Jamien Sherwood represents a uncommon exception on the Jets roster.
The kind of exception that might be helpful to retain on the workforce, not lose to a different.
On a squad full of underachievers, Sherwood, a former fifth-round decide, has developed past most expectations as an overachiever and right into a beneficial starter in the midst of the Jets protection regardless of his low draft stature.
And on Friday, he was voted by his teammates as this 12 months’s workforce MVP.
“For me, it was nearly displaying everybody that I might do it,” Sherwood mentioned after apply Friday. “Lots of people suppose I’m undersized or simply didn’t suppose I used to be the suitable match for the job. I went on the market each week, confirmed it to the very best of my capability, and in the end, it seems to be shiny for me going ahead.”
Sure, that somebody as unheralded as Sherwood was the best choice for workforce MVP might be considered as an indictment of the Jets’ supposed stars — like Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Williams, Breece Corridor, Davante Adams, Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner — and the way poorly they’ve carried out this 12 months.
Certainly, most would have most well-liked a type of earlier names to be a worthy recipient, and that none was is a troubling signal of simply how badly they fell beneath expectations.
However that shouldn’t discredit Sherwood’s breakout season.
Coming into the 12 months as a backup, Sherwood rapidly took over as a starter at inside linebacker attributable to C.J. Mosley’s harm and capitalized on his alternative.
Sherwood, who performed security in faculty however has transformed to a linebacker with the Jets, has began 15 video games this 12 months and has recorded an NFL-high 95 solo tackles.
He has 152 complete tackles — third-most within the league — and 10 tackles for loss.
Professional Soccer Focus offers him a 74.5 total grade, tied for Thirteenth-best amongst all linebackers within the league.
He had not recorded greater than 28 solo tackles, 46 complete tackles or three tackles for loss in any of his earlier three seasons.
It’s now offered the Jets with a troublesome determination, although.
After Sunday’s season finale towards the Dolphins, Sherwood will quickly turn out to be a free agent after 4 seasons with the workforce.
“Simply unbelievable,” Ulbrich mentioned Friday of Sherwood. “For a man that wasn’t the starter coming into the season, the way in which he responded, initially, to the adversity of dropping C.J. and entering into very large sneakers after which to play in addition to he did, it’s a shock as a result of he had by no means achieved it, but it surely’s not a shock due to the way in which this man works and operates every day. You’d be hard-pressed to discover a more durable employee, not solely on this constructing however any constructing within the NFL.
“A man that’s taken himself from a late-round security convert to a official linebacker on this league. I’m simply so excited for the longer term for him as a result of it’s actually planted seeds throughout the league as a man that everybody goes to need on their workforce. And he’s going to get rewarded for it. He deserves each penny that he’s going to get.”
Past his manufacturing, Sherwood has emerged as a frontrunner this 12 months in a locker room that badly lacks management.
He’s the kind of character who can assist uplift the tradition across the Jets relatively than one of many many who’re at present dragging it down.
It’s actually been seen — by each his Jets teammates and potential suitors throughout the league.
“To be acknowledged by my teammates, friends, future Corridor of Famers, Professional Bowlers, All-Professional gamers, this implies so much to me,” Sherwood mentioned. “I really feel like not solely my on-the-field play helped me win this award, however simply the way in which I’m amongst the locker room, amongst my teammates. All the time looking for some sort of power, some sort of enthusiasm to spice up everyone up. I actually really feel like the one who I’m was capable of assist me.”
It can price the Jets to carry Sherwood again, although.
And it’s unknown what a brand new basic supervisor or head coach will consider him with out seeing and dealing with him up shut.
For his personal half, does Sherwood wish to return to the Jets?
“Lots,” Sherwood mentioned. “That is the place I began at, so clearly I want to keep the place I used to be welcomed into. They took an opportunity on me. This group drafted me. Which means all the pieces to me. No matter I can do to all the time give again, that’s necessary to me. Friendships go a great distance — no matter my mates do for me, I’d all the time wish to do the identical issues for them.”
