Tag: Brant Boyer

49ers may have fixed biggest problem with latest hire

There’s a new special teams coordinator in the building for the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers on Monday announced the hire of new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer in a move that may fix their biggest problem from the 2024 season.

While injuries and execution on both offense and defense played key roles in the 49ers’ 6-11 finish last season, their incessant special teams miscues catalyzed a handful of losses early in the year that spurred their end-of-season faceplant.

In Week 2 there was a blocked punt against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 3 there was a fake punt for a first down and a big punt return late that led to a Los Angeles Rams comeback victory. And those are just the first few in a long string of mishaps that ultimately derailed San Francisco.

The 49ers immediately fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider after the season and aimed to replace him with fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. Instead, Sorensen is leaving San Francisco which opened the door for Boyer to step into the vacancy at special teams coordinator.

It looked like the 49ers might aim for a younger special teams coordinator who didn’t have a ton of experience, but they went the opposite route with a proven veteran coach like Boyer.

He was the special teams coordinator for the New York Jets beginning in 2016. There he survived three head coaching changes and was on the staff under then-Jets head coach and new 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

Prior to joining the Jets in 2016, Boyer was an assistant special teams coach for four years with the Indianapolis Colts from 2012-15.

Boyer entered the NFL in 1994 as a sixth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins. He played for 10 seasons with the Dolphins, Jaguars and Browns. In 130 games he racked up 323 tackles, 13.0 sacks and six interceptions. He interned for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants before getting his first coaching job with the Colts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Fired 49ers DC won’t stay with team despite Kyle Shanahan’s wishes

Nick Sorensen isn’t staying on the 49ers coaching staff.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t get his wish to retain fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, Sorensen won’t be returning to the 49ers coaching staff after being fired as their defensive coordinator after the 2024 season. Shanahan told reporters at his end of season press conference that he hoped Sorensen would stay on the staff, possibly as the special teams coordinator.

Maiocco in that same report said the 49ers interviewed former New York Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.

Boyer, 53, spent nine years as the Jets’ special teams coordinator, including the three seasons Robert Saleh was there as the head coach. Prior to joining the Jets, Boyer was an assistant special teams coach with the Indianapolis Colts from 2012-15.

Adding an experienced special teams coach should be a priority for San Francisco given their need for some stability at that spot after a rocky 2024 campaign. It says a lot about Boyer that he was on staff with three different head coaches in New York.

Boyer is also a former NFL player who was a sixth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1994. He spent 10 years in the NFL with the Dolphins, Jaguars and Browns. The linebacker played in 130 games and posted 323 tackles, 13.0 sacks and six interceptions.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Jets leave the door open on Matt Ammendola after misses vs. Dolphins

The Jets could look at replacing Matt Ammendola after the kicker missed two field goals against the Dolphins in Week 11.

Matt Ammendola’s future in New York could be in jeopardy.

The Jets kicker missed two field goals in Gang Green’s 24-17 loss to the Dolphins in Week 11, botching attempts from 55 and 40 yards out. He did make one from 35 out late in the game, but the damage was already done.

There were plenty of other reasons the Jets lost, but Ammendola’s inability to convert isn’t new. He ranks 32nd out of 33 qualified kickers with a 68.8 field goal percentage on 11-16 attempts, including 0-2 from at least 50 yards.

Robert Saleh wouldn’t say whether the team will look into replacing Ammendola during the season, but he also didn’t shut that idea down.

“Every position is always going to be looked at every week, that one obviously notwithstanding,” Saleh said Monday.

Saleh added that there will be a discussion between himself, Joe Douglas and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer about what to do next with the kicker position.

Boyer didn’t beat the drum for Ammendola, either. He said on Monday that the two missed field goals are “a concern.”

“That’s something he needs to improve on and he knows that,” Boyer said, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The Jets special teams coordinator has seen his fair share of bad kickers during his six seasons with the team, but Ammendola’s field goal percentage is among the worst during his tenure. He ranks fifth out of the seven different kickers who’ve attempted a field goal for the Jets since 2016. The list includes the likes of Nick Folk, Chandler Catanzaro, Jason Myers, Sam Ficken, Kaare Vedvik and Sergio Castillo.

If the Jets do look elsewhere for a kicker, there’s a bevy of veterans available in free agency. Dan Bailey, Zane Gonzalez, Stephen Gostkowski, Randy Bullock – who played for the Jets in 2015 – Cody Parkey and Eddy Pineiro are among the best kickers on the open market.

[pickup_prop id=”15949″]

[listicle id=663171]

Robert Saleh has affinity for Justin Hardee, special teams gunners

Jets HC Robert Saleh has taken a liking to Justin Hardee and has an overall respect for special teams gunners.

Robert Saleh’s “all gas, no brake” mantra perfectly sums up the way he approaches coaching and what he likes to see out of his players.

Saleh has long been known as a coach who brings the juice on a daily basis. His energy on the sideline is prevalent and it has a tendency to rub off on his players. Those who get after it on every play catch Saleh’s eye and earn his respect, whether that player lines up on offense, defense or special teams.

As it turns out, Saleh’s favorite position in football hails from the often forgotten phase of the game. The Jets have one of the best special teams gunners in the NFL in Justin Hardee. Watching the veteran play the position has given Saleh a new appreciation for what gunners do.

“That is a check your manhood, it’s a mindset, it is an absolute dogfight when you’re a gunner and you have to beat a one-on-one or a double team,” Saleh said Friday. “It’s a war on the edges and those guys are responsible for field position, flipping fields. They can win a lot of games without it ever coming to attention.

“Hardee is probably one of the best in football at that position. On top of it, his leadership skills, his deliberateness, his veteran presence, he’s everything that you would want out of a football player from a character standpoint. As a gunner, which is a very underrated position, and one of my favorites because it represents manhood, he’s pretty darn good at it.”

The Jets handed Hardee a three-year deal in free agency with the hope that he would be able to make a profound impact on Brant Boyer’s unit. Gunners aren’t usually headline-grabbing free agent signings, but Hardee fell into the category and he has delivered early in his career with the Jets.

That and the way he goes about his business has been more than enough to earn Saleh’s respect.

[listicle id=656573]

4 reasons why Jets could improve on special teams in 2021

Between Braden Mann entering his second season and a healthy Sam Ficken returning, the Jets figure to be improved on special teams in 2021.

Just like the rest of the roster, Gang Green’s special teams unit left a lot to be desired in 2020.

Robert Saleh opted to retain Brant Boyer, though, giving him a chance to prove he can once again produce an elite special teams unit in 2021. Thanks to improvements made across the board throughout the offseason and some additional in-house help, there is a good chance Boyer achieves just that this upcoming season.

Here are four reasons why the Jets could look a lot better on special teams in 2021 than they did in Adam Gase’s final season at One Jets Drive.

Brant Boyer: ‘I’m pretty damn lucky’ to be on third Jets coaching staff

The Jets special teams coordinator is on his third head coach after outlasting Todd Bowles and Adam Gase in New York.

When special teams coordinator Brant Boyer heard the Jets hired Robert Saleh to replace Adam Gase, he immediately flew home in the middle of a fishing trip in Nevada to meet the new boss and sell himself.

Boyer had already survived Todd Bowles’ firing in 2018 when Adam Gase retained him. But it wasn’t clear if Saleh would keep Boyer for his sixth season in New York.

“I think I’m pretty damn lucky,” Boyer said Friday. “The coaching staff’s been awesome. Saleh is full of energy. He’s smart as heck and he’s really detailed. I’ve really, really enjoyed all these guys so far.”

Boyer’s special teams units remained solid through the tumultuous eras of Bowles and Gase. New York ranked first and fourth in special teams DVOA in 2018 and 2019, respectively, per Football Outsiders. The Jets ranked 30th in special teams in 2020 – but every position group on the Jets played horrifically in Gase’s final season.

This season will be a little different for Boyer because of the personnel changes. He lost special teams stalwarts like Mattias Farley and Carlos Basham but added veterans Justin Hardee and Sharrod Neasman. Plus he has a plethora of athletic rookies with special teams experience. Boyer was especially excited when the Jets signed Hardee as their go-to gunner.

“It’s certainly a change with the personnel and things like,” Boyer said, “but that’s part of, you know, being a coach and learning different personalities as far as the players and molding them into what you want.”

[listicle id=661177]

Brant Boyer was ‘ecstatic’ when Jets signed Justin Hardee

Justin Hardee has been one of the NFL’s best gunners over the past few seasons.

Brant Boyer’s unit got some much-needed help this offseason when the Jets signed Justin Hardee.

According to Lineups.com, Boyer’s special teams unit ranked 31st in opponent punt return yards, allowing 446 of them in 2020. Punter Braden Mann bailed out the Jets’ gunners on multiple occasions, as he recorded four tackles in his rookie season. However, with Hardee aboard, there should be some stability to the gunner position.

That’s why Boyer was giddy when he heard about the signing back in March.

“I was ecstatic on that one, I have to be honest with you,” Boyer said Thursday. “We played 13 different gunners last year, so it was a real struggle. He’s been fantastic, and what he’s done is he’s taken over a leadership role in the room, and that’s what the biggest thing we needed in our room especially losing a bunch of our core guys and things like that… He’s done a great job. I expect big things out of him. Now we just need somebody to emerge at that other gunner, so they can’t double him every time and things like that, and we’ll see what happens, which I fully expect someone will do.”

Hardee has been one of the NFL’s best gunners over the past few seasons with the Saints. He ranked seventh in the NFL with 32 special teams tackles from 2017-2020. The Saints also allowed the fewest punt return yards last season (46), and Hardee played a big part in that with eight total tackles.

As a result of Hardee’s strong play with the Saints, the Jets gave him one of the top contracts in the NFL for a special teamer. New York signed Hardee to a three-year deal worth $5.25 million with $1 million guaranteed.

Boyer has high expectations for Hardee in his first season with the Jets, and rightly so. The Jets wouldn’t have signed Hardee if they didn’t think he could help improve their special teams unit. We’ll see what happens throughout the 2021 season, but Hardee should be a difference-maker for the Jets in that facet of the game.

[listicle id=656573]

Instant analysis of Jets agreeing to sign Justin Hardee

The Jets got one of the best special teams players in the league in ex-Saints CB Justin Hardee.

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).

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.

Leon Washington returns to Jets as special teams assistant

Leon Washington has rejoined the Jets’ special teams unit.

Leon Washington has rejoined the Jets’ special teams unit.

No, not as a kick returner. Rather, Washington is the latest addition to Robert Saleh’s staff, as the Jets announced Wednesday that he is back with the franchise as a special teams assistant. Washington will work under Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.

Washington spent the first four years of his career with the Jets after they made him a fourth-round pick out of Florida State in 2006. A two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro in 2008, Washington also spent time with the Seahawks, Patriots and Titans before his career ended after the 2014 season.

A running back by trade, Washington tallied 2,271 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with 1,286 receiving yards and four scores in 126 games. But Washington made his mark as a feared return man, racking up 7,553 yards and eight touchdowns — tied for an NFL record — on 292 kick returns. Washington set several Jets records during his time in New York: kickoff return touchdowns (4), kickoff return touchdowns in a single-season (3 in 2007) and most all-purpose yards in a single season (2,337 in 2008).

He also had 1,793 yards on 181 career punt returns.

Now Washington will look to continue his coaching career in the same place his playing career began. Washington was with the Lions the last two years as part of the team’s William Clay Ford Minority Coaching Assistantship Program. He previously spent time with the Falcons and Jaguars through the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship.

The Jets’ Team MVP in 2007, Washington will now look to help Saleh, Boyer and the Jets get back on track in 2021 as an official member of their staff.

Jamison Crowder, Tarell Basham among Jets’ Studs & Duds in Week 16 win over Browns

Here are the Jets’ Studs and Duds in their Week 16 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

The Jets finally reclaimed their turf after losing their first seven home games of the season.

New York won its first game at MetLife Stadium this season with a 23-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns. It certainly wasn’t a pretty game, but Sam Darnold played well enough to give his team a chance to get the win. The Jets defense, meanwhile, made it difficult on the Browns offense all game, forcing two turnovers and stifling their running attack.

The win clinched the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft for the Jets. That means no Trevor Lawrence and a whole lot of questions about the quarterback position entering the offseason.

For now, though, let’s take a look at the Jets’ Studs and Duds from their Week 16 win.