As the inaugural season for Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn with the New York Jets dwindles to a close, there are still more questions than answers.
While the pairing has shown promise in recent weeks through shrewd pickups and improved coaching, the Jets remain a bottom-feeder in the NFL. With over $100 million in cap space and a boatload of draft picks, New York is shaping up for an influx of outside help.
But among the names the Jets could bring in over the offseason, the most pressing decision for Mougey centers on re-signing right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Throughout his tenure in Gang Green, Vera-Tucker has put together Pro Bowl-level play on the field.
There are a few questions about his ability, but rather his availability. Heading into free agency, Vera-Tucker represents the ultimate boom or bust signing that New York must pounce on.
Vera-Tucker’s Impact
Because his season was over before it even began due to a torn triceps, Vera-Tucker is one of the few players the new regime has not evaluated in-game. Although that makes for an uphill battle against pending free agent John Simpson, it would be wrong to say Vera-Tucker is out of favor.
The veteran shone throughout training camp and preseason, leading a Jets offensive line that became a force to be reckoned with. Vera-Tucker established himself as the leader of the group, being named one of four team captains by Aaron Glenn. It’s barely a surprise considering Vera-Tucker has been the anchor of the unit since his rookie year.
With an already young, talented offensive line, Vera-Tucker just about fits the mold at 26 years old. But no, he was a veteran looking for his next contract; having him around talent like Olu Fashanu, Armand Membou, and Joe Tippmann would do wonders for their development.
Production
Despite the injury concerns, any Jets fan would attest to how valuable Alijah Vera-Tucker is when on the field.
There’s no better representative of this than New York’s 2022 season, which can be considered Vera-Tucker’s breakout season. Before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury, he was arguably the best in the game at his position.
During Weeks 1-7 with Vera-Tucker on the field, the Jets ranked fifth in rush expected points added (EPA) per play. After going down for the rest of the season, that number dropped to 29th.
Of course, a big part of the issue was Breece Hall tearing his ACL that same game, along with defenses figuring out that Zach Wilson wasn’t a starting-caliber quarterback. But Vera-Tucker going down coinciding with an offensive collapse can’t be a coincidence when it happened again the very next year, with New York’s modest 19th-ranked rushing attack dropping to 31st without him.
When finally healthy for an entire season, Vera-Tucker still stood out despite all the injuries. He put up a career-best 77.7 PFF grade, especially showing marked improvement as a pass protector. The Jets offense was hardly special, but 17th in offensive EPA/play is a far cry from the thirties it was in the previous two seasons.
After yet another lost season, New York’s offensive line has surprisingly not collapsed without Vera-Tucker. For the first time in his career, the Jets have young pieces across the line that supplement each other rather than forcing one into a herculean effort. This is a servicable offensive line without Vera-Tucker, but with him, it can reach elite status.
Overcoming a History of Injuries
The clichée “availability is the best ability” probably applies in the NFL more than in any other top professional league. For Vera-Tucker, it’s his most significant obstacle to a well-deserved payday.
Although three season-ending injuries are certainly worrying, Vera-Tucker isn’t the first offensive lineman to face chronic injury concerns. One of the best tackles in NFL history, Jason Peters, dealt with ACL, Achilles, foot, and toe injuries that ended his season. It did not stop him from having a career that will likely land him in the Hall of Fame.
It’s also important to recognize that none of the three injuries occurred on the contentious MetLife turf. Although it is indeed another variable in the extension, it hasn’t seemed to impact Vera-Tucker’s availability to this point.
All in all, it seems like the elite guard has been a victim of horrible luck in the pros. Vera-Tucker has been injured twice on the same field in Denver, in entirely different parts of the body. When he seemingly overcomes the injury bug, he suffers the same injury on the opposite side.
It’s because of that that Mougey and Glenn have to take this risk. From a production and leadership standpoint, Vera-Tucker is a transcendent talent for this offense when on the field. For the Jets to become competitors in a wide-open AFC, this is a chance they have to take.
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