Buzz: Lozo's weight continues to yo-yo

A story from NJ.com today discusses outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, who enters the season with a renewed confidence after he lost 10 pounds.

Rewind 12 months and Mauldin was entering the 2016 season with a renewed confidence having added 15 pounds which he hoped would help him hold up better against the run.

Mauldin had just 2.5 sacks in 2016, down from four in his rookie season. However, he made the first three starts of his career and registered his first career interception.

He is excited about the Kevin Greene hire and hopes to recapture some of the speed he felt he lost by adding the weight last year.

What does this mean though? Has Mauldin given up on the "bigger role" he was striving for in 2016? Are the Jets going to have to employ their defensive linemen on the edge again?

Maybe Mauldin realizes that the Jets don't line up in base packages very often anyway, so his primary role is always going to be situational rushing and if he thinks he needs speed to be successful at that, we'll see if that makes a difference this year.

On the whole, this reminds me of the situation with Bryan Thomas when he was younger as the Jets kept changing systems and couldn't seem to decide if they wanted him at defensive end or outside linebacker. He eventually developed into an experienced veteran once he ended up in a hybrid system that suited him. Hopefully Mauldin will establish his identity as Thomas ultimately did.