If next year LT retires (or is too slowed down by age/injuries) what do we do at the position? We are a ground & pound team but we might only have Greene, Powell & McKnight coming back. Greene is a good power back but seems to get hurt so often. He's not a TD machine and his hands aren't exactly covered with glue, so not really a 3 down back. Powell looked pretty bad in his only outing but one game means nothing. Jury still out on him. McKnight also is kind of an enigma. Can he come in and take LTs role or is he only a trick player/occasional RB? Assuming LT isn't brought back, would you like to see the Jets look for a player in the draft to help out these 3 guys or would you prefer to see them active in FA? It doesn't seem to be an elite RB class but what are some names you are intrigued by? PS Mmm, maybe this thread fits better in the Jets forum... It's just I really wanted to talk about the RBs in the draft.
Personally I wouldn't mind adding Chris Polk if he's there in the 3rd. We need a thumper to complement Greene as I feel Powell and McKnight are both better suited to 3rd down duties...
This was a position I am left questioning too... I personally dont think Greene is or ever will be a great/top tier RB. He gets hurt too often, cant catch and just isnt explosive. He's good at what he does but it will never get significantly better than that. He will just be an OK to good back for his career IMO. I like McKnight, and I think he has a future on this offense. He is a very good receiving threat from out of the backfield and at the WR position. Im just not sure if he can handle a big workload; part of me wants to say yes, but the other part still has question marks. Also, a big part in his lack of production is playcalling- when you have an explosive runner who can get to the outside, running him up the middle more than not isnt ideal. IMO, we dont have a future top tier RB on the roster, but someone could break out. And in this draft, the only RB who is capable of being an elite back is obviously Trent Richardson. The likelihood of him dropping that far is pretty low though. I do like what little I've seen from David Wilson from VT too. FA might be the best option as guys like foster and forte could become available but I'm not sure how much cap room we have.
Definitely not enough to get guys like those. That's why I was looking at the draft... The question is: what does the CS see in Powell: All-round back? 3rd down back? He'd look sick on this team... suck for Richardson campaign ? What's your opinion on Polk?
Im not sure what the CS thinks of Powell at this point. There hasnt been really any talk about him that I've heard of except when LT was hurt. Im not exaclty sure what I think of him either because I didnt get much to see of him in college and he hasnt played. Theyre some good scouting reports on him but I just dont think he'll breakout, partly because of lack of playing time and the CS, and also were he is on the depth chart. And I dont really know a lot on Polk but after watching a little of him, I dont think he would tremendously change our backfield and improve it that much. I hate how we've come to possibly wanting another RB for the fourth year in a row. I would have rather just spent a higher draft pick and drafted a sure stud. Polk has a good size speed combo which is nice... Its just hard to draft a RB in the earlier rounds AGAIN, especially with OL, OLB and WR being such a huge need.
I can't imagine Tannebaum using another mid-level selection on a RB. That would be 4 years in a row. My guess is that Greene, Powell and McKnight will be the RBs next year. I personally would like to see them bring in Peyton Hillis. Maybe he could be had a relatively low price due to his injury and perceived bad PR in Cleveland. I really would like Michael Bush but I highly doubt Oakland let's him leave.
Wilson is another option, Polk is a solid option. The Jets need a running back who opposing teams have to fear, not just acknowledge
Unless we go into a major tailspin this is not happening. Right now he's being mocked between 8 and 16 with a good case being made for 4 or 5 teams in that range grabbing him. ... IMO we have too many other major needs to address RB in the early rounds. WR, OLB, OL, and S are all much higher priority. Lon has it right that Greene, Powell and McKnight will be our back feild next year.
Do you have confidence with just those 3 on a run first team? If we were the Packers (in terms of style of offense) I'd say no problem but in a ground and pound I'm not so sure. Mark Ingram fell in the draft... here's hoping Richardson breaks a leg in the BCS championship game . In my opinion if he's there when the Jets pick (say no play-offs so 17-20) he's automatically the BPA.
He might be the BPA but this team has more pressing needs then running back.....ie wideout, o line, safety is a freakin must(free agency probably), and tight end....
IF Richardson is availale then WR, OL, S and TE can all be addresed in the later rds or FA. And I don't agree entirely... considering how often Greene gets injured, the fact LT might retire or lose a step and how much we run the ball.
The problem there is that this team isn't a run first team any more. If they plan on getting back to that, then by all means another back would make sense. That said, I think Bilal Powell has tremendous potential if he gets some run.
I with you on Powell. The potential is there. The Denver game was not a good running effort by anyone let alone him. That said if the o-line continues its up swing of late the kid can run and should have holes to do so this tiem around. Overly confident? No. Scared enough to warrent a high pick on a RB? Not even close. Richardson is a beast. I don't see him making it to the 20's where I hope we are drafting. If we are in the mid teens, there should be far greater need/talent options for us at both OLB and WR. Would I be tempted? Yes, but a pass rushing monster or long term answer at wideout for Sanchez is a msut and soon.
1. Even if RB is less a position of need than others Richardson would be the BPA by a mile. You draft based on need, I think drafting based on talent is more important... RB isn't a position in dire need but it's one we can improve. 2. Who exactly is the pass rushing monster you're talking about? Courtney Upshaw? Very good player but in no way a monster. Sanchez already has 2 long term answers at WR and one a TE: Holmes and Kerley + Keller. A 1st round WR is as much a need as a 1st round RB... and Richardson is more talented than Jeffrey or Floyd. PS Keep in mind when the draft will come by we'll already know if Burress is sticking around another year or not. Maybe Edwards might come back... who knows...
FA being before the draft is a big plus this year and i agree about maybe havnig the answer. As things stand right now, we have at least three running back signed through next season two of which are very young with little NFL experince. Our wideouts look like Holmes, Kerley, Turner... McKnight? An ugly group. OLB's? Thomas coming of an achilies injury and Pace, with Westerman and Maybin in there as well, not a horrible grp, but nothing great about them as well. OLB prospects that will be around 16ish... Yes Upshaw and Brandon Jenkins will be in that range. Receivers? Floyd or Sanu would be there. You say BPA like its a 100% true thing for every pick.... if we are drafting 12th and a QB is BPA are you taking him? No, your not. Why, because its BPA that fits in your system and your needs. If the BPA is a 4-3 end only we are not taking him. If its a QB we are not taking him. If its a Center, We are not taking him. We are not becasue those players would either have no impact on our startering roster in the QB's or Centers case or not fit what we are doing in the ends case. Running back is highly seen as a position with low shelf life and little value on draft boards. This is because outside of the truely special ones, there is not much of a talent gap between the guys in the 3rd or the UDFA's. There is a reason why Hillis wanted his big contract adn a very good reason he's going to get boned in the open market. Pass rushers, pass protectors, and QB's have a much higher impact on the game. We need to get after the QB better and unless we sign a FA, we need better talent for our QB to throw to. Richardson would be an extreme luxery pick for us. I would love to have him, if we somehow resign plax and find a pass rusher in FA. That said this is a special year for wideouts and a talent like a floyd being around in the later half of the first would be a gift. This is all moot because I full expect him to be gone between the 8th to 12th pick becasue he is projected to be better than Ingrham.
IMO, Richardson is going to be available when the Jet's are OTC next April, so it's a moot point. FWIW, if Trent Richardson was available, he would probably be the BPA and would make the Jet's running game one of the NFL's best. So I would have no isuue with drafting TR!!!!
