Monthly Archives: April 2006
… the Jets select Leon Washington. I will fill out this post more later, but wanted to provide a link to some information on Washington. I am watching the draft and I saw Sal Pal interview Mangini about the draft and Sal asked a question to the effect of “running back of the future.” Mangini pretty much shrugged off his question and said that Leon will “bring the team depth.” As usual, another non-answer. That being said, even though Washington has instincts, he has size and has durability concerns.
… the Jets select Brad Smith, a converted Quarterback from Missouri State.
Compare these vitals:
6' 2″
213 lbs
4.46 seconds in 40-yard dash
39 1/2-inch vertical jump
to these
5' 10.5″
189 lbs
4.45 in the 40-yard dash
37-inch vertical jump
Which was the first wide receiver taken in the draft, and which was one taken in the fourth round? One might think the bigger player, but certainly there are a lot of intangibles that I am glossing over here, but a player with the physical gifts that Smith seems to have and the ability to throw like a Randle El type player is an interesting “x-factor” for Schottenheimer to use in the coming years. Smith will bring speed, excellent running ability and a decent enough arm for “gadgets” to the Jets. Smith is certainly a project, but a much more interesting development prospect for the Jets than some of the guys the Jets have at the bottom of the current depth chart. To check out more information on Brad Smith, check the FoxSports link below for more information that you could imagine to find on a guy like Brad Smith.
… the Jets take Eric Smith, Safety from MSU. Smith seems to be a player who might not have all the athletic gifts, but has the smarts and attitude that Mangini is looking for for one of his players. If you haven't seen the link that Bent posted on Smith, this is worth the read.
I can't imagine Smith projecting to be a starter with Erik Coleman and Kerry Rhodes on the roster, but Mangini was a secondary coach, so maybe had a thing for Smith. Smith's strengths are his smarts, run support and special teams. With pressing needs elsewhere, why do the Jets go with a safety, especially when Andre Maddox is due back off of his injury last season. I understand the Jets are looking not just for the best athlete, but the reaches for Schlegel and Smith do make me pause. See his analysis below:
Strengths: Possesses adequate size, is physical at the point of attack and line up in the box. Reads keys quickly, is aggressive and excels in run support. Takes good pursuit angles, plays with a good motor and always seems to be around the ball at the end of the play. Plays under control in space, squares up to the ball carrier and is a sound open field tackler. Shows good burst coming out of cuts, can change directions quickly and has good short-area man-to-man cover skills. Shows good closing speed, times hits well and can be an intimidating presence over the middle. Has good speed and is relentless in pursuit so has the potential to develop into a productive special teams' player.
Weaknesses: While he has good range and covers a lot of ground, he doesn't show great instincts in zone coverage, bites on play fakes and gets caught out of position at times. Lacks ideal ball skills and isn't a playmaker in coverage. Received a medical red-shirt and he missed the entire season after tearing the meniscus in his left knee in 2001, missed two games with a sprained knee in 2002, didn't participate in 2003 spring practice because he was recovering from knee surgery, has had shoulder problems and durability is a substantial concern.
… the Jets select Anthony Schlegel. Schlegel is known for his tackling ability and sees himself as a typical inside linebacker. Says Schlegel about his game:
“I’m a straight inside linebacker. If there’s a team that might have some issues up the middle with the run or like people who blitz, that’s what I’ve done my whole career.”
Well, with no real 3-4 nose, the Jets definitely will have issues up the middle, Anthony. The Jets might have been a bit premature with the pick, but it’s clear that he fits the team-first guy who knows how to take care of the fundamentals, most notably, blowing up running plays and taking on and beating blocks for Mr. Vilma. If he did it at A.J. Hawk’s side for a few years, that’s good enough for me. That being said, having heard Belichick on “running free” like Ray Lewis, Belichick said that the notion is ridiculous, and players should take their cues from a guy like Pepper Johnson who’s attitude on blocks was “everyone is going to get blocked, and I will beat anyone you put on me.” Schlegel rated out as a 6th rounder on ESPN and on SI.com as a practice squadder. I am not sure what to think of the Jets picking Schlegel, especially at this point of the draft, but time will tell. With yet another LB, who will the Jets get rid of… McClover or Hobson? Here’s Schlegel’s analysis:
Strengths: His biggest strength is his tackling efficiency. He takes great angles and is a technically sound tackler that will get his head around the ball carrier and wrap up in space. He possesses adequate height, great bulk and is well-built. He has explosive power and is naturally strong. Plays with leverage, is thickly built and has very good lower body strength. He is disciplined, reads his keys well and won’t make many mental errors. He’s a downhill striker who fills hard and shows explosive initial pop at the POA. Does a very good job of taking on and disengaging from iso-blocks. Matches up very well in the phone booth. Shows good instincts on the blitz. Has been an effective pass rusher when turned loose. Is tough and relentless. A leader and high-character person with good intelligence and the mental capacity to pick schemes up quickly. Also has a great makeup for special teams in the NFL.
Weaknesses: Possesses marginal speed and below average athletic ability. He is stiff in the hips and loses too much in transition. Has decent range vs. the run in college and will be nothing more than a tackle-to-tackle run plugger in the NFL. He is too much of a straight-line player. Will have trouble adjusting in space vs. quicker and shiftier backs. He lacks ideal COD skills. Has limited range in zone coverage. Will be a liability vs. most NFL RB’s man-to-man. Does not show good ball skills in coverage and has never been a big playmaker in that facet. Durability is a minor concern after offseason knee surgery prior to senior year (2005).
… the Jets moved up to get Kellen Clemens. That is of course after moving down to let the Redskins move up in the second. While allowing Clemens to drop further and picking up some value in the process, the front office made some shrewd moves to get the top second-tier QB on the board, while stockpiling some picks for 2006 and 2007.
The Jets fleeced the Redskins by grabbing a second rounder next year as well their second rounder this year and an additional sixth rounder. Clemens has been talked about as an “under the radar” type of guy. I think today I even saw Salisbury (I know, I know…) talk about Clemens and say he will be the Quarterback out of the 2006 class in three years. A guy that the Jets had visited with during their big road trip a few weeks back, Clemens brings a good short range passer to the team with some downfield abilities, though he has some work to do on his deep balls. He is a low-risk pick that could pay big dividends for the Jets. Here is the Scouts, Inc. assessment:
Strengths: Has adequate bulk and is well-built. Has trimmed down and has noticeably improved his speed and quickness. Gets set quickly. Is able to scramble and seems most comfortable on the run. Has a strong arm. Gets good RPM's on the deep out route. Can fit the ball into tight spots and can make all the throws in the NFL. Has good vision and some elusiveness as a runner. Is quicker than fast. He throws well on the run. He has adequate mechanics. A quick and high release. Will follow through. Does a good job of getting his shoulder's square when throwing on the run. Has just decent arm strength but gets rid of the ball quickly and has good accuracy in the short-to-intermediate zones. Shows touch and timing underneath. He's a high-energy QB and a vocal leader. Plays the game hard and has continued to improve. Is competitive and tough.
Weaknesses: Durability is a minor concern after season-ending ankle injury in 2005. Has decent size but lacks ideal height. Is impatient as a pocket passer. Seems to have some trouble finding passing windows. Is inconsistent on the deep ball. Does not show great touch or timing on vertical routes. Needs to get more air under his deep throws. Is an inconsistent performer. Needs to learn to step up in the pocket. Good leader and hard-worker but can be a bit too excitable at times. Poise and patience should come with maturity.
…the Jets selected Nick Mangold . This pick is a mixed review, but between him and Ferguson, they can anchor the Jets' line for the next 5 plus years, hopefully 10. With Mangold, Trey Teague can slide to the right guard slot and between Ferguson, Kendall, Mangold, Teague/Moore and Jones, this line has gone from one of the worst to one with decent depth, lots of potential. The youth of this line is intriguing. Between Jones, Ferguson and Mangold, they will have less than 5 years of pro work at the beginning of the season. The great thing is that these players should be able to grow together. The biggest problem of the line is that it is still undersized… Off the top of my head Jones, Ferguson and Mangold are all thought to be smallish for their position.
All that being said, the question that remains as to whether these two rookies can start and contribute at a high level quickly. When it comes to football, everyone always says that the game is won and lost on the line of scrimmage. It is clear the Jets buy into this and are working to establish their offense in the next few years. Let's see if the Jets can prove this right or wrong.
… the Jets pick, D' Brickashaw Ferguson, Offensive Tackle from the University of Virginia. This took a lot of stones for the front office to not take Matt Leinart, and I respect the hell out of them for doing this. There will be critics either way, but to have made a play for Bush, to rely on their current QBs and maybe add a QB to develop later is a move to build the organization long-term, which I love. Ferguson will protect the blind side of the line for the next 10 years is a great move for the Jets. I have to admit, at first I was a little little depressed. To have Leinart or Bush playing in New York would have been awesome, but D'Brick gives them instant production, guaranteed, versus a gamble with a QB like Matt Leinart.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson Videos | ESPN Profile | News
Not suprisingly the Jets let the Saints sweat it out early this morning, knowing they couldn't get a better deal with anyone other than the Jets. Sal P just reported to SportsCenter that is is back on… I am about go insane… I am loving this roller coaster ride.
DBJet just pointed out to me in the chat room that he is fine with the Jets staying at #4 and getting Ferguson. I have to wholeheartedly agree. Not that I wouldn't want more, but a worst case scenario and getting a beast of a tackle? I can deal with that.
The smoke around here is getting down-right redonkulus! ESPN's morning SportsCenter is just reporting that the Titans (after saying they want Young no matter what) are trying to move up to take Bush at the #2. It bears to mention that Sal Pal reported the Jets are now throttling back on their desire to go for Reggie. I have said it before and I will say it again, I'll believe it when I see it.
I know the Titans are telling everyone that they want Young, even if Bush is available, but until I see it, I won't believe it. For each person in the inner circle that a team has working diligently on the draft, there are probably 20 other people who are twiddling their thumbs, lower level scouts, lower level coaches, etc. You don't think that the P.R. folks are taking direct orders from the GM's on what stories to get out to the paper this week? Anything is still possible.
I am watching Football Friday on ESPN, and Sal Paolantonio reported from Hempstead that he talked to Tannenbaum who said that they have been locked in a room all day trying to figure out how to trade up to get Reggie Bush. Apparently the Saints are most interested in A.J. Hawk, so a swap would allow them to pick the player they would like. Apparently, the Raiders, the Cardinals and the Niners are also interested.
Getting from the the 4th to 2nd pick is worth 800 points, and the Jets 29th overall is worth 640 points. The Jets early third pick is close, but the Jets would be overpaying to move up, so they are trying to work things out, though the Jets talks are most serious with the Saints.
Figuring the Jets would play it conservate, I applaud their efforts to try and move up. Whether they get there or not, well done front office!
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