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New York Jets sign guard James Carpenter

The New York Jets are signing former Seahawks guard James Carpenter to a four year deal, barring any snags.


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NFL free agency has officially started on Tuesday and one of the deals expected to be announced by the Jets is the signing of former Seahawks guard James Carpenter. According to a story by NFL.com, the deal is for four years and about $5 million per year. This isn’t the first time the Jets have shored up their line with Seattle’s line. Last year, they signed right tackle Breno Giacomini for four years and $17 million.

The Jets have a lot of needs and they were going into free agency with their eye on upgrading the guard position. They had particularly awful guard play last year. After initially pursuing Mike Iupati and Orlando Franklin, the Jets settled on Carpenter.

Carpenter is listed at 6’5, 320 pounds. He was a first round pick in 2011 out of Alabama. However, he has had problems staying on the field during his entire career. He was able to start 13 regular season games and three playoff games last year for the Seahawks, which is the most games in one season of his career. He’s had knee problems, been accused of being out of shape and had ACL surgery in 2012.

There’s no doubt the Seahawks were ready to move on from Carpenter, with his injury problems and struggles at pass protection. Carpenter was considered a decent to good run-blocker, but not so good protecting the pass. Carpenter will turn 26 in March.

The Jets are also expected to be heavy in the mix for cornerback Darrelle Revis, one of many positions where they need a considerable upgrade. The latest report is that they’re already signing cornerback Buster Skrine from the Browns, per Adam Schefter. They may also be looking for a smaller receiver as well, as they’re expected to release Percy Harvin

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