SET THE PACE: Calvin Pace drops the Dolphins’ Chad Henne for one of his 5 1/2 sacks last season. Rex Ryan said he thinks Pace has 10-sack potential. (N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg)
Rushing the passer is in the DNA of the Jets’ organization.
The “Sack Exchange” may be the most celebrated group of Jets players other than the 1968 championship team. But the Jets have gone five seasons without a premier pass rusher and have flopped in their attempts to throw big bucks at the problem.
The Jets look strong in many areas as the 2011 season begins, but the pass rush remains a question mark. In the last week, the team made a strong pursuit of top cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, then re-signed Antonio Cromartie to give them a solid corner opposite Darrelle Revis. But the biggest problem for the Jets defense may not be stopping receivers, but getting to the quarterback.
Last year, the Jets were eighth in the NFL with 40 sacks, but gone from that team are Jason Taylor (5), Shaun Ellis (4 1/2), Drew Coleman (4) and James Ihedigbo (3). Ellis and Ihedigbo remain free agents, and could return, but the Jets are going to need more contributions elsewhere.
Rex Ryan is talking up outside linebacker Calvin Pace as the player to lead the rush this year. The Jets gave Pace a six-year, $42 million contract in 2008. He’s been good at times, but has not lived up to that contract.
Pace declined an interview request yesterday, but Ryan did enough talking for him. After missing the first four games of last year following a broken right foot, Pace was never 100 percent, Ryan said. He finished the year with 5 1/2 sacks.
“At the end of the year, his foot was 20 percent healed,” Ryan said. “I was shocked when I heard that. He’s out there gutting through it. Yeah we think [he could have] one of those potential 10-sack seasons and all that, he has that kind of ability. There’s no doubt.”
The Jets have not had a player with 10 sacks since John Abraham in 2005. The truth is Abraham is the last top-flight pass rusher the team has had. They signed Pace and drafted Vernon Gholston in 2008, hoping to solve the problem, committing $82 million on the two players. Gholston famously finished his Jets career without a sack.
This year, the Jets used their first-round pick on defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, who they believe can be an effective interior pass rusher. Ryan spoke glowingly about the rookie this week, but the team remains interested in bringing back Ellis, who joined the team in 2000 along with Abraham. Mitch Frankel, the agent for Ellis, said the Jets have offered him the veterans’ minimum (around $900,000) to return this year.
“He’s contemplating their offer,” said Frankel, who declined to say if other teams are interested.
The Jets were expected to be better at rushing the passer under Ryan than his predecessor, Eric Mangini, because of Ryan’s attacking scheme. They finished 18th in the league in 2009 with 32 sacks and eighth last year with 40.
Besides Pace, Ryan will be counting on Bryan Thomas and Jamaal Westerman to bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks. Westerman is in his third year, and Ryan said he will be the team’s designated pass rusher on passing downs.
“Overall, I don’t think we’re as bad as maybe the people want to [say],” Ryan said. “We never had the guy with 10, 12 sacks, but we had a lot of guys with sacks. We were eighth in the league last year in number of sacks. So I don’t think we’re as desperate as [it is] out there. I think Westerman has a chance. It’s finally time, it’s his third year, it’s time to unleash him.”
brian.costello@nypost.com