Rex Ryan is known as one of the better defensive minds in the NFL. Over the past few seasons, the Jets defense has ranked relatively high in the standings, that was until they got rid of some of their best players. However, this offseason the Jets had a chance to re-sign two of their former top players when they became available in free agency, but were outbid by other teams. Rex Ryan is not thrilled.
The Jets defense was at its best when the team had two shutdown cornerbacks running the sidelines. Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie excelled playing off one another and the result was a top-notched defense for New York. The Jets had an opportunity to re-sign both players, but missed out in the end.
Revis became available after getting released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The cornerback had said he was very interested in returning to the Jets despite being traded just a year before. However, in the end he opted to go to New England for the opportunity to win. Antonio Cromartie is still sitting on the free agent market after visiting several teams. The Jets have yet to talk about bringing him back.
To make matters worse, the Jets attempted to sign Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, hoping to get at least one top cornerback on the free agent market. They pursued the veteran heavily and he signed with the Giants instead. So now, the Jets have Dee Milliner who struggled most of his rookie season and was benched several times. The lack of cornerback productivity on the roster has Ryan mad.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, sources report that Ryan is "pissed" over the defense general manager John Idzik has left him with. Ryan is once again coaching for his job this season. The front office was reportedly hesitant to bring him back and has left him with one season to prove himself. Not having a shutdown cornerback or a top defensive back will certainly make things a lot harder for Revis.
At best, the team can bring back Cromartie. The cornerback is certainly not the shutdown player he once was, but the Jets might not have another option. Not bringing back Cromartie makes the Jets even more worse off considering the team will likely have no other choice but to draft a rookie and hope he develops faster than Milliner.
