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Jets OL preview: Can they squeeze another year out of aging unit?
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Incumbent right guard Willie Colon has a battle ahead of him to retain his starting job. Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
Breaking down the New York Jets' roster, unit by unit, in preparation for training camp:
Position: Offensive line
Projected starters: D'Brickashaw Ferguson (LT), James Carpenter (LG), Nick Mangold (C), 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
2h
Incumbent right guard Willie Colon has a battle ahead of him to retain his starting job. Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
Breaking down the New York Jets' roster, unit by unit, in preparation for training camp:
Position: Offensive line
Projected starters: D'Brickashaw Ferguson (LT), James Carpenter (LG), Nick Mangold (C), 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
