In the Jets pre-draft press conference yesterday, Jets officials came out and said they would be comfortable taking Darren McFadden. However, NFL Network Draft guru Mike Mayock doesn’t like the idea of McFadden in Green and White. He says Matt Ryan is the better choice.
“I don’t throw out this name lightly, but he reminds me of Peyton Manning in terms of emotional toughness,” said Mayock.
Mike also mentioned that he thinks Ryan can withstand the winds of the meadowlands with such a strong arm, something Chad Pennington had been criticized for. As for DMC…
“My problem with McFadden, aside from his off-the-field issue, is his narrow-framed lower body,” Mayock said. “I think he goes down way too easy on contact. His legs go dead on contact … If I’m picking in the top five, top 10, I want a running back who can go through an arm tackle.”
I definitely agree that if the Jets pick a running back, it should be a guy who can break the tackles. Now, I’ve never seen McFadden play, so I can’t attest to the narrow framed lower body having any affect on that. However, I do imagine it would. Mayock also makes a very interesting comment about McFadden’s off the field issues.
“I don’t think the Jets can afford to take him … I don’t think he’d survive in New York.”
It sounds like Mayock is one of the few that thinks if the Jets take him, the off the field issues will greatly affect his future and his playing time. I disagree, and think that McFadden has done away with his past.
58 Responses to Mayock Rips DMC, Compares Ryan to Manning
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Anyone else be surprised if the Jets made a deal with Carolina for the 6 slot? They seem to be good trade partners — Jenkins this year, last year for Revis — and you’d have to think they’d be interested in Ryan or McFadden. Just throwing it out there …
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I think that the Jets definitely trade down with Carolina and pick up a 3rd and a 5th in that situation unless Chris Long falls to them.
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Maycock and SackDance99 – separated at birth? ;)
I honestly haven’t seen enough of Ryan to have a have an informed opinion but I trust the FO has. On both he and DMC.
On another note, am I the only one nauseated by overuse of the phrase, “He can make all the throws,” regarding college QBs? What does that really say? I mean, I guarantee I can ‘make all the shots’ on a basketball court but that doesn’t mean I’m going to accomplish much with an NBA guard in my face.
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How can you possibly have never seen McFadden play? He was on tv all the time!
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R in CT: Good point. They are obviously not please with Foster and Im not sure about DeAngelo Hall. Carolina is one of those places where players arent bombarded by the press like NY. I would make this deal if Gholston is already off the board. I dont want Carolina to take DMAC and the PATS to take Gholston.
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In regards to “He can make all the throws” it has to do with people like Chad Pennington and Colt Brennan for that matter.
They can’t make all the throws. Neither has much zip on their out passes which leads (in Brennan’s case will lead) to many INT in the pro game. So in this example neither can make “all the throws”
KC in theory can make all the throws yet I haven’t seen him be able to make a nice touch pass in the end zone yet like Chadwick could do.
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Sean —
Carolina let Foster go — he’s with the 49ers now, which is why I wonder if they’d be interested in moving up for McFadden.
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Yeah, seriously, Mack has never seen DMC play, so he can’t honestly comment on his ability to break tackles, but he’s seen him off the field enough to say that he’s done away with his past. That is terrible analysis. If I want pointless, uninformed speculation I’ll read the papers.
I also like how Mayock compares Ryan to Manning in terms of emotional toughness, that’s some horse-puckey right there. Emotional toughness? What does that even mean? How is that quantifiable? Besides witch the prevailing narrative for both Manning brothers has been a lack of emotional toughness (that is until they both won Super Bowls and that character flaw magically disappeared). This kid reeks of bust.
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I don’t think sackdance and Mayock are related, and if i’m not mistaken I think sack doesn’t mind Run DMc if he were available either. Certainly Mayock is allowed his opinion and the fear/speculation about further off the field issues is warranted but who can really predict the future? What I fear is wasted talent, if not used properly.
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“Narrow lower body” ???? What a joke! We have definitely gotten into the silly season of pre-draft analysis. Doesn’t Randy Moss “suffer” from the same problem? Of course, WR and RB aren’t the same thing. But you don’t draft a DMac because he has the skills of Jerome Bettis. You draft him in the hope that once or twice a game you can throw him a 2 yard swing pass and he can take it to the house. Drafting a player with DMac type skills is always risky because it is IMPOSSIBLE to know whether his ridiculously obvious athletic skills will translate into NFL production. Look at Reggie Bush. But I know one thing. If DMac turns into a dissappointment for whoever drafts him, it won’t be because of his “narrow lower body.” Pure silliness.
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IS THERE ANYWAY WE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH RICH CIMINI TO SEE WHAT HIS THOUGHTS ARE ON THE DRAFT. EVERYTHING HE WRITES IS SO ANTI-JET ITS UNBELIEVEABLE. I THINIK HE SHOULD SAY WHAT HE THINKS THE JETS SHOULD DO. THEN, WE DON’T HAVE TO HEAR HIM SAY AFTERWARDS HOW BAD A DECISIONS THE JETS MADE. IS THERE ANYONE AT TJB THAT CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM???
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I for one am glad that so many different opinions are swirling around as this might help potential trade partners to believe that the Jets might actually take the guy they want if they don’t trade with us.
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This front office is banking on Kellen Clemens. They drafted Clemens in the second round and this is his third year so he better be able to justify the fact that he was taken with the first pick in the second round.
They have left Chad only to compete with Clemens so that he can be a better football player. I dont think this FO is gona trust putting another season in the arms of Pennignton and I dont think that they are gona put it in the hands of Matt Ryan either. Clemens is the guy so we better start supporting him. We need to sure up the Defense a little more and go out and get a big BIG receiver. All our receivers are rather small but play big but we still need a guy who can just go up and get it. Thomas Jones will be fine and running backs can be found all throughout the draft. Running backs are over hyped in college because they get the ball so much and score a lot of TDs but that doesnt mean its gona translate into the NFL.
Stay away from McFadden. Depending on the situation, I like Gholston if he is their at 6 or try to come up with a trade with Carolina or the Ravens for multiple picks. Felexibility should be the theme for this draft and we should be ready for anything.
I just dont like McFadden because he is not worth a number 6. The Jets will benefit more from a hard nosed running back who they can get later on in the draft.
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We can’t risk drafting McFadden. With this high of a pick you need more of a sure thing. There are tons of variables to deal with already without having to add potential character issues to the mix as well. Mcfadden may learn from his past and clean up his act, but more likely is that he will not. If we were desperate for a running back I’d be more inclined to take a chance, but TJ and LW are a good tandem. There are enough playmakers on this offense. Improved O-line and QB play will go a long way.
Not to mention it’s not fun rooting for a guy who has had multiple paternity tests and cares way too much about his bling bling.
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In my opinion, I like to veiw running backs as tempo setters, not game breakers. We need our runnings backs to be able to set the tempo, grind it out, and once in a while, have the ablity to break it for 30+.
McFadden wont set any tempo and I dare to say he can grind it out late in the game. However, he is a home run hitter.
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I agree with Najy. McFadden is overhyped. He is a good football player, but not at number 6. This guy is not Lawrence Phillips, but he does have baggage. You can’t take a chance like that with such a big investment. If we can’t trade out, take the best defensive player on your board ( maybe Chris Long does slip to us)
1)Long, J
2)Dorsey, G
3)Ryan, M
4)McFadden, D
5)Albert or Gholston
6)Long, C
Unlikely, but it can happen. If Long, Gholston, and McFadden are off the board, and we have a trade partner, Carolina hypothetically speaking, then acquring the 43rd pick to move down to 14 isn’t such a bad idea. You can get a good WR, CB, and OL or even ILB with those first 3 picks. I would absolutely do that instead of drafting McFadden. What are your guys thoughts. AND SEANMAC, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. -
jvsvn, thats exactly what I’m thinking. We aren’t picking DMC to be a goaline back and carry the entire load. He would be splitting carries with Thomas Jones and possibly Washington. I think DMAC would fit in fine with splitting times with TJones. We don’t need Ryan. We didn’t even give KC a chance yet. Yes, he played some, but the OL was horrendous. If DMC and Gholston are gone I say we look for a trade partner who wants to trade up for Matt Ryan. Worst case scenario would all 3 being gone. Let’s see how that could happen. 1. Jake Long 2. Chris Long 3. Matt Ryan 4. Darren McFadden 5. Vernon Gholston The Chiefs could potentially take Gholston b/c Jared Allen wants out. If this were the case players like Dorsey, Ellis, etc. would be there. I guess we could trade down with teams looking at the DT’s. I can’t really see this happening, but you never know.
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Ryan…
What about Leon Washington, the team MVP?
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McFadden just looks like a wide receiver, not a running back. I dont know…
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People make me laugh when talking about McFadden. He can’t break tackles, Give me a break, anyone who saw atleast 1 Arkansas game this year (they are nationally televised often) knows that Mcfadden can break tackles. Hes not gonna break tackles like Adrian Peterson, or even Jonathon Stewart for that matter, but neither of those guys are gonna break long runs like McFadden. Anyone who thinks otherwise should just go check out McFaddens numbers last year. You cant get that amount of yards and touchdowns in the SEC without breaking tackles. Give me a fu*$%ng break. Mcfadden at 6 would be a steal.
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Thank you bent, anyone who watched the lsu game, or any of his other games saw him break tackles. Hes a big guy, elusive, slippery, and he gets away from defenders. He will be a star in the nfl. everyone analyzes these guys so much to the point that they begin to have doubts on every player!
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Mike G, dude “neither of those guys are gonna break long runs like McFadden.”? Really? Did you miss the ’07 NFL season? Maybe you just don’t watch Vikings games out of principle or something.
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bent right on!!! with the 6th pick in the 2008 nfl draft the jets select darren mcfadden form ark. how nice would that be ?
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MIke G…
I dont mean to insult you, but college and the NFL are 2 different animals. What a player does in college does not translate into the NFL. ie. Reggie Bush.
Runnings backs need to be able to run between tackles and not carry it to the outside 75% of the time. That doesnt work in the nfl cuz players are much bigger and much faster and they wont give up the edge.
Why do you think reggig Bush is struggling so much down in New Orleans but was “the best player on earth” in college. Ive watched McFadden and he doenst like to run up the gut. He takes it outside almost all the time and breaks it long cuz of his pure athleticism and speed but that will not get it done in the NFL.
And your perfect example is Reggie Bush. Over-hyped!! Running backs are overhpyed in general. So dont think for a second that because he performed that way in college that he will perform that way in the NFL cuz i guaranttee that he wont. In college, he got to the edge at will and Ive seen it before, it wont happen in the NFL. Teams are too fast, too strong, and gameplan toooo well.
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Everytime anyone says McFadden, I think Reggie Bush. We dont need that on our team.
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My pet goat,
“Mike G, dude “neither of those guys are gonna break long runs like McFadden.”? Really? Did you miss the ‘07 NFL season? Maybe you just don’t watch Vikings games out of principle or something.”
I simply meant while those other backs may break more tackles than Mcfadden, Mcfadden will break more long runs. Youre misunderstanding what I said. Im pointing out that there are positives and negatives. The negative on Mcfadden is that he “cant break a lot of tackles” but on the other hand, he will break a lot of long runs, more so than say an Adrian Peterson or Jonathon Stewart. I didnt say those guys dont break long runs, I just said Mcfadden can break more long runs. alright dude. Im well aware of how many amazing long touch downs Peterson had, but lets not forget going into each of their respected drafts, Mcfadden is rated higher than Peterson was last year.
Najy,
If theres one conference in college fb to compare to the nfl its clearly the SEC.
and to tell you the truth, if Mcfadden turned out to be as good as Reggie Bush why would that be a bad thing? in a 2 back league, why wouldnt we want a “reggie bush type” to go along with thomas jones? Bush has 15 TD’s in 28 career games. Name one player on the jets who had 15 TD’s over the past 2 seasons? The jets dont have a reggie bush, they dont have a darren mcfadden, and they need one.
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My problem is that McFadden has no identity. I dont wouldnt want our 6th overall pick success to depend on someone else, cuz thats reggie bush.
When Duce went down this year, Reggie was became a nobody because he didnt have that big Rb in front of him. Thats y I dont want McFadden cuz he has no identity +his success is dependent on Thomas Jones.
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Najy: McFadden and Bush are two different players.
I’d rather have AP than McFadden, but that isn’t saying much b/c AP is probably better than even LT right now (with the one concern being that he may be the man of glass, we’ll see).
McFadden is a home-run hitter and the best playmaker in this draft, by far. I like Ghoulston and C. Long and J. Long just as much as the next guy, but they’re almost certain to be gone by the time the JETS pick. There is a slight chance one of them, or McFadden will be there.
I say you pounce on any of the above players if they fall to 6.
And the SEC isn’t the NFL, but its the closest you will get in college football. DMC ran between the tackles very well. That is our only basis of comparison.
Remember, all the other players in this draft also only played college, and not the NFL, so its a little absurd to minimize McFadden’s insane college career by pointing out that he was in college, and not the NFL. Better discount Vince Young’s Nat’l Champ game, or Matt Ryan’s game against Va. Tech, or all the time Jake Long manhandled the Big Ten’s best DE’s, or the time Ghoulston beat Jake Long, or all the times Glen Dorsey destroyed offensive linemen in the SEC, etc.
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MIKE G.
you are killing me. i’m not drafting somone to split time with thomas jones as the number 6 pick in the draft. if you draft him that high, he must be your ladanina tomlinson. he was picked 5. Either they think he is the man to carry the load, or DON”T TAKE HIM. I could easily take GHOLSTON and hope that he can be a complete player.
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Wow, thankyou DSmizzle.
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since when is peyton manning the barometer of emotional toughness?
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Alex, McFadden is a top 3 player in this draft, no question. To get him at 6 would be unbelievable. Lets just leave it at that.
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Both sides of this argument are bordering on awful. An allergic reaction to Reggie Bush is running pretty rampant around these parts. I think there are a lot of reasons to be wary of DMC, but this Bush parallel is just plain old lazy thinking. Darren’s named is etched in the SEC record books with the likes of Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, and Emmit Smith. He had the sixth highest career carry total in SEC history, not exactly a scat-back stat. Now he’s light, and that may be an understatement, and he didn’t play in a pro-style offense, and yes, he likes to have unprotected sex. Those are all possible arguments (ranging from pretty valid to potentially racist) against McFadden, but being a Reggie Bush clone (who isn’t an official bust) is not.
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IF HE IS SOOOOOOO GREAT, THEN WHY ARE SOME OF THE WORST TEAMS IN THE NFL THINKING ABOUT PASSING UP ON HIM??????????
He is not gona be an every down back in the NFL, that is a given….what is he gona be? A situational player?? A third down player? what is he gona do??? He is the 6th overall pick!!! U better not bring him and sit him on the bench. But thats what he is gona do because he cant carry the ball 20+ times a game.
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I jsut dont understand why you would waste such a high pick on a RUNNING BACK???… U can find a 1000 yard back in the 4th round or even 5th round. Running backs are a dime a dozen and some of you guys dont understand that!!
Its about the O line and the D line. Its a wase to draft a running back that high because you can go out and get a quality back that will run you over later in the draft.
We have too many needs and too many holes to spend a 6th overall pick on a running back.
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I know that every now and then you can unearth a decent RB late in the draft, but here’s some food for thought for my man Najy:
Running Backs taken in the 4th round of recent drafts
’07 draft- Michael Bush, Antonio Pittman, Dwayne Wright
’06 draft- Michael Robinson, Leon Washington, P.J. Daniels
’05 draft- Marion Barber III, Brandon Jacobs, Alvin Pearman, Darren Sproles
’04 draft- Mewelde Moore, Cedric Cobbs
’03 draft- Artose Pinner, Domanick Davis, Onterrio Smith, Quentin Griffin, Lee Suggs, LaBrandon Toefield,It looks like ’05 is more the exception than the rule.
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Najy, youre way off. 1000 yard back may be a dime a dozen, but backs like LT, AP, Brian Westbrook, etc, are NOT A DIME A DOZEN. If the jets think mcfadden will be like one of these guys, why isnt he worth the 6th pick?
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Najy, Just because he would split time with thomas jones now doesnt mean he wouldnt be our everydown back in 2 years, or even next year. no one is saying we would draft him to be a 3rd down back for his career.
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Hey goat… there are some pretty good running backs in that mix that you just gave.
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Mike…
Westbrook is a 3rd rounder
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Obviously, i would draft mcFadden if I thought he was like LT and AP and Larry Johnson. I just dont think he is tho.. thats the problem.
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Jeez… there are like 18 backs on that list and of those 18 only 2 are #1 NFL running backs. That’s a batting average of .111. If those odds don’t give you pause… well, I’m not gonna spend any more work-shirking minutes responding to you.
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Goat, Im gona take you to school for a little bit…. So you can better understand what im talking about…
Mike Bell – undrafted
Mike Anderson – undrafted
Priest Holmes – undrafted
Willie Parker – undrafted
Terrell Davis – 6th round
Rudi Johnson – 4th round
Ahmad Bradshaw – 7th round
Curtis Martin – 3rd round -
Najy:
TJ had 1,100 yards+ last year and he was almost completely ineffective and was not a big-play threat in any meaningful sense of the word.
If you mean that you can easily find runnings backs who could put up the numbers TJ did last year in the middle rounds, I agree.
The thing that separates most of the mid-to-late rounders from the top picks is usually physical ability, speed, strength, agility, quickness, etc…. now you can get by like TJ by being a determined, “lunch-pail type” running back… there are a lot of those guys and you don’t need a 1st-rounder to get them… but look around the league.
Think of these guys:
JETS: Thomas Jones (1st round)
Bills: Marshawn Lynch (1st round)
Patriots: Laurence Maroney (1st round)
Dolphins: Ronnie Brown (1st round)
Colts: Joseph Addai (1st round)
Chiefs: Larry Johnson (1st round)
Chargers: Ladainian Tomlinson (1st round)
Ravens: Willis McGahee (1st round)
Bears: Cedrick Benson (1st round)
Vikings: Adrian Petersen (1st round)
Jaguars: Fred Taylor (1st round)
Bucs: Cadillac Williams (1st round)
Saints: Deuce (1st round)
Rams: Stephen Jackson (1st round)Thats pretty impressive, and flies against the argument that you shouldn’t spend 1st-rounders on a RB. These guys aren’t all amazing, but its telling that almost 1/2 of the teams have a starter who is a 1st-rounder. That means round 1 vs. 2-6 is about even in terms of producing starters. I’m not even sure I caught all of them in a cursory look at the starters in the NFL, and I apologize in advance if I mischaracterized any of these guys as firsts.
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Now im not wasting anymore time with you.. just wanted to prove my point,.
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Najy, I’d like to point out that 3 of those guys are out of the NFL, 3 played for the BRONCOS!, and one (Rudi) can’t stay on the field.
On most issues I agree with you man, but I’m definitely NOT in the “1st round is a waste for a RB” camp!
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It all about production on the field. You need your 1st rounders to produce. Yes. It is possible to find lower round picks that produce but what does that prove? Brian Westbrook was a third rounder. But if the Eagles had used a 1st rounder to get Westbrook, it would have been a good pick because Westbrook produces. If you take a DMac at 6 (and I’m not saying you do or don’t) and he produces like a Westbrook, you’ve done pretty well for yourself. The fack that you had a 1 in 10 chance of maybe finding someone in a later round isn’t very relevant anymore. Using 1st round picks on guys that don’t produce results on the field is what kills franchises. Any Jets fan already understands this all too well.
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DSmizzle,
Dont get me wrong, I am not saying that taking all running backs in the first round is a waste. From the list that you compiled, i can come up with a few potential hall of famers. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
BUT none of those players are anything like a McFadden in terms of style of play. They are shorter and stockier type players. Thats whats scary is that McFadden looks like a receiver, not a running back. He will be a bust if we take him.
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Najy i know westbook was a 3rd rounder, so what? the hole point was running backs like brian westbrook are NOT a dime a dozen, and if his draft was redone, im sure he would be a top 10 pick, top 5 probably.
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If the Jets are comfortable with DMC’s character issues, that would be good enough for me, but I would still take the strtegy of trading down and picking up more picks. We don’t have a third round pick, so trading our first for a lower 1st, another second and a third, would gives us quite a nice selection.
I would be more comfortable picking a TJ replacement only after we gave him an opportunity with a good line in front of him.
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As a friend of the family, Mayock has known about Ryan for quite sometime. Did he make his list as a top Junior, did he ever mention him before BC’s breakout year. If Ryan is so phenomenal, you think he would have been one of Mayocks top QB’s as a Junior or he would have had him higly rated before the time for underclassmen to declare.
Did he? If anyone knows, feel free to answer.
If he did, there may be something there. If not (which I do not remember anything about Ryan from last years draft time), then I have to wonder if the analysis is a little colored.
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Vbsiena here are some highlights from Kellen Clemens in case nobody else posted it. I think he has some good touch. You might notice also that there were some drops, most notably everyone’s favorite Justin McCaerins who also tipped a ball in the endzone leading to an INT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogqK5YbOzdg
Note how little time he has and then in the 4th how much better he is with some time.
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Wow, thanks for posting that link. The JETS were so pitiful last year that sometimes I forget that Kellen HAS shown SOME ability… gives me a little hope, although giving me hope might be the cruelest thing you could have done!





Mayock has been down on McFadden on the start, though he’s less down than he used to be, as DMC has risen on his board from outside the top twenty to 11th overall. I do think there is something to the notion that the Jets would prefer Jonathan Stewart, though not necessarily at six.
I don’t know what to say about Mayock’s take on Ryan. As has been noted elsewhere, Mayock is a friend of the Ryan family and knows Matt Ryan well, and it’s hard to tell if that insider knowledge is helping or hurting his assessment. On the one hand, it can be a positive that he has a read on how Ryan approaches the position and his off-field demeanor. On the other hand…it’s really, really ridiculous to put Peyton Manning the college prospect and Matt Ryan the college prospect in the same sentence. I had an opportunity to get in on that conference call and I wish I hadn’t been traveling, as I’d love to hear Mayock explain Ryan’s poor statistical output- I’ve heard him defend the interceptions by throwing Ryan’s teammates under the bus, but it’s not just the interceptions that stick out.