Football
By Darrell Trimble 20y

Jets' defense rests on Abraham's move

The New York Jets are still looking for a defensive coordinator to fill the
void left by the firing of Ted Cottrell, but they could be zeroing in on a
candidate. The Jets called the Tennessee Titans and were granted permission
to speak with Gunther Cunningham and he's scheduled to meet coach Herman
Edwards on Wednesday.

The sudden interest in Cunningham shouldn't be a surprise. In five of his six
seasons as a defensive coordinator in the NFL his units have ranked in the
top 11 in total yards. And in his four-year stint with the Kansas City
Chiefs, his defense tied for the league lead in fewest points allowed (1,050). But
more importantly than those numbers is the place where he achieved them.

Jets GM Terry Bradway was in the Chiefs front office when Cunningham coached
in the Show-Me State and he obviously showed him a great deal. However, he
did more than field great defenses. He also worked with linebacker Derrick
Thomas, who Edwards has compared to John Abraham.

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