Inside Out: Bryan Thomas
Height: 6-4 Weight: 266
Age: 30 Born: June 7, 1979
College: UAB
Experience: 8th season
2008 Season – After a down year in 2007, Thomas came back to a more consistent form during the 2008 season. By year’s end, Thomas had 58 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. Although he didn’t return to the banner year he posted in 2006, Thomas went a long way to disprove doubters after his unfortunate comment prior to last season where he admitted that he slacked during the 2007 implosion season.
Strengths – Like Pace, Thomas is the prototypical size, strength & athletic combination to play OLB in a 3-4. Even before his transition to an OLB, Thomas played well (at a little heavier playing weight) in Edwards’ 4-3 as a DE, often in replacement of Jon Abraham (while he milked injuries). Thomas has enough power to set the edge on run plays or walk his blocker backwards on passing plays. Although he plays better moving forward, Thomas isn’t a fish out of water in coverage. Thomas uses leverages well using his long arms to shed and separate from blockers. Weaknesses - Not an elite pass-rusher, Thomas could still use to add some more moves to have a better edge on his opponents. Thomas doesn’t always react well to the play.
Analysis – Analysts seem to think that Thomas might be the odd man out should Vernon Gholston ever progress from his current level of play. As of now, he doesn’t seem to be in danger of losing his starting OLB gig. Thomas might see more time on the line this year, and it will be interesting to see how he shows up to training camp … has the team asked him to add some weight (and thus play more down lineman) hearkening back to his 4-3 days ?
Use in the New Scheme – Depending on how much the Jets show a 46, Thomas might get paired with either Pace or Ellis as an OLB. In the 46, the Rush End (potentially Gholston) would line up on the weakside, while the OLBs pair up and line up opposite the RE. If Thomas spends time with another player like Ellis or Pace, he’s likely to see some uptick in his numbers as he’d be the one that blockers would be less likely to key on. For his size, Thomas is a more versatile player in coverage, run support and pass rushing compared to his OLB / DL brethren. He should be a favorite for Ryan for that very reason and I’d expect to see him used in a variety of roles.
Other Inside Out Posts: Kris Jenkins, Shaun Ellis, Marques Douglas, Calvin Pace
Filed under: Main Page, Opinion
If Gholston doesnt beat out this average starter then he will undoubtedly be a bust. I mean its not that BT is a bad player, but he seems to be the odd man out,.
We drafted him instead of HoF Ed Reed. He was a 1st round backup to 2- Pro Bowl defensive ends. He got a contract, then admitted to slacking. Then we draft his replacement who is supposed to be great but ends up behind BT.
Gholston=Bust, Thomas=Average player
Has it been 8 years since the Jets took Thomas over Ed Reed? Wow.
Seriously, if Gholston doesn’t succeed in a system seemingly tailor-made for his skills, then we are screwed and wasted a no. 6 pick.
It’s amazing how clueless last year’s defensive staff was last year with their own personnel.
Bryan Thomas is a solid two down player, all of his sacks coming on the first two downs. Yet he was constantly in on third down passing situations with zero ineffectiveness. Yet Vernon Gholston, his one skill at this point obvious, is being used completely out of his element playing on the first two downs if at all and being used in coverage. That defies logic.
It’s pretty simple. Use Thomas on downs one and two, take him off on third down and put Gholston on the field with his hand in the dirt. How the Jets couldn’t see that last year I’ll never know.
zero ineffectiveness = good, no? :)
must have been very effective with zero ineffectiveness.
just messing with ya, i know what you meant.
The room for this prototype LB is getting crowded. And I think Thomas is the guy that has to get squeezed out. He has underachieved and he makes a lot of $$$.
I only want BT on my team during his walk-year…
This guy needs to start playing with some roid rage
It is interesting to me that none of you see BLT as a bust — as I do.
A look at his stats and film shows he gets an occasional sack or tackle for a loss (or fumble). But unlike other supposed sack artists, he does not get a lot of pressures too, does not seal the edge well, is no threat dropping into coverage, and seems more pushable off the LOS than most.
Rex has his greatest challenge on this team on the outside of the front 7, OLBs and DEs. If he can get more out of Pace and anything out of BLT or VG, and anything out of our DEs, our D has the potential to be scary.
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I say Bryan Thomas changes his jersey number to 56. Just my two sense….
They should trade BT now for anything they can get…. Rex can figure out how to use what we have now, which on paper is not bad at all.
BT, Brad Smith for Braylon Edwards ????
[...] Other Inside Out Posts: Kris Jenkins, Shaun Ellis, Marques Douglas,Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas [...]