Right tackle Damien Woody may still be in the Jets’ plans for the 2011 season after all.
Nearly four months after he was cut by the Jets, a league source tells Metro that the Jets rate the veteran Woody very highly and would be eager to bring in the right tackle for another season. Woody missed the remainder of the playoffs after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the Jets’ AFC Wild Card win in Indianapolis. He also missed five games — including the final three — in the regular season with a knee injury.
While he has battled injuries in the past, Woody had made 16 starts in each of the previous two seasons since escaping to the Jets following the 2007 season where he played in Detroit.
The source said the NFL lockout is working to the advantage of Woody as he continues to rehab and get physically ready for what would be his 13th season in the league. The source said the Jets are among several teams eager to see how Woody has progressed from injury once the lockout is over.
The Jets would have two players likely to vie for the starting right tackle position should Woody not return to the team. Wayne Hunter started all three regular season games and two playoff games in place of the injured Woody and would be a logical choice. There is also highly-touted Vlad Ducasse, a second round pick last year out of UMass, who physically looks the part of a right tackle, but might still be more of a project rather than an every down player in the NFL.
