Did Joe Douglas Watch George Fant Before He Signed Him?

The New York Jets are going to be in trouble again in 2020. Realistically, the Jets need 5 new starters along the offensive line. The entire unit is a mess. The Jets have arguably the worst in the NFL. New York needed to make some splashes in free agency while hitting on several draft picks. So far… not so good. The Jets have made one significant move. Joe Douglas went out and signed George Fant to a 3-year deal worth $30 million. My question is did Douglas actually watch George Fant before he signed him?

The Jets basically swapped Brandon Shell for George Fant. Shell signed with Seattle for a much lower price tag. The problem is, Fant is worse than Shell. In fact, it’s impossible to make this move unless you don’t have a brain. You have to wonder if Douglas has a clue what he’s doing.

I’m not fond of PFF but I think this pretty much sums it up. This is one that’s not up for debate. George Fant sucks and it’s pretty much universal if you have watched 5 seconds of a Seahawks game. You will notice Russell Wilson has to run for his life, a lot.

VIA PFF:

“As my colleague Mike Renner pointed out, the criteria for an offensive tackle getting over $10 million per year on the free agent market appears to be starting more than one game at tackle and not falling flat on your face. In that regard, Fant qualifies, but that’s about where the qualifications for this kind of deal stop. The only season that he saw extensive starting action at tackle was in his rookie 2016 season when he recorded pass-blocking and run-blocking grades below 50.0. Since that point, he has played nearly as many snaps at tight end as a tackle eligible (454) as he has at offensive line (477). This is a head scratcher for the Jets.”

Doesn’t that 2nd to last sentence say it all? Fant started nearly as many snaps as tight end as he did as an actual offensive lineman. Seattle did not trust Fant to start. Fant only started when there was an injury up front. Fant was a blocking tight end for Seattle that just got paid $10 million per year. You can’t make it up. Isn’t Joe Douglas supposed to be an offensive line guy? Words can’t describe how dumb this move is.

Here's 11 snaps I thought were noteworthy (for both good and bad reasons) of George Fant's start at LT vs SF in week 17 pic.twitter.com/VlfcoNzzbu

— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) March 18, 2020

Pete Carroll: Seahawks Offensive Line Doesn’t Need Massive Rebuild

The Jets needed answers, not more questions. That’s all this move did for the Jets. Pray for Sam Darnold again in 2020. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance again. As things stand now his offensive line is a joke, his best receiver is Jamison Crowder, and top tight end is Ryan Griffin. Might not be a worse combo in the sport. In a offseason where the Jets needed to land impact starters, they came out of it with George Fant. The Jets remain the Jets.