You can't rebuild if you have Woody Johnson saying the things he's been saying and making the front office do what he wants them to do. He knows nothing about football, yet he's still making decisions like going after Tebow for no apparent reason.
Jet fans have to recognize that those 2 playoff runs were more the function of luck and circumstance than a powerhouse team built to go deep into the playoffs. I mean no disrespect by that its just the way it is sometimes. The Pats in 2001 weren't built to win the superbowl that season. There were just so many things that had to go right that season for them to win. Teams that played badly just at the right time, luck with injuries, getting the key call, etc. Just look at the Giants last season, there were several key points during the season that if they go the other way, the Giants don't even make the playoffs. let alone the superbowl. Then the Packers play their worst game of the season, and 49ers gift them the championship game. Even in the superbowl game. You don't usually fumble the ball 4 times and get all of them back, and if the Pats get just one they win the game. It didn't hurt the Giants to have Gronk get hurt in the last 3 minutes of the AFCCG. That kind of luck is necessary to ANY superbow winner, but some years you get more than your share, like in 2009. BTW- the 2010 team was a very good team and deserved that record, but like you've seen had a short shelf life.
The problem is you have a complete moron doing the building so it will never get done. If anything all he is doing is tearing it apart and nobody wants to hear it but all you have to do is look at the cap disaster we have for next year and the 18 free agents that there is no chance of retaining and you will see exactly how bad it really is. It will be years before this team can compete again and only then if they get a real GM to run the joint.
Very good op post and I agree. I don't think the Jets are necessarily rebuilding in the traditional sense but sort of doing a hybrid rebuild / retool. They're bringing in short term solutions while simultaneously putting long term pieces in place. People need to be patient and let these people work. I know everyone just wants a Super Bowl but contrary to belief you don't just draft a highly rated QB and then profit. These things take time and effort and perserverance and vision. The Brady's of the world are one in a million.
Good post Soss. I think you hit the nail on the head. While I think Sanchez isn't the answer at QB, Alex Smith is all the rage after 7 years in the league. Mostly because the right pieces are around him where he can thrive. Sanchez is a better QB than Alex Smith and Trent Dilfer. So while Mark isn't going to win any ProBowl appearances, he is better than the alternative - Tim Tebow or a new QB that ends up worse than Sanchez. 1. Vernon Gholston. Enuff said. 2. Parcells already quit on this team once. I never went back out with a girl that left me for someone else. Fuck Parcells.
Can't do it that way. Offensive line is the perfect example. If you don't think Slausson/Moore are the long term answers (which they are not), then Ducasse should be starting at one of those spots and not splitting time at LG.
I don't agree that we are "re-tooling". I think that we need to blow it up big time. We have holes just about everywhere. Strongest position is probably CB and even there you have to wonder what the future holds. Will Revis want a blockbuster contract next year? I think we all know the answer to that one! Then the question is, do you meet his demands no matter how outrageous they are?? Is CB a position that it makes sense to rebuild around or would that money be better spent elsewhere? The Jets are in need to major upgrades and improved depth just about everywhere. This is not something that one draft can fix. This is a multi-year rebuilding project especially if they go with a rookie QB at some point. I just hope that Tannenbaum is not the one making personnel decisions throughout this process.
The problem is, with our recent draft records, even we are in rebuilding mode, we still can not get enough talent from drafts.
Stephen Hill isn't ready to be a number 2 receiver as yet. Getting someone like a Dwayne Bowe or at the very least a Jerome Simpson could help.
Rebuilding doesn't mean squat without a cohesive plan in place. So far, I'm not at all impressed with the "vision" of this franchise. We went all in for the SB in 2010 and since then, our drafts haven't really panned out the way we would have liked. Our biggest successes in the last 4 years is also our biggest problem. That would be those two AFCCG losses everyone is so fond of pointing to. For some reason, it gave this FO/CS enough credibility to cover all the mistakes that have been made since. Anytime some critisim comes their way, they play the AFCCG card. The argument that they're the best thing ever to have happened to this franchise only points out how woefully bad this franchise has been over the decades. As they say, its all relative. If Woody does plan on starting over, he'll have to drop the mindset of "any PR is good PR" and learn how to not dominate the back pages at any cost. Will he do it? Highly doubtful as he's still trying to get some ROI on the money he chipped in to build the stadium. So, reflecting back on the OP's point, its not the fanbase that can't take a complete makeover, its Management and the Owner that can't or won't face that possibility.
Cman that's a good point. If the team is in full rebuild mode the fans may stop coming to the games, and considering the attendance issues that's something Woody does not want. So as long as they field a team good enough to be competitive while saving money and stealing headlines from the Giants then everything is fine. At least in Woody's mind.
The owner is a big problem. Making a statement to the media about Tebow being here his entire contract length is just stupidity fanning the flames. How much more can you undermine your Franchise QB by claiming Tebow isn't going anywhere.
QB is an issue, definitely. Building around an average quarterback leaves much less margin for error in picks and signings. But QBs are gambles. We haven't had a franchise QB to build around since that guy that wore mink. We start over and fail again at QB, we'll just be doomed to start over yet again. Unacceptable? This season is shot. Our talent level was questionable before losing our #1 WR as well as our best overall player. Our ceiling is 'decent.' Rebuilding/tooling doesn't mean throwing games, but it does mean getting younger guys more play time for both evaluation and experience sake. People are forgetting that expectations weren't particularly high going into this season. The buffalo game messed with people's heads. The most optimistic people on this board were calling for 10-6. Tebow: No reason? He's a football player. He runs and throws and we brought in a coach with wildcat experience. Unsuccessful doesn't mean no reason. Harris: No reason? He had 2 125+ tackle seasons in his first 3 years on one of the best run stopping teams in the league. The dude was an All-Pro in 2009. You can't judge an contract signed before the '11 season based on a bad first 5 games in 2012. The guy was a stud and part of our core Sanchez's extension was not much more than something to announce to the media. Guaranteed money didn't really go up and realistically didn't add much for length and guarantees. I think you overestimate us. You think people would accept being told essentially "bear with us for two years as we start over"? We've been starting over for 40 years now.
Jets need fresh blood on both offense and defense. Jets won't be competitive before 2016 draft at the earliest. I don't buy the total number of drafts. You want 6-7 at the top 100 - that is, from round 1 to 3. Won't be easy. Offloading Sanchez is a critical mistake. If watching Sanchez didn't teach you a lesson, I don't know what to tell you, really. Sanchez should restructure his contract after next one anyway. We all know he does not deserve his pay, and no sane GM will pick him up to be a starter either. Tannenbaum, I agree, but I am 50/50 on Ryan. With good supporting cast on the coaching staff, Ryan can make it happen. (See how long it took Cowher to win the big one once and for all.) First and foremost, these mid-level FAs do not exist any more. Secondly, building through FA is, regardless of the situation, a recipe for a failure. You do not want to pay the market value to your players. But I agree that Jets must draft a good quality QB next year. And he should not be rushed into the starting role either. (See why off-loading Sanchez is a mistake now?) Scrap the FA thought. For real. When was the last time you ever found that mid-level FA that could perform? How did it work for you up in Foxboro? Shaun Ellis? Haynesworth? Jets are in serious need of fresh blood (good 13-14 starting role on both sides of the ball, excluding the depth guys and sub-package guys.) and unless Jets can get good 6-7 picks from the top 3 rounds, who ALL pan out, Jets won't be contending within the next 3 years at the minimum. Jets were incredibly lucky during the 2-year run in fact. And that gave T-Bomb MORE incentive to go light on OL. (Only moron will do that kind of dumb shit.) That won't be happening with T-Bomb literally ticking away like a time bomb.
This team is capable of competing and rebuilding. The AFC is weak right now and the league is built for parity. No reason we can't add pieces and compete for wild cards for years.
Also to the people wanting to fire Tannenbaum over some poor drafting. To me that's like wanting to fire Rex over Schotty's failed offense. Tannenbaum is the cap guy, the contract guy, the negotiator, and the overseer. Yes he is ultimately responsible but the guy isn't a scout. We have a whole team of guys to do that. Bradway and Clinkscales are two guys that can eat the blame in the drafting department. The latter is gone already anyway. We need to bolster the scouting department.
