NYJets Team Report

EcKo151 · Mar 13, 2006

-The Jets' current top-three offseason needs:

The Jets had an incredible number of injuries last season, and while some of that can be attributed to bad luck, some of it occurred because the team grew old in a hurry, and because coach Herm Edwards let the strength and conditioning program go downhill.

So the team must get younger (and less expensive) in a hurry as the Jets enter a rebuilding mode. Upgrades are needed on most of the position units, including secondary, offensive line, wide receivers and running backs, and also the defensive line, with the assumption that franchise-tagged John Abraham won't be back.

Here are the most pressing of many needs:

1. Offensive line: The Jets were bruised and battered at these spots last season. T Jason Fabini was released, and C Kevin Mawae both were released. The Jets extended the contract of G-C Pete Kendall, perhaps viewing him as at least a one-season solution to the vacancy at center. It appears the Jets are not all that interested in Virginia OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson with the fourth overall pick, and may look to fill that position with a veteran.

2. Defensive line: If Abraham departs, as is expected, the Jets need to start grooming a replacement as a pass rusher to take some of the pressure off Shaun Ellis, who always functioned best when his close friend Abraham was in the lineup, and not injured.

3. Quarterback: The Jets need a veteran who could be a capable backup or push Chad Pennington for the starting job, should the latter not be healthy enough to start the season. In hindsight, it's easy to see he probably wasn't ready physically to start the 2005 season.

DRAFT SCOUT SKINNY

At first it appeared that the Jets were quite interested in taking Virginia tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson with their first pick, the fourth selection overall. But the team's interest in him seems to have cooled, as they apparently were quite impressed with Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.

Cutler is projected to go around No. 10, so that would likely require the Jets to trade down. Also, it's been rumored that they could trade up with Houston and select USC's Matt Leinart with the No. 1 overall pick. All of this speculation seems to indicate that the Jets, who just got done restructuring Chad Pennington's contract, believe they need to find their quarterback of the future right now, because it isn't Pennington anymore.

Ferguson is an inviting option at No. 4, because part of the reason the Jets are in this QB predicament is the fact that they haven't been able to protect their huge investment in Pennington. Ferguson could be the blind-side protector of Jets' signalcallers for a long time to come, and already has played under a Bill Parcells disciple in Virginia coach Al Groh.

If they do opt to go for a quarterback, it would be better to trade down and get an extra pick, considering all the holes this team must fill. Florida State's Kamerion Wimbley could be a late first-round option at DE. Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil, the NCAA's all-time sack leader, is an intriguing prospect and his quickness could enable him to flourish in a 3-4 scheme.
-Quarterback Chad Pennington had to accept a $6 million pay cut for 2006 in his contract restructuring. He forfeited a $3 million roster bonus and had his base salary cut in half to $3 million.

However, Pennington, who has begun throwing with his surgically-repaired shoulder, was upbeat on a conference call.

"Coach (Eric Mangini) wants me to lead this team, if at all possible," said Pennington. "He knows I can get the job done. It's just a matter of getting healthy and getting back to the form that I know I can play at. I want to be on the field, and the Jets give me the best chance to be on the field."

If they had released Pennington, the Jets would have taken a $12 million salary-cap hit. But the quarterback wouldn't exactly have been an attractive commodity on the open market with his shoulder situation, so it was in his best interest to get a deal done.

--The Jets only saved $1.1 million in salary-cap space by releasing veteran center Kevin Mawae. So why did they do it?

It could be that Mawae was one of the more outspoken players on the team, and that new coach Eric Mangini wanted someone else to set the tone in the locker room. Also, they likely didn't want to have two undersized offensive linemen in Mawae and G/C Pete Kendall, whose contract was extended.

"I still believe I'm the best guy on the market," Mawae said in a conference call. "The only downside is that I'm 35, and people look down on 35-year-old centers who made the Pro Bowl six times."

The AFC East rival Dolphins have expressed interest in Mawae.

--While Mawae was let go, G/C Pete Kendall was not. The reworking and extending of Kendall's contract saved the Jets $2.6 million in cap space while also saving them from making more changes in their offensive line. Veteran T Jason Fabini already had been let go.

Kendall's "leadership skills and high level of play provide us flexibility along the interior of the offensive line," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement. Kendall, who could stay at center after the release of Mawae, also is the Jets' representative to the NFL Players Association, and it would have been interesting had the Jets cut their union rep as well as the outspoken Mawae.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think the deal that we have reached allows both sides to share the risks and it shows that both sides are committed to winning and to getting the job done." -- QB Chad Pennington on his restructured contract.
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NYJets Team Report

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