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The New York Jets lost one of their most underrated pieces in Week 17 — left tackle, George Fant.
Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that Fant is “getting a second opinion on his knee.” The Jets HC did reassure the media that his “ACL is intact.”
We’ll await the blindside blocker’s injury designation on Wednesday but if today’s transaction is any sign of what’s to come, Fant is definitely in danger of missing Week 18 against the Buffalo Bills.
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Jets Add Journeyman Offensive Tackle
Just after Saleh’s press conference, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweeted out the news that “the Jets claimed OT Greg Senat off of waivers from the Colts.”
The beat reporter followed up with some information on the move by Joe Douglas.
He wrote: “Senat was cut by the Colts on Saturday. He is from Elmont and played at Wagner. The Ravens took him in the 6th round of the 2018 Draft. He played in 10 games for the Cowboys in 2020. Gives the Jets depth at tackle this week with Fant possibly out and a prospect for next year.”
Costello summed up Senat’s career pretty well but I’ll fill in the blanks. The three-year vet has bounced around the league quite a bit, passing through five NFL franchises already.
The Jets make lucky number six, and Douglas will hope to catch lightning in a bottle once again, as he’s done in the past with waiver claims like Quincy Williams, John Franklin-Myers and Braxton Berrios.
If there’s one thing Senat definitely has, it’s size. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound behemoth nearly rivals Mekhi Becton’s frame. He turned 27 in September and is a local kid from Elmont, New York, as Costello mentioned above.
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Pass Protection Could Suffer in Final Outing
The Jets only have one game remaining on the schedule in 2021 and Fant’s injury could present a major challenge. As we alluded to above, the Senat claim signals that Gang Green may need some extra depth at tackle.
Chuma Edoga replaced Fant against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the results were not pretty. The former third-round pick registered a 26.4 pass protection grade on Pro Football Focus with one sack and four quarterback pressures allowed.
Compared to Fant’s team-leading 75.1 pass-blocking marks for Jets offensive linemen (minimum 10 snaps), that drop-off is drastic for Zach Wilson. Despite the absence, the rookie signal-caller managed one of his best performances in Week 17, although there was a notable offensive decline late in the game after Fant was no longer a factor.
It doesn’t help that Buffalo is second in the NFL at generating pressure and first at “hurrying” the quarterback.
If the recent injury ends the season early for the reliable left tackle, Edoga or Conor McDermott would likely start in his place with Senat providing some insurance.
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In Other News…
There was one final transactional tidbit on January 3 for the Green & White. Costello reported once again: “The Jets put DE Kyle Phillips on the reserve/COVID-19 list.”
The former UDFA has been a pleasant surprise since returning from a prolonged journey back from an ankle injury. PFF has credited Phillips with seven pressures and five defensive stops in six appearances. The defensive end also has one sack and 12 total tackles.
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