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It's about time !! Jets rebuilding the O-Line

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Sudsy

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I've been screaming "fix the damned line!!" since they let Alan Fanica go ten years ago

 

Joe Douglas' offensive line signings have plenty in common

 

It looks like the days of splurging on skill position players and ignoring the offensive line in free agency are over at One Jets Drive.

 

With Mike Maccagnan running the show, the Jets frequently broke the bank on big-name free agents like Darrelle Revis, Trumaine Johnson, C.J. Mosley and numerous others. Macccagnan all but ignored the offensive line. Any signings he did make usually struggled. Maccagnan and his front office staff relied mostly on the draft to address New York’s offensive line, but failed miserably at landing impact players more often than not.

 

Only one week into his first free agency on the job, Joe Douglas has established that things are going to be different from now on. Five of Douglas’ nine signings have been offensive linemen. He has spent a combined $72.9 million to fix a unit that was arguably Gang Green’s worst last season. (Contract details have yet to become public for Greg Van Roten and Josh Andrews.)

 

Not only has Douglas spent as much money to makeover an entire unit as Maccagnan would have on one player, but he has gone about it in a way that affords him a great deal of financial freedom. George Fant, Alex Lewis, Connor McGovern and Van Roten have all received three-year contracts. It remains to be seen exactly how Van Roten’s deal is structured and what exactly the length of Andrews’ deal, but Douglas’ three-year approach allows him to part ways with players on his new-look line if he does not like what he sees out of them in a way that will not hamstring New York’s salary cap down the road.

Fant’s contract is essentially a one-year deal worth $8.9 million in guaranteed money. If he struggles in 2020, the Jets can cut him at no financial loss and go looking for a new starting tackle. Lewis is only getting $6 million in guaranteed money — a cheap deal for a player who figures to slot into the starting lineup at left guard. McGovern is getting the most guaranteed money out of the trio ($18 million), but that is not a number that will set the Jets back if they have no choice but to cut him at any point.

 

What makes Douglas’ approach to his offensive line rebuild even more impressive is the kind of players he is targeting. Douglas could have gone out and thrown money at some of the bigger names on the market, but has stuck to his guns and handed out deals to players who fit what he wants out of his line. It’s not a coincidence that McGovern has been called for only two penalties over 1,526 snaps at center and Van Roten has been flagged only four times at left guard over 1,800 snaps. Douglas went after guys that could block without being called for holding every other play — a problem that cost the Jets dearly in 2019.

 

Versatility has also been the name of the game for the four linemen Douglas has signed. Fant is athletic and can play either tackle position. Andrews, Lewis and Van Roten can play either guard position. McGovern is primarily a center but has experience playing both guard positions. This provides Adam Gase with a lot of ways to shuffle his line in the event of an injury to a starter or poor performance.

 

Douglas hit free agency with the intention of fixing New York’s offensive line and it’s safe to say he has gone about it in the correct manner. Sam Darnold needs blockers that can keep him upright. Andrews, Fant, Lewis, McGovern and Van Roten all profile as players who are capable of accomplishing that with consistency.

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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Sure does, he was more accurate than Tom Brady in the short game. He held the record in career completion percentage at 66.0% until Drew Brees beat that in 2014.

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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Never happen, too invested in Darnold

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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Cam Newton on the Gram....."They gave up on me".  

Which is really to say........."They didn't like my outfits anymore".  :laugh:

"For our discussion of kayak angling is no trifling matter but is the way to conduct our lives, nobody untrained in fishing may enter my house."- Fly's Plato

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2 hours ago, iphish said:

I was joking.......(But not about the Ray Lewis Murder suit)

 

Too small of a sample size to really judge Darnold, don't cha think?

To judge, yes of course, but they used a first round pick then hired a QB whisperer (idiot) coach, and now are building a line. If Darnold turns out to be a bust it's going to be an epic fail and based on how big they're going "all in", one of the worst in Jets history.

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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15 hours ago, Sudsy said:

To judge, yes of course, but they used a first round pick then hired a QB whisperer (idiot) coach, and now are building a line. If Darnold turns out to be a bust it's going to be an epic fail and based on how big they're going "all in", one of the worst in Jets history.

Do you think it was money well spent was for George Fant, a former college basketball player with limited experience beyond the Seahawks' trial run of him as a starter in 2016. to protect Darnold's blindside in the mean time?

 

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I doubt that's the position he'll have once the season starts. I see him as a versatile lineman/TE that can cover multiple positions - at 300 lbs the guy ran a 4.8  and can really catch the ball. How would you like to tackle that ??

 

Fant is a gamble. Super athletic, could be solid, could be meh, doubt he'll be a bust (although it's the Jets so always a possibility)

 

At only 9 million guaranteed over three years it was a good move

 

Edited by Sudsy

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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2 hours ago, Sudsy said:

I doubt that's the position he'll have once the season starts. I see him as a versatile lineman/TE that can cover multiple positions - at 300 lbs the guy ran a 4.8  and can really catch the ball. How would you like to tackle that ??

 

Fant is a gamble. Super athletic, could be solid, could be meh, doubt he'll be a bust (although it's the Jets so always a possibility)

 

At only 9 million guaranteed over three years it was a good move

 

any money spent, in this case 9 million per year that does NOT improve the line......is not a good move for most teams. But that's the Jets.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sending some good juju for tonights draft. Donated a few hundred gloves to my towns PD. The Jets will finally get most of the draft right this year. 

GIFs-20204236556.gif

"With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one..."

(*member formerly known as 'adoboboy')

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