The New York Jets finished 9th against the Pass last season (ceding only 197 yards per game), but that is a misleading statistic. Opponents with strong running games (and even those with merely average ones) chose to pound the rock into New York’s porous defensive line and, for the most part, had great success in doing so. Even in light of this fact, the Jets’ defensive backfield was relatively solid and does offer the hope that it will hold up it’s end of the bargain to combine with a retooled defensive line to form a strong unit.
Kerry Rhodes was the standout of the bunch. His 68 tackles, 5 sacks and two interceptions earned him a nice fat extension of his contract. Rhodes, who will turn 26 in August, is just coming into his prime and should be an anchor for years to come.
Rookie Darrelle Revis also had a strong year. Teams were naturally curious about the young draft pick’s skills and picked on him early and often. Revis held his ground and came away with 3 interceptions as well as 87 tackles….not a bad haul for a greenhorn playing in a conference with some of the best WR’s in history.
After Rhodes and Revis, the picture becomes a bit murky. David Barrett, Abram Elam, Eric Smith and Hank Poteat (who was just re-signed, by the way) all had their moments last season, but none should be considered starting material. Justin Miller was lost early in the season to a knee injury, but his skills as a defender have never truly been proven. Andre Dyson was let go in the offseason.
Bottom Line: The Jets did not identify CB as a seriously pressing need at the draft, opting instead to trade up for a TE. It appears as if they will follow the blueprint of the New England Patriots, cobbling together an interchangeable group of role players. The good news is, with a stronger pass rush (and Revis’ continued maturity), the defensive backfield ought to see more opportunities to create turnovers.
Final Grade: B-
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One Response to “2007 Season Grades: Defensive Backfield”
Posted: 05/07/08 at 11:33 am
It is amazing isn’t it, how much one part of the defense can improve with the enhancement of another part. Your point referencing an improvement on the defensive line could completely validate the lack of focus placed on the CB position in the draft.