Rex Ryan’s sack happy defense comes to New York

By dchardon26  |   Monday, August 03, 2009  |  Comments( 2 )

New York Jets
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A new season, a new quarterback. Jets fans must be experiencing deja-vu'. Only this time it's not the indecisive Brett Favre but the latest USC prodigy, Mark Sanchez. Not since "Broadway" Joe Namath has a quarterback arrived with so much excitement. Although Sanchez is the new face of the franchise, he wasn't the most important pick-up during the offseason. That distinction belongs to new head coach Rex Ryan.

Rex Ryan was the orchestrator behind the number two defense in the NFL with the Balitmore Ravens last season. He also had the Ravens ranked in the top ten in total defense the last five seasons. Jets fans should be fired up for Ryan to take over a defense that was medicore at best last season. Former coach Eric Mangini played a "bend but don't break" style of defense. Ryan likes to attack offenses from every angle possible and create mismatches in blocking offensive schemes. With all the pieces in place for Ryan to run his preferred 3-4 defense, all he needs to do is install his berzerker attitude in a the Jets defense.

Ask most Jets fans about former 6th overall draft pick Vernon Gholston and most likely the first response is bust. Ask Rex Ryan and he'll say untapped potential. One of the first things Ryan proclaimed that Gholston was going to be his reclamation project. Any production from Gholston would be better than last season where he failed to record even one sack. The most ideal scenario would be for him to have a Terrell Suggs type season because that's how Ryan plans on using him, rushing the passer from all over the field. With his unique blend of size and speed, Gholston is a match-up nightmare for offensive linemen. Free agent from Baltimore Bart Scott should help the transition from Mangini to Ryan go a lot smoother as he should be an extension of Ryan on the field. He'll team up with David Harris to give Gang Green a formidable tandem at inside linebacker. Rounding out the linebacker crew is Calvin Pace, who is suspended the first four games of the season due to violating the league's performance-enhancing policy, and Bryan Thomas. Though both have are capable of generating double-digit sacks, neither has the physical skills that frighten offensive coordinators like Gholston.

Lito Sheppard, who was acquired in a trade with Philadelphia, gives the Jets a solid corner opposite rising superstar Darrelle Revis. Both are excellent at playing man coverage which is an essential skill in Ryan's defense. Teaming with Revis and Sheppard in the secondary is former Raven Jim Leonhard and Kerry Rhodes, who should have every opportunity to make plays in Ryan's blitz-happy schemes that cater to his skill set.

The most important part in any 3-4 defense are the big guys up front and Rex inherits one of the biggest in Pro Bowl nose tackle Kris Jenkins. Although he made it to Hawaii last season, Jenkins play tailed off during the second half of the season due to injuries. When his play dipped, so did the rest of the defense's Keeping him healthy and fresh for an entire season should be one of the coaching staffs main priorities. Joining him in the trenches is Shaun Ellis and Marques Douglas, who are all hitting the red line in the age department. Depth along the defensive line is also a concern. As long as the injury bug doesn't hit to hard, the defense should be much improved. There is one certainity about the Jets this season, they sure will be fun to watch.
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