There is a lot of hype for the New York Jets heading into the 2021 season.
Every fan base is excited and filled with hope at the beginning with everyone undefeated at 0-0.
A lot of that is warranted, but there are a few areas of concern. One of the biggest is the interior offensive line for the green and white.
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Several Concerns on the Interior
The things that have befallen the Jets on the interior has been a series of unfortunate events:
- Cam Clark injured his neck (out for the foreseeable future)
- Alex Lewis surprisingly retired and is at a minimum out for the 2021 season
- Dan Feeney has looked terrible and outmatched in preseason action
On top of that, one of their first-rounders from April, Alijah Vera-Tucker, didn’t get any preseason action due to injury. While the coaching staff is optimistic he’ll be ready for the season opener vs the Carolina Panthers, he lacks game experience and physical practice reps.
Their starting right guard, Greg Van-Roten, is the weakest link on paper for the Jets’ offensive line. If he lives down to that hype, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, considering the rest of the starters.
Although the team shouldn’t settle for average, this is a time in the NFL where you can be picky and get upgrades if they’re available.
A Rare Opportunity to Add a Premium Talent
The Kansas City Chiefs lost the Super Bowl this February because they couldn’t protect their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Fast forward a few months later and this same team is receiving trade calls ahead of the final NFL roster cutdown. Man life comes at you pretty fast.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said the Chiefs “have become a place for teams to look for help” in the trenches.
In particular, the player that has created a ton of buzz is veteran offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Breer said that LDT “has come up in talks” with other teams.
The 30-year-old is a five-year NFL veteran and has played in over 60 career games, starting 57 of them. This past season Duvernay-Tardif chose to opt out due to concerns regarding the COVID pandemic.
Although he didn’t spend his time sitting at home eating junk food, instead he returned to his other career as a renowned doctor.
The veteran returned to his Canadian stomping grounds to help combat the outbreak. He worked at CHSLD Gertrude-Lafrance which is a long-term care facility on the frontlines.
After a year away from the game, Duvernay-Tardif is ready to return to the game he loves.
Throughout his career, the veteran has manned the right guard spot. Coincidentally that’s the weakest spot on the Jets’ offensive line heading into the 2021 season.
Not only would this be a great locker room add, but he also is a proven winner. He helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl championship in over 50 years back in 2019.
What it would cost to pry the veteran from the Chiefs is still somewhat unclear although the cost isn’t expected to be exorbitant. This would be a unique late opportunity for the Jets to reinforce their offensive line ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Gang Green is still armed with multiple day three picks they could use as bait for any potential deal ahead of the final roster cutdown on Tuesday, August 31 at 4 pm.
Duvernay-Tardif has one year left on his contract for $2.8 million, per Spotrac. He also possesses a no-trade clause which gives him a unique ability to pick where he plays in 2021.
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Jets Could Be in Trade Market for Super Bowl OL, Renowned Doctor