Potential Candidates:
Muhammad Wilkerson
Wilkerson won this award in 2013 due to his dominance in the trenches, wreaking havoc in opposing backfields. He did not win last season, as he was outperformed by the second-year, former Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson, who was the 2014 Martin Award Winner. Wilkerson has been simply dominant in his four-year career for the Jets as a prodigious run-stopper who gets to the quarterback consistently. What more can a team ask for in a left end? If he can get back into double-digit sack territory and keep up his run-stuffing dominance, he will undoubtedly make his fourth Pro-Bowl, and even be a first-team All-Pro. This kind of performance might just make him the first mulit-Martin Award Winner since the next candidate on this list.
Darrelle Revis
He’s back! The prodigal son of the New York Jets- drafted and rose to superstardom in Green and White, but was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and signed with the New England Patriots, causing many Jets fans to deface or chuck their #24 jerseys. Darrelle Revis comes back to the Jets in a time of desperate need at the cornerback position, as the most interceptions by a single New York Jet in 2014 was two. The Jets as a team had just six. Revis will surely change that. He is the last player since Curtis Martin, himself, to win the Martin Award multiple times. If he does win it in 2015, he will only need one more Martin Award to tie the legendary #28 in team MVPs.
Brandon Marshall
Finally- the Jets have a unanimously agreed-upon, true #1 wide receiver atop their depth chart! Although he is coming off a slew of injuries, Brandon Marshall still has a few good 1,000-yard, 8-touchdown seasons left in him- maybe even a 1,500-yard 10-touchdown season. Depends on the talent around him and his quarterback. He does have some excellent around him at the wide receiver and tight end positions, but the question remains- how much has Geno Smith really progressed coming into his third season in the NFL?
Eric Decker
This is a man who carried the Jets’ offense in 2014- but with Brandon Marshall in town, will Eric Decker be as productive? No, he won’t. He will be EVEN MORE productive. It has always been said that Decker needs a true #1 receiver above him on the depth chart in order for him to reach his full potential. With Brandon Marshall drawing double coverage, that leaves Eric Decker a wide-open window of opportunity to step up and help Geno Smith pick apart opposing secondaries.
Geno Smith
Surprised to see Geno Smith on this list? Don’t be. It’s true that in his first two seasons as the Jets’ starter, he had one of the worst passer ratings in the entire NFL. It is also true that in almost every game he has played in, the Jets were hesitant to let him take risks, play freely, or step up and take over a game. In the one game in which the coaches already knew they were going to be given the boot (Rex Ryan already cleared out his office), they let Geno Smith be Geno Smith and did not hold him back. Ironically, he tore apart the Dolphins’ secondary en route to a perfect (158.3 quarterback rating) game. If he is given the opportunity and expectations to play like an elite NFL quarterback, he will step up and play like one. Smith recently had training sessions with a quarterback guru who had nothing but good things to say about his progress. If Geno Smith steps up and breaks out in 2015, he may very well be the sixth quarterback to ever receive the Martin Award.
Sheldon Richardson
A repeat Martin Award Winner? This has only been done by three Jets in history- Joe Namath, Al Toon, and Curtis Martin, and there is a great chance we might be adding Sheldon Richardson to this list by winter. What is there not to like about the ex-Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler? He dominantly stops the run and led the team in sacks last season. After two years of frequently finding himself in opposing backfields, we can only expect him to improve, and if he does, there is no reason not to believe he will be the 2015 Martin Award Winner.
Prediction:
Muhammad Wilkerson
At the age of 25, he is going to be entering his prime soon, and will be even more dominant- as scary as that might seem. While he had an off-year in 2014, one can partially blame it on injury. Watch out for every player on this list in 2015- but Mo Wilks is a guaranteed Pro Bowler barring injury.
Muhammad Wilkerson
Wilkerson won this award in 2013 due to his dominance in the trenches, wreaking havoc in opposing backfields. He did not win last season, as he was outperformed by the second-year, former Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson, who was the 2014 Martin Award Winner. Wilkerson has been simply dominant in his four-year career for the Jets as a prodigious run-stopper who gets to the quarterback consistently. What more can a team ask for in a left end? If he can get back into double-digit sack territory and keep up his run-stuffing dominance, he will undoubtedly make his fourth Pro-Bowl, and even be a first-team All-Pro. This kind of performance might just make him the first mulit-Martin Award Winner since the next candidate on this list.
Darrelle Revis
He’s back! The prodigal son of the New York Jets- drafted and rose to superstardom in Green and White, but was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and signed with the New England Patriots, causing many Jets fans to deface or chuck their #24 jerseys. Darrelle Revis comes back to the Jets in a time of desperate need at the cornerback position, as the most interceptions by a single New York Jet in 2014 was two. The Jets as a team had just six. Revis will surely change that. He is the last player since Curtis Martin, himself, to win the Martin Award multiple times. If he does win it in 2015, he will only need one more Martin Award to tie the legendary #28 in team MVPs.
Brandon Marshall
Finally- the Jets have a unanimously agreed-upon, true #1 wide receiver atop their depth chart! Although he is coming off a slew of injuries, Brandon Marshall still has a few good 1,000-yard, 8-touchdown seasons left in him- maybe even a 1,500-yard 10-touchdown season. Depends on the talent around him and his quarterback. He does have some excellent around him at the wide receiver and tight end positions, but the question remains- how much has Geno Smith really progressed coming into his third season in the NFL?
Eric Decker
This is a man who carried the Jets’ offense in 2014- but with Brandon Marshall in town, will Eric Decker be as productive? No, he won’t. He will be EVEN MORE productive. It has always been said that Decker needs a true #1 receiver above him on the depth chart in order for him to reach his full potential. With Brandon Marshall drawing double coverage, that leaves Eric Decker a wide-open window of opportunity to step up and help Geno Smith pick apart opposing secondaries.
Geno Smith
Surprised to see Geno Smith on this list? Don’t be. It’s true that in his first two seasons as the Jets’ starter, he had one of the worst passer ratings in the entire NFL. It is also true that in almost every game he has played in, the Jets were hesitant to let him take risks, play freely, or step up and take over a game. In the one game in which the coaches already knew they were going to be given the boot (Rex Ryan already cleared out his office), they let Geno Smith be Geno Smith and did not hold him back. Ironically, he tore apart the Dolphins’ secondary en route to a perfect (158.3 quarterback rating) game. If he is given the opportunity and expectations to play like an elite NFL quarterback, he will step up and play like one. Smith recently had training sessions with a quarterback guru who had nothing but good things to say about his progress. If Geno Smith steps up and breaks out in 2015, he may very well be the sixth quarterback to ever receive the Martin Award.
Sheldon Richardson
A repeat Martin Award Winner? This has only been done by three Jets in history- Joe Namath, Al Toon, and Curtis Martin, and there is a great chance we might be adding Sheldon Richardson to this list by winter. What is there not to like about the ex-Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler? He dominantly stops the run and led the team in sacks last season. After two years of frequently finding himself in opposing backfields, we can only expect him to improve, and if he does, there is no reason not to believe he will be the 2015 Martin Award Winner.
Prediction:
Muhammad Wilkerson
At the age of 25, he is going to be entering his prime soon, and will be even more dominant- as scary as that might seem. While he had an off-year in 2014, one can partially blame it on injury. Watch out for every player on this list in 2015- but Mo Wilks is a guaranteed Pro Bowler barring injury.
