Free Agent Focus Update: 12PM 3/2/2008
Here’s the latest as we are seeing on the Internets:
Damien Woody (T / G) Lions
The veteran lineman Damien Woody will be visiting Hempstead today. More as we know it. Woody lost his Guard spot and played the last five games of the season at Right Tackle, with decent effectiveness. Woody might not be Pro-Bowl bound, but he would certainly be an upgrade over Anthony Clement.
Calvin Pace (DE/OLB) Cardinals
The Jets apparently have an “excellent chance” at snagging the player, with guarantees approaching $20 million. It seems to me that the Jets are in a war of escalation with the Dolphins over this guy. Yikes, I’ve just never seen the guy play, so really have no bearing for how good he is or isn’t. A decision could be reached today.
Will James (CB) Eagles
You remember him … the artist formerly known as Will Peterson! The Jets have expressed an interest. He’s the guy you would see getting torched in years past in the Giants’ secondary. James has struggled with injury issues, especially his back where he had a stress fracture a few years ago.
Randall Gay (CB) Patriots
We all know the story here, and Gay will likely visit the Jets this week. UPDATE: Too late…looks like he’s just signed for the Saints.
Eugene Wilson (S) Patriots
What? Artrell Hawkins isn’t enough for the Jets? The Jets are clearly looking to round out their depth in the secondary, but doesn’t seem to appear to be putting a premium on front-line starters at this point. Wilson should visit this coming week.
Mario Haggan (LB) Bills
Haggan who is scheduled to visit this coming week, would be a depth player for the Jets, likely filling in behind Eric Barton in run specific packages. This move might increase competition at camp, but it’s not one that’s going to create serious impact on the team come September.
Maurice Williams (G/T) Jaguars
This could be the cherry on top of this initial run if the Jets signed Williams. Thought best suited on the right side, Maurice Williams can play either tackle and a little guard as well. At 6-5 315, the former Michigan product has the speed to take on rushers around the edge, but can also be effective in creating running lanes. Other than the Jets are rumored to be intereted, there’s not much more known about the former Jaguar.
Asante Samuel (CB) Eagles
Of course Asante isn’t available, but it appears that the Jets were late to the dance for the free agent corner. Hutch cites an unnamed source who says that “Eric Mangini made an 11th-hour plea to cornerback Asante Samuel to delay signing with the Eagles and come in for a visit. Samuel, however, declined, telling Mangini the Jets entered the bidding too late.” Meh, I’m not exactly crying over that spilled milk.
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I don’t know what all the fuzz is about this Calvin Pace. Yes, he has the body and had a good, not great “Bryan Thomas รก 06″ season. But there’s nothing that says that this guy is worth fighting. I would just hate to se us overpaying an average pass rusher just to we don’t want the Dolphins to have him.
I would rather see them getting him, just to see how they handle yet another bust.
Forget Calvin Pace, too much like Brian Thomas and way too expensive. Draft Gholston at #6. We need to round out FA with Randall Gay at CB and Maurice Williams at RT. I really wanted us to get Dante Stallworth, oh well. But we should try to add a good WR.
i really think we should pass on pace and save our money….. we can draft Gholston to fill that void and then save the money for a corner and another T or G for the right side…..if mcfadden is there i think it is necessary for us to trade with dallas for their two picks and a player of our choice….
are there any big recievers out there the jets could have the eyes on?
Um, Gholston would cost around $20 million in guarantees as the 6th pick and he has an NFL learning curve that would render him just a bit player for ‘08 and, hopefully, a full-time starter by ‘09 (and not a bust). He would not be cheaper and would bare a substantial risk premium. From that perspective, Pace is cheaper and that’s why Tangini are considering him.
Devin Thomas 6′2″
Malcolm Kelly 6′4″
Jordy Nelson 6′3″
James Hardy 6′7″
Limas Sweed 6′5″
Your clock seem to be an hour ahead for posts. Have we sprung forward?
How about Randy Moss… Him and Chad are like Bread and butter… moss should definitely be a target
If Pace likes us and we end up with him on the roster, you can bet that Tangini are figuring on Gholsten not being there at 6. It makes sense also that McFadden prob won’t be there at six either, so I would say stop dreaming he’ll fall to us. The guy is quite a special talent and you can defintely see Al Davis licking his chops to snatch him up.
Hopefully the rest of our moves this week and next will include either Olivea or Mo Williams for RT and/or Randall Gay for CB. That will predict how our draft strategy will pan out.
A little bit off the beaten path, but . . . IF we are able to trade down in the draft (lets say McFadden is still on the board and someone really wants him); a guy I think might make a lot of sense is Kentwan Balmer to play at DE. At 6-5 300 he’s very athletic and although he played DT in the 4-3 at college, there are a lot 3-4 DEs who played that position in college (best example being Richard Seymour).
As for Calvin Pace, I ditto Bassett. I honestly know nothing about this guy and frankly that makes me a little leary. Why hadn’t anyone ever talked about this guy until two weeks ago? And now we’re talking 20 mil guaranteed? Sackdance, I know theres a risk if we draft Gholston at 6 – - but thats the nature of any early draft pick – -big money spent in free agency on the other hand should be spent based on knowledge of someone’s ability to play at this level (i.e. Alan Faneca)
How awesome is it that we just got soooo big on both sides of the ball? Let’s hope its a theme for the draft and Tangini stays consistant with…I would love to have Hardy at 6-6/6-7 at WR if we could pick him in the 2nd round…I know it depends on what we do at RT in FA, but getting him or a TE like Cottam at 6-8 would be great in the red zone…even someone like Barnidge is a 6-6 TE could be had in later rounds…
David Harris was able to come in as a rookie and be a force, why not Gholston? I would love McDaddy (McFadden) to be there at #6 and have Dallas give us their # 21 and 28 picks so we could take Grooves at OLB amd Sweed at WR. Then take Carl Nicks in the 2nd round.
Scratch Randall Gay from the list, the saints just signed him.
Unfortunate about Gay but not surprising. He’s a local Louisanna kid who played his college ball at LSU. Makes sense that he would go back home.
People haven’t been talking about Pace because he hasn’t be utilized correctly before. He was a bust as a down lineman in the 4-3, but when the Cardinals switched to a 3-4, he started playing very well. People who were paying attention knew he was going to get paid. Even so, he would be significantly cheaper than Gholston, and he would give the front office the opportunity to go in another direction with that sixth pick. There is a very good chance that Gholston isn’t going to be there, and there is an even better chance that the Jets don’t think highly enough of him to want to spend the sixth pick on him, rather than drafting a guy in the second or third round to fill the spot.
They are talking about 20m in guarantees which is actually probably what Gholston would get not significantly cheaper. However, he would be more likely to contribute next year.
If the jets sign Pace they can pass on Gholston and still get Quinton Groves in the second or Bruce Davis (UCLA) in the 4th rd.
That is disappointing to here about Asante. I really wanted Samual and Faneca this offseason. At least he didn’t resign with the Pats. Now we need somebody to step up and sign Moss away from the Pats.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3273625
Heres the link on Gay, this is the 1st thing that has upset me as a Jet fan this off season which is great.
another Patriot leaves the conference…Gay didn’t come to the Jets but you can still look on the bright side of things here. Maybe the Jets will come out of nowhere and trade for disgruntled Falcon CB DeAngelo Hall…
Stallworth is gone too! Although he didn’t contribute much there.
Getting Hall would be coming out of nowhere for sure!
Maybe we should be thinking CB for six and Aqib Talib or Mike Jenkins. OLB Dan Connor looked good at the Combine.
I would have provided a link too, that Randall Gay had signed with the saints. Only i saw it on http://www.draftday.dk. Which is in danish. They reported it directly from the nfl network.
Is Alge CRumpler still available ? I’d like him !
ramble 914, rookie inside linebackers have been able to make immediate contributions more than have OLBs, especially pass-rushing OLBs (in recent history, Vilma, Willis and Demeco Ryans have all been immediate contributors along with Harris). Usually, college OLBs are one-trick ponies when it comes to pass-rushing and NFL LTs are trained to be able to stop every pass rush move. Moreover, in the NFL, the left-side of the OL is usually as strong, if not stronger, in the running game as the right side, which is usually never the case in college. So, you might see a rookie OLB come in on obvious pass-rush downs, but I can’t remember the last time a rookie OLB made an immediate impact, like Willis, Ryans, Vilma or Harris. But, I didn’t think Revis would be a strong contributor at CB as a rookie and, if he had signed early and the Jets had a better record, he might’ve gotten Pro Bowl consideration. Still, I’m going on averages and, on average, it’s unlikely Gholston would have an immediate impact. Plus, if he were that good, and given the importance of OLB in the 3-4, you would hear his name rumored for the Dolphins because Parcells would have no issues about taking an OLB with a high pick, as he has done in the past with Carl Banks and DeMarcus Ware. Instead, you’re hearing that the Dolphins and Jets are both vying for Pace. That speaks volumes about Gholston, especially since their prices would be comparable.
Sack… I guess I’m hoping that Gholston can come in and be a kind of Willie McGuinest type, which is who Gholston reminds me of.
I would like to get Alge too, that would mak a great 2 tight end set w/baker.
i think the jets should focus on adding more depth to the o line if we got pace it would be a plus…i would also like to see the jets trade for the cowboys 22 and 28 picks because we can draft a de\olb in harvey or groves and also take a cb wr or ol… i think this has been a producitve first few days of the offseason
I would like them to pick up woody and solidify our o line ….then get pace..and still draft gholston at 6…i think a front 7 of pace,barton,harris,thomas, gholston,jenk, coleman/ellis would be great for us…pace and gholston could be interchangeable with olb and end…making it more confusing of who would be rushing and staying back…and i think that will give mangini the versatility to do some better d-schemes…or play more of the whole front seven standing there looking like there lost…it was very effective for us last year (although not uses that much)…then in second round definately a big wr..if we dont get a walker type…calling richardson wont hurt the run game and pass blocking either..getting a blocking back might allow us to use baker more in the passing game
That’s a whole lot of money to invest in one position. I think Pace/Gholston has to be an either/or scenario.
anyone think that maybe pace is more interested in miami b/c of the weather? he’s coming from arizona and played college at wake forest and high school in georgia.
sack, i think the real reason the dolphins aren’t looking at gholston is that they can take chris long if they want an OLB.
billvv, i could be wrong, but i though dan connor got sick at combine and didn’t take part in any events.
ian’s right- dan connor skipped the combine because of the flu.
maybe im missing something with chris long, but i think hes a mediocre fit in the 3-4 in the nfl- hes a much better fit in the 4-3 at de. hes not big enough to be a 3-4 de (at the nfl level), and hes not quick enough to be a 3-4 olb. am i missing something?
i completely agree with bent- no we way go both gholston and pace- either or neither are the two possibilities-too much money to lock up in one position. if we sign pace, i could still see us drafting a pass rushing specialist in the middle rounds (perhaps crable if hes there in the 4th?)
anyone have an update on how pace’s visit went in new york or an update on what our offer is-other than the reports from earlier today linking it back to miami’s 20m guarantede? i read that he might be heading to cincy tomorrow.
haggan is a good special teams player, he sounds pretty intense:
He was also accused of trying to break Clinton Hart’s ankle during an onside kick versus the Chargers. Hart was carted off the field and was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. His alleged actions caused Hart to fumble the ball, and the Bills recovered the ball. The Chargers went on to knell the ball and win the game because the ball had been touched by a Bills player before going the required ten yards, so possession was given to San Diego. Haggan’s incident caused hostilities between the two teams because of the alleged malicious nature of his intent.
Any news on Olivea? I’d rather see him than Woody. Damien is on the downside and doesn’t have too many years left. And it would be nice to get a local kid (Cedarhurst) like Olivea.
Ian, you’re probably right. I learned about him at that time. Didn’t see him play. Saw the highlights.
Per profootballtalk.com Alge is still a free agent (his agent said no contract has been signed) Isn’t Olivea coming in for a visit later in the week? I would rather have Olivea or M. Williams(JAX) than Woody
I actually think Chris Long’s future in a 3-4 would be at ILB, not outside. And, in a 4-3, I’d play him on the left side, not on the pass-rushing right-side. So, I don’t think that he and Gholston are the same player. Also, I agree with Bent and Liam, Pace and Gholston are too similar to tie up so much money in one position.
williams at right g and woody at right tackle that will fill the o line
dan conner is way to small to play lb in a 3-4 i would love to see the jets get long gholston harvey or groves
sign damien woody
take the best available player at #6 even if its darren mcfadden
need a solid CB and S to go along with revis and rhodes