Willie Colon: 2013 and Beyond

The Jets signed veteran offensive lineman Willie Colon at a discounted price last offseason. Colon was a quality lineman who came for cheap because he had finished three consecutive seasons on injured reserve and has played a total of 12 games in those 3 preceding seasons.

Colon started every game for the Jets and brought stability to the right guard position. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished 10th in the league for fewest pressures allowed in the passing game among 59 players who saw at least half of their team's snaps. He was a good run blocker and added a bit of a nasty streak to the offensive line with his style playing on the edge. This helped contribute to an extremely high 12 penalties, but Colon did his job well.

We found out after the season that Colon tore his biceps against the Dolphins in the finale, making it 4 straight seasons ended with an injury. Getting Colon through an entire season felt like the Jets were pushing their luck. This injury was a reminder that Colon plays a physically demanding position, perhaps one more demanding than his body can handle.

With this in mind, I don't think the Jets can bring Colon back as a starter. I would like to see them bring him back as a backup, however. Given his injury situation, he will likely be cheap and might have a difficult time finding a starting job. He could back up both guard spots and maybe even be a backup right tackle in a pinch. You probably don't want him taking every snap, but he has something to offer in a limited role. I could even see the Jets getting a right tackle and then bringing Colon back to compete with Brian Winters for the left guard spot.

What do you think?