How Have New York Jets Addressed Biggest Weaknesses from 2014?
Few teams, if any, were as aggressive this offseason as the New York Jets.
With one free-agent signing after another, and with the methodical manner in which they checked off all the most important boxes on their to-do list, it's safe to say the Jets are going all-in to win a Super Bowl sooner than later.
But have they made all the necessary moves to set themselves up for that kind of a run? Are all their biggest weaknesses from a year ago destined to become afterthoughts as they march toward their first playoff appearance since 2010?
These are the questions Jets fans will be asking as the 2015 season approaches. For now, let's take a look at the Jets' biggest weaknesses of 2014 and whether or not the team addressed them.
Wide Receiver
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Who would have thought a few years back that the Jets would soon be calling the wide receiver position a strength? Back when Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill were the Jets' top two receivers, it seemed like it could be a while before they'd pull themselves out of the doldrums of the NFL's worst pass attacks (bottom four in the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns each of the past three seasons).
Now, they are armed with a wide receiver depth chart deep enough that they could feasibly line up in five-receiver sets with regularity. That may be exactly what happens with new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey calling the shots; the spread offense is the bread and butter of his offensive philosophy.
Between last year's addition of Eric Decker, the contract extension for Jeremy Kerley and this year's additions of Brandon Marshall, Devin Smith and DeVier Posey, the Jets can spread out a defense with the best of them.
They have done a good job of giving their quarterback (whomever that may be) enough options in the passing game, but now, it's up to him to take advantage of those receivers and play to their individual strengths.
Pass-Rushing Linebacker
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No one will deny that the Jets feature one of the most talented defensive lines in football. With three first-round picks in Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams, their front seven will be difficult for any opposing offense to handle.
The question is whether they have the firepower at linebacker to take advantage of all the attention that opponents will pay to their front line. Can Quinton Coples, Calvin Pace and Lorenzo Mauldin capitalize on all the one-on-one matchups they'll face, and consequently, all the running backs and tight ends who will have to block those players?
The time is drawing near to move on from Pace, as the 34-year-old has clearly lost some explosiveness (what little he had to begin with), so the Jets were wise to add Mauldin in the third round and Penn State's Deion Barnes as an undrafted free agent. The hope is that one or both of those players can develop into viable pieces to the defense in the near future so that the transition away from Pace can be as smooth as possible.
In theory, adding young players to replace the veteran is a smart move, but only time will tell if they pan out.
Cornerback
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We could describe the Jets as the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 of addressing a need at cornerback. They went from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds.
With the additions of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine, the Jets have completely overhauled their starting lineup at the cornerback position and have fully equipped their defense to execute the aggressive man-coverage style of defense that head coach Todd Bowles is likely to implement.
Last year, the Jets were a patchwork unit in the secondary, with undrafted free agents and converted safeties lining up as the No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks. This year, they have a perennial All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler and a young up-and-coming slot cornerback in their top trio.
If only Rex Ryan had been afforded this kind of weaponry in the secondary in 2014, he might never have left New York. Instead, he gets to be green with envy from his office at Buffalo Bills headquarters.
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3rd-Down Running Back
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The next scatback to join the Jets will be the first.
If the situation calls for a between-the-tackles hammer, the offense will be ready. Between Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy, the Jets have more than enough options for running backs who run hard down the middle of the field. If they need an explosive open-field runner who can take it to the house on any given play, though, they can turn their pockets inside-out and still come up empty-handed.
The Jets made the right decision by adding Ridley (via free agency) and Stacy (via trade during the draft); a deep backfield is a good backfield. That being said, all four of those backs combined for a total of 51 receptions in 2014 (18 for Ivory, 11 for Powell, 18 for Stacy, four for Ridley).
The Jets don't seem all that bothered by their lack of a scatback, though; they didn't sign a single running back as an undrafted free agent. Perhaps they already have plans for Powell to continue in his role on passing downs, but they could go into panic mode if he goes down with an injury.
Quarterback
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The Jets may have added a couple of quarterbacks this offseason, but it remains to be seen whether the team truly addressed the need.
Sure, Ryan Fitzpatrick could be a serviceable option in 2015—so could Geno Smith—and Bryce Petty could be a good starting quarterback in a year or two. But right now, there just aren't any surefire answers at the position.
It will be up to offensive coordinator Chan Gailey to devise a game plan that will accentuate the strengths and mask the weaknesses of whomever ends up being the starting signal-caller in 2015. Gailey has done a good job of that in the past, helping Fitzpatrick become a $60 million man in their time together with the Buffalo Bills. Likewise, Gailey's offense is a good fit for Smith's and Petty's skill sets.
For now, we can't classify the quarterback position as a strength, but until we see how well Smith, Fitzpatrick or Petty fits in the Jets offense, we can't call it a weakness either.
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