I'm not asking you to trust me. That's not the point here. The FO/CS went into this season thin because they overrated personnel in key positions. Wayne Hunter played them for a contract, then turned to shit right before their eyes and they didn't address that problem on the field, in private with Hunter since nothing has changed, or scanning the practice squads and waiver wire. Sorry, but I'm not gonna go online and scan every team's practice squad for you Ulrich. That's what personnel professionals get paid for by the NYJ's and if they can't find anybody better than Turnstyle Hunter, we got an entirely different problem.
This is quite probable and may well have cost several wins. My question was: did you see this deficiency better than the FO? If so, kudos, you're much better at this than I am, because I thought Wayne looked just fine, and was very happy to have him back if Woody couldn't make it. How the hell are you privy to this information? C'mon, Cman. How can you possibly assume that an FO whose OL is hemorrhaging sacks and pressures isn't in the least worried about it? I mean we've had some bad FOs over the years, and it's historically a safe bet to say that Jets FO decisions aren't very bright. But I actually feel I understand what this FO is trying to do. It's an unexpectedly pleasant impression, and I'd be happy to discuss it outside of the unfortunate "we suck" vibe. But that's exactly my point. You're claiming that there is a lineman named X that would be better than Hunter and affordable for the Jets, while the Jets' "personnel professionals" say otherwise. In my own profession, I've begun to fantasize about hitting people who say "why can't you do this" with no actual suggestion behind it with a sharpened stick. What did I miss? When were we a Superbowl team that was ruined by the current FO? What in their recent performance record leads you to conclude, by your own admission without evidence or even research, that they're incompetent?
You obviously are a big fan of this FO/CS. To your first point, Hunter played above his talent level for a contract last season. If he was indeed the player he was last year, he would have gotten better by now perhaps? No Plan B just in case Hunter got hurt or, gasp, sucks. Lineman X I'm sure exists but we won't know that until the offseason when hopefully, the FO/CS evaluates Hunter's performance against what his contract value is. Perhaps they'll get around to doing their due dilligence and find lineman X. Other teams find guys, the Jets can find guys too. I'd like to think that finding lineman X isn't too big a job for the personnel dept. The search for Hunter's replacement should have already begun. I truly hope this FO/CS has found religion when it comes to decent depth. To your second point, I'm not in the lockerroom nor am I in the FO, but I do have eyes, watch the games and since this is a messageboard, I can express my opinion as a fan, not a professional. I fully expect the FO/CS to take action instead of watching this happen repeatedly. Instead of watching the fire, put it out any way you can before your house burns down. At least try really hard. Results are what I'm concerned with and watching Hunter get beat repeatedly without anything being done is just crazy. Not even so much as a benching why? No depth. No Plan B, Nobody to replace Hunter. Sanchez will be lucky if Hunter doesn't turn his throwing shoulder into Chad Pennington's with his ineptitude. Maybe the FO/CS will do something before that happens. Maybe they won't. To your last point, I seem to remember someone predicting a SB appearance within 3 years. Not sure who it was but we did come close two years running which kinda made us SB contenders until this last offseason. With the moves this FO made perhaps due to reading our own press, they screwed up and now the 2011 Jets aren't as good as the 2010 team. Practice squad guys can be serviceable at a good price. So could CFL guys. So could late round DP's drafted over the years but that's another discussion. The Jets don't have to break the bank for another "name" player. Hunter is so bad that replacing him should have been a priority before things got to this point. If the FO/CS knows that, then they need to work harder to do something about it. It may be too late for this season though. Tannenbaum got so caught up chasing Aso that he didn't get the depth this team needed. His plan B for Aso wound up being Cromartie. His plan B for Hunter is nobody and I won't even go into his plan B for Sanchez. Our vaunted FO squarely owns this mess.
OK, you've taken this as a "you call me an idiot i call you an idiot" thing. I can express myself sharply but that wasn't my objective. But drunk as I am, I won't be the one who expresses himself in a convivial manner. You've addressed none of my points, but here we go: Yes I am. Tannenbaum seems rational. Rex is a defensive genius. That's good, isn't it? Salary cap, scouting, or something, innno. We all make mistakes? I have eyes too. However I don't have scouting reports, NFL coaching experience, locker-room insight, and in-depth accountancy knowledge, but unlike you I assume that's a reason NOT to pass judgment on an FO that has taken a wild-card caliber team to the AFC championship. Twice. Foolish of me. But I'm all for putting out fires. Oh Christ. Do you really take Rex's salesman stuff seriously? Just how far over the top does he have to take it for you to stop taking it to heart? Because he's not selling it to you, he's selling it to the guys who are actually paid to use their bodies as a weapon to hurt other people. Also, to the world at large for whom the Jets may as well be the Bayonne Mighty Ducks for all they care. But guess what: we're no longer an also-ran, pointless NFL franchise who might eventually make the playoffs some day. We're front page news. Why? Because Rex opens his trap in front of the media, not because we're some awesome Superbowl worthy team. That fantasy ended two years ago when a) the FO didn't bring in a QB to play instead of Sanchez and b) Kris Jenkins went down. Sorry if you set your heart on us winning a Superbowl right away: you're friendly fire. Amazingly enough, this FO can be both full of shit and good for the franchise. Brain freeze! Once again I'd be thrilled to learn who the replacement to Hunter is and so would the Jets management I'm sure. Yes I know other teams have had OL problems that at some point they've managed to resolve to your satisfaction, but I'm pretty sure there are others who have not. I've cottoned on to the fact that you feel no obligation to back up your claims with facts or research, but could you please accept the fact that that makes them totally worthless, even on a messageboard? You know I could claim you're a rhinoceros, with the pretext that it's not my profession to know otherwise? You old rhinoceros, you. (Cue flight of the conchords video) Um, ok, as long as they own the last two years' mess as well. Again, I'd be happy to discuss our FO's plans rationally, but not right now; I'm blind drunk and I wouldn't even want to tell you how late it is in my neck of the woods.
This is true. If you're going to preach "keep it in house" then you should practice it. I judge Rex by his win-loss record, so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Also true. Rex is our guy, he didn't make his name elsewhere and his money from us.
What really bothers me about Hunter is at times he's gotten beat by appearing to not even try, as if he thought the play was being called DEAD. I mean, Mangold and D'Brick get beat but their guys EARN the sack or pressure......Hunter has gotten beat in some games (Denver, Buffalo, Philly) where he appeared to wave at the DE. He's also gotten his feet tangled moving back/to his side. Consistency is key for an OL. It is better to execute 95% on every single passing play rather than execute 100% on 30 passing plays but 75% on 5 passing plays. Because those 5 plays will be a sack, a rushed pass leading to a TO, or possibly an injured QB. I remember when the Jets great OL of the early-1980's was being built. They had some games in the late 1970's where occasionally they got beat real bad because they were still new (Rasmussen, Fields, Alexander, Ward, Powell). One of those bad hits was a miscommunication between Fields and Alexander and led to Dave Butz breaking Richard Todd's clavicle early in the 1978 season. Todd never had a chance; Butz was a huge guy and never should have gotten that fast penetration. One of the things I dislike about the new NFL system and FA is its tough to keep a team and especially the OL together. Teamwork is less important on the DL but on the OL you want guys to work together for years and years. You put 5 All-Pros from different teams together on 1 OL and they might be at best average because of the lack of time working together. Not the case with DL, secondary, LB's, etc....where communication is not as critical.
Communication is important there of course. But if the safeties or CB's screw up, the worst that happens is a completed pass. Your OL screws up in Game 2 and your QB breaks his wrist on an awkward sack, your season is probably over.
