It seems likely when looking to revamp the offense the Jets will take a long look at guys Tony Sparano is comfortable coaching. Vernon Carey might be one of them. Carey, Miami's first round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, started at right tackle for Sparano from 2008 to 2010 and then slid inside to guard when the Dolphins signed Marc Colombo in 2011. He is set to become a free agent.
Carey is an enormous man. His frame is 6'5" 340 pounds. He uses it to punish as a blocker in the run game. The Dolphins struggled running right in 2011, but runs over right guard were the exception. Miami averaged 5 yards per rush running behind Carey. His enormous frame takes away some of his agility, though, and he struggles in space as a result. His relatively slow lateral movement contributed to his move inside to guard. In his last season at tackle, he was responsible for disruptions on 6.3% of pass blocking plays. That is not great, but it is vastly better than Wayne Hunter.
In an ideal world, I would like to see the Jets pick up Carey as a backup guard and tackle. He would greatly improve the depth and provide insurance in case Matt Slauson's injury keeps him from being ready on time. I am not sure how realistic that is, though. Carey is a good enough player that some offensive line starved team could want him in a starting role. That might force the Jets to offer him the starting right tackle job. They could probably do worse. I would hardly be excited with the move. With that said, he would certainly be a step above Wayne Hunter. The market is very thin at the position. Especially for a team that is looking to move to a power run game, which plays more to his strengths, Carey could make for a passable option.