1 A game-wrecking edge rusher: Either high in the draft or in free agency, the Jets need to get a defensive end who can wreck the game. We used to say they needed an outside linebacker to do this, but that was in reference to their old 3-4 front, played under head coaches Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles. However, under current defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is essentially the head coach of the defense, the team plays the 4-3 front quite a bit. So now the need is a 4-3 end, a player like former Kentucky DE Josh Allen from last year’s draft.
What does this player look like? He’s a guy about 6-3, 265 pounds with 4.6 to 4.7 speed. He needs to have a quick takeoff with an explosive burst. He needs great flexibility — limber enough to bend under offensive tackles. He also must have a great burst to the QB, so once he gets by the tackle, he can close the deal quickly. It also wouldn’t hurt for this player to have long arms to shed blocks and disrupt passing lanes.
The closest player the Jets have to this is Tarell Basham, who is 6-4, 269 pounds, with 4.7 speed and arms like vines.
“He’s got some rare twitch for a big guy,” said Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer.
You often hear that word “twitch” from scouts, and it’s very important when it comes to pass rushers. What is twitch, or “quick twitch,” which it’s often called?
“Your fast-twitch muscle fibers, also known as Type II fibers, are the fibers responsible for explosive movements, things like vertical leaps, 40-yard sprints,” wrote David Otey, an NYC-based strength coach, for Men’s Health.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
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This story is from the February 2020 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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FIRST DOWN- A lot of potential, but a lot to learn
There is a lyric in an old song by the rock group Chicago that sums up where Zach Wilson is right now:
IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH - Ulbrich breaks down Jets' defensive personnel
(Marcus Maye) can do it all. I would feel comfortable with him (at free or strong safety). He’s a guy that, to me, he can play deep, he can play the half field, he can play the middle third, he can do that and you feel comfortable with it. I think he’s got range, speed and athleticism. I think he’s got ball skills and instincts to be a deep safety. But I think he’s got enough size and girth and want-to and courage to play in the box. It’ll be fun to utilize all the things that he does. He can cover tight ends; he can cover some of the wide receivers in this league.
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Jets hope initiatives will increase winning edge
Aside from adding as many good players as possible to help the Jets improve, coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are trying to turn over every stone to find extra ways to give their team a winning edge, and two examples of this were announced over the course of the offseason, with the additions of a game management coach (Matt Burke) and the installation of an Athletic Care and Performance Department. Let’s take a closer look at these two moves and how they might help the Jets:
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Tom Brady might be wrong about this one.
SAFETIES
Justin Simmons, Broncos 6-2 • 202 pounds • 27 years old
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Trent Williams, 49ers 6-5 • 320 pounds • 32 years old
LINEBACKERS
Lavonte David, Buccaneers 6-0 • 226 pounds • 26 years old