Jets' offseason shopping list
NY Jets Confidential|February 2020
The Jets have a lot of needs this offseason. Let’s take a look at some of them, including their longstanding No. 1 need. …
Jets' offseason shopping list

1 A game-wrecking edge rusher: Either high in the draft or in free agency, the Jets need to get a defensive end who can wreck the game. We used to say they needed an outside linebacker to do this, but that was in reference to their old 3-4 front, played under head coaches Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles. However, under current defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is essentially the head coach of the defense, the team plays the 4-3 front quite a bit. So now the need is a 4-3 end, a player like former Kentucky DE Josh Allen from last year’s draft.

What does this player look like? He’s a guy about 6-3, 265 pounds with 4.6 to 4.7 speed. He needs to have a quick takeoff with an explosive burst. He needs great flexibility — limber enough to bend under offensive tackles. He also must have a great burst to the QB, so once he gets by the tackle, he can close the deal quickly. It also wouldn’t hurt for this player to have long arms to shed blocks and disrupt passing lanes.

The closest player the Jets have to this is Tarell Basham, who is 6-4, 269 pounds, with 4.7 speed and arms like vines.

“He’s got some rare twitch for a big guy,” said Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer.

You often hear that word “twitch” from scouts, and it’s very important when it comes to pass rushers. What is twitch, or “quick twitch,” which it’s often called?

“Your fast-twitch muscle fibers, also known as Type II fibers, are the fibers responsible for explosive movements, things like vertical leaps, 40-yard sprints,” wrote David Otey, an NYC-based strength coach, for Men’s Health.

This story is from the February 2020 edition of NY Jets Confidential.

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This story is from the February 2020 edition of NY Jets Confidential.

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