Adding from the past

Edition #165

🌟 Good morning!

Zach Wilson is getting some R&R in Cabo, Braxton Berrios is playing golf on the beach and we’re clamoring for content to see us through to training camp.

Today I thought it would be fun to switch things up a little and move away from directly discussing the current team. This weekend I got asked which Jets player from history I’d add to the current roster, that’s a fun exercise but I wanted to take it further.

So today I’m going to put forward one Jets player from each decade that I’d add to the current team, and I’d love to get your own teams in the comments. You can choose whoever you like, the goal is to make the team better overall.

🎙️ In a recent podcast appearance, ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini named former Seahawks offensive tackle Duane Brown as a name to watch as the Jets look to add a veteran tackle behind George Fant and Mekhi Becton. Brown is a former first-round pick and 5x Pro Bowler who spent the last 4+ years with Seattle after starting his career in Houston.

🏆 Confidence is high around 1JD at the moment and why shouldn’t it be, every team is tied for first place. In a recent interview, middle linebacker and defensive leader CJ Mosley said that reaching the playoffs in 2022 is a “realistic goal” for the Jets. Now wouldn’t that be nice?

⚡ Former Jet LaDainian Tomlinson had some good things to say about the new look Jets RB tandem, speaking to the official website: "He and Michael Carter together, I'm excited about that tandem," Tomlinson said. "Michael Carter can flat out get it done, especially on the perimeter catching the football. Now you got Breece Hall, who can handle 20 carries a game, he can give you some catches out of the backfield, but he's a dynamic guy that can do it all. Great vision, great cutting ability and what I like in Mike LaFleur's offense, as they run a lot of perimeter plays, when you look at Breece Hall running on the perimeter, great patience, great vision to cut the football back. This man, Day 1, is going to be ready to roll."

🥊According to reports, former Jets running back Le’Veon Bell is set to fight Adrian Peterson in a boxing match held on the 30th of July as part of Austin McBroom’s Social Gloves. I don’t know who Austin McBroom is, I don’t understand this former athlete boxing each other trend, and all this makes me think is that the NFL need to work hard on their financial advisory element.

6️⃣0️⃣ 1960’s - Joe Namath

I was actually tempted to put Don Maynard here, but everything starts with the QB. I wasn’t around to watch Namath live but I’ve seen plenty of clips to know he’d enjoy being in a pass-friendly league. My first instinct here was to say that Joe would throw a ton of interceptions but with the new regulations limiting defensive back contact with receivers and the protections the modern QBs get…I don’t think that would be a huge issue. He’d probably still throw a lot of picks, but he’d throw a hell of a lot of touchdowns as well. I’d also be interested to see how Joe would fit in with the current team culture, he was known to play to the beat of his own drum so this may not be the best idea, but as the best QB in franchise history, I’m taking him.

7️⃣0️⃣1970’s - Joe Klecko

You know how much the coaching staff loves versatility, well Klecko had it in spades. Starting and excelling as a defensive end, then moving inside to defensive tackle and instantly making an impact and back to back pro-bowls, before finally playing as a nose tackle in a new 3-4 defense the Jets installed. Klecko became just the 2nd player in NFL history (behind Frank Gifford) to be named to a pro-bowl at three different positions, despite suffering a number of injuries throughout his career. Although a lot of his work was done in the 1980s, he joined the team in 1977 as a 6th-round pick out of Temple, so I’m playing by the rules here.

8️⃣0️⃣ 1980’s - Mark Gastineau

If Saleh’s defense is all about pressure then how could you not add Mark Gastineau to the mix? He was officially added to the roster in 1979 but the vast majority of his career was wreaking havoc in the 80s. Between 1981-1985 he made the Pro-Bowl on five consecutive occasions as well as a First-team All-Pro between 1982–1984. With Klecko and Gastineau I’m bringing 50% of the New York Sack Exchange back into action. Very few players could handle him one v one and some teams found out that even when doubled, the QB wasn’t safe. I think it’s safe to assume that Gastineau would feast on some of the tackles in football today, just like he did 40 years ago.

9️⃣0️⃣ 1990’s - Mo Lewis

I wrote recently about how Mo Lewis being absent from the ring of honor is absolutely criminal, and I’d absolutely echo that here. Having played for the team from 1991-2003, the Georgia man was part of the game as it started shifting and he was a player who could do anything on the football field. A sure tackler, and a good leader, with 52.5 sacks to his name, and 14 interceptions as well, he had the speed to cover and the instincts to make plays all over the field. I’m not a huge fan of the Jets linebacker room and would Lewis and CJ work well as a pairing? I’d love to find out and his coverage would be greatly appreciated.

Just as a note on the 1990’s and 2000’s selection - Curtis Martin is my favorite Jet of all time, the only reason he’s not on here is due to me being so excited about the potential of the Carter/Hall backfield. So before the pitchforks come out, just know there is logic to my selections, at least in my own mind.

2️⃣0️⃣ 2000’s - Nick Mangold

It all starts up front, that’s Joe Douglas’s philosophy and the Jets have spent the last three years trying to improve their offensive line. They’ve done a good job so far and I thought about putting Ferguson in here as the left tackle, and as much as I’ve come to appreciate the work of Connor McGovern, I can only dream of having a Nick Mangold there to support Alijah Vera-Tucker on the right and help Zach with his protections. Mangold was reliable, consistent, and just outstanding from the moment he set foot on the team. If all the other components of the line managed to stay healthy in 2022 and you added Nick Mangold, it would probably be the best line in football.

2️⃣1️⃣ 2010’s - Darrelle Revis

Looking at the Jets depth chart, you could argue that cornerback isn’t really a need, but there’s having a good corner in Reed and a potentially great corner in Sauce…and having one of the greatest of all time. Revis around 2009-2010 was just a phenomenal player to watch and his ability to just completely shut down some of the best receivers in the game, at a time where NFL rules are designed to help the receivers and handcuff the defensive backs? Wow. There’s not a team in football who wouldn’t take prime Revis right now, with all of these new receivers exploding onto the scene the value in a lockdown corner has never been higher. He would complete this roster.

🏆 Final Roster

Taking those selections into account here is how the final roster would take shape. As you can see I spent more resources on the defensive side of the football, but that defensive line looks about as scary as a defensive line can look and I’d feel a lot better having someone like Mo Lewis in that linebacker room.

QB - Joe Namath (Zach Wilson backup)
RB - Breece Hall, Michael Carter
WR - Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Garrett Wilson, Braxton Berrios
LT- George Fant
LG - Laken Tomlinson
C - Nick Mangold
RG - Alijah Vera-Tucker
RT - Mekhi Becton
TE - Tyler Conklin, CJ Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert

DE - Mark Gastineau/Jermaine Johnson
DT - Joe Klecko/Sheldon Rankins
DT - Quinnen Williams/John Franklin/Myers
DE - Carl Lawson/ Micheal Clemons
LB - Mo Lewis, CJ Mosley, Quincy Williams
CB - Darrelle Revis, Sauce Gardner, DJ Reed, Michael Carter II
SS - Jordan Whitehead
FS - LaMarcus Joyner

K - Greg Zuerlein
P - Braden Mann
LS - Thomas Hennessey