Joe Douglas and the New York Jets have signed special teams ace Justin Hardee to a three-year deal that’ll immediately help Braden Mann.
The New York Jets have turned their attention to special teams. Justin Hardee, a special teams ace who’s made his professional home in New Orleans with the Saints, has agreed to a three-year deal with the Jets, per Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football and other sources.
Justin Hardee has agreed to a three-year deal with the Jets, per source.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 16, 2021
Hardee, 27, was an undrafted free agent of the Houston Texans back in 2017. Sean Payton‘s New Orleans Saints scooped the Illinois University product up in early September of that same year.
What Hardee provides on the football field should greatly benefit Jets sophomore punter Braden Mann. Hardee is a true special teams demon.
The gunner collected 47 total tackles (41 solo) as part of a pretty solid Saints’ special teams unit. Thirty-three of those tackles have come on special teams, and best yet, he’s missed just five.
Justin Hardee has 33 career special teams tackles to only 5 missed tackles, a 6.6-to-1 ratio, more than double the 2020 NFL average (2.9-to-1)#Jets
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) March 16, 2021
Hardee racked up nine tackles to just one missed tackle a year ago, ranking him sixth in the special teams category per Pro Football Focus.
Let's go a weapon for Braden Mann!!
Hardee had 9 tackles and only 1 missed tackle on special teams in 2020. His 90.4 PFF special teams grade ranked 6th-best in the NFL https://t.co/jYOlwcryZ3
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) March 16, 2021
The expectation has to be that Hardee will immediately help Mann and the Jets’ porous punt team from this past season. If not for Mann’s tackling prowess, the unit would have relented even more yards.
The #Jets' punt coverage unit was bad last year, they gave up the 6th-most yds per punt return (11.7) and that's with Braden Mann saving 3 TDs and dozens of more yards with his three crazy tackles. Glad to see them putting some effort into fixing it by getting an established stud
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) March 16, 2021
Originally a wide receiver and return man in college, Hardee eventually took to special teams and moved over to the defense side. As it pertains to the Jets, don’t expect their newest player to strap it up at cornerback any time soon (just 119 career defensive snaps).
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