Sheldon Richardson Voted Jets' MVP; Is A Spot In The Pro Bowl Next?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Lost in the turmoil of another lost season, the Jets do have some positives to build off of going forward.
The defensive line remains stellar and Sheldon Richardson has quickly emerged as one of the best ends in the NFL. On Tuesday, his teammates paid homage to his accomplishments, voting him the recipient of the Curtis Martin Team MVP Award.
"It means a lot. I respect my teammates' opinion, effort ... It means a lot to me," Richardson told the Jets' official website. "The fact that I was the second D-lineman in a row to win the MVP award is definitely a big honor to me, and I'm proud to embrace it and wear it on my sleeves."
Richardson was selected in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Missouri. The move was arguably the best of embattled general manager John Idzik's two seasons with the Jets. Idzik first traded disgruntled cornerback Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for the 13th pick and then turned around and picked a player who may end up being one of the best defensive players in franchise history when all is said and done.
Richardson, a 6-foot-3, 294-pound lineman, had a tremendous first season, recording 79 tackles and 3.5 sacks in earning AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
He's been even better this season.
Despite the Jets being 3-12 heading into Sunday's regular-season finale at Miami, Richardson has 63 tackles, 7 sacks and a fumble recovery, numbers that could land him in the Pro Bowl. Rosters for the NFL's postseason All-Star Game will be announced Tuesday night.
Richardson said he can become an even better player going forward if he produces, "more consistency, more turnovers, more game-changing plays."
While the Jets will likely be facing massive changes to their coaching staff and front office during the offseason -- and it will remain unclear for some time which scheme they will employ on defense next season -- the idea of Richardson teaming on the defensive line with end Muhammad Wilkerson and tackle Damon Harrison into the future has to give Jets fans some reason for optimism.
"I do think the sky is the limit for me," Richardson said.
Though he struggled late in the season with injuries, Wilkerson and center Nick Mangold also figure to have a shot to make the Pro Bowl.
The Jets also announced their other team awards:
Dennis Byrd Award (Most inspirational) -- Calvin Pace
Kyle Clifton Award (Good guy) -- Zach Sudfeld
Bill Hampton Award (Rookie who acts like a pro) -- Dakota Dozier
Marty Lyons Award (Community service) -- Kyle Wilson
Ed Block Courage -- Rontez Miles
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