Mike Goodson is in a bit of a state of limbo with the New York Jets after the running back was arrested on weapons and drug charges on Friday. The running back was charged with suspicion of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a loaded handgun, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of hollow-point bullets after he was pulled over on suspicion of being intoxicated. As owner Woody Johnson sorts through the facts from the investigation, it is likely the running back has seen his last days in New York as a Jet.
Johnson said the Jets are trying to win games and do the right thing. He does not believe Goodson was living by the team's values of "truth and justice." The Jets is now trying to sort through all the facts and will then decide the fate of Goodson.
"We're at a point of investigating the facts. John Idzik met with him this morning, he'll meet with the coaches today. We'll try to get the story on what the fact are and go from there," Johnson said.
The Jets have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to arrests. Offensive lineman Willie Colon said it is sad, but he believes Goodson will be released due to the weekend incident.
"It's sad. Mike could have been huge for us. He wasn't around a lot, so I didn't really get to see him a lot. For the most part, I was kind of anticipating seeing how he was going to do in OTAs," Colon said.
New York recently cut two players for offseason charges. Defensive lineman Claude Davis and defensive back Cliff Harris were released after both players were charged with drug possession.
The Jets are in a tough spot with the future of Goodson. They were counting on the running back to really help get their ground game going and take some of the pressure off whoever the future quarterback will be. The Jets have not had a strong ground game in recent years and Goodson was tagged as the guy that could turn that around. He was signed to a three-year, $6.9 million contract.
Without Goodson, the Jets backfield will once again be struggling. Chris Ivory, who also signed in the offseason, is a solid running back but not likely to be able to carry the weight of a No. 1 guy. Bilal Powell and Joe McKnight are the remaining running backs on the roster. McKnight has stressed his desire to remain with the team. If Goodson is released, McKnight's roster spot is secure.
Goodson could serve jail time if found guilty for the charges. If the Jets decide to hold on to him, an NFL suspension is also likely to be handed out. Goodson could miss significant playing time with both of these cases. A release is the likely best option for the team.
