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Garrett McIntyre is set to take over as a starting outside linebacker due to Quinton Coples' injury.
Rex says no timetable for Coples return. He won't say if he's undergoing surgery tomorrow. Plan is to start McIntyre in his place #nyj
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) August 19, 2013
Rex said McIntyre will essentially replace Coples because Barnes is more of just a pass rusher. #nyj
— Seth Walder (@SethWalderNYDN) August 19, 2013
McIntyre is a great guy for the locker room. He bounced around professional football in the Arena League and the CFL before he got his shot with the Jets at age 26. He has to be a great influence for young players teaching the value of working hard and fighting through adversity. What he is not is an NFL caliber starter. He is a fringe player. While McIntyre has a nice motor, his athleticism is very limited. He graded poorly last year as a pass rusher and against the run, although he was at least slightly more productive than Calvin Pace. With Pace starting opposite McIntyre, the Jets are set to have possibly the least dynamic duo at what is supposed to be an impact position.
I would rather see Barnes start. With either McIntyre or Barnes, you are going to hurt against the run, but Barnes at least can be an explosive pass rusher. He saw his role expand with the Chargers in 2011, and his production as a pass rusher seemed to go up.
This puts a lot more pressure on the secondary. The guys in the back are going to have to deal with a limited rush off the edge. They are also going to have to stay on an island as a McIntyre/Pace duo will probably necessitate more blitzing to generate a rush. This means Dee Milliner in particular needs to grow up fast.
The Jets are going to have to rely on their defense to carry the team. The unit seems likely to be pretty good, but good might not cut it. The 2012 defense was good, but it needed to be great to make up for an awful offense. Losing Coples makes the defense less likely to be able to save the day.
Get well soon, Quinton. Get well soon.