Damien Woody: New York Jets Haven't Invested In OLine Since Eric Mangini
Damien Woody has a point. The former New York Jets offensive lineman succinctly showing why his old team needs to invest in the trenches, something they haven’t done in years.
Now an analyst with ESPN, Woody spent the final three years of his 12-year NFL career with the Jets, retiring following the 2010 season. Twice a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots and a Pro Bowl selection in 2002, Woody took to Twitter this week to advocate that the Jets go offensive line in the NFL Draft.
Woody, well, he ain’t wrong.
During the Mangini era, the Jets signed veterans in free agency such as of Woody along with veteran guard Alan Faneca. The Jets also drafted two offensive linemen (center Nick Mangold and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson) in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft when ‘Mangenius’ was the head coach. In 2002 under Herm Edwards, the Jets drafted Brandon Moore, who would play 11 seasons with the Jets.
The Jets invested heavily along the offensive line, and it worked.
That core of Mangold, Ferguson, Moore and Woody helped spur the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances beginning in 2009. Mangini wasn’t the head coach then, fired following a disappointing 2008 season.
But Rex Ryan was the beneficiary of that careful and deliberate investment along the offensive line in both free agency and the draft. Because of this, the Jets went run heavy on offense under Ryan, utilizing a strong offensive line to open holes for running back Thomas Jones.
Now, general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase need to make a similar commitment to a woeful offensive line.
The Jets were a bad offensive line in 2020, the byproduct of four years of inexplicable neglect in free agency and the draft. In the past three drafts, the Jets have taken just a single offensive lineman, tackle Chuma Edoga in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Jets haven’t used a first round pick on the offensive line since that 2006 NFL Draft that yielded Mangold and Ferguson. The last time they took an offensive lineman in the first two rounds was in 2010 when then general manager Mike Tannenbaum selected UMass standout Vlad Ducasse at No. 61.
