I agree that most fans don't know more about football than Rex. I don't think you have to know more than Rex to disagree with his personnel decisions though. Whatever Tanny and Rex want will happen, but we will all argue about those decisions for hours regardless. That's what makes it fun here.
I would approve it ONLY AT VET MINIMUM. P.S. Ditto for Reggie Fucking Nelson. Getting these two at vet minimum would be very good however. ================================================= I strongly believe that, Jets defense has to go back to its roots - that is, it has to start attacking the offense. The greatest antidote against attacking defense is the WRs burning the defense deep, but Jets are in unique situation, where Cro and Revis effectively stop that threat. Getting the pressure with front seven is at premium for this reason. Once the defense starts attacking the offense with reasonable success, hell, Meriweather/Nelson safety combination will work as well (but Eric Smith won't, mind you.) since when the defense starts attacking, and has pummeled the offense down to its knees, the safeties don't have to 'read and react' much - and they can either join in the attack or stop the safety net. (I hated F/B 3-4 for this reason; it really takes GREAT players all around to be successful, especially the safeties, due to the nature of read-and-react.)
He's a decent center fielder, his real strength is big hits though which I'm sure Rex loves. Unfortunately those types of hits often draw flags in today's NFL. Not sure how good he'd be in man coverage.
Merriweather is a much better player than he is getting credit for on this board. He's a big fast physical safety. His stock is down right now b/c he lacked the discipline to play in BB's read & react scheme, and played in the vanilla 2 deep in Chicago. But I think he would flourish in Rex's scheme with his skill set. He seems to prefer playing aggressively which counteracted New England's defensive philosophy. That however would not be a problem in Florham Park. I'm not so sure he isn't a better player than Reggie Nelson..his stock is just low right now. That could work to the Jets advantage,getting him for a reasonable deal. He's an instant upgrade at safety.
Again, I'd move Revis to free/deep safety and move wilson to DB #2. Strick would fill in on nickle. 1- We'd have the only safety in the NFL that can shut down 'the Gronk'. 2- We'd have the fastest safety in the NFL, who's a sure tackler too. 3- Paying Revis $12m/yr to play free safety would make it almost impossible for other teams to franchise their own safties, and other safties would start demanding crazy jack. 4- Revis adding deep safety help over the top would make cro and wilson even better, and cro and wilson would already be a top tandem. 5- Revis is smart and can call the defensive alignments as good as Leonard. 6- Putting Revis in as free safety would let him reek havoc all over the field against numerous offensive players, not just against the other team's #1 receiver. 7- Teach Maybin the strong safety role and we'd have our top 4 defensive players on the field every snap.
That has epic fail written all over it. I stopped reading after that. Revis played CB during his entire tenure with Pitt and Jets - now we are supposed to turn him into FS? Sheer brilliance, I tell ya!
Nelson is coming off from horrible Jacksonville team - so his stock is low. Meriweather is coming from Chicago with ho-hum season, and his stock is low too. I would think both safeties can be had at a reasonable price range. Also, Nelson at FS and Meriweather at SS would be HELL lot better than Leonhard/Smith line up no matter how you slice it.
The Pats definitely seemed to think it was Meriweather. How that team got to a Superbowl with Digs as a first string safety is beyond reason.
I've been a fan of moving Revis to FS, although his contract and agent preclude it. He's one of the most football smart players in the league. He tackles like one of the best free safeties in the league (almost as well as a coverage linebacker), reads quarterbacks like a prodigy, and has some of the best field vision you will find in any player on any team. He is always around the ball, even when his man is un-targeted at the other side of the field, which is as rare as it gets with a corner. Plus, he is a demon in the film room. He knows the route his man is running before the ball is snapped, and that is not something that is reactionary, as most corners are. It's from knowing film on the QB and the O-line's calls. And he is very strong for his size. Twice I saw him jam Antonio Gates out of a route in the San Diego playoff win. Some players just transcend their position, very few, but some do. Revis is one of them. He could switch to FS and be the next Ed Reed, I am convinced of it. And he'd be much more effective than simply locking down one man. But... his contract precludes it, as does his agent's financial gains, so it is a moot argument.
WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! Brandon Merriweather - $100 talent - 2 cent Head. No question he's got the talent to be a good to great safety, but for every positive play he makes, there are 2 that kill you. Bad angles, missed assignments, etc etc etc. And perhaps the most damning thing I can say is that he doesn't learn from his mistakes. He makes the same ones over and over. Not very coachable. It MIGHT be worth the Jets time to bring him in on a no risk prove it contract. Maybe after 2 humiliating experiences over the last year, he might just decide to listen to his coaches. But the fact he was doing the same things in Chicago that got him released by the Pats, is NOT a good sign.
Or an ugly man's Kerry Rhodes. Kerry was too concerned with damaging his pretty face many times, he thought he would be a movie star instead of a fame-seeking jock. His tackling belied that fact.
Your post got me thinking about something I've been pondering for a while. As the game as evolved have Safeties become the more critical position in the defensive backfield. Would it be better to have 2 great S's and 2 average CBs, or the reverse. The fact is that in an age of 4 and 5 receiver options on a majority of plays, you can marginalize the great CB, simply by ignoring him. Its not like there aren't any other options. But a great safety can't be marginalized,and can effect almost every play. Just a thought. You might be on to something, Aby
I never heard of a contract precluding a player playing a certain position but I guess it makes scene, but this only means Rex can't 'force' revis play free safety if revis doesn't want to. If Revis 'wants to', even for a few plays, trust me he would. that being said, Rex plays as much cover 2 as he plays man. Revis can stay DB in man coverage, then switch to deep/free safety in cover 2. He could be a demon providing deep, over the top coverage and could break down on a TE running a deep seam route. IF Revis WAS our FS, we'd have the best FS in the NFL and still have Cro and Wilson on the ousides. Sick.
Compare cornerback salaries and FS salaries and take into account the Revis holdouts. It's an unfortunate situation. Rex can move Revis around situationally, but when it comes to the paycheck, Revis will always be a corner.
If we can get pressure with out front 3,4,7 you pick..... cause it didnt work last year. The three stars we have in the back and can make it happen even with a healthier (remember he played injured) Eric Smith at safety. But yeah. We need to upgrade anyway.
My only hope is your head coach, Ken. Belichick is driving the focus of offensive dynamics into the middle of the field, away from the hashmarks. We're talking slots and tight ends. If teams trend toward that, TE and slot receiver salaries will climb, which means safety salaries will climb. That is the only way a player like Revis, and his agents and advisers by extension, would accept a move to the center field.
