Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets' offense took plenty of the blame for last season's 8-8 disappointment, but Rex Ryan's much bragged-about defense was hardly a group of innocent bystanders.
In short, the Jets' D looked slow, whether it was getting to the quarterback or trying to cover slot receivers and athletic tight ends in the new world of NFL offenses.
On Tuesday, Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine made it clear the team aimed to address their lost step through the draft.
"The league is evolving that way to be a pass-first league," Pettine said, according to the New York Daily News. "We felt we were getting -- for lack of a better phrase -- a little dinosaur-ish inside. We feel we needed to increase our athleticism and team speed."
(To take this a step further, Bart Scott is the brontosaurus with the meteor heading straight at him.)
"We feel the division runs through Foxborough," Pettine said, echoing a statement that's bounced off the walls of Jets facilities since the Backstreet Boys ruled the world. "We have to defend them…. You saw all the tight ends drafted. New England has set the trend for it. And we have to respond to it."
The Jets drafted hyper-athletic defensive end Quinton Coples with their first pick, a boom-or-bust proposition that had Pettine doing a "mental backflip" when he was available at No. 16. With their third-round choice, they chose linebacker Demario Davis, a player Pettine referred to as a "glorified strong safety" who can take on the Gronks of the world.
At least in theory.
