Sure. It is not a time to be Debbie Downer, BUT... If anything, I don't think Jets LB corp is any slower than any average defense out there in the NFL. Yeah... Bart Scott may have lost a step or two. I get that. But in general, I don't think Jets LBs are THAT much slower than any average defense. That said, we have seen Jets LBs consistently late to the ball carriers during run situation. That's pretty much half the season last year AND the Bills game. I didn't watch the LBs making plays much the prior few years so I cannot say much but even during Ryan's best years (09, 10) Jets LBs were not known to be the fast and aggressive play makers that they needed to be. Quite frankly, I cannot recall if Jets ever had fearsome LB corps that would strike fear into the opposing offense - since the Parcells days. Especially after Vilma and Farrior were off-loaded, I always thought of them as an OK unit that doesn't stand out much or foul up much. Why am I bringing this up? I am thinking, maybe something up with the LB coaching. For instance, I don't know if he's still coaching at Steelers (I suspect he still is.) he is one of the reasons why Steelers almost always churn out pro-bowl calibre LBs out of their LB prospects - his name is Kevin Butler. Ever since he started coaching the Steelers LBs, the LB corp stayed a strength of their defense for nearly a decade now. Now, who do we have? Yes. Bob Sutton. The very guy we wanted to run out when Mangini was running his quasi-NY Patriots show here. So how is he doing as the LB coach? How are the Jets LBs doing? Isn't it about time Jets upgraded the LB coaching as well? I see Jets secondary coach and DL coach is really good. I had to chip my two cents in, after CJ Spiller ran wild yesterday on this defense.
Bob Sutton is a legend and a relic. I guess he was head coach at Army for close to 10 years and won coach of the year once. He was also Jet D coordinator for a few seasons. I think the Jets need a new face as linebacker coach. A younger coach kicking some Bart Scott butt!
The Jets played a lot of nickel and quarter D on Sunday. The run game was leaky at times but they sold out for the pass most of the game, the Bills run a lot of spread formations. We'll see about these LBs, David Harris is still a fuckin beast.
The wiki page comes up all retarded on my phone but i think you're right. I thought it was sutton be he didn't start there until 2000.
Harris is good - Ok. Where would you rank him though? Ray Lewis? Patrick Willis? How about Lawrence Timmons? Obviously, the talent is there - that much nobody can deny. Do the Jets have the ability to coach up the talent? I have to doubt that.
I would disagree and say the talent isn't there. Pace is overpaid and underproductive. Thomas is old and as far as I'm concerned will always have that we could have had Ed Reed cloud over his head. Scott is old and overachieved for years in Baltimore probably because of the cast around him. He is a leader though and sometimes that is just as important as production. Harris is good but not great.
I agree with most of that. Pace and Thomas aren't exceptional talents. Thomas is what he is, he's not going to magically improve a ton. Same with Pace. Harris is very good, but he's not an elite athlete. Scott is good, too, but I don't think coaching is the issue. All of these LBs are older, and Thomas and Harris are the only ones who spent their early years with the Jets.
If you read carefully, you would have easily seen that I was specifically talking about Harris. Comparing Jets LB corp with that of Ravens, 49ers or Steelers is ludicrous and stupid at best. I agree Jets do not have enough talent there - not that was why I was comparing that group to the "average defense" and not the "elite" defense. And my point was, in general, even for an average defense, the LBs looked pretty bad. To an extent, I understand why that's how it was; Jets DL were pretty weak till this season, and a lot of burden that DL had to carry were on LB corp's shoulder. (Scott taking Ted role, and Bryan Thomas sealing the edge, effectively playing the 4th DL. for instance.) That said, I still think they could have done better, had they had better coaching.
3 of the 4 Jets LB's are old and slow. How hard is this to figure out? David Harris is neither but he's also not a zippy speed merchant that might take some of the edge off of the aging process on the other guys. Outside linebackers in a 3-4 don't tend to age all that well. That's because most of them are converted defensive ends who dropped a bit of weight to play OLB. As you get older and stiffer that causes issues because the weight comes back and you weren't exactly Speedy Gonzales to start with,
Harris is legit Scott can only play the run Thomas and Pace are old Maybin lacks patience to play the run Davis is young and will take time Mauga is good in coverage nothing else McIntyre is decent
LB is going to be the weakness this year. With some luck Davis will turn out to be a good starter for next year which will infuse needed speed. Then the first round pick should be going to OLB and if that works out the defense will be unfathomably fearsome. Until then; best in the league will have to do.
One step at a time. Next year I hope we take lbs with 2/3 of our first 3 picks. That should go a long way in shoring up our LB corps. I'm tired of the Nick Bellore/gary mcintyre etc hype. We need athletic beasts on there.
well sanchez stopped sucking so we need something to cling to or we may yet have hope for this season
Butler is a great LB coach w/o a doubt. But another thing to factor in is that the Steelers consistently target LB's in the draft every year. They have a certain type of LB that they want and usually find them in the draft. This is an area that we just simply do not invest in on draft day and we would be better suited if we did. Of our LB's only Harris was drafted (Bryan Thomas was actually a DE coming out of college). Pace, Scott and Maybin were all FA's.
Can't teach speed...... and their starting LBs, while solid players don't have any. I've said what you had in regards to the draft before. Add an O-lineman in with those other 3, and this team could be stacked.
Harris has been battling an ankle sprain and Thomas went out of the game in the 2nd quarter (I think) with a hammy. Bart Scott is slow. Period.
