Jeff Otah couldn’t pass his physical with the Jets, so he’s back in Carolina and the Jets are back with Wayne Hunter as their default choice at right tackle.
The Otah trade suggests that’s not a place where they want themselves to be, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to hear General Manager Mike Tannenbaum asked at a Tuesday press conference about whether or not the team will be looking for another option from outside the organization. Nor was it particularly surprising to hear Tannenbaum say that the team’s considering all possibilities.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out. Nothing is imminent. Again, there’s going to be competition from within as well as on the street,” Tannenbaum said. “We’re encouraged by Austin Howard. It’s early in camp, but there’s some encouragement there. We’ve identified some teams that have depth. Sometimes these things take a while, but I think Wayne has done a good job and Austin in particular has probably done better than we thought he would.”
Tannenbaum was asked several questions about Hunter, but never got quite as enthusiastic about the incumbent right tackle as the position coach Dave DeGuglielmo did earlier this offseason. The Jets weren’t taking a chance on Otah by accident. They want another choice at right tackle and they will likely keep turning over rocks in hopes of finding one.