Powell is better than Forte.

I agree that he's still valuable. I was just saying what I did because Hasty mentioned getting rid of Forte.

I agree, but you were the one who mentioned the prospect of getting rid of Forte when we got a RB who could compete for the #1 job. That could easily happen this offseason if we draft Fournette or Dalvin Cook. I was just pointing out that we probably couldn't or wouldn't be getting rid of him, regardless of what happens in the draft.

 

Personally I feel a back would not be addressed till later rounds. With the 2 we have they are more than serviceable with so many other positions that need to be addressed first. Improvement on the offensive line will only lower the need of a back drafted high.

 

Agreed, and the league has certainly become a pass-oriented affair. For if you invest your first pick in an RB1, you have to structure your offense that way. But as anyone who is involved in fantasy football can tell you, there has been a sharp decline in RB performance over the last few years. Face it, the numbers just aren't there to support a run oriented philosophy in today's NFL. They'll just roll up 8 in the box and let you wear your O-line out gaining 2.3 yards per carry.

 

In general, I agree. In an ideal world, I would no longer take a RB in the 1st round unless my team was already stacked and deep, and I was just going BPA. This isn't an ideal world, however, so at least in this situation, I don't agree. Following are my reasons.

For one thing, just as an OL can make a RB look better, a great RB can also make an OL look better than they are. A great back can also take a lot of pressure off of a young QB.

More importantly, considering what the 2017 draft class is like and where the Jets will be drafting, taking Fournette would probably help the team more and have a greater impact on the team's play. If the draft were today, the Jets would be drafting at the #6 position. At that point in the draft, unless something crazy happens, Myles Garrett won't be there, and unless Watson and/or Cam Robinson wind up being rated that highly, the BPA would be Fournette. I'd be shocked if the Jets take Watson, Cam Robinson has character issues, and a number of people don't think he's that good anyway. Ramcyzk might be a 1st round pick, but will probably go in the teens or twenties. That point in the draft is too high to take a CB unless you think he's going to be a slam dunk HOFer. So at that point, the Jets would be left between taking the BPA which would also fill a need and add some octane to their offense, trying to trade down (my hope in this scenario), or reaching for an OLB or OL. Of course, player rankings can and will change between now and the draft, but I can't see too many other options for the Jets at this point.

It's typical Jets' luck that in the year they have a horrible season and most likely will be drafting in the top 5-6 picks, there isn't a consensus can't miss QB, there aren't several great OT prospects and there aren't a couple of great 3-4 OLB prospects. They're set on the DL, so that shouldn't be the pick. IMO that's too high to take a DB, TE, FB, C, OG, or ILB. They've got a good young WR corps, but I suppose if there's a stud #1 WR prospect sitting there, he might be the BPA. Mike Williams of Clemson is the only WR that I've seen rated anywhere near that high, so I guess he's a possibility. If the Jets keep B. Marshall and Decker, taking Williams would be akin to taking Leonard Williams when the Jets already had Mo and Sheldon. That's even more true considering they have Enunwa, Peake, Anderson, J. Marshall and D. Smith. I think Enunwa or possibly Peake could be their #1 WR, but I guess an argument could be made that neither is that good or that type of player, and that Williams would be a better prospect, but how would he get the needed snaps to develop with the depth the Jets have at WR? IMO for that to make sense at all, they'd have to move on from both B. Marshall and Decker.

 

With Bryce "the Mad Bomber" Petty at QB, no team would be able to keep 8 men in the box for long. If anything, they'd be dropping 5 men into coverage.

 

With Mac you never know (another DL anyone). I'd hope myself they look long and hard at a trade down to draft an OL later in the first and then a CB with an extra second round pick as it's a loaded draft for them this year....almost like getting first round quality in the second for defensive backs.

 

True, Petty brings a dimension we've lacked for some time, but he also needs to show improvement to command that kind of respect, that said I certainly think he can and will. I like what I saw when he was in college, and I like what I've seen of him in Green & White. And I think he has an edge in his attitude that Fitzpatrick (who's a technician at heart) never did or will. And Petty also looks like he can run play-option, instead of just sitting back in shotgun the way Fitz likes. That alone will improve both the passing and running game. I have my fingers crossed.

 

Anyone with two eyes should be able to see it.

I was so happy when the STINKIN' OLD JAG went out of the game yesterday. I hope he takes his sweet time healing like he did in training camp/preseason with the pulled hammy.

The real best RB on the Jets was allowed to shine.

 

I am sure you absolutely felt this way when he played an excellent game against the Bills earlier this season M I RITE!?

 

Powell has been better than Forte all year. You shouldn't need yesterday against a horrendous 49ers defense to tell that though. Powell should've been the main back all year

 

ALL year long. I didn't like the signing. I didn't like the signing even more when the media started to describe what the STINKIN' OLD JAG'S role would be here.

Heeeey Bilal Powell does a lot of the same things and better.

Then the games started and I grew to hate the signing.

And the ONLY reason the STINKIN' OLD JAG had a game in Buffalo week 2 was because Ryan Fitzpatrick and the WRs played one of the greatest games ever by a NYJ starting QB-WR corps. There was a point in that game when the STINKIN' OLD JAG had like 19 carries for like 42 yards the only reason he went off was because Buffalo had NO ANSWERS for the Jets passing attack, he ran against soft fronts.

 

idk about the person you are responding to but I didn't think Forte played an excellent game in that Buffalo win. they ran him 30 times in that game for practically 2 yards every time. 3 short touchdowns isnt going to cloud my judgment, especially since he himself wasn't breaking any tackles. He was falling forward though, I'll give him that.

Prior to yesterday Powell's previous high all year was 11 touches. With what he brings to the offense that is just absurd!! He should've been getting a lot more touches than Forte. Its like they promised Forte a certain amount of carries so they give it to him no matter what, ignoring what is the obvious on the field.

then you had the 'Bowles Logic' in the Ravens game of not giving Powell any carries after Geno got hurt because he was the emergency QB..... here you are playing for your playoff pulse in a big conference game and you hold out your best RB because he's the backup QB now.

 

Helped move the chains and scored 3 TDs. He did have a crappy 3.3 YPC, but I'm not disagreeing with you in terms of his role on the team, that's for sure. This wasn't really the role I envisioned for Matt Forte. I was hoping he would have a role similar to Shane Vereen allowing the Jets to have Forte and Powell out there at the same time making plays. It should've been a 50-50 split from the start. Forte will have his worst receiving season of his career I believe.

Jets haven't done a good job utilizing their players, but I didn't hate the Forte signing either.

 

It was a great offensive effort by everyone that day. Again, I didn't hate the signing, but I didn't like how they used him.

 

So your point is that we still have a ton of other issues that the performances of Petty and Powell against the worst D in the league didn't cure? If so, I concur. Hopefully, however, we've turned the corner at the most critical position on the field, and I don't mean RB. We're going to find out in a hurry what we've really got, for we're going to see three considerably better defenses than we did yesterday. I fear the fly in the ointment is Gailey, though, who isn't suddenly going to morph into Josh McDaniels or even Kyle Shanahan.

 

Only the Jets could make a run winning 5 games in a row with Bilal Powell being a huge part of it, then lose Week 17 without him, showing his importance to the team, then completely not use him at all the following year. Terrible.

 

the NFL is a 2 back league now. No issue with using both evenly to keep them fresh. using 1 RB for 30 carries a game isn't smart. they just break down over the course of a season. remember larry johnson? he got ridden into early retirement. With that said i'd love to draft fournette, he's a game changer at RB and with him and powell splitting reps we'd have a very good duo. I'd be ok with dumping forte at that point but it would cost us 1 million so i say we keep all 3 (since teams keep 3 RBs anyway) and use all 3 in rotation

 

Dallas has arguably the best offensive line in the league and most would agree that is a huge reason for their success. You can't honestly say that Elliot would have the same success behind this line. Fix the line and then hell yea draft a top flight running back. With a line like Dallas any back could break 1000 yards.

 

I agree completely. To those who keep saying "Don't pick a RB so high", or "You can get RBs a dime a dozen", are missing the point that you made: a STUD RB - the kind you only get with a high draft pick - makes the QB, the OL, and the passing game better. It's the one position aside from QB that has the highest impact IMO. And we're also NOT saying that we want the Jets to reinstitute "Ground & Pound" - it is a passing league now, but a stud RB improves that aspect, it doesn't diminish it. Finally, if you don't want to pick a RB, what DO you want to pick - Pass Rusher, DB, OL? There will likely NOT be any of those players available who are worth that high of a pick, so the alternative - trade down - is a possibility, but why ignore a potential game changing player just because he's a RB?

If Fournette is there when the Jets pick they should grab him.