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NY Jets: Predicting role of Sheldon Richardson upon return

ByLuis Tirado Jr.|

Sheldon Richardson might not start with the NY Jets upon his return this weekend but should definitely see some playing time.

The NY Jets are coming off their bye week and are looking to pickup exactly where they left off. They have started the season at 3-1 and are preparing to face the Washington Redskins in Week 6 action. While the Redskins don’t pose any major threat against the Jets, this could be a trap game, similar to when they faced the Philadelphia Eagles and were given their first loss of the season.

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The Jets are getting a huge piece of their defense back this week in defensive end Sheldon Richardson. He’s coming off a four-game suspension due to violating the NFL’s league and substance abuse policy and is anxious to return to the game he loves.

While Richardson’s off-the-field antics definitely disappointed many within the organization and overall fan base alike, he will eventually deal with the consequences but for now, can focus on returning to the Jets and having an immediate impact as they continue to turn this season into a winning one.

Thanks to the Media Relations Department of the Jets, here is what head coach Todd Bowles had to say about how the role Richardson will have in his return to football action this weekend:

On if he will be able to tell if Richardson is in football shape before Sunday…

No, you’re not going to be able to tell that. He’s going to be able to run around and play some, that’s why you don’t want to put him in there against higher time because there’s going to be some things that happen where you want to protect him and make sure he’s fresh and protect him from himself.

On if he plans to start him…

We haven’t discussed that game-plan wise. We’ll discuss game-plan wise Wednesday and see where he’s at, but he will play.

On how difficult it is to gauge if a player is in football shape with the new practice rules…

It is. That’s why we have to play and wait and see.

Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

As of right now on the Jets’ depth chart, Richardson is listed as a backup behind defensive end Leonard Williams. While it wouldn’t make sense to start him considering the fact that he did let the team down with his suspension and actions off the field, he should definitely get a good amount of reps in a platoon role with Williams against the Redskins and throughout the rest of the season.

Truth of the matter is, Williams has been playing very well and it wouldn’t be fair to demote him for a player that might be better and is coming off a suspension. Richardson will essentially have to work his way back up and earn his starting spot all over again.

Overall, it’ll be scary to think how even more potent the Jets’ defense will be with Richardson back on their defensive line in certain schemes and packages. Hopefully he learned from his mistakes and is able to put everything behind him. The Jets have been doing great without him and with him back in the mix, should be able to further solidify their defense to be one of the best in the NFL playing today.

Next: Fantasy Football: Top 5 players to add for Week 6

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