Pure Speculation. Facts: The Jets have a pressure cooker on their hands in terms of resigning the premium talent it has drafted and developed the past few years. That pressure cooker has started to blow steam: 1a) Numerous players coming to the end or at the end of their deals will or currently want new deals. The parade of players including All-Pros on their rookie contracts recently coming-out of the closet with comments, whether insinuations or demands, has been disconcerting. Not all of these players have made it known what they want, but most have: Darrelle Revis D'Brickashaw Ferguson Nick Mangold David Harris Brad Smith Shaun Ellis Robert Turner 1b) It is essential to note that Some of the above players are multiple times All-Pros, Pro-Bowlers, or will command top dollar for their position. Even a player like Brad Smith will command loot as a ST player. Two of the players are the best at their positions in the NFL (Revis and Mangold), and Harris will command a check in the range of what the top ILB, Pat Willis just got -- $50 million...D'Brick's salary escalates to 10 million for 2011 and he will want to be paid top dollar for the stud LT he's become, and to protect the Franchise. 2) Players who wanted more that didn't get it last year and have already been axed, possibly foreshadowing a future dynamic were: Thomas Jones Alan Faneca Jay Feely 3a) Additionally, the team has invested heavily in expensive free agents that limits the owner's cash flow, such as: Jenkins Pace Scott 3b) To complicate this aspect, the team has gambled on what I'd call "audition signings". We've consciously acquired players from other teams, that are either problem cases, or under performers in their previous systems. These players are basically in their last year of deals, or signed to new one year deals and could be in for huge pay days next year: Antonio Cromartie Braylon Edwards Santonio Holmes Brodney Pool 4) We have also signed older vets for two year deals like: Ladanian Tomlinson Jason Taylor As this all relates to Ducasse: 5a) It is well known that LT, after QB, is the highest paid position in the NFL. 5b) D'Brick's salary explodes from 3.12 million this year to 10 million next year. 5c) He will be looking for a new contract this year, before going into the final year. 5d) His salaray cap number almost doubles from 2010 to 2011, the dead money if cut decreases by half, and the cap savings if cut almost quadruple to 10 millions bucks! 5e) All of the other studs will be resigned or franchised by the time D'Brick can legitimately start asking to negotiate. 5f) You never hear Brick's name called when the CS talks about leadership in the locker room. Listen to Rex's press conference from this week. Listen to Sanchez talk about going to the WH dinner with Brick. Sounds excited? Brick is enigmatic, and underachieved for years. One reason we needed Faneca was because Brick was sucking without a cover there. While Brick blossomed last year, even covering for Faneca, this will just make it even more daunting to resign him. 5g) Brick, of all the young guys needing to be resigned, Revis, Harris, Mangold, Brick, may be the most replaceable if there is an adequate backup, or perhaps better said, is the worst performer of the group, and will command the largest new contract just because of his position. 6) The team will just not be able to afford to pay all of these guys at the top pay grade of their positions. They can't have the highest paid players in the league at their positions at several positions at once. Therefore, something has got to give. 7a) Duccasse is making a transition to LG from LT, where he has prototypical N FL size, with the wingspan and nimble feet. While he will be developed at LG, I think he will be groomed clandestinely for LT, with Slauson, or someone else taking over at LG. 7b) Finally, The Jets Brass thought so highly of this player, they were going to draft him in rd 1 of the 2010 draft. A LT in rd 1! 7c) IMO, the Jets WILL resign at least two of Cromartie, Braylon AND Holmes. Unless something crazy happens. I have a strong hunch they will resign all three. So my question is was Ducasse drafted in the long run to replace D'Brickashaw, and perhaps not Faneca?
now he could be. but his ceiling is a LT... they could develop him as a LT and at least use him as insurance if Brick makes problems.....
His ceiling is not LT. He was never mentioned in any scouting report that I am aware of as being a viable NFL LT. At this point it is a stretch he can even be a viable RT, let alone LG. Hey but don't let me stand in the way of your beautifully constructed conspiracy theory. To answer your question........ Fuck no!
You must have missed this article about D'brickshaw Ferguson not really caring about his contract yet. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/05/jets-havent-started-long-term.html Jets haven't started long-term contract negotiations with D'Brickashaw Ferguson » By Manish Mehta No matter how many of the Jets’ young stars publicly express their desire for long-term contract extensions, there’s at least one guy keeping a low profile. D’Brickashaw Ferguson isn’t going to make waves anytime soon even though he’s entering the fifth year of a six-year, $37.5 million rookie deal. In fact, the Jets haven’t even had specific discussions about a contract extension with Ferguson’s camp, according to a league source. “He’s an honorable guy,” a person close to Ferguson told the Daily News. “He’s patient… Nobody’s going to make any noise on (his) end.” General manager Mike Tannenbaum, of course, has the daunting task of locking up of core players Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold and David Harris as well. Revis admitted that the team presented an offer to his agents last week. The Jets have also had preliminary contract discussions with Mangold’s representatives. Ferguson, who is scheduled to earn $3.1 million in 2010 and $10 million (club option) in 2011, maintained that he isn’t overly concerned about getting a deal done at this moment. “Right now, my main focus has been really working on these OTA periods,” Ferguson told me. “I’m sure that stuff will take care of itself…. I let my agent (handle the contract). That’s separate from what I do. My focus has been right here in this locker room.” Ferguson, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft, changed agents in March, but has maintained all along that he didn’t make the switch because he was unhappy with his contract. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/#ixzz0ojswVYvQ
All these jumbled letters and numbers really don't make this more manageable to read. Ducasse will not be a LT, he's far too raw and will likely have lapses which could kill our QB. His best best is either RT or sliding into LG if he beats out Slauson this year. Besides, D'Brick isn't going anywhere. He will be a Jet.
I can't remember the last team that acquired an elite left tackle via trade or free agency. Why? Because no team lets go of an elite left tackle. Flozell Adams, Jon Ogden, Orlando Pace, Matt Light, Walter Jones, Marcus McNeill, D'Brick, Ryan Clady, Joe Thomas, Jake Long... You draft your LT, and then you hold on to him until there's nothing left. The two wideouts and the corner leave before Brick does.
David Diehl plays OLT for the Giants while his skillset lends him more to playing the ORT position. Sometimes it works on a run-first team when you have an OLT that is better at pushing around the typically smaller RDEs, even if he isn't as good at getting out in space and pass protecting.
Not true, Revis is obviously the hardest to replace, but Brick is the second hardest. Harris and Mangold are great, but it's a lot harder to find an elite LT than a center or MLB, especially because we hopefully wont be picking top 10 in the next couple years.
Heres whats going to happen. Revis, Mangold, Brick, and Harris will all get resigned, somehow someway. Mikey T is a cap guru he will find a way to get this done. The End.
I doubt Ducasse is going to get a shot at LT because you just don't put somebody there unless you know they're going to be good. One blindside hit on the QB can set the franchise back for decades, literally. I do think the Faneca cut had a lot to do with the need to get a better pass protector between Mangold and D'Brickashaw in case one of them could not be re-signed or got hurt.
After Revis, DBrick should be next on the resign list. It's that simple really. There's no way you can't get rid of a Left Tackle the quality of Ferguson. I don't want to be breaking in a new blindside protector just when our franchise guys should be hitting their prime (Sanchez and Greene).
1. Conventional wisdom says: It takes years to develop a franchise LT. 2. Also, conventional wisdom says: If you have a franchise LT, GRAB HIM AT ALL COSTS. Ducasse at LT? Are you smoking something? Pass the joint, dude.
Duh. Exactly He either fills in for Faneca now, or drives Slauson to fill the LG position. And Next year he plays Woody's position. Then you only need worry about Moore. And you have the best line in the NFL, and one of the YOUNGEST.
Can someone explain how Robert Turner fits into a player deserving a contract extension, I cant even remember how many times he has had legitimate starting time since we drafted
