Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

Over the past few days, multiple reports have linked the Jets to a potential move for free agent cornerbacks Byron Jones and James Bradberry. The pair are both expected to have multiple suitors and are each widely expected to command at least $15 million per year.

Which of the two could be the best fit for Gregg Williams' defense, though? Each brings different things to the table, so acquiring either one could affect the Jets' approach next season.

The 27-year old Jones burst onto the scene at the scouting combine in 2015, where a spectacular set of workout numbers vaulted him into first-round consideration. The Cowboys selected him with the 27th overall pick, but he was used as a rotational utility man in his rookie season before moving to safety. However, he moved back to cornerback before the 2018 season and ended up going to the Pro Bowl.

This coincided with the arrival of Kris Richard, who had been one of the architects of the "Legion of Boom" in Seattle. Jones was employed in a similar fashion, using his length and athleticism to match up in press coverage at the line.

Bradberry is a year younger than Jones and figures to be a few million dollars per year cheaper, despite having intercepted eight passes in his career to Jones' two. However, he has a reputation as being more comfortable in zone defenses having developed under Ron Rivera in Carolina.

This brings us to Williams' defensive system. Williams has usually known for favoring man-to-man coverage in the past. However, with his cornerback personnel overmatched last year due to injuries, inexperience and a general lack of talent, he opted to play more zone coverages in the second half of the year. Primarily operating out of a basic Cover-2, this paid dividends as the likes of Blessuan Austin, Arthur Maulet and Maurice Canady held up surprisingly well down the stretch.

Could Williams be considering building on this success by bringing in a player who could thrive in such a system like Bradberry? Alternatively, would he rather bring in an elite level man cover corner like Jones and try to revert to the way he would ideally prefer to operate?

Part of the problem last year was the fact that the Jets were counting on Trumaine Johnson to bounce back from an inconsistent first season under Williams; a coach he had played for and enjoyed success under in the past. Unfortunately, he played even worse in his second season with injuries and off-field insubordination again a factor. The Jets have informed Johnson that he won't be returning to the team this season.

Johnson had excelled in press coverage prior to signing with the Jets but wasn't used much in that role by Todd Bowles and, although it was expected that Williams would have a better idea how to maximize Johnson's production, this continued last season. Williams deserves credit for tweaking his system to mask the deficiencies of some of the players, but this was a compromise he'd ideally rather not make.

The good news is that landing one of these two players won't necessarily force Williams' hand. If he gets Jones and initially plays more man coverages, the concern is that those players who thrived in the Cover-2 system last year might struggle. If this means Williams occasionally must adapt the system, Jones' versatility will serve him well. He's played as a safety and in the slot and has plenty of experience of operating in zone coverages.

While Bradberry has even more experience in zone defenses, that doesn't mean he's incapable of handling man-to-man coverage assignments. In fact, his numbers when employed in press coverage - although he hasn't done it as often as Jones - have typically been excellent. If anything, this could afford Bradberry a chance to take his game to the next level.

Essentially, in either case, the Jets will hope that the incoming player would be able to lock down one side of the field consistently, barring a repeat of the Johnson debacle. This should afford the likes of Austin, Maulet, Canady or whoever else earns playing time on the other side the luxury of never having to cover the opposing team's most dangerous target.

While Jones' versatility is attractive, his true value lies in him being a shutdown corner, not some kind of strategic chess piece, no matter how tempting that might be. So, ultimately, the decision should come down to a simple assessment of Jones and Bradberry's respective values against their respective asking prices.

If the Jets are prepared to meet these prices, either one of them should provide a big upgrade and should work well within Williams' system. While the Jets may be wary of a repeat of the Johnson situation, they'll have to hope lightning doesn't strike twice.

Popular in the Community