If Court Vaporizes Franchise Tag Who Should the New York Jets Pursue?

It is possible that a court ruling to reinstate football could leave the league lawless. If this is the case, franchise tags teams put on their players could be voided, and the players could become free agents. This could cause the Jets some problems with David Harris, but it could also create opportunities elsewhere. Should the Jets be interested in any of those guys?

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Haloti Ngata might be out since the Jets already have a glut of defensive line talent following the Draft. The Jets could surely use him, but it might not be the wisest decision considering the price, needs, and resources. They would almost have to kick the tires on Peyton Manning in cursory fashion Mark Sanchez or no Mark Sanchez, but it is unlikely the team could land the legend.

My eyes would be on three guys, Lamarr Woodley, Tamba Hali, and Kamerion Wimbley. All three are pass rushing linebackers. I have stated that I would like to see offense be a bigger priority than defense this offseason, but a pass rushing linebacker might be the exception just because of the transformational effect it could have on the defense.

Woodley is probably the best known of the three. He is a complete outside linebacker in the 3-4. He is strong and athletic enough to get to the quarterback and hold up against the run. He also is comfortable dropping into coverage. Hali might be the real sleeper of the bunch. I think he is one of the best kept secrets in the game. Whenever I have watched the Chiefs recently, my first impression has been that Hali has lived in the opposing backfield. My perceptions are backed up by the stats. Pro Football Focus says Hali led 3-4 outside linebackers in quarterback pressures in 2010 and finished second in 2009. Wimbley posted an 11 sack rookie season for the Browns as a 3-4 rush linebacker in 2006 and 9 sacks as a blitzing 4-3 linebacker this past year.

I would probably take either Woodley or Hali over resigning David Harris. If you know how highly I think of Harris, you would not take that lightly. He has been instrumental in the team's excellent run defense. A legitimate pass rushing threat, though, would just add a different dimension to the defense. Meanwhile, the run defense might fall a bit, but Sione Pouha, Mike Devito, and Bart Scott would still be there.

In any event, this situation is highly unlikely, but are there any other players you feel the Jets should look at if this plays out?