In many threads here in the draft forum we start talking about specific players... and after 10 posts it just becomes a list of what positions should be addressed in this year's draft/FA. Let's make a "positional need" thread to put all of those opinions in one place! My opinion...: Big needs: 1) RT: If Woody/D'brick goes down we are screwed! The O-line is our main weapon on O and it needs to be mantained at elite level year in, year out. It's the only way we can run against 8-9 man in the box situations. Sanchez will be better next year but he still won't be a P. Manning... Because of contract figures and age Woody (33 yrs old at 330lbs is not healthy!) and Faneca (really stepped up lately) may only play one more season with the Jets... maaaaaaybe they could hang around the 2011 season (I'm guessing not both though). I'd like to draft a replacement for one of them this year and one next year... and I think Tackle is more of need because if a G goes down we have some guys that can play, while on T we only have Hunter and he is basically a do-it-all OL and not specifically a T. Plus we run many formations with 6 (or even 7) lineman so an extra OL that's good at run blocking could be used more than you think. I also like the idea of bringing in a guy to replace a veteran the year before that veteran retires... it gives him the possibility to learn from him. I'll add Faneca & Woody contract figures at the end of the post to show you why I think their contracts play a big role on how much we'll keep them. Possible picks: T.Williams or A. Davis if they fall to bottom 1st. Iupati or Ducasse in the low 1st, high 2nd (yes, as RT. If they don't pan out this year plug them in at LG which we will be a need in 2011 anyway). Scott or Calloway in the 3rd (my favorite option at the moment). 2) slot WR: I feel we need one more weapon on offense to become unpredictable in the passing game. Having Leon back will surely help but I'd like the staff to use him as a screen guy (ala Sproles) and not have too many WR responsabilities (ala Harvin). Keller isn't a typical TE so we need someone to split duties with him in keeping Ds busy in the middle of the field. Except for Cotchery and Edwards we have Clowney (needs to work A LOT on his route running), B. Smith (he doesn't excel as a WR but as a ST guy and wild-cat QB/reverse/Schotty's weird stuff), Wright (ST guy and sometimes down the field blocker) and Woodhead (very much a project at the moment). I have no idea how Woodhead is coming along but as of now I think he is more in the Sproles/Leon way of playing rather then Harvin's (I', talking playing style.. not comparing talent!) so I'll put slot WR s a need. If the coaches feel he is really coming along as a true slot I'll trust them but as of now I don't think they don't know too. At first I wanted us to draft a big physical TE but now I'm cool with Hartsock. Sure, he isn't that much of a pass catching threat but we don't have that many draft picks and I feel having an entire TC with us will benefit him greatly. This Mulligan guy also has been active lately and if we signed him during waivers in September and kept him on the team all year long (first inactive, now active) he must have shown the coaches something... Possible picks: G. Tate in the beginning of the 2nd (good at being the slot AND running deep for the play action, which Sanchez loves). J. Shipley (great punt returner too) or G. Barnes somewhere in the 3rd. 3) 3-4 DE: Our two starters are 32. They have been playing well all year long (I don't get the Douglas hate just because he isn't "a name") and I'd like to keep both around next year but we can't go a full season with only DeVito as their backup. Pouha can line up at DE but I'd like him to focus playing NT.. Jenkins will never start 100% of the snaps for us so we need someone to always split time with him. Pitoitua is our dark horse... coaches were really high on him this off-season and he started to play football late in his life . I hope he can come along but as of now he is a project. I think getting a long time replacement for one of our two starting DE's this year is a must. My dream next year would be to see Douglas and DeVito, Jenkins and Pouha, Ellis and whoever we draft alternate. Possible picks: T. Alualu or A. Jones in the low 2nd. V. Oghobaase or C. Wootton in the high 3rd. Medium needs: 1) pass rushing OLB: Pace has developed into a very good pass rusher (although he is getting elite pass rusher money, his contract is crazy!) and Thomas has really developed into a solid OLB this year. I do think we need a pass rushing specialist behind them and a potential future starter (to take Thomas place) but I think Pace&Thomas can play another two full seasons with us (by the end of the 2011 season Pace will be 31 and Thomas 33 which isn't crazy old) so it isn't as much of a hole as people are making it out to be. Plus I think Westerman has talent and can become a good player with us and I wouldn't mind giving Gholston an additional year after all the money we invested in him. Still... if the right prospect where to fall to us and clearly be the BPA when we pick I'm not opposed to drafting him as he can be useful. Possible picks: No Idea maybe Norwood and Graham but just because Ive seen more of them and none will fall past the second. 2) S: It all depends an what we do with Rhodes. I'm cool with having Leonhard, E. Smith and Ihedigbo as our other 3 safeties. Rhodes is , I think, our best S against the pass and if we do indeed trade him away we'll need someone to take his place. I'd actually like to trade him because of his insane contract + attitude problem + draft full of talented S. If we get a draft pick for him we'll draft a S somewhere in the draft, if we don't trade him we don't need a S and won't draft one... that's my opinion. Possible picks: Again, no idea! It also depends on what kind of compensation we'd get for Rhodes. 3) Big physical TE: As I have said while taking about WRs I think a slot WR is more of a need... but if we somehow cna manage to draft a TE the scouting staff is high one I won't be pissed. TEs tend to fall in the draft so if one is clearly the BPA when we pick I'm cool with it. But don't draft another 6'2" smurf (TE speaking, I'm 5'9" ). Possible picks: Hoomanawui in the 5th or 6th. I'm intrigued by this Schuler kid Mr.E is talking about. Positions in which I don't think we have a need: 1) NT: Jenkins will be back and play at least 50% of the snaps. Pouha has NEVER played much so although he is 30 he isn't by any means and old player... in fact he is playing at a high level for 100% of the snaps on a team that reached the AFLCG thanks to it's defense. We'll be fin with him sharing time with big Jenks and I'm sure he'll be able to play for a long time with us (at least 3 or 4 years). If we feel Jenkins hasn't really healed we can also keep Green around which is a capable Nt considering he is a 3rd string NT. DeVito has and can also play some NT in emergency situations. I want to draft a NT only when Jenikns retires/is deemed unfit to play. How many teams have the depth and quality we have at NT with Jenkins and Pouha? IMO none. 2) CB: Revis is the best CB in the NFL. This means the two S and the other CB can leave 1/4 of the field to him and worry about the other 3/4... this makes their job A LOT easier. Sheppard is a capable corner and can still play at a good level for 2 years minimum, Strickland and Lowery are solid CBs too. Sheppard gets a lot of hate but really the only two QBs that have given him trouble are Manning and Rivers... not a bad couple. I'm cool with those 4 in our backfield. After all we have the best passing D in the league also because of them and not only because of Revis (although he is the guy that allows us to play the way we do). The only guy I'd like to upgrade is Coleman but it's not a big need + he is a good ST guy and a good team guy. At the end of the day my dream draft is: Tate (2nd), Alualu (2nd), Scott (3rd/4th), BPA (OLB/TE) 5th, BPA 6th, BPA 7th Fire away with your opinions PS Oh yeah, the contracts: Woody gets 5.6 mill in 2010 with 1.53 guaranteed, 4.26 mill in 2011 with 1 guaranteed and 5mill in 2012 with 0.5 guaranteed. IMO he'll get cut in either 2011 (if he fails physically) or 2012 (too much money for a 35/36 yrs old OT). Faneca gets 8.5 in 2010 with 7 guaranteed, 8.8 in 2011 with 1.7 guaranteed and 8.8 in 2012 with 0.8 guaranteed. He'll get cut in 2011 or 2012 too.
I would add Corner to the list (high if we cut Sheppard). ---I'd imagine they may continue the trend of targeting Blue Chip players given the success we have had and the lack of true "must have" needs. ---I would like to add a slot wr in FA, draft a 1st round DE, 2nd round Safety, and then add depth at RT (5th?) and then 6th and 7th BPA. --I know its been said b4, but I think we give Gholston another year and patch the "weakness" (or lack of strength) with Adalius Thomas to rotate in hoping to re-light his fire for a year or two. Fortunately Ryan (with his defense) has the ability to add athletes who go undrafted and play them to their athletic strengths...giving the team adequate role players who could down the line develop into more than that.
i think danny woodhead could be the slot receiver of the future, and be a beast of one. A former RB converted into a slot WR would be amazing. Our own little Welker haha.
OL,DE,DT,CB should be our top priorities (and possibly safety depending how the Rhodes situation pans out)
I hope so. I've seen him lined up in the slot in some three wr sets lately. They decided to try him there after he looked so good on the scout team trying to be Welker. Hopefully a full off season of learning to be a receiver works out. Most likely it won't work out but it's a nice project.
I disagree with NT. I think it is a huge need. You can't guarentee that Jenkins will return to form. I rather draft a Cody or Williams who can play NT if Jenkins is not the same or De if Jenkins continue to dominates. Pouha is a nice player, but we have gotten lucky. What if he had gotten hurt who would play NT. I think we need depth at that postion. Keep in mind that it is easier for a NT to play 34 DE than it is for 34 DE to play NT. Drafting or signing a NT also brings great versitility to our line.
I don't get why some people compare Danny Woodhead to Wes Welker? The only thing they have in common is their skin color and their size. Wes Welker was an extremely productive receiver for a major college program. I still have no idea how he didn't get drafted. Welker's career stats at Texas Tech: 259 catches for 3,019 yards and 21 TDs. He also returned 8 punts for TDs. I know Danny Woodhead was ridiculously productive at Chadron State, but...it's...Chadron State. He's a Division II running back with no experience as a receiver. Yeah, he was a heck of a running back, and he's got potential, but he's not Wes Welker...not even close. Stop comparing these guys - Welker is one of the best receivers in the league. He's a first team All-Pro wideout.
Glad someone agrees with me. Woodhead isn't a WR, let alone a slot receiver. Give up on the Woodhead hype!!!
I have issues with drafting someone in the first round who isnt likely to see significant playing time the first year. So based off of your projections I say get another WR, hell just another WR. Look so far Woody has been reliable in his time with the Jets and I just don't see any red flags at the moment. People forget that we run at the right side of the line the most, thats Woody which means he is a lot better than he seems to get credit for. I agree at some point RT will need to be addressed but I don't think drafting someone who is a backup in the first round is a good idea.
I'm not saying we HAVE to draft him in rd 1... but that whoever plays in our OL has to be elite and not just good or average so if we draft someone to spell/eventually replace Woody he needs to evolve into an elite RT. Personally I think those kind of players can be found in rd 3 (Scott from Tenn is my favorite), but if someone falls in rd 1 I'm not opposed to drafting him... especially if he is a project (someone who played G in college like Iupati or Ducasse) and needs some time to learn how to play at OT. The point is we don't know right now how well Woodhead's conversion into a slot WR will be. Nobody does, not even Rex or the WR coach. I think in the few matches he has played reciever he's proved he can be a nice short pass option... is that enough proof for the future? Hell no! But at least it gives us hope. You can't bank on hope (that's why from a fan standpoint I want to draft a true slot WR) but I'm open minded about seeing what results he can achieve by practicing a full off-season as a slot. NT Debate: How many teams have 3 STARTING caliber NTs? We are already lucky enough to have 2 + a capable backup in Green. If by "lacking depth" you mean we don't have 3 starting caliber players at one position then please tell me in which positions we do (apart from RB)... It's true that it's easier to switch from NT to DE than viceversa but still I feel that a TRUE DE (and not an adapted one) is far more important to this team than a 3rd string NT. I feel that many fans really overestimate what an injury means to a player in 2010. It's not the '60s where a player was never the same before and after surgery. Look at guys like Cadillac Williams.. he tore his ligaments 1'000 and he's still up and running! If we use Jenkins correctly (not more than 60/70% of the snaps) I'm sure he won't have any problems... unless someone falls on him of course.
Both Offensive and Defensive Line...We need a pure pash rusher at defensive end and need younger offensive lineman for depth and the future
1. As 2010 will be an uncapped year, that means we cut Ghost and get done with him once and for all. 2. We need a capable body behind the Big Jenx. Pouha and Co. did a serviceable job, but that's what it is - serviceable. 8th in the rushing defense is a telltale sign of NT need. 3. Frankly, I think we need to cut BT as well. He is, again, what it is - serviceable. We would need an elite talent along the LB corp. 4. I think Lito stays - at least one more season till Lowery can take his place. Yes, I think Lowery has what it takes to be a #2 corner. 5. T-Rich is getting up there in age, and we still haven't found a suitable replacement for him. Once he retires, the running game will suffer. Good blocking FB should be on order. 6. I believe a good slot WR can be had in the lower rounds - at times, around 7. Saints hit bonanza with Colston at 7th, and we hit our share of good fortune from Stuckey. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of slot WR at 7th for that reason. 7. Faneca and Woody need to be replaced in a season or two - you can go about it in two ways; either you can get a project player this year, or invest a high pick next year. I guess we need to do both - 1 project this year, 1 high pick next year. To sum it up: The team needs: NT DE OLB OT/G FB WR P.S. I am hoping Seymour gets to walk - that way we can lure him back to AFCE, with a shot at the Cheats organization, twice a season. That also negates the DE need.
Say that to the other 23 teams with a worse run defense than ours and their starters playing instead of their backups. You are all acting as if Jenkins is done and will never ever play football again. That's just crazy! 2 good NTs is more than enough on a team... Cut BT? CUT BT? Why cut someone just because he's serviceable? I think he's doing a hell of a job lately. Everyone thinks OLB = sacks... but that so isn't the case! Especially in our scheme were different guys rush the passer.
I'm going to guess that you have never blown out a Knee? Mine was done by a very reputable doctor who had done several of the guys I played rugby with, but its not the same. I've never regained the power, and agility I once had despite hours and hours of rehab. Should Jenkins be able to? Maybe, but he's over 30 and not exactly a small guy. Add to that both he and Pouha are 30+ and now is a very good time to be drafting a young NT. He gets to work with and learn from one of the best in the game while still being able to be a rotational player for us. The most consistant teams in the league, like Indy and Pittsburgh, draft for positions before a huge hole in the roster opens up, not after.
The best thing about our team is that we have no "must have" needs. --Our Offense may be the weak link, but it hinges on progression of a young qb rather than adding a player here or there. --The draft is a crap-shoot and we have had our successes of recent...and our let down(s). But given our lack of picks I wouldn't expect Tannenbaum to get away from the "1 or 2 blue chip additions to our team" strategy . BPA...within 5-10 spots of our pick. Hitting on another stud player to add to our defense would be ridiculous...And it wouldn't matter where.
1) You don't play rugby for a living (I think). I agree that ligament operations are the worst ones for athletes but many many times I have seen professional football/soccer/rugby/skiers(they put so much pressure on their knees) players come back 100% after one of those injuries. You probably rehabbed an hour a day... these guys rehab 6 hours a day with a couple of professionals following them EVERY day! Plus I'm sure they do a lot of crazy procedures us mortals can only dream of. It's one thing if a ligament breaks just because it can't handle the pressure you put on it... that's a bad sign as it will prob brake again and again. But if it brakes because of trauma (shit happens) it can hold up well for years (unless of course another 300lbs guy falls akwardly on it!). I'm not worried one bit about Jenkins coming back... In fact he broke his right ACL a couple of years ago and it didn't seem to bother him while playing for the Jets 2) Pouha is 30 but he has never ever played much. Came out late from college and was always a marginal piece of this D. I'm sure he can handle another 4 years of football. 3) I agree the Pittsburgh way of drafting is the way to go... but first you have to draft in positions in which a hole is liklier to open... and that to me is 3-4 DE more than NT. NT (1 starter): Jenkins (30 year old starter), Pouha (good 31 years old backup), Green (serviceable 31 year old 3rd stringer) DE (2 starter): Ellis (33 year old starter), Douglas (33 year old starter), DeVito (good 26 year old backup), Pitoitua (unknown 24 year old backup).
1) No I don't. The Guy who did my operation has done them on proffesional athleats in the past. Age has a big impact on recovery. Jenkins is not getting any younger and is a full three years older than Williams, your example, when going through the same process. Not to mention Jenks has had several injurys in the past and often lets himself get far out of shape. I'd love to think he will be back at 100%, but I worry he will not. Obviously the teams inside up front info on the situation will affect thier draft strategy. 2) Pouha is 30. The lack of playing does not change the fact that re will take longer to recover from the wear and tear of the NFL at this age than in his mid 20's not matter how much he has played in the past. He's at the point where the human male body starts losing some speed, agility, and recovery when doing physical activitys. Lack of playing time on the football feild does not reverse father time. 3)Your countering your own argument here. No NT on the roster is under 30. Two DE's are. So age is as much of an issue at NT as it is DE. We need young depth on all areas of the DL. That said, NT is more importan and harder to fill than a 34 DE. If one of the top two (Cody or Williams) fall to us I would love to grab them. If not I'm fine with most of the 3-4 end prospecs that will still be around at the end of round one.
what about ilb depth? if scott or harris goes down were losing a lot ... plus scott isnt getting any younger
