Tag: lamarcus joyner

4 Jets poised for bounce-back seasons in 2021

A handful of Jets who disappointed in 2020 could revert to form under New York’s new coaching staff.

The 2020 season was a down year for almost everyone associated with the Jets.

With a losing streak that lasted from September to December and the turmoil that surrounded Adam Gase’s final year as head coach, One Jets Drive was a place not many wanted to be last season. That is no longer the case with Robert Saleh in town. New York once again has hope for the future as its new head coach embarks on his first season with the team. That hope goes beyond the fanbase, as some players on the Jets were in need of a fresh start more than others.

Between free agent signings who desperately needed a change of scenery and holdovers from last year’s team, New York features multiple players poised to bounce back from disappointing 2020 campaigns. There is no guarantee Saleh can work his magic on every player currently residing in Florham Park, but these four have the best chance of returning to form under his watch.

Jets training camp 90-man roster preview: Safeties

Lamarcus Joyner and Marcus Maye give the Jets a solid safety tandem, but New York’s depth at the position is a question mark.

The Jets have struggled mightily in the secondary in recent years, but safety play has, for the most part, not been the main reason for New York’s shortcomings.

Marcus Maye was one of the Jets’ best players last season and is back to lead New York’s safety room in 2021. This upcoming season could be his last with New York depending on how contract negotiations play out, but the Jets can rest easy knowing they have at least one reliable defender on the back end of their secondary. Lamarcus Joyner also brings a lot to the table playing next to Maye, and Ashtyn Davis still carries plenty of potential with him into the new era of Jets football under Robert Saleh.

Here is a look at each safety currently on New York’s 90-man roster ahead of training camp.

Jets sign former Falcons safety Sharrod Neasman

The Jets added another safety who has lots of special teams experience.

The Jets added a safety with ties to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on Thursday.

New York signed 29-year-old Sharrod Neasman, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Neasman spent the past five years with the Falcons. He has more special teams experience than safety experience, but he did earn two starts under Ulbrich in 2020. Neasman finished the season with 27 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

The sack was on Tom Brady.

Neasman tallied just 80 total tackles after the Falcons signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He is a potential special teams contributor who could also back up Marcus Maye and Lamarcus Joyner in the deep secondary.

He led the Falcons in special teams snaps in each of the past two seasons with 304 in 2020 and 325 in 2019. He had only 301 total defensive snaps during that span.

[listicle id=653730]

LaMarcus Joyner’s Jets contract comes with $3M cap hit

Breaking down Lamarcus Joyner’s contract with the Jets and its ramifications on New York’s salary cap.

The Jets added a versatile piece to their secondary early this week, signing former Raiders defensive back Lamarcus Joyner.

Joyner endured an up and down 2020 season while playing nickel cornerback for Las Vegas, but he will have the chance to return to his natural safety position in New York. Joyner is likely to be used in a multitude of ways in Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense, giving the Jets a veteran who can fill the multi-faceted role Jimmie Ward played in the 49ers’ defense under Saleh.

It didn’t take much for Joe Douglas to lure Joyner to the Big Apple, as the two sides agreed to a one-year deal worth a $1.5 million base salary — all of which is guaranteed — to go along with a $1 million signing bonus and $500,000 per-game roster bonus, according to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes. Joyner can earn an additional $1.5 million in playing-time incentives, bringing to the potential total value of his contract and the cap hit to $3 million.

With Joyner on board, the Jets are down to $30.9 million in salary cap space, according to Over The Cap. New York has signed seven free agents so far this offseason.

4 things to know about new Jets safety Lamarcus Joyner

Get to know new Jets safety Lamarcus Joyner.

Joe Douglas got to work on upgrading the Jets’ secondary earlier this week, inking Lamarcus Joyner to a one-year deal.

Joyner is likely to return to his natural safety position with New York after spending 2020 playing nickel cornerback with the Raiders. The expectation is that Joyner will play a role similar to the one Jimmie Ward took on in Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme with the 49ers, placing Joyner next to Marcus Maye as New York’s strong safety and also utilizing him in the box on occasion.

Let’s get to know the Jets’ newest defensive back and learn a little bit more about what he could bring to One Jets Drive.

Jets to sign veteran DB Lamarcus Joyner

Lamarcus Joyner gives the Jets depth at the safety position alongside Marcus Maye and Ashtyn Davis.

The Jets added some secondary depth, agreeing to sign defensive back Lamarcus Joyner to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Joyner will likely play safety, Rapoport said, after struggling as a nickel cornerback for the Raiders in 2020. He finished with just 66 combined tackles, five defended passes and zero sacks or interceptions in just six starts. He had a 53.8 Pro Football Focus grade.

Joyner has the potential to be a starter for the Jets alongside Maye in the deep secondary in the Jimmie Ward mold. He started 27 games for the Rams from 2017-2018 before joining the Raiders and registered 97 combined tackles, four interceptions and 12 defended passes from that position.

Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense needs as many defensive backs as it can handle, and Joyner gives the Jets a crucial depth piece with starter potential alongside Maye and Davis. Plus, he’s an added veteran presence as Davis enters his second season.

Free agent cornerbacks for the Browns to consider in 2021

Lots of slot corners and an old friend highlight the list

Cornerback is a definite need for the Cleveland Browns as the team approaches the beginning of the 2021 league year. Outside of Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, the team has a lot more questions than answers at CB.

A healthy return from Greedy Williams would certainly help, but the Browns are losing the No. 2 and No. 3 CBs from 2020 with Terrance Mitchell and Kevin Johnson each slated for free agency. Restricted free agent Tavierre Thomas, who saw action as a reserve, is not expected back as well.

It’s a decent free agent class of corners. The strength of the class appears to be inside with corners best-suited for slot duty, which is where Johnson manned the field in 2020. Here are a few choice candidates who should be affordable scheme fits for coach Kevin Stefanski and coordinator Joe Woods’ defense in Cleveland.

All players listed here are set to be unrestricted free agents as of March 17th or are already free agents.

3 possible cuts from other teams who could help the Texans

The Houston Texans will need to turn over every stone to find advantages in 2021. Here are three potential cuts across the NFL who could help Houston.

The 2021 Houston Texans are already shaping up to be very different from the 2020 version of the team that went 4-12.

On Friday, the team parted ways with running back Duke Johnson and center Nick Martin. Both were considered central acquisitions and re-signings of the Bill O’Brien era and their departure represents a new direction for the team.

Texans fans can expect a myriad of departures in the coming weeks as new general manager Nick Caserio begins to mold the roster to his vision. As such, fans should also expect to see new faces brought in that align with what Caserio and new coach David Culley want the team to look like.

Going off of Pro Football Focus’ cut candidates for all 32 NFL teams, here are three players who, if available, would be able to help the Texans in 2021.

Report: Panthers WR D.J. Moore fined by NFL for pushing Lamarcus Joyner

According to a report by Joe Person at the Athletic, the NFL has fined Moore $10,000 for the penalty.

The first game of the 2020 season was a forgettable one for Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore. In addition to only catching four of his nine targets from Teddy Bridgewater and dropping a couple of them, Moore was flagged for an unsportsman like conduct penalty when he pushed Raiders defensive back Lamarcus Joyner in the helmet and face area.

via CBS

That poor decision wound up costing more than just field position in what turned out to be a four-point loss. According to a report by Joe Person at the Athletic, the NFL has fined Moore $10,000 for the penalty.

It was an uncharacteristic move by the usually quiet Moore.

The good news is No. 12 bounced back in Week 2 against the Buccaneers, catching eight of 13 targets and totaling 120 yards. Moore’s catch rate for the season (54.5%) is a little concerning, but the sample size is too small to really worry. He’s almost 10 points higher for his career.

Next up, Moore will have to prove himself against the toughest secondary these Panthers have faced so far. It will be interesting to see who the Chargers assign to cover him.

[lawrence-related id=629197]

[vertical-gallery id=629175]

Could Terrell Burgess be the Rams’ new version of Lamarcus Joyner?

Terrell Burgess might be a bigger and faster version of Lamarcus Joyner for the Rams.

Versatile defensive backs provide incredible value in today’s NFL. It’s why so many teams covet prospects in the draft who can play multiple positions, giving defensive coordinators countless options when it comes to their scheme.

Terrell Burgess was one of the most versatile players in the 2020 draft class, lining up all across Utah’s defense in 2019. He played free safety, strong safety, nickel corner, outside corner and linebacker, contributing in a variety of ways both against the run and the pass.

The Rams are excited about his position flexibility and have already mentioned him as an option to replace Nickell Robey-Coleman at nickel corner. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said last week that he’ll probably be a safety first, but could also get looks at nickel corner.

While not a perfect comparison, Burgess might just be the Rams’ new version of Lamarcus Joyner.

Not the player Jeff Fisher struggled to find a role for from 2014-2016, but the one Wade Phillips helped turn into a great free safety in 2017, which landed Joyner the franchise tag in 2018 and a $42 million deal from the Raiders last offseason.

There are obvious differences in their physical statures – Joyner is only 5-foot-9, 184 pounds, while Burgess stands at 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds – but there are also similarities in their skillsets and athleticism.

Here’s how each player performed in their respective combine appearances.

40-yard dash 10-yard split Broad jump Vertical jump
Burgess 4.46 seconds 1.58 seconds 122 inches 33.5 inches
Joyner 4.55 seconds 1.59 seconds 123 inches 37.5 inches

Burgess didn’t run the three-cone drill or short shuttle this year, so we can’t compare those times, but he has similar quickness to Joyner on tape. Burgess is slightly faster, but out of the box, he and Joyner are close in their acceleration based on their 10-yard splits.

But where the comparisons really lie are in their versatility. Joyner played nickel corner when he first entered the NFL, which limited his playing time early on. That could wind up being Burgess’ best position, but he’s also well-suited to play a traditional free safety role as a rookie.

Burgess has plenty of range to play over the top of the defense, taking away the middle of the field while also rotating to each sideline on passes to the outside. That was one of Joyner’s strengths, often showing the ability to track the football in the air – as he did on this gift of an interception against the Cardinals in 2017.

In 2017, Joyner was also perfectly capable when closer to the line of scrimmage and aligning in the slot. On this play in the season opener against the Colts, he reads the quarterback (Scott Tolzein) perfectly, breaks on the ball and returns it for a touchdown.

He made it look easy, but this wasn’t as simple a play as it might seem.

Joyner did play in some split-safety looks where he was responsible for half the field, but more often, he was in single-high or covering the slot. Burgess played a similar variety of roles at Utah, but one of his best plays of the 2019 season came from two-high coverage.

Burgess plays the route concept perfectly by passing off one receiver and taking the one breaking deep, and he’s able to keep his footing (barely) in order to come back and pick off the pass.

He’s also a sure tackler, which is important for a defensive back, especially one who will be playing a lot of man coverage as the Rams’ DBs will in 2020. On this play, he sits back in the zone before breaking to the flat when he sees the receiver open.

Burgess wraps up the ball carrier and brings him down for a loss in what was an impressive play.

Burgess is a bigger and faster defensive back than Joyner, but he lacks experience after being a starter for just one season at Utah. Had he played more in college, he could’ve snuck into the second round with additional tape like the one he put together in 2019.

The Rams can deploy him in a number of roles and see where he fits best, but his best position might be one that doesn’t pigeonhole him to a certain spot. Staley should let him play deep safety and nickel corner like Joyner did, maximizing his potential and skillset early on.