Solomon Thomas makes the Jets better.
The defensive tackle signed a one-year ($1,434,000) deal with the Jets after spending last season with the Raiders, and the four before that with the 49ers.
If his background with the 49ers rings a bell, it should. San Francisco is where Thomas got to know current New York Head Coach Robert Saleh, back when Saleh was the defensive coordinator there.
As we keep seeing time and time again, that is how the NFL works.
However, this time it works out for the Jets as they got a steal in Thomas. I turned on the game film and he consistently impressed me.
Thomas is a pass rusher by nature, and that is exactly what the Jets need more of.
In 2021, New York's pass rush was pathetic, ranking towards the bottom of the league (No. 25), and in today's NFL, a team might as well kiss themselves goodbye if they cannot put heat on the quarterback.
When it comes to the interior of the Jets' defensive line, no question, they have a star at one of the DT spots in Quinnen Williams.
However, the other DT spot left a lot to be desired.
Enter Thomas, who is an immediate upgrade over what they got out of that spot last season.
Kudos to Jets' team General Manager Joe Douglas on signing Thomas. I just might be the hardest on Douglas of anyone out there, but that is only because I want to see the Jets win, and I cannot and will not tolerate anything that does not move the meter.
I was that way when I worked at the Jets, and nothing has changed.
Sometimes it got me in trouble, and sometimes it still may get me in trouble, but I don't care because winning is the bottom line.
Thomas moves the meter, and that's all that matters.
He moves the meter because of how he plays the game. He attacks and he does not take his foot off the gas. This guy never quits. In three games, I did not see him take one play off.
Thomas is tenacious and that is exactly what this team needs, and needs more of.
It is a characteristic that gets this thing moving in the right direction, in the locker room and on the field.
Grading Solomon Thomas
6-foot-2, 256 pounds
2021 Las Vegas game film reviewed: (9/26) MIA, (10/24) PHI and (12/5) WSH
2021 stats: 34 tackles (17 solo), 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 30 pressures and 12 QB hits.
Grade: B- (Good player, but not elite; he's good enough to win with)
Scouting Report
Lean physical and tenacious inside sub defensive linemen who played with a high motor. Rotated in and specialized in pass rush situations. Built like a defensive end who plays inside. Active and uses his hands with good natural playing strength. Street fighter who tended to get a push and flashed ability to bull rush hard. Opportunistic and he is at his best when slipping into a gap or when using his signature spin move. Can get neutralized at times, but this guy is a hustler who keeps coming, and it is that effort that sometimes is able to spring him into the action to create pressure. Persistent and he is quarterback minded. Always working upfield with the passer in his crosshairs and still has a short area close. Tends to create more pressure than sacks due to noticeable trouble changing direction. Draws his fair share of double teams, which helps those around him. Chases screen plays. Against the run can get tied up and neutralized and sometimes lacks instincts inside and goes the wrong direction. However, continues to battle and he is a solid, hard, wrapping form tackler when he gets there. Value player who makes his team and everyone else better around him.
Bottom Line
Thomas has a big background of being the third player chosen overall in the 2017 draft by San Francisco, and by all appearances he still knows how to disrupt the pocket.
He has also proven to be fairly durable. Outside of 2020, when Thomas only played two games and missed the rest of the season (torn ACL), he has only missed two games total in his four other seasons.
This is one heck of a free-agency signing by Douglas that a lot of fans don't fully appreciate yet, but they will.
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