New York Jets Who Have Proven Worthy to Build Foundation Around
Regardless of what occurs over the final three games in terms of wins and losses, everything the New York Jets will do from here on out will be to set themselves up for next season—starting with identifying which players are not at fault for their embarrassing 2-11 record.
The players on this list are not necessarily the best players on the team. Rather, they are core—usually homegrown—players who can last for the long term. Both on and off the field, these Jets will lead the rebuilding effort over the next several years.
Players who were recently given long-term extensions or signed in the recent offseason (such as Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley) were excluded. Such players have already been identified as "core" players.
Older players were excluded as well. Nick Mangold and Breno Giacomini will be on the roster beyond this season, but they are at or beyond the peak of their careers.
Here are the Jets that general manager John Idzik—or whoever is in his position by next offseason—should keep around for the long term.
Sheldon Richardson, DE
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Some raised their eyebrows when the Jets used one of their two first-round picks in the 2013 draft on yet another defensive lineman.
Now, Richardson is not only one of the best young defensive linemen in the game but may be the single best player on the roster.
He has exploded onto the scene since the Jets lost Muhammad Wilkerson to injury, notching three sacks against the Minnesota Vikings, one of which was a safety. Yet, the most impressive play he made on the afternoon was when he came within a stride's length of catching Vikings receiver Jarius Wright on a game-winning screen pass for a touchdown.
A dominant run defender as a rookie, Richardson has rapidly developed into the complete player the Jets envisioned drafting in 2013.
Richardson is not just a monster player on the field. His raw emotion and leadership are infectious, even in a lost season. Even with nothing to play for, each loss has a clear effect on the young lineman.
"Sheldon Richardson sadly looks around. http://t.co/mcB84ytS9r
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) December 7, 2014"
General manager John Idzik has made plenty of mistakes in his two-year tenure, but drafting Richardson was a brilliant move; it gave the team a young leader to build around.
Muhammad Wilkerson, DE
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The team's sack leader in 2013 and two-time team MVP, Muhammad Wilkerson's on-field ability and off-field leadership are not in question. How long he remains with the green and white comes down to, well, the green-and-white paper.
Wilkerson's contract is set to expire after this season, but as with all first-round deals from 2011, there is a team option to keep him around for 2015 before using the franchise tag to keep him employed through the 2016 season without his ever hitting the open market.
This may work well for the team in theory, but Wilkerson is one of the few remaining defensive stars from the 2011 draft who have yet to sign long-term extensions. If the Houston Texans were able to get J.J. Watt locked up, there is no excuse as to why the Jets cannot do right by Wilkerson as well.
He is the first homegrown superstar to be up for a new deal since Darrelle Revis, which was a situation that was handled about as poorly as possible. Woody Johnson's Jets do not have a good reputation when it comes to keeping their own players—the faster they can get Wilkerson locked up under a reasonable contract, the fewer distractions they will have to deal with.
Damon Harrison, NT
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The next player the Jets need to build around is—you guessed it—another defensive lineman. Wilkerson and Richardson get the sack numbers that push jersey sales, but nose tackle Damon Harrison has been an incredible find as a former undrafted free agent in 2012.
The William and Mary product exploded onto the scene in 2013, taking a job that was assumed to be Kenrick Ellis'. According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison was the top run defender at his position in 2013 and is currently ranked fourth through 12 games of the 2014 season. The fact that he possesses so much athleticism at age 25 suggests that he is only scratching the surface of his potential.
The issue facing the Jets is the fact that with so many talented defensive linemen to pay, there may not be enough cash to give to an elite run defender who cannot contribute much on third down.
Still, Harrison has exceeded all reasonable expectations and is worth big-time money from some team—whether that will be the Jets remains to be seen.
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Chris Ivory, RB
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The Jets offense has been anything but reliable this season, but counting on Chris Ivory to maximize yardage with every carry he gets is as sure a bet as any.
Rex Ryan and his staff took some heat for running the ball 49 times against the Miami Dolphins last Monday night, but Chris Ivory has been their most consistent offensive player by a long shot. Even playing on a team that spends a lot of time behind the scoreboard, Ivory has managed to put up more than 700 yards so far on the season with a 4.4 per-carry average.
Ivory's numbers cannot explain what makes him such a high-quality runner. He is one of the most difficult men to bring down with the ball in his hands, dominating the statistics in yards after contact:
"Chris Ivory averages 3.1 yds after contact per carry, the highest rate of any RB with 50 carries this season. #Jets
— Pete Damilatis (@PFF_Pete) October 24, 2014"
Ivory's future with the Jets is not as secure as most would assume. According to Rotoworld, he has just one more full season with the Jets (2015) before he hits the open market. Giving big-money contracts to running backs is risky business, but if Ivory continues to produce at this level, the Jets may not have a choice.
Demario Davis, LB
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With the soon-to-be 31-year-old David Harris set to enter free agency, the Jets are set to undergo a changing of the guard at inside linebacker. Luckily, the Mike Tannenbaum administration left behind a worthy heir in Demario Davis.
A third-round Arkansas State product, Davis is not just a tremendous coverage linebacker—he possesses leadership skills that Rex Ryan likened to Ray Lewis.
However, like Ivory, Davis is only signed through the 2015 season. With so many other quality young defenders keep around, saving money for a player who has a chance to be the next generation's version of Harris is essential.
Jace Amaro, TE
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Second-round tight end Jace Amaro has been a lone bright spot in what has been a dreadful season for John Idzik's 2014 rookie class. The Texas Tech product has not officially taken Jeff Cumberland's job as the No. 1 tight end in terms of snap counts, but his production has already surpassed that of Cumberland's this year (291 yards, two touchdowns).
Amaro is the best tight end on the roster by a long shot—perhaps he just needs a new coaching staff to point this out.
With Amaro out of the lineup with a concussion, the Jets went 0-of-5 in the red zone. As he becomes more acclimated to the pro game and cleans up his maddening drops, he will be a huge part of the offensive game plan moving forward.
Bilal Powell, RB
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The acquisition of Chris Johnson during the offseason was a head-scratcher simply because the Jets already had an ideal third-down running back on the roster in Bilal Powell.
While he does not have the top-end speed of Johnson, Powell has still managed to post a 4.3 per-carry average when given a chance to run. He is also reliable in the passing game both as a protector and receiver.
Powell's lack of any "elite" traits limits him from being a foundation runner who can carry an entire running game by himself for long periods of time, but players like him act as the glue of an offense, taking care of all of the weak points exposed by other players.
Powell may not be a starter, but he can be the Jets' version of Kevin Faulk, a longtime third-down back for the rival New England Patriots who was called upon in big moments to deliver key runs, blocks and receptions.
Marcus Williams, CB
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As disastrous as the cornerback situation has been this season, the Jets' paper-thin depth has forced them to unearth some hidden gems who would have never been given playing time otherwise, starting with undrafted free agent Marcus Williams.
Starting opposite Darrin Walls, Williams has not exactly been a shutdown cornerback, but he has more than held his own, not yielding a single touchdown in four games, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ryan and his defensive staff have put Williams in a situation where he may yield a lot of completions (78.3 percent) but ensure that no big plays go over his head. Prior to Week 14, the longest reception against Williams was 14 yards.
He may not quite be starter material over the long term, but having him on the back end of the roster in case injuries come back next year will be useful.
Advanced statistics provided by ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required).
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