Most of the talk surrounding the Jets this offseason has been about potential changes on offense, but coach Rex Ryan thinks one of his old players in Baltimore, Jarret Johnson, could be the right man to bolster the defense.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets are interested signing Johnson, a free agent outside linebacker who has played his entire nine-year NFL career with the Ravens. That includes six seasons when Ryan was one of the Ravens’ assistant coaches, so he and Johnson know each other well.
Johnson has started all 16 games for the Ravens for five consecutive years, and the Ravens have said they’d like to have him back. There’s also talk that new Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator last year, may want to sign Johnson. So he has a good chance of making good money when free agency begins on March 13.
After the Ravens’ defense pounded the Jets last season, Johnson was named the AFC defensive player of the week.