This is the seventh in a nine-part series examining the Jets’ needs position by position with free agency starting on Tuesday.
Linebackers
Currently on roster:
David Harris
Age: 30
2013 stats: 124 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Demario Davis
Age: 25
2013 stats: 107 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception
Calvin Pace
Age: 33
2013 stats: 53 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Quinton Coples
Age: 23
2013 stats: 38 tackles, 4 ½ sacks, 1 forced fumble
Antwan Barnes
Age: 29
2013 stats: 3 tackles, 2 sacks
Garrett McIntyre
Age: 29
2013 stats: 19 tackles, 2 sacks
Nick Bellore
Age: 24
2013 stats: 17 tackles
Troy Davis
Age: 23
2013 stats: 5 tackles
Jermaine Cunningham
Age: 25
2013 stats: N/A
Josh Mauga
Age: 26
2013 stats: N/A
Tim Fugger
Age: 24
2013 stats: N/A
2014 free agents: Mauga, McIntyre (restricted), Bellore (restricted)
Overview: This group underwent a major overhaul last season as veterans Bart Scott and Bryan Thomas departed and Demario Davis and Quinton Coples replaced them.
Harris and Pace remained from the old guard, and both had strong seasons. Harris had perhaps his best season. He seemed to be everywhere making tackles. He still struggles in coverage, but the Jets did a good job of avoiding too many mismatches.
Pace set a career high with 10 sacks. He seemed to really thrive playing alongside Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. The Jets cut his playing time down and that also seemed to help.
Davis had a good first year as a starter. He was inconsistent, but showed he can handle being an every-down linebacker. Davis made the play of the season in the first game when he ran down Tampa’s Vincent Jackson from behind to save a touchdown, which ultimately led to a Jets win.
A broken foot slowed Coples down early in the season, but he came on late. Coples still seems to disappear at times, though. If the Jets can ever get him to go full speed for the entire game, he will be a disruptive force. There are still questions about him playing linebacker, but the move from the defensive line went better than I thought it would.
A big loss for the Jets last season came in Week 4 when Barnes tore his ACL and was lost for the season. He gave the Jets an element of a speedy pass rush that they lacked without him.
Offseason priority rating (1 to 5 with 5 being the highest priority): 2
Possible targets: Ryan Shazer (draft), Dee Ford (draft), Trent Murphy (draft), backups at inside linebacker
Costello’s call: This position greatly improved in 2013, and I don’t think it ranks very high on the list of things to improve. The Jets seem to always be searching for that edge rusher, but they got a good push from their linemen last year and that helped Pace and Coples rack up some sacks.
If Barnes can return healthy, he can be a third-down specialist who also helps the pass rush.
The Jets could use one of their mid-round picks on an outside linebacker and then let him develop behind Pace, whom they should re-sign. At 33, Pace probably only has one or two years left, and they could let his replacement learn from someone who knows Rex Ryan’s defense as well as anyone.
Harris is 30 and in the final year of his contract. That may lead to the Jets drafting someone at inside linebacker, too, with the idea of finding his replacement.
The free-agent options at linebacker are not very appealing. I would concentrate on finding answers in the Draft.
Coming Friday: Defensive Backs