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New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas was forced to act quickly after starting safety Chuck Clark suffered an apparent knee injury that could sideline him indefinitely.
Before news of that injury even surfaced around the league, in came veteran starter Adrian Amos on a one-year deal. In the end, it was a necessary action from Douglas — being that the drop-off from Clark to Amos is minimal, if there even is a drop-off.
After all, Amos is a former team captain and 122-game starter of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, and his message upon signing was simple yet blunt. “Let Get to work 💪🏾,” the eight-year NFL pro voiced to fans on Twitter.
Former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers also welcomed Amos to New York on Instagram, calling him by his nickname: “Smash.”
Adrian Amos Fits Jets’ Free Safety Need in 2023
It’s unclear exactly how head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich planned to use Clark at free safety, but Amos is definitely the more conventional fit at the position.
Although he played both strong safety and free safety with the Packers and Bears, he came into the league as an FS and has been more of a ballhawk than the rest of the NYJ safety unit throughout his career — with 10 interceptions and 48 passes defended to show for it.
In 2022, that came out to a snap share of 45.3% deep safety, 37.9% in the box, and 14.3% guarding the slot for Amos according to Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania. Those figures were very comparable to Clark in 2022.
Having said all of that, Amos played more free safety during his younger years, and appears to have transitioned to strong safety more with the Packers from 2019 through 2022. He’s still probably a more natural fit at the position than Clark, but it remains to be seen if the wily vet can still move around the field as he once did.
Jets Safety Room Is Deep Despite Chuck Clark Injury
With Amos taking Clark’s place at free safety, not much has really changed in the Jets safety room.
Jordan Whitehead is still expected to start at strong safety, with Amos now alongside him. Tony Adams is hovering on the roster as a versatile backup that can play either role on the back end. And then you have a mix of recent draft picks and undrafted rookies.
Assuming Adams makes the top 53 again, that roster bubble tier includes:
- Ashtyn Davis (2020 third-round selection, core special teamer).
- Jarrick Bernard-Converse (2023 sixth-round selection, versatile DB that can play cornerback as well).
- Trey Dean III (big-bodied UDFA safety with unique man-to-man coverage ability).
- Marquis Waters (hard-hitting UDFA safety, potential big nickel linebacker).
Barring a really poor training camp, Bernard-Converse will most likely secure a roster spot as a 2023 draft pick with helpful versatility, but the others might have the odds stacked against them.
In fact, the Jets can save $2.743 million by releasing Davis according to Over the Cap — a detail that doesn’t bode well for the disappointing California product. Dean and Waters, on the other hand, were both given $90,000 in financial guarantees (per OTC).
The key will be how the Jets coaching staff views Bernard-Converse. If he’s considered a cornerback by trade, either Davis, Dean or Waters could sneak onto the roster as the fourth safety with “JBC” as a fifth option in a pinch.
If the LSU rookie is considered a safety by trade, however, that could be bad news for the three bubble candidates behind him. Cornerback Brandin Echols’ Week 1 suspension could also factor into how the Jets arrange their roster at the conclusion of training camp and the 2023 preseason.
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