Jets 2017 Roster Breakdown: Can Mike Pennel Rebound from a Rough Year With a Change of Scenery?

We continue our countdown of the 2017 roster for the Jets today by looking at Mike Pennel.

Name: Mike Pennel

Number: 98

Year with Jets: 1st

Projected Role: Competing for a backup defensive lineman spot in training camp

His 2016: Pennel’s 2016 season was bookended by four game suspensions for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. In the eight games between his pair of suspensions, Pennel saw only 102 total snaps and never saw the field for more than 31.7% of the snaps in any individual game. He recorded only 7 tackles. After his second suspension, he was waived. The Jets claimed him off waivers right before he was about to hit free agency and then re-signed him.

2017 will be a success if: Pennel finds a way to make the roster for the Jets and performs effectively as a rotational player. It isn’t impossible. Despite his suspension-plagued 2016, Pennel was a relative success story for an undrafted player having developed into that quality rotational part in Green Bay. His challenge is the numbers game. Defensive line is one of the few spots where the Jets do have a number of established players who are virtual locks to make the team.

Odds of making the team: Unlikely (25-50%)