Yet his coaches countered with a strong defense for the defensive lineman, insisting he was holding up his end very well, all things considered.
“I think Leonard is doing a good job,” coach Adam Gase said. “For me, what we are asking him to do, how he pushes the pocket — he gets double-teamed every snap, it feels like. Every time I watch him, he’s got four hands on him.”
The talk in 2015 was about how the Jets might have gotten the best player in the draft with the sixth overall pick. Williams has been a solid player. He was even a Pro Bowl player as an NFL sophomore.
But should there be more production in relation to the spot in which he was drafted? He has forged a good reputation against the run, but he hasn’t stood out in the sack category for the most part. His career high was seven in 2016, all in the first 13 games.
The 6-5, 302-pound USC alum had only two sacks in 2017 and five last year under coach Todd Bowles. So Williams had posted seven in his last 39 games heading into the fifth game of the season, against Dallas, Oct. 13.
The edge rushers are more suited to get the sacks in a 3-4 alignment, although the Jets’ fronts have also varied sometimes.
This story is from the November 2019 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
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This story is from the November 2019 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
FIRST DOWN- A lot of potential, but a lot to learn
There is a lyric in an old song by the rock group Chicago that sums up where Zach Wilson is right now:
IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH - Ulbrich breaks down Jets' defensive personnel
(Marcus Maye) can do it all. I would feel comfortable with him (at free or strong safety). He’s a guy that, to me, he can play deep, he can play the half field, he can play the middle third, he can do that and you feel comfortable with it. I think he’s got range, speed and athleticism. I think he’s got ball skills and instincts to be a deep safety. But I think he’s got enough size and girth and want-to and courage to play in the box. It’ll be fun to utilize all the things that he does. He can cover tight ends; he can cover some of the wide receivers in this league.
Dan's Minicamp Diary
Becton bombarded with weighty questions
Saleh calls Wilson ‘relentless' as a worker
QUESTION SESSION WITH QB ZACH WILSON
Jets hope initiatives will increase winning edge
Aside from adding as many good players as possible to help the Jets improve, coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are trying to turn over every stone to find extra ways to give their team a winning edge, and two examples of this were announced over the course of the offseason, with the additions of a game management coach (Matt Burke) and the installation of an Athletic Care and Performance Department. Let’s take a closer look at these two moves and how they might help the Jets:
Dan's Spring Camp Diary
This time of year for learning, experimenting, not stats
AUDIBLES-Saleh doesn't cave on offseason work
Tom Brady might be wrong about this one.
SAFETIES
Justin Simmons, Broncos 6-2 • 202 pounds • 27 years old
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Trent Williams, 49ers 6-5 • 320 pounds • 32 years old
LINEBACKERS
Lavonte David, Buccaneers 6-0 • 226 pounds • 26 years old
