As I have been listening to media and coaches for the last several days, I forgot to mention a tid bit. After I had asked coach Mangini about Leon Washington and possibly going after Michael Turner, the word amongst those in the "know" was, that Mike Tannebaum likes Leon.... A LOT. The question was asked about Leon being too small to take the punishment of an every down back in the NFL and the response was, "I'm not ruling out the possibility of Leon being an every down back" Call it posturing, call it hot air; I call it standing with conviction for something you may just believe in!
^Why would you try and ruin this thread like that? Trey Ko is probably the best source of information on this whole site, so I'd give alot of credit to that statement
Seems a little extreme? To tell you the truth, I like Leon alot too. I was one of the first people on scout.com to say this guy had feature back potential. Still I backed off of it for two reasons: 1. Two back systems kick ass. Theres quite a few benefits to them IMO. 2. Leon will take a while to become an NFL feature back. When I saw him in college I saw a guy who ran with power, a strong lean that allowed him to break a few tackles, and good a good speed/quickness power that helped him make great cuts. Unfortunately, his size right now doesn't allow him to do that at the pro-level. It took Tiki Barber and Brian Westbrook at least 3 years to adjust to the pros. Do the Jets, an up and coming franchise in ONE YEAR, have the paitence to wait? Will the NY media and fanbase allow for that kind of wait?
Great news. I don't want a RB anywhere period. I love Washington and Houston next season and maybe another backup guy in the mid-rounds/free agency. The last guy I want is Michael Bush. He runs like a scatback, has weight issues and is too tall for an NFL RB IMO. So Trey Ko, if you can say, how do you get to talk to Mangini and go to the combine? I'm just curious
I love Leon to death... would have liked seeing him behind better blockers. If we can shore up the right side, I'm still hopeful we'll see more from him. I'd still like to see us draft a Brandon Jacobs, punishing-style clone to augment Washington's scatback style though. Now you're talking a running attack.
Let me preface this by saying I love Neon Leon. That game-winning screen pass in Miami on xmas night was possibly my favorite memory of the 2006 season (altho, seeing the Cotch miracle catch and run from week 2 and Mangini getting a Gatorade bath on new years eve live at the meadowlands were also great memories) However...If Tannenbaum thinks Leon can be an every down back, then I (and "we") have horribly overestimated Tanny's GM skills. Wasn't the knock on Tannenbaum always that he cannot evaluate talent?...he's mostly a #'s guy, right? If Tannenbaum sits through the combine and doesn't think to himself, "3 or 4 of these backs would be better than Leon", he's not a very good GM Leon is just too tiny and the wear and tear of a season would be asking too much from him to have the ball in his hands most 1st and 2nd downs. He makes his impact felt by making sharp cuts and anke-breaking moves...If he turns an ankle early in the season he could possibly be a hobbled running back all year...something that would certainly deny us surpassing the Pats next season I'm not saying we need to draft a running back with either of our first 2 picks...i'm just saying that if Tannenbaum is as smart as i think he is, this statement about Leon being an every-down back is a smokescreen. or he's lying to himself.
I think Neon Leon will suprise more then a few people if we finish making our O line dominant. He's no Tomlinson but with a few better run blockers on that line and some more tutoring from Curtis, we can hold off on switching RB's for a bit. Keep Houston as his backup and we are in decent shape at RB.
ok, Leon does not fit the prototype of a RB, but the fact is NO ONE knows if he can be an every down back or not. I, for one, think he has the talent, but I would not turn down a chance to complement him in the backfield - that said, i wouldn't do it until the second second round pick. I also am not going to rule out Michael Bush - he reminds me a lot of Jerome and Jerome did pretty well for a big man who thought he was a scatback.
Michael Bush reminds me too much of Nick Bell who played for Iowa, and then Oakland. He was a beast until he realized that guys in the NFL were not afraid to hit big backs.
We will be a committee team and there will be a new running back featured with leon. He will have plenty of chances to shine so I wouldn't worry
I think Leon can be the primary back. Maybe not an every down back but Houston is a solid change of pace guy anyway. I hope the Jets address positions other than RB in the off-season unless it's late int he draft or on the cheap.
Nice call. I fear his bust potential is way too high. He runs like a scatback and runs too upright. And the last player on my team to have weight issues has to be my RB..... Not the case with Michael Bush as he's 250 and has had problems being overweight at times I've heard.
I like him as the starter as well. As long as Cedric Houston or another back is taking a few carries also. Tiki Barber, Brian Westbrook and Willie Parker are all smaller backs who make great NFL and all made this years Pro Bowl. Leon can be right in that boat IMO.
I'm a big Neon Leon fan myself, doesn't mean we don't get someone else in hear to help out with the RBBC. Its alright to feature 2 backs in today's nfl. Bringing in another guy isn't necessarily a slap in the fact to leon...hell, its probably extending this guy's career.
Not only extending his career, but also giving the offense some added dimension and depth by going with 2 guys. This way all the eggs aren't in one basket.
Giants and Jets should just let each other borrow Leon and Jacobs for each game, solve everyone's problems.
