From Espn.com....pretty accurate, although I think running back, receiver and linebacker are a much lower priority than nose tackle and guard... Nose tackle -- Head coach Eric Mangini likes the way Dewayne Robertson plays with a high motor, but Robertson isn't the kind of powerful space-eater the Jets' 3-4 scheme needs moving forward. With the Jets yielding 134.8 yards per game on the ground last season the middle of the defense needs to be improved. The Jets have two solid players in Sione Pouha and C.J. Mosley who could also fill in, but Mangini will almost certainly acquire a big body to build his defense around. Wide receiver -- Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are solid receivers but neither is an impact player and both lack elite size. The Jets have some size at the position but no one with the combination of strength, quickness and speed to affect coverages. Getting an impact receiver will open things up for New York's ground attack as well. Linebacker -- A lack of talent at linebacker has held the New York defense back over the last two seasons. With Victor Hobson headed to free agency and Bryan Thomas not fitting the mold of a 3-4 linebacker it's likely the front office will address this need. Guard -- The Jets struggled to run the ball effectively, especially inside the red zone, and only one team had fewer rushing touchdowns in 2007 than New York's six. There are some decent players on the roster but none with the kind of impressive size and power who can make a big difference. With quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens being classic dropback passers, the middle of the line needs to be stout to maintain the integrity of the pocket. Better guard play will improve the entire offense. Running back -- The Jets were inconsistent on the ground in 2007 even after acquiring Thomas Jones from the Chicago Bears. Jones is a solid player with the talent to be a featured back, but a bigger back who can act as a change of pace and help wear down opposing defenses would be a nice boost for New York's running game.
How does Bryan Thomas not fit the mold of a 3-4 linebacker? This isn't a shopping list...this is just an obvious list of team needs. I was hoping for some names.
I like the report, but more focus needs to be put on the o-line, not just guard. And I don't think the Jets need a big change of pace back. That would be weird. Jones, Washington, and a Brandon Jacobs like back? Too many runningbacks.
good to know we extended Thomas after his one solid year. maybe they'll move him back to the other side... it's funny how little recognition Leon Washington gets. i suppose it's because he's underutilized in the running game, but anyone can clearly see that he has gamebreaking talent and a lot of potential.
I was gonna ask the same thing. He probably would have been drafted by a 3-4 team if we didn't take him in '02 and it's the position he should have been playing his whole career. The rest of it is ho-hum...
I don't think the Jets need an impact receiver, just a reliable slot receiver, such as Jabar Gaffney.
I couldn't agree more, people talk as if Coles and Cotchery can't make the big play. Well its tough to make a big play when one of your QBs can't throw the ball deep and the O-line doesn't give the QB enough time. I went back and watched some of the 06 highlights of the Jets and there were plenty of displays of Coles and Cotchery getting YAC, most notable Coles catch and run in the first NE game and Cotchery's first TD in the colt game. Also another point I want to make is that everyone talks as if the Jets have no gamebreaking ability. Its absurd to me how people can say this when we have a guy like Leon Washington. Ahmad Bradshaw goes for one big run against Buffalo and now he is a gamebreaker, are you kidding me? Leon had runs like those against like NE this year and Miami last year and he was a superb returner. Just had to say all that.
Problem is, Coles is getting up there in age. He's not the biggest guy and he's taken a pounding his whole career. I definitely think we need a big, fast guy to compliment them anyway. Hopefully that guy can eventually replace Coles.
I think he proved he can play as a 3-4 backer in the 06 season. But, if you remember there were reports that he was lazy in his workouts and film study early in his career. I specifically remember that John Abraham and Sean Ellis spoke about this in one article. I'm starting to wonder if he just played his ass off in 06, to get that nice contract. Cause he was invisible this year just like every other year of his career besides 06.
Good god I hope this is just space-filling by some hack at espn.com. Nose tackle, sure there's absolutely no question that's true. Wide receiver? Well it would be nice but just because the Patriots added Moss and Welker last year and went 16-0 doesn't mean anything at all in terms of what the Jets should do. It is scarily plausible that Mangini might want a game-breaker at WR to lose 12 games with next season though. Chad Johnson would fit on a bad Jets team really well. Linebacker? Well, yeah but not before filling a bunch of other slots in the trenches first. Guard, of course, two actually. And Kellen Clemens is NOT a classic drop back passer, he's much better rolling left or right out of the shotgun. Runningback? ROFLMAO. Yeah what the Jets need is ANOTHER runningback to get stacked up behind that lousy line. Like I said I hope this is just drivelous filler by somebody on the writing staff at ESPN and not actually an insight into what Mangini thinks the Jets need, because if it is we're going 4-12 again next year.
If the front office thinks WR and RB are our top need heading into next season, we are heading for another 4-12 season.
Good thing ESPN just needed to shit out an article then, right? This wasn't a statement released by the FO...so I have no idea why anyone would consider it anything but a poorly written article by ESPN that lists the obvious.
If Chansi Stucky recovers 100% from his cronic foot problem, he might be a good slot option. I still believe we need a Bigger receiver, since J-Mac is out the door and Brad Smith is iffy at best.
I'm worried that all of the best options will be tagged (Suggs, Haynesworth, Asomugha, Trufant and Allen). I'm also concerned that players might not want to play for the Jets. I know money talks but we'll see. Give me Faneca, Briggs, Samuel and a stout draft.
I don't agree with ESPN. We need the same thing we didnt draft for last year and since we didn't address this LAST DRAFT we are already a year behind. OT G DT WR G OT
SHAUN ROGERS FOR DEWAYNE AND ROY WILLIAMS FOR VILMA This would bene both the jets and the lions. rogers would work great in the 3-4, both vilma and dewayne can work great in the 4-3 in detroit.. and whats not to like about roy williams??
