NY Jets have sights on Courtney Upshaw in free agency

The NY Jets are bringing in linebacker Courtney Upshaw for a free agency visit this week. If all goes well, he would be a very solid acquisition to have at the position.

Make no mistake about it, the Jets need major help when it comes to the linebacker position. It was an area of need last season as the positional group needed some youth, aggression and a much more efficient presence on defense. It was a major weakness on defense that even cost the Jets a few games since they were missing that pass rushing speed from their linebacker corps.

Related Story: Jets make smart decision with Steve McLendon in free agency

As per Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Upshaw will be going on a free agency tour that starts off with the Jets this week. Of course he has other teams that are lined up he plans to visit but the fact that he’s starting off with the Jets could show some hope that he sees them as a contender in 2016.

Upshaw would be a very nice upgrade at linebacker for the Jets. Not only is he durable and reliable as he’s not missed so much as a single game in his four seasons in the NFL, he’s got a ton of upside. He didn’t put up the craziest of stats in his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, but at just 26-years-old, his best football years are ahead of him.

In his career so far, Upshaw has totaled 110 tackles, 5.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. He’s a natural tackling machine that loves to make his presence known on the football field. Should he come to an agreement with the Jets, his speed and aggression would fit in well on defense.

More from The Jet Press

• NY Jets should target TE Hunter Henry in free agency
• NY Jets: Why the team should target cornerback Shaquill Griffin
• NY Jets reportedly non-tendering linebacker Harvey Langi
• NY Jets: Why the team should not cut Jamison Crowder
• NY Jets should try to sign Kenny Golladay in free agency

One area that Upshaw excels in with what goes hand-in-hand with the recent free agency acquisitions by the Jets on defense so far, is that he is efficient in stopping the run.

To win plenty of football games in the NFL is to win the battle of the trenches.

The Jets look like they want to go back to their roots of being a ground-and-pound offensive team by launching a potent rushing attack and also being able to stop opposing teams in their tracks when they try to run the football against their defense. All in all, Upshaw would fit in nicely to the vision the Jets have for 2016.

More jets: Darrelle Revis wisely gets wrist surgery

Overall, the Jets are smart to acquire players that won’t exactly break the bank but fit into what their offseason needs are. Should they acquire Upshaw, it would be another very smart pickup for a team looking to continue the momentum in 2016 from their 10-6 record of last year.