Jarrad Davis’ one-year, $6 million deal with the Jets has breathed new life into his career.
After being a first-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2017, Davis’ time in the NFL has been disappointing. In four seasons he had 305 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and one interception. But by his last season, his playing time dwindled to only four starts.
But Davis doesn’t have any animosity for the Lions, he viewed it as a learning experience.
“It was a great learning experience for me and made me appreciate the game more than before,” Davis said to reporters. “Sure, my performance could have been better, but at the end of the day, it is what it is, no hard feelings, no bad blood.
“I definitely feel very excited to be in New York, with this scheme, Coach [Robert] Saleh, and the players out there,” Davis said. “I’m happy to be on a team that is young and talented. I feel extremely blessed to be in this position because it didn’t have to go this way. For lack of a better term, it’s a rebirth.”
The 4-3 scheme Saleh runs is a natural fit for Davis since he played in a similar system during his collegiate career at Florida. And in Saleh’s defense they prefer linebackers with speed and athleticism and Davis has that. He ran a 4.56 at his pro day in 2017.
“I’m very familiar with what we got going on. It just comes down to just getting back familiar with it,” Davis said. “It’s like hopping back on that bike. So, I really enjoyed the scheme. I like it a lot. It allows us to really just show who we are as athletes, all 11 players on the field at the same time. It really lets us just be who we are out there as individuals.”
As offseason workouts have progressed, Jets’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is starting to see a rejuvenated Davis.
“His time for whatever the case may be, in the league, so far was not what he expected the NFL to be,” Ulbrich said. “It just feels like we’re breathing new life into him and he’s just improving every day… Very excited about finally having that opportunity to work with him.”
And Saleh has been pleased with what he’s seen from Davis so far.
“At the linebacker level what we do on defense is so different than what other linebackers do around the league,” Saleh said. “He’s been doing a really nice job with regards to absorbing all the information, all of them really, CJ (Mosley) included. Embracing the coaching, the tape, the drill work, all of it. They’ve incrementally gotten better this entire OTAs.”
If the linebacker pair of Davis and C.J. Mosley can play to their potential, it’ll stabilize the unit which would help the entire defense.
RECONSTRUCTED
Jamison Crowder agreed to a reconstructed deal for the 2021 season according to NFL Network. This deal will make him a free agent in 2022.
Crowder’s cap hit was $11.4 million for 2021. But with the Jets adding Keelan Cole, Corey Davis and Ellijah Moore, it was inevitable that Crowder would have to redo his deal.
Crowder has been a valuable weapon for the Jets. He’s had 137 catches for 1,532 yards with 12 touchdowns in two seasons. He’ll be a good weapon for Wilson.
The Jets receiving group features Davis, Moore, Crowder, Cole, Denzel Mims and Braxton Berrios. That’s night and day compared to what former quarterback Sam Darnold had to work with.
BACKUP QBS
Nick Mullens signed with the Philadelphia Eagles Monday morning. There was a connection between the Jets and Mullens since he played in San Francisco from 2018-2020 while Saleh and Jets offensive coordinator Mike LeFleur were there.
But with Mullens signing with the Eagles that reduces the backup quarterback market.
Nick Foles still remains the best option since he has plenty of experience dealing with young quarterbacks. He helped mentor Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky and Gardner Minshew.
Foles would be a good addition to help develop rookie Zach Wilson.
MARCUS MAYE ARRIVES?
After Maye signed the franchise tag for $10.612 Million, he stayed away from the facility during offseason workouts as the team tried to work out a long-term deal.
But the Jets twitter page released a video highlighting Maye, which indicated he’s present for Mandatory Minicamp.
That’s a boost for the Jets since Maye was arguably their best player on defense in 2020. Last year he had 88 tackles, 11 pass deflections, four TFLs, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions last season. Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth best safety with a grade of 82.9.
Maye’s presence in the secondary can only help a cornerback group that’s extremely inexperienced.
