By Paul Newbold Edited by Peter Cordi
The Jets signed James Carpenter as an unrestricted free agent from the Seattle Seahawks. The signing came at the cost of $19.1 million for 4 years, with $7.5 million guaranteed. Carpenter's signing has raised some questions, so it required a closer look.
Carpenter played his college ball as a tackle. He played two years at Coffeyview Community College before transferring to the University of Alabama in 2009. He played in every game for Alabama at left tackle in 2009 and 2010.
Carpenter was generally seen as a third-round prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft, until he performed better then expected in postseason play. As a result of that play, the Seahawks drafted him 25th overall.
Carpenter made the move to left guard at the NFL level. In his four-year career, he has struggled with conditioning and injuries. He played his first 16-game season in 2013, and managed 13 games in 2014.
This is not the big-name guard the fans were hoping for. Carpenter is only 25, however, and if he can shake the injury bug, he has considerable upside. Many saw the signing as a replacement for departing Willie Colon.
Just few days later, however, the Jets re-signed Willie Colon. Was Colon resigned to compete with the newly signed free agent acquisition? What does Chan Gailey plan on doing with these guys?
It may be the Colon signing is simply for depth purposes, but it’s hard to imagine Colon accepting that role. Colon is a seasoned, veteran starter- he works hard and competes. Gailey may be trying to see if he can get another season out of Colon as a starter.
If Gailey thinks Colon has another year in him, then one has to wonder where Gailey sees Carpenter playing. He has experience playing at the NFL level playing left guard, but Gailey could possibly see him elsewhere. Saying Carpenter is the defacto starter over Willie Colon isn't as clear as it once was.
We don't know exactly what the Carpenter signing is at this point. The answer lies in how Gailey sees him fitting. Colon's signing days later raises some questions. The questions won't be answered until the Jets hit the field once again.
The offensive line will be an interesting build. Carpenter's signing doesn't hold all the answers. The unit played inconsistently throughout the season last year. It will be interesting to see if the Jets add another offensive lineman in the draft.
The offensive line has been neglected over the years, and as a result, the performance has tarnished in recent years. Carpenter is a step in the right direction, but he can't be seen as the solution. The Jets will need to shake things up along the line, possibly shuffling players around to get the right mix.
Carpenter will be a part of that mix, it’s just not certain what role he will play. Camp promises to offer some strong competitions. It will be an interesting watch to see how the Jet coaches attempt to rebuild this unit.
The Jets have some youth to go along with last year's starters. Carpenter is a nice addition to the mix. Stay tuned.
The Jets signed James Carpenter as an unrestricted free agent from the Seattle Seahawks. The signing came at the cost of $19.1 million for 4 years, with $7.5 million guaranteed. Carpenter's signing has raised some questions, so it required a closer look.
Carpenter played his college ball as a tackle. He played two years at Coffeyview Community College before transferring to the University of Alabama in 2009. He played in every game for Alabama at left tackle in 2009 and 2010.
Carpenter was generally seen as a third-round prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft, until he performed better then expected in postseason play. As a result of that play, the Seahawks drafted him 25th overall.
Carpenter made the move to left guard at the NFL level. In his four-year career, he has struggled with conditioning and injuries. He played his first 16-game season in 2013, and managed 13 games in 2014.
This is not the big-name guard the fans were hoping for. Carpenter is only 25, however, and if he can shake the injury bug, he has considerable upside. Many saw the signing as a replacement for departing Willie Colon.
Just few days later, however, the Jets re-signed Willie Colon. Was Colon resigned to compete with the newly signed free agent acquisition? What does Chan Gailey plan on doing with these guys?
It may be the Colon signing is simply for depth purposes, but it’s hard to imagine Colon accepting that role. Colon is a seasoned, veteran starter- he works hard and competes. Gailey may be trying to see if he can get another season out of Colon as a starter.
If Gailey thinks Colon has another year in him, then one has to wonder where Gailey sees Carpenter playing. He has experience playing at the NFL level playing left guard, but Gailey could possibly see him elsewhere. Saying Carpenter is the defacto starter over Willie Colon isn't as clear as it once was.
We don't know exactly what the Carpenter signing is at this point. The answer lies in how Gailey sees him fitting. Colon's signing days later raises some questions. The questions won't be answered until the Jets hit the field once again.
The offensive line will be an interesting build. Carpenter's signing doesn't hold all the answers. The unit played inconsistently throughout the season last year. It will be interesting to see if the Jets add another offensive lineman in the draft.
The offensive line has been neglected over the years, and as a result, the performance has tarnished in recent years. Carpenter is a step in the right direction, but he can't be seen as the solution. The Jets will need to shake things up along the line, possibly shuffling players around to get the right mix.
Carpenter will be a part of that mix, it’s just not certain what role he will play. Camp promises to offer some strong competitions. It will be an interesting watch to see how the Jet coaches attempt to rebuild this unit.
The Jets have some youth to go along with last year's starters. Carpenter is a nice addition to the mix. Stay tuned.