I have to say, this is music to my ears: Quote: "...Yes, free agency starts next week but the Jets' brass is checking out college prospects this weekend. The team is looking to fill holes on the offensive line, defensive line and wide receiver. Two players are on Gang Green's radar according to Scouts.com and both are potential second round selections for the team. One is wide receiver James Hardy from Indiana. The Jets need a BIG target at the receiver position and Hardy would certainly fit the bill. He is 6-5, 220 and has speed as well. Just how much speed is still in doubt, that is why all eyes will be on his 40 time this weekend. The other player getting a lot of attention from the Jets is offensive tackle Carl Nicks from Nebraska. Nicks is a huge, physical tackle who would fit perfectly at right tackle for Gang Green. Also, new offensive line coach, Bill Callahan, is very familiar with Nicks and is putting in a good word for him. He is listed at 6-5, 335 and would certainly upgrade the team's right tackle spot instantly..."
Im really starting to feel if the jets manage to be active in free agency and the draft they can knock years of their rebuilding process. Their are alot of quality players available and even at positions such as WR settling for plan C such as (bryant Johnson instead of Hardy or stallworth) could reinvigerate this offense. I would love to see the jets sign a quality o line man in FA, trade for Rogers, and draft mcfadden. this team would be capable of a complete 180. I know its asking alot but look at how active the partiots were last offseason brining in three wide recievers that became their top three
Gholston or even Groves as the OLB pass rusher (and move BT back to his old spot so he can get 8.5 sacks again.) Hardy if he falls to our 2nd pick.... I'd like to add another 2nd rounder through a trade and get Carl Nicks as well Red Bryant or Rubin as the future NT.. who ever is there at #3 More O-line in the 4th, like Jeremy Zutah or if Kendall Langford is there get him-- i feel like he's a small school guy who is gunna be an amazing player, just gut feeling. CB, RB LB depth and maybe a QB project in the later rounds.
I like the interest in James Hardy as well, I however am not really high on Carl Nicks, I am a much bigger fan of guys like Cherilus and Chris Williams...
I respect Mike Mayock alot...and in my mind he only cemented his spot over Kiper when he was all over Leon Washington's talents and character 2 years ago. Interesting that Mayock does not have a single WR listed with a 1st round grade. He thinks there will be a flurry of WR's taken in rounds 3 and 4. He did say that Early Doucett was his #1 WR, but that since he was not participating in the combine he would not grade him. While Hardy at 6'7" would add to any teams redzone offense, I can't say he is worthy of a 1st day pick, primarily because I saw him play only once and also very telling was his interview with Rod Woodsen at the combine. Hardy said that he needed to learn "to run precision routes and most importantly learn how to block".....That is his quote, not mine, not the media. He said those were two things he never really did. He is confident that he can learn to do both, but "someone has to show me what needs to be done" .... WOW!! Now those two things are HUGE factors when evaluating a WR. Height is great, but IMO there is no way that a team takes a flyer on an unpolished WR on the first day. Sorry, but picking a WR that doesn't run routes well and does not know how to block, is a flyer of a pick. Now watching today's combine the WR I as most impressed with was Eddie Royal. Above average speed, veery good route runner (quoted by Mayock) and he made an excellent adjustment on a deep ball that was thrown over the wrong shoulder for a beautiful 40+ yard catch... I also saw him play several times and he reminds me a lot of Aquoin Bolden (and for those who saw the combine today I had made that comparsion weeks ago - long before Marshall Faulk made the same comparison today.
Well there is a difference between running routes in college and the pros, and while I completely agree with you Todd that Hardy's own qoute is interesting, and it definately causes some concern, but really how many recievers in the NFL are decent blockers? i can only think of Hines Ward off the top of my head. and great route runners are hard to find as well, I have confidence that Hardy knows how to do these things, but is talking more along the lines of at the pro level he needs to make the adjustments... I too was very impressed with Royal today, he appears to have great hands, and he ran a solid 40 time, he will likely start rising up draft boards here in the next few weeks...
Lets not forget our own Lavernaues Coles I like Royal too, i can see him going 1st day.. Route running and hands like that can make him a solid #2.. he put up a good number of reps on the bench as well, which means his upper body strength is good enough to get off the line when pressed.
I mentioned this in another thread but say McFadden falls to us and we trade back with Dallas into the late first for both their picks. If we could go something combining James Hardy or Limas Sweed, Quenton Groves, and Gosder Cherilus or Carl Nicks, with our first 3 picks, that's a AAA first round and a half in my eyes.
True I hadnt thought of coles being a great blocking reciever, but sometimes its hard to evaluate recievers as blockers, because you hardly ever see them throwing key blocks down field... but NDmick, your very right, it wouldnt surprise me to see Royal end up as a late second rounder or an early third guy. I'm just all thrown off by the phrase "first day guy" now because day one is only 2 rounds this year. so really day one has encased the first 3 rounds, but now is only two, so it's just throwing off my perception of draftee's at the moment. Can't wait for the draft, i think it will be a very exciting time for Jets fans, hopefully with lots of wheeling and dealing to accomplish plenty of things.
If Nicks is the guy, Callahan will let Tannenbaum and Mangini know. The best thing about Nicks: he's worked with Callahan before at Nebraska. There's a great chance Callahan will use a similar blocking system in NY. Nicks could become an immediate starter at right tackle. Like I said...if he's the right guy, he'll be selected.
Since there is no talk about the Jets talking to Guards in the Combine so far, is it safe to assume that we will be signing a FA LG to replace the traffic cone in Adrien Clarke?
heard it mentioned again today, on nfl total access, that dallas offered barber, and 2 picks to dolphines, for the 1st pick. they want mcfadden bad!i'd love if we could pull something off at 6, and get barber and thier first. man that would be awesome!!!
You know this is actually my dream offseason (minus Rogers). I really would love for this FO to sign Jacob Bell (if he hits the market) or Faneca at the G position. Theres alot of young RT's in the draft, and you've got to think that with such high picks we'll be able to draft one of the drafts many pass rushers. We won't get Gholston or Groves (maybe), but Crable, Avril, Ellis, Jason Jones, or someone should all be available to us at one point or another due to our high picks. Alot of DL prospects like Bryant, Rubin, Moore, Langord, Harrison, and whoever should be within our reach too. If we sign a G in FA and even Pace so the young guy can be groomed along...we can basically go BPA in every round. That means McFadden (or Mendenhall even) at 6... It seems like it's possible right? I mean it's only one big FA contract, and at most one and a half...Pace should get a little more than BT got because of the market inflation. Then since we signed a LG...both of which are complete players at their positions...we can go McFadden/Mendenhall unless they rank either Gholston/Long over them. Then depending on who we pick, we can attack our needs...which happens to be the draft strength (DL, pass rush, and RT).
honestly I would rather get Dallas two first rounders and third than Barber. Not because I dont think Barber would be awesome here, but because i think we can better our team with the extra third round pick as opposed to crowding a backfield when we allready have 2 solid guys.
