Kareem Brown Moving to Tight End?

by John B on Apr 11, 2009 2:22 PM EDT

Backup defensive lineman Kareem Brown might be moving to the offensive side of the ball to serve as the new blocking tight end.

I unearthed a mildly interesting piece of information earlier today during our locker room period. The team may be converting defensive lineman/linebacker Kareem Brown to tight end. He is working with both units (double the meetings, double the fun) and is already down about 25 pounds from his weight of 290 last year. Brown is 6'4" tall and played at 315lbs in college. When I talked with him today he was about to go off and have a salad for lunch.

This move was out of a major necessity since with all of the focus on the quarterback situation it has gone almost unnoticed that the Jets have a grand total of...one tight end on the roster, last year's first-round pick, Dustin Keller. Two if you count James Dearth, but the team doesn't like to put their long snapper in jeopardy by playing him too much on offense.

Given the propensity for Brian Schottenheimer to run two and three tight-end sets - currently in vogue throughout the league - the Jets are clearly wanting at this position. And, given the upcoming three-day mini-camp next week, the team needed bodies in this position.

This seems like a pretty sound move at this point. Considering all the depth the Jets have brought in on the defensive line, Brown probably did not have a spot there. He has athletic ability and is accustomed to fighting in the trenches, which suggests he could be a good fit. He also played some tight end in high school so the position is familiar. Because of his athleticism, he probably has more upside than the typical blocking tight end on the open market.

With that said, releasing Chris Baker looks worse and worse. He was excellent for this role. $2 million is not a lot of money in the NFL. It represents between 1 and 2% of the salary cap. That is what the Jets saved with that move. That is the difference between a reliable player and a total project.

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Kareem Brown as tight end

Good luck in getting Kareem to be an adequate tight end. Going from defense to offense and then learning to catch the ball is going to be real tough at the pro level. The release of Chris Baker is another example of the Jets “cutting off their nose despite their face” move. Didn’t they learn their lesson with Pete Kendall?

by tomjet on Apr 12, 2009 6:41 PM EDT reply actions

i agree in your assesment of the challenge that brown faces, but just a quick correction its “cut off your nose to spite your face”

by Ozone on Apr 12, 2009 9:12 PM EDT reply actions

The argument you raise is valid, tomjet, but I’m not sure it’s that much of a stretch. On the defensive line, he had to hold the point of attack. That will be his primary job on offense. The Pats turned Mike Vrabel into a solid option on subpackages. This is worth a look, especially considering he has no spot on defense.

Then again I can admit I’m a homer. :-)

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by John B on Apr 12, 2009 9:58 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t you think it’s a little disingenuous to evaluate Baker’s release on his salary alone? Sure, he only represented a small portion of the team’s total cap, but it was clear that he had no desire to be limited to a “blocking tight end.” I’m pretty sure his release was intended to preempt any mid-season drama and to find someone willing to play his role rather than simply to save “between 1 and 2% of the salary cap.”

by I'm Not Positive on Apr 14, 2009 5:08 AM EDT reply actions