Why the New York Jets Have Yet to Find Jim Leonhard’s Replacement

May 30, 2012   ·   Erik Frenz   ·   Jump to comments

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has yet to rule out a return for safety Jim Leonhard, and rightly so, because the team has not yet found his true replacement.
Sure, rookie safety Josh Bush brings a nice bit of athleticism to the position, and has the speed to cover from sideline to sideline as is often required in the Cover 1 scheme the Jets run in the back end.
Yes, the Jets brought in veteran safeties LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell, who should provide a nice amount of leadership in the secondary.
But none of them brings the combination of both that Leonhard brought to the Jets' secondary. He's been a big part of the defense since joining the team in 2009.
Leonhard's been a key cog in Rex Ryan's defense dating back to their time together with the Baltimore Ravens. He's intimately familiar with all of the nuances of the defense and knows the defensive calls for the back end.
These are not traits that are learned in one offseason, and while Yeremiah Bell can certainly ...

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