The New York Jets find themselves in an interesting spot when it comes to personnel decisions. They have to ask themselves what the priority is: winning or development?
Aaron Glenn needs to win games; he’s coaching for his job. But at 2-6, the Jets’ hopes of a playoff season are on the ropes. With little left to lose, why not give younger players a shot over some of the struggling veterans who led the Jets to this record?
At 2-6, it’s time for the Jets to shift their focus to players who need to be evaluated. With that in mind, the team must make this change in their secondary.
Aaron Glenn must make this change
Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins firmly solidified a change the Jets need to make: They should bench slot corner Jarvis Brownlee Jr. for second-round rookie D’Angelo Ponds.
Let’s start with the rookie’s situation.
Ponds is in a tough spot after missing nearly the whole summer with a calf injury. He’s learning a new position at slot cornerback after playing on the outside in college, so after missing the entire preseason and most of training camp, he’s been trailing behind in his development.
The Jets have been hesitant to count on the Indiana product. He missed the season opener with his calf injury, and upon returning in Week 2, Ponds was a healthy scratch. In his Week 3 debut, he only played two snaps.
An injury to Brownlee forced Ponds into action for 18 snaps in Week 4, and he struggled, burying him back into a minor role upon Brownlee’s return. Ponds later played 30 snaps in Week 7 as Brownlee was benched due to missing meetings, but after Brownlee returned, Ponds played just one snap this past week.
Obviously, it’s a limited sample size, but Ponds’ production has not been promising. On 30 coverage snaps, he’s allowed three of five targets in his direction to be completed for 65 yards, while also committing three penalties. Ponds has surrendered a 104.2 passer rating when targeted, and his 30.0 grade at Pro Football Focus ranks 166th among 170 cornerbacks this season.
Ponds hasn’t been competent in those reps. However, at this point, what do the Jets really have to lose by giving the rookie a legitimate opportunity? He can’t be too much worse than Brownlee, who has become a liability for New York.
At PFF, Brownlee was the Jets’ lowest-graded player in Week 8, posting a 32.1 overall mark. On 16 coverage snaps, he was targeted four times, allowing three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. He also committed two penalties and allowed a 155.2 passer rating when targeted.
Since Week 4, Brownlee ranks 75th among 78 qualified CBs with at least 150 defensive snaps in PFF’s grading system. Despite that, he has remained the Jets’ primary slot CB, and Ponds has played a minimal role.
There have also been some off-field issues. Brownlee was surprisingly a healthy scratch for the Jets’ Week 7 game against the Miami Dolphins, which he told ESPN’s Rich Cimini was because he missed multiple team meetings and also received a fine from the team.
There will be growing pains if the Jets turn to Ponds. That’s expected when you’re dealing with a rookie who missed practically the entire summer and is learning a new position. However, how is he expected to improve if he doesn’t get those reps?
It just doesn’t make sense as to why Ponds played one defensive snap on Sunday. The Jets are better served seeing what they have in their second-round rookie than continuously trotting out Brownlee, who has struggled and also dealt with disciplinary issues.
New York should prioritize developing its younger players, especially those who could become important pieces of the long-term future like Ponds. Give him meaningful snaps and see what he looks like in a featured role.
If he struggles, so be it, but at least the Jets will better understand his status entering Year 2, along with what they need to do at the position in the offseason.
