Love the subtle verbiage change between the team media and non team media. Brock Bowers.. you are a New York Jet.
Interesting comment by Dick Chimney on JD's presser. "Re: Bryce Huff… noted how they were able to sign Quinnen Williams before his walk year. Almost sounded like he wishes they had done the same with Huff." This really explains why they let Huff walk. It's hard mentally to tag the guy at 19 mil and ultimately pay him 17 per for 34 guaranteed, when could have probably had him for 6 mil if he extended him last year. What a fuck up this year made worse by the fuck up last year.
Well said and so true! Also, seeing as this is also the "current news" thread, I'll throw out there the wonderful "ruling" that the hip drop tackle has now been removed which even further diminishes what a "good" defense can accomplish. The Jets really need to FOCUS on the offense because a couple more rule changes and this will become a Flag Football league which will result in the demise of the NFL. Just SMH. NEXT you won't be able to grab a player by their arm because it "might" dislocate. Needless to say, if an offensive player "escapes" the defense they may as well simply stop running and conserve their energy because they won't be able to tackle.
I kinda want to see the team sign Zeke as a backup, but at the same time I'd be scared what that could/would end up looking like in the Hackett offense in the event Breece went down for any extended time lol I'd rather there be a legit opportunity window open up there then just see us morph into a tail end of 2023 Patriots game script of Zek getting 20+ touches a game.
I'd give JK Dobbins a shot. If he can stay healthy he'd be an ideal 2. I know that's a big if but the guy can't get hit with extreme bad luck four years in a row can he? Worst case Izzy steps into the 2 spot and combining his homerun hitting with an improved OL (and a functioning QB)... I think he can take a leap. Zeke is probably the best option left unfortunately.
Yeah, just what we need another oft-injured player on offense or another over-the-hill player. No way on either/both. The Jets should draft a power back in this draft. Estimé of ND or Allen of Wisconsin are who we need.
You're not in touch with reality if you think we're going into the season with an RB2 that didn't get time because he was taking a while to pick up protections (Izzy) and a day 3 RB3 (either guy you mentioned, one of whom struggles with protections at the collegiate level). Of course in an ideal world we pair a stud rookie with our stud RB. That stud rookie doesn't exist for us. No team trying to win now is going to play multiple RBs that struggle with protection.
With what should be a greatly improved OL, I don't think the RB protections will be as important as last season. With Breece and a young, energetic power back we can wear down opposing Ds, and then Izzy can come in and break off big yards on a tired defense. We don't need a stud rookie because we have Breece. What our RB corps lacks is a true power back who can come in and pick up the tough yards in short-yardage situations and in the RZ. We don't want to wear Breece down and risk getting him injured doing that. It also doesn't have to be one of those two RBs. There are other good RB prospects in the draft who may be better pass protectors. I think it wiser to have one of them than a RB who can't stay healthy or one who is older and slowing down. We saw how that worked last season.
Edit: Literally as I was typing this Patterson signed with the Steelers so nevermind that, edited that part out. RB protections are always important. Doesn't matter the team, the scheme, the OL... if you struggle with protection you're probably not going to see the field a ton. I think Izzy can get better at it, I don't think he'll be ready week 1 to assume a larger role. A rookie whose biggest weakness is protection (Braelon Allen) is not a viable option and is a significantly worse option for a win-now team than a guy like Zeke who is strictly a downhill guy and actually still excels at pass protetion. Ironically I was hoping we'd sign Damien Harris who just retired at 27.
https://x.com/BoyGreen25/status/1772721342195937668?s=20 If Clowney is getting $15 mil a year it sure as hell better not be from us.
How about Estimé? I know that protection is always important, but I was thinking it might be not as critical this year with a better OL. Dobbins was a great prospect coming out of college, but he can't stay healthy. I can see it now...the Jets reach the mid-point of the season and both their starting and backup LTs (Smith and Bakhtiari), both their #1 and #2 QBs, their #2 RB, their #2 WR and their starting RG are all on IR. That would be just the Jets' luck. Even though the Jets are going "all in" this season, JD still has to think about the future. That's why he has to take an OT early, hopefully 2 WRs, a solid backup IOL, and a backup SS. With better and less predictable play calling, I think it would be less of an issue as well. There has to be a young RB who is good in pass protection who has some power who can come in and backup Breece.
Right on cue: https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/1772753988284289361?s=46&t=eaLIxbRmBqelegocbpHIVQ Dobbins fully cleared and ready for visits.
If true, he's taking the money and doesn't care about winning. I never really wanted him anyway, either this season, or any of the other times he has been a FA. He's just about the money, and has never lived up to his potential.
I'm surprised Clowney wanted more than 1 year. He's been a mercenary for a while and from I'd read, seemingly embracing that. Probably a bit more money than they wanted to spend too. IMO it's concerning that they are willing to invest this much money in an edge rusher. If they had faith in Will McDonald, you would think they'd be aiming for more of a depth/rotational piece rather than a guy who has been playing a big chunk of snaps wherever he's been. I hope they can add a depth option and give more snaps to McDonald. If they feel that uncomfortable with him, then they really should have resigned Huff this offseason or last season whenever questions about him arose. Hopefully that's not the case, but it's hard to believe otherwise given their serious interest in Clowney and Barrett. But please no edges until later in the draft....
They should kick Clemons back outside and stop trying to Shaun Ellis him into being a defensive tackle.
2022 Micheal Clemons would solve the edge issue. He looked like a potential JFM replacement his rookie year. Last year he really fell off. They should go back to what was working in 2022 and admit it was a failed experiment