Jets sign C Connor McGovern

Discussion in 'New York Jets' started by BroadwayAaron, Mar 17, 2020.

  1. Burnz

    Burnz Well-Known Member

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    This 100%. Laughed out loud on this
     
  2. Br4d

    Br4d 2018 Weeb Ewbank Award

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    They want him to start at LT next year. If he isn't good there they will either use him the way the Seahawks did as decent depth and overload potential lined up as the second TE or they will dump him. The contract is supposed to be disposable if necessary. The Fins contract with Flowers on the other hand, also a 3/$30M deal has close to $15M in dead money on it in 2021 even if he does the usual and sucks this year.
     
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  3. J-Raw24

    J-Raw24 Well-Known Member

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    It was at the combine or just before that it came out they were high on Edoga. In one of the thread on this forums something was posted saying he would get a starting job. Usually is some truth to the rumor. I would guess it was said he could compete for a starting job and the reporter exaggerated. But there is probably going to be a competition at both tackle spots.
     
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  4. 94Abraham

    94Abraham Well-Known Member

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    What a terrible grade for run blocking. Poor Le’Veon.
     
  5. barfolomew

    barfolomew Well-Known Member

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    I like this guy and the Fant signing. Joe is throwing solutions at the right problem.
     
  6. DefenseWinsChampionships

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    I agree. I noticed that too. But in regards to pass protection only 3 offensive lineman (LT/LG/C/RG/RT) had a higher pass protection rating than him; at least it's not "poor Sam Darnold" with this signing.
     
  7. BroadwayAaron

    BroadwayAaron Well-Known Member

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    Anyone have the Athletic and feel like posting the interview Connor Hughes did with him today?
     
  8. Catfish Billy

    Catfish Billy Well-Known Member

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    The first call Connor McGovern made was to his parents. He knew his dad Keith would be especially thrilled. Then he called his little brother. Followed by his uncle. After four years aiding the Broncos offensive line, he was signing with the Jets.

    The fact McGovern and his fiancée Devin were leaving Denver wasn’t the shock here. They knew that was happening. It’s the where that McGovern couldn’t wait to tell his family. While McGovern was born and raised in North Dakota, his dad was born in New Jersey. His grandparents were born and raised in Brooklyn. He still has a slew of family members in the area.

    “For the McGovern side?” he told The Athletic. “It’s a home run.”

    The Jets are hoping it’s one for them, too.

    Concerns in the middle of the line were an alien concept for the Jets for nearly two decades. Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae anchored the front five from 1998 through 2005. When the Jets cut him, they drafted Nick Mangold in the first round. He spent 11 years with the team, earning seven Pro Bowl invitations and two first-team All-Pro honors. But since Mangold (effectively) retired after the 2016 season, it’s been one failed experiment after another.

    First came Wesley Johnson. He wasn’t good. Then came Spencer Long. He was worse. General manager Joe Douglas settled on Ryan Kalil in 2019. It failed miserably.

    Now McGovern’s up.

    There’s reason to believe this will work out a tad better.

    The 27-year-old isn’t the biggest lineman, but at 6-4 and 306, he has good size. He’s not the fastest, but has more than enough athletic ability to get out and move. He’s never been an all-pro, but prides himself on being one of the more fundamentally sound in the league. If he gets beat off the snap, he’s developed quite an ability to counter to keep himself in position to finish blocks.

    Oh, and he’s unbelievably disciplined.

    Referees didn’t flag McGovern once last year.

    They’ve gotten him just nine times on 2,510 career snaps.

    “That’s something I pride myself on,” McGovern said. “Penalties come when you get beat, you try to counter, and you’re not doing it correctly. You don’t know the proper technique to come back and fix your mistakes early. If you can learn to counter stuff, it’s the best way to unscrew yourself when you get screwed. It comes down to dedication and being able to fix mistakes before they become a bigger issue.

    “You might beat me on the first move, but I’m going to counter and do everything I can to win blocks. I’m gritty and willing to do anything I can to block you. It’s not always pretty. That’s something I’ve learned over the years. But you can always recover. You can always come back. I’m not one to take a play or second off. I’m a gritty player through the whistle.”

    McGovern allowed just one sack, three quarterback hits and 11 hurries last year, earning a career-high ProFootball Focus grade of 71.9. That put him on the radar of the line-needy Jets, who McGovern said came on “heaviest” from the start. Brian Winters is the Jets’ lone Week 1 starter under contract for 2020 and he’s an expected cap casualty. So while there were other teams involved, McGovern always felt the Jets would be the team he eventually signed with. When the Broncos agreed to terms with Graham Glasgow, essentially handing him McGovern’s position, talks with the Jets heated up.

    The two sides agreed to a three-year, $27-million deal Tuesday afternoon.

    The plan right now is for the Jets to use McGovern at center, but his versatility is among the reasons New York liked him so much. He was a three-year starter at Missouri, where he played guard and both tackle spots. He didn’t play as a rookie after Denver selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, but worked at guard. He played 424 snaps there in 2017. He began 2018 as the starting right guard, but moved to center the final six games of the season. He played center the entirety of 2019, replacing Matt Maradis, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent.

    McGovern is the third offensive lineman added by the Jets through the legal tampering period, joining tackle George Fant (Seahawks) and guard Alex Lewis (re-signed). Douglas isn’t done addressing the position both in free agency and the draft, though. New York remains in talks with Carolina’s Greg Van Roten and has had discussions with Kansas City’s Stefen Wisniewski, sources told The Athletic. The Jets also seem primed to target a tackle with the No. 11 selection in the draft, and dabble on the interior line in the middle rounds.

    Depending on who the Jets sign or draft, they might move McGovern back to guard, they indicated to him.

    McGovern said his preference is to remain at center. He believes it’s the best fit for him. Having guards nearby allows his quickness and strength to shine, while masking the fact he’s not the longest-armed player. It’s one of the reasons his play improved so much in 2019 (71.9 PFF grade up from 49.2 and 58.3 in 2017 and 2018). But if the Jets do move him, that’s fine, too.

    “Selfishly, I like being the quarterback of the offensive line and having control over what everyone is doing and where everyone is going,” he said. “But wherever the Jets allow me to play, whatever I can do to help the team win the most games, that’s all that matters. I wanted to go somewhere to win. When you’re not winning, it’s not fun. I’m excited to get there and win some games.”

    And there’s a reason he believes he can win in New York.

    CAA represents McGovern along with Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. So McGovern has followed the quarterback from afar and is impressed. He saw the improvements he made from his first year to second and expects a sizeable jump in Year 3. That, McGovern said, is when most NFL players come into their own and reach their full potential.

    There’s also the fact the AFC East is undergoing a bit of change. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected to sign with the Buccaneers, so for the first time in nearly two decades, the division crown might be legitimately up for grabs.

    To be a part of the new division champs? McGovern wasn’t passing that up.

    “I wanted to go to a team I thought would win, and a team that wanted me,” he said. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could come in, really help, and keep building a program on the rise. The Jets, in my opinion, are on the rise.

    “I’m really excited about this. It’s a great opportunity. We’re going to do some special stuff.”
     
  9. BroadwayAaron

    BroadwayAaron Well-Known Member

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    you’re a saint
     
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  10. ColoradoContrails

    ColoradoContrails Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for this article!

    Sounds like this is the type of guy Douglass alluded to when he said he was looking to add "guys that want to play". Good signing.
     
  11. NCJetsfan

    NCJetsfan Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for posting this article. Great stuff!

    Based on the fact that the Jets came on the "heaviest" from the start, I don't think that Douglas was ever that interested in signing Glasgow. I think he wanted McGovern from the start. With that being the case, considering the fact that he likes Edoga's potential, that Conklin isn't a great pass blocker and gets some penalties, I don't think Douglas was ever really interested in signing Conklin.

    He sounds like he truly wanted to be here and is excited to be here. Welcome to the Jets, Connor McGovern.
     
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