Jets' Steve McLendon says he's different from 'monster' Damon Harrison

[Elias]

Don't try comparing the Jets' new nose tackle, Steve McLendon, to their old one, Damon Harrison, who signed with the Giants in free agency.


McLendon will be the first to point out that you can't really compare him and Harrison. This isn't a boast. Far from it. McLendon is a reserved guy. Rather, McLendon is simply saying that he and Harrison are very different players.


"I'm not taking over for him," McLendon told NJ Advance Media during minicamp. "I'm just coming here to play football. He went somewhere else. I came here. So it's not like I'm taking over for anybody."


So McLendon doesn't view this as filling Harrison's shoes?


"Nope," he said. "Because we're two different people."


And two different players.


"Most definitely," McLendon said. "He was like the traditional nose tackle, do it all. Big, strong, explosive. I'm not as big as him. My game is built off quickness and strength. (More akin to Bowles' preference on type of DLineman in the Elite Defense that he ran in 'Zona) I try to stay light. Using my hands a little bit more, because I know I'm probably not going to be able to ... I mean, I can hold double teams.


"But big Damon Harrison, he's a monster. He's a monster, man. He's big and strong. And he can move. That's why I said we're two different players. I really can't say I'm a nose tackle. I'm a defensive tackle. He's a traditional nose tackle. I'm a defensive tackle."


McLendon is 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, while Harrison is 6-foot-4 and 350 pounds. With the Jets over the past three seasons, Harrison established himself as perhaps the NFL's best nose tackle. He is very clearly a nose tackle.


During spring practices, the Jets worked McLendon at the nose tackle spot, but they also moved him all across their defensive line.


McLendon has embraced the opportunity to play various roles ever since the Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2009. McLendon said this is one reason why he was able to stick in the NFL. He started the past three seasons in Pittsburgh before signing with the Jets in free agency after Harrison departed.


McLendon said that in addition to playing nose tackle this spring, he also lined up in the two, three, four, five, and six techniques along the line. (We're going to see A LOT more blitzes with interchangeable players attacking from different positions)


Two technique is head-up with the offensive guard. Three is shading to the guard's outside shoulder. Four is shading to the offensive tackle's inside shoulder. Five is head-up with the tackle. And six is shading to the tackle's outside shoulder.


A nose tackle generally plays the zero technique (head-up with the center) or one technique (shading to the guard's inside shoulder).

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/20...different_from_monste.html#incart_river_index

I have high hopes for McLendon. Although Harrison was a big loss, I don't think we'll lose too much.

 

[Mainejet]

Different as in not nearly as good. I appreciate the effort on the part of Mac to try and backfill the roster with decent solutions for player LOSSES, but the fact is he simply is not as good as Snacks was.

 

[jetgreen13]

Different as in not nearly as good. I appreciate the effort on the part of Mac to try and backfill the roster with decent solutions for player LOSSES, but the fact is he simply is not as good as Snacks was.

harrison definitely a good player.. a very good player..

but it's not like we let a young (& healthy) kris jenkins walk out the door..

he wanted to get paid like a star & he got his money.. i'm glad that contract is on the giants books, not the jets..

 

[TebowCan'tThrow]

We are so doomed. I think we should cancel the season. How can we win without Harrison??

 

[Mainejet]

Well, YEAH. That goes without saying. Kris Jenkins was the very best NT I ever saw. Sort of a bad comparison.

harrison definitely a good player.. a very good player..

but it's not like we let a young (& healthy) kris jenkins walk out the door..

he wanted to get paid like a star & he got his money.. i'm glad that contract is on the giants books, not the jets..

 

[jetgreen13]

Well, YEAH. That goes without saying. Kris Jenkins was the very best NT I ever saw. Sort of a bad comparison.

my point was we let harrison walk because he seems to feel he should be paid like an elite talent.. well, apparently the giants agree..

good for harrison & the giants.....

 

[Mainejet]

Well, Snacks is definitely the best NT in the game today IMO. But that's just indicating that's it's a down era for NT's. Jenkins was an animal like I've never seen.

my point was we let harrison walk because he seems to feel he should be paid like an elite talent.. well, apparently the giants agree..

good for harrison & the giants.....

 

[mykcuz]

my point was we let harrison walk because he seems to feel he should be paid like an elite talent.. well, apparently the giants agree..

good for harrison & the giants.....

The giants had monopoly money to pay him. They had the wrist d line in football last year. They overpaid for a2 down nt.

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[jetgreen13]

The giants had monopoly money to pay him. They had the wrist d line in football last year. They overpaid for a2 down nt.

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agreed & better then than us..

harrison is a good player that the giants paid like a great one..

IMO, no way in hell mac had any plans on matching/approaching the giants offer.. thankfully.....

 

[mykcuz]

agreed & better then than us..

harrison is a good player that the giants paid like a great one..

IMO, no way in hell mac had any plans on matching/approaching the giants offer.. thankfully.....

Well I remember reports that our offer wasnt far off, maybe 20%less. Mac and Bowles really wanted him back.
But we won't win a championship by overpaying every player.

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[NYJETSDAN16]

Lets be real for a second, in the long run, Leonard Williams will leave Snacks in the dust once he truly begins to shine.

McLendon is what he is, a role player that alongside with Jenkins will hold the fort for the big three in Wilk, Sheldon and the Big Cat.

Lets not over glorify Damon Harrison. He was a very good player but not a game changer like the Three we currently have. I look at Snacks as a minor upgrade over Mike DeVito when he was let go.

 

[jetgreen13]

Well I remember reports that our offer wasnt far off, maybe 20%less. Mac and Bowles really wanted him back.
But we won't win a championship by overpaying every player.

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don't remember hearing those reports but things worked out for both harrison & the jets.. harrison got his money & the jets paid/kept wilkerson..

now let's re-sign our QB sign our rookie LB..

go jets..