Kris Jenkins, Irreplaceable Player
Who are the top ten guys who are ‘irreplaceable’ in the NFL? Bill Barnwell has a list for ESPN Insider (pay site), and shockingly Gunslung didn’t make the cut, but Big Jinx did.
10. Kris Jenkins, DT, Jets
It seems strange that one of the 10 most irreplaceable players in football could have been acquired for third- and fifth-round picks as recently as a year ago, but the Panthers had grown sick of Jenkins’ weight issues and injury problems. It was to their detriment.
The Panthers’ rush defense, according to DVOA, fell from -5.1 percent in 2007 (17th in the league) to 8.0 percent in 2008 (24th — the percentage increased, but since DVOA measures performance versus the league average of yards allowed in the same situation, a negative number is actually a good thing for a defense). Meanwhile, the Jets went from a 2007 DVOA of 11.3 percent, 30th in the league, to -7.7 percent in 2008, the seventh-best total in the league. The Jets have only journeyman Howard Green and the middling Sione Pouha behind Jenkins, leaving them with precious little depth if Jenkins should go down.
Watching the way that Jenkins ground down at the end of last season helped us conclude too, that while yes, he is irreplaceable, the team needed to give him more of a chance to take a break this season wouldn’t end like it did in 2008.
Still, grabbing a young NT in the draft would have been one of our priorities, someone to groom and replace Jinx, eventually. To keep him sharp for the end of the year in 2009, I’d expect Rex to run more four-men fronts to help him out in this regard.
Props to netsjetsfan for finding this.
Terrance Cody in 2010! That’s some chubby depth
If you saw the difference in the defense last year without Jinx, it should be obvious that he is irreplacable. I definitely would have liked to see them draft someone who can fill in from time to time. I do have confidence though that Rex will devise a scheme that won’t be as hard on Jinx throughout the season.
Jenkins injury was as detrimental to the team as Favre’s. It’s about time Tanny starts drafting some young 3-4 d-linemen!
any1 have the full list?
In the NFL, star players are considered irreplaceable until proved otherwise. Take Tom Brady: The 2007 NFL MVP would’ve topped any list of the most irreplaceable players in football this time last year, but by the end of the season, Matt Cassel was considered to be an adequate impersonation of the guy who had put up the best season of any quarterback in NFL history.
If a guy who didn’t start even a single college game could replace the best quarterback in the league, are there any irreplaceable players in the NFL? We think so, and we’ve compiled a list of the 10 most irreplaceable players in the game, taking into account their performance on the field (using our statistics), the scheme they play in, and the depth chart around them.
Since games are won and lost in the trenches, that’s where we start.
10. Kris Jenkins, DT, Jets
It seems strange that one of the 10 most irreplaceable players in football could have been acquired for third- and fifth-round picks as recently as a year ago, but the Panthers had grown sick of Jenkins’ weight issues and injury problems. It was to their detriment.
The Panthers’ rush defense, according to DVOA, fell from -5.1 percent in 2007 (17th in the league) to 8.0 percent in 2008 (24th — the percentage increased, but since DVOA measures performance versus the league average of yards allowed in the same situation, a negative number is actually a good thing for a defense). Meanwhile, the Jets went from a 2007 DVOA of 11.3 percent, 30th in the league, to -7.7 percent in 2008, the seventh-best total in the league. The Jets have only journeyman Howard Green and the middling Sione Pouha behind Jenkins, leaving them with precious little depth if Jenkins should go down.
9. Michael Roos, LT, Titans
Roos has quietly emerged as an elite left tackle, making his first Pro Bowl a year ago. He allowed only one sack all season, a remarkable total for a left tackle (the average NFL left tackle allows around five sacks per year). He’s backed up by two players — Peter Clifford and Michael Otto — who have combined for a total of one NFL game. He’s absolutely essential to the success of the Tennessee offense.
8. Ed Reed, S, Ravens
We often define a player’s value by how much a team suffers when the player is missing; Reed represents the opposite. During a season when the other three projected starters in the Ravens’ secondary combined for only 18 appearances because of injury, Reed played like a man possessed. Despite suffering through injuries of his own, the Ravens had the second-best pass defense DVOA (-23.3 percent) in the league thanks to Reed’s raising the play of journeymen like Fabian Washington, Frank Walker and Jim Leonhard.
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Kevin Terrell/Getty Images
Andre Johnson singlehandedly carries the Texans’ passing game.
7. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans
We could just list the wide receivers whom Johnson has spent his career playing across from, but that doesn’t quantify just how important Johnson’s presence is to making the Texans’ offense work. Instead, we’ll look back to 2007, when Johnson was on the shelf for seven games. Their passing DVOA was 11th in the league with Johnson in the lineup and 19th without, but he had an even bigger impact on the running game; the Texans actually had the fifth-best rushing DVOA in football when Johnson was around, falling to 28th when he was injured. Think he keeps a safety or two occupied?
6. Tommie Harris, DT, Bears
Since Harris started struggling with assorted ailments toward the end of the 2006 season, the Bears have been 25-15 when he starts and 4-4 when he doesn’t. That’s a vague statistic, but it’s hard to find just one that assesses Harris’ impact on the defense. Not only is he a stout defender against the run, but he is also the team’s best pass-rusher. By occupying two blockers at his best, Harris creates opportunities for other players on the outside to beat their blockers in one-on-one situations. The Bears have failed to replace him adequately when he’s been out of the lineup — the likes of Israel Idonije and Marcus Harrison are simply inadequate replacements.
5. Ryan Clady, LT, Broncos
Like Roos, Clady also allowed only a single sack despite playing left tackle all season. Unlike Roos, though, Clady was an elite run-blocker. Denver was the best team in the league running to left end and fifth-best running at left tackle. While Marcus McNeill and Joe Thomas have both impressed as rookies before struggling as sophomores, Clady was better than either as a rookie. Backup Brandon Gorin is strictly for show.
4. Roddy White, WR, Falcons
Although Larry Fitzgerald laid his claim to the title of best wide receiver in football during the playoffs, no wideout played a bigger part in his team’s success than White. Matt Ryan threw 32.5 percent of his passes in 2008 to White, the highest such percentage for any receiver in football. (Carolina’s Steve Smith was second, at 29.5 percent.) The Falcons added Tony Gonzalez to help ease White’s load in 2009, but it’s not as if Gonzalez made the Kansas City offense go last year. If the Falcons lost White, the effects on their offense would be catastrophic.
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Paul Jasienski/Getty Images
Asomugha is in a league of his own at cornerback.
3. Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Raiders
The only reason Asomugha isn’t No. 1 is because, well, the Raiders stink even with him in the lineup. Thanks to a poor game against the Patriots, Asomugha didn’t have the otherworldly numbers he had in 2007, but he was still targeted on only 32 passes, the lowest total (by far) of any starting corner in football, and a sign of how dramatic his impact is. No one in the league could replace Asomugha, let alone anyone on Oakland’s roster.
2. DeMarcus Ware, ROLB, Cowboys
Some pass-rushers aren’t effective against the run — take Dwight Freeney, who often vacates his gap to try to rush around the offensive tackle to the passer. Ware’s not like that. When it comes to stopping the run, the only gap against which the Cowboys were in the top 10 a year ago was left tackle, which is Ware’s responsibility. The Cowboys’ league-high Adjusted Sack Rate (which adjusts cumulative sack totals for the number of passes attempted and quality of offense), of course, owes much to the impact Ware has. He’s the best two-way defender in the game.
1. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
Whether you think Manning is the best quarterback in the game or not, it’s hard to argue that anyone is more difficult to replace. Essentially serving as his own offensive coordinator, Manning chooses his own play at the line of scrimmage and then famously spends a fair amount of time there changing it. While some other quarterbacks can read defenses as well as Manning, no one’s better at adjusting the play on the fly, and there’s simply no one in football who plays like him. If Manning were to miss time, Indianapolis would have to change its offensive scheme to the point of making it unrecognizable. That’s why Manning remains the most irreplaceable player in football.
10. Kris Jenkins, DT, Jets
9. Michael Roos, LT, Titans
8. Ed Reed, S, Ravens
7. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans
6. Tommie Harris, DT, Bears
5. Ryan Clady, LT, Broncos
4. Roddy White, WR, Falcons
3. Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Raiders
2. DeMarcus Ware, ROLB, Cowboys
1. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
i think the late season debacle had as much to do with kris jenkins wearing down as it did with the offenses inefficiencies.
i hope that jenkins is on to something when they talk about how rex’s system is easier on his body than magini’s.
Problem is that there aren’t that many 6-4, 350 lb men with cat-like quickness and impeccable football IQ on the planet. Someone can correct me, but I think the last draft pick in this mold was Haloti Ngata in 2006 (and, ahem, some of us thought he should’ve been a Jet).
Wish we had Ngata!
I totally agree that he is irreplaceable. He is monster, we just need to keep him fresh for down the stretch.
Hopefully we’ll be drafting in the bottom third of the first round next year, which means that we will have no chance at Mt. Cody.
Two positions we need to make a priority in the draft next year are DL and WR with OL a close third.
I really hope Jenkins is working on his weight and conditioning this off season. Our success is dependent on him being able to play at a high level for the whole season and into the playoffs.
I was about to say the same thing JustAGreenGuy. Put Mount Cody in the middle of the meadowlands! Although he lacks the quickness that Jenkins possesses, most NFL teams would have a hard time getting any running attack started with that guy in the middle. Almost reminiscent of a modern day Ted Washington.
The Jets FO viewed 2009 as a low talent year which is evident in their willingness to trade away picks to get the few players they coveted.
2010 is a draft year whose prospects line up extremely well with our needs:
DL- NT Ndamukong Suh, NT Terrence Cody, DE Greg Hardy, DE Corey Wootton, DE Carlos Dunlap (jr.)
WR- Brandon Lafell, Dez Bryant (jr.), Dezmon Briscoe (jr.), Mardy Gilyard, Eric Decker, Damian Williams (jr.)
TE- Jermaine Gresham, Anthony McCoy, Rob Gronkowski (jr.)
Also guys like FS Mays, LB Spikes and QB (TE?) Tebow will be up.
Thanks for the list, Ham – Kinda surprised to see Roddy White on there. Would’ve expected Larry Fitz to be in his place, regardless of Bolden being there.
Notice there are NO running backs! That says plenty.
Kris Jenkins – The Hands Down Best player I have ever seen in 29 years of Jets Fandom put on a uniform… When healthy of course – absolutely dominant.
He was superb for 10 weeks but thereafter no better than the oft-criticized Robertson. Am I alone in being a tad concerned that he may not return to that early season form?
The silver lining is that if the Jets run a versatile hybrid scheme, it will not hinge on the performance of one player as much as Jenkins’ ability to two-gap was vital to the Jets scheme last year and when he was unable to do it successfully they had to put the linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage to stop the run, which made it easy to pick apart the defense with a short passing attack.
Eastside – I hate to do this, because it just makes a guy we might be unable to get even more desirable, but I actually think Cody’s quickness/explosiveness DOES compare quite favorably with Jenkins’.
THE JETS DEFENSIVE LINE IS GOING DOWN THIS YEAR!!! GOOD LUCK BUDDY BOY!!!
Bent, Jenkins’ decline was caused by the herniated disc in his back. As long as he’s healthy, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be dominant. And, if he’s kept fresh by getting to play 1gap outside, I expect another great year. Those who predict doom for Big Jenks forget that he was injured and/or banged up for, at least 6 games. Maybe, he’ll be healthier this year.
I find it amusing that Jet fans don’t understand what it means to have a herniated disc. Most NFL players with back injuries never perform at the same level prior to the injury. Jenkins is sadly done and anyone who doesn’t understand back injuries should refrain from making ridiculous comments concerning Jenkins comeback. Herniated disc in a 350 lb or should I say a 380 lb man are not what I would call a minor injury. Once a lineman has a bad back it is usually the end of their career. Being as massive as he is and having a bad back is not an ideal situation and I just can’t believe that Jet fans dismiss the seriousness of his injury. The Jets have no speed on the DL and for that matter their LB’s are slow and none of them are outstanding. There is so much hype about this defense and I have to laugh as they have no one to replace Jenkins and Ellis and Douglas have seen their best days. This defense will be porous simply because Jenkins will never ever play at the same pr bowl level and they have no great backup to replace him. Rush defense may have been the strength of the Jet defense last year but it will surely be their achilles heel in 2009.
Thanks for stopping by rudy.
Sack – I realize his decline was caused by him being banged up. My concern is simply that he won’t be able to get through another season without being banged up again.