IMO your thinking is totally backwards. Weapons are where the big money should go. They're the ones who score the TDs and keep the chains moving. Paying big money to OL is a waste. I don't think you need to worry about "big splash" FAs with Idzik. Hopefully, he knows how to spot and draft offensive weapons who will become stars and then earn the big $s with their play.
I beg to differ. Your "weapons" are more products of the system. Sure, some WRs are better than others, and there are some elite WRs in the NFL (but not this year on FA). But I'm a firm believer that you don't need great WRs if you give them a good QB (we don't have that right now) or enough time to get open (that's where the OL comes in). You can only cover a guy for so long, so give them all the time in the world and you can make any WR look elite. As long as you can catch the ball, you should be open after some period of time. There's something to be said for the elite WRs of the league like Calvin and Larry, but a good QB makes Santonio Holmes look like a good WR. A bad QB makes him look like a bad WR. You don't think giving the QB time to find the right guy is the real reason you score TDs and move the chains?
That's nice theory, but hardly applicable to Jets. As you yourself pointed out, you need a good QB, and we don't have one. Geno might turn out to be good, but for the purposes of this conversation let's assume it won't happen next year. So then how do you improve offense with an average QB? Great OL will give you 1.5-2 more seconds than an average one; 3-4 more than a shitty one (e.g. Jets 2012). For Brees, Manning, Brady these extra 2 seconds are eternity. They will find that extra half-step their average WRs gain and put the ball right in that tight 1-foot window. An average QB won't be able to do it because he simply can't do it. An average QB needs a WR who will go and get those contested poorly thrown balls. You simply can't do it with ave or (most) rookies WRs. The most direct way for the Jets to improve O fast is to get someone who can grab those 50/50 passes. A good WR won't let the ball bounce off his chest like Kerley or go through his hands like Hill. And good WRs cost premium. So you gotta spend your money on receivers and let young strong hungry rooks improve your OL.
If we sign Maclin and Sanders, and then draft an Evans or Benjamin to compliment them, I'd be pretty excited.
The talent is there with Maclin but he's so damn injury prone. I know Nicks is coming off an injury too but I'd rather have him. If we can score that big TE, I think it's Ebron, Sanders and either Maclin or Nicks I'd be ecstatic.
As crazy of a season Geno had he still threw for a little over 3000 yards and rushed for 336. Especially as bad as the WRs were(except Kerley). I can easily see him throw for 4000+ this coming season with this new commitment at improving the offense. 2014 is gonna be the beginning of being a playoffs team. Can't wait.
So...let's draft a project in round 2, cut him 2 years later, so we can draft another day 2 project? And if he doesn't do a ton in 2 years, cut him, too? It's February. If Hill is godawful and we have a number of clearly better options, MAYBE you consider cutting him. But I put the odds at maybe 5% he isn't on the opening day roster.
The Jets have already tried it your way a few years ago. They had a very high paid OL with a ton of cap space tied up in it such that they couldn't afford to pay for quality playmakers on either offense or defense, and they didn't win spit. That's part of the reason they wound up with Holmes and we know how "great" he has been for the Jets. Ask Brady about how he felt this year throwing to the trash he had up in NE. How great did he make them look? The Jets with a rookie QB with horrible receivers should have beaten them twice. Occasionally a great QB can make meh WRs look better than they are, but elite? No, and even making them look really good doesn't happen very often. They don't have to be superstars, but they need to be quality. They need to be able to get open and then they need to be able to catch the ball. We saw what subpar WRs did with the Jets this past season. Geno was bad at times, but he was also very good at times, and if the Jets receivers had caught even half of the passes they dropped, the Jets probably would have won at least one more game, if not 2 or 3 and been in the playoffs, and that with an OL that was barely above average. An excellent OL can be built without tieing up a bunch of cap space and 5 high draft picks, and MOST NFL GMs agree with me. Some of the best OL in the NFL were low round picks and UDFAs. There are also a few offensive playmakers of whom that is true, but far fewer than OL. The talent gap between a high round OL and a low round OL is much lower than that between a high round play maker and a low round play maker. Finally, look at the OLs that Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have played behind their entire career. They hardly had/have first rate OLs and they won a slew of games, division championships and a few SBs. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
5 is a little much, unfortunately I think this team still has faith in Hill and after investing a 2nd round pick in him, will let him waste a spot on the roster for another year before finally realizing he is a bust. So I think the roster will be Kerley, Hill, FA, FA, Rookie, fill in the blanks as time goes on and the Jets make their moves.
no way I'd cut hill ... he is at the very least a presence- before he was injured he was the only wr that any db noticed--- for example the tenn game he got knocked out by a cheap shot and tenn had their way--- but after this season if he doesn't make strides look to replace him
Idzik didn't draft this project. I agree that there's a good chance he's gone if he isn't a top 3 receiver on the team for the simple fact that he doesn't play ST's.
When you say the Jets have tried this a few years ago, are you referring to the heyday of the Ferguson/Mangold line? Cause if you are, not sure what you mean by they didn't win spit. That line was a major reason we went to two AFC championships. Their blocking allowed even an inferior qb like Sanchez to play sorta ok, and powered a very good running game. Also, Brady with a good offensive line but mediocre receivers made it to the Championship game as well. Which is a LOT farther than many of these teams with elite receivers made it. I am with Mike on this one. We do need to get at least a couple of receivers via draft/free agency, maybe more, but let's not go crazy. We have a lot of holes, and if you look at the teams making the playoffs, and winning there, they are not exactly loaded with elite receivers, they just have good quarterbacks and good lines protecting them, and then decent receivers, but I am not sure even 1 top 10 WR made it past the first playoff round.
Our offense is was so limited these past few years we have zero play makers,,and no one that scares opposing coaches,,,,,sure would be nice to get not just one but 2 playmakers,,,guys that can make a difference and scare def coordinators
We had no business taking a Steven Hill in that draft. We were desperate for help at the WR position and taking on a project like Hill was a luxury we could not afford to take. No more projects, we need to get guys who can be immediate contributors.
Every scout knew that Hill was way raw and with the offense we had that was desperate for an immediate contributor Steven Hill was a huge mistake.
I believe Stephen Hill should get a shot during TC - you misinterpreted what I said, but the Jets should still look to grab a receiver late in the draft and have him compete with Stephen Hill for a spot on the roster - if the rookie outperforms Hill, Hill is gone. If the rookie has an impact on special teams, Hill is gone. Senseless to cut him now, but I do believe he will not make it through TC.
I'M not cutting Nelson, but I'm speculating the Jets front office will. I would take Nelson over Hill any day, not saying Nelson is amazing or anything, but at least he can actually catch.
