Getty Former New York Jets offensive tackle Brandon Shell making a play during an NFL game.
The New York Jets roster is in a much different place now than it was a year ago.
Gang Green is stocked at several positions but you can never be complacent in this league. There are always places you can improve and Gang Green might have to get creative to fill the remaining voids.
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A Connection That Makes Sense
On the Jets Central YouTube page they explored the question, will the Jets sign any more players ahead of training camp?
Adding more pieces to the puzzle is always a sexy thing to talk about and it can be exciting, but not every possibility is realistic.
Although one name that was brought up on the show was veteran offensive tackle, Brandon Shell.
Will The Jets Sign Any More Players? | Potential Fits t.co/vgmrS8d7nv via @YouTube #Jets #TakeFlight
The former South Carolina product originally entered the league as the No. 158 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft.
After spending the first four years of his career with the Jets, Shell moved on and joined the Seattle Seahawks for two seasons.
Now the 30-year-old is looking for his next NFL stop. It looked like earlier this offseason he was going to follow Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, but for one reason or another, that agreement didn’t come to fruition.
A Cheaper Alternative
There have been a ton of names discussed as it pertains to the offensive tackle market and a possible Jets signing.
However, some of the names that have been brought up could be fairly costly (Duane Brown and Riley Reiff).
Depending on which site you prefer, the Jets are hovering between $5.7 million (Spotrac) and $9.6 million (Over The Cap) in available cap space. That is enough money to make some moves happen but it isn’t necessarily an unlimited savings account.
Shell would be a much more prudent move financially speaking than some of the other names that have been discussed.
Over the last six years, Shell has played in 70 games and started in 61 of those contests. He has been exclusively a right tackle in the NFL registering over 3,746 snaps.
Historically speaking he has been a much better pass protector throughout his career than a run blocker when you look at the advanced PFF metrics.
However, it is worth noting that Shell is coming off of a career year in the run game with a 69.6 run block grade.
He has the experience, some good analytics, and this would be an unlikely reunion that no one saw coming. This could be a good opportunity for Shell to suit up for a year, reestablish his market, and then dip back into the free-agent waters in 2023 to earn a big paycheck.
Shell isn’t anywhere near as good as Morgan Moses, but the path is there to turn an unfortunate situation (being a free agent in July) into a promising one (Moses signed a multi-year deal in free agency with the Baltimore Ravens).
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