The New York Jets signed their first outside free agents of the year, bringing in Kelvin Beachum and Chandler Catanzaro.
The New York Jets agreed to three more deals with free agents on Friday. They retained long snapper Tanner Purdum, the second-longest-tenured player on the team. The other two signings the Jets made were players brought in from other teams.
The Jets landed offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, formally of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and kicker Chandler Catanzaro, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals. Contract information for both players was not readily available. Both should fill holes in the starting lineup right out of the gate, even if they don’t necessarily deserve to.
Beachum will probably step right into the hole at left tackle left by the release of Ryan Clady. He was a player that the Jets pursued last season before he signed with the Jaguars. The deal he signed with the Jaguars turned out to be only a one-year deal, as the Jaguars declined the four-year option. Now, he is with the Jets who are in the midst of overhauling their offensive line.
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"“Just a blessing to keep playing football, a blessing to be at a great organization,” Beachum said in a Fox ProCast video from the Jets’ facility. “J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. I already know the chant, baby.”"
Ben Ijalana started the final eight games of 2016 at left tackle. He was re-signed on Thursday, but the plan, right now according to ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini, is for Ijalana to compete with Brandon Shell at right tackle. That means left tackle is Beachum’s spot to lose. He will have a lot to prove after grading out as the 63rd ranked tackle in the NFL last season; one spot behind Clady.
Joining Beachum with something to prove is Catanzaro. The 26-year old kicker spent the first three seasons of his career with the Cardinals and is probably lucky he will have a fourth season in the NFL.
Catanzaro was brutal last season with the Cardinals. He made only 75 percent of his field goals last season, going 21-of-28. He also missed four extra points, giving him nine extra point misses since the attempts were moved back to a 33-yard attempt.
he decline has been out of nowhere for Catanzaro. He made 57-of-64 field goal attempts his first two years in the NFL and didn’t miss an extra point his rookie season. But, he struggled last season and it led to his ouster from Arizona.
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The Jets are hoping that Catanzaro can regain some of his form from his first two NFL seasons. He will have some decent sized shoes to fill as the Jets moved on from Nick Folk this offseason. Folk kicked the past seven seasons for the Jets, making 82.2 percent of his field goal attempts and missing only two extra points.