The Thursday Top 10: New Kids on the Block
Okay, you might be thinking about the recently reunited Joey, Jordan, Jonathan, Danny and that irascible Donny, but I’m talking about recently acquired Jesse, Vernon, Calvin, Damien and that irascible Tony. Even though they’re hangin’ tough and taking it step by step, they got the right stuff — didn’t they blow your mind?!! Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!!!
Whoa, ’80s flashback there . . . sorry.
Now I was never a girl scout, but I did date a few former ones back in the day (even married one), and one thing I always remember — aside from their sweet, sweet cookies — is their motto: “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold.”
Well, the Jets dumped some fool’s gold (McCareins, Clement, Clarke, et al) and then went out and struck a mother lode of silver this off-season! Or what they hope will be silver — some of it could turn out to be just a bunch of shiny worthless rocks. One way or another, the team will be depending on its new acquisitions, hoping that their collective impact will raise the team up from its 4-12 finish last season.
Individually, let’s look at –
The Top 10 New Additions to the Jets Who Should Have the Biggest Impact
(And No, When I Say “New Additions,” I Don’t Mean These Guys)
10. Dustin Keller. If Keller is the weapon he was at Purdue, he should create mismatches aplenty and provide a big downfield target. Ideally, that should help stretch the offense while freeing up the receivers and creating space for the running game. He’d be higher on the list if rookie receivers and tight ends didn’t traditionally struggle in their first year. If the Chris Baker situation gets resolved in such a manner that Baker is no longer a Jet, then Bubba Franks is 10a.
9. Jesse Chatman/Musa Smith. It was either Greg Buttle or Ray Lucas who pointed this out on a recent episode of “Jets Nation” but anyone who thinks these guys may take touches away from Leon Washington isn’t paying attention — these two guys’ skill sets more closely match Thomas Jones’, and are more likely to find themselves in situations where Jones would normally be used (like at the goal line), and on first and second down. If the offense is indeed gearing itself to key on the running game, the more fresh legs it has, the better. And as the Giants demonstrated last season, you can’t have too many quality backs.
8. Tony Richardson. See above in regards to improving the running game, as perennial Pro Bowler Richardson is a tremendous blocking back, having led the way for Larry Johnson and, last season, for Purple Jesus himself, Adrian Peterson. Plus, as a Mangini type of guy (and Mangini contemporary), he’s another hardworking professional who should provide leadership to a young team. He also catches the ball well coming out of the backfield — another wrinkle for the offense.
7. Damien Woody. I’m in the camp that tends to think the Jets may have overpaid for Woody, but that may be because I thought Clement was so bad, anyone — even the untested likes of Clint Oldenburg, Jacob Bender or Nate Garner — would be an upgrade. As I’ve posted before, I tend to see Woody more as a one- or two-year starter while a proper replacement is being groomed, while also providing quality depth since he plays every position on the line. As the guaranteed part of his contract is in the first two years, it’s possible the team is thinking the same way. Either way, a big body (6’3, 340 lbs.) with blocking skills, he should help out the running game.
6. Vernon Gholston. I know he was taken sixth overall, but I have fairly low expectations for a rookie who will be learning a new position and most likely be used at first primarily as a pure edge rusher. The reason he’s up higher on this list is because of his potential, which if he does fulfill to some extent, will have a big impact on the defense. He has a big upside, as the kids like to say. Let’s hope he explores some of sooner rather than later.
5. Calvin Pace. Victor Hobson was not quite on the level of Anthony Clement in my mind, but I’ve been underwhelmed by his play the past few seasons, especially against the run where it seemed like time and time again he would easily get blocked out of a play. He was decent against the pass and seemed to have a nose for the ball, but his ability to rush the quarterback — a must in the 3-4 for an outside linebacker — was average at best, mainly due to his lack of foot speed. Pace is bigger (6’4 vs. 6’0), faster, more versatile, better against the run, and coming off 6.5 sacks, better at getting to the quarterback. If there were no other changes in the off season other than swapping Pace for Hobson, I’d say the defense was significantly improved on that move alone.
4. Kevin O’Dea. Okay, I know I’ve beaten this to death, but one of the keys to the Jets success has been the great play of their special teams under Mike Westhoff, especially the return game. Field position is always critical — even more so if you have an untested offensive line and possibly a young quarterback — so O’Dea needs to make sure the team continues to start in a good position when it has the ball. He’s got Pro Bowl-quality returners in Miller and Washington, as well as a fairly accurate kicker in Nugent, a decent punter in Graham, and a front office who understands the importance of special teams and has provided him with a number of players who have excelled there. He needs to make sure it all continues to work better than the rest of the league, or he will be gone faster than green-and-white lightnin’.
3. Kris Jenkins. Any time you add a massive Pro Bowl-caliber lineman to the interior of your defensive line, it’s a gigantic plus to the team, and if it’s a guy like Jenkins who can dominate when properly motivated — which he appears to be — then all the better. He is the long sought-after missing piece for Mangini’s 3-4 defense (a large nose tackle), and now that he’s in place and doing the dirty work of taking on multiple blockers in the middle, it should free up the linebackers to make plays. Big skilled man + key position = much improved defense. I hope.
2. Bill Callahan. Every Jets fan out there knows the team’s biggest problem last year was the underwhelming performance of the offensive line. Sure, a big part of the problem was replacing Pete Kendall with a swinging gate at left guard, but even then, the unit definitely went backward from 2006 — specifically Nick Mangold, who didn’t seem nearly as good as his rookie year; D’Brickashaw Ferguson seemed about the same in that he did a good job handling speed and finesse rushers, but struggled with bull rushers. Bottom line: Neither improved upon their rookie season. Enter Callahan, who is more of a scheme-blocking coach than his predecessor Tony Wise, and who’s got his work cut out as the team was 19th in rushing and gave up the 4th most sacks (53) in the NFL in 2007. Nowhere to go but up, right? If he can get this unit to gel together — especially around the goal line, where I’ve seen women giving birth push harder than last year’s group — than that should bode very well for the offense. If not . . . well, let’s just say it’ll get uglier than anything he saw at Nebraska.
1. Alan Faneca. By simply replacing a swinging gate with a seven-time Pro Bowler who has won a championship, you have already made the biggest impact imaginable on your team. Not only does Faneca bring vastly improved play to the line, he also adds a high level of professionalism and solid work ethic, as well as provides veteran leadership that was so sorely lacking last year. Immediately, he makes the two young players on either side of him better, and ideally, he improves the offense as a whole by upgrading the run game and pass blocking. And accordingly, by making better the unit which struggled the most, he has the most impact on the team. Let’s just hope he lives up to the responsibility or it’ll be another loooooong season.
28 Responses to The Thursday Top 10: New Kids on the Block
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Johnny Styne says:
Chad cannot deliver the ball downfield to Keller the way that Curtis Painter did at Purdue — If Chad is the starter, then Keller may have no impact at all –
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Scott says:
Overall, I like the order of this list, however I think I’d swap Faneca and Jenkins. If everything works out I feel that Jenkins should provide the absolute biggest upgrade to any one aspect of the Jets’ team, and that of course is the run defense. I am also excited to see what Pace can bring, and I don’t expect much out of Gholston, at least not immediately. Frankly, I’m not holding my breath that he’ll EVER become a sack machine at this level, but here’s to hoping.
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cool it now, you’ve got to slow it down
(oooh watch out)
you’re gonna fall in lo-o-ove/with Vernon Gholston, that is
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j says:
It all comes down to protecting the QB, and pressuring the QB, the trenches will determine the season.
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Zenlaw says:
Scott make an interesting point. With Jenkins, the Jets are hoping to clog the middle and stop the run. If the Jets are able to accomplish this goal, the Jets will spend less time on defense.
Alternatively, with Faneca, the Jets are hoping to control the line of scrimmage on offense. If they are able to accomplish this goal, the Jets will control time of possession and the defense will have to spend less time on the field.
Basically, it’s two sides of the same coin.
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billvv says:
After the Miami game the Jets face four teams in a row that will be pass oriented. I think you’d better be figuring how that will play out more than stoping the run.
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Mehl56 says:
A position I have been begging for a change for a couple of years now- Jenkins should pay huge dividens! With the addition of Jenkins look for D. Harris to have a ProBowl season and with the defense improving this year, the “average start “of field possession should greatly improve for the offense!
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The most important pieces, Zen. After watching the last 3 offseasons, it seems just like steps in a plan. If they had made a large splash year one or two, it would have been for naught because they wouldn’t have had the core they wanted in place. Now, year three, they can add to their core and hopefully grow. They chose to build with O line and front seven (two pieces I have been screaming about for years).
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DSmizzle says:
Thankfully, there are a number of great chips on which to build a great team.
Depth is certainly questionable, even front-line depth, like a sure-fire #2 CB and someone who can fit in next to Kerry Rhodes (is Elam the answer?) … but Harris, Rhodes and Revis are top-notch young talents, as is Mangold and even Cotchery on offense. On special teams, either or both of Leon Washington and Justin Miller are big-time players.
Hopefully, as you’ve all alluded to, guys like Faneca and Jenkins fill the biggest holes on the team, because the young building blocks aren’t just starting to come into their own; their play the last 2 seasons, or just last season in Revis’ and Harris’ case, has been very good-to-great.
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Bent says: Keller got a bunch of his yardage after the catch on underneath dumpoffs. So, even if we are to assume that Chad can’t throw the ball past the first down marker unless it is 2nd and short, Keller could still have an impact. How many of Chad’s passes did Becht drop over the years? Keller would have caught nearly all of them and made some moves downfield, so this could help the Jets, even if the supposedly awful Pennington is at the helm.
It’s interesting to see all the upgrades the Jets have made laid out like this (albeit that O’Dea is probably a downgrade). Surely some – if not most (if not all) – of these HAVE to pan out, right?
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Fonzie says:
Now is NOT the time to be a pessimist, or as some fans would diguise as “realists”. After the best offseason I have seen in the last 40+ years I have been a diehard Jets fan, and the CS we have in place, It is time for all of us to feel positive about our future and root like hell. We must show all the Jet bashers that the Jet spirit is alive and well…and thriving !!!! ENJOY the season and GO JETS !!!
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gangreen4ever says:
I disagree with you when you said that Mangold didn’t make an improvment I think he played a good center and your giving D’Brick to much credit.
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TOON2388 says:
if we did nothing else except sign Faneca & trade for Jenkins we still get an A+ this off-season. Stopping the run and being to convert short yardage by running were the biggest weaknesses of this team over the past 2 years solving. Everything else we do is a function of fixing those 2 problems.
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Bilal says:
Ironic that this article was posted this morning because I was asking myself the same question this morning (yes i wake up thinking about the Jets), who will make the biggest impact?
I agree with many of you in that Kris Jenkins is the key to this season. If he can be the beast we expect him to be in the middle, his effort will trickle down to all levels of the defense. His dominance will have a direct effect on Pace & Gholston. People will also forget that we don’t have a great second corner, how many teams will have one?
I’m also a big fan of the Elam, especially in running situations. Kerry Rhodes is a great player but the one thing he lacks his Elam’s strength- hitting people as hard as possible. Elam doesn’t short himself when he goes for the hit.
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Liam says:
What about Etienne Boulay Boulay, oh boulay, i said we gotta go, aye aye aye … c’mon R in CT you’re better then that!
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Fonzie, there is a difference between being a realist and being a pessimist. You have a very sunny disposition when it comes to talking about the JETS, which is fine, but I seek objectivity.
I’d rather read an honest opinion piece about the JETS rather than read something off of http://www.newyorkjets.com where they’re clearly not trying to make waves.
To each his own.
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Pete57 says:
Good list Basset. Looking at it gets me pretty pumped for the season.
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oops! I should say good job R in Ct!
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sec108 says:
I agree with most here, biggest additions are Jenkins, Faneca, Richardson and Callahan. The 2 biggest deficiencies the Jets have had the last few years is stopping the run and converting short yardage situations. If these moves pan out this team should be playoff bound, regardless of who wins the QB competition. Pace, Gholston, and Keller, if they are able to contribute will be icing on the cake.
Of course its all fun and games until that first torn acl in training camp…..
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jettarocks says:
How can you ignore the QB position….KC is still the new kid on the block and his ability to synchronise the offense will be vital to the success/failure of this team
I expect KC to lead and lead effectively
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18andOne says:
Am I missing something about Gholston, I though we drafted him because he dominated in big games against teams like Michigan. Isn’t our first game against the Phins, who will have Jake Long starting at one of the tackle positions and probably Chad Henne as their starting qb? Doesn’t this bode well for Gholston’s first game, going against fellow rookies he dominated just a few months ago. I’m not saying he’s going to be the second coming of LT, but a quick start by Gholston considering the Phins game is not out of the question.
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18 — gholston will likley be playing on third downs or passing situations early in the season. the sample size against jake long was small from last year. gholston only sacked once on longs watch, but he only had about 10 plays matched up on long … most came from the other side. so 1 in 10 is great on long, but it’s hard to know how that projects to larger chunks of time lined up against him (could be really good though, as long let up only like 2 sacks in his entire collegiate career)
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Bent says:
18 – if the fins had drafted Steve Schilling too, then I would agree with you. That’s the guy Gholston “pwnd” in the Michigan game. He only went up against Long about ten times and although he got one sack, he didn’t otherwise trouble him.
I agree with Bassett and when VG is used as a situational rusher, he will most likely usually face the RT, although since Long is not fleet footed, the opener might be one game where he lines up on the right.
Of course it isn’t out of the question for him to develop sooner than expected. Hopefully his role will have grown by the time they face Miami again (week 17, I think).
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Bent says:
btw Long says he only let up 2 sacks his whole career, but I counted three. Make no mistake, he was not drafted for his elite pass protection ability, he’s a run blocker first and foremost. He is big though, so he has that going for him, but the best speed rushers in the league will fry him. That may be Gholiath eventually, but he has a bit to learn first.
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pat d says:
Baring injury Faneca will have the biggest impact. He has proven himself. Jenkins will be next if he suceeds at nose tackle in the 3-4. This is new for him.
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Harvlis says:
R, I like the list and your comments.
I hope the Jets use the pre-season properly. They need to come into the Dolphin game looking like they have played together before. Most years, you just want the team to stay healthy in the pre-season. This year, I feel, if they can start strong, they will only get better as the season goes on. If you combine stopping the run with the additional pressure that will be brought by Pace and Gholston – we should have a monster D. I just hope they get it together before the NE game. Go Jets! -
Mike G says:
After being a fan for many years I’d say I like the moves we made and the future potential some of them bring to the table. Sorry to kick a dead dog but I’ve never been a Chad fan. He does bring some skills to the table and as long as you surround him with skilled people you’ll get a days pay out of him, but thats about it. I am just a little worried about putting the turnaround in the offensive line and the defensive line in the hands of just two mortals. I mean god forbid… never mind… “GO Jets!”
Keller is going to make the biggest impact, but Gholston, if he can follow Harris’s lead could emerge by the last 4 games of the season. I am totally optimistic about the Jets chances this year, not of only being better, but playoff better.