The New York Jets signed veteran interior offensive lineman, Wes Schweitzer last night. Schweitzer has been in the NFL for seven seasons and is 29 years old. The Jets signed Schweitzer to a two-year contract that is worth up to $7.5 million.
Schweitzer was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He spent the first four years of his career with the Falcons. Then, in 2020, he signed with the Washington Commanders, where he spent the last three years.
Over the course of his seven-year career, Schweitzer has played in 80 games and recorded 60 starts. He has totaled at least five starts in each of the past six seasons. His last season as a full-time starter was in 2020, when Schweitzer started 13 games (played in all 16) and accumulated 990 snaps. In 2022, Schweitzer played in seven games and started six.
From a physical perspective, Schweitzer is tall, listed at 6-foot-4, but his frame is a bit on the smaller side, at 300 pounds. Schweitzer has solid length for an interior offensive lineman with 32 5/8″ arms and big 10 1/2″ hands.
Athletically, Schweitzer tested well in the 2016 pre-draft process, recording a 7.36 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). His best trait is his speed (1.75 10-yard split, 2.97 20-yard split). He also has some explosion, as shown by his 108″ broad jump.
The New York Jets acquire solid offensive line depth:
Arguably no position across the Jets roster at the moment is more of a worry than the offensive line. And even beyond just the starting five, as shown by the non-stop injuries last season, the Jets need as much serviceable depth as they can get. This Schweitzer signing certainly helps.
The Jets lost both Nate Herbig and Dan Feeney over the past few days to free agency. Not to mention, Connor McGovern is still out on the market as well, making this Schweitzer addition that much more important.
When Schweitzer was drafted by the Falcons in 2016, Kyle Shanahan was their offensive coordinator. The Jets, with new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, are running a similar type of system. Also, with Schweitzer’s speed and explosiveness, he is a natural fit for the outside zone running scheme.
Beyond just his athletic skills, Schweitzer plays with a nasty temperament. Physically, he possesses both power at the point of attack and play strength to finish.
Another exciting component that Schweitzer will bring to the Jets is his immense positional flexibility. He has recorded a snap at every offensive line position, with a rep played at right tackle and three at left tackle. Ultimately, Schweitzer provides the Jets with terrific versatility along all three interior positions. He has totaled 2,037 snaps at left guard, 1,729 at right guard, and 412 at center.
In terms of the structure of his contract, Schweitzer got a $1.5 million signing bonus. He will earn another $1.5 million in 2023 ($1.165M base salary, $335K bonus). His cap hit for 2023 is just $1.6 million. Schweitzer has a $2 million salary for 2024 with $500K guaranteed. The Jets are essentially committed to Schweitzer for 2024, as with a pre-June 1st release, they would free up just $600K of his $2.3 million salary. The Jets also tacked on three void years, and Schweitzer will account for $900K against the Jets’ budget for 2025.
Overall, the Jets needed some quality depth to the interior of their offensive line, and they got it here in Schweitzer. Both his experience and versatility give the Jets a potentially great backup. If needed, Schweitzer does have the ability to start as well.