At some point last season, somebody somewhere hatched a plan that has failed spectacularly in regards to the New York Jets offensive line. For some strange reason, it was viewed as a good idea to significantly downgrade the talent the Jets had at center by moving Joe Tippmann from the pivot to right guard.
Moving a young player for a veteran to take his spot is often reserved for instances in which the incoming player would be an improvement at the more important position, but not in this case.
Instead of pursuing a right guard via free agency or the draft to upgrade there and leave Tippmann in place, the Jets signed Justin Fields’ college center in Josh Myers. A somewhat understandable move as the team looked to make Fields as comfortable as possible. But once the Fields experiment was pronounced dead, it should have meant the end of Myers at center.
Now, the Jets’ run game is stuck after a promising opening week against the Titans. In the past two games, Breece Hall has 61 yards on 29 carries. If this pace lasts, the Jets will fail to sustain positive plays and risk becoming one-dimensional.
Reinstating Tippmann at center would help. This off-season’s O-line moves by the Jets would limit the impact; they traded up for Omar Cooper and drafted DeAngelo Ponds. An every-down offensive starter should have been the priority.
The Jets are stuck with a bad center. He would probably be a bad guard if he swapped with Tippmann. Rookie Anez Cooper was drafted on day three. But if the run game doesn’t improve, two yards per carry won’t cut it. If something changes, it should start in the middle.
