Tag: quinnen williams

Jets DT Quinnen Williams arrested on weapons charge

Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was arrested on a weapons charge at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday night.

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was arrested on Thursday night for criminal possession of a weapon while attempting to board a flight at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

According to Port Authority officials, via multiple reports, Williams was arrested around 9:15 p.m. for carrying a Glock 19 handgun. Williams had a permit for the gun, but it was registered in his home state of Alabama. Under New York state law, it is legal to carry a concealed weapon with a New York license.

Per ESPN, the gun was not loaded. The 22-year-old Williams has a court/desk date set for March 25.

“We have been in contact with Quinnen Williams and are fully aware of the situation,” a Jets spokesperson said, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. “We will have no additional comment as this is a pending legal matter.”

New York selected Williams third overall out of Alabama in the 2019 NFL draft, making him the highest-drafted defensive player in franchise history. The defensive lineman’s rookie season wound up being somewhat of a disappointment, though, as he battled injuries and stretches of inconsistent play throughout 2019. In 13 games, Williams recorded only 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Stay tuned for more information on Williams’ arrest as it becomes available.

Jets’ Quinnen Williams arrested at New York airport, charged with criminal possession of a weapon

The Jets’ No. 1 pick in 2019, Quinnen Williams was arrested at a New York airport Thursday night, per reports.

Rough week for past and present New York Jets defensive linemen. Quinnen Williams, the third overall draft pick in 2019, was busted Thursday for allegedly possessing a gun at LaGuardia Airport, according to Port Authority officials.

This comes after former Jet Muhammad Wilkerson was arrested Monday and charged with DWI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia on Monday. 

Williams was arrested at approximately 9:15 p.m. while attempting to board a flight at LaGuardia with a Glock 19 handgun, per Port Authority Police. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and was processed by Port Authority Police.

Williams, 22, had a permit for the weapon, but it was licensed in Alabama, a spokesperson for the Port Authority said. Under New York law, it is generally only legal to carry a concealed weapon in the state if it has a New York license.

In 13 games, Williams made nine starts for the Jets during his rookie season. He recorded 28 tackles with 2.5 sacks.

Earlier Thursday, Nicole Lynn, Williams’ agent tweeted she was in Mexico on a football trip. It was unclear if Williams was en route to that event.

Wilkerson, meanwhile, was stopped at 2:45 a.m. Monday for a traffic violation on a highway in Paterson, New Jersey, per the State Police. Along with the above charges, he was also issued traffic summons for speeding, unsafe lane change, failure to give proper signal, and possession of CDS in a motor vehicle.

Wilkerson sat out last season as a free agent after playing 2018 with the Green Bay Packers.

Per NJ.com:

Joshua McMahon, Wilkerson’s attorney, released a statement on his client’s behalf:

“None of the allegations against my client are criminal in nature — instead, all of the allegations are for traffic and disorderly offenses only. Muhammad, like any other citizen, is innocent until proven guilty, appreciates people from the community withholding their judgment until all the facts are revealed, and looks forward to his day in Court. Until then, Mo’ is going to continue working incredibly hard to get back out on the playing field doing what he loves and is grateful for the support of NFL fans everywhere.”

It is the second time Wilkerson, a Jet from 2011-17, was caught driving while intoxicated in less than a year. He was arrested in New York City last July after blowing a .09 during a traffic stop after he allegedly failed to heed a stop sign in Washington Heights around 4 a.m. He had his license suspended for three months after pleading guilty in September.

 

How likely is it the Jets’ top 10 cap hits remain on the roster?

Jets GM Joe Douglas will have some big decisions to make regarding players who will greatly affect the Jets’ 2020 salary cap.

Joe Douglas enters his first offseason as Jets general manager with a lot of questions surrounding the team.

He didn’t acquire most of the players on the roster and probably isn’t as invested in them as the previous regime. Douglas inherited a flawed team, both in the contracts of some of its players as well as the production from those players. This will be his time to take a long look at the books and determine who is worth the money they’re being paid and who isn’t.

The Jets have until March 18 to decide which players they’ll keep prior to the beginning of free agency and the 2020 league year. The Jets currently have the 10th-most cap space in the league at $56 million, per Spotrac, and that number will grow when Douglas decides to cut some big-money contracts early. 

With that in mind, here are the top-10 cap hits for the Jets in 2020 and the likelihood they remain on the roster.

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Jets should go after EDGE Vic Beasley if the price is right

The Falcons gave up on 2015 first-round pick Vic Beasley, but the Jets should give him a look at a cheap price.

It’s not often a pass rusher with 37.5 sacks in five seasons hits the open market, but that’s exactly where Vic Beasley finds himself after the Falcons announced they wouldn’t pursue contract negotiations with their 2015 first-round pick. With Beasley becoming a free agent, the Jets should take a hard look at the 27-year-old Beasley, who is fresh off an eight-sack season and has the tools to be a solid contributor in the pass rush.

Beasley opened his career with an uninspiring rookie season after the Falcons took him eighth in the 2015 draft, but broke out in a big way in 2015. He led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2016 and looked poised to become the Falcons’ next great pass rusher.

However, his production dropped off considerably. Beasley tallied only five sacks in each of the next two seasons. He looked poised for another disappointing season in the final year of his rookie contract in 2019, but registered four sacks in the final four games of the season amid a late-season resurgence for the Falcons defense.

In a way, Beasley’s final season in Atlanta encapsulated his entire career so far. Though he doesn’t lack the ability to perform at a high level, Beasley has always battled consistency. He’s had two big seasons in between three mediocre ones and he’s disappeared during stretches through each season as well, stacking great performances back-to-back before failing to make an impact for multiple games.

While the Falcons may be over Beasley’s inability to perform week and week out, the Jets should swoop in to grab Beasley to help fortify their pass rush. 

The Jets had one of the worst pass-rushing units in the league in 2019 and only saw real production from Jamal Adams and Jordan Jenkins, who combined for 12.5 of the Jets’ 35 sacks. Though the Jets blitzed the fourth-most in the NFL, they finished with the 27th-most hurries and the 23rd-most sacks. 

The price will need to be right for the Jets to give Beasley a shot, though. He won’t get a big-money contract like the one Za’Darius Smith or Anthony Barr earned last offseason, but there’s a chance Beasley could command somewhere between Tahir Whitehead’s three-year, $19 million contract with the Raiders and Alex Okafor’s three-year, $17.9 million contract with the Chiefs. Both are around the same age and body type as Beasley, though Beasley has been more productive than both during his career.

The Jets can afford to pay Beasley and see if they can capture some that potential the league saw in 2016. New York is projected to have the 11th-most cap space this offseason, per Spotrac, and Beasley could be a nice, cheaper option for a Jets with a considerable amount of holes across the roster. 

If the Jets do go after Beasley, it shouldn’t be contingent on what they decide to with Jenkins and/or Brandon Copeland. If anything, Beasley and Jenkins would make a great pass-rushing duo on each edge. At 6-foot-3, 246 pounds, Beasley is built similarly to Jenkins and Copeland and could seamlessly slide into Gregg Williams’ defense. 

Beasley also fits the mold of a Williams defender in that he can play multiple positions in the front-seven. He’s lined up both as a 4-3 defensive end and as a strong-side linebacker in Dan Quinn’s defense. Williams could have a lot of fun with a pass rush revolving around Beasley, Jenkins, Anderson and Quinnen Williams.

The Jets need help across the board, and Beasley offers the perfect opportunity to fill a need without breaking the bank.

After Jets declined his option, Mike Pennel boosted Chiefs’ run defense

After two years with the Jets, Mike Pennel has become one of the best run-stoppers on the Kansas City Chiefs defense

After two seasons with the Jets, Chiefs DT Mike Pennel finds himself on the cusp of a championship in his sixth year in the league.

The Jets claimed Pennel off waivers in 2017 to play alongside Leonard Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson and Steve McLendon. He didn’t play often, recording 35 tackles on 27 percent of snaps in 16 games, but he did enough to earn a three-year contract that offseason. But after a down 2018 season (27 tackles in 7starts/16 games), the Jets declined the option on his contract and sent him to free agency on Feb. 19, 2019.

The Chiefs picked up Pennel midway through the 2019 season after his two years with the Jets and a five-month stint with the Patriots. Though he’s only played in 13.94 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in 2019, Pennel is a crucial contributor to the Kansas City run defense. Before Pennel joined the team, the Chiefs allowed 148.6 rushing yards per game between Weeks 1-7. But after he signed in October, the Chiefs gave up only 126.1 rushing yards per game. Even better, Kansas City didn’t allow more than 100 team rushing yards during their two playoff games and held Titans running back Derrick Henry to only 69 yards on 19 careers – his lowest total since Week 9.

Pennel’s massive frame – he stands at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds – gave him incredible leverage in the run-stopping game this season and it’s helped him become a great rotational lineman for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. He hasn’t put up wild numbers in Kansas City with just 24 total tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits, but he’s also never played more than 41 percent of snaps in a game.

Pennel will always be a quality role player, but he likely wouldn’t have seen much action on the Jets this past season after they drafted nose tackle Quinnen Williams third overall. Foley Fatukasi has also been a revelation for the Jets on the defensive line and came at a cheaper price than Pennel.

The Jets didn’t see a use for Pennel after a dip in production, but it appears the Chiefs have found a way to maximize the time he’s on the field. They’ll need all the help they can get against a San Francisco 49er running game that finished second in rushing yards per game in the regular season and tallied 235.5 rushing yards per game and three total rushing touchdowns in their two playoff games.

When the 49ers look to run the football in the Super Bowl, look for ex-Jet Pennel to be on the field.

How Quinnen Williams compared to other top first-round defenders in 2019

Josh Allen, Nick Bosa, other first-round rookies had slightly better seasons than Quinnen Williams.

There was a lot of intrigue surrounding the Jets’ third overall pick in the 2019 draft.

With Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa poised to go Nos. 1 and 2 (which they did) the Jets had a lot of options. There were holes along the defensive line, offensive line, pass rusher and secondary. New York ended up taking Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams with thepick, who many believed was either the second- or third-best player in the draft to begin with.

Seventeen defensive players were taken in the first round of the draft. Williams wasn’t the worst rookie of the bunch, but he certainly wasn’t the best. He didn’t play terribly during his rookie season, but his production clearly didn’t match the expectations that came with his draft selection. He also battled injuries on a crowded defensive line. But once the Jets traded Leonard Williams, Quinnen seemed to come a little more into his own as the season progressed.

Here’s how he and six other defensive rookies fared in 2019.

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Jets’ 4 least concerning positions entering the offseason

Here are the Jets’ least areas of concern entering the offseason.

While the Jets have their work cut out for them entering the offseason, there are a few positions they have locked down for next season.

The Jets are far from a finished product, but there is some hope with some parts of the roster. Safety, defensive line, inside linebackers and running back are areas where the Jets are perfectly fine at.

Here are the Jets’ least concerning positions entering this offseason.

Safety

AP Photo/Steven Senne

The Jets are locked into both their starting safeties for the next couple of years, so they don’t need to address that position.

Both Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye are entering their fourth year in the league and are two years away from being free agents. Adams and Maye are one of the best safety duos in the NFL, with Adams being arguably the top safety in the league.

New York should do whatever it takes to sign Adams to an extension as soon as possible. As for Maye, he had a strong year last season, but the Jets can wait a little bit before extending him.

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Jets Rookie Power Rankings: The final report card

Jets Wire breaks down the Jets’ rookie class for the final time this season with its final report card.

The regular season is in the books, which means it’s time to evaluate the overall body of work that each Jets rookie put together in 2019.

New York’s rookie class wound up being relatively underwhelming. Whether it was due to injury or ineffective play, Gang Green’s rookies endured up and down first seasons in the NFL. There is still plenty of hope for the future with this class, though, as it is filled with talented players who have the potential to make an impact for the Jets as soon as next season.

So, where do New York’s neophytes stand with 2019 in the rearview? Let’s take a look in the final Jets Wire rookie power rankings of the year.

Honorable Mention

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

The Jets had seven rookies on their active roster in 2019, which means it wouldn’t be fair to leave two players out of the rankings without some sort of acknowledgment.

Cornerback Kyron Brown appeared in three games and made one start against the Dolphins in Week 14 with New York’s cornerback unit depleted due to injury. Brown played well against Miami, but the injury bug bit him as well and put him out for the final three weeks of the regular season. Tight end Trevon Wesco lucked out on the injury front throughout the year, but caught only two passes for 47  on the season and didn’t exactly stand out in his primary role as a blocker.

Brown’s rookie season didn’t end as he would’ve liked, but his stay at One Jets Drive is likely far from over. The Jets are thin at cornerback and Brown has the measurables to be a solid depth piece moving forward. He’ll get a long look in training camp next summer. Wesco also figures to factor into New York’s plans for the future as a blocking tight end despite his quiet rookie season.

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The biggest disappointments from the Jets’ 2019 season

Here are the most disappointing players and coaches for the Jets in 2019.

After much anticipation heading into the 2019 season, it ended in typical Jets fashion: a losing record and another year without making the playoffs.

The Jets signed multiple marquee free agents in the offseason and drafted some highly-touted rookies to add to their core of players. However, it all never came to fruition as the Jets put themselves in a deep hole with a 1-7 record. They finished the year at 7-9.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest disappointments the Jets had in 2019.

Le’Veon Bell

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Jets signed Le’Veon Bell to a massive four-year $52.5 million deal with the expectation that he would be one of the best running backs in football. Instead, he had the worst season of his pro career.

Bell rushed for 789 yards this season, his lowest since 2015. It was also the fewest rushing attempts (245) Bell had in a full season’s worth of work since his rookie year. In the passing game, Bell was expected to be a safety net for Sam Darnold, but that wasn’t the case. He only had 461 receiving yards, which was his lowest dating back to his rookie season.

Now the question remains if Bell will be back next season. His name swirled around during the trade deadline, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is dealt in the offseason. If 2019 was Bell’s only season with Gang Green, it will go down as another bad free agent signing for the Jets.

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Takeaways from Joe Douglas’ season-ending press conference

Here are five takeaways from Joe Douglas’s season ending press conference.

With the Jets’ regular season complete, it’s time to look ahead to their first offseason under general manager Joe Douglas.

Douglas was hired by the Jets in June after the team fired Mike Maccagnan in May. However, Douglas couldn’t implement the players he really wanted with free agency and the draft already in the past. He made a few moves, including signing Ryan Kalil — which was a failure — and trading Leonard Williams to the Giants.

Now his work is cut out for him with free agency and the draft looming. Let’s take a look at what Douglas had to say at his season-ending press conference on Tuesday.

No commitment Le’Veon Bell will be back

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Gase said on Monday to ask Douglas if he wanted Le’Veon Bell back and we still don’t have a definitive answer.

Douglas said that his personal experience with Bell has been very positive, but hesitated to say whether or not Bell will be back in 2020. Douglas said that if a team calls about Bell’s availability, he will listen as he does on any player. Douglas doesn’t know how those trade conversations would go, though.

It sounds like there is a 50-50 shot that Bell does get dealt in the offseason. If he gets the right value for Bell and that team will take his contract, Douglas will pull the trigger. If not, Douglas seems more than happy to keep Bell for another season.

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