OL dept. ...can we squeeze another year out of aging unit ? ? ?

[kelly]

Position : Offensive line

Projected starters : D'Brickashaw Ferguson (LT), James Carpenter (LG), Nick Mangold ©, Willie Colon (RG), Breno Giacomini (RT)

Projected backups: Ben Ijalana, Oday Aboushi, Brian Winters, Jarvis Harrison (fifth-round pick).

Notables on the bubble: Dakota Dozier, Brent Qvale, James Brewer, Wesley Johnson.

 

Player to watch : Carpenter has managed to stay under the radar since signing a four-year, $19.1 million contract in free agency, but he's still an important piece to the offensive puzzle. The Jets haven't had a quality left guard since Alan Faneca (2008-09), and they're hoping Carpenter can stabilize the position. The former first-round pick bolted the Seattle Seahawks after the team declined to exercise its fifth-year option, which should tell you something. He was the 47th-ranked guard in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. He's solid in pass protection (no sacks allowed, per PFF), but he needs to be more consistent in the running game. The Jets can't afford to be wrong about Carpenter; the "Porsche" will break down if there's an oil leak at both guard positions -- a reference, of course, to Colon's recent analogy for the offense.

 

Top storyline : The competition at right guard will generate most of the chatter in training camp. It's a wide-open position, with Colon getting a slight edge because he's the incumbent. That could change in a big way because Colon, 32, playing on a one-year, minimum contract, isn't even guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster. Qvale and Winters figure to be the top challengers, but Aboushi, who worked at right and left guard in minicamp, also is a possibility. Colon is considered the fallback option. He's one tough dude and well-respected by his teammates, but he was the second-most penalized offensive linemen in the league last season (called for 14 penalties). Based on overall performance, he was the 66th-ranked guard by PFF.

 

Training camp will be a success if ... : The Jets aren't being second-guessed by fans and media for failing to pay more attention in the offseason to the aging line -- specifically, right guard.

 

Wild card : This is a make-or-break camp for Winters, a third-round pick in 2013. The previous regime had high hopes for Winters, but it has been a struggle, especially in pass protection (11 sacks in 18 starts, according to PFF). After two years at left guard, he will get a shot to reinvent himself at right guard, perhaps even working a little at center. The scholarship has expired; Winters has to convince the new staff he's worthy of a roster spot. That he's coming back from major knee surgery won't make it any easier.

 

By the numbers : The Jets finished third in total rushing, a boast-worthy accomplishment for the offensive line -- but don't be tricked into thinking it was a dominant unit. When the going got tough, the tough guys hit a wall. To wit: In the red zone, the Jets averaged only 2.2 yards per rush, 26th in the league.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/52133/jets-ol-preview-can-they-squeeze-another-year-out-of-aging-unit

[ljr]

[ Wild card : This is a make-or-break camp for Winters, a third-round pick in 2013. it has been a struggle, especially in pass protection (11 sacks in 18 starts, according to PFF). After two years at left guard, he will get a shot to reinvent himself at right guard. ]

Can't imagine many of us being happy if Winters winds up being the starter at RG

[#27TheDominator]

Aboushi is "also a possibility" to start at guard?  He started all of last year.  He should be at least even with Winters and Colon.  I don't think he has played any worse than Winters did.  Even crazier, how the **** did he fall behind Qvale?  I think this is Cimini and he is getting ahead  of himself based on mini-camp. 

[#27TheDominator]

[ Wild card : This is a make-or-break camp for Winters, a third-round pick in 2013. it has been a struggle, especially in pass protection (11 sacks in 18 starts, according to PFF). After two years at left guard, he will get a shot to reinvent himself at right guard. ]

Can't imagine many of us being happy if Winters winds up being the starter at RG

 

I would be very happy for Winters to start,  assuming he is the best in an open competition.  Winters was a smaller school guy transitioning from T inside.  Starting as a rookie is a pretty big jump from Kent State.  It was no surprise that he struggled. We have a bunch of potentially viable options.  The best one should at least be decent.  From what I have read about him, he sounds more the RG type than Aboushi.

[flgreen]

[ Wild card : This is a make-or-break camp for Winters, a third-round pick in 2013. it has been a struggle, especially in pass protection (11 sacks in 18 starts, according to PFF). After two years at left guard, he will get a shot to reinvent himself at right guard. ]

Can't imagine many of us being happy if Winters winds up being the starter at RG

In my mind at least, the Winters boat has sailed. (Of course Bowles might not share that view.)  I'm hoping for Qvale, then next year moving him to RT.

 

Should be fun (or painful) watching the right side of he OL in camp

[#27TheDominator]

I think it is Brett Ratliff syndrome.  An UDFA that sat on practice squads is better than a 3rd round pick?  Qvale gets time to develop and Winters doesn't? They were both on the team last year.  One guy was starting LG, the other sat on the practice squad all year without anybody else snapping him up.  Qvale went to Nebraska, he wasn't a secret.  I hope we having something there, but it is much more likely that Winters pans out than Qvale

[cant wait]

With the amount of OL the jets have picked in the last few years you figure we're due for one of them to step up

[BurnleyJet]

I predict Winters gone, and either Dozier or Jarvis to step up.

[Jetlife33]

Wait is Colon really going to start at RG? I predicted he won't even make the final 53.

[kelly]

The always dependable D'Brickashaw Ferguson will get some help this season with the addition of left new Jet guard James Carpenter.Time has not weathered his face or ravaged his body. His feet still move like a much smaller man. His mind is sharp.D’Brickashaw Ferguson has a resume that defies logic given the realities of a position that can make you look foolish so easily. A split second separates greatness from embarrassment. Lose a step at his craft and a pink slip follows.The Jets have had 10,196 offensive snaps since selecting Ferguson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2006 draft. He has missed exactly none of them.

 

He’s played in 151 consecutive games.

 

For nine years, Ferguson has been on an island at left tackle facing the most frightening pass rushers in the world. For nine years, he hasn’t taken a breather.He has played through pain when most of us, including his coaches, probably never knew exactly how much pain. He has won more battles than he’s lost. He has ebbed and flowed, shined and sometimes struggled, without a trace of bitterness. He doesn’t make excuses.He’s reliable and,on most days,boring.Looking for a flashy quote or bombastic prediction ? Move along. Nothing to see at Ferguson’s locker.He is the future Governor of New York, even though he hasn’t officially announced his run for office just yet. He is polished, careful and smart.Now, he has a new buddy to help him maintain his dependable level of play.In the twilight of his career, the three-time Pro Bowler received a gift from the front office in the offseason. New left guard James Carpenter’s blend of nastiness and skill could be precisely what Ferguson needs to thrive in his early thirties. As Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold put it, Carpenter “just wants to hit somebody.”

 

“He completes us,” right guard Willie Colon said of Carpenter. “Brick and Nick have been tacticians through the years. Real cerebral guys. I think Brick always needed a guy like Carp. He kind of lost that when (Alan) Faneca left, a guy that plays at a high level, but has that grit and toughness to kind of cover his butt.”Carpenter’s bruising style is a perfect complement to Ferguson’s game. He can be a human autocorrect when the 31-year-old left tackle makes a mistake.“It’s really about the chemistry that you build with that individual player,” Ferguson said. “His skill set — whether you call it a brawler or not — no matter how you categorize him, he’s talented. When he’s out there, it’s noticeable. He’s a game changer. He can make things happen.”

 

Ferguson might not be the elite player that he used to be, but there were enough flashes last season to believe that he won’t be a human turnstile in 2015. He was one of only three left tackles to play 16 games last season (along with Cincinnati’s Andrew Whitworth and Arizona’s Jared Veldheer) to allow one or fewer sacks. Ferguson gave up one sack on 1,110 snaps.He allowed 27 quarterback hurries in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. The organization will almost certainly ask Ferguson to re-work his deal after the season if they want to keep him. The Jets can save $9 million by cutting him in 2016. Ferguson has restructured his contract twice to accommodate the team in the past few seasons.

 

Carpenter’s arrival might be exactly what Ferguson needs to extend his career. The former Seahawks lineman coming off back-to-back Super Bowl appearances has already had a tangible impact on the guy to his left. Carpenter’s scrappiness has rubbed off on Ferguson, whose smooth style has been a staple for the Jets for so long.“We all help out each other, whether it’s a guard for a tackle or a tackle for a guard,” Ferguson said. “When you think of a line, you don’t just think of one position. We collectively help one another. He’s very good at seeing issues and making them right.”Ferguson doesn’t know when the end will come. He doesn’t sound like a man who wants to stop anytime soon.

 

Thanks to his new teammate, he might not have to.

 

> http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-aging-ferguson-jolt-new-jet-guard-carpenter-article-1.2316224

[kelly]

 You might think Jets right guard Willie Colon is finished. If so, he doesn't want to hear you, but he gets why you believe that. "I understand why people feel that way," Colon said. "My injury report hasn't been the best at times. When people tag that with how old I am, it's easy to say, 'Hey, maybe he should ride off into the sunset.' But I know I have a heart of a lion, and I'm going to determine my own future. I believe I'm the master of my own fate." 

 

In this training camp, Colon is competing with three younger players — Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi and Brent Qvale — for the Jets' starting right guard spot. If Colon doesn't win the spot, the Jets could decide to cut him.He has been their starting right guard for the past two seasons, after he spent his first seven seasons in Pittsburgh. He firmly believes he can still play in the NFL. Colon's sometimes-troublesome knee is holding up so far in camp, but he is still 32, and he's had issues with being flagged for far too many penalties recently. 

 

He admitted that his defiance of critics is mixed with a natural sense of nervousness that this summer could be the end of his NFL career. "Yeah, you do have that sense of anxiety, like, 'Hey, man, this could be the end as a Jet. Or maybe I may be taking my talents somewhere [else],'" Colon said. "I can't think about the what-ifs."Colon,a Bronx native,isn't sure if he'd attempt to play elsewhere if the Jets cut him. "I don't know," he said. "I really don't think [too much] about the end, honestly. I don't ever think about the future, because in my head, I'm still a ball player." Above all else, Colon refuses to let anyone else define the end of his career for him. "I've been around to see guys kind of in my situation," he said. "I've seen the naysayers or the media or whoever kind of sit back and be like, 'Hey, that guy's washed up.' I think if you look at James Harrison, he's a prime example of a guy who many people have written him off, and he retired and came back and had a pretty decent year for a guy coming off the couch at his age.

 

"That's my mindset.I think I've fought hard and long enough & been through the dark times to kind of say, 'Hey,I'm ready to be done.Not the media or anybody else.'I think that's just where I'm atmentally.Harrison, a 37-year-old linebacker, is a former teammate of Colon's from Pittsburgh. Harrison retired last August, but returned less than a month later, and had 5½ sacks for the Steelers last season. Colon has experienced position battles before, earlier in his career against Max Starks, and then after Colon returned from injuries that cost him the 2010 season, and all but one game of 2011.  "I'm used to this, man," he said. "I don't feel 'woe is me.' This is the business. It's all about putting the best product on the field. If they feel like I'm not the best to suit this [starting] five, then they have to make the business decision. My job is to prove them wrong, that I'm worthy to be out there on the field." 

 

One thing Colon isn't stressing about in this camp — the number of reps he receives with the starting line. "The worst thing you can do as a ball player is play the politic games," he said. "A lot of guys, they get caught up in competition battles and they kind of take them personal: 'Well, I didn't get enough reps as the next guy.' But you can't think about it like that. The opportunities you get, you've got to seize them. That's where my mind is at. The time I have, I've got to go balls to the wall." 

 

As Colon goes through this position battle, he also is trying to soak in what might be his final NFL training camp. "I think every year that I've gotten older, I've kind of learned to sit back and appreciate the guys, appreciate camp life, appreciate the people you do meet," he said. "Because there are so many guys I know that are out of the game, and when I see them and we talk over beers or dinner, they literally talk about camps. They literally talk about the games they played. They can tell you the last game [they played] on this day. For me, I'm just enjoying it all." 

 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/jets_willie_colon_on_fighting_for_roster_spot_im_g.html

[Bergen Jet]

Is this unit really considered that old from an OL perspective that we have to worry about "squeezing another year" out of them? 

[kelly]

Each week throughout training camp, Jets offensive tackle James Brewer will be keeping a diary for The Post, sharing his experiences and observations as he prepares for the regular season and bids to be part of the 2015 Jets. As told to Brian Costello.

 

The towns of East Rutherford and Florham Park are only separated by 27 ¹/₂ miles, but for me, they may as well be different worlds.I went from four years with the Giants, the team that drafted me in the fourth round of the 2011 Draft, to the Jets this offseason. I moved from Secaucus to a place five minutes away from the Jets training center and began the process of learning a new team.It is strange after four years in a Tom Coughlin training camp to go to one run by Todd Bowles.It’s not better or worse, just different. For example, with the Giants I think we did a “9-on-7” running drill every day. Here, we’ve done it once. I find myself expecting things to happen in practice and then they don’t because that’s not how Coach Bowles has practice set up.

 

The main thing is the atmosphere here is totally different than East Rutherford. It’s been a fresh start for me. When I became a free agent in March, I looked at the Jets and saw they had a new general manager, head coach and offensive coordinator and felt it was a place to make a fresh start. When I visited, I was impressed by how little ego there was among the team’s decision-makers.This is the next chapter for me in what has already been a wild ride. I grew up in Indiana dreaming of following Sean May as the next basketball star at the University of North Carolina. A coach persuaded me to play football as a senior in high school to stay in shape for basketball. One thing led to another and I wound up getting a full ride to play football at Indiana University.

 

Five years later, the Giants drafted me in the fourth round in 2011. I still remember that first training camp. It was just after the lockout ended. I didn’t know the plays at all because we were not allowed to have playbooks during the lockout. Free agent deals were still getting done. The good news was I was getting all the reps. The bad news was I was getting all the reps. I look up and I was like, ‘Man, I am not cut out for the NFL.’You were just dog tired.Eventually I figured out that I did belong.I played every position onthe line except center with the Giants during my time with the team. That versatility is one of my strengths.

So far, with the Jets, I have worked only at right tackle during training camp. I have been getting mostly second-team reps behind starter Breno Giacomini, splitting time with Brent Qvale as the backup.

 

To me, anyone that competes, you want to start. The goal is to start, but at the same time I’m not a fool. I want to prove that I belong on the team and go from there. My goal is to start, but I want to make the team first.That quest began this week, the start of a long road to the season opener against the Browns.

 

> http://nypost.com/2015/08/09/former-giants-o-lineman-my-lifes-much-different-with-jets/

[kelly]

-- Nick Mangold has played with only two right guards in his nine-year career with the New York Jets -- Brandon Moore and Willie Colon. Left guard, different story.

 

On Monday, Mangold was asked to name his left guards, and he rattled off his list: Pete Kendall, Adrien Clarke, Alan Faneca, Matt Slauson, Vladimir Ducasse, Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi.Mangold's recall is impressive. He missed Will Montgomery, who started two games in 2007, but we'll cut him some slack. The point is, Mangold and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson -- both offensive-line mainstays since 2006 -- have been dealing with a parade of left guards. Only two of them, Kendall and Faneca, were accomplished players in the league.Maybe now they can find stability with James Carpenter, who started on two consecutive NFC championship teams with the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Carpenter, who signed a four-year, $19 million contract in free agency, has taken virtually every first-team rep at left guard in training camp. There's no competition, no guessing the opening-day starter. He's the guy, and he's excited about the Jets' blocking scheme."This offense is like a dream to me -- man and power blocking," said Carpenter, who played in a zone-blocking scheme in Seattle. "It's a dream come true for me. That's the type of lineman I am."At 6-foot-5, 321 pounds, Carpenter is built for a power, road-grading scheme. In a zone system, the linemen blocks areas, not defenders. It's a finesse scheme.

 

The Jets could use some consistency at the position. That would make life easier for Mangold and Ferguson; they won't have to worry about hand-holding an inexperienced player at guard. They've been dealing with upheaval for most of their careers."I don't have anything else to compare it to, so it's what you have to deal with," Mangold said. "But it does take work to make sure you're on the same page, trying to get the (new) guy going -- or, in the case when Faneca came in, trying to learn from him."Mangold said Carpenter is a man of few words, but he likes his mentality. In the spring, he asked Mangold about a particular pass-protection scheme. Mangold said not to sweat it, they'd work it out when they got in pads.

 

"Yeah, I just want to hit somebody," Carpenter told him.Mangold liked that response.Carpenter is the strong, silent type, all right. Maybe he can be strong enough to stop the revolving door.

 

>  http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/52893/james-carpenter-says-jets-blocking-scheme-is-a-dream-come-true

[kelly]

We haven't seen too much of the Jets first offensive line in the preseason yet — nine plays, one field goal drive at Detroit. But the parts are there to build a strong machine.

 

There's the Nick Mangold/D'Brickashaw Ferguson axis, still going strong in its 10th year rolling together.Whether it's Willie Colon or Brian Winters at right guard — they're the top two on the depth chart now — that position will have experience.And there's the Seattle Connection — Breno Giacomini at right tackle and James Carpenter at left guard.Both won Super Bowl rings with the Seahawks after the '13 season, with Breno coming East to the Green & White after that year and Carpenter after last season's Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. And besides big-game experience, they also have a friendship and respect for each other that first developed in the Pacific Northwest.

 

"My relationship with Breno is really great," Carpenter told me after today's practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. "He's a really good offensive lineman. He's physical, he's smart, he just works hard. And he always has your back."Breno has returned the compliments this camp and even before, when I spoke with him during the June minicamp."He was at right tackle and when he went down [with an injury in 2011], that's when I hopped into the position," Giacomini recalled. "After he got healthy, he went back to left guard. That's where I think he feels most comfortable, and I think he's a stud at that position.

 

"Carp doesn't talk too much," Breno added, "but he knows it's about hard work and he knows what it takes to get there — he's gotten there twice. I'm sure he's learned a lot from both winning and losing, and he's definitely grown. That's the No. 1 thing I saw right away when he got here. He's way more mature as a pro than he was a few years ago."Carpenter, 3½ years younger, said of Breno, "We don't play practical jokes on each other, but we joke around and stuff. We've been good friends for a long time, four years now." Giacomini agreed: "I still mess with him like he's a rookie, but that's a different story. But I'm definitely glad to have him here."

 

It's still a little too soon to say the Jets O-line will be state of the art in 2015, but the group has had its brawny moments, especially in the run game, during camp practices and for that one series vs. the Lions.And the elements are there. Add the six aforementioned players together, including the two RGs, and you've got a line with 37 seasons, 486 regular-season starts, nine Pro Bowls and three Super Bowl starts under its collective belt.We'll get our best indication yet of how the group is jelling in the first half on Friday night at MetLife Stadium against the Falcons.

 

"I can't wait to show what we've got," said Carpenter, the big man of few words. "This offensive line is looking really good. I think it's going to be really fun."

 

>   http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/James-Carpenter-Quiet-Stud-on-the-OL/ef28aad4-9211-46e5-8339-234453accea8

[bitonti]

Carpenter is a player, the line is better than last year, flat out. 

 

They aren't elite but they are about average or maybe even a little above average. I have them 14th in the rankings. 

[kelly]

more re our OL...

NFL Nation reporters look ahead to Wednesday practices at their team's training camp.

~ ~ New York Jets: The Jets appear to have settled on a starting offensive line -- Willie Colon has all but secured right guard -- but there's still plenty of competition for backup roles, with eight legitimate candidates for four, maybe five spots. Former draft picks Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi, both of whom have starting experience, aren't locks. -- Rich Cimini

rest of above article  :

> http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13513497/denver-broncos-mix-their-running-back-depth-chart-nfl

 

[Beerfish]

I don't know whether to give Colon a pat on the back for winning the job or to shake my head with sadness that we don;t have anyone better.  We have been trying to get rid of him for at least two years now. 

I think we have the type of line that will hold up against medium to low end dlines but we will have to game plan like crazy vs the top end dlines and pass rushers, RT is an issue for me as much as anything.

[JustInFudge]

I don't know whether to give Colon a pat on the back for winning the job or to shake my head with sadness that we don;t have anyone better.  We have been trying to get rid of him for at least two years now. 

I think we have the type of line that will hold up against medium to low end dlines but we will have to game plan like crazy vs the top end dlines and pass rushers, RT is an issue for me as much as anything.

Then they're going to have their hands full with both the Dolphags and Bills. 

I really was hoping we could move on from the penalty machine in Colon.

[Beerfish]

Then they're going to have their hands full with both the Dolphags and Bills. 

I really was hoping we could move on from the penalty machine in Colon.

Yup we will, probably another reason we have been bringing in tight ends during camp.  Do we have even one TE that can block?

[Integrity28]

I don't know whether to give Colon a pat on the back for winning the job or to shake my head with sadness that we don;t have anyone better.  We have been trying to get rid of him for at least two years now. 

I think we have the type of line that will hold up against medium to low end dlines but we will have to game plan like crazy vs the top end dlines and pass rushers, RT is an issue for me as much as anything.

I said something similar about the TE position, but with the amount of resources thrown at this one guard spot over the past few years (Idzik) it is an absolute effing shame that we're still using Willie Colon. 

Then they're going to have their hands full with both the Dolphags and Bills. 

I really was hoping we could move on from the penalty machine in Colon.

The offensive line may be the weakest unit on the entire team after tight end. With 3 veteran QBs and Petty, I'm actually now more comfortable with the QB position than I am with the OL.

[BigRy56]

Jets have an above average offensive line. They'll be fine. The season's fate rests on the play of the QB. The rest of the team is ready to roll.

[Integrity28]

Jets have an above average offensive line. They'll be fine. The season's fate rests on the play of the QB. The rest of the team is ready to roll.

The QB's play is intrinsically tied to the play of the OL, unless the QB happens to be so amazing that he can transcend all the sh*t around him... our QBs are not this. Our OL is meh, and Colon is the weakest link.

[kelly]

–- Willie Colon started this training camp on the physically unable to perform list.But he finished it on Thursday as the likely starting right guard for the New York Jets and with an admiration for what new head coach Todd Bowles is trying to instill in this team."It's been a tough camp and been a camp that a lot of people had to get out of their shells and grow up a little bit," Colon said after the Jets broke camp on Thursday.Bowles has tried to instill toughness and discipline into the Jets, who had to transition from Rex Ryan's player-friendly environment to Bowles' old school approach.Bowles' first camp was tested, especially when a locker room fight resulted in starting quarterback Geno Smith suffering a broken jaw.

Colon, the 10-year veteran, has appreciated Bowles' approach throughout camp. And even though he appears to have the right guard competition all but sewn up, Colon is taking nothing for granted. Working mostly with the first team starters, Colon still wants to earn his way into the starting offensive line."That I belong on this team," Colon said when asked what he has to prove. "With those four guys [on the offensive line], and being a part of this Bowles team, I wear it like a badge."

"I'm 32-years-old and I know my injury record," Colon later added. "And I know everything that goes along with me. At the end of the day, I know I've got the heart of a dog. I'm willing to fight anytime I get the opportunity."Bowles says some jobs are still up for grabs entering the third preseason game against the New York Giants on Saturday night. He has yet to name his starter at right guard with Colon battling the likes of Brian Winters.

Bowles said earlier in camp that he noticed how the veteran's knees have held up."He brings a lot of toughness," Bowles told reporters earlier in camp. "So far, he looks good and his knees have been holding up. He's been upbeat."He's one of the most talkative guys in camp. He makes every day festive and he plays like that. He's one of the older guys, but he's got one of the younger spirits. He's been having a good camp."

Colon hopes to continue that on Saturday against the Giants and cement his hold on the right guard starting spot."I just tried to maximize every opportunity I got," Colon said. "It's not my first competition battle. I came into it with a battle-hungry mind. I knew what was at stake. I know what's still at stake. I just want to fit in and get the job done. It takes a lot of work and dedication, and I've put that in. Now when you get on the field, flat-out ball out."

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53539/willie-colon-on-jets-camp-a-lot-of-people-had-to-get-out-of-their-shells-and-grow-up

[Cyberjet]

Nice thread guys - good articles. Have to feel good about the Carpenter signing. Might make Colon a better RG. Also whoever ends up as the backups are going to be quality versatile guys.

[New York Mick]

They're going to need to do some major work on the Oline next season if they want to keep Cook alive. One major injury and they're ****ed. 

[#27TheDominator]

I don't know whether to give Colon a pat on the back for winning the job or to shake my head with sadness that we don;t have anyone better.  We have been trying to get rid of him for at least two years now. 

I think we have the type of line that will hold up against medium to low end dlines but we will have to game plan like crazy vs the top end dlines and pass rushers, RT is an issue for me as much as anything.

I don't think they ever really wanted to count on him.  They went into 2013 drafting WInters, Aboushi and Campbell and having signed Peterman along with Colon.  At that point they were still trying to force feed Ducasse into the lineup - he had that one good game matching up against Wilfork and got a few starts before being benched for Winters. Colon seemed like the kind of local guy at the tail end of his career that you bring in just in case.  Even worse this year when he was still hurt when camp started.

[Villain The Foe]

Position : Offensive line

Projected starters : D'Brickashaw Ferguson (LT), James Carpenter (LG), Nick Mangold ©, Willie Colon (RG), Breno Giacomini (RT)

Projected backups: Ben Ijalana, Oday Aboushi, Brian Winters, Jarvis Harrison (fifth-round pick).

Notables on the bubble: Dakota Dozier, Brent Qvale, James Brewer, Wesley Johnson.

 

Player to watch : Carpenter has managed to stay under the radar since signing a four-year, $19.1 million contract in free agency, but he's still an important piece to the offensive puzzle. The Jets haven't had a quality left guard since Alan Faneca (2008-09), and they're hoping Carpenter can stabilize the position. The former first-round pick bolted the Seattle Seahawks after the team declined to exercise its fifth-year option, which should tell you something. He was the 47th-ranked guard in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. He's solid in pass protection (no sacks allowed, per PFF), but he needs to be more consistent in the running game. The Jets can't afford to be wrong about Carpenter; the "Porsche" will break down if there's an oil leak at both guard positions -- a reference, of course, to Colon's recent analogy for the offense.

 

Top storyline : The competition at right guard will generate most of the chatter in training camp. It's a wide-open position, with Colon getting a slight edge because he's the incumbent. That could change in a big way because Colon, 32, playing on a one-year, minimum contract, isn't even guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster. Qvale and Winters figure to be the top challengers, but Aboushi, who worked at right and left guard in minicamp, also is a possibility. Colon is considered the fallback option. He's one tough dude and well-respected by his teammates, but he was the second-most penalized offensive linemen in the league last season (called for 14 penalties). Based on overall performance, he was the 66th-ranked guard by PFF.

 

Training camp will be a success if ... : The Jets aren't being second-guessed by fans and media for failing to pay more attention in the offseason to the aging line -- specifically, right guard.

 

Wild card : This is a make-or-break camp for Winters, a third-round pick in 2013. The previous regime had high hopes for Winters, but it has been a struggle, especially in pass protection (11 sacks in 18 starts, according to PFF). After two years at left guard, he will get a shot to reinvent himself at right guard, perhaps even working a little at center. The scholarship has expired; Winters has to convince the new staff he's worthy of a roster spot. That he's coming back from major knee surgery won't make it any easier.

 

By the numbers : The Jets finished third in total rushing, a boast-worthy accomplishment for the offensive line -- but don't be tricked into thinking it was a dominant unit. When the going got tough, the tough guys hit a wall. To wit: In the red zone, the Jets averaged only 2.2 yards per rush, 26th in the league.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/52133/jets-ol-preview-can-they-squeeze-another-year-out-of-aging-unit

I think Leonard Williams is a good player and will most likely be a very good player for us. I still believe however that we should have traded down and picked up a couple Tackles/Guards for this team. 

This offensive line next year is going to be even more of a problem next year. We need D'Brick and Mangold's eventual replacements, our guards are average at best along with our right tackle. 

No one right now believes in Dozier, Winters, Ijalana, Qvale, Aboushi, Brewer etc. If any of our starting lineman gets hurt we might as well just call it a season. 

[bitonti]

I think Leonard Williams is a good player and will most likely be a very good player for us. I still believe however that we should have traded down and picked up a couple Tackles/Guards for this team. 

This offensive line next year is going to be even more of a problem next year. 

Jets fans are obsessed with offensive line because we've forgotten what competent QB looks like. Teams with actual QB's don't need a perfect Pro Bowl at every position offensive line. The QB just makes decisions quickly and gets rid of the ball under 3 seconds. We haven't seen that since Chad. 

 

The fact of the matter is the Jets offensive line was 2nd in the league in rushing last year, against teams that knew it was coming. And they added Carpenter to that group. It's a borderline top-tier unit. 

[Integrity28]

I didn't like Mangini much, but to his credit, he knew what he had in Brick and Mangold, and got Tanny to invest in the players he grouped them with... and it showed up in the win column.... even after Rex took over.

The last 4 years of Rex was a complete waste of 4 years of 2 of the best Jets drafted in my lifetime.

[Integrity28]

Jets fans are obsessed with offensive line because we've forgotten what competent QB looks like. Teams with actual QB's don't need a perfect Pro Bowl at every position offensive line. The QB just makes decisions quickly and gets rid of the ball under 3 seconds. We haven't seen that since Chad. 

 

The fact of the matter is the Jets offensive line was 2nd in the league in rushing last year, against teams that knew it was coming. And they added Carpenter to that group. It's a borderline top-tier unit. 

pish posh... Brady, Manning, Rodgers... all these guys enjoy their best seasons when they are playing behind top OLs. Having a great OL should be an annual goal. It dictates the ceiling for the offense, and in today's NFL that often dictates how exposed the defense will be also... 

 

[slats]

I think Leonard Williams is a good player and will most likely be a very good player for us. I still believe however that we should have traded down and picked up a couple Tackles/Guards for this team. 

This offensive line next year is going to be even more of a problem next year. We need D'Brick and Mangold's eventual replacements, our guards are average at best along with our right tackle. 

No one right now believes in Dozier, Winters, Ijalana, Qvale, Aboushi, Brewer etc. If any of our starting lineman gets hurt we might as well just call it a season. 

Blech. You don't pass on arguably the best player in the draft to trade down for a couple lesser tackles and guards. 

Jets could be in the OT market in the first round next year (QB notwithstanding), but quality guards are affordably available every year in free agency. I expect Carpenter to raise the level of Brick and Mangold's play this year. No more having to cover for crap between them. Colon commits too many penalties, but otherwise he's a decent starter. 

[Villain The Foe]

Blech. You don't pass on arguably the best player in the draft to trade down for a couple lesser tackles and guards. 

Jets could be in the OT market in the first round next year (QB notwithstanding), but quality guards are affordably available every year in free agency. I expect Carpenter to raise the level of Brick and Mangold's play this year. No more having to cover for crap between them. Colon commits too many penalties, but otherwise he's a decent starter. 

Its about what you value. The "arguably the best player" position is just a talking point, it doesnt have to be everyone's position, and you can be successful other ways. We seen guys considered the best player become the biggest bust and we've seen lesser become legends. It happens all the time. At the end of the day no one really knows...so I'd rather go with my own intuition than the talking point. Sometimes its good to go the general route, but we literally have bench players at the defensive line position that would start for many teams in this league, and thats with guys like Kendrick Ellis already moving on. 

Yes, Williams could have been the best player available/in the draft but I dont think that with Richardson/Wilkerson/Depth his contribution would be as high as players that could secure a position less solidified. Williams plays a position that is literally our strongest and deepest area. Sometimes its cool to pass on your strongest area in order to take care of areas that could use more attention. 

 

[Villain The Foe]

Jets fans are obsessed with offensive line because we've forgotten what competent QB looks like. Teams with actual QB's don't need a perfect Pro Bowl at every position offensive line. The QB just makes decisions quickly and gets rid of the ball under 3 seconds. We haven't seen that since Chad. 

 

The fact of the matter is the Jets offensive line was 2nd in the league in rushing last year, against teams that knew it was coming. And they added Carpenter to that group. It's a borderline top-tier unit. 

This is not an obsession, its about the Jets always being reactionary. They only deal with situations after the fact. Our Oline is old, not only is it old but it has no depth. Its literally the complete opposite of our defensive line. 

The QB part I didnt really understand, that type of QB you mentioned isn't just some "competent QB", sounds more elite if you ask me (then again I've been deprived of a competent QB so you may have a point here lol). Besides, we're not one of those teams with actual QB's so we should be focusing on things such as the Oline and its depth in order to maintain the rushing that you mentioned that relies on it. As for the 2nd in league rushing, that kinda reminds me of "team defense" stats, it can be misleading. On paper that sounds great, but ultimately it comes down to points, and the Jets were somewhere around 25th in rushing TD's. So it sounds like teams were bending but not breaking against our rushing attack. 

At the end of the day, the Jets have one of the oldest offensive lines in football with virtually zero depth. Thats not obsession, thats observation. 

[slats]

Its about what you value. The "arguably the best player" position is just a talking point, it doesnt have to be everyone's position, and you can be successful other ways. We seen guys considered the best player become the biggest bust and we've seen lesser become legends. It happens all the time. At the end of the day no one really knows...so I'd rather go with my own intuition than the talking point. Sometimes its good to go the general route, but we literally have bench players at the defensive line position that would start for many teams in this league, and thats with guys like Kendrick Ellis already moving on. 

Yes, Williams could have been the best player available/in the draft but I dont think that with Richardson/Wilkerson/Depth his contribution would be as high as players that could secure a position less solidified. Williams plays a position that is literally our strongest and deepest area. Sometimes its cool to pass on your strongest area in order to take care of areas that could use more attention. 

 

Thoroughly disagree. BAP is the only way to go, especially early in the draft. In retrospect it's looking even more brilliant with Sheldon suspended, and maybe suspended some more. A potential couple OL in a rather weak OL draft would've been a horrendous move. By drafting their strength, they'll be in a position to trade a great DL as part of a package to acquire a starting QB - potentially. And they can still get their OL next year.