Concussions not only brought a premature end to Josh Martin’s 2018 season, but they put his future with the Jets in limbo.
Martin first suffered a head injury in the preseason before succumbing to another one upon his return early in the regular season. With Martin on the sideline, the likes of Brandon Copeland and Frankie Luvu emerged as impact edge rushers, making Martin an expendable piece.
When healthy, Martin is a productive pass rush specialist. He’s only 27, but the Ivy League product plays like a savvy vet and uses a combination of power and speed moves to beat tackles off the edge. Should the Jets choose to bring him back in 2019, he’s unlikely to command more than the $1.8 million salary he earned this past season.
Pros of bringing him back
He’s not a flashy pass rusher, but Martin knows how to get the job done. As a depth piece in the right defensive scheme, Martin is essentially the perfect veteran addition to a team fighting to get back into contention.
He is also a well-respected player in the locker room. Martin’s lead by example approach has helped develop some of New York’s younger outside linebackers. Even when he was injured, he was an important part of the team off the field.
Cons of bringing him back
Like fellow free agent Neal Sterling, Martin has a history of head injuries that could dissuade the Jets from bringing him back in 2019. His second concussion of the season was enough for New York to put him on injured reserve and a third could put his future in the sport up in the air.
There’s also the fact that Martin may not fit in Gregg Williams’ 4-3 defense. Martin is more versatile than most edge rushers, but he is comfortable in a 3-4 defense and Williams’ scheme will present a learning curve. With this in mind, Williams could simply elect to let Martin walk and bring in an outside linebacker who is more of a fit.
The Verdict
Combine the concussion history with the defensive scheme change and there’s not much reason for the Jets to re-sign Martin. The bottom line is, New York needs to bring in players with clean bills of health who are already comfortable playing in a 4-3 scheme. Martin meets neither of those.
It’s time for the Jets to turn the page and move on from Martin. He’s a good player, but his time in New York is up.
