Opening the Junk Drawer: 2007 Bye Week Edition
With the Jets cooling their … umm jets this week on their bye, here’s a random assortment of thoughts about the team. We’ll delve into more of these over the coming days.
Time to Win Some Games — As semi-consilatory as it is to have a high draft pick for a piss poor season, the truth is picks like that can break the bank just look at the Raiders. For as hard as the Raiders tried this past spring to trade out of the top pick, no one wanted the financial burden or loss of picks that such a move would engender. The Raiders had a tough time getting Russell under contract and when he did, he apparently weighed 278 pounds … and for their trouble, the team gave him a $61 million total contract, with $29 million (!!!) guaranteed. As much as I would like a high draft pick, the top five is getting scary in terms of guaranteed money to give to unknown commodities. My hope is that the hype around Glenn Dorsey slows down a little.
Let’s See Some Youngsters — With Clemens and Harris now taking the reins, the Jets need to continue to rotate some of their younger players into the mix … not only just to protect the vets in this lost season, but to really get a sense of what they have in these younger players … JoeKo comes to mind as a perfect example of a player who they’ve been giving a look to, and even designed a play for.
It’s Not Going to Be Tradition that Brings Free Agents — Last offseason, fans ripped the Jets for not signing or trading for the likes of Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas (who looks injured right now) and Nate Clement. Now, don’t get me wrong, I would have liked any of those guys, but they made their decisions for two reasons: money or a chance at a ring. Clement went for money, Thomas & Moss for the ring. With little cache after this terrible season. It’s going to be very hard for this team to attract free agents on the merit of contention for a ring, it’s going to be about money, something Tannenbaum is hesitant to spend.
Let’s Cut Some Losses — My hope is that this offseason is a good time to get rid of some of the team’s dead weight and reload, guys like Jason Pociask and others need to trim the fat on this roster to make room for more linemen or backers they cana actually use. It’s OK, Tangini, we all knew Schegel & Pociask were mistakes when you picked them, so holding onto Pociask doesn’t make us think we were wrong when you still refuse to activate them. Beyond that, many vets are talking as if they will be seeing the axe (or at least they are hoping for it). The only area where this makes sense to me right now is on the defensive front seven.
For the Last Time (Until the Next Time) Upgrade These Lines, Seriously — The talent for free agent linemen this year could be excellent on the offensive side of the ball, hope that many of these guys test free agency, but the Jets have to get into the middle of talk with players like Colts’ Guards Ryan Lilja & Jake Scott as well as and Steelers’ Tackle Max Starks. Defensively, there will be less young talent, so I wonder if teams will get a little crazy over D-Linemen … either way, the Jets need to find some bodies.
Building Blocks? — I think we all agree that there are pieces to work with, and blowing up the team that is well in control to stay under the cap long-term is a good thing so blowing up the team that is well under control is not a good thing. My hope is that the moves the Jets made this year were a longer term look to set things right … the problem is … I can’t see what they did to do that other than stay the course with their current team with some minor changes. Even with a very down year, I want to see organization build a team that can stay good, rather than a team that can be good for just one year and then bounce along year to year over or under ten wins.
8 Responses to Opening the Junk Drawer: 2007 Bye Week Edition
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jeff i says:
bassett – clemens’ performance is being understated a bit. sure, the jets lost and that’s what matters most. and the offense didn’t put up a ton of points or yards. but i’m taking exception with the press, which is saying he essentially produced the same type of offensive output as chad and are ignoring the following points/mitigants:
1) his best receiver (coles) didn’t play.
2) clemens had 2 less possesions bc of the leon washington TD return and Wash onside kick.
3) 5 WR drops.
4) cotchery fumble in the red zone.sure, the output was the same. but this time it’s not on the QB (whereas chad was throwing picks for TDs, etc…). again, it may be small consolation bc we lost the game. but clemens clearly has the ability to take the QB play to a diff level than chad.
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Eirias says:
While I would normally agree that getting out of the top spot would be imperative, the Cowboys are willing to sell the farm to get McFadden. They stockpiled picks last year for the sole purpose of trading up this year.
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SackDance99 says:
I want to see the young guys and some personnel changes. But, if Jones prospers with, say, Bender at LG, and Clemens ratchets up the offense so the Jets begin to score more, then I will definitely wonder why these changes, which appear obvious, weren’t made sooner. The Jets have been losing by a very narrow margin and, say, a 6-10 record with Clemens will really make me wonder.
It looks inevitable that the Jets will have a top 10 pick. If it’s top 5, then we have to see who comes out early. Frankly, I would draft McFadden. Jones was a stop-gap and Leon is the Jets’ Kevin Faulk (with much more upside). McFadden has way too much talent not to draft. Yes, I know the Jets need OL help and front 7 help, but there’s also 5 more rounds of the draft, free agency, trades and cap casualties. McFadden is a special player, rated 99 by Scout’s Inc., you don’t pass on guys like that, ever.
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Harlan Lachman says:
If Erias is right then we have to trade down for more picks. The risk reward of a top five pick is not there. Ask Houston how they feel about tying so much money on Mario. Not a bad player but…
And SD99, we have to upgrade the front 12 before we fill skill positions. Three solid starters (or better) on the OL would rejuvenate TJ, our running game, Chad and KC. 4 or 5 upgrades on the front 7 would make our pass D look better and turn most of these close loses into wins.
While a McFadden is tempting, he would look Barlowish behind this OL. While a tall fast WR would showcase KC’s arm, a CB would let us part with nowhere-near Barrett and whif-a-Dyson, the truth is upgrading the front 12 is where our FO should focus 100% of their efforts and all of our top resources in FA and the draft.
Harlan
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I repeat, passing up on an RB like McFadden would haunt the Jets franchise like passing on Marino, Sapp, etc. The OL’s weakness is run-blocking on the left side. Because the Jets are stuck with Brick, they have to target LG and, to improve pass blocking, RT. Neither position is worth a 1st round pick, unless we are talking about a rare talent, like Steve Hutchinson (but, LG over a franchise RB?!? And, with a top 5 pick?!?). Picking either position in the 1st round, especially with a top 5 pick, would be galactically stupid.
So, that leaves the Jets with the choice of improving the front 7 with their 1st round pick. If there were an LT-like OLB or an ILB worth taking in the first 10 picks, then I would be less concerned with passing on McFadden. But, that’s not the case. Howie Long’s kid will probably be a great player, but passing on McFadden? Please. He has breakaway speed in a big back’s body…scouts rate him as BETTER than Peterson. I like TJ, but he has no second gear for the second-level. McFadden, when he gets to the second-level, would be a threat to take it to the house. Imagine how that would help every aspect of the Jets offense? Even with 8 in the box, defenses would be scared. One crease and ka-boom! Here comes the Flight Crew.
Harlan, I understand all too well the Jets needs, but McFadden would be a target of opportunity…Boozer before the knee operations. We need more troops, but McFadden is a thermo-nuclear device. Like I said before, there’s 5 more rounds of the draft, free agency, cap casualties, trades and UFAs. Use them to address LG, RT, ILB, OLB, NT, etc. Also, the Pats have the 49ers pick…Brady, Moss and McFadden…Good Lord! If the Jets are on the board, McFadden is there and the Pats pick next, you would pass on McFadden and hand the AFC East, and maybe, the next 5-6 Super Bowls to the Pats? Harlan, I know you wouldn’t do that because you’re a Jets fan and I hope Tannenbaum thinks the same thing.
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Jeff says:
Glenn Dorsey is a carbon copy of Dewayne Robertson. All hype no beef. At around the same height and less weight than D-Rob he might be just as useless
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No RB can run without blocking or with his offense not on the field because the D cannot get off it and when his team is too far behind. Better to wait, fix the lines, get a second tier back. SB have been won with RB the likes of Antoine Smith and Joseph Addai, and a bunch of other unremarkable players. Then there are the all time greats who never got there like Barry Sanders. Heck Walter Payton only got there when he was on the downside.
h
I so agree with the first comment. No way should we get the top5 pick and getting the first overall pick is like committing suicide. Its crazy how much money is given in guaranteed signing bonusus for top 5 picks. LAst 2 times we did it, we ended up with Drob and brick. Both of whom dont deserve that kinda money. Infact any good free agent wouldve asked for lesser money.Also trading down from num 1 spot is extremely tough. I can understand trading down from 2-4 spots.
We simply have to beat Miami next time we play them.