Manish Mehta reports the Jets have interest in Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson.
"I'll tell you a guy that's underrated is Jarret Johnson," Rex Ryan said in September. "I mean he's had that label forever. We used to laugh about it. He's always a ‘hard-working, blue-collar guy.' Well, that's what he is. He's tougher than heck, and he's a lot more talented than people give him credit for."
I think Johnson is a very good player. He is one of the best linebackers in the league against the run. He plays with Bart Scott's kind of reckless abandon.
I also think signing him is not the right move. Don't get me wrong. I like Johnson's game a lot. The Jets just do not need an outside linebacker who can stop the run. They need one who can consistently get to the quarterback as a pass rusher, which Johnson is not good at doing. If money did not exist, I would love to have Johnson. The Jets do not have a ton to spend, though. Johnson's last contract averaged over $4 million a year.
I hope the Jets stay away. This would feel like a case of Rex Ryan wanting to take care of one of his guys instead of thinking about how best to allocate resources to fill needs.