Desperate for offensive line support, the NY Jets started free agency. On Monday, about 12 hours into the legal tapering period, the team eventually signed veteran Baltimore Ravens guard John Simpson as their first free-agent lineman.
Simpson reached an agreement with the Jets for a two-year deal that may be worth up to $18 million. The organisation anticipates that the former fourth-round pick will take Laken Tomlinson’s spot as the starting left guard.
The Jets watched as numerous elite players on the offensive line market inked deals with other clubs during the course of the day. They were never going to be shopping for the best possibilities for their offensive line, according to many reports.
Ultimately, they made Simpson their choice, a below-average
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Simpson in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, although he had a difficult first three seasons in the Raiders organisation. While he did start all 17 games when given the chance to start in 2021, the Raiders quickly removed him in the offseason.
After being dismissed before his third season ended, the former Raiders draft pick joined the Ravens practice squad in December 2022. The summer of 2023 would see Simpson land the starting left guaSimpson rd position with the Ravens, a position that would spark a comeback for him.
This past season, Simpson started all 17 games for the Ravens at left guard, giving up only one sack on more than 600 pass-block snaps. For a player who, just a year before, was on the point of being out of the league, it was a positive move.
However, that’s about as good as it gets with Simpson. Simpson has received 23 penalties in his two seasons as a starter in the NFL.
Simpson has also consistently graded out poorly with Pro Football Focus. He’s never finished with a PFF grade north of 60.0 in a season and ranked 49th out of 79 qualified guards in 2023.
At best, Simpson was a below-average starter last season when paired with an excellent Ravens offensive line. In every other year in the league, he was a borderline unplayable guard who didn’t even make it through his rookie contract.
It’s worth wondering how much of his “breakout” 2023 season — one in which he was still below average — could be chalked up to playing alongside a talented offensive line while blocking for the most mobile quarterback in NFL history.
Leave a Reply