You can always do better at any position. The point of this thread is - what positions on the Jets right now do not NEED an upgrade. In other words, what positions do you think we currently have sufficient talent/depth at and don't need to focus on in free agency and the draft this coming off-season. Poll on the way with ability to vote for multiple options.
Center, Lg, LT on the O-line. RG and RT are servicable for now, but could be upgraded. Overall O-line depth is weak. Running back should be good for another year or two. TE as well. Baker and Keller look like a good combo. We need a true #1 threat at WR, but have a host of #2, #3 guys in Coles, Cotch, Stucky and Clowny looks to have potential. NT is fine on the DL, could use another/young End to rotate with Coleman and Ellis. Our LB's need work all around. Pace is Fine as is Harris. Barton is playing very well but is weak in coverage. Thomas needs to go. We need a true pass rushing threat at OLB. in the Defensive Backs we need a #2 corner and another starting Safty. Lowery could develop into the #2. He had an up and down season as a starter, but is a young guy with good skills. Elam is OK, but an upgrade there would help alot. We need an agressive DC. Sutton's blitz packages are as bland as they come and little used. Shotty is also on the hot seat IMO. With a weapon like Leon Washington not getting 10 to 15 touches every game things look strange. I really feel he try's too much to confuse the opponent instead of attacking them. Draft Needs in order: Franchise QB, Tall #1 type WR, Linebacker, DB, DE.
One of the things I feel better about this year than last year is the lack of holes. Last year, there were these major HOLES. Adrien Clarke was a hole. Anthony Clement was a hole. Victor Hobson was a hole. DeWayne Robertson was a hole. Barrett/Miller/whoever was a hole. By hole, I mean an absolutely unserviceable player, with no depth behind him that could possibly develop into anything better. This year, no substantial holes. Bryan Thomas sucks, Kenyon Coleman has underperformed, RCB is still somewhat of an issue (love Lowery, personally) but none of these players represents a glaring weakness. Which is promising, because in the off-season we can look at BPA's instead of saying "Holy shit, we absolutely need to sign a defensive tackle, a guard a right tackle and a linebacker." I know we all hate three-year plans and five-year plans and the like, but at least now we have a complete team. A complete team that needs improvement, to say the least, but a team with 22 guys that can play professional football. In that regard, I will say this about Mangini: I think he is an excellent evaluator and developer of talent and picks great players to be on the Jets. (He gets complete credit for Darrelle Revis). If I could put it in to military terms, I think he's a great drill sergeant. But we sure could use a general for Sunday's.
Even if Favre retires, Clemens, Ratfliff and Ainge are enough to work with for the time being. There are not going to be any good QBs in free agency (I'm a firm believer that Derek Anderson and Matt Cassel are both trash) and there's no point in bringing another young QB in through the draft.
Well, we've seen Clemens' work, and I'm unimpressed, and Ratliff and Ainge are nothing more than back-ups. We need a long term option at QB.
Well what's the point in signing a QB when we have 3 on our roster who haven't even had the opportunity to prove themselves? IMO we should address our other needs before we gamble away more money/draft picks on another. If we hadn't traded for Favre, we might actually know what we have at the position. Clemens wasn't exactly given a fair chance.. and how could you possibly know that?
I don't get how you can say that about Ratliff and Ainge given that we've never seen them on the field in the NFL game. Also, I'm willing to give Clemens a mulligan given the awful o-line last year. He still has potential.
Don't you think there's a reason we haven't seen them on the field? They were drafted where they were for a reason...Tom Brady is the exception that proves the rule; there's really next to no chance either Ratliff or Ainge play a significant role in our future.
There are too many examples to name but there have been many times where a back-up QB turned out to be a star when given the opportunity.
Bulger, Delhomme, Warner, Romo, Brady, Cassel, Thigpen. That's just in the past few years, and that's not even counting DA's one year (and that franchise is mess, he might still be good) and I'm sure I missed many others. Hell, any QB that starts against the Jets looks good, just have Ratliff play against the Jets defense in practice and you'll know.
Well let the Jets make the decision that Ratliff or Ainge is good enough to go up to #2 on the depth chart (something that happened to all of those guys except for Thigpen, who is another Derek Anderson in my mind, and while we're here so's Cassel). The bottom line is, the Jets coaching staff would have to incredibly, unbelievably stupid to put Ainge on the practice squad and make Ratliff the #3 QB. Hey, wait a minute... Seriously though, there are probably dozens of young QBs in the league who were second day draft picks, and almost all of them aren't going to pan out.
On an unrelated note, I'd like to congratulate everybody on the 0 on the poll for the coaching staff. 0/41. That's exciting.
Seriously though, there are a ton of first round picks at QB that went nowhere in terms of quality on field production. Quality can be found anywhere in the draft (or even in UFAs) and while expectations are always higher for early round picks, there is no exact science in drafting a starting NFL QB. Period. Having sai that, I personally feel very positive about Ratliff's future. The kid has excellent size, a rocket arm and has demonstrated a greatly improved ability at grasping the particulars of the game that he struggled with so mightily last year. Most importantly, I've noticed that he has an unmistakable presence leading the huddle and in the pocket that I have never observed with Clemens.
I just don't understand how you can write that second paragraph and mean it. He hasn't played in a meaningful game! How can we know anything about him besides his physical abilities? How do you know how well he's grasped the particulars of the game?! And the only huddle he's led contained 3rd stringers hoping to make the team, so again, that's just a ludicrous statement. This is what's bothering me...sure it's possible that Ratliff or Ainge turn out to be really good, but we have no idea that the will, and the odds are against it. No team has ever won counting on an unproven late round pick to pan out; they are simply pleasantly surprised. As to the above point, usually there's one person who clicks the obvious wrong answer...but so far, we're oh-fer. Good times.
