Didn't see this posted elsewhere. If it was, my bad. Hope I didn't steal your thunder, Hydro. BTW, exactly two weeks from this moment, the Jets will have made their 1st rd. pick if they stay at #4. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5502470 New York Jets Two Beats Off If the Jets were able to procure a time machine, they might want to use it to go back and offer their tips on evacuation procedures to the crew of the Titanic. Of course, there are other things they'd probably do on the way there. Maybe they wouldn't have given Chad Pennington all that money. Maybe they would have cut Joe Namath off after a few drinks on that infamous Sunday night game. Maybe they would have practiced defending the fake spike play. I know one thing they'd still do, though. They'd still draft Mike Nugent. I'll try and avoid beating that dead horse for the rest of this piece. The thing is that, well, the Jets aren't really that terrible of a team. In the last Four Downs: AFC East, Aaron compared them to the 49ers and Titans, who had to release player after player to get under the salary cap. But the Jets have lost just five players this offseason: Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, John Abraham, Jason Fabini, and Chris Baker. To replace them, the Jets have added some pretty decent players: Kimo von Oelhoffen (or, alternately, Who Dey Gonna Feign Innocence), Andre Dyson, and ... ok, maybe two decent players. There are some replacements on board, as well: Cornerback Justin Miller, chosen in the second round last year, improved as the year went along (as you might correctly say rookies are expected to do), while defensive end and one-time first-round pick Bryan Thomas could (theoretically) break out with playing time, much in the same way that James Farrior broke out in a system suited for his skills in Pittsburgh after languishing as a Jet. The Jets got a solid backup quarterback when they added Patrick Ramsay from the Redskins for a draft pick. Ramsey, when not being yanked at halftime of the first game of the season, has been ranked in the lower third of NFL starting quarterbacks by DPAR and DVOA; he's an acceptable replacement QB while the Jets wait for a theoretical return to full health by Chad Pennington. Draft Preview The most interesting part of the Jets' off-season will be draft day. There are sexy picks out there for the Jets to take; one would have to think, though, that trading for Ramsey and being committed to Pennington would preclude the Jets from taking a quarterback, regardless of the signals they're sending out. What it comes down to, then, is whether the Saints take Mario Williams or D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Either way, the Jets win: Williams gives them a ready-made replacement for Abraham, while Ferguson allows them to replenish an offensive line that was a dismal 30th in adjusted sack rate last year. (Adjusted sack rate measures sacks per pass play, adjusted for situation and opponent.) If both Williams and Ferguson are gone, then the Jets would be in a position to trade down and allow a team the option of choosing any of the three quarterbacks they want, which may be the tastiest solution of all. As for their second first-round pick, the Jets have been linked with Ohio State center Nick Mangold, which would be a perfect pick for a Mawae-less team. The last Ohio State center to go high in the draft was LeCharles Bentley in 2002; Mangold is even more highly-regarded than Bentley was at the time. If the Jets could add Mangold and Ferguson in the first round, it may not get many cheers from the assembled throng, but they might appreciate it when Chad Pennington actually has a second or two to throw in the next couple of years.
That was a very good insight of our team.He hit the nail on the head in many ways..People fail to relieze how good we were 2 years ago and being injury riddled last year we still have a base of good players. If we were to get Williams and Mangold or D'Brick and Mangold I'd be very happy..GO JETS!
All the people clamoring for the Jets to take a QB, WR, RB etc with one of the early picks should read this and realize that an offense begins and ends with the OL. You can have Peyton Manning at QB, Shaun Alexander at RB and Steve Smith at WR and the offense would do nothing with the OL the Jets had on the field at the end of last year. And if anyone thinks another year of improvement from Adrian Jones and the Teague signing have shored this broken levy of an OL, you are sadly mistaken. Ferguson and Mangold would be like manna from heaven for this team and if the Saints take Ferguson, Williams would be a great replacement for Abraham and add a pass rush we no longer have.
Jones, with development, will become a good-very good LT. That position is not one of weakness on the team (especially considering all of the other holes we have.) Maybe if Ferguson were a more complete prospect, I'd be willing to do it. But he will never be the type of LT that his draft position would indicate, and we knew when we drafted Jones that he would become a strong starting LT with experience and proper development.
I don't understand this... where is our biggest problem right now besides O-line ? Our line needs some serious upgrading if we ant to have a chance at all his or next year...Really if we were to grab D'Brick and Mangold that would make our line ridiculous..at #4 who else would you pick if the draft went Bush, Williams, Leinart...
Our OL is horrible, every part of it except LT. We already have a young starter there who will develop into a good player. No use wasting the #4 pick on a slight improvement there when we have so many other holes.
This is why sports creates debates all the time. I happen to believe that Jones showed nothing last year to indicate that he will be a great or even a good LT. He got beaten for sacks constantly and did nothing to improve an awful running game. I also believe that it IS worth taking a shot that Ferguson will become an elite LT. Look, we all know the draft is crapshoot. But Jones was drafted in the fourth round for a reason. I don't know if Bradway picked him to be the LT of the future or for depth. We all knew, however, that he was a project. With Fabini stinking up the place last year and then getting hurt, Jones got his audition. Maybe it was too early, but he was beaten like a drum. I know what I saw with my own two eyes. Ferguson, on the other hand is considered a lock to be drafted in top 4 picks. While I know that does not make him or any other player a sure thing, it sure is a big difference from a 4th round pick. Some people are droolling over him. And with an injury prone QB or a rookie or Ramsey, I want a LT that is known for protecting the QB. And this is Ferguson's strength. So I guess we will disagree here. But we won't know which one of us is right for another 3-4 years.
Just because Jones is young and fairly new at playing OT doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be good one day. I think it's too early to give up on him, however, it's also much too early to consider him a legitimate starter.
Great post and even if Jones doen't develop D'Brick might not either. Why would we replace Jones when he is a legitimate up and coming young LT with a legitimate prospect in Fergusone when we are weak with no up and coming prospect at every other OL position? If our team was loaded and Ferguson was the best player available you take him to upgrade the spot or for depth. We are not loaded and can't afford to pay for 2 prospects at LT when we have so many positions of real need.
And considering it's a division of Fox News, it's amazing that it is actually fair and balanced :rofl:
Isn't Jones a traditional RT, anyway? Plus, If we have the ability to draft 2 terrific starting linemen, I say do it. Offense starts with the line, and we are going nowhere without one.
Of course it was too early for Jones. Jones last year was the equivalent of the sophmore season for a four year college starter. That's why the team started him at RT, because he wasn't ready to play LT. He wasn't nearly ready enough to play there, and had to play next to Jonathan Goodwin.
Its not about need its about the best player on the board(the Jets FO rankings which I hope is not out) who says Ferg will start at LT right away, Gallery(Oak), Gross(Car), and Davis that Arizona bust didnt. People are forgetting that probably only 5 1st rnd picks make an impact and how many 1st rnders start?(someone should do the research, I wont go by last yrs draft, it was crap, 2004 or 2003 would be a better indicator). Or do an avg of the last 5 yrs. my best guess is 15 1st rnders start in yr one and that is high? I think if I remember correctly Vilma didnt start game 1. plus Dbrick or Jones is better than Morely and Cavka and probably Pearson. So T is still a need if you go BPA. And yes we need every positon basically. So who cares take the BPA, cause who will be here in 3 yrs? Look at this team and the contracts and we have a new coach. Not many rookies start right away only if we get lucky. We should go by potential.( who cares if so and so starts at best we will be 9-7) look at our past 9 drafts.....I am doing this on top of my head so forgive me if I am wrong. This is the rookies who started day one 2005 only rhodes started, Nugent.....comeon a Kicker 2004 Vilma didnt start game one(I think) didnt Cowart start, Coleman started 2003 Drob? I know he was hard to sign and missed training camp time but I cant remember if he started game 1 2002 Mc Graw 2nd rnd pick and it was a bust pick 2001 nobody unless James Reed started day one?(7th rnd pick) and our DT's sucked that year. He won by default if he did start game one. 2000 I think Ellis started(god my memory is bad), Abraham I know he missed about 8 games due to injury but did he start game one 99 Randy Thomas 2nd rnd and Wiltz 3rd rnd started day one but(Wiltz) didnt last 3 yrs in the league 98 Scott Frost did he start day one? not like he lasted long... 97 Farrior didnt start Ferguson 7th rnd pick I dont know if he started DT game 1. geez I was in college at that time and had more important things to think about. 96 I know Keyshawn started game one and our 2nd rnd bust Wr didnt. I think Mickens was a backup that yr but I cant remember that long to see if he started game 1. or was it glenn(I think he was 95)? plus coleman was near that draft..... as you see only one or 2 guys start for us game one and that is for most teams. And every new FA signs only a 3 or 4 yr contract(look at the top FA's) it takes 3 yrs to develop these guys so we can go anywhere. If you are wondering incase... who my(which means nothing) best players are at 4....Bush, Williams, Leinart, DBrick but as of course my rankings mean nothing only the Jets FO does....
