4 things to know about new Jets C Connor McGovern

Here are four things to know about new Jets center Connor McGovern.

After numerous failed attempts trying to address the center position, the Jets finally think they have a keeper.

New York and former Broncos center Connor McGovern agreed to a three-year deal worth $27 million with $18 million guaranteed. McGovern will be the fifth Jets center in the last three seasons.

With Denver last season, McGovern allowed just one sack and three quarterback hits. He didn’t commit a single penalty in 2019 and only has nine total penalties since 2017 on 2,510 snaps.

The 2016 fifth-round pick out of Missouri is a significantly better pass- blocker than run-blocker. That bodes well for Sam Darnold, but not so much for Le’Veon Bell. For now, McGovern will have Alex Lewis and George Fant to his left and Brian Winters and Chuma Edoga to his right. That could very well change as the Jets continue to evaluate their line.

With that being said, let’s get to know the Jets’ latest center.

Family roots in New York

While McGovern is originally from Fargo, North Dakota, his family has origins in the tri-state area.

His father, Keith, was born in New Jersey. McGovern’s grandparents were born in Brooklyn. He has a few other family members living in the tri-state area as well.

So it’s not exactly a homecoming for McGovern, but McGovern and his family should know their way around the Big Apple. Maybe that’s why McGovern picked New York over Minnesota and San Francisco.

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Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with C Ryan Kalil?

Here’s a look at how the Jets should approach Ryan Kalil’s free agency.

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans to target in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep others around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.

In another addition of Jets Wire’s free agent profile, let’s evaluate Ryan Kalil’s free agent situation.

Pros of keeping him

Kalil performed below expectations in his first season with the Jets, but he did get a late start in training camp.

Kalil was signed by the Jets in late July after Douglas convinced him to come out of retirement. The Jets were hoping that he’d help out Sam Darnold in reading opposing defenses, but he was unable to stay healthy for the majority of the season. When Kalil was healthy, he struggled to hold up in run and pass blocking, as did the rest of the offensive line.

Kalil should be cheap given his age and how he played last season, so if the Jets want to have a veteran presence in the locker room, then why not bring him back as a backup or mentor for a new young center?

Cons of keeping him

The Jets are going to want to get much younger in the trenches and Kalil doesn’t fit that profile.

The offensive line had a lot of wear and tear on it and that included Kalil. He played like a player who was on the last leg of his career. Kalil didn’t assist Darnold much in picking up blitzes, as he was one of the league’s most sacked quarterbacks.

At this point in his career, Kalil doesn’t provide much value to a rebuilding team, so it would be a waste of money to bring him back even for one more year.

The Verdict

Assuming Kalil even wants to continue his career, New York should move on. There was a reason the Jets gave him a one-year deal: to find out of he was still the player he was in Carolina. It didn’t take long to see that he clearly wasn’t.

Kalil got one last paycheck out of the Jets in 2019 and didn’t do much to earn it. He should probably retire again, but the Jets should definitely find a new center regardless.

Adam Gase mum when asked why Ryan Kalil landed on injured reserve

Adam Gase doesn’t say much when asked why Ryan Kalil was placed on injured reserve.

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It was originally thought that Ryan Kalil would be back this season. Then the team placed him on injured reserve.

Kalil was placed on IR with a knee injury ahead of the Jets’ game with the Redskins on Sunday. However, on Friday, Adam Gase sounded pretty confident that Kalil would return this season and ensured reporters that he didn’t suffer any setbacks.

When asked about the change of plans and IR decision on Monday, Gase didn’t have much to say.

“That was just a decision that was made,” he said. “I don’t really have any further details on that.”

It seems like the Jets had seen enough of Kalil. He clearly wasn’t what the Jets expected when they signed him back in July. With a late start in training camp and him missing every preseason game, Kalil was never able to gel with his fellow linemen.

All in all, the Jets paid him $6.7 million for seven games.

As for his replacement, Jonotthan Harrison has slid back into the starting role quite nicely. The offensive line play has picked up over the last couple games and Gase is liking what he sees from Harrison.

“Jonotthan’s done well the last couple of games,” Gase said. “Really it’s just picking up where he left off. His knowledge of the offense is greater than what it was when we first started in the spring. He’s done a good job of playing fast and his communication has been outstanding.”

For Harrison, this is his chance to prove that he can be the starting center going forward. He’s under contract for one more season but has no guaranteed money left. Joe Douglas has already tried to move on from him once by bringing in Kalil, so it will interesting to see what Douglas will do with Harrison in the offseason.