Potential Jets: Tyvon Branch

On top of our "Stay or Go" profiles on every Jets player, we are going to run some profiles on available players from other teams I think might interest the Jets. The first is Oakland Raiders unrestricted free agent safety Tyvon Branch.

Branch has four years under his belt in Oakland. He was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2008 Draft out of UConn. Branch was a cornerback in college, but he transitioned to safety in the pros.

Branch has started all 48 games for the Raiders since 2009. He is known as a hard hitter, adept at playing in the box against the run. He has put up over 100 tackles in all three years as a starter.

Branch is not a strong man to man defender, something the Jets can use at the position. He is a lot better playing zone where he can watch things develop in front of him. He also has blazing speed. He has been clocked in the low 4.3 range in 40 yard dash time.

The kind of range this speed gives him could make him an attractive option for a team that plays a lot of cover one like the Jets do. The defense Rex Ryan runs tends to only stick one guy deep so that guy needs to be able to cover a ton of ground. Branch's skills suggest he could be a fit not only playing the run but also in a centerfield role.

The Jets need to upgrade their safety spot quite a bit. Do you think Branch should have their interest?