As the New York Jets prepare for the long offseason ahead, bolstering their pass rush is a top priority heading into free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft. Here’s making the case for potential free agent defensive end Ziggy Ansah.
Set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, all eyes will be on defensive end Ziggy Ansah if he hits the free agency market. The 6-5 271 lbs. pass rushing specialist has truly made a name for himself on the Detroit Lions to the point that if he does become a free agent, they’ll regret it for years to come. Especially if the New York Jets are lucky enough that he does and are able to come to terms with him.
Last season, Ansah totaled 12 sacks, 39 tackles, and one forced fumble. He’s a natural disrupter in that once he gets into the backfield of an opponent’s offense, can wreak havoc on anyone holding the football. He brings the kind of aggression that the Jets defense has lacked over the past few years.
The Jets are in dire need of bolstering their pass rush since last season, they only totaled 28 sacks against opposing quarterbacks. They couldn’t get to the quarterback or even try to hurry them into making mistakes that could have helped make a big stop or a key turnover.
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The Jets defensive line was unable to get any consistency all season long and well, adding a top defensive end like Ansah would make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. He’d be an instant starter and would easily cause offensive coordinators to prepare for everything he brings to the table.
Besides that, it would also help open things up for other members of the Jets defensive line, especially Leonard Williams who had a lackluster season in 2017 due to always being double teamed in addition to dealing with a nagging wrist injury.
Overall, the Jets have a lot of money to spend in free agency and bolstering their pass rush would be a smart decision to make. They could use more impact players on their defensive line which in turn would help take the pressure off of their defensive secondary. Hopefully, Ansah hits the market and the Jets get that checkbook ready to bring in one of the top defensive ends playing today.