With saleh coming on as HC the jets will move to a 4-3 which seems like on paper a good thing. D-line is one of our strongest groups on the roster and we never got that stud EDGE OLB rusher while in the 3-4 that is badly needed. so how will our current roster transition? Players on contract Bryce Huff 6-3 255lbs - I think huff stays at OLB. he's not big enough to be an every down DE. can still be used as a blitzer but likely asked to cover the outside and drop back in coverage more and defend the run CJ Mosley 6-2 250lbs - ILB. Mosley might be better suited to swing outside but I think he stays on the inside and Qbs the defense from the MLb position. he's a little bigger and slower then you want in a 4-3 MLB but I think he can pull it off Black Cashman 6-1 238lbs - OLB. Cashman I think will benefit from the switch most. where he can use his speed and take less beatings causing injuries. I think we would be better off with him being the MLB and mosley outside but I just don't see it happening. I think cashman can have a breakout year for us in the 4-3 Foley Fatusaki 6-4 295lbs - Foley will stay at DT inside for sure to stuff the run along with Q and to create pressure and stop the QB form stepping up Henry Anderson - I think he gets cut. we are too stacked and he doens't really fit in well and would save us 8 million in cap room Quinnen Williams 6-3 303lbs - DT. The perfect 3 technique DT who can creatue havok in the middle, collapse the pocket, and demand double teams. Q should thrive for us Nathan Shepard - 6-4 315lbs - DT. solid depth guy to rotate with Q and foley. they will be our 3 DTs for the season Jabari Zuniga 6-3 264lbs - DE he'll be one of our DEs and it'll be more natural for him. not having to worry about dropping back into coverage. he can just play the run and rush the passer. could earn a starting job John Franklin Myers 6-4 288lbs. DE I think he starts at DE for us. he was very impressive every chance he had. he could also swing tackle to cover for injuries if shepard or foley went down. he's a bit bigger then you want as a DE in the 4-3 but has played well enough I think he will be fine and has the best chance to swing to DE from our current 3-4 DEs Kyle Phillips 6-4 277 lbs. DE. I think he starts at DE for us. this is where our lack of Edge OLbs helps none have to really come down and be DEs so we can keep our talent at the d-line and not be over stacked and need less LBers then we did before That gives us a current outlook of DE JFM DT Q DT Foley DE Phillips with main backups being Zuniga and Shepard At Lber it would be OLB Cashman MLB Mosley OLB Huff Impending FAs Jordan Jenkins 6-3 247lbs. Terell Basham 6-4 266lbs Frankie Luvu 6-3 236 lbs neville hewitt 6-2 234lbs patrick onwuasor 6-0 227 lbs harvey langi 6-2 250lbs We will need some depth at LBer for sure. I think we bring a couple of these guys back. I could see luvu and hewitt coming back to be backup OLBs and using cashman as the swing MLB if mosley goes down. I could also see saleh bringing in some of his guys familair with his sytem to rotate Jordan WIllis - we traded him to the niners mideseason along with a 7th in 2021 for a 6th in 2022. we could sign him back now to be a cheap backup at DE for us Joe Walker - back-up MLB and good special teams player
This was discussed on another thread, but Saleh's background is 4-3 Under, as opposed to traditional 4-3, as well as Wide 9. I would expect us to have a 4-3 Under base, which looks and functions very similar to a 3-4 imo. Take a look at below pic for formation. Our existing guys fit into this just fine, but need better edge guys whether we stayed true 3-4 or convert to this. We also need to upgrade at CB.
Great question, you think Zuniga plays the wide 9 end? Bosa was that guy for the Niners, Jets don’t have a Bosa, Zuniga has the speed but does he have the strength?
Me too. In reality both the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses work in stopping any kind of offense. But you have to draft players with the correct skill set and emphasize the right positions. For whatever the fuck reason, we've been trying to find the golden 5-technique for over a decade. A player that is merely a pawn in the defense. 3-4 defenses need good to great linebackers at two of the four spots (weakside edge rusher and either weakside or strong side linebacker). We've been trying to fill a position that Kimo Von Oelhoffen and Aaron Smith filled just fine during their careers in Pittsburgh, with Reggie White. Q. Williams can be an absolute game wrecker next to Fatukasi in the 3T where he's just told to shoot the gap and blow plays up while Fatukasi fills space and the ILB (Hewitt had a good year - he could play in a 4-3) cleans everything up.
Completely agree. 3-4 also needs that unreal OLB that can play inside and out like Von Miller. Those are hard to come by. With a 4-3 it’s easier to find a DE that can get there and LBs that can cover with speed.
I'm curious to see how we make it work. Quinnen Williams is obviously the three technique. Jenkins was awful this year but wasn't a fit anyway. John Franklin Myer had a good year but he was usually operating inside. I don't know if he can bend the edge enough to operate on the edge full time. If he could that'd be phenomenal to only need to add a weak side end because Fatukasi/Shepherd can handle the nose/2i. I'd imagine we pull Hyder away to play on the edge. I'd like to see Hewitt back and operate as the ILB. He's fast enough and is in on every play. Mosely really has no fit. He can't play WILL at all. We need another linebacker for sure.
I think we got a decent rotation at DT between Q, JFM and Sheppard. We need to hit in a DE and maybe sticking with a vet like Anderson off tge edge this year. As for the LBs. I’m a believer in CJ even though it’s been a rough go so far. He could be comeback player of the year.
Huff will have his hand in the dirt. He showed some pass rush capabilities, might just be 3rd down packages. Q, I said last week, is about to be warren sapp without the asshole personality. This is what he was born to do.
^ This. Huff will do what he was at Memphis. Q will wreck as a 3 tech, Shepard, Foley and JFM will rotate, with JFM being able to swing outside. Zuniga, will have a change to line up with his hand in the dirt too. Curious about CJ and Cashman. I can’t rely on Cash to be healthy but he may benefit with his speed at OLB. I hope Hewitt comes back, he played great. Still need some edge guys, and another OLB who can cover.
I wonder how involved Saleh was in drafting Fred Warner (2018 3rd) and Dre Greenlaw (2019 5th)? They're a great young LB duo like we need on the Jets.
Do you think we add a Bud Dupree/Shaq Barrett/Matt Judon to give saleh a true edge rusher? Barret is probably a bit small to play in the 4-3.
Don’t forget Luvu, in the 4-3 he can definitely play Will LB, like James Farrior did before he was shipped off to the Steelers.