if there is any position in football where you almost prefer an old fogie its the offensive line - specifically the interior OL..... faneca would be an improvement but they are going to have to break the bank for him. i still see them taking a T/G on day one regardless of the FA outcome. jil
Faneca would be huge signing for the Jets but you just know it ain't gonna happen , this is the SOJ we are talking about! We will give Clarke a 6 year deal
Old article about Faneca. A big success as himself striken with a epilepsy. That's pretty interesting. IMO this would be a great pickup. Not Faster than a Speeding Bullet, but More Powerful than a Locomotive Man of Steel is an Inspiration for Everyone By Adam Modzelesky EpilepsyUSA staff Updated: February 1, 2006 As a 15-year-old, Alan Faneca stared into epilepsy?s daunting face and never lost sight of his goal ? to play professional football. "I honestly didn't let [epilepsy affect me]. I wasn't going to let it. I was going to do everything normally." In the hills of Latrobe, Penn., on a relatively small but picturesque plot of land known as Saint Vincent College, a screeching horn pierces the air. A momentary hush falls over the crowd and then somewhere, amidst the behemoths better known as the Pittsburgh Steelers, a voice calls out, "Drill change! The late-afternoon sun, coupled with the lingering humidity, makes even the slightest breeze feel like bliss. And although the weather isn't quite suffocating, it's enough to bring a herd of lumbering Steelers to any of the three water pumps lining the practice field. The expressions on their faces say it all, "It's about time we got a break. After a morning's worth of physically grueling drills, the offensive and defensive players finally get a chance to relax and re-hydrate their mammoth bodies. For some it's playtime ? a chance to joke around and share the latest gossip. Future Hall of Fame running back, and known jokester, Jerome Bettis can be heard reminiscing about how he was "stylin' in the end-zone under the nose of his fiery head coach, Bill Cowher. For others, it's a time to sit and visit with teammates. Starting linebacker Larry Foote can be seen sitting on a water cooler, chatting amicably with his counterpart ? All-Pro linebacker James Farrior. In short, it's the first and only opportunity these guys have had during practice to forget about the job at hand and wind down a little bit. But there's still one gigantic man who hasn't left the field; one man who isn't socializing with anyone. He is impossible to miss, as he stands 6'5 and weighs over 300 pounds. Not to mention he's one of only a few players who's separated himself from the rest and didn't make a beeline for the water when the horn ripped through the air. In fact, team trainers have to bring him his water in a Gatorade cup to ensure he gets enough fluids. His body language is easy to read: "I'm working." Five-time All-Pro guard Alan Faneca has his helmet hanging at his side, and his eyes remain locked on the kicking and punting units practicing on the opposite end of the field. Even though their practice routine has no affect on him, his focus is unwavering, his professionalism is apparent and his example is inspiring. His attitude shouldn't be confused with arrogance, as he doesn't coolly dismiss greetings from Josh Burr when the enormous tackle walks over. Rather, Faneca smilingly exchanges pleasantries with his fellow offensive lineman, but not at the expense of taking his eyes off practice. After a few minutes, Faneca excuses himself from Burr and puts his black and gold helmet back on. He walks about ten yards upfield and stands next to center Jeff Hartings, fittingly another All-Pro player. Before you can ask what Faneca's doing, a familiar horn blasts to signal the end of the break. While most of the resting Steelers are just now getting up to gather their gear, Faneca and Hartings are already prepared ? standing ready at the line of scrimmage. Tony Coelho, Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation, congratulates the Steelers and Alan Faneca on their Super Bowl victory.There are two kinds of role models in professional athletics: those who are defined by the media, and those who define themselves through hard work and dedication. Faneca is the latter, and it's no wonder why this is. He is fully aware of how fortunate he is to be playing professional football. Not because he has achieved fame and fortune by doing it, but because he had to overcome epilepsy to even get the chance. Diagnosed with epilepsy at age 15, Faneca never let his condition keep him from doing what he was born to do ? anchor an offensive line. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsyusa/images/alanfield.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsyusa/faneca.cfm%3Frenderforprint%3D1%26&h=197&w=300&sz=100&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=CMKc1BnQO6i3bM:&tbnh=76&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3DALAN%2BFANECA%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN I couldn't help but notice the "ALL-PRO" after Farrior's name. I was in shock they let that guy go. Ah to be a JETS fan.
Keep in mind, Bell is ONLY a better signing than Faneca because he will likely come cheaper. Faneca was and is an elite LG, and will continue to be, wherever he goes. He IS the better of the two players.
Eh...I think Bell's a better signing because he's a very good G both short and long term. BUT the thing is, at 31 Faneca can get a 4-5 year contract and it'd probably work out well. I don't think Faneca has played like an elite G the past two years at all...but Bell was up there last year and was also very good at RT the year before.
If Bell is a capable RT then maybe he would still be a candidate for that position, since we also need a RT? Though I would prefer someone massive to fill that spot.
I like him better at LT, and I'd actually prefer spending the money on a G in between D'Brick and Mangold. Theres alot of T's in this draft...plus theres Bender. I'd rather build the left side of the line and getting a young talented piece like Bell in would be huge. As far as signing them both...sure...but that's gonna cost a shitload. Neither Faneca or Bell should come cheap.
I'm unwilling to assume he won't spend. Not that he's ever done it before or something, but the hiring of Mangini and Tannenbaum was a sign that he just might care about the Jets and their long term future. He's only been the owner what...8 years? Most of those years with Herm...who never actually seemed to have a plan and never really even improved on what Parcells built. NFL FA is different from say...MLB FA with the cap and all that...I think/hope that Woody will open his wallet for the right guy at the right time. He definitely seems more willing to let Mangini and Tanny handle the football operation too... I really hope my optimism here doesn't go unfounded...that would suck.
We may get into a bidding war for hiss services w/ the Cards(his former OL coach is there) and the Phins who have a ton of cap room and an even worse Ol than us. This is a battle we need to come on top of...Faneca would be PERFECT between Gold' and Brick.
I wouldn't mind keeping Clarke as a backup if Callahan thinks he can be coached up to that level. It's hard to find 330lb bodies and the Jets are noticeably deficient in that department right now. If Callahan doesn't think he's got a chance to be any good after watching him play a bit then there's no point to keeping him on the squad. Keeping Jonathan Goodwin (another ex-Wolverine with low talent) around for three years after he'd proven he wasn't going to get on the field much just confused the Jets about exactly what their depth was. When Goodwin finally got on the field in 2005 it just accelerated the collapse.
I'm going to open a can of worms here, but what the hell. I know some of you watch tape and I also know some of you have serious expertise when it comes to evaluating the Oline. I saw the line suck this year and even I could see Clarke getting beat bad and often. I saw a slight improvement I thought with Montgomery but still saw him blow some plays as well. What I want to know is did any of you really look at Turner when he got his chance? I know by the time he saw the field in the last two games we were all ready to toss the whole line sans Mangold (and there is good reason to question if Turner had any potential why did they wait so long to take a look) but for the few series he played against the Chiefs, I thought I saw him do some good things and didn't see any melt downs. I saw him stand up his guy at the line in pass protection, I saw him get to the second level on a run to his side and pull and lead on two runs to the right. Best of all, after one play, I saw a defender pointing a finger and jawing at him. Personally, I prefer my oline men to piss off the D. Anyway, am I kidding myself or did maybe anybody with a better eye than me see something as well?
Faneca would really put an exclamation mark after the phrase "Offensive Line Stability" if we were to ever get him. More and more I think that he may be more than worth the money that we will be offered. I'm not so worried about the RT position. There seems to be plenty of decent proscpects that could be had in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. But if we could pick-up both an LG and an RT in freeagency, then it will give us more flexibility to improve the D.
I saw some good things from Turner. Granted it was in very limited time against a bad team..but he is a decently athletic and physical run blocker. Pass protection wise, he doesnt get great leverage and his foot work is so-so..but he will likely compete for a back-up spot for sure.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...tars-at-combine?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=4973 He's a must sign at this point. Give him whatever it takes.
Oh sweet god please sign Alan Faneca. He's the best guard in the NFL. Stop your chatter about old, past his prime. HE'S THE BEST LEFT GUARD IN THE NFL. He's not Eric fuckin' Steinbach, it's not 2007. Our #1 need is LG, preferably a veteran to solidify our 3rd year flankers. We have a whole ton of cap space. Sign this guy! Make him the highest paid player in the NFL. It's not like last year was a cap year and that's why he played well. He's played well every freakin' year ever! He'll continue playing well for MULTIPLE YEARS!!! SIGN HIM SIGN HIM SIGN HIM SIGN HIM!!!
