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The New York Jets continue to turn over every rock to find talent.
This week they have been hosting veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi on a multi-day free-agent visit, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
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Weird Situation
Ogunjobi isn’t supposed to be a free agent right now, back in March he had agreed to a three-year deal worth over $40.5 million (featuring $26.35 million guaranteed) with the Chicago Bears.
Despite the verbal agreement, the last piece of the puzzle was Ogunjobi passing a physical which according to the Bears he was unable to do.
Chicago first-year general manager Ryan Poles explained the decision via an official statement earlier this offseason:
“As I said before, Larry Ogunjobi embodies everything we are looking for in a Bear. He is a special person and player. During the league’s negotiating window earlier this week, we agreed to terms with him, subject to him passing a physical here. After a standard and thorough physical and medical review with Larry yesterday afternoon, our medical team deemed him to have failed his physical and therefore, unfortunately, we are not signing him today. This is difficult and it is emotional for everyone involved, but ultimately is what is in the best interest of protecting the Chicago Bears.”
The Bears did not clarify in their remarks specifically what went wrong during the physical. Although Ogunjobi did undergo foot surgery this offseason after hurting it during the Cincinnati Bengals-Las Vegas Raiders playoff game.
Back on January 20, Ogunjobi tweeted out that “surgery was a success.”
Prior to this hiccup, Ogunjobi has been relatively healthy throughout his five-year NFL career. He has played 76 out of 81 possible games during that span.
Could Be Had at a Massive Bargain
At this late stage of free agency, Ogunjobi won’t be receiving that same type of free-agent deal.
However, one possible thing he could do is sign a one-year prove-it deal with the Jets and reestablish his market next offseason.
Ogunjobi is 27 years old (will be 28 by the start of the 2022 season) and has shown flashes of dominance throughout his career:
- 21.5 sacks
- 41 tackles for loss
- Over 229 total tackles
The Jets lost Foley Fatukasi this offseason in a big-money deal to the Jacksonville Jaguars and haven’t done a whole heck of a lot to replace him. Ogunjobi could step right in and fill that void in this defensive line rotation.
General manager Joe Douglas is never satisfied with the current state of his roster and is always willing to adapt to the situation.
Last year Morgan Moses seemingly fell out of the sky and was added late in the roster construction process. He ended up being a key cog and Ogunjobi could have a similar impact on the opposite side of the ball.
As long as the medicals are all clear and good, this is an absolute no-brainer for the green and white.
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