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Legendary Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant once said about making player moves –
“Don’t make a decision until you have to.”
Many people were wondering why the Jets didn’t just move on from linebacker Avery Williamson this off-season. After all, he was coming off a torn ACL, and had a big cap number in 2020. And they have very good depth at ILB, and had C.J. Mosley returning after missing most of last year with a sports hernia.
Well, as you now by now, Mosley opted out for this season, so Joe Douglas’ decision to wait on the Williamson decision was really smart.
Once again – “Don’t make a decision until you have to.”
Williamson isn’t a star, but a smart, instinctive player with good personal and football character. He’s a very good run defender, good blitzer and so-so in coverage. But you know what, most of these ILB’s are so-so in coverage, especially with a pedestrian pass rush.
A former Jets ILB once told me that if you give a QB too much time to throw, 6-7 seconds, most players at his position are going to have issues.
The Jets should be fine at ILB without Mosley with players like Williamson, Patrick Onwuasor, “Sir” Neville Hewitt, James Burgess and Blake Cashman, In fact, I even like their sixth guy at the position, B.J. Bello, who is tough and has good wheels.
As for my opinion on Mosley opting out, I’m going to sit that one out for the most part.
Why do I say that? Because if you praise a guy for opting out due to a vague reference to family concerns, then what are saying about most of the guys who are going to play who have families? That they don’t care about their families?
So that is why I’m sitting this one out. It cuts both ways and I don’t want to call out players on either side of the debate.
Let’s get back to football.
By Mosley sitting out this year, some are arguing they are losing the leader of their defense. I respectfully disagree. How can a guy, who played one full game last year, on a new team, be a leader of a defense? I think players respect Mosley, but honestly, did he really establish himself as a leader last year? Highly unlikely.
The leader of the Jets’ defense last year was Steve McLendon, not Mosley or Jamal Adams, who turned off some teammates with his act.
So the Jets still have the leader of their defense, even with the Adams’ trade, and the Mosley opt-out.
I don’t think most people realize what a great leader McLendon is. I could see him being an NFL or college head coach one day. He’s a true alpha dog, who not only is a great leader of their defense, but has taken it upon himself to work with young defensive linemen in a way you rarely see from a teammate. After practices last summer, McLendon was one of the last guys of the field almost everyday, because of all the extra time he spent with guys like Foley Fatukasi working on technique. This off-season, he spoke to Quinnen Williams with regularity on the phone.
The Jets will live to see another day sans Mosley this year.
August 3, 2020
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