Maybin Going Forward, and the Future of the Position

I have not met a single Jets fan that isn't happy with what Aaron "Mayhem" Maybin, has brought to the Jets pass rush. He is one of the few bright spots that the Jets have to fall back on as our season slithers across the edge of a razor blade. Even with all of Maybin's recent success, there are still some questions we need answered.

1. Is this year just an aberration, or can we expect this level of play for years to come?
2. What happens when the weather turns for the worse?
3. Is Maybin enough to revitalize our pass rush?

Unfortunately, I can not see into the future, so I can not give you guys a definitive answer to the first two questions. All I can do is tell you what I see, and move on from there. Is Maybin a one hit wonder? I don't think so. Maybin is now in a place where he is happy, and fitting in great. For a guy that has been here for less than a year, his comfort level is off the charts. He can't wait for more to be piled onto his plate. As far as his level of play goes; He only knows one speed, and that's fast. It's the mix of comfort and energy, that leads me to believe he will be a force for years to come.

That's all fine and dandy, with the future of the Jets, but how does our young stud fare for the rest of the season? The Jets have been very lucky with weather this year. Global warming has made November football very pleasant. How long can this luck hold out? Eventually, I believe the weather will turn colder and uglier. When this happens, most teams switch gears a little. Power running starts to take center stage over high flying passing. More running plays might mean a reduction in Maybin production.

I'm going to piggyback off of my last point, if I may? Maybin offers a lot of speed and energy to a defense that lacks both at times. Maybin, by himself, is a good start, but it should by no means be the end of our pass rushing improvement. Both Bryan Thomas and Westerman are free agents next year. I find it hard to believe that both will be back. Pace is getting up there in age, and is more of a monster against the run than he is as a pass rusher. Maybin needs a sidekick to compliment his speed. Our main focus, in the offseason, should be finding a powerful bull rusher to line up opposite Maybin. The guys we should be looking at, go by the names of Whitney Mercilus, Courtney Upshaw, Viny Curry, Frank Alexander, Brandon Jenkins, Cordarro Law, and Cliff Avril. Take your pick sports fans. If we can put one of these guys opposite Maybin, we can go into 2012 with a pass rush to match our secondary. I'll let your imaginations fill in what that would look like.