A surprising, yet interesting battle has emerged at strong safety where fifth-round draft pick Erik Coleman is pushing veteran Reggie Tongue, who was signed during the off-season to fill the starting role. It’s unlikely he will unseat Tongue early in the year, but he has certainly impressed enough to warrant using him in some type of rotation. John McGraw will start at free safety, and he is a hard hitter and a great athlete, but he is unproven and there is little depth behind him. Overall, this secondary is very suspect and could struggle if the front seven doesn’t consistently pressure opposing QBs.
Overview
With Chad Pennington in the lineup, the Jets will be a dangerous team, however, there are concerns when it comes to his protection, especially on the outside. If they hope to be competitive this season, his offensive line is going to have to keep him on his feet as much as possible. Curtis Martin should continue to be steady and Lamont Jordan will likely carry a bigger load this year. With the wide receiving corps receiving a big boost from the addition of Justin McCareins, overall, they should have an effective offense as long as the line doesn’t fall apart.
Defensively, it all starts up front. The front seven must force the ball out of the quarterback’s hands as quickly as possible to protect their secondary. They certainly have the talent to do just that with John Abraham and Shaun Ellis poised for big years, and the more aggressive style of defense that coordinator Donnie Henderson has installed should aid in that effort.
If the Jets can keep Pennington healthy, they should compete with Buffalo as the second-best team in the division, behind the Patriots of course. But with the lack of experience at backup QB, they could be battling for the basement if their starter spends any significant time sidelined by injury.
