the last area of this team i'd be tinkering with...would be the starting offensive line. I understand Faneca stinks as a passblocker...but he's lethal in our run game....which is our bread n' butter. I trust Tanny/Rex....but this is a headscratcher....especially since we're making a major push for a title.
I don't like the idea of releasing Faneca. Don't tinker with an already elite O-Line. If we replace him this season and our running game suffers even a little, I will not be happy.
I agree Faneca isn't an elite player anymore, but he is still good with run blocking. So who would replace him if they did trade him?
I know this sounds Maddenesque, but could they resign him for a 1 year deal, maybe give him $10+ for one year to make him want to sign the deal? That way he could be gone after next years cap.
I can buy Faneca leaving. His 2010 salary does not equate his production on the field particularily in pass protection. When it comes to expensive O-linemen who are aging...I don't think you wait for a huge decline to address the issue. If you wait, you end up in situations like St. Louis (After Orlando Pace) and Dallas(Flozell Adams). Not only are those teams now struggling to find long term answers, but they also paid a boatload of money to aging players who again, price tag didn't yield a feasible return. Additionally, I'm suspecting one of 2 things the jets are thinking(and possibly both). A. They like Turner, Hunter and Slauson to compete for that LG spot. They all know the system and it appears the FO is alot higher on them than people think. All 3 have been in the system for awhile and have seen some playing time. You're putting a player w/ system experience between 2 pro bowlers in their prime. You likely get a slight downgrade in run blocking but a clear upgrade in pass blocking. B. I'm starting to get the feeling that rex likes Iupati. Various media reports of players the jets have spent alot of time w/ all seem to link Iupati as a player of consideration. Rex is well known from his time in Balty for falling in love w/ 1 or 2 players in the first round of the draft. Iupati not only is arguably the best guard prospect(Notice I use the word prospect) since Steve Hutchinson,especially as a run blocker. He is a great fit for the "Ground and pound" philosophy. There IS a possibility he slips to #29...and I believe he'd start from day 1.
Yeah who is that skinny broad? ------------------------------------- I can't see them cutting Faneca if we don't find a deal.
This is risky. We have no idea how good/bad Slauson is because we have never seen him play so we have to trust the FO on how far along he has come in his progress. If we draft Iupati, I would like him to learn from Faneca for a year and take advantage of his extensive knowledge. Overall I'm not a fan of releasing/trading Faneca, I think we are getting too cute now like a Schottenheimer offense.
Yes, and unless Faneca would restructure his contract, in which case he could just as well stay here, if he was traded the team he would go to would get his contract, too, and would have to pay him all that money. He's not going to bring hardly anything in a trade, I would think.
