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There are a few things in football that you can never have enough of.
One of those is offensive line depth. With the number of hits, each of these guys endures from season to season, you have to possess depth in case of an injury.
With that in mind, a recently retired New York Jets veteran could decide to make another run in the NFL for a major AFC foe.
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An Interesting Plot Twist
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report recently suggested the one move every NFL team needs to make this offseason.
One of his strong nudges featured a former member of the Jets potentially joining the Tennessee Titans:
“The Titans could add Ereck Flowers, who turned his career around in a move from left tackle to left guard. They could also kick the tires on Alex Lewis, who has 39 starts on his resume, mostly at left guard.”
Lewis has a great frame at 6-foot-6, 305 pounds but chose to retire under some strange circumstances back last summer:
G Alex Lewis has decided to retire, per source. Was eliminated from playing for any team in 2021 last week when #Jets placed him on reserve/left squad list. In theory, could try comeback in ‘22, but it remains to be seen whether he has any desire to play again, source said.
Back on April 8, Gang Green officially waived the big man with a “reserve/left squad designation”, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The #Jets have officially waived OL Alex Lewis with a reserve/left squad designation, per the wire. Meanwhile, the #Commanders waived CB DJ Hayden.
He just recently turned 30 years of age and only has 44 games of wear-and-tear on his body. Lewis could be a very valuable depth piece for a team looking to secure the trenches.
The veteran offensive lineman was initially acquired by the Jets via trade in 2019 in a deal with the Baltimore Ravens for a conditional seventh-round draft choice.
That ended up being the bargain of a lifetime as Lewis played in 24 games for Gang Green and started in 21 of those contests.
Now we’ll see if he still has any gas left in the tank and has a desire to return to the gridiron.
A First World Problem
Speaking of depth on the interior offensive line, this current Jets unit is overflowing with solid options.
Their three starters are all plus players in Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, and Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft, the Jets acquired versatile offensive lineman Nate Herbig off of waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles.
I won’t lie: the #Jets claiming Nate Herbig (@nate_herbig) off of waivers from the #Eagles was a FANTASTIC addition!
Here is a look at the advanced @PFF data + why this was so critical:
#TakeFlight #FlyEaglesFly #NFL
LINK: t.co/eBvbyBgHlE
If an injury happens on the interior, Herbig can step right from the bench to the starting lineup. In a corresponding move, the Jets dumped veteran Greg Van Roten earlier this Summer.
However head coach Robert Saleh very much left the door open for a future return when speaking to the media.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh explained the decision to release Greg Van Roten (@its_GVR) & told @Connor_J_Hughes that ‘the door isn’t closed’ on a possible return saying they’d ‘love to have him back’ 👀: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight #JetsCamp #NFL
While GVR left much to be desired as a relied upon starter throughout an NFL season, the conversation is a lot different if he were to take on a primary backup role.
That would provide even more invaluable depth and experience on an offensive line as we described earlier that you can never have too much of.
You have to give general manager Joe Douglas a ton of credit for the work he has done in the trenches. Zach Wilson doesn’t just have a fighting chance, he is in a great position heading into his second year thanks to the improvements on the offensive line.
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AFC Powerhouse May ‘Kick the Tires’ on Retired Jets Veteran