Jets’ Catapano to get Chance at Starting Linebacker Spot

[kelly 3,123]

Rich Cimini says the Jets are making Mike Catapano a full-time linebacker.

From what I hear, the Jets are giving Mike Catapano a chance to become a full-time linebacker. He has dropped weight since the end of the season (he's in the 260s), which should help with the transition. A few years ago, he was a 290-pound defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

Catapano played in three games for the Jets last season after being called up from the practice squad in November. In his 52 snaps, he was fairly effective as a pass rusher in this limited playing time before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury. The Jets also have a need at linebacker. Lorenzo Mauldin is slated to take on a bigger role, but things do not look pretty even if we assume the unproven Mauldin can step up. Freddie Bishop III will be making the leap from the CFL. Who do the Jets have after that? Trevor Reilly?

With that said, I am not sure how much can reasonably be expected out of Catapano. Position transitions are seldom easy and never a sure thing. If he turned into a good situational player, it would be a major win. This move might be more emblematic of how unlikely it was Catapano would make the team as an interior lineman than anything else. Now he has a chance to make the Jets at a position where they need help.

>     http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/4/4/11359874/report-mike-catapano-to-become-full-time-linebacker

[munchmemory 12,000]

Who??!!

[RutgersJetFan 93,019]

So we got that going for us. Which is nice.

[KRL 11,801]

People better get used to this.  The team is transitioning to developing and using "back end" roster

players.  This is how you can maintain cap flexibility and keep a pipeline of talent flowing.  There

are going to be a lot more "who is that guy" comments coming up

[KRL 11,801]

Catapano in the three games he played was more relentless and showed more fire

than Coples did in 3+ years with the Jets

[JoJoTownsell1 10,929]

Just now, KRL said:

Catapano in the three games he played was more relentless and showed more fire

than Coples did in 3+ years with the Jets

So did the kid that run out after the kickoff to get the tee in week 3. That's more of an indictment of Coples than praise for Catapano tbh. 

[Augustiniak 7,519]

demario davis stunk.  they need to draft offense in the first round, the last time they did that was nearly before obama was president.

[jett 280]

52 minutes ago, KRL said:

Catapano in the three games he played was more relentless and showed more fire

than Coples did in 3+ years with the Jets

No this is actually true. I remember when he played there was A lot buzz around him. He had played well in practice and immediately made an impact for us. I'm excited about the possibilities from this kid. 

[SenorGato 13,955]

His pro day would have made him a LB prospect anyway. I thought he already was a LB, guess not. 

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

Awesome. This a player that I'm excited to see get more time. I think he impressed in his limited snaps before his injury. He'll certainly be an upgrade over Coples.

[Powpow 877]

13 minutes ago, Spoot-Face said:

Awesome. This a player that I'm excited to see get more time. I think he impressed in his limited snaps before his injury. He'll certainly be an upgrade over Coples.

Who's Coples? 🤔

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

1 minute ago, Powpow said:

Who's Coples? 🤔

A mythical, dominant creature whom the legends say once decapitated Maurice Jones Drew and ended his career.

[Greenseed4 4,710]

His motor is legit. Has a good bull rush. Can set the edge with the best of em, and is a monster on specials.  Should be an easy transition for him --> OLB/DE. 

Good move, Coach!

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

Hmmm... I just had a thought. Does moving Catapano to LB indicate that they aren't trading Mo? If Mo is gone, wouldn't that create a hole on the D-line that Catapano could fill? Or do you suppose that they already have plans for who might replace Mo, and they are more worried about the void at OLB?

[BroadwayJets 743]

1 minute ago, Spoot-Face said:

Hmmm... I just had a thought. Does moving Catapano to LB indicate that they aren't trading Mo? If Mo is gone, wouldn't that create a hole on the D-line that Catapano could fill? Or do you suppose that they already have plans for who might replace Mo, and they are more worried about the void at OLB?

We literally just signed Jarvis Jenkins, and used our 6th pick to draft Leonard Williams

Edited April 4, 2016 by BroadwayJets

[KRL 11,801]

Catapano's pro day workout numbers:

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/mike-catapano?id=2541140

 

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

2 minutes ago, BroadwayJets said:

We literally just signed Jarvis Jenkins, and used our 6th pick to draft Leonard Williams

Let's look at it this way; if we run a 4-3, without Mo I imagine the base would look like this:

Sheldon -- Leo -- McKlendon -- Jenkins

You're right. I should've outlined this first. I guess they see Jenkins as an instant starter and an upgrade over Catapano. That would fill the hole (not necessarily the production).

Thanks.

[BroadwayJets 743]

Just now, Spoot-Face said:

Let's look at it this way; if we run a 4-3, without Mo I imagine the base would look like this:

Sheldon -- Leo -- McKlendon -- Jenkins

You're right. I should've outlined this first. I guess they see Jenkins as an instant starter and an upgrade over Catapano. That would fill the hole (not necessarily the production).

Thanks.

In that scenario, correct. In a 43, which they will run from time to time on 3rd down, they'll likely have Jenkins in for McLendon on the inside, with a lot of different combos of our guys including Catapano on the edge. 

They see him as a 3-4 OLB rather than a 4-3 DE according to this report, he's not going to be a LB in a 43.

[Villain The Foe 11,261]

 

[Maxman 538,541]

56 minutes ago, KRL said:

Catapano in the three games he played was more relentless and showed more fire

than Coples did in 3+ years with the Jets

He did look really good when he played.

[pointman 4,498]

This thread topic suddenly gave me a really bleak feeling about this upcoming season. 

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

10 minutes ago, BroadwayJets said:

In that scenario, correct. In a 43, which they will run from time to time on 3rd down, they'll likely have Jenkins in for McLendon on the inside, with a lot of different combos of our guys including Catapano on the edge. 

They see him as a 3-4 OLB rather than a 4-3 DE according to this report, he's not going to be a LB in a 43.

You're right, I imagine the base 34 backers could look like this:

Mauldin -- Harris -- Hendy -- Catapano

Wherever he lines up, I'm excited to see. I was really disappointed when he was injured.

[Fibonacci 1,209]

The strength of this team will come from the contribution of players buried in the depth chart. Last few years, we didn't really have any talent besides the top of the roster but going forward, this will change. I am loving what Macc is trying to do. I hope he can solve the QB problem and we can be perennial play off team. 

[BroadwayJets 743]

Just now, Spoot-Face said:

You're right, I imagine the base 34 backers could look like this:

Mauldin -- Harris -- Hendy -- Catapano

Wherever he lines up, I'm excited to see. I was really disappointed when he was injured.

Same here, he's a local guy. It was a shame. Happy to see that he'll likely recover. 

I also completely forgot about that guy Bishop. That would be tremendous if one of them could turn into an every down player.

[jetscrazey 3,079]

Catapano is better than Coples, yes, but lateral quickness and holding outside contain could be an issue.  We'll need to do better if we want to be a playoff team.  Years of bad drafting is killing this roster.

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

1 minute ago, pointman said:

This thread topic suddenly gave me a really bleak feeling about this upcoming season. 

You're a Jets fan, you should always have a really bleak feeling about the upcoming season. Until we beat the Pats once then it's:

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

3 minutes ago, jetscrazey said:

Catapano is better than Coples, yes, but lateral quickness and holding outside contain could be an issue.  We'll need to do better if we want to be a playoff team.  Years of bad drafting is killing this roster.

With everything said about Pace here, he was pretty damn good at setting the edge.

[Warfish 28,586]

1 hour ago, munchmemory said:

Who??!!

 

[jetscrazey 3,079]

2 minutes ago, Spoot-Face said:

With everything said about Pace here, he was pretty damn good at setting the edge.

Pace had amazing "length" which made up for his lack of lateral quickness.  Catapano doesn't have the luxury of height and long arms so it'll be tougher for him.

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

1 minute ago, jetscrazey said:

Pace had amazing "length" which made up for his lack of lateral quickness.  Catapano doesn't have the luxury of height and long arms so it'll be tougher for him.

Catapano is quicker than Pace, though. Didn't it say that he's dropped weight from last season, too? I think they were grooming Mauldin to take Pace's place, so perhaps they see him as more of a rounded player, and Catapano as the pure pass-rusher. Mauldin did show some promise as a pass-rusher, too, but it'd be great if became more than just that--as much as we desperately need an explosive pass-rusher.

[KRL 11,801]

People do realize that Damon Harrison (5 years/46 million) was basically Catapano
3-4 years ago.  A UDFA who got on to the back end of the roster, developed and
was given a shot.  Harrison took that shot and became very wealthy.  Don't dismiss
"back end" roster players you never know when you'll find a gem.  Most people
probably thought Harrison was a "fat, camp body" when he showed up how did that
turn out

[Beerfish 32,283]

12 minutes ago, Spoot-Face said:

With everything said about Pace here, he was pretty damn good at setting the edge.

If I hear this said about one of our olbs as the big positive one more time I'm going postal.

[Spoot-Face 24,498]

1 minute ago, Beerfish said:

If I hear this said about one of our olbs as the big positive one more time I'm going postal.

lol

For the record, I thought Pace should've been gone last year, but he wasn't terrible. He just was not as fast as he used to be.

[RutgersJetFan 93,019]

25 minutes ago, jetscrazey said:

Pace had amazing "length"

[slats 108,946]

I hope this works out for the Jets and Catapano. If not, he'll have a long way back to try and catch on somewhere as a DL again.