Jets should pass

This one I don’t get. I’ve been reading about how the Jets should go out and sign this player. Do they really need him? Let’s take a closer look.

I have read in a couple of place the Jets should sign guard Evan Mathis, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

I don’t get his one.

First of all, he’s going to turn 34 during the season. Why go there?

And what I particularly don’t get is why there is this elitist attitude towards the coterie of guards the Jets have in their stable.

Obviously James Carpenter is going to start at one spot. He got big-money to sign as a free agent this off-season.

So when you look at the other guard spot, you have candidates like Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi, Dakota Dozier, Willie Colon, Jarvis Harrison, James Brewer and Wesley Johnson.

You are telling me that with seven candidates for one guard spot, a bunch with previous starting experience, you can’t find an answer?

By the way, let me correct myself, there are actually eight candidates for that one guard spot. Second-year offensive tackle Brent Qvale, who has a lot of fans in the building, got starting reps at guard in the spring. This kid from Nebraska looks like he has a future in the league.

So often there is this attitude out there, “oh, they all stink, go get somebody else.”

Believe me, between those eight candidates, they can find an answer. I happen to think one or two guards the Jets release will end up on other teams.

As for Mathis, he was holding out this off-season because he wasn’t happy with his contract. Personally, I don’t understand his beef. He was scheduled to make $6 million this year, and $5.5 million next year. I personally thinking that money is fine for Evan Mathis. You can talk about him making the Pro Bowl the last couple of years, but we all know that voting process is totally messed up. I’m not saying he wasn’t good the last couple of years, but we throw out the Pro Bowl too much as a barometer. I don’t subscribe to this as much as others. We don’t need to go over the long list of players who didn’t belong in the Pro Bowl last year.

Also, Mathis played next to perhaps the best left tackle in football – Jason Peters, and one of the best centers in football Jason Kelce. That doesn’t hurt.

And Chip Kelly said he was on the trading block for quite some time, and the Eagles got no offers.
Look, I’m not casting aspersion on Mathis as a player. He’s solid, but Kelly thinks he’s replaceable.

For goodness sake, like I said, the Jets have eight in-house candidates for one guard spot. They can find an answer in that group?

And save the money they might be tempted to pay Mathis to get a Mo Wilkerson deal done. Don’t spend cap money on a player you don’t need.

The grass isn’t always greener.

June 15, 2015

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