold both deserve to stay. Are they pro bowlers anymore? Don't think so. But they are both solid & provide a veteran presence. Winters struggled mightily but did make some progress by year's end. Still,he will need to earn his starting LG spot this coming year. I think you move on from Colon. Loved his leadership & toughness but the Jets need to find a more permanent solution at that spot. Howard is a tough call. He's been solid but the Jets clearly need to add a shot in the arm to this front 5. Is Howard the fall guy? Of all the youngsters Idzik drafted..I like Campbell the best. He's got really good balance, wide base & moves well laterally. He's obviously very raw..but he may have a future. Aboushi has really good athleticism & a really impressive kick step. He needs to improve arm strength & technique. We'll see. Eugene Monroe is likely the best FA O-linemen available. He has some versatility to him..and would make alot of sense for the Jets.
I remember reading when Aboushi was drafted that some didn't think he would work out at T in the NFL and they thought he would probably move inside to OG.
Completely agree with the first part....given the choice between the two, getting this offensive line back close to the level of 09/10 would do a lot more overall for the offense than a couple wr's. I don't see where we upgrade from Howard though. Believe he's a keeper. Offseason should be approached that we have 0 starting guards. We bring in two starting quality guards and we'll see the rest of the line get lifted as well.
I disagree. Certainly the OL needs fixing, but one has to consider the makeup of the draft. This draft is deep in WRs and is not noted as a great draft for OL. IMO it would be totally stupid for the Jets to reach for some OL in the 1st/2nd rounds who really aren't that good, and miss out on getting the WRs/TEs they need when this is a great draft for WRs. They can add an OL in the 4th round or lower in this year's draft, but the 1st 4 picks should be spent on WR, TE, FS and OLB (in that order) if at all possible. They can add OL in FA and/or develop the guys they got last year. Then they can address the OL next year in the draft.
We need to sign a very solid guard who can pass protect. Give the draft picks from last year until camp to prove themselves and cut whomever does not cut it. Aboushi and Campbell got free passes last year because they were Idzik picks. We should without a doubt address it with at the very least one mid round pick to get some quality depth at the offensive line.
I certainly would like to sign Monroe. for the price tag he'd cost though, might be better to just re-sign Howard. Keep some line continuity at a lesser price, with a pretty solid starter. With the money saved, can sign a Guard....maybe an Asamoah. Another name I haven't heard mentioned much is Oher. I like his versatility in that he can play either T position (although RT is better), and i think he can play G. Would be a nice G upgrade, with the flexibility to slide over to T should any injury occur (knock wood)..
Obviously t he draft should always be approached as bpa. You draft the best player available always and let the chips fall. League is way too unpredictable with nobody's job being guaranteed except for a few guys in the league. Perfect case in point just last year with the Richardson pick despite having Wilkerson, Coples, Ellis, and plenty of depth on the line. What I meant was I would prioritize allocating resources to upgrading the offensive line before wr. But it would also depend on who is available and at what cost. Obviously wr and te are areas that can drastically be upgrades, but if we could get this offensive line performing at an 09/10 level, it would up the production of guys like Geno, Kerley, Hill, Nelson, Cumberland, and even Ivory and Powell. If everything falls perfectly we upgrade both guard positions (possible Winters steps up big time in year 2) and add a couple high quality receiving threats.
idk there were many rookie moments where geno stood there or had nobody open and took a coverage/lack of skilled WR's sack.
