Joe Douglas didn’t leave Brant Boyer and the special teams unit out to dry in free agency, as New York agreed to sign Justin Hardee to a three-year deal.
The move gives the Jets’ special teams a much-needed boost at the gunner position. Hardee, who is technically a defensive back but only played one defensive snap last season, is considered one of the better special teams players in the league. He tallied nine tackles last year with just one missed tackle and ranked sixth among all special teams players with a Pro Football grade of 90.4.
Hardee played an integral role on a New Orleans team that allowed just 2.3 yards per punt return – the best in the league – and the second-fewest yards per kick return (17.2).
Justin Hardee blows up Jaydon Mickens pic.twitter.com/glepXKn1tO
— Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) September 13, 2020
Special teams moves are never groundbreaking, but this one looks like a slam-dunk for the Jets. It’s a very underrated move that could pay dividends for a team that finished 29th in special teams DVOA last season. The Saints, meanwhile finished fifth in DVOA in 2020.
Douglas isn’t ignoring any unit, either, which bodes well for his plan for the rest of the offseason.