LAYING IT ON THE LINE
Jets’ OL revamped, but that doesn’t mean it’s better
Joe Douglas stayed true to his word in the first week of free agency by obsessing over improving the beleaguered offensive line. The Jets general manager signed five linemen in five days. Truth be told, he’d sign five more in the next five days if not for the TLC the rest of roster needs.
Douglas added a starting tackle, two starting guards and a center with the hope of better protecting Sam Darnold and opening holes for Le’Veon Bell this season.
It’s understandable for Jets fans to be excited about the flurry of transactions in the trenches, but before declaring the problem solved, consider this: New doesn’t necessarily mean better.
Successful offensive line play is predicated on skill, smarts, and perhaps above all, a shared understanding to work as a cohesive unit. Chemistry matters.
Can Douglas, Adam Gase or anyone else for that matter definitively proclaim that Gang Green’s 2020 offensive line will be markedly better than last season simply because there are a handful of new faces on board? That’s obviously the hope. Gang Green faithful wishes that becomes a reality, but shouldn’t be blinded by it.
Those who drink the KoolAid by the gallon are doomed to get an upset stomach.
Although it was abundantly clear offensive line upgrades were required, would it be shocking if this new line underperformed? It’s not as if Douglas added Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson and Jim Ringo to the roster.
Former Seahawks tackle George Fant has plenty of promise, but enlisting him to protect Sam Darnold’s blindside doesn’t come without legitimate risk. Fant, an athletic former college basketball player, would be best served as a swing tackle or right tackle. Depending on how the rest of the offseason unfolds, the soon-to-be 28-year-old might wind up on the right side of the line. He possesses some tantalizing traits, but a left tackle’s primary purpose is to be consistently rock solid in pass protection, not be good in open space on screens. And by every objective measure, he’s far from a finpro. ished product in pass
The Jets downgraded from Kelvin Beachum, who was Douglas’ best lineman last seaa son.
The Jets gave Fant three deal year, $30 million that is essentially a 1-year, $9.25 mil They lion pact. Real talk: over Fant paid. Sources told me was hoping for about $6 million per year on the open market. The Jets curiously gave him 50% more.
Center Connor McGovern appears to be a solid addition in the pivot. He’s an improvement. How much remains to be seen. He’s a disciplined player, which matters. The Jets are hopeful he can grow with Darnold.
Former Panthers guard Greg Van Roten proved to be a quality run blocker on the left side in Carolina, but my understanding is that there were pass protection concerns last season. Is he a clear upgrade from Brian Winters? Anyone who definitively tells you that he is, probably has some available swamp land in Florida. The good news is the Jets are forking over only about $10 million for their starting guards in 2020.
There’s a giant question mark at the second tackle spot, which will be addressed in the near future.
Douglas had the correct strategy to attack the offensive line in free agency, but he didn’t provide many longterm solutions. Fant, Van Roten and Alex Lewis all signed de facto one-year deals, so Douglas could be right back in the same spot looking for massive line changes a year from now if these guys underperform.
Everyone likes new. But new doesn’t always mean better. Time will tell if Douglas signed the right players to protect the franchise’s most indispensable asset.