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Rich Cimini     ESPN Staff Writer 

One of the takeaways from the Super Bowl, from a Jets perspective, is that defense still matters. The 2018 season was all about offense, with some teams posting video-game numbers, but the Patriots won because they were able to play team defense. While it's important to build around QB Sam Darnold, the Jets can't ignore the defense when they attack the offseason. They need an edge rusher (probably two), another linebacker and a starting-caliber corner (maybe two). They hired a proven coordinator in Gregg Williams, but he needs some horses to make his system work.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Leonard Williams has had many coaches throughout his football career, but no one has matched the intensity of Ed Orgeron, who coached the Jets defensive lineman at USC. But that may change with the addition of Jets new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.“I feel like that kind of energy brings the best out of people,” Williams said at the team’s new uniform unveil. “Same with our offensive coach (Dowell Loggains) and head coach (Adam Gase) — he’s a great, passionate offensive coach — so I feel like practice is going to be really competitive and it’s going to be able to push our team.”

Despite speculation Williams would install a 4-3, Gase told reporters at the Combine that the Jets will stick with a 3-4 base. The Big Cat, who registered 49 tackles and five sacks while leading the team with 12 tackles for loss and 24 quarterback hits last season, knows his new coordinator has a reputation for tinkering with defensive fronts and blitz schemes, which already excites the 6’5”, 302-pounder.“I can play nose, 3-technique, defensive end,” he said. “Even as a defense, I feel like we have a lot of playmakers on the team. Putting guys in the best position to make a play is really important and if we have that many playmakers on the defense, play with it. Put us in the best spot and let guys fly around. I’m excited about it.”

Williams takes the same versatile approach on the field to his training. Throughout the course of the offseason, his goal has been keeping his workouts fun and different such as running up the Malibu sand dunes, martial arts and strength training at the Mamba Sports Academy.“I don’t try to stick to the same workouts all the time and I feel like by doing that, it makes my body more functional and able to do different stuff,” he said. “I’m running in sand, I’m running on grass, concrete, and then I’m doing a bunch of different type of workouts. I’m doing jujitsu type of workouts where I’m understanding my body control and balance, which I think will correlate to football, learning body position and all that type of stuff. I feel like switching it up is helping me understand my body more.”

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The Jets’ defense endured some changes this offseason, as Adam Gase brought in Gregg Williams to serve as his defensive coordinator. With the arrival of Williams, New York’s defense will have to learn new terminology and adjust to Williams’ coaching style. Change can be threatening to some, but defensive end Leonard Williams is looking forward to taking the field under a new defensive playcaller in 2019. With the excitement, fire and aggressiveness Williams brings to the table, the fifth-year pro believes it will only help his playmaking ability going into next season.“I feel like that kind of energy brings the best out of people,” Williams said “I feel like practice is going to be really competitive and it’s going to be able to push our team.”

Gregg Williams will be the second defensive coordinator in Leonard’s career. Todd Bowles took over as head coach in 2015, the same year the Jets drafted Leonard sixth overall. Williams’ time under Bowles featured highs and lows from a production standpoint. After a solid rookie season, Williams made the Pro Bowl in his second year in the league after a seven-sack campaign in 2016. Since then, however, Williams only has seven sacks in two seasons, though he does have 55 quarterback hits.The hope is that the elder Williams can find a way to bolster Leonard’s ability on the field and help return him to Pro Bowl form, especially on the final year of his rookie contract. Fortunately, the Jets won’t be switching to the 4-3 base defense as was widely expected following Williams’ hire. The Jets will stick to the 3-4 they’ve played in for years, meaning Williams won’t need to learn a new position and New York can maximize his talent.

Gregg Williams is known to mix and match schemes, so Leonard is excited to display his versatility with a new coach on a defense full of potential.“I can play nose, 3-technique, defensive end,” he said. “Even as a defense, I feel like we have a lot of playmakers on the team. Putting guys in the best position to make a play is really important and if we have that many playmakers on the defense, play with it. Put us in the best spot and let guys fly around. I’m excited about it.”

>   https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/13/jets-de-leonard-williams-excited-to-play-for-dc-gregg-williams/

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Rich Cimini   ESPN Staff Writer 

Everybody knows the Jets need an edge rusher. Their DEs and OLBs beat their blocks within 2.5 seconds 18% of the time last season, per ESPN's Pass-Rush Win Rate using NFL Next Gen Stats — 23rd among all teams. The Jets haven't had a player with double-digit sacks since Mo Wilkerson in 2015. They can address the need with the third pick (Nick Bosa or Josh Allen). If not there, could they go back to the Seahawks in an attempt to trade for DE Frank Clark (franchise tag)? That seems unlikely under the current circumstances. The Jets don't have enough ammo (no second-round pick) and they couldn't do that trade on the clock because they presumably would want to negotiate a long-term deal. Still an intriguing option, though. The Jets had interest at the start of free agency.

>   http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

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Rich Cimini      ESPN Staff Writer 

The Jets-Ed Oliver buzz continues to get louder. Would GM Mike Maccagnan really take an undersized nose tackle with the third pick in the draft? Like a lot of GMs, Maccagnan puts an emphasis on traits, which would make Oliver an unconventional pick because of his size (6–1 7/8, 287) and short arms (fifth percentile among DLM at the combine). But Oliver has some special qualities (rare explosiveness), so maybe the Jets think he can be the next Aaron Donald. It's hard to believe he'd pick Oliver over DT Quinnen Williams, who checks every box, but one personnel man told me Maccagnan really likes Oliver.

>     http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

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With the addition of Quinnen Williams, the Jets’ defensive line is getting crowded.

New York currently has eight defensive linemen on its active roster. Under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the Jets are sticking with a 3-4 defensive scheme and there’s only so much room for all these defensive linemen. Leonard Williams is entering a contract year and hasn’t been what the Jets had expected when they drafted him in 2015.However, general manager Mike Maccagnan wouldn’t comment on if the Jets would consider trading Williams. Rather, he likes the idea of “putting all these guys” together on the defensive line at the same time.

The Jets could potentially line Quinnen Williams up at nose tackle with Henry Anderson and Leonard Williams on the outside. They also have Steve McLendon who is a true nose tackle, so they could rotate him in and out as well.It’s a good problem to have for Gregg Williams, who is going to have to figure out a way to get all of these guys some playing time. He can utilize his defensive linemen in a variety of ways, which could give the Jets’ opponents some difficulty blocking them.

“I’m excited to see how Gregg Williams can use these players,” said MaccagnanJets

>   https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/26/new-york-jets-defensive-line-leonard-williams-quinnen-williams-gregg-williams-2019-nfl-draft/

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Jachai Polite is boom-or-bust pick for Jets in 3rd round

The New York Jets added another piece to their defense during the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft in Jachai Polite. The Jets selected Polite with the 68th overall pick on Friday night. The University of Florida edge defender is a high risk, high reward pick for the Jets. Will it pay off and have the Jets finally found a consistent edge defender?

The New York Jets continued to add pieces to an already solid defense on Friday night, selecting University of Florida edge defender Jachai Polite in the third round with the 68th overall pick. The Jets were looking for an edge rusher and they think they found a good one in Polite. This is a high risk, high reward pick for the Jets as Polite has an excellent tape but does come with some baggage off the field.

Let’s examine the newest member of the New York Jets.

In 2018, led the Gators with 17.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and led the nation with six forced fumbles. Draft analysts describe Polite as an “instinctive rusher with a natural feel of attacking the pocket”. Polite also has frightening speed as an edge defender and that is something the Jets have been looking for over the last decade.However, Polite comes in with plenty of baggage that he and the Jets need to address on day one. Polite had a terrible pre-draft process with a poor showing at the combine (4.84 40 yard dash) and rubbed teams the wrong way during the interviews portion of the pre-draft process. Polite also battled a hamstring pull during the combine and Florida’s pro day that limited his effectiveness. According to ESPN NFL Nation reporter Rich Cimini’s conversation with a scout about Polite, the scout stated that Polite “doesn’t have issues, he is the issue”. Those are strong words by a scout that most other scouts somewhat agreed with.

With consistent locker room leaders in Jamal Adams and C.J. Mosley, Polite should be able to learn and get his head on straight because of these guys. Also Polite better develop a thick skin because his new defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, won’t put up with any of his nonsense. The Jets are giving Polite his chance in the NFL, he needs to make the most of it.

>    https://thejetpress.com/2019/04/27/jachai-polite-boom-bust-pick-jets-3rd-round/

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After only taking one cornerback in the 2019 NFL draft, Jets general manager might have to resort to re-signing a familiar face.

With the Jets in need of a No. 2 cornerback, Maccagnan waited until the sixth round to select Blessuan Austin out of Rutgers. While he could potentially find a spot on the roster, he’s far from being a starting cornerback. Because of that, Maccagnan could bring back Morris Claiborne.Maccagnan said after the draft that he doesn’t have a problem bringing back Claiborne.

@Connor_J_Hughes 

Mike Maccagnan said he has no problem with bringing back Morris Claiborne #Jets

 

Claiborne has been with the Jets for the past two seasons on one-year deals. They originally signed him in 2017 to prove himself after some injury-riddled years with the Cowboys. He stayed healthy and performed, as he had 43 tackles, one interception and eight pass defenses.The Jets rewarded Claiborne with another one-year deal, but he fell off last season. He had career-highs in tackles (57), interceptions (2) and pass defenses (14), but opposing receivers had his number all season long.

Bringing Claiborne back wouldn’t be a bad idea given the Jets’ situation in the secondary. As of now, Darryl Roberts is expected to be the No. 2 cornerback. He has shown flashes of being a capable starting cornerback but has not done it consistently.Unless the Jets are that high on Roberts, they are going to have to find someone to fill the No. 2 cornerback spot, which is possibly the weakest part of the defense. Claiborne has done it before, so why not bring him back and address the cornerback position next offseason ?

>   https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/28/jets-gm-mike-maccagnan-wouldnt-mind-re-signing-morris-claiborne/

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What the Jets are getting in 6th-round pick Blessuan Austin

Get to know the New York Jets’ final pick from the 2019 NFL draft, Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin.

Heading into this year’s draft, the Jets had a clear need for help at cornerback, and many expected them to address the position sooner than the sixth round. Still, the team landed a promising prospect in Austin, who has the size and physical tools to make an immediate impact on special teams, while potentially developing into something more down the road.Austin measured in at 6-1, 198 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, showing off the height and length that made him an effective cover man for the Scarlet Knights. But his talent was never in question.

The biggest reason Austin was still available in the later rounds of this year’s draft? Injuries.

Austin suffered multiple knee injuries during his college career, which kept him from living up to his full potential. When healthy, Austin showed impressive athleticism, instincts and ball skills, no doubt the traits that led the Jets to take a chance on him in the sixth round.With a fairly weak depth chart at the corner spot, Austin should have a fantastic chance of making the roster and pushing for quality playing time as a rookie. But that’s only if he’s able to avoid the durability issues that plagued him at the college level.If he’s able to stay healthy and maximize his talent, Austin could make a significant impact and easily end up being a fantastic value pick for the Jets down the road.

>   https://thejetpress.com/2019/05/05/jets-getting-6th-round-pick-blessuan-austin/

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Nick Saban has some high praise for Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.Williams played two years under Saban at Alabama before entering this year’s draft. He was one of 10 Crimson Tide players to be drafted in 2019, but Williams stood out from all the rest.

“I think his initial quickness and his ability to use his hands, play with leverage, get off blocks quickly,” Saban told the Jets’ website. “He’s athletic, so he’s a really good pass rusher. He’s not a gigantic, huge, overpowering guy, but the rest of it is perfect for this day and age of football. I go back to the initial quickness and the use of his hands. This guy is a really smart, instinctive player. I think sometimes people overlook how that impacts someone’s production and his production here was fabulous.”

Williams’ production at Alabama was impressive, as Saban said. He recorded 91 total tackles (26 for loss) and 10 sacks in his two years of school. Williams also was a unanimous All-American and won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman.Williams is a big guy at 303 pounds, but he doesn’t play like someone of his size. At the combine, Williams ran a 4.83-second 40-yard dash, which is quite impressive given his size.The 21-year-old fits the way today’s game is played. You need a game-changing player on the defensive line who can get to the quarterback and Williams has proved that ability. Clearly, Saban thinks the Jets got a great player for years to come.

>   https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/05/07/alabama-nick-saban-quinnen-williams-perfect-for-nfl-jets/

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