As per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, safety Marcus Gilchrist is still recovering from a severe shoulder injury he suffered late last season as a member of the San Diego Chargers. The New York Jets knew heading into the offseason that they needed to bolster their defensive secondary if they are to succeed this upcoming season. When can the Jets expect to have Gilchrist back on the field to be a part of their revamped defense and start learning their defensive playbook?
Gilchrist isn’t expected to resume football activities until team doctors give him the green light to participate which could be well into the middle of training camps. Cimini even believes that since he didn’t really talk too much on his shoulder injury upon interviewing, he might have had corrective arthroscopic surgery on it to ensure he’s good to go in 2015.
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The Jets have big plans for Gilchrist and what he brings to the team. Signed to a four-year contract worth about $22 million via free agency, Gilchrist brings speed, precision and a solid verteran experience into a defensive secondary that desperately needed it judging by last season.
In his career so far in the NFL, Gilchrist contributed 193 tackles, 3.0 sacks, five interceptions and three forced fumbles. Known to be a strategic tackler, he will definitely bring some much needed skills to a Jets’ defense that will be looking to make an immediate turnaround come next season.
Whether he might have to wait a bit more before getting familiar with his new teammates on the field, Gilchrist most likely got that surgery to ensure his longevity for next season. Since the Jets are indeed brewing something special, they’ll need everyone ready to soar and fully healthy.
In this case with Gilchrist’s injury, it’s better to wait and not rush anything since he has plenty of time left to recover before the games truly start to matter.
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