Both Wilkerson and Richardson are past regime players. Either of them is very vulnerable if they don't play up to their reputation or Williams plays very well. The real problem is the Jets current personnel is not well suited to a 4-3 and the 46 just isn't going to work in today's NFL. That leaves a 2 down NT and 2 3-4 end slots and a rush LB as the key pieces. The Jets have one guy you'd like in the 2 down NT position in Snacks. They have about 4 or 5 guys you'd like as 3-4 DE's with Douzable the fifth and clearly least talented of the group. They have nobody as a rush LB at this point. It's just a log jam and the Jets are going to have to resolve it at some point without losing a lot of talent in the process. That means a trade is on the way at some point and Mo is #1 in the chute due to his contract circumstances.
At a minimum, MacCagnan should be well aware of how valuable a top notch defensive lineman is, having been around JJ Watt. I'm sure he's not blundering through this aimlessly.
I agree w/ the Mo situation and the potential issue of not having good personnel for the 4-3, but I think you may have forgotten two other personnel packages that has been popular w/ Bowles. The 5-2 defense, and the 4-2-5 Nickel Package. I really think the Nickel Package has potential to dominate on passing downs with our secondary. I think the 5-2 defense is what Bowles will use a lot if you consider the 46 and maybe even the 4-3. Bowles in Arizona ran it a lot. The linebackers, I am looking at are Davis and Erin Henderson. David Harris could spell either Davis or Henderson depending on what you want the linebacker to do. This is great against the run, potentially suspect against the pass. 4 d-line RE [Leonard Williams / Douzable] DT [Wilkerson] DT2 [Richardson] LE [IK - our "speed" rusher] This obviously is very interchangeable. Snacks should not play on passing downs, he's no good there. We have great versatility no doubt. I would much rather go 4-3 going forward if we can find a way to retain Mo / Sheldon.
The Jets are missing an outside rusher for the 4-3 at this point. 4-2-5 still wants one guy who can speed rush and put pressure on the QB's blind side. What the Jets have instead is 4 guys who are all interior rushers, lacking the elite quickness and speed to pressure the edge of the opponent's line. This is not a bad thing from an overall pressure perspective but it somewhat limits what you can do along the front. The Jets have gotten around this in the last couple of years by moving Mo all over the place and trying to free him from easy double-teams in the process. Richardson could do the same thing if asked too and it *looks* like Williams is a similar player. That's 3 guys, none of whom is likely to be a premier sacker but all of whom bring some real pressure. The Jets really need a guy the other team has to account for in a big way and they need him on the edge of the defense where weaknesses get opened up elsewhere if he's fully accounted for. If you put Wilkerson out on the edge he's a step slow to make a run at the QB. Same for Richardson and Coples. Williams we don't know for sure but nothing suggests that he has the explosive first couple of steps needed to cleanly beat his man on the edge and collapse the pocket.
What about IK Enemkpali? You don't think he can fill the role of the "speed rusher"? He's not extremely fast like a Von Miller, but the guy's motor cannot be denied. He played pretty well when he got snaps last year.
On passing downs I like this 4-2-5 RE- Williams DT- Wilk DT- Sheldon LE- Coples LB-Davis and Harris CB- Revis, Cro, Busta, Allen (especially against TE's), and a rotation of Dee, Dexter, Pryor depending on personnel This gives the Jets a lot of flexibility as they can bring heat from the defensive backfield as well and not give up much in coverage. It's gonna be exciting if everybody stays healthy!
Do you think MacCagnan coming over from the Texans helps Mo or hurts him? I think a guy who had to be in the conversation a lot about J.J. Watt's actual value under the cap is likely to be less inclined to pay somebody a tier lower a similar sum. I'm guessing Mo *can't* get a huge deal out of the new management no matter what else happens because the new management has seen J.J. Watt up close from an impact point of view both on the field and in the marketing of the team. I think this is already over and we're just in the end game waiting to see how it plays out and where Mo winds up and for what compensation.
Well with Sheldon getting suspended for 4 games on a drug charge I think Moe gets the money now. SHELDON RICHARDSON SUSPENDED 4 GAMES The Jets DT violated the NFL's substance-abuse program. Coach Todd Bowles called the ban "disappointing," and Richardson apologized: "While I won't be there at the start of the regular season, I will do whatever I can to support my teammates until I'm able to return to the field."
Looks like Sheldon made this decision easy. Lock up Mo let Sheldon play out his contract then move on
Hopefully neither will get Suh money because that will mean the Jets have found a franchise QB that's actually good and who they should pay big money to. As much as I like having a stacked D line, it's not the position the money should funnel into. For this reason, I hope they can keep drafting promising young lineman...and perhaps resign Wilkerson to a deal (not like Suh's though). Sheldon will command big $$$ which is why they should give the deal to Wilkerson. Wilk will probably be content with closer to 3/4ths of Suh money. Wilkerson is also the safer person to give a LTC
It's actually fun NOT having a franchise $25M/yr QB we have to worry about paying. We get a lot of shinny toys to play with. Enjoy it while it lasts!
It's not fun. It's depressing. Paying our CB's what we're paying them and having the situation we have with potential cap impact on the DL is really depressing. You can't win with a flat offense in today's NFL. You might pull together some 9-7 type seasons or even 10-6 if everything breaks perfectly for you but you're just not going to win in the playoffs when you need too if the offense is capped by mediocre QB play. This isn't 2000 any more, with a big changing of the guard at QB because Elway, Aikman, Young, Kelly, Marino and Cunningham have all recently retired and suddenly the best QB's in the NFL are Gannon and Garcia (both of whom lead the NFL at QB with AV's of 20 in 2000). You need to have one of the really good QB's to have a chance to win. 9-7 or even 10-6 next year is going to be really hollow once we get to the playoffs.
While I get that, having a true elite franchise QB gives you the ability to compete in every game and compete year in and year out for division titles and playoffs. Having a bunch of shiny toys but an awful QB can lead to a decent season once every few years if everything else is perfect but dies not provide the foundation for consistent winning football. Even having just a game manager requires everything else to be perfect in order to challenge for a championship once, much less consistently competing. At some point, don't you WANT to have that superstar QB as the face of your franchise? If I'm Indy I'd gladly pay Luck $25MM a year and figure out the rest because he's going to consistently have them in the hunt every year. Or Aaron Rogers. _
Do you see the Jets paying a QB, 25M / yr in the next 3 seasons? We won't see a QB of that talent and skill available in the FA market. I see the Jets drafting another QB, and even so, you won't have to worry about paying a QB that much until 4 or 5 seasons later. I think people are overthinking the Jets salary cap situation, thinking we are entering cap hell - I don't see that at all. We have an opportunity to win now, if one of our QBs decides not to throw 3 INTs in the first QTR.
