JETS 101

Just over two years after drafting Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin 11th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills will get to face off against the player they deemed a "bust" after two seasons of more boos than sacks led them to waive him in mid-August. He has since landed with the New York Jets and resurrected his young career.

It didn't help Maybin's cause that he was taken ahead of instant-impact Pro Bowl linebackers like Brian Orakpo (13th overall), Brian Cushing (15th)and Clay Matthews (26th), but just two-and-a-half months after being cut it looks like the Bills gave up on the former Nittany Lion too soon. In just four games with the Jets since being added to the active roster, a rejuvenated Maybin already has three sacks.

"It's been circled on my calendar for a while," said Maybin about this Sunday's game against his former team, while his performance with the Jets has spoken for itself. He's provided a huge boost to a defense that lost starting outside linebacker Bryan Thomas to a season-ending Achilles injury a few weeks ago, but Maybin says not much has changed since he left Buffalo besides the jersey he wears on Sundays.

"I don't work any different than I did in Buffalo and I'm not any more talented today than I was yesterday," he said. "Nothing magical happened to me overnight and, all of a sudden, I can rush the passer again."

Maybin is already tied for the league lead with three forced fumbles, despite having seen the field on less than 50 defensive plays with the Jets. His resurgence has led to Rex Ryan naming him a captain for Sunday's game and, while that can easily be tossed aside as another case of "Rex being Rex," Maybin's play with the Jets has certainly earned the chance to walk to the middle of Ralph Wilson Field as an opponent against the team he feels didn't give him a fair shake.

"Honestly, I don't think anybody's gonna really say that averaging five snaps a game is getting a legitimate shot," Maybin said. "For whatever reason, there was fault on both ends. There was something obviously I didn't do while I was there to give the coaching staff that confidence in me to go out and have more than five snaps a game. Since I've gotten here, it's been a little bit different."

The Jets understand Maybin's limitations, which start with his 230-pound frame and lack of bulk to stand up against the run. Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine have used Maybin primarily in pass-rush situations, where he can put his head down and use his speed to get into the backfield and disrupt the rhythm of opposing quarterbacks.

A lot of credit has to go to the Jets for putting Maybin in situations where he can succeed, but the first-round expectations and "draft bust" labels in Buffalo certainly didn't make success with the Bills easy. Sometimes a change of scenery and a relaxed role is all a player needs to tap into his potential, and that seems to be happening with Maybin.

Maybin may never live up to his draft stock as a top-15 pick but in New York, he doesn't have to. For the Jets, Maybin is just a key situational player in a top-notch defense, a role in which he has thrived. Maybe this week, the player nicknamed "Mayhem" during his days under Joe Paterno can cause some of his own and help lead the Jets to a big victory over his former team. These stories don't write themselves.

Related Videos

No related posts.