Mark Schlereth on the New York Jets rebuild: 'There's no more skill than the offensive line'
The New York Jets have received accolades from across the NFL for their off-season additions to the offensive line as well as their first round draft pick Mekhi Becton. Jets head coach Adam Gase was hired based on his experience working with offenses. With a high-ceiling quarterback in Sam Darnold and a hopefully improved offensive line, the pressure will be on Gase to make this offense take a step forward.
Gase is the first offensive coach to run the Jets since Rich Kotite helmed Gang Green in 1995. Mark Schlereth knows that the expectations are high, but that there is no easy way to say that its wait and see about that offense.
“Teams that are established, the teams that are drafting for depth, not drafting to find players that can play this year, those teams are going to be okay because those teams have tried and true systems,” Schlereth said in an exclusive interview with SportsIllsutrated.com’s ‘Jets Country’ Seth Everett. In the interview, he explains that the Jets are not that team.
Schlereth points out that the offensive line has no chance to be cohesive because of the current situation with the NFL. While practice facilities are going to be opening sporadically around the league this week, players still cannot come to work out, and coaches can’t come in until all facilities allow it. This makes sure that no team gets an unfair advantage just because one team plays in an area that has fewer quarantine restrictions than any other team.
“There's no more skilled position in football than the offensive line,” said Schlereth. “(If they) think (they) can just plug guys in or move right and left and think that’ll be fine. I'm telling you, it does not work that way.”
In addition to drafting Becton, the Jets used free agency to sign four new offensive linemen. Connor McGovern is the new starting center. George Fant and Greg Van Roten are also new arrivals. While Alex Lewis is the lone returning free agent offensive lineman, the Jets really could use some mini-camp time or an OTA to work together to see if it gels.
Assuming the Jets have improved, it will be interesting to see this team’s ceiling. Simply put, the Buffalo Bills have improved and the Miami Dolphins are setting their expectations on improvement after drafting of Alabama star Tua Tagoviloa. As for the New England Patriots, they may have lost Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but they didn’t suddenly become awful overnight.
Schlereth acknowledged Gase will have his work cut out for him with little margin for error. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the way everyone is doing business, but whenever the NFL opens One Jets Drive for players and coaches, the expectation will be that the Jets offense is improved.
