Getty Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis sacking New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones during an NFL game.
The New York Jets are in a rare position that not a lot of people would have predicted before the season.
At 4-2, the green and white appear to be clear buyers ahead of the November 1 NFL trade deadline.
Time for Jets, Panthers to Make a Trade
On the latest episode of the NFL Stock Exchange podcast powered by Pro Football Focus, the pair of co-hosts were forced to come up with 10 potential trades ahead of the deadline.
Connor Rogers cooked up one involving the Jets and the Carolina Panthers:
“What about Matt Ioannidis? That’s perfect. He is on the Panthers and everyone should be available on Carolina. Especially guys on one-year contracts. Ioannidis is still a good player and this doesn’t matter as much because it’s a one-year deal but he’s 28 years old. He isn’t some washed veteran, he is a really good player. He has been very good against the run this year. This is the Panthers getting something for a player that you’re assuming is not part of their future. Even if he has performed at a high level. No offense Carolina fans, I don’t know why he would go back there after this year.”
.@ConnorJRogers says IDL is ‘quietly a need for the #Jets’ ahead of the trade deadline, ‘Solomon Thomas & Nathan Shepherd are not good’ + #Panthers DL Matt Ioannidis would be ‘perfect’ for a 5th or 6th rounder: 🎥 @PFF_NFLSE #TakeFlight #KeepPounding @TampaBayTre
Proposed trade:
Panthers receive: 2023 sixth-round draft choice
Jets receive: veteran defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis
Now a lot of Jets fans may be asking themselves, wait another defensive lineman?
Rogers expounded on that thought and argued why it is actually a “quiet need” for Gang Green:
“The Jets need to find an interior defensive lineman. Now some people listening to that might be like why? The Jets’ defensive line is killing it. Correct, except [for] the fact they have played Solomon Thomas 122 snaps this year and Nathan Shepherd 116 snaps this year. To put those snap counts into perspective, Quinnen Williams has played 242 snaps. That is a lot of snaps for these two guys. As good as the Jets’ defensive line has been, those guys are not good and haven’t been good. The more they are on the field and it’s apparent they will need to be because this team rotates a lot. That’s a problem.”
Matt Ioannidis Can Do Dirty Work to Open up Jets Star DL Quinnen Williams
Let’s be clear Ioannidis isn’t a superstar or a name that’ll ring many bells in the casual NFL fan community. He has never been elected to a Pro Bowl and throughout his career, he has played on terrible teams.
However, the former Temple product has proven to be a starting-caliber player that is willing to do the dirty work to open up opportunities for his teammates.
That sounds like the perfect complement to what Quinnen Williams needs on this defensive line.
Ioannidis has appeared in over 79 games during his seven-year career and has started in 46 of those contests:
- 25.5 sacks
- 63 quarterback hits
- Over 190 total tackles
- 27 tackles for loss
The veteran spent the first six years of his career with the Washington Commanders and joined the Panthers roster this season.
Ioannidis has been dominant against the run sporting a 76.9 PFF grade against the run in six games for Carolina.
It has been impressive what Quinnen has been able to accomplish considering the lack of proven depth on the interior. If the Jets can find a way to add a proven piece ahead of the deadline, Williams could reach a new ceiling.