Actually, the rebuild has just begun if we're talking a competitive roster around Darnold. We only have perhaps 5 players to build around.
Darnold (up and coming beast) Adams (beast) Maye (good tackler, good cover skills) Lee (good cover linebacker that can blitz) R. Anderson (takes the top off the defense, could also become a 1000 yard receiver) Quincy (stop the screens and let the guy beat up on corners - 1000 yard receiver potentially with the right system) L. Williams (needs to step up) Chris Herndon (probably the best rookie TE last yr) Avery Williamson (doesn't miss tackles, sheds blocks) Elijah McGuire (3rd down back, could be a player that grabs 30-40 balls out of the back-field) Deontay Burnett (this guy needs more of an opportunity IMO - every time he's targeted he's caught the ball, I just hope this isn't Chad Hansen pt 2). Trumaine Johnson (Might be better under Greg Williams, who has coached him before and had a good season). Under the right system all of those players above should thrive and be pretty good players. Those players above, especially on offense you create a system that uses their strengths and perhaps allows them to improve their weak spots and that's a pretty decent set of weapons around Darnold. You got 3 good players in the secondary and 2 good linebackers. Jets need to continue to infuse talent, youth and speed onto the roster. Jets need a pass-rusher to close games and an offensive line that can allow the running game to get going. It's a decent start. The rebuild began the year before Darnold came. Now that Darnold is here, you try and win while you have him under the rookie contract.
The bold part cannot be emphasized enough. This is when you can stack the roster with as much talent as possible with the QB taking up a small portion of the cap. Obviously, that doesn't mean they can forget about drafting well as cheap talent will always be needed to replace aging vets. Otherwise, we'll have a 2009-2010 again.
So many folks here underrate Maye but I think he’s got Pro Bowl potential. A freak injury his senior year and an injury this year he couldn’t shake and folks want to give up on him. He could pair with Adams for the next decade.
Me too! Me too! Funny how clear it's been for months, yet the narrative of "we have more money to spend than anyone in the league" just wouldn't die. Yes, most of these players suck, but that's exactly the point - if you replace them with people who also suck, even if they're a little cheaper, you're still nowhere. The list of players currently on the roster who have actually performed at the level of someone in the top half of starters at their position is incredibly short, and it doesn't include Mr. Darnold. Without a bunch of players like that you have no chance.
I think Cimini sells the young DBs Jones & Nickerson a bit short.Both have shown promise w room to get better
Just the fact that the thread title is "another" good article from Cimini implies there was a previuos one so I'm calling Hornet on this shit.
It's not a bad article in the sense that it lays everything out for us pretty neatly, but the "omg we have sooo much work to do on the homefront" notion is overstated badly.
Turning over 1/3 of the roster every year with $100M in cap space is a godsent for a team in building mode. Current players count $60M, and they will be replaced with better players (+$40M). A far worse scenario is if NONE of your so-so players have expiring contracts and have to be cut (with millions in dead cap) in order to be replaced.
The years of poor drafting is the reason why we have such drastic turnover. Exactly what you don't want to see on a rebuilding team. 9 starters, 4-5 rotational players who saw very significant snaps. That turnover is exactly why this team hovers around mediocrity. 37 players total well over 50 % of the regular season roster. This franchise has to draft better if they are ever going to improve. A good franchise is able to replace the so so players through the draft . Trying to build and rebuild through free agency leaves you overpaying for those So So players better teams discarded. Older players, often injured players, players with off or on field baggage. The 1+2 year rental cycle has to end before, Darnold is due his second deal and cap space will be much tighter.
Great post Tony.Drafting continues to be the problem. But we must include player development. Too many draft picks fading out w.o ever making marginal improvement as well as good players never making the jump to GREAT players like they do for other teams. Player development is all about the CS & pro personnel being in sync..it goes right along w having an identity. This has been a below average facet for a long time & likely makes the poor drafting worse.
True, but you can replace 1 or 2 starters a year through the draft if you're lucky. 1st round, 2nd round, MAYBE even a 3rd round player will supplant a current starter. The rest of the draft is for back up players, special teams, practice squad, and MAYBE a diamond in the rough every 10 years (Brady in the 6th round, for example). So even with good drafts (which we haven't had many of), there's still plenty of room for improvement from FA, especially in the short term. While a drafted player could take 2-3 seasons to blossom, a FA (while older, more expensive, and with less career ahead of him) is expected to hit the ground running.
Cimini has really had an odd career as a Jets beat writer...guy used to be such a hack...like Mehta level bad--but he's actually turned into a solid Jets writer over the years
Cimini is a clown. He knows Jets fans have a lot of hope this year and wants to sow the seeds of doubt. He's just a sensationalist always appealing to the negative and worst case scenarios.
Maybe even 2021 as well, I would hope we can be in charge and fully ready by 2022, Darnald has a lot to learn still, never mind be a true FQB he will get there I have no doubt about that but this squad needs so much more or are we about to see a difference in how top coaches turn castoffs into solid gold
