I think the one guy that benefits the most from having Carter and Lee is going to be Mauldin. He is already a force as a pass rusher, now that he can't be double teamed, he should be turning that corner and getting to the QB with no problems.
not to mention Wilk and Rich already demand a double .. now Leonard Williams, Mauldin, And Jordan Jenkins should all be able to really get after it!!! our nickel schemes will be a FORCE
Don't forget Freddie Bishop. I had totally forgotten about him, but just saw his name mentioned in an article. He was a good pass rusher in the CFL. Hopefully he can be with the Jets in the NFL as well.
Re: Lee not being an every-down guy - Not sure if this has been posted but just saw this blurb on NFL.com. Of course you could speculate that Maccagnan was the executive.
One could, and even if it is, I think he's right. IMO Ragland is too slow to be much of a playmaker in the NFL. He will be like David Harris. He'll be a solid tackler and may put up some big tackle numbers, but there will be a lot of plays he won't be able to make because he won't be able to get to those spots on the field quickly enough.
Darron Lee represents the direction that the NFL is heading towards. I was worried about his size at 1st - but that was just me being caught up in an outdated way of thinking. If he busts it's because he's a shitty player (which I strongly doubt). It'll have nothing to do with his size.
Lee is that new breed of NFL LB that has speed in abundance and exactly what this LB'ing corp needed. Combine that with his playmaking ability and he has a chance to be very good. He also packs a pop when he hits. Can't wait for his first blitz on Brady!
You put that Alabama game against LSU and Leonard Fournette and Jarren Reed the DT is the guy that stands out most. He's not better then the previous ILB that played there. He's a lesser David Harris IMO.
I like the Bowles old school approach of making the young guys earn it. Rex and Whaley are handing out starting jobs like they're an Oprah giveaway
Forte and Powell should kill those guys, especially Ragland. Time to dish out some punishment after getting killed by wheel routes all season long.
Lord oh mighty am I getting more and more displeased with some of these two face football analysts and all around expert walkie talkies. They have been harping about Lee and his weight and the fact that he will never be a 3 down backer at nausea. Such two face BS. I'm here to tell you that had NE, or the Steelers or GB been lucky enough to have selected Lee they would have been heralded as the visionary organization that understands the need for faster, slighter smaller LB to protect again the pass intensive schemes of today's NFL. Leading the pack they say. But I guess they would like for us to live in the past with bigger, slower LB watching RB and TE torch us with short passes down the gut. Lee will soon shut those fuckers up, and they will come up with another excuse.
Ragland is a 2 down thumper..just like you said. Some think he can handle some coverage duties but there is simply no contest between he & Lee in that regard. Now Ragland is the superior Stacker..but as Bowles said..the Jets already have plenty of those & have for a very long time. We've waited for all these wonderful pieces to come together to create a truly explosive Dominant defensive unit..Speed/coverage/Rush in the flats/box was the missing element.Between Mauldin,Lee,Carter,Jenkins alone this should offset the power guys like Harris,Henderson & Wilk.This should give Harris new life as a 2 down defender who no longer has to worry about being exposed on 3rd down & will be fresher for his snaps. I also love how no one is talking about this D & its ability to carry this team..This could be scary for opponents when you look at the overall talent/depth available to one of the best defensive minds in the game. Those beasts up front are all still getting better including Wilk.Leo could be absolutely frightening with an improved get off,pad level & a year in weight room.If they are at full strength and roles are properly defined(One of Bowles Forte's) no offense can survive even a B+ effort including the Patty cakes.
This is the healthy way to develop prospects in terms of fundamentals,roster make-up & pecking order. Rex & Whaley are working for their jobs & want to have "We drafted and played 3 starters on D" as both an excuse and a selling point. To be fair all 3 are plug & play types..but none will scare the opposition or are gonna take the Bills to another level(They're already a great unit)
Cheers to watching Shaq Lawson drop into coverage (like Mario Williams did) while a 5'10" 195 pound nickel back rushes in his place.