A fair amount of the NFL offseason discussion has centered on what the New York Jets will do at their star-crossed quarterback position. But an unsung part of that conversation has been the protection that future thrower has in front of him.
ESPN analyst and former offensive lineman Damien Woody moved to Twitter to remind his former green compatriots that they address these issues before the season starts.
“I need Joe Douglas to go all-in on IOL,” Woody said, referring to interior linemen. “Fortify inside/out … don’t make the mistake of prior folks by not investing heavily in protecting the QB (because) Lord knows I’m tired of hearing fans talk about it.”
Woody knows how much a revamped offensive line can make a difference in New York. Along with fellow veteran and Super Bowl champion Alan Faneca, Woody joined homegrown talent like D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold to partake in the Jets’ more recent postseason success.
Woody was part of both New York runs to the AFC title game at the turn of the decade, though he was injured for the divisional and championship game rounds in the latter trek in 2010-11.
“I just want to see dudes being thrown out of the club this season … is that too much to ask?!” Woody rhetorically declared. In one final follow-up tweet, Woody again alluded to just how a strong offensive line can be by inviting views to (t)ell (him) “what’s better than watching an OLinemen [sic] physically assaulting another grown man on the field,” accompanied by an image of Morpheus, Laurence Fishburne’s character from The Matrix trilogy, making a beckoning motion.
The Jets have addressed several areas of need this offseason, particularly on the offensive weaponry front, bringing in Tevin Coleman, Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, and Tyler Kroft. But their offensive line problems have not been extensively addressed, save for bringing former Los Angeles Charger Dan Feeney.
The Jets have earned positive reviews for the selection of Louisville tackle Mekhi Becton with the 11th overall pick of last season’s draft, but have yet to find long-term answers at the other starting roles.
This spring’s draft should allow the Jets to continue restocking, especially with five picks in the first three rounds. CBS Sports’ three-round mock from Ryan Wilson has them taking Ohio State blocker Wyatt Davis toward the top of the third round, while Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle has them taking USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker early in the second.
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