Not expecting miracles this year, though I do belief with a health Chad and reasonable line protection, Mangini came scheme us into contention for a wild card spot. That being said, my biggest ? is whether Adrian Jones can transition to road grader at RT. I think Ferguson and Mangold will blend in find with enough preseason reps, and I'm sure AJ will be fine pass-blocking at RT. My concern is his ability to be effective in clearing the running lanes for our backs. Without a decent running game, Chad's play-action game will be neutralized and he won't really have a chance to succeed.
For the second year in a row our season hinges on Chad staying healthy and we all saw what happend when he went down last year. Jones will be fine! The O-line will take a few weeks but it will come together. They have a good mix of young and old.
Lets just get them all in camp and see what the heck we have before we start judging who can and cannot play at their respective postion. Let Mangini work with these guys and see what he can do with them. I have to believe Mangini's training camp will be so much better then Herm's camp and these guys will be in much MUCH better shape then they were last year and then we will see. Right now were just guessing.
I think you are right that Adrian Jones, but also the whoever's playing QB ,will be the key to the offense. I would feel much better right now actually if Jones were still at LT and we had drafted a big run blocking RT. The key to the D will be if anyone steps up at NT.
We don't need Jones to be a road grater. We have that in Anthony Clement, and I think we will use him. This is just my opinion, but look for a platoon between Jones and Clement at RT. The beauty of what Tangini has done is made most of the spots on the OL interchangeable. With the depth we have, we could rotate people all over the OL.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't OL one of the spots where you DON'T see a platoon of players interchanging during the game. You see it at DE, DT and sometimes LB, HB, but OL seems like the kind of area where you either insert player A or player B. Bringing in Anthony Clement for running downs would certainly be a way of showing our hand.
I agree, I can't believe they'll platoon anyone - I think the interchangeability of our linemen is only a plus in that anyone can fill in anywhere if there is an injury. That said, Jones is a big questoin mark. I do think, however, that having five linemen with similar traits is a plus, it means that if we do some zone blocking, everyone's not going to trip over the one big slow fat guy at RT.
Clement a road grader? He can't block anyone named Mary, never mind an NFL DT! He was the FIFTH tackle on the SF O line last year, after Jennings went down, at the end of the season. God help us if Clement plays AT ALL.
IMO our biggest key to this season is not the play of our RT but the play of our QB. If we get good QB play we can be a playoff contender. If we get poor to average QB play then most likley it will be a long season. Good QB play will make everyone else better players including the defense. Good RT will not have near the same rippling effect. Now if your asking what is the key to the 2007 season then Jones developing at RT might be a big key along with the development and play of D'brick, Mangold, Thomas, Dyson, Miller, Ellis, Robertson and Vilma's adjustment to the 3-4.
I really hope he does well at RT, I really think he is just not right for that position, but maybe he can do it.
My point was that we have lineman that can play many different positions. Jones will start, but I bet you will see fresh blockers late in the game, like Clement, Morley or Teague.
That really doesn't happen dude. Unless it is a Goaline formation (where they ADD an Olineman) The five starters will be in there every play unless they are injured or are playing bad. Not a single team rotates the OL.
I disagree. The biggest key to the Jets in 2006 is Curtis Martin, and if not him than the emergence of another workhorse in the backfield. Without a really good running game we aren't getting out of the cellar, let alone making the playoffs.
For Curtis to suceed we need our OL to suceed. The OL is the key to the running game. Curtis got stuffed in the backfield all the time last year because the OL wasnt doing their job. Its not our RB's that im worried about, its the OL. We also have two rookies on the OL that are going to need time to develop, especially in the strength to improve their runblocking.
