Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton will compete to protect Aaron Rodgers' blind side
Duane Brown, left, and Mekhi Becton will battle for the starting left tackle spot for the Jets this season. Credit: Ed Murray; AP
Mekhi Becton is on a side field working with strength and conditioning coaches. Duane Brown is pedaling on a stationary bicycle. Neither big tackle could participate in the Jets' OTAs, but their competition could be the most intriguing one in training camp next month.
Could be is the important phrase.
Who will protect Aaron Rodgers’ blind side and start at left tackle for the Jets this season? That question has been posed numerous times and in different ways to Robert Saleh.
Becton has made it abundantly clear that he wants to return to playing left tackle. Brown, 37, hasn’t played right tackle since college. He played left tackle for the Jets last season and played through a torn rotator cuff. The five-time Pro Bowler is more proven, more durable and is spoken about with reverence in the Jets’ building.
Saleh says the competition will play itself out during training camp. The Jets coach also said Brown will be “a hard out” — meaning it’s going to be hard to take the job away from Brown.
“You guys know I love Duane,” Saleh said. “He won the first annual ‘Selfless Warrior Award’ for the team in terms of just what he sacrificed . . . He didn’t have to subject his body to what he did, but he stepped on the field, played as many games as he possibly could with torn rotator cuffs and did a really nice job, so he’s going to fight for it.
“He doesn’t believe he’s entitled to anything. He believes he’s got to earn everything. There’s a reason why he’s played for so long and has had so much success. I mean look at him, he’s a brick house. He can still play as many years as he’s willing to play.”
Becton played just one game the past two seasons because of right knee injuries and surgeries. If he’s healthy, he will be a force on the line no matter which side he plays.
The 6-7 Becton has trimmed down considerably and has been working hard to prove himself again. The Jets didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, which only fuels Becton more.
“Everybody knows that Mekhi is super-talented and the last two years haven’t gone as planned for whatever reason,” new offensive line coach Keith Carter said. “For me, coming in and being new, it’s kind of like a clean slate for both of us. Everything Mekhi has done so far has been really cool.”
This is a good problem for the Jets. You want many good offensive linemen, especially when Rodgers is your quarterback.
The Jets beefed up the line, signing tackles Billy Turner and Yodny Cajuste, interior linemen Wes Schweitzer and Trystan Colon and drafting center Joe Tippmann and tackle Carter Warren.
Saleh and Carter say the best five will play. If everyone is healthy, the best five likely is Brown and Becton at tackle, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Laken Tomlinson at guard and Connor McGovern at center. The Jets also have Max Mitchell, who started five games at right tackle last year.
Who is the left tackle, Becton or Brown?
“I’m excited just to see the competition,” Carter said. “We’re really excited about both of them. At some point, we are going to have to make a decision who that left tackle is. The good news is we don’t have to do that right now. So they’re both working and getting healthy and all that stuff.”
Saleh said Becton will be ready to practice when training camp opens next month. He believes Brown will be, too.
Becton was set to play right tackle last year. He told Newsday last month that he thought it was a mistake for the coaches to move him to that side, especially since he was returning from right knee surgery. Becton believed it made him more susceptible to reinjury.
He suffered another right knee injury in camp last year and underwent surgery to repair an avulsion fracture in his kneecap.
Becton wants to re-establish himself as a dominant lineman. He had a strong showing as a rookie. Carter said Becton has been spending extra time with him in meetings to get up to speed on everything since he couldn’t be in team drills.
“The next step is just to put it all together and actually practice,” Carter said. “From what I’ve seen of him, he’s really shown really good maturity, he’s made some good decisions outside of football to get to where he is right now. It’s exciting to see where that leads.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
