Lamar Jackson

New York Jets: Who should replace Gregg Williams at defensive coordinator?

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New York Jets, Gregg Williams

The New York Jets defense currently looks lifeless for a number of reasons. The biggest two, though, are coaching and lack of talented personnel. The primary excuse to this point has been, “the defense cannot get off the field” when in actuality, the Jets’ time of possession is only on average of five minutes or so less than their opponents. They fail to control the ball, which is true, but the team is so poorly coached; it is laughable.

With budding turmoil between head coach Adam Gase and Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams, it is not a long shot to think that Williams could be axed soon, with Gase following eventually. Williams has regressed mightily this year, likely due to the talent drop-off and the poor leadership from Gase, Still, as the rift widens between the two, I decided to pinpoint one guy who makes sense to replace Williams as soon as possible.

Dennard Wilson Deserves A Shot

Dennard Wilson had a fairly impressive college football career at the University of Maryland. Wilson was a dynamic piece of the Terrapins secondary, playing in 42 games with 30 starts. In his senior year, he played well enough to earn an honorable All-ACC Mention and eventually a contract from the Washington Football Team. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury wrecked his pro career, but he quickly found his niche as a coach.

Fast forward to 2017, Wilson was brought on to be the defensive backs coach under Todd Bowles and the Jets. Wilson impressed so highly in his first year that he kept a job despite the coaching turnover. As of this season as well, Wilson even earned a promotion to Passing Game Coordinator/ DBs Coach. Wilson has quickly ascended the coaching ranks, and at 38, has made a name for himself in the NFL.

Despite having one of the least talented secondaries in the league, last season, the secondary was able to display potential with pieces like Brian Poole and Bless Austin earning long-term roles. Then this season, the team has improved its amount of turnovers and rotated in young corners to see what they are made of. The success of guys like Austin, UDFA Lamar Jackson, and Brian Poole can be attributed to the hands-on approach used by Wilson.

His coaching has led him to keep his job, and he evidently deserves a shot to prove himself as a coordinator. To put it frankly, Williams deserves a shot to go work under a competent young head coach, a la, Wade Phillips in LA. As for Wilson, the potential coaching ascension possibilities for him would be plentiful if he had success. He could remain on the staff as the coordinator if another head coach didn’t want to bring in his own guy or if the coach/organization sees potential in him. Not only that, but he could earn a potentially better opportunity as a coordinator elsewhere, or even as a head coach in New York if he does THAT good. The opportunities are endless, and the Jets should seize the opportunity to lessen the organizational dissension by axing Williams and giving Wilson a shot as the Defensive Coordinator.

What are the New York Jets getting in UDFA CB Lamar Jackson?

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New York Jets

The New York Jets signed Lamar Jackson! No, not the electric QB/RB that’s coming off an MVP campaign. Instead, the Jets got a corner (who played QB in High School) who was projected to be a late-round pick. Lamar Jackson, a CB from Nebraska adds versatility and continues to add more depth to the secondary. He could be a solid pickup, so let’s breakdown his skill set.

Strengths

Lamar Jackson adds a few key things the Jets like. Durability and leadership. He was the defensive MVP in 2019 after a breakout season. Besides that, he was a 3-year starter. Jackson is an accountable corner capable of being left on the island. He has an excellent size which makes him a very physical press corner. Do you know who likes corners like those? Gregg Williams. Lamar Jackson will fit very well in Williams scheme and has the potential to be an impact player at some point. He played his best football last season when he put up 40 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 INTs, and allowed a 55.7 passer rating. Lamar is capable of being left on an island and is a player overall capable of being a starter at some point at the next level.

Weaknesses 

As much as I raved about Lamar, he does have weaknesses. Although he’s a lockdown corner against physical receivers and in the red zone, in the vertical game he leaves much to be desired. He lacks speed to hang with some of the speed threats at the next level. He lacks a strong football IQ as well. He’s a more matchup specific player who would excel in 1v1 matchups. If he can’t prove his worth on special teams and doesn’t draw the eye of any of the higher-ups, he won’t stick on the roster.

Overall Outlook

Lamar Jackson has some of the most potentials of not just the UDFAs, but even some of the draft picks. The issue is, he also is flawed in his game. Ultimately, the scheme fit is going to benefit Lamar’s chances of sticking on the roster, but he’s still going to need to develop his IQ and speed if he wants to be a long term NFL player.

New York Giants Reportedly Planning On Drafting Eli’s Successor In 2019

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New York Giants, Eli Manning

In his post-season press conference, New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman revealed he had a “very honest” conversation with quarterback Eli Manning. The topics discussed in this conversation were never officially revealed as it was private between Manning and Gettleman. However, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post recently reported on what was discussed during that conversation.

According to Schwartz, “The ‘brutally honest’ assessment Gettleman promised will not result in parting with Manning, but it will lead to a high-alert effort to find his successor.”

The Giants’ Plan To Replicate The Chiefs’ And Other Teams’ Successes

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs took the NFL by storm in 2018. In his second NFL season, his first as a starter, Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes. Patrick spent his entire 2017 rookie season sitting behind Alex Smith, learning from the veteran, and preparing to take over as a starter in 2018. The Giants are reportedly looking to replicate the Chiefs’ formula and success this year.

The Giants did something similar to this in 2004. After making a draft day trade to acquire Eli Manning, they sat him behind veteran Kurt Warner to start the 2004 NFL season. However, in week 11, the Giants put Warner on the bench and let Manning take over. Manning had a rough 7 games in his rookie season, but he gained valuable experience.

Eli was much more ready to face NFL defenses in his sophomore season. In his second season, Manning finished among the top five quarterbacks in both passing yards and touchdown passes, while leading an offense that finished third in the NFL in scoring with a total of 422 points. It was the most points the Giants scored in a single season since 1963. The Giants won the NFC East with an 11–5 record, and advanced to the postseason as the #4-seed.

Sitting back and learning to begin their first season has proven to be very effective for NFL quarterbacks. In 2018, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson started the season as the second-string quarterback. However, when each of them got their chance to play, they proved to be the best quarterbacks on the roster. Both quarterbacks would attribute much of their success to the help they received from the other quarterbacks on their rosters. Mayfield and Jackson were not perfect and struggled at times, but they will likely progress in their sophomore seasons.

Eli Manning has never had to mentor a quarterback before. However, in 2019, it seems like he will play a major role in grooming the successor:

Gettleman has not divulged the details of the “great conversation’’ he had with Manning after the season. It appears as if Manning was told of the plan to bring in a youngster to take his job down the road. No one is asking Manning to be a quarterbacks coach, but the Giants need to know their veteran will embrace the newcomer. By all indications, Manning is fine with that scenario, as he realizes too much losing has gone on and he cannot play forever.

Gettleman’s Quarterback Draft Search

Paul Schwartz’s report came with this valuable piece of information: “The search for the next franchise quarterback will be undertaken in the draft, not free agency.” The 2019 free agent class of quarterbacks is nothing special. Nick Foles is not a young quarterback that Eli could groom and Teddy Bridgewater is not looked at as a franchise quarterback due to injury history. However, there are plenty of quarterback options in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State fits Dave Gettleman’s mold. It is early in the draft process, but based on what we know about Gettleman, Haskins is likely to be the Giants’ top-ranked quarterback on their big board. With the 6th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Haskins could be an option. “The Giants have yet to determine if Haskins should be taken that high and will study him relentlessly in the coming weeks, trying to pick apart every aspect of his game and personality.”

Other top quarterback prospects include Kyler Murray, Drew Lock, and Daniel Jones. Kyler Murray is supposedly not an option for Gettleman, due to his lack of size and his inexperience in a pro style system. Lock and Jones have typically not been looked at as top ten quarterbacks by most analysts. However, that could change with the NFL Scouting Combine coming up in March. The Giants will definitely be evaluating and meeting with the top quarterback prospects.

What Could Pat Shurmur Do With A QB Like Lamar Jackson? Incredible Things

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The New York Giants have various pathways that could lead them to success in the upcoming NFL draft. Today, we are going to talk about one of the least talked about, yet most interesting options the Giants could entertain next week.

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson has been lost in the fold of quarterbacks mocked to New York, but he shouldn’t be ruled out until we know for sure who the Giants will be taking at No. 2.

Analysts have compared Jackson to Michael Vick due to his ability to scramble out of the pocket and extend plays with his legs. Vick himself compared Jackson to the likes of his youth:

“I could not believe what I had seen. I could not believe the things he was able to do — It was a spitting image of me,” Vick said. “And the only thing that came to my mind was this kid is five times better than I was when I was at Virginia Tech, only because he was going against Florida State. I remember how difficult it was for me to make plays against Florida State. What effort had to be put into getting first downs, scoring touchdowns.”

Vick mentions that Jackson is far superior to his days at Virginia Tech, which should put things into perspective. We all know how great of a player Vick was in his prime, and having Jackson at a higher level would essentially put a team in playoff contention for years.

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The most enticing part about Jackson is that he’s still at a raw stage in his career. He can be molded to be anything a team wants/needs him to be, which is where Pat Shurmur comes in for the Giants. Jackson was a run-first quarterback in college, but he has the frame and ability to become a pocket-passer with secondary running abilities, similar to Russell Wilson.

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Having a premier pocket passer with the ability to escape the pocket and utilize his legs for additional yardage opens up the game for the offense. A year under Eli Manning and a professional coaching staff might be exactly what Jackson needs to develop into a top-flight player.

Let’s break down a few videos in regard to his skill-set:

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This is a great example of Jackson’s vision and ability to sell his body to throw off the linebacker and find his target in stride. In this clip he spends a majority of this play looking to the left and forcing the linebacker to follow his eyes – until he re-focuses towards the middle of the field and throws a strike to his receiver.

Jackson’s arm strength is incredibly impressive, as he uses his upper body to put weight behind the pass. He doesn’t use his hips or legs to drive the ball like some quarterbacks do – simply because his arm strength is so superior.

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This next clip has to be one of the most exciting characteristics that Jackson possesses, and quite frankly, it makes you wonder why he isn’t the No. 1 quarterback in this class:

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Watch as Jackson takes the read-option and bolts through the middle of the line like a glorified running back. The most exciting aspect of this clip is the fact that he faints to his left and leaves two, not one, two players tumbling to the ground in disarray. An incredible display of his agility and vision as a runner.

At the moment he breaks through the line, there are seven defenders within five-yards of him. In the blink of an eye he puts two players on the ground and breaks free into the open field. I circled the players that were most influential on this play, so at the beginning you will see the left guard pull to the middle to open up a running lane, then the running back sell a majority of the defense to the right side of the field. This allows Jackson to take the ball and run right up the gut, but it doesn’t end there. He is forced to make a move at the first level to break into the open field, but by doing that he runs into several more defenders. He simply splits the four defenders and takes off down the field before they even realize he’s gone. This is the type of talent Jackson brings to an NFL team.

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In this clip we will take a look at Jackon’s deep ball. In these three examples against FSU, a high quality team that represents one of the closest comparisons to an NFL style system, Jackson puts the ball right on the money. I circled the influential players and detailed the ball placement at the point of attack.

In the first segment, you can see the Jackson doesn’t really step back in the pocket, but rather he stands tall and delivers a strike with all upper body strength. He utilizes his chest to deliver power behind the ball, and places it nicely in the breadbasket of the receiver.

The second segment is a drop in the endzone, but the pass couldn’t have been more spot on. He has a cornerback draped all over him and the ball seamlessly threads the need through his arms.

The third segment details Jackson’s arm strength. Reports have his accuracy as his biggest weakness, which attests to his 59.1 completion %. His yards per-attempt is 8.5, which depicts the scheme he was orchestrating. He threw a lot of mid-range to deep passes at Louisville, which could be a reason for his ‘mediocre’ completion percentage.

Overall, Jackson represents one of the most enticing options in the upcoming draft. After watching his film and seeing how capable he is in all facets of the game, it forces me to believe that he ultimately has the most potential out of any quarterback in the 2018 draft class.

If his future coaches can harness his ability as a passer, we just might enjoy one of the most dynamic athletes at the quarterback position since Michael Vick.