Stunned, shocked.
These have been a few of the phrases defensive sort out Harrison Phillips used to explain his feelings after he came upon the Vikings traded him to the Jets.
But it surely was Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell who put Phillips comfy concerning the state of affairs he was coming into.
“And I’ve identified that for a very long time. I’ve identified about Jets followers for a very long time enjoying in opposition to these guys twice a 12 months, for 4 years. Man, like I stated, you simply can really feel the optimism amongst the gamers, the employees, the brand new wave of individuals which are coming in right here. And so, like I stated, I’ve simply actually excited.
“Initial shock. And then once I got to kind of decipher and peel back the layers of the onion, I was like, this is is gonna be a great opportunity.”
So what particularly did O’Connell say to Phillips concerning the Jets?
“Number one, who I get to play alongside,” Phillips stated. “We’ve obtained some unbelievably gifted individuals on this protection, younger linebackers who’ve proved themselves immediately subsequent to me in Mr. [Quinnen] Williams. , it’s simply there’s a variety of enjoyable issues going and you recognize, the items are all beginning to come collectively. AG, [Aaron Glenn] as a defensive head coach, been just a few years since I had one once more. All over our entire employees. I used to be with [Jets defensive line coach] Eric Washington, the defensive position coach again in Buffalo.
“So there’s just so many parallels, and you know, I’m a very solid Christian man, and a follower of Jesus, and so knowing that this is where God’s calling me to be right now, that’s all the answers I need.”
The Jets traded two sixth-round picks to the Vikings in alternate for Phillips and a seventh spherical decide. The defensive sort out spot reverse Williams has been a signifgant want for some time. That’s why the Jets acquired Phillips and Jowon Briggs in a separate commerce with the Browns.
Throughout the offseason, the Jets thought they addressed the spot after signing Derrick Nnadi to a one-year, $1.4 million contract in March. However he was a nonfactor all through coaching camp and the preseason. That led to the Jets buying and selling Nnadi to the Chiefs on Sunday, along with swapping a conditional 2027 seventh-round decide for a conditional 2027 sixth-round decide.
Phillips, 29, who began 51 video games for the Vikings throughout the earlier three seasons, just isn’t solely sturdy, however effecitive in stopping the run. He helped anchor a Minnesota protection that completed second in dashing yards allowed final 12 months (93.4 yards allowed) and eighth in 2023 (98.7).
Stopping the run has been a supply of points for the Jets in current seasons. They ranked seventeenth in rush protection final season (121.1), a 12 months after ending twenty fifth in that space (124).
Glenn has been a fan of Phillips for some time. When he was the Lions’ defensive coordinator, he needed the crew to signal Phillips as a free agent following his 4 years with the Payments. However he signed with the Vikings as an alternative.
Final season, Phillips completed with 56 tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. In 2023, he completed with a career-high 92 tackles and three sacks. That led to Phillips signing a contract extension with the Vikings final September. The Vikings agreed to pay $3.7 million of Phillips’ $7.4 million wage for the 2025 season.
At 6-3, 307 kilos, Phillips is a powerful defender who will be capable to benefit from when opposing groups wish to double-team Williams within the center. In earlier years, when Williams was double-teamed, he was compelled to tackle these obligations, which have restricted his sack manufacturing the final two years.
Williams has registered a mixed 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons. In 2022, Williams completed with 12 sacks and was named to his first of three consecutive Professional Bowls.
“I’ve been a fan of his for a little minute, man,” Williams stated about Phillips. “The issues that he did at Buffalo and the issues that he did with the Vikings with that profitable protection and the issues that they did nice final 12 months.
“I was super excited to bring him in and to teach us some things, teach me some things and help the defense be where we know we can be.”
Phillips goes from a Vikings crew that received 14 video games final season to a Jets crew that’s aspiring to return to the playoffs for the primary time since 2010. However he noticed first-hand Glenn and Dan Campbell flip the Lions from one of many NFL’s laughing shares to having one of the best file within the league final season (15-2).
In contrast to the earlier two seasons, the Jets aren’t coming into this season with excessive expectations. However Phillips believes Glenn and the teaching employees can win instantly.
“I don’t want to put labels on anything like that, I guess, but I would say this is a win-now mindset,” he stated. “, we’re an incredible soccer crew. I feel that it’s been clear from the time that I’ve obtained right here.
“Simply trying up and down the roster, I’ve been watching a few of these practices, these captain practices. There’s a variety of items to the puzzle there. Each season is totally totally different, and it’s essential discover methods on the way you all come collectively.
“It’s not always the most talented team that wins football games. I think it’s the most connected team that wins football games. I just was walking with a rookie down the hallway and I asked him, ‘What do you think the best thing about the Jets is? I’m new here. What’s our secret sauce?’ And he said, ‘How great the people are.’ And I think that the people in the football are probably the two most important things in the sport.”
