The New York Jets defense had some major additions and subtractions this offseason. Will the defense take a hit, or take a leap forward this year?
Todd Bowles was hired as the head coach of the Jets to bring stability, professionalism and most importantly a consistent dominating defensive unit. While there were a few bumps in the road last year, he proved his defensive coaching was no fluke. In his first year with Gang Green they finished fourth overall in the NFL with 318.6 yards per game. Will Bowles and his defense be able to improve upon that in 2016?
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The Jets schedule is much harder this season. There won’t be many opportunities for this unit to pad their stats. There is a three game stretch in October where they will face three of the best offenses in the NFL in a row in the Seahawks, Steelers and Cardinals. We will find out during that stretch if this team truly has a great defense.
Major Additions: Bruce Carter, Jarvis Jenkins, Jordan Jenkins, Darron Lee, Steve McLendon
Carter brings much needed coverage skills to the Jets linebacker corps. He has the potential to step up and be one of the most underrated signings of the offseason for the Jets. Jarvis Jenkins is more of a depth signing and insurance for Muhammad Wilkerson if he holds out. He has never lived up to expectations and will have to fight for playing time.
The rookies Lee and Jordan Jenkins should provide a huge boost the linebacker group. Lee brings much needed sideline to sideline speed. He can play inside or outside and can also get to the quarterback. If Jenkins has a good training camp, he should be in line for a starting job opposite of Lorenzo Mauldin. That young duo could wreak havoc on the outside for years to come.
Mclendon was another underrated signing. The Jets needed a run stopper to help out and take over some of Damon Harrison‘s responsibilities, and McLendon was solid choice. Barring injuries the Jets should still be in the top ten in defense against the run.
Major Losses: Antonio Cromartie, Demario Davis, Leger Douzable, Damon Harrison, Calvin Pace
While Cromartie and Davis may be in the “losses” category, their departures will definitely be additions by subtraction. Cromartie had a few good games, but was mostly a major disappointment in his return to the Jets. Most notably he was burned constantly in a road loss to the Raiders and started to show major signs of decline towards the end of the season. Davis was a Rex Ryan favorite, but not a fan favorite during his four years there. He will now be messing up defensive assignments and giving up touchdown passes for the Browns.
Harrison is obviously the biggest loss of the offseason. He was vital to the Jets defense in stuffing the run. Even though Wilkerson, Richardson, Williams and McLendon are all very good against the run, the loss of Harrison will hurt them at some point this season. Douzable was an underrated rotational guy off the bench, and his versatility in playing defensive end and tackle could be missed. He might have been a better option than the more expensive Jarvis Jenkins.
Rest of Defense: The Jets have gotten younger as a group on defense with the departures of Cromartie and Pace. The two veteran leaders that remain on defense are David Harris and Darrelle Revis. Neither are in the prime of their careers anymore, but Revis is still one of the best cornerbacks in the game and Harris can still play middle linebacker at a high level. Marcus Williams should start opposite of Revis, but watch out for a surprise year from Dee Milliner.
Buster Skrine will be a vital player once again. He excelled last year in slot coverage, but may be needed to play on the outside at times. If he can keep his penalties down it would be huge for the Jets. The depth in the front seven is better than it has been in years, but the depth in the secondary is still a question mark. This is the last chance for Milliner, and Dexter McDougle needs to show more than he has.
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Conclusion: On paper the Jets should be better against the pass, but should take a step back against the run. I would be shocked if Wilkerson held out into the regular season. If the group is healthy and stays out of trouble (looking at you Richardson), this unit should be better than last season. Their improvement may not show statistically with their gruesome first half schedule, but as a group they will cover better and get to the quarterback more often.