The Patriots spend 1st round draft picks on 3-4 capable defensive linesmen, and sit em a year or so while they learn the system. They then bring in smart, versatile veteran linebackers, who know the game well enough to play on day one. They spend a bit less on star skill position players, a bit more on linesmen, special team players and backups. This means they lose one or two star players every year... Lawyer Malloy, Ty Law, Branch, etc... One gets rid of people who value money over team, and bring in people who value team over money. This requires a front office that knows its priorities and is very astute in knowing how much a player is worth. The Patriots were either lucky or good in finding Tom Brady. It is far easier to spend a first round draft choice on a defensive linesman when one is really confident of one's franchise quarterback. There just aren't enough franchise quarterbacks to go around. (Or enough 3-4 D-linesmen.) The teams that don't have a franchise QB have to take chances or do stupid things in the endless quest to get one. Too often, they draft the QB first, the O-line second, and teach bad habits to college hot shot QBs who might possibly have developed into NFL franchise QBs if given a proper chance. So far, it has worked. Can they sustain it? While Tom Brady is healthy, and while they are a good enough team to attract team players, why not? A good size part of it falls under a "we're right, the world is wrong" perspective. Most teams think 'skill position' players are more valuable than other players, and throw more money at them. The Patriots recognize the need to be strong all across the line, letting the high ego high paycheck guys walk. Until the rest of the league reevaluates the relative worth of players at different positions, the Patriots have an advantage. And the Jets -- trying to play 3 - 4 without having spent 1st round draft choices on 3 - 4 linesmen -- are not likely to gain a lot from having stolen a coach familiar with the Patriots Xs an Os schemes on the football field. You need a solid front office too.
And just which first round defensive lineman should they have drafted? You make it sound so simplistic but players like Richard Seymour, Wilfork, Casey Hampton, Jamal Williams, Aaron Smith they don't grow on trees. In the 2006 the following defensive lineman went in the first round: Mario Williams, Haloti Ngata, Broderick Bunkley, Tamba Hali, John McCargo and Kiwanuka. In the 2007 draft the following defensive lineman went in the first round: Gaines Adams, Okoyi, Adam Karriker, Justin Harrell, and Jarvis Moss. The only two players you can argue that the Jets could have taken are Ngata or Carriker. There were plenty of questions about Ngata going into the draft. If the Jets had been able to trade down then the pick would have made some sense but taking him at four would have been way to high. Furthermore they needed a left tackle badly. As far as Carriker is concerned he was already drafted when the Jets picked and no one really knows if he can play in a 3-4. So in two first round drafts there was all of one player who really fit the 3-4. Keeping in mind the Jets unfortunately have two huge contracts tied up with Ellis and Robertson on the line. The Patriots won superbowls before they had all first round picks on their line. It's not a necessity but if you can get four talented players like Seymour, Green, Wilfork and Warren it's definitely not a bad thing.
The formula you mentioned in your post to become a SB champ the NYJs have been attempting to use since 01/13/69 without any success
Agreed on this. The Jet's attempt to emulate New England's success is only going to work if they try to do the whole thing and then they'll have to be as good as the New England FO and developmental staffs have been and also very lucky. Personally I think it's a waste of time. Better to build a great team the Jets way, whatever that turns out to be, than to try to emulate a scheme that requires a 6th round QB going to the hall of fame.
All I'm saying is ................We are good enough at the skill positions (regardless of our record). We need to draft for strength on BOTH lines, and for depth on BOTH lines
Generally true, this is how I see the Jet's absolute priorities at this point: 1. NT (or 4-3 NT if they switch back to 4-3) 2. LG 3. ROLB 4. RT 5. RDE Really they need to get all 5 of those for the Jets to have a chance at being a decent team in the near future but they must have the first 3 to avoid sucking. 6. SE (they need a field stretcher to line up opposite Cotchery, Coles should see some reduced duty in the slot to keep him healthy and hopefully let him have as good an end of career over the next few seasons as possible.) 7. FS (need a real rover back there to allow the Jets to use Rhodes as a strong safety in the box where he is most effective.) 8. P (Graham getting long in the tooth and has been much less effective.) In combination with the 5 above these 3 would give the Jets elite possibilities. 9. Depth, depth, depth. This is the NFL and injuries happen. The Jets need to be deeper in every slot on the depth chart because most of their backups suck just as badly as the starters.
we all need to remember something and that is Randy Moss is a FA and we know a lot of teams will throw big bucks at him and the Pats are known don't to pay there players big dollars
