How could they have passed on Devon Thomas, the top rated wr in the draft for a te. We already have a te in baker. I agree with you on wasted picks, they gave up a fourth too.
This thread is a big waste of time put together by so -called draft experts that have nothing better to do but suck up beers and criticize. Jets had no TE to speak of - Baker was just a stop gap until something better came along and Keller is it. Chill out and see what tomorrow brings. Give this guy a chance to play.
When the pick was made I hated it as well, but after seeing clips, and getting people's oppinions this kid is the real deal. He was also projected to SEA in round 1, so it wasn't a reach.
im so sick of fans bringing up past players to equate their logic for bashing another. first off I saw alot of this kid and hes a complete recieving threat. not a blocker, obviously, but off the line or in the slot this guy is a faster version of jason witten in reference to ball skills and hes nasty after the catch. i was hoping for a reciever but with the baker situation and us being almost last in red zone offense this guy is a great target he entered college a 185 reciever and came out a 243 lb te. 6 ft 3, 38 inch vert. runs very solid routes, has very good hands and can find holes in coverage, specially knows how to use his frame to shield defenders. the best part about him is. he refuses to go out of bounds. love his mentality when the balls in his hands im not happy we traded up for him cuz i think we couldve sat at 36 but i guess the new trend theyre setting is they target a player and make sure they get him. i saw them trading one of the 4ths to get back in the 1st but imagined it would be sweed or hardy. either way i think this will be a solid pick. you all complain now but once training camp opens i think the tone will change on this pick.
gave up an extra pick to fill a position we did'nt need to upgrade. could have just paid baker, and used the pick on another position we needed to upgrade.so, in essence, we wasted 2 picks on a guy we did'nt need.
The Dallas Clark strategy has nothing to do with who the quarterback is. The strategy provides any quarterback with another set of weaponry that a lumbering Tight End who can block but is ambivalent about the football does not deliver. It is necessary that the H-Back / Tight End / WR position that Dallas Clark fulfills so admirably requires quickness and speed and size. This does not equate to Chris Baker, Bubba Franks, or any of the other traditional TE also-rans on the roster right now. Keller on the other hand can not only outrun all these guys handily -- he has demonstrated the ability to outrun any LB he's been faced with and also most of the safeties as well. Think about Keller on the field with Stuckey in the slot, Cotch on the right, and Coles on the left. This is the same set by the way from which our RBs can run as well. What is the defense going to do? I think this is an intelligent direction to take by the CS and this offense.
I dont get it. We got a versatile pass catching TE at pick #30. We didnt grab this guy at #6 overall (read: V. Davis, who some on here were dying for at the time). Yes, he cant block. But if he played his games at the U, he would have probably been grabbed in the top 20. 4.5 speed for a TE is nothing to sneeze at. I like the fit with Cotch and Coles. I can imagine this guy getting us a ton of 1st downs on 3rd and 6 when he lines up as our 3rd or 4th receiver in the slot against a LB who has no chance of keeping up with him.
Play a base, no-frills, defense and expect that whatever quarterback is behind center will eventually make a short or a bad throw?
What a bunch of wet blankets....jeez, give the guy a chance to prove himself. I will trust the front office to make the right decision. They did pretty damn well last year. By the way, they were not the only team to trade up for a tight end today, another team did as well, the team name escapes me right now.
Excellent post, exactly. Just give the guy a chance to show what he is about this summer/fall, then blast the pick. The glass is always half full with Jets fans. You have two solid WR's locked up for a few years, you have two young WRs in Smith and Stuckey, and you want to draft more WRs? Come on.
Considering you were so high on Mangini before the 2006 season it was nauseating, I don't think many people will put much stock into your reactionary statements.
Why do you think that the TE doesn't catch more passes for the NYJs? Do you think it is because the QBs are so bad that they can't find one of the tallest targets on the field? Do you think it is because the CS hates the TE position and tries to minimize its impact in their play-calling? As far as Doug Jolley is concerned, he never showed any speed or any knack for separating himself from even the slowest linebacker who was sent to defend him. Doug Jolley portrayed a classic deer-in-the-headlights underachiever who was amazed to be on the field and never figured out what to do with it. Actually, it has more to do with whether the TE can get open. There are only so many routes a big lumbering TE can run and get open. Most of them are down in the tight part of the red zone where speed or quickness is not as important has height. Tall slow lumbering TEs can slip around and make some miraculous looking catches over the shorter DBs down in the red zone. But this is an extremely limited opportunity for TEs -- after all, you have to work your way down there close to the goal line first before their small talent become potentially open and therefore valuable. Having a fast and shifty H-Back like Dallas Clark (and hopefully Keller for the NYJs) gives you another WR who must be defended by defenders who are by definition not as fast, unable to shift direction as quickly, and not as familiar with the football in their hands as Keller is. The matchup for this H-Back / TE / WR strategy is favorable for us with Keller, and not so favorable for us with Mr. Baker or the also-ran TEs on the roster behind him. Bottom line, Keller is a new passing weapon for the NYJs that we don't have and could really use.
Block Coles and Cotch, Stuckey is coming back from injury so who knows of that production, and block Keller the same way they block Baker, Keller's addition to the offense will probably just offset Baker's. Leaving Coles and Cotchery to have to product 80% of receiving production yet again.
Fantastic post. He's a great complement to Coles and Cotchery. I'd still like to get a receiver who can stretch the field because our #3 WR spot is still a hole (obviously Keller will play there a lot), but I'm excited about what Keller can do in our offense. We finally have someone who can catch the ball in the red zone.
Coles is one concussion away from being Chrebet, Smith isn't a WR and Stuckey is coming back from injury so who knows. Our WR depth is sad at best.
Here is what the combined scout services see in Keller..by the way rated the #1 TE out of 88 in the draft and predicted to go late 1st or early 2nd by most scouting services..FYI Positives: Has a cut, defined frame with good muscle tone, tight waist and hips, good arm reach, very large hands, adequate bubble and defined calves and thighs...Runs good straight-line routes and can sink his pads to settle underneath, but is best when used on the move...Has good field vision and comes back for the ball when the quarterback is in trouble...Has the large hands to reach for and pluck the ball, but lacks good consistency in this area...Looks more like San Diego's Vincent Jackson (oversized wide receiver trapped in a marginally-sized tight end's body), but shows good suddenness of the snap when he is able to escape the press cleanly...Gets in and out of his breaks with just a little hesitation, but will sometimes take false steps...Plays with the proper flat-back pad level and runs light on his feet, building his acceleration nicely...Hard worker in practices and in the training room, displaying impressive strength (has good power, but needs to show more desire to use it in his blocking technique)...Has very good athletic ability and shows good explosion in his initial step off the snap...Uses his quickness more than power to aid in his in-line release and, even though blocking is the weakest area of his game, he has the foot speed and balance to wall off defenders when the effort is there...Can separate and stretch the field down the middle and shows the vision to locate the void and settle underneath...Has the timed speed to quickly run the seam, showing good timing in avoiding second-level defenders...Does gather at the top of his route, but also flashes the suddenness to separate in the short area...Good on the short, five-yard bend-out, but must extend his hands better on shallow crossing patterns...Can vertically stretch the field, but that is sometimes negated due to his marginal ability to track the deep throws...Does a good job bending and adjusting for low throws (not as good going for the ball above his head)...After the catch he has the ability to make the first guy miss and has decent run-after-the-catch acceleration...Shows awareness and instincts in the passing game, but is best served when he aligns at multiple spots...Flashes good explosiveness running with the ball after the catch, but needs to use his power to run over defenders and break arm tackles...Has the second gear to gobble up the cushion and get behind a lethargic defender...Knows how to use his frame effectively to shield defenders from the ball (fumbling is not an issue).
