WEBVTT - LISTEN | Jets Free Agency Update - Ep. 3 (3/19) 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:06.720 Welcome to the Official Jets Podcast, powered by Amazon Web Services. 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:10.960 Ethan Greenberg here in Hoboken, Eric Allen in Flora Park 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:13.240 at his home. Not one Jets strive at the Atlantic 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:16.840 Health Jets Training Center, just to be clear here and 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:19.880 on today's podcast, breaking down the first day of free agency. 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:22.640 The Jets officially made a couple of moves over the 0:00:22.680 --> 0:00:25.960 past couple of days, releasing Truemaine Johnson, and then we'll 0:00:26.000 --> 0:00:29.640 also talk about the of the reports out there because 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:33.080 it's a very interesting time in the NFL landscape. No 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:37.520 team is allowed to technically tweet anything out, so it's 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:41.600 it's a lot of reported lys and the Jets reportedly 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:45.920 resigned Brian Pool and the Jets also didn't tender a 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:47.920 couple of players. Will talk about that, and then we'll 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:50.640 just kind of look at day one of free agency. 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:52.640 This was the first day of the new league year, 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:56.120 and we'll break down some moves across the league. Olivia 0:00:56.200 --> 0:01:01.480 Landis talked to ESPN pre and postgame o Stan Graza 0:01:01.560 --> 0:01:04.360 about the moves in terms of the Jets, and then 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:06.520 to wrap up the show, we'll take a look at 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:09.839 the a f C East landscape and what teams have done, 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:13.880 some new faces, some old faces departing. And with that 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:16.440 e A, let's just start things off by how are 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:20.360 you doing in Florham Park and enjoying the quarantine? What 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.400 are you doing to keep yourself busy? These greens? How 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:25.679 of an introduction and we hope everybody is safe out there. 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:32.240 Please follow all the guidelines um right now. But unfortunately 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:35.039 for me and you, we can talk a little bit 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:40.039 about football every night here, and it seems like free 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:44.040 agency has been going on for seven days, but this 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:46.520 is actually the beginning of the league year and it's 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:52.680 about eight forty Wednesday night, so the league yere began, 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:56.360 which means the free agency and training period is actually 0:01:56.560 --> 0:01:59.920 officially commenced at four pm. But I would put the 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:03.560 disclaimer out there. I know a lot of fans are 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:09.320 asking throughout the league why aren't teams acknowledging certain quote 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.440 unquote signings while a lot of these guys have not 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:17.520 been signed, Because we're living in a world where NFL 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:21.280 clubs aren't bringing any free agent players to their facilities. 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:28.120 Greens and club personnel, including members of medical staff, are 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:33.080 not traveling to locations to meet or conduct physicals, and 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:38.359 the physicals are very important pieces when you are citing 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:42.320 a new player and even in some cases when you're 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:44.800 trying to get a look at a player just finished 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:49.400 up with you in January. So unfamiliar terrain for all 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:53.240 of us right now. But I'm doing wild greens. Like 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:57.560 I said, um, I'm happy to talk Jets football with 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.920 you every night, and you know, we do have a 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.560 lot of news that continues to sprinkle in and as 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:11.679 Joe Douglas continues to reshape and build this roster. Yeah, 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:14.480 I'm very thankful that at the end of my day 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:18.120 I can talk about some football because honestly, staying inside 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:20.920 all day is not my forte. I think you and 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.519 I are similar in that like to get out the 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:26.120 active and you know, even when we're at the office, 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:28.320 I like to walk around, as you say, make make 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:31.760 my rounds. I can't make my rounds head anymore. My 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:35.120 rounds are consistent of phone calls and you know, finding 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:38.240 things to do around my apartment. So but without further ado, 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:41.480 let's dive into some Jets football like you alluded to. 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:44.840 And Tremaine Johnson was officially released by the New York 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:49.280 Jets earlier today, and I don't think this was surprising 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:51.440 in the eyes of the external media. I think it 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:55.160 was something that a lot of people expected. And this 0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:58.520 really leaves the Jets corners in an interesting spot just 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:02.560 by a numericles adpoint. And I know that it's free agencies, 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:05.200 So Joe Douglas and his staff are gonna continuously add 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:08.040 all these players. But right now the Jets are pretty 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:11.760 thin at the position on their roster. They only have one, two, three, 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:18.480 four corners officially under contract heading into Yeah, that's right. Uh. 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:23.279 Dremaine Johnson, Uh, disappointing time here. I think he would 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:27.240 probably tell you the last two years were tough for 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.800 him and the Jets. I think under the previous regime 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:35.920 thought they would be getting more production out of that spot. 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:41.800 As it is, two years, seventeen games, five interceptions, four 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:44.480 of them were in that first year with the Green 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:48.479 and White, and seven past defenses. He wasn't able to 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:53.039 stay healthy last year either, only seven games. But I 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:55.720 don't think there was any surprise out there. I think 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:59.320 a lot of people when looking at the financial ramifications 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:02.599 at Johnson deal Greens, when you say that this was 0:05:02.640 --> 0:05:06.840 a deal that was most expected, yeah, I agree with that. 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:10.960 And just where do you think, well, where do you 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.359 think this leads the Jets though? Moving forward? Because it 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:18.760 was reported earlier today that the Jets had resigned Brian Poole, 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:21.280 who had a great year starting in the nickel for 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:25.400 Greg Williams and the defense. But it's even let's say 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:28.520 in this, in this uh situation that we're talking about, 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.520 Brian pool is on the roster. I mean, the Jets 0:05:31.520 --> 0:05:33.960 still need to add a couple of bodies to this team, 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:36.960 whether that be through free agency, through trade, through the draft. 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:39.839 But right now, like I said, only four guys under 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:45.760 contract heading into bless Austin, Nate Harriston, Kymon Brown, and 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.680 Darryl Roberts. Now, Roberts is a guy that brings versatility 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:52.400 because over the last couple of seasons, we know he's 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:56.200 come in and stepped in for you at the cornerback position, 0:05:56.640 --> 0:06:00.560 but also he's got the ability in a inch to 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:04.839 go back and play safety. Now, Joe Douglas and company 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:09.000 have to decide is Darryl Roberts two. I hate to 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:12.840 get into the numbers game, but uh or is he 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:17.520 a four? Because typically you're talking about one. Is you 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:21.640 your shutdown guy who's gonna mark the opposition's top perceiver 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:25.480 outside the boundary, right, then two would be as complimentary 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:29.599 piece across the other way in your three, which I 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:32.960 always consider a starter in the National Football League because 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:37.440 you play base packages so much, the way teams implement 0:06:38.080 --> 0:06:41.800 through offensive personnel is one of your most important positions. 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.880 That's why. And we'll get into this here in a second. 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:51.320 The Pool resigning was a monster um resigning for Joe 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:55.039 Douglas because that's a guy who's got the physicality of 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:58.360 a safety. He could cover like a cornerback. Uh. I 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:01.640 don't want to steal your thunder on Pool because a 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:04.560 lot of folks reply that believe Adam Schafter was the 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:08.640 first to report today agreement in principle to stay here 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:11.320 with the Green and White for a second consecutive season. 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:15.600 But when you think about these names, Bless Austin, Nate Harrison, 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:19.360 Kyron Brown, and they four mentioned Darryl Roberts Austin as 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:23.760 a guy who came in. He showed some flashes at times, 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:28.760 a really young guy out of Rutgers who missed that 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:32.080 final year there. But uh yeah, you're gonna have to 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:35.520 add pieces on the outside, no doubt about that. And 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:38.840 it's gonna be fascinating to see where this goes. Right now, 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:42.160 Green's yeah, and I just want to touch on a 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:45.080 couple of these guys. Let's start with Darryl Roberts. This year, 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.800 he played in thirteen games, he started ten of them. 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:51.840 He had a career high sixty three tackles, six pass defenses, 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:55.000 and one interception, and he was somebody to your point, 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:58.800 he was the Jets number two corner opening day against 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.560 Buffalo i Met Life Adium, and moving forward, I think 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:03.400 one of the things that's interesting, and I don't know 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:06.800 how the coronavirus or COVID is affecting any of this, 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:10.800 but Darryl Roberts was one of those guys where a 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:15.120 lot of the salary cap websites and external media thought 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:17.760 that he could be a potential salary cut just for 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:20.200 Joe Douglas to save money and increase the cap so 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:23.040 he could spend money elsewhere. And right now, the only 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:27.440 release that Joe Douglas has made has been Truemaine Johnson, 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:29.560 and just looking at the rest of the guys on 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.679 the roster, I wanted to touch on Pool because when 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:34.839 you look at his stats, he started in a career 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:38.120 high ten games for the Jets this season, but his 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:41.200 numbers weren't career numbers. But I think it's safe to 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:44.840 say that he had the best year of his career. 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:47.959 I mean, do you feel like I didn't watch every 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:50.080 Falcons game when he was there, but I would say 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:54.880 it's safe to say that he was the best he's 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:58.439 ever been since signing with the Falcons as an undrafted 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:00.600 free agent out of Florida. When you said he was 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:05.280 an arguably the Jets top cornerback last year, you can't 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:10.520 make any other argument than that, um any you know, again, 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:14.520 at times he'd come up there and he'd set the edge. 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:17.960 It was almost like he had an extra linebacker in there. 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:21.000 And when you paired him up, I know they played 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.800 different positions, but when you have a nickel like that 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:29.160 and then as safety like Jamal Adams, this becomes a 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:32.679 really tough unit to run against, because not only are 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:36.760 those big uglies up front taking care of business and 0:09:36.800 --> 0:09:40.920 winning their battles at the line of scrimmage, but the Jets, 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:44.640 uh their defensive backs will come up and hit you. 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:48.120 And right now, if you're a fan, you're looking at 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:51.800 it here on March eighteenth, and you're saying I'm really 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:55.360 comfortable where I am secondary wise, three fits of the 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:58.880 secondary right now, because I have perhaps the best safety 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:03.000 in the National Football League, Jamal Adams. I have safety 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:08.160 in Marcus May, who has tremendous range, who played all 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:12.160 sixteen games last season, who I thought was playing his 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:15.520 best ball, perhaps of his career towards the end of 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:18.280 his sophomore campaign. And now you took care of the 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:24.360 nickel position by bringing Pool back. The questions remain at 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:30.840 outside cornerback. Yeah, and Brian Pool was the seventh rated 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:34.520 or c graded out seventh in the NFL of cornerbacks 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:37.720 all corners, not just slot players that have played at 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:42.800 least of the team's defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus. 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:44.800 So clearly he had a good year for the Jets. 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:48.520 End to your point, I think my favorite Brian Pool 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:52.480 play from this past year wasn't the pick six, but 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:56.120 it was the safety in Week one where he absolutely 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:59.120 flattened Frank Gore at the goal line. I'm pretty sure 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:03.240 Marcus May came in and cleaned up. But regardless, this 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:06.560 has been reported that he's been or that he resigned 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:08.440 with the Jets, and I think we're both in agreement 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:13.040 that Douless. Yeah, I agreed to terms. And and the 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:15.560 money we don't we don't talk about the money here 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:19.360 on Official Jets podcast, but the money being thrown around 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:26.240 right now, uh for pool and considering the contributions you 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:30.800 got from him last year, you gotta love this deal. Um. 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:34.800 Good for Joe Douglas, good for Greg Williams, and good 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:39.040 overall for the Jets defense. That remember they finished number 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:44.199 seven in the National Football League overall defensively last year 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:47.480 and so and there were also number two against the run. 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:51.880 And really quickly before we uh here from Olivia Landis 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.360 who caught up with Dan Broso, like I said earlier, 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.240 I wanted to talk about some guys that this this 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:01.199 really didn't go on the radar, but today I'm pretty sure. 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:04.960 Was the deadline to tender any restricted free agents, and 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:08.800 the Jets restricted free agents where James Burgess, Arthur Mallette 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:11.920 and Bennett Jackson. And basically what teams can do is 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:15.000 tender a player. So in theory, if you slap a 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:17.880 like last year, the Jets placed a second round tender 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:21.960 on Robby Anderson, meaning if a team signed Robby Anderson 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:24.920 to a contractor they had to sign it on a 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:27.520 sheet the Jets could one match or two they get 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:29.960 a second round pick and return. Well, the Jets did 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:32.880 not tender any of those players, being James Burgess, Arthur 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:37.400 Milette Bennett Jackson, making those three guys unrestricted free agents. 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:41.160 And would you consider this a surprising movie a considering 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.480 James Burgess and Arthur Millette were really two staples of 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:46.880 this defense moving forward or at the end of the 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:50.480 season last year, and they were also starters at the 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:52.640 end of last year for a handful of games. I 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:57.480 would say, uh, no on Burgess, you know why the c. J. 0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:00.439 Mosley didn't play last year? He get what he got, 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:04.320 gave you two plus quarters of fabulous ball against the 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.880 Buffalo Bills, and then he wasn't himself when he tried 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:11.400 to make a valiant return against the New England Patriots. 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.680 You're gonna get a knock on wood a hundred percent 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:17.840 c J. Moseley back next season. He is one of 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:22.480 the top inside linebackers in football. Uh maybe he will 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:27.760 rise to the throne overall because there's no Luke Kickley anymore. Um, 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:30.960 we'll have to see what happens there. Avery Williamson still 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:36.320 under contract. And remember Blake Cashman, who played for you 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:40.600 last season before he went out, he showed some things 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:44.400 and I think he especially can help and coverage situations. 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:51.040 So that top three inside linebacker, UM, if those are 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:55.760 indeed the trifecta, I think that's a solid group. I 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:59.200 would give a lot of props to Burgess for not 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:02.720 only the way he played last year, but Greg Williams, 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:06.319 because Burgess is not a big inside line linebacker by 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.079 any means, Greens. I don't know what he played at 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:12.040 last year and what he was listed at, but that 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.960 is not a monster guy, and he became a tackling 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:20.480 machine for the Jets. So good job by Greg Williams 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:24.120 last year, and good luck to James Burgess. UM did 0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:27.040 some very nice things here for the Jets. The one 0:14:27.040 --> 0:14:29.080 guy that did catch my eye out of all of 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:34.360 them you did mention was Arthur Mollott, interesting played with 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:36.920 the New Orleans Saints came over. I thought he did 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:42.000 some decent things. But again, you gotta make decisions that 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:46.200 are best for your ball club ultimately, and Joe Douglas 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:51.320 is doing that right now. So that doesn't mean Um Molett, 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:55.560 you couldn't circle back at him way down the line 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:57.760 or down the line, and after you see what happens 0:14:57.760 --> 0:15:00.960 in free ancy. But that was the only guy that Yeah, 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:03.120 I don't think I raised my eyebrows about. I would 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.560 say I didn't have any no true surprises there. But 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:09.640 there's some guys that gave us contributions last year and 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:12.200 they're gonna be players in the National Football League, and 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:17.240 you're talking about guys who ultimately are gonna be playing 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:21.200 reserve roles or somewhere greens. Yeah, I agree with that. 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:25.080 I mean, I think that the Jets were so injury 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:29.040 bitten last season that guys like James Burgess and Arthur Malett, 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:31.360 like that's how they found their way onto the field. 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:33.440 And I think they played well at the end of 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:36.280 last season. But I do think that it's one of 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.840 those circumstances where had the Jets been healthy all year, 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.360 you can't I can't say. I can't sit here and 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:44.320 say that those two guys would have found their way 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:46.960 into the starting lineup just because of the way they played. 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:50.040 I mean, both those guys were practice squad players at 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.720 the beginning of the year, and you know that. I 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:55.040 think that's really all the news right now in Jets 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:58.080 Land and um now, I think it's a good time. 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:00.480 Olivia land Is caught up with Dan where Asa and 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:02.520 they talked all things Jets too. So let's take a 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.160 listen to what they had to say about the New 0:16:05.200 --> 0:16:10.240 York Jets and free agency. Thanks Ethan any A, Let's 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:13.840 dive right into some Jets free agency news. There have 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:17.520 been some reports out there that the Jets did agree 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:22.480 to terms with guard Alex Lewis. How important was it 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:27.880 to resign a player who already has familiarity with Adam 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.800 Gaze and this system and honestly had a very good 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:34.440 outing in a year he wasn't even expected to be 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:37.400 a starter, right, and then has familiarity with Joe Douglas 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:41.440 most importantly, right from their Baltimore days together there, and um, 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:44.520 you know, Alex Lewis is a is a valuable piece 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:47.400 here and and maybe league wide, maybe they look at 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:50.240 this news and say, well, Alex Lewis, But anybody who 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:51.920 follows the team like you and I do, Olivia, and 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:53.840 we watch every game and we're in the locker room, 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.400 we're talking to these guys. Alex Lewis was not only 0:16:56.560 --> 0:17:00.000 a very very solid contributor for them on the field 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:02.400 last year, but also in that locker room as well, 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:05.479 and that reflected well on the coaches. They realized how 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.080 valuable his presence was in that room. I mean just 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:10.280 getting the opportunity to get to know him on a 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:12.720 one on one basis. Last year you could probably say 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:15.680 the same thing. He's a very good guy in that room, 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:19.280 very team oriented, really brings a good positive vibe. And 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:21.040 he's a heck of a football player too. When you 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:23.760 think about you're right. He came in late during the 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:26.439 summer last year and a trade was thought to be 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:29.200 really nothing more than a depth piece, but then all 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:31.440 the injury started on the offensive line and he got 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:33.480 pressed into duty. And when he's slipped into that left 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:36.360 guard position, you can make the case that the offensive line, 0:17:36.359 --> 0:17:38.280 at least on that left side, played a little bit better. 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:40.320 And I think he was very, very solid. So the 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:44.080 fact that he comes back here, that's a position now 0:17:44.119 --> 0:17:46.040 out of those five on the offensive line. If you're 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.840 the Jets, you say, Okay, we feel good about what 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:51.960 we have at left guard. We feel comfortable about sending 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:54.800 Alex Lewis out there. Yeah, and I would agree with 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.160 you too. How he has a presence inside that locker 0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:01.560 room He's a great guy. Every time I've interacted with him, 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:05.240 he's been phenomenal. So, like you said, I think it 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:09.040 was a good, smart signing on Joe Douglas's part, especially 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:13.000 providing so much emphasis on the offensive line. And we'll 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:16.239 circle back to the offensive line, but I want to 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:20.560 now move on to another move that the team officially announced, 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:25.040 and that was releasing cornerback Truemayne Johnson. There had been 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:28.439 some rumors floating around for a while that this was 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.960 going to happen, but the Jets made it official today. 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:34.359 What were your initial thoughts when you saw that. I 0:18:34.400 --> 0:18:36.680 gotta be honest with Olivia, I'm not really that surprise. 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:38.600 You know, we kind of heard rumblings that this was 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:41.240 the direction the franchise was gonna go, which remain because 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:43.760 you know, everybody talks about the large contract he was 0:18:43.760 --> 0:18:45.680 given in free agency a couple of years ago. That's 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:47.840 all well and good, but you know, the production just 0:18:47.880 --> 0:18:49.439 didn't match up with it. And I know that you 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:51.680 can say it's only two years, but you know, there's 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:53.840 an old saying that the best ability for a player 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:57.080 is availability, and Truemaine Johnson wasn't even on the field 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.200 as much as you would want somebody on the field 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.199 that's playing in all in iportant position like cornerback and 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:04.720 what they entrusted him with when they brought him in 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:07.480 here as a free agent from the Rams. Now, um 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:10.040 the problem with that is is that they still have 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:12.680 a need that they have to fill. It's not so much, well, 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.840 you know, the savings that you get from releasing Truemaine Johnson, 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:17.720 what it does for your salary cap and that sort 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:20.000 of thing. Yeah, that's all well and good, but also, now, 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:21.879 who are you going to get to fill that void? 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:24.639 You know, they are thin at cornerback and that was 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:27.560 something that they were going into this process here during 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:29.679 the off season. Now, I know that there's still some 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:31.800 players out there to be had, and I know that 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:34.359 the draft is still you know, a month away, and 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:36.760 they can fill some needs there. But that would be 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:39.200 my overall level of concern right now, not so much 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.000 that Trumaine Johnson didn't live up to the expectations that 0:19:42.040 --> 0:19:44.320 the organization had for him, is that who were they 0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:47.040 now going to get to step in and lock down 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:49.480 some of those cornerback positions. You know, Bless Austin was, 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:52.560 you know, showed some glimpses last year when he was 0:19:52.600 --> 0:19:56.200 finally activated off of the publist there and he flashed 0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:58.640 some ability and you have some some hopes for him 0:19:58.640 --> 0:20:01.560 and other guys like that, but somebody's gonna have to 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:03.359 step up because you know that in the NFL, the 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:05.639 past happy league that has become, you need guys that 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:09.480 can cover Dan. You mentioned some holes that the Jets 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:13.280 need to fill. I now want to quickly jump into 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:17.320 some reports, some rumors that have been reported by analysts 0:20:17.400 --> 0:20:21.640 around the league. We already mentioned cornerback position. It's been 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:25.360 reported that the Jets have come to agreement in principle 0:20:25.480 --> 0:20:29.560 with cornerback Brian Pool. They've also come to it has 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:32.040 been reported that they have come to agreement in principle 0:20:32.119 --> 0:20:37.400 with offensive aligneman's both George Fan and Connor McGovern. When 0:20:37.400 --> 0:20:43.440 you look at those three overall free agent signings, what 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:46.760 are some of your initial thoughts on, first the offensive 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:50.960 line additions and how that can help what Joe Douglas 0:20:51.000 --> 0:20:53.640 is trying to build, and then Brian Pool coming back 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:58.080 possibly into the mix. Yeah, all very good signings. I 0:20:58.160 --> 0:21:00.159 like them a lot here, and you know, starting the 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:02.360 offensive line, you knew that if you had to pick 0:21:02.440 --> 0:21:05.000 one particular area on this football team Olivia going into 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:07.159 the off season that the Jets had to address. It 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:09.479 was the offensive line. We know that Joe Douglass, being 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:12.480 an old offensive lineman himself, he knows and he said 0:21:12.480 --> 0:21:15.280 as much that games are one and lost in the trenches, 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:18.040 and that was something the Jets had to address. You 0:21:18.080 --> 0:21:20.359 look at a guy like George Fan. Maybe the average 0:21:20.400 --> 0:21:22.439 Jet fan doesn't know too much about him because he 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:24.879 was a guy who played for the Seattle Seahawks all 0:21:24.880 --> 0:21:26.560 the way out on the other side of the country 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:30.760 in another conference. He was a basketball player at Western Kentucky. 0:21:30.840 --> 0:21:33.800 But he had all the intangibles. He has great athletic ability, 0:21:34.119 --> 0:21:38.520 and he got himself uh into being a starting caliber 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:41.439 offensive lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, you know. So he 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:44.240 has the experience there. And the thing that I like 0:21:44.400 --> 0:21:46.440 about it is that he has upside. And I think 0:21:46.440 --> 0:21:49.360 that Joe Douglass and the Jets coaching staff also can 0:21:49.400 --> 0:21:52.520 see that there's upside with this guy. Now, gotta mc governed. 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:55.840 Guy they picked up from the Denver Broncos here. Uh. 0:21:56.000 --> 0:21:59.000 He's a guy who again has been durable. He's played 0:21:59.080 --> 0:22:01.400 virtually almost every he snapped the last couple of years. 0:22:01.600 --> 0:22:03.639 The thing you like about him, with all the experience 0:22:03.680 --> 0:22:06.119 that he's garnered the last few seasons, is that he 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:09.439 has been very, very rarely penalized, which is never what 0:22:09.520 --> 0:22:12.560 you want to have happened for any of your offensive lineman. 0:22:12.640 --> 0:22:15.040 So he plays a clean game, he plays an effective game, 0:22:15.359 --> 0:22:17.600 and he's a guy that you know what, there's your 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:20.800 center and Connor mcgoverned. Guests, he has flexibility, can also 0:22:20.840 --> 0:22:22.480 play some guard as well, but it seems as if 0:22:22.560 --> 0:22:25.000 the Jets have eyes on him being their starting center 0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:27.480 and Olivia. When you look back at this franchise for 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:30.760 the last couple of decades, the center position was almost 0:22:30.760 --> 0:22:33.760 an embarrassment of riches for them. They were spoiled because 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:36.320 for the better part of almost twenty years, the center 0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:39.480 position was held down by two guys, Kevin Mai who 0:22:39.480 --> 0:22:42.719 became a Hall of Famer and Nick Mangold, who became 0:22:42.840 --> 0:22:45.480