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Linebackers: The Jets, the Combine & Beyond
Posted 13 hours ago
Randy Lange
Editor-in-Chief, newyorkjets.com
@rlangejets Blog: Randy's Radar
LB Corps Was Again a Solid Part of the Operation but Can Use Some Youth via Free Agency or the Draft
This is the sixth in a series of articles examining the Jets position by position in advance of the NFL Combine workouts in Indianapolis beginning Thursday, Feb. 19, and the start of the free agency signing period March 10.
Today: Linebackers
Whether the new bodies arrived via free agency or the draft, the Jets have had a very solid linebacking corps for most of the last quarter century. That remained true last season and should continue into 2015, although the unit is graying a little around the temples.
GM Mike Maccagnan, HC Todd Bowles and David Harris have to determine if "the Hitman," the second-round pick of our 2007 draft, will continue with the Green & White or head for free agency. Harris is a coach on the field, not to mention a tackling machine — he cruised past 1,000 regular-season tackles in his Jets career against the Patriots in Game 15.
He also loves the game. "I want to play here as long as I can," he said back in September. "This is a game I've been playing since I was 10 years old, so that's 20 years now. I hear from the coaches that played and from former players to try to play as long as you can because you're going to miss it once you stop playing."
A lot of others in this unit love the game as well. In fact, the last three winners of the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational award are Harris, fellow ILB Demario Davis and OLB Calvin Pace. Davis, entering his fourth season, cleared 120 tackles for the second straight campaign. Nick Bellore, also technically on the inside, is a guiding force on special teams. He's also a potential free agent, too.
On the outside, Quinton Coples continued to make major-impact plays. And Pace and Jason Babin, whom the team last week picked up contract options on, are the two longest-tenured NFL players currently on our defensive roster.
LBs on Jets' Roster
■ Jason Babin
■ Nick Bellore
■ Quinton Coples
■ Jermaine Cunningham
■ Demario Davis
■ IK Enemkpali
■ David Harris
■ Mario Harvey
■ Calvin Pace
■ Trevor Reilly
■ Chris Young
Jets' Potential LB Free Agents
■ Nick Bellore
■ Jermaine Cunningham
■ David Harris
LBs in the 2015 NFL Draft
Adding the likes of Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley and Shaq Thompson to the DEs we mentioned last Wednesday — Randy Gregory, Shane Ray and Bud Dupree — makes for an impressive list of pass rushers in this draft.
As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller told Eric Allen on newyorkjets.com, "I think the position is so deep this year. I have four of them in my top 15 and around six guys who are legitimate first-round picks. It's incredibly top-heavy with talent but also deep because you can get talented guys all the way through the third round."
Thompson is triply impressive: He played LB and some RB at Washington and is listed by NFL Network's Mike Mayock among the top safeties in this draft.
Inside talent's a little thinner but two very good ones in Benardrick McKinney and Eric Kendricks could go late in Round 1.
Here are eight of the top linebackers available in the upcoming draft, with projected round of selection, based on several online mock drafts and value boards:
■ OLB/DE Dante Fowler, Florida (1)
■ OLB/DE Vic Beasley, Clemson (1)
■ OLB Shaq Thompson, Washington (1)
■ ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State (1-2)
■ ILB Eric Kendricks, UCLA (1-2)
■ OLB Nate Orchard, Utah (2)
■ OLB Paul Dawson, TCU (2)
■ OLB/DE Preston Smith, Mississippi State (2-3)
Top Potential NFL Free Agent LBs
Some big names pop up here, but how many will test the free agency waters, and how much gas is left in some tanks?
Justin Houston, who led the league with 22.0 sacks, equaling Mark Gastineau's 1984 total and trailing Michael Strahan's NFL-record 22.5 by a half-sack, has plenty of gas left and could be on the market although some reports say the Chiefs could franchise-tag him after the combine. Do former Jets first-rounder John Abraham, former Jets nemesis Dwight Freeney or former Giant Osi Umenyiora have one more big sack season left?
Here is an arbitrary list of six linebackers who can become unrestricted free agents in March:
■ John Abraham, Cardinals
■ Lance Briggs, Bears
■ Justin Houston, Chiefs
■ Brian Orakpo, Redskins
■ Jason Worilds, Steelers
■ Osi Umenyiora, Falcons
Posted 13 hours ago
Randy Lange
Editor-in-Chief, newyorkjets.com
@rlangejets Blog: Randy's Radar
LB Corps Was Again a Solid Part of the Operation but Can Use Some Youth via Free Agency or the Draft
This is the sixth in a series of articles examining the Jets position by position in advance of the NFL Combine workouts in Indianapolis beginning Thursday, Feb. 19, and the start of the free agency signing period March 10.
Today: Linebackers
Whether the new bodies arrived via free agency or the draft, the Jets have had a very solid linebacking corps for most of the last quarter century. That remained true last season and should continue into 2015, although the unit is graying a little around the temples.
GM Mike Maccagnan, HC Todd Bowles and David Harris have to determine if "the Hitman," the second-round pick of our 2007 draft, will continue with the Green & White or head for free agency. Harris is a coach on the field, not to mention a tackling machine — he cruised past 1,000 regular-season tackles in his Jets career against the Patriots in Game 15.
He also loves the game. "I want to play here as long as I can," he said back in September. "This is a game I've been playing since I was 10 years old, so that's 20 years now. I hear from the coaches that played and from former players to try to play as long as you can because you're going to miss it once you stop playing."
A lot of others in this unit love the game as well. In fact, the last three winners of the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational award are Harris, fellow ILB Demario Davis and OLB Calvin Pace. Davis, entering his fourth season, cleared 120 tackles for the second straight campaign. Nick Bellore, also technically on the inside, is a guiding force on special teams. He's also a potential free agent, too.
On the outside, Quinton Coples continued to make major-impact plays. And Pace and Jason Babin, whom the team last week picked up contract options on, are the two longest-tenured NFL players currently on our defensive roster.
LBs on Jets' Roster
■ Jason Babin
■ Nick Bellore
■ Quinton Coples
■ Jermaine Cunningham
■ Demario Davis
■ IK Enemkpali
■ David Harris
■ Mario Harvey
■ Calvin Pace
■ Trevor Reilly
■ Chris Young
Jets' Potential LB Free Agents
■ Nick Bellore
■ Jermaine Cunningham
■ David Harris
LBs in the 2015 NFL Draft
Adding the likes of Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley and Shaq Thompson to the DEs we mentioned last Wednesday — Randy Gregory, Shane Ray and Bud Dupree — makes for an impressive list of pass rushers in this draft.
As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller told Eric Allen on newyorkjets.com, "I think the position is so deep this year. I have four of them in my top 15 and around six guys who are legitimate first-round picks. It's incredibly top-heavy with talent but also deep because you can get talented guys all the way through the third round."
Thompson is triply impressive: He played LB and some RB at Washington and is listed by NFL Network's Mike Mayock among the top safeties in this draft.
Inside talent's a little thinner but two very good ones in Benardrick McKinney and Eric Kendricks could go late in Round 1.
Here are eight of the top linebackers available in the upcoming draft, with projected round of selection, based on several online mock drafts and value boards:
■ OLB/DE Dante Fowler, Florida (1)
■ OLB/DE Vic Beasley, Clemson (1)
■ OLB Shaq Thompson, Washington (1)
■ ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State (1-2)
■ ILB Eric Kendricks, UCLA (1-2)
■ OLB Nate Orchard, Utah (2)
■ OLB Paul Dawson, TCU (2)
■ OLB/DE Preston Smith, Mississippi State (2-3)
Top Potential NFL Free Agent LBs
Some big names pop up here, but how many will test the free agency waters, and how much gas is left in some tanks?
Justin Houston, who led the league with 22.0 sacks, equaling Mark Gastineau's 1984 total and trailing Michael Strahan's NFL-record 22.5 by a half-sack, has plenty of gas left and could be on the market although some reports say the Chiefs could franchise-tag him after the combine. Do former Jets first-rounder John Abraham, former Jets nemesis Dwight Freeney or former Giant Osi Umenyiora have one more big sack season left?
Here is an arbitrary list of six linebackers who can become unrestricted free agents in March:
■ John Abraham, Cardinals
■ Lance Briggs, Bears
■ Justin Houston, Chiefs
■ Brian Orakpo, Redskins
■ Jason Worilds, Steelers
■ Osi Umenyiora, Falcons
