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One thing we all need to keep in mind about this . . .
You could say that it was just bad luck that Duane Brown hurt his shoulder right before the opener, and it had nothing to do with his age.
Perhaps, but think about what Duane Brown has been doing for a living the last 15 years – lining up against other powerful men, and slamming against them 50-60 times a game. And before that, he did it for four years at Virginia Tech.
So you could say it was bad luck, but even if he didn’t have a shoulder injury, per se, when he arrived, his shoulders have been through more wear and tear than most human beings.
You know how often you see offensive linemen leaving the stadium with massive ice packs on a shoulder?
There is no way around it, the man came to Florham Park with some wear-and-tear.
Tough position to play in your late 30’s. Andrew Whitworth was kind of an outlier with the Los Angeles Rams, but even he got hurt last year. The position beats the crap out of your body and also, you are carrying 300 pounds on an older beat-up body which makes it even tougher. How many of those dudes drop massive weight right after they retire to relieve their muscles and joints? It’s very common.
So paying Brown $9 million guaranteed might have been a bit profligate. You paid Morgan Moses around $3 million, so why pay this guy $9 million? Isn’t that a little pricey?
Some might argue they were desperate after the Becton injury. Perhaps, but you still gotta be careful what you pay a 37-year-old tackle.
Remember, we were speculating about who they would keep as the backup swing lineman – Dan Feeney or Nate Herbig? They kept both. But by doing that, they probably had to cut Chuma Edoga who was claimed by Atlanta.
Look, I’m not putting Edoga in Canton, but if he were still here, he’s likely the starting right tackle now. They like Mitchell, but they didn’t want to rush him into the lineup coming from Louisiana-Lafayette.
As you all know by now, George Fant, is moving back to left tackle, and he sounded off a little today about having to move around so much.
He’s a team player, but even he’s reached his breaking point with this moving back and forth between right and left tackle so often, which is not easy.
I think there is probably a strategic reason Fant sounded off.
Just my theory, but I believe that he wanted to send a message to the Jets – don’t move me back to right tackle if Brown returns later in the season – leave me at left tackle.
So the new right tackle is Mitchell. Why not go with Conor McDermott? Well, first of all, McDermott is still working his way back from a severe ankle injury. Secondly, Mitchell was picked to eventually start at tackle, not now, but in time, and McDermott is best served in the backup swing role. McDemott is one of those guys who “can get you through a few games” as scouts say, but Mitchell has long-term starting potential, and is a great fit for the Jets zone blocking scheme. The Jets love how fast he’s picked things up and how even-keeled he is. None of this seems too big for him.
One last thing on the Jets’ offensive tackle situation. Not saying he’s starting material yet, but Grant Hermanns looks like a potential starting offensive tackle in time. The 6-7, 300 Purdue product certainly looks the part, and he’s worked his tail off over the last year, to make himself into a viable option at some point. Look, I’m not going to grade his camp because I’m not an offensive line coach, but I thought he looked solid through the summer. Let’s put it this way, whenever he was out there, there weren’t a lot of problems on his side.
September 9, 2022
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