How Jets linebacker has remade himself after a lost season

[Gas2No99]

How Jets linebacker has remade himself after a lost season

By Brian Costello

June 10, 2017 | 1:49pm

 

There are days when Lorenzo Mauldin misses lasagna. As part of his offseason diet, the Jets’ outside linebacker swore off pasta along with other carbs to try to lose weight.

The diet worked. He is down to 260 pounds from 268, and he hopes to lose a few more pounds before the season. Now, he has to see if the lost pounds equals more production.

“Last year I gained some weight and it kind of went downhill for me there because I slowed up and I wasn’t the guy that I was supposed to be, the guy that I was in my rookie year,” Mauldin said. “I feel faster now. I’ve got my speed back. I feel 100 percent with my ankle. I feel like I’m flying around out there.”

Mauldin, a 2015 third-round pick, gained weight entering last season in hopes it would help him against the run. Instead, it slowed him down rushing the passer. He dropped from four sacks as a rookie to 2.5 last year, a disappointing sophomore season.

“Last year I felt like I didn’t put too much in for the team,” he said. “I felt like I was neglecting the fact of how good I could be. That’s probably the worst season I’ve ever had, with 2 ½ sacks. It just felt bad to me.”

Mauldin tracks Ryan Nassib in last year’s preseason.AP

That led to him cutting down on carbs and fried foods this offseason. Mauldin, who likes to cook, said he has focused on cooking leaner meats and introducing more grains in his diet.

“His endurance is better from that standpoint,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said of Mauldin’s weight loss. “We have to get in pads to see whether he still has his strength.”

MauldinBill Kostroun

The Jets were hoping for big things from Mauldin in 2016. They expected him to make the leap from designated pass rusher to every-down linebacker. Instead, he began the year again as a pass rusher only and saw his playing time dip. He played just six snaps in Week 4 against the Seahawks.

“The coaches, of course, trusted in some of the other players to play that position,” Mauldin said. “I thought it was a good idea because I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do. I felt sluggish. That was my big thing this year, to come in and let the coaches know I’m ready to play. I’m going back to my rookie year, but better.”

After some injuries to other players, Mauldin’s playing time increased in the middle of last season and he showed some strides. Then, he sprained his ankle in a Week 12 loss to the Patriots. He re-injured the ankle in practice later in the season and did not play again in 2016.

“All I can do now is look back at that and use it as motivation,” Mauldin said. “I want to stay healthy, stay fit and out of the trainer’s room.”

During OTA practices, Mauldin has looked good. He has shown his old burst off the edge and looked more sure of himself dropping into coverage, something that will be big for him to remain on the field.

“I believe I’m a complete linebacker now,” Mauldin said. “My biggest thing was learning coverages, understanding what offenses are doing. That’s my biggest thing in OTAs, understanding what I need to do when it comes to coverage, knowing what the offense is going to do before they do it, getting keys on different reads and understanding what’s going on. I feel like I’m complete now. The rush came easy because that’s what I do. Now, dropping into coverage and helping the secondary, I feel like that’s a big step for me.”

Mauldin said he is excited to work with new outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, a Hall of Famer. He said Greene already has shown him some different pass-rushing techniques.

In year three, Mauldin looks leaner. The question now is: Does that mean he’s better?

[joewilly12]

56 Freddie Bishop still on the roster? 

[Gas2No99]

3 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

56 Freddie Bishop still on the roster? 

Yup. His new number is #47 since D.Davis reclaimed #56.

[MDL_JET]

Part I like the most from that is Kevin Greene showing him some new pass rush moves. So simple yet I feel like Jets never had a coach who did such a thing. Hopefully we see it translate on Sunday's. 

[j4jets]

He lost 8 pounds this off season? Wow! Nice. I lose that much in one big dump. 

[The Crusher]

Lasagna > Lorenzo 

[dbatesman]

Didn't the team ask him to put on the 10 pounds last year?

[Larz]

One troll leaves.... 

[56mehl56]

Oh please , I'm sure he's missing tackles and running into reporters on the sideline 

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

Good news and nice article but interesting how this is yet another player coming out saying he did not put his all in for the team last year...

I hope Bowles learned from this (or it really was the fault of the coaches fired) since most head coaches would have been fired after allowing so many players to put in a halfass effort - wasted season

 

[Jimmy 2 Times]

He had 4 sacks in 15 games his rookie year which comes to a 0.266 sack per game average.

He had 2.5 sacks in 11 games his second season which comes to 0.227 sack per game average.

Is that 8 pounds really that big of a deal?

We're talking about a difference of 0.039 sack per game

3.632 vs 4.256 over a 16 game stretch or basically HALF a sack.

 

Eat the lasagna Lorenzo. 

[CanadienJetsFan]

If he can stay healthy, he'll become a solid starter this year.

[T0mShane]

Unless he got a leg transplant and is chugging HGH, he's still the dude who put up nose tackle-like agility numbers at the Combine.

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

3 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Unless he got a leg transplant is chugging HGH, he's still the dude who put up nose tackle-like agility numbers at the Combine.

don't underestimate how much a full pan of lasagna goodness can slow a man down, maybe that was his pre-combine diet?

 

 

[T0mShane]

Just now, Ohio State NY Jets fan said:

don't underestimate how much a full pan of lasagna goodness can slow a man down, maybe that was his pre-combine diet?

 

 

Lol 

[NoBowles]

1 hour ago, j4jets said:

He lost 8 pounds this off season? Wow! Nice. I lose that much in one big dump. 

Lay off the cheap Chinese food

[Beerfish]

I need to back off on the carbs as well.  But.....I like carbs.

[detectivekimble]

1 hour ago, dbatesman said:

Didn't the team ask him to put on the 10 pounds last year?

15, I think.  Now they're having him lose it.  There's a plan, I tell you.

[detectivekimble]

14 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Unless he got a leg transplant and is chugging HGH, he's still the dude who put up nose tackle-like agility numbers at the Combine.

Correct, but any athleticism he did have was lost after the coaching staff had him put 10-15 pounds on.  

[Gas2No99]

3 minutes ago, detectivekimble said:

15, I think.  Now they're having him lose it.  There's a plan, I tell you.

Shaun Ellis in 2001-2003 all over again.

[detectivekimble]

50 minutes ago, Jimmy 2 Times said:

He had 4 sacks in 15 games his rookie year which comes to a 0.266 sack per game average.

He had 2.5 sacks in 11 games his second season which comes to 0.227 sack per game average.

Is that 8 pounds really that big of a deal?

We're talking about a difference of 0.039 sack per game

3.632 vs 4.256 over a 16 game stretch or basically HALF a sack.

 

Eat the lasagna Lorenzo. 

He played 100 more snaps in 2016, so yes, there was a noticeable decline in production.

[joewilly12]

He was a product of the environment in 2016......

[detectivekimble]

5 hours ago, Gas2No99 said:

Shaun Ellis in 2001-2003 all over again.

This is worse.  Ellis was pretty athletic for a 285 pound DE, so they figured he'd be an athletic DT in Herm's 4-3.

Mauldin was heavy footed coming out of college and a one-dimensional player (pass rusher).  So they make him gain a bunch of weight, which eliminated any athleticism he did have.  Absolutely moronic.  At this point, Leonard Williams and Sheldon Richardson can beat this guy in a foot race.

[Jetdawgg]

14 minutes ago, detectivekimble said:

This is worse.  Ellis was pretty athletic for a 285 pound DE, so they figured he'd be an athletic DT in Herm's 4-3.

Mauldin was heavy footed coming out of college and a one-dimensional player (pass rusher).  So they make him gain a bunch of weight, which eliminated any athleticism he did have.  Absolutely moronic.  At this point, Leonard Williams and Sheldon Richardson can beat this guy in a foot race.

Rodgers attempt at innovation...ugh

[LionelRichie]

last offseason was Pryor and Amaro articles.  This year it's Lee, Mauldin, ASJ.   

I would be surprised if any of them are on the team in 2019.  

[NoBowles]

I don't think the Jets use enough PEDs compared to the rest of the league.

[dbatesman]

1 hour ago, detectivekimble said:

15, I think.  Now they're having him lose it.  There's a plan, I tell you.

What a sh*tshow

[Guilhermezmc]

Didn't like the pick, don't like the player. Love his story tho.

[varjet]

Is 260 still too heavy for him?  I would think he plays a 250-255

[flgreen]

39 minutes ago, Guilhermezmc said:

Didn't like the pick, don't like the player. Love his story tho.

Yeah.  i liked the kid mostly because of his story, and his enthusiasm.  Was very disappointed last season.  Hope he puts it together  

[sciond]

let's see what happens we really need someone to be an edge rusher

[BCJet]

3 hours ago, Guilhermezmc said:

Didn't like the pick, don't like the player. Love his story tho.

Can you elaborate exactly on why you didnt like the pick?

It was the third round, we picked a potential edge rusher who actually had 3-4 college LB experience and was a high character/high motor guy.  What else are you looking for in the 3rd round?

[detectivekimble]

5 hours ago, detectivekimble said:

This is worse.  Ellis was pretty athletic for a 285 pound DE, so they figured he'd be an athletic DT in Herm's 4-3.

Mauldin was heavy footed coming out of college and a one-dimensional player (pass rusher).  So they make him gain a bunch of weight, which eliminated any athleticism he did have.  Absolutely moronic.  At this point, Leonard Williams and Sheldon Richardson can beat this guy in a foot race.

I should also add that Ellis was drafted to play 3-4 DE, so switching him to 4-3 DT wasn't a horrible idea.  They should have just shifted him inside without making him gain any weight.  

I believe the reason they moved him to 4-3 DT was because they drafted Bryan Thomas.

[RutgersJetFan]

7 minutes ago, BCJet said:

Can you elaborate exactly on why you didnt like the pick?

It was the third round, we picked a potential edge rusher who actually had 3-4 college LB experience and was a high character/high motor guy.  What else are you looking for in the 3rd round?

Jordan Hicks sounds nice.

[detectivekimble]

4 hours ago, Jetdawgg said:

Rodgers attempt at innovation...ugh

I wonder how much is Rodgers and how much is Bowles.  There's definitely a dumb and dumber thing going on there.  Which is which is anyone's guess.