LISTEN | ESPN Radio's Dan Graca and Greg Buttle Talk Jets (4/3)

How have you been, my friend? All I can tell you is doesn't it it needs a pandemic for you and I to get together and talk for more than five minutes. It took something like that exactly. But if there was one glimmer of positive to come out of this pandemic, as you said, it's that you and I

are together again and we'll have some fun. But on a serious note, you know, you bring up everything we're going through right now in the country, in the world, and you want to give a shout out, or at least we should give a shout out to the people on the front line, the doctors, that nurses, the healthcare workers. They've been the true heroes during this entire thing. And look, we're in a very difficult spot right now as a planet as a society. But if not for them, it

will be even that much more difficult. So they certainly deserve a big, big tip of the cap. Well, I sure do. And part part of the tough thing to it comes down to and understanding a pandemic and how it affects everybody is you don't know how it affects everybody. I mean I I know one person that has COVID nineteen. I don't know if you know anybody, And there are friends of mine who don't know anybody. Yet we know people are set, We know that it is happening, and

it just shows you how vulnerable we all are. You know, this is you know, an equal opportunity offender attacks everybody or can attack everybody, right, It doesn't matter how big or strong you are, how wealthy are there, that doesn't mean anything. You know, we are all exposed to this thing. And that's why you have to heed the advice of all the professionals out there who you know, encourage the social distancing. And you know a lot of us have been home for the lay a few weeks doing our

best to beat this thing. Because as we come together, Greg and we can all collectively chip in sooner this thing will go away and we can get back to our normal lives. And I'm just curious. You know, what has your routine been like here over the last few weeks, As for most of us, we have been shut in. Well, for most of the most part, I probably walked four to six miles a day. It all depends on whether I hit the ball left or right and if I have a cart. But other than that, I it's it's

total total boredom. You do a lot of things around the house and you're done. Uh. You You you can only sit around here and look at everybody from my wife to my kids to my granddaughter for so long you go star crazy. So it's very difficult just just thinking about how you you you run your life daily. Then you think back and go, what the hell do they do on that space station with three people up there for a year? Well, I would think the people that would be trapped in the house with you, they're

they're they're the real heroes. Here are the ones that have to actually get up with all of your stuff for these days. Huh. I think you're getting out over those skis again, Danny, But it's true. I mean, you know again, some of the things we take for granted, you know, just being able to go out and have a normal routine. And you know, I'm blessed to do a lot of great things in my life as far as work is concerned, but I can't do those things

now because I'm shut down. So you're right. You spend time with the family, a lot of movies, a lot of TV. The Netflix has been given a good work out here over the last few weeks. But you know, hopefully sooner rather than later, we can convene again and get back to doing what we're customed to doing, and that's getting ready for you know, a football season, and one that for two thousand and twenty, at least with

the New York Jets. Greg, there's probably a lot of optimism, not just with the way that the Jets finished up two thousand and nineteen by having such a strong second half year, but the moves that were made already in the off season. Now the draft is just a few weeks away. Things are hopefully looking up for this branch. Eyes And if you're a fan, that's a lot to

be excited about. You're not You're not kidding, uh, you know, the Kendall's were a country western singing group Father Daughter, and they sang a song thank God for the Radio, and I'm saying, thank God for the Internet. If you don't have the Internet, you are you are information less. You've got to be able to find out what's going on out there, not just for the virus and people that, but your favorite sports teams. They're not playing the Jets.

I think they're all going to go to the draft and and that stuff, and however they're gonna do it. But think about it what it's It's put such a crimp in the American way, and I think that that's a hard thing for people to get get a handle to. Well in a way too. You know, sports has always been kind of something that we look to as a diversion in the in our lives when things get overly difficult.

Football is really the only sport that's been in business right now right I mean, baseball shut down, hockey, basketball. At least the football is going about their off season activity.

As I said, you know, the draft is gonna be here in a few weeks time, so at least we've had that to keep us busy and at least gives us some sports information, and you know, when you look at what the Jets have done here so far in the off season, greg offensive line was certainly an area of priority that Joe Douglas and pretty much anybody affiliated with this team identified at the end of last season.

If you think about the struggles they had on the old line last year, just with all the moving parts, you know, nine different starting combinations, eleven different offensive lineman used entirely last year, they allowed fifty two sacks, and so far Joe Douglass has been active on that front here in free agency, They've brought in a handful of

offensive lineman. You know, re signing a guy like Alex Lewis, who was very instrumental for them last year, stepped in at that left guard position and did really really solid job. But you know, let's start with the guy here in George Fanton, who was the first one to climb aboard, came from the Seattle Seahawks. He's got ex Buriens playing

both tackle positions here. And the thing that you hit that did you hear people say about George fan He's extremely athletic, he's versatile, and in that conference called that Joe Douglas did with the media on Wednesday, Greg all these offensive lineman that he talked about bringing aboard versatility was the one thing he stressed and George Fan certainly provides that. Yeah, I would I would agree with that.

I mean, I think, what is this his fifth theory he's going into and he's uh, he's He's played a lot of different positions. He wasn't drafted, he wasn't a football player. He's a basketball guy. Uh. But uh, I say, why not about that guy? The guy wants to play offensive tackle. He's got nothing but athletic ability, as you call balanced athletic ability. Uh, that's that's a lot better than what the Jets have had at that position for

the last two years. I would say, now, you hit on a on a on a hot button issue, which is injuries. The offensive line has been injured, they have You've got is playing out of position the whole time. What if the Jets can somehow manage to get five guys to stay on the field healthy and not have to transform an offensive line and to make shift um offensive guard carousel, Well then I think they have a

pretty good shot. And right now, maybe the Jets are getting younger on the offensive line, and maybe that's gonna be one of the big things to help them. They are getting younger. That's a very good point. But you know, back to all the injuries that they suffered last year on that line. I mean, how many times did you and I get ready to go on the air on a Sunday morning or an afternoon or whatever to do the pregame show, and you know it is, well, who's

on the offensive line today? Who's star? Who's the start in five in the offensive line? Because it was almost like, you know, a game of just you know, throw the dart at the board and see whose name it was gonna land on this week, just because of all the different bodies that they were shuffling in and out of there. And you know, George fancy guy who comes from a winning program with the Seattle Seahawks. You know, he's got

experience playing in some of these bigger games. And the thing you like about him and a lot of these guys that they brought it on the offensive line, which we'll get to in a second. Upside you hear that word a lot as well. Upside that they haven't reached their ceiling, haven't reached their potential yet. And hopefully the Jets can bring that out of them and they're the ones that are going to benefit from it. Well, uh, with what's going on right now, they're gonna have to

do it quite quickly. I don't know how much playing time these guys are gonna be able to get in preseason, if there is a preseason, because we all don't know. But this is going to be a work in progress. And again, Jet fans have watched works in progress over the last ten twenty years that it always has changed. What they're looking for is stability, and hopefully with Joe Douglas getting these guys into free agent, you free agency market, you will start to get stability along the offensive line.

And one of the things that Joe Douglas alluded to on that conference call with the media earlier in the week is that, you know, yeah, they're bringing in a lot of body reason. Who knows if they're done yet. You know, the draft is still coming up, and we'll hit on that in just a few moments here, but he said, the best five guys are gonna play, and really that's what you want. You want a competition. You

want to put your best guys out there. And I think that as an organization, they're confident that they are going to find those five guys. This is the Official Jets Podcast powered by a WS Dan Gross of Greg Buttle hanging out with you on this episode. Another guy that they brought aboard Greg here, Connor McGovern comes from the Denver Broncos. And you said the word stability a few minutes ago. The Jets were blessed for a long time to have stability at that center position. Think about it,

between Kevin Mawai and Nick Mangold. You had two guys who held down that center position for almost twenty years, and the last few seasons it's been a revolving door. You had Wesley Johnson who opened the season in seventeen, Spencer Long and eighteen last year was Ryan Khalil. Now you have a guy in Connor McGovern who you know, you think his best football is ahead of him. He's played a lot of snaps for the Denver Broncos the

last couple of seasons. And the thing you like about it more than anything, Greg, you know how many times he was penalized last year? Zero? Because what are the things that can set you back any drive? And what you hate to see on offense. It's when the laundry comes out in those penalties. Well, that's one of two things. Either he's very smart or be or be he can

cheat like the best of them. And and and all I can tell you is that I don't know an offensive lineman that doesn't hold, and that starts at center. That being said, you did touch on a couple of things, and and that is is the that when when you think about offensive line, particularly at center for the Jets, all you thought about was consistency, competence, balance. And there they are again, those funny little tough to understand athletic

descriptors I just described mangled. You just talked about their I mean you're talking about guys. One's got a gold jacket. The other one I'm sure is going to get one of those. Uh. But if if the Jets get three quarters of that and in eighteen games out of McGovern at the center position, then that's the score for the Jets. I mean, Khalil was the last such hope last year in a prayer you know, uh, that that the Jets line was off injured they needed They were talent pressed

on the offensive line. But I like it and there's still room for Jonathan Harrison to be important along the offensive line because he's able to play a lot of different positions. Jonathan Harrison extremely dependable, solid veteran last couple of years. He'll be back as well here to provide some of that depth on that offensive line and really one of the key cogs that you would hope to have from a successful unit, that center position, that anchor.

So if it ends up being Connumer, Governor also has experienced playing guard, we'll see how that plays out here. A guard by trade that the Jets also brought in. Greg greg is Greg Van Roten, a local product from Long Island. He's well traveled, actually spent some time in this thefl before he settled in with the Carolina Panthers the last couple of seasons. You're talking about a guy who's undrafted, you know, so he has always had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder with something

to prove. But another one of these guys that's versatile and can play multiple positions on that line. Yeah, it's just I guess he's in a sixth year. He's uh,

he's a he's a pretty good player. We're all got to find out what a ceiling is, obviously, but I think they signed him at three years at three and a half million per But since the NFL began weaponizing the forward pass, which and part of that was the quarterback the NTZ, that's the no touch zone and wide receivers without you can't touch a wide receiver and the whole rules are incredible to me. And by calling quarterback

roughings through fingerprint analysis. Nowadays, it's never been more important than to pass protect for just another half a second, not for forty two seconds. Give me another half a second for the kid to look over here or look over there, or sidesteps something. Some people made the minutes like a Van Roton's worth by evaluating as you as you started off with, as unable to be a difference maker, so to speak. But I'll take confidence and balance at

the offensive guard position. In today's I don't have to run the ball to score NFL. Let me tell you something. I think it's overblown about that run stuff. Run run gets open when they start playing nickel. You get teams to play nickel, you're gonna run the ball out it. Well, bottom line is I think we can all agree that probably the guy that the Jets need to put the most priority in is the quarterback Sam Donald to protect

that investment. Joe Douglas said on that conference call that you know, before the first preseason game last year when the Jets played the Giants, that Joe Douglas went up, introduced himself to Sam Donald's parents who were at the game, and he said, I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure that I give your son the best protection,

the best opportunity would be successful. The guys that we just mentioned Greg throwing again, Alex Lewis who's resigned and he's gonna be back next year, plus the Chuma Adoga's Jonathan Harrison's Uh. Joe Douglas still spoke highly, of course of Brian Winters, who's a holdover and has been here for several years. Plus whoever they enter in the draft. There's gonna be some guys that you think that offensive line, if they can stay healthy, they're gonna be able to

get the job done well. Certainly, just from the guys that we mentioned right now, the Jets have taken a nice step forward, not backwards, and not sideways to make their offensive line better than it was last year, not every Jet fans got a love. Now you have an offensive line, but then what about surrounding the quarterback with weapons to be able to distribute the football too well the Jets have done and bringing in Breshad Perryman, who really had a stand out close to the season last

year as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, this is a guy that Joe Douglas is familiar with because when Joe doug Us was winding up his team there or his time with the Baltimore Ravens. You know, Harriman was the first round pick four of them in two thousand and fifteen, so it's not too far removed from that time. He's got talent. I mentioned last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers final five games of the season, Greg he catches five hundred six yards and five touchdowns.

That was just in the last five games of the season. His five hundred and six yards was the third most in the NFL over those last five weeks. He's a burner, he can fly. This is something that you hope can stress stretch the defense or stretch the opposing defense, I should say, and give Sam Donald another playmaker to be

able to give the football to you. Well, you know me, I don't disagree if if if the Jets load up on wide receivers, I mean, Breshad Perriman is in his fourth year, I think, and I guess they signed it for one year at six million, and then they'll see how that works out. But the Jets need these guys, especially the ones that can stay healthy. Some may say it's a downgrade from Anderson, not me. I don't think so. I think he brings speed to keep the secondary. Honest.

He may not have played up to his expectations for the first three and a half years, but you never know what's going on with other teams. But the NFL, which is dan as you and I both know, it's the what have you done for me lately? Sport that determined value, and you mentioned what he did for them lately. He was very good at the last five or six

games that he played in. Uh. I like the fact of of of two different things that I that I've I've read about him and I know he's capable of doing that is uh he's he was at eighteen yards per reception, I mean over fifty catches. Yeah, that's pretty good. And the other one is one drop in his last sixty five touches. That's impressive to me. I mean, you've

got to be able to hold the ball. And you and I have sat up in the in the press box and just side glanced each other when a wide receiver drops the ball to trite in their hands or a tight end of dropped it in their hands, or the running back to Dropson catch the ball. And so far, I think that this kid is going to be able to do it. You mentioned Robby Anderson. He's moved on

to the CAROLINEA Panthers. You wish him well, of course, so Perriman hopefully will help make up for that loss of speed and that vertical threat that Robby Anderson certainly provided. But Jamison Crowder had a very successful season last year for the Jets. He's gonna be back in the mix along with you know, the youngsters, Braxton Berrios, Vincent Smith, Josh Dotson, a number of another former number one pick who hasn't really found that footing yet in the National

Football League. Jets will see what they can get from him. And another thing to remember, Greg, don't forget Chris Herndon is going to be healthy again and be back and after what was a promising rookie season last year was pretty much a wash form because of a multitude of injuries. Think about having a healthy Chris Herndon what that can do for Sam Donald in the offense. Now to go with Ryan Griffin who stepped in and was very valuable

at tight end last year. Having all those pieces together, plus whatever maybe receiver or target you bring in with the draft, Sam Donald's going to have his choices here to be able to make plays with. Well, you mentioned one guy that I mean, I I was tickled pink about and and most of its pink is not my favorite cup, my favorite color. But when a tight end catches a ball, turns and goes upfield and scores and out run safeties, that's that's that to me is a

real tight end. There's not a tight end in this league unless you can find one, since I don't know who can block a defensive end. So you're talking about the tight ends that are able to get in front of people. Like just put a trash can in front of a garbage truck. You'll swerve to get around the trash can, but you got to get in front of people. And that's what he does and by away he catches the ball. We talked about it with his hands, he makes moves, he gets first downs, and he can run

after the catch. I think I think he could be around here for a for a few more years, if not more, the rest of his career. Dan Gross and Greg Buttle hanging out with you on the Official Jets Podcast powered by Amazon Web Services. Let's foot over to the defensive side of the ball here to see her

climbing aboard formerly of the Indianapolis Colds. He was cutting a cost saving move by Indianapolis and he said that it was just half an hour later where his agent heard from the Jets and it turned out to be a fit that worked. And this is a guy who was battled some injuries last year and maybe that contributed to a little bit of a lapse in his performance. But a couple of seasons ago, Greg, in twenty eighteen,

he really was outstanding for Indianapolis. You think about the battles he had with DeAndre Hopkins in the Houston Texans that playoff game. Hopkins one of the best wide receivers in the sport, and to see her pretty much shut him down in for a cornerback position that's going to have a little bit of chain as from last season to see here as a guy that Jehope is going to come in here and make a nice impact. Well, I I really think so. I mean, if you if

you really take a look ab at it. From all the guys that that Douglas has brought in so far, he's he's one of those guys that he's he is, he's starting caliber. Whether whether you can uh switch him in and out if you want, I don't know about it. You know what happens when guys get injured. You know it's uh, the more positions players can play, the better you are. But I will tell you one thing. You've got a couple of young guys on the Jets, Mallett and Brian Pool, who seemed to play pretty well as

you're young, getting part of the system. So maybe things are looking up to the Jets secondary that you don't recognize just yet because some guys are coming into their own. You mentioned Brian Pool, he was resigned. That's a big guy to get back into the fold here does such a good job in that slot. And you mentioned, you know, all these different faces that the Jets had to play last year because of injuries and whatnot. At the cornerback position,

Greg Williams given credit with his scheme. He put those chess pieces on the board and he made it work. And you know, you would expect the same thing again. Also the linebacker position, Jordan Jenkins back in the fold. He resigned, Neville Hewitt, James Burgess. Guys who were pressed into duty because of all those injuries stepped up and really,

really we're solid contributors for that defense. And you know, you talk about the overall depth, Greg, it's nice to just say, Okay, these are our eleven starters, and these are the same guys that are gonna play each and every down for sixteen games. That doesn't happen. You know that. I know that anybody who watches football knows that. So to have a bunch of players who have proven capable

that they can get the job done. Having an embarrassment of riches with depth, I think is certainly everything that a football team wants. Yeah, you know what, I don't disagree with you. But the tough part about depth is depth always makes you go broke and and and the problem with that is that everybody wants more money and everybody wants to get more money, and which I don't

blame them, but that becomes the problem. So you really have to look at situation substitution, especially on defense, because that's all that is, even even your defensive line, and these guys don't play every play in a row. They're in, they're out. They's got new guys coming in, new guys going out. So when you talk about a defensive player, and I would tell you, other than your your four secondary guys, the two corners and the two safeties, everybody's

not playing every single play. If you're playing every single play, that means as a linebacker, you're not only starting as a linebacker, but you're in the nickel packages and you're in the dime packages. Very rare, do you see that?

So what you need to make sure is no matter who you're getting, that you have the capability of switching guys in and out for their best ability at what they can do, whether it's covering it back out of the backfield, whether it's a guy that really can cover down the seam against the tight end this running a seam route and a cover two. So that you have these linebackers that are first and foremost smart, second well balanced,

and third just hard nosed. I think that these are some of the guys that you just mentioned mentioned the draft. Jets will pick eleventh in the first round. They have eight picks total, four of the top eighties selections in this draft because they have two third round picks. So there's still a lot of talent that could be had, certainly and brought into this organization. You expect Joe Douglas and his staff to do their due diligence as far

as that's concerned. But stepping apart from just the Jets for a second here, Greg, when you look at the landscape of the a f C East, for the better part of two decades, it's been dominated by the New England Patriots Tom Brady. They've won the division all but two years since two thousand one. They don't have to worry about Tom Brady anymore, at least haunting them in the a f C East, because he's taken his talents

down to Tampa Bay. Two quarterback the bucket years. So all of a sudden, you're the Jets, You're the Dolphins, you're the Bills. Opportunity has certainly found you, has it? Not? Well? Listen, you can't count the Patriots is dead yet until you go to their funeral. So maybe that's what's going to happen this year. They're gonna find out how good they can be without Brady or are you going to find out how bad they are without him? So that's a big if you think everyone else in the a f C.

East is licking their chops. I can only imagine what's going up there in New England about who's going to be their quarterback, how is their offense going to be run, what changes are they making, and and I don't think that there's any coach better to do that right now in the league than Bill Belichick. So everybody's eyes will

be on Bill Belichick, absolutely, and I mean certainly. The Buffalo Bills, who had a successful season last year, made the playoffs, and they brought in a couple of key editions so far this off season, and Stefon Digs Mario Addison talk about the Dolphins how their play improved down the stretch for them, and they went out and brought in some big ticket free agents Byron Jones, Kyle van Noy, Shack Lawson, and of course we talked about the Jets here.

So I think that everybody wants to improve and get to where the Patriots have been for the last two decades. And it's not gonna be easy, and a lot of things are gonna have to go your way. As we said, you know, you have to have good health and those type of things when you want to have a successful season. But that one guy, at least number twelve, is not going to be someone that the Jets are gonna have to face twice a season, or anybody else in the

a f C East. But there is a lot of optimism I think as we continue on in this offseason and begin to look ahead to what the team is going to look like. In Greg well, no one, No one ran an offense better, uh in the NFL outside of Peyton Manning then Tom Brady. So I don't think you're getting another Tom Brady back there tomorrow. Let's just be frank about it. Now, someone may step in there and do that, but no, now's the time. Now it's the time to feast, and now it's the time to

be there. But like you said, there's other teams in the a f C East. Now I'm not talking about Miami just yet. I mean, Fitzpatrick is an up and down quarterback. You never know what's going to happen with him. But as you can see, a lot of these teams are looking at special guys, wide receivers, tight ends, running guys that can catch the ball. This is throwing catch guys.

This is not run the ball down someone's throat. And if you really wanted to make a microcosm out of the NFL, that last Super Bowl, which was spectacular my my estimation, had a team that like to run it and pound it at you and another team they like to throw it. Which team won and it didn't take them long to win. They took them two minutes, it happened to be the last two minutes. But they weren't running the ball to win. They were throwing the ball. And that, to me is what is so specific about

the NFL. Now, all of the all of the people that are in fantasy football, to think, the general managers and all those type of things that look at it are are always about points for running backs and receivers and those things. But you mark my words, the way the rules are in the NFL, it's only getting better and easier to throw and catch a football Greg Buttle, a staunch advocate of the forward pass, and don't forget there's gonna be one extra playoff team two in each

conference next year. We can get into that next time. Greg, this was a thrill to do, my friend. Let's do it again soon, and once again want to give a shout out to all the healthcare workers and everybody on the front line as we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic out there. Everybody be safe and we look forward to seeing you, hearing you everything again once the season rolls around in a pact met Life Stadium. But Greg, this was a blast, my friend. You and your family

be safe, and we'll get to do this soon. That's I think that's great. Thank you very much. All the Jet fans get ready. This is this is really the beginning of what the Jets are going to be in the future. He's Greg Buttle on Dan Grasso. This has been the Official Jets podcast, powered by Amazon Web Services.