Sure, we have a lot of holes, but it's unreasonable to expect to fill all of them in one offseason and even less reasonable to expect it to all come in a single draft. We have a ton of draft capital as is--plus $60+ million in cap space. Our current resources are plenty to make the team more competitive. We can bring in some good players to compete with our young guys outside of the draft and if you take the 4 or the 9 and swap it for a mid-round pick and another first next year, you still have 4 top-38 picks this year and have added a 2022 first rounder. That spreads out the draft capital to ensure you have resources to keep building in the future with a higher quality pick. It's not enough to simply add younger bodies. We need to add high quality players; and sure, those guys can be found anywhere in the draft, but the hit rate is significantly higher in the first round. You also generally have a good idea of what you're getting with free agents. Spread out the resources—and the contracts.
I'm not sold on any of the pass rushers. They tended to disappear against better competition. Neal ? I read good things, but didn't the Alabama line struggle all year ? Maybe it wasn't him. I'll be watching tonight.
I didn't say that we would be able to fill all of our holes this year, nor did I say that it was enough to simply add younger bodies, so those are strawman arguments. We are in agreement on those points, and your point of spreading the contracts out another year is valid. You sound like you're patient and willing to wait 2-3 more years before the team makes the playoffs. You've seen the comments here and perhaps on Jets Twitter that Jets fans expect the team to be a playoff contender next season, or they're going to want Saleh and JD fired. I'm not saying that JD and Saleh should panic, but I don't think they an afford to take perhaps as conservative an approach as they might if that pressure wasn't there. The pressure is going to ramp up in the media, and perhaps from the Johnsons. I think they are going to need to show a greater aggressiveness and sense of urgency for the team to win and make the playoffs. JD has cleaned up most of Mac's contract cap mess. Mosely will be off the cap at the end of next season. Fant's and McGovern's contracts will also be up following the 2022 season. At that point, the only big contracts on the cap will be Quinnen Williams, Fatukasi (if they re-sign him), and any FAs they sign this year. The cap should resume rising more aggressively, so there most likely will be no real need to spread the contracts out. My points are that the Jets will have plenty of cap space to sign all the draft picks this year, plus some additional ones if he gets picks this year, and that would help ensure that the team improves more quickly and is more competitive. Of course they could use an extra 1st in 2023, but JD has already had extra 1sts last year and this year. I think additional 2nds and perhaps a 3rd this year would help the team more than an additional 1 st next year. For one thing, it would be two more players he could add, and even one of the seconds we add this year could wind up being better than the player we get with the additional 1st next year. If the trade is with Denver, we know where their 2nd and 3rd round picks are this year and they're pretty high. Next year their 1st could wind up being lower, perhaps a lot lower. There's an old saying that is applicablle here: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Waiting would be a gamble. In addition, the players we take this year will have a year's experience in the system in 2023 and that could have the team ready to compete for the Lombardi Trophy, whereas taking more players next year who will be rookies will probably result in having the team less ready to compete at that high a level. We'll just have to agree to disagree, because I see no sense in waiting until 2023 to get significant compensation for trading down, and 2024 or 2025 to perhaps make the playoffs. It could be now or never for Saleh and JD if the Jets don't make the playoffs in 2022 or come awfully close, for certain, they have to be there by 2023 or one or both will be looking for a new job. I can't imagine the Johnsons being patient past then.
I've come around to taking Neal or Ekwonu at 4 but I'd rather trade down if possible. Take a WR at 10, either Garrett Wilson or Treylon Burks. If the Jets trade down from 4, they should target Linderbaum or Nakobe Dean/Devin Lloyd. One of the two second rounders should be Trey McBride. Pair him with an athletic tight end in FA and one of the weakest spots on the Jets roster will become a strength.
It's a fact that JD wants input from his HC, Coordinators, and CS on the draft, and also that he seeks to work closely with the HC and his team to formulate the vision for the team. He also seeks to work by consensus, so it's not a stretch to think that Gase had significant input into the draft if for no other reason than JD wouldn't have had the GM job if it weren't for Gase pimping for him. It remains to be seen whether Mims, Davis, Clark, and Perine belong on an NFL active roster. Zuniga and Morgan, I agree with you on. Perine and Mims are not a fit for this scheme, but that doesn't mean they don't belong on an NFL active roster. Mims showed a lot of promise last season. In the right scheme and with some nurturing, he could still be a very productive NFL WR. It's not past time for JD. Yours and others' impatience is not JD's problem. He's not responsible for the lousy shape the Jets' roster was in or the lousy play for the last 10-11 years. He's also not responsible for the fanbase's unrealistic expectations. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this.
While there may be more than 5 positions that need immediate upgrade via the first 4 picks in their draft I don't think Safety is one of them that should be filled with one of those draft picks. I much prefer upgrading S via FA. Yes, we need to upgrade the CB, LB, and RB positions too, but we can't do everything all at one time. CB and RB were shown to be at least decent for the most part. I agree that LB should be upgraded, but not in the first 4 picks - I'd look to FA and rounds 3 and 4 for that help. Of course the whole team needs additional talent, but again, they have to prioritize. For now we do have Fant (assuming he returns healthy), leaving the RG and C positions are more in need of a big upgrade, especially RG, but if they can get a great C a la Mangold they should do that. I do agree they should trade back if they can pick up some more premium picks. I wouldn't be surprised if Joe does that. But what Douglas really needs to do this year is to much more aggressive in FA in acquiring top talent. Between FA and the Draft he needs to add 6-7 STUD players and fill out the bench with quality so that they can be really competitive - if they don't actually make the playoffs, they need to be knocking on the door until the end. This is almost a "make or break" season IMO for Douglas - not that he should be fired necessarily, but if they can't win 7-8 games and be close in most of the others, his seat needs to get extremely hot. I do still think they're headed in the right direction after decades so I wouldn't want to pull the plug on his plan yet, but he has to start delivering more than promises and patience.
I like Hamilton and Battle in the second or third. But I don’t think we should go that route. We should fill the gaping holes at safety through free agency to head up the young defense IMO. Teams roll out two new safeties from FA all the time. I don’t see why we can’t do that and draft one in the mid rounds.
That may be the plan ….. I definitely would prefer they not draft Hamilton at #4 or #10 for the matter.
I prefer fixing S via FA as well, but that may not happen. If it does, great, but if not, then I think that needs to be a higher priority. We can agree to disagree on that point if need be. IMO it would be great to address LB in FA rather than the draft as well, but Saleh may want a young stud LB that he can groom. We can't address every hole this year, but we have to try to address as many as we can. You may not realize all the FAs we have, but with the exception of Davis and perhaps some of the late-season scrubs we added, every single S on our roster will be a FA. At RB Coleman will be a FA. Fatukasi will be a FA. Berrios will be a FA if a deal doesn't get worked out. Perine is not a scheme fit, Ty Johnson is not a reliable receiver or blocker, and Coleman is up there in years, and imo unless there is no other recourse, shouldn't be re-signed. IMO JD needs to draft a RB in the 4th or 5th round, and sign a FA RB. At S he's going to need to sign two and still draft one. LDT can man RG again and we can draft an OG somewhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds. Hopefully Clark will be back and healthy too. I'd love to add Linderbaum, but imo that is a luxury we don't have. McGovern is an above average C. We can extend him for a year or two. We can draft a developmental C or sign a cheap backup who will be better than Feeney and the OL will be solid. Yes, we have Fant, but he didn't play nearly as well at RT as he did at LT. Until Becton comes back healthy, in great shape, and proves that he is determined to be great, he has to be considered "iffy." As it is, we'll have to keep that stiff Edoga and probably bring back Moses although he didn't play very well, but I think it much more important to draft an OT high in case Fant has to play LT again and Moses RT. At CB I think the biggest need is adding a veteran who can help the rookies. I don't think we need to draft a CB at all.
Agree with you, especially the last line on Douglas--He has been GM for 2 two and a half years now and Douglas has a grand total of six wins. How patient are we supposed to be? Big offseason for Joe.
To my eyes we need serious upgrades in this order: Guard Center Edge TE LB Saftey CB Tackle WR QB Pretty much the same as last year.
How much longer will you give Douglas a pass on this debacle? He has led us to 6 wins the past 2 years. Yes, he is much better than Mike MacMoron, but when can we level blame on him, if this continues, in your opinion? I am not advocating getting rid of him, but this offseason he runs out of excuses IMO. And regarding "the fanbase's unrealistic expectations," IMO it is much better to hate losing, than to endlessly and calmly preach patience, more time. I admire those jets fans that want a better product on the field, and the sooner the better.
I'm not giving him a pass. There's nothing to give him a pass for. Your expectations and perspective on this is totally out of line and are totally unrealistic. You are in denial of basic facts about the state of the Jets' roster and how long it takes to replace almost an entire roster.
If the Jets only drafted players from Georgia and Alabama, I wouldn't complain. There are a ton of players from these two teams that are going to go in the 3rd and 4th rounds that are going to be good NFL starters.
Brook you don't waste any time. I would like to see them possibly get Evan Neal, OT, Alabama and George Karlaftis Edge Rusher Purdue with their picks. Some other edge rushers are Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson if available A great CB would be Derek Stingley if available.
i think a QB hungry team will want to get in front of the Giants and take our 4th pick. Can see us having something like the 10th another mid rd 1st and 3 or 4 2nd rd picks.
#4, 10, 35, and 38. 9 picks in 5 rounds. I hope everyone realized that is NOT enough to fix this team? JD will need to utilize FA heavily and probably trade down at least once. This team is lacking in talent it isn't even funny.
If the Jets really want to see if they have a real quarterback, their primary offseason goal should be to beef up the offensive line. That way, there are no excuses in evaluating Zach Wilson.
Might not even be a sure thing we can get Evan Neal anymore. If Jax is smart they will take him first.
