Link: Is This Brad Smith’s Year?
Dan Leberfeld did an AFC East roundtable on Scout.com and was asked which player stood out to him during the minicamp and could be in for a breakout year. Here’s Dan’s answer:
I would say wide receiver Brad Smith. He made several circus catches in the minicamp, and seems like a player ready to take a quantum leap this season. Over his first two years in the league, Smith was somewhat nondescript. But let’s keep in mind that he was a college quarterback atMissouri, and had to start at square one as a receiver after the Jets drafted him. It’s hard enough for college receivers to make the transition to the NFL, can you imagine who difficult it is for a rookie and second-year player who has never played the position?
But now, you get the sense that Smith is comfortable in his wide receiver skin, and is ready to make some things happen. Also, with Laveranues Coles gone, he’s going to get the ball thrown his way more. He got so few chances his first two years in the league, it was hard for him to get into any flow.
Smith’s special teams play can’t be overlooked and I’m glad to hear he’s done well so far, but it seems like every spring and summer Brad Smith makes some nice catches that have folks thinking this is his year. Most young WRs take two to three years to develop, Smith came from an option offense at Mizzou as a QB, so maybe it’s the fourth year that will be a charm. At 6′2″ 210 pounds, and as a guy who ran a 4.49 40 yard dash at the combine, he’s got a combination of size and speed that are tantalizing.
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It better be this year. He is not as fast as timed but his combination of size/strength = yac opportunities. If he doesnt make the cut he can still be a viable option. But right now we just have too many projects at receiver and only Cotcherry as an answer. But remember, Jerricho came out of nowhere so who knows
Well, he got starters reps once last year – in the second half against the Raiders – and had a great game.
There’s no escaping the fact that he only caught 12 passes all season though, despite the fact that Clowney, Stuck and Keller spent extended periods of time in the doghouse.
“He is not as fast as timed” – I don’t know about that…he looks pretty fast whenever they get him in space.
This one’s easy. The answer is NO! I would not be shocked if he were cut, but I doubt it.
Well in space, he is not going to run past any cornerbacks though, maybe safeties. I mean 4.5 for a receiver is not extremely fast. But then again well have to see
I look at Brad Smith and I see David Tyree. A slow guy that adds good depth and special teams. Reasonable hands. A guy who should be around. But a guy who should not be starting.
this may sound crazy, but with his size and hands he should prbably be our no. 2 guy with Cotch the number 1. Clowney in the slot can be tough to cover.
I hope I am wrong but I don’t see it…although he has shown flashes periodically, I don’t think he will put up significant numbers. Hopefully, he will prove me wrong because as we all know, we need someone from our receiver corps to step up since we do not have a legitmate #1 guy. I can’t get past just seeing Brad Smith in the formation for trick/wildcat plays. I hope he is a diamond in the rough and I am rooting for him or anyone else that will elevate their game. We need to take the pressure off of our running game by forcing defenses to not stack 8 in the box!
If Jericho Cotchery is your #1 and Brad Smith is your #2 I don’t think defenses like the Pats and Fish will even have to stretch before a game.
Yea breakout year…maybe (and hopefully) in Cleveland. Right now he’s listed as our starter opposite Jerricho Cotchery, man are we in some deep doo doo at THAT position.
He ran a 4.45 in the combine not a 4.5 Thats pretty fast it’s not world class spinting speed but it is fast. And there’s a bunch of cb not that fast, plus their avg weight is abot 180 lbs . Brad Smith is 210 lbs. A 4.45 is fast enough.
Yes, he has teased in the past, but hopefully, given more chances, he will produce like he would like him to.
Honestly, Mangini didn’t let these guys touch the field. I am really an advocate of giving someone a chance.
i.e. Bart Scott, Cotch, Rhodes…. all guys who were not expected to be special. We drafted this guy because he was good “with the ball in his hands” and we should give him a chance. We should be changing recievers all the time in order to keep defenses guessing and confused…..since we don’t really have a number 1. Run/D/Keller everything else is just a bonus.
Braylon Edwards- 6′3″ 211lbs 4.5 Brad Smith- 6′2″ 210lbs 4.45 Should I say more and everybody wants Braylon. I think if he played wr in college he would be better than Braylon right now or maybe if he was the main wr for the jets and had as many opportunities as Braylon did in the one year he was good. WHO KNOWS
Count me as a B. Smith fan. I think Mangini retarded his development as a WR. While training camp was at Hofstra, I’d check it out about 10 times or more. In 2007, when Smith should’ve been working 24/7 as a WR, Mangini had him in a red shirt with the QBs…madness!!! IMO, it was crucial for Brad to get completely out of his mind that he would be an NFL QB and concentrate all of his efforts in becoming a WR, which may be tougher than QB in terms of making the transition to the pros…and that includes guys that have been WR since Pop Warner days.
Brad is plenty fast and is a great open field runner…he has that innate ability to make would-be tacklers miss and can go a long way if he gets to the outside. Lots of folks on here want Matt Jones (another ex-QB), who is taller and faster, but Smith is, by far, a better open field runner with better hands. I’d like to see what he could do with more reps.
Jerricho didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. He was a stud WR at NC State who teamed w/Phil Rivers to break most if not all of Tory Holt’s receiving records. He just never got much of a chance when Herm was the HC.
As for Smith, I’d love to see him step up and be a starting caliber WR but in the past he hasn’t shown too much. Plus the whole slash/wildcat/RB/WR schtick is overrated. Look at his stats….he has lined up in all those spots for us but results have been mediocre at best. I still remember a couple years ago the horrible fourth down pass he tried to throw. Worst throw by a Jet since Lamont Jordan’s HB pass against Baltimore back in 2005. Best thing he’s done is become a good ST player w/a few decent returns to his credit and a bunch of tackles.
Yes… I agree. This guy needs a chance and we may very well have what we have been looking for. I know it sounds redic. at the moment but he can’t drop more passes then Edwards !!! this guy reminds me of Armani Toomer…. nothing outstanding just solid…..in time maybe he can be as savvy.
Stop looking for a WR, pay Leon. Championships aren’t built in a day. Draft the best option we can get at WR next year.
Is it just me or does anyone else feel clueless when it comes to Brad Smith? My only memories of him are when we tried (unsuccessfully) to get fancy and pull some crazy (Dolphinesque) play off. Reading these posts and the article only confirm how much we need a proven WR like Plax.
Brad Smith… talk about a question mark….
Why talk about Plax .. He’s out of the question .. We do need a reciever badly but the most important thing right now is to give Leon Washington a long term deal .. Look at the dolphins . They have no true receivers . They have 2 solid running backs and the won the division … Come on now !
Why is everyone hung up on Plax ? He is going to be out for half the season and bringing him in mid-way might not help …. Goddell has been tough on all players with criminal charges. Not to mention he’s a tool !! We don’t need a guy that may or may not shoot himself after the game. Also, he will most likely go to another team after a year with us so why whore our team out (Farve) it doesn’t always work. We need to forget about that option and go for anything else.
We have our #2 receiver wrapped up with Brad Smith and/or Chansi Stuckey.
Cotchery IS a #1 receiver.
MrJetGreen, i totally agree with the depth chart.
Besides, Smith also has value as a running back and special teams tackler.
And as for the speed thing; he was faster than most DBs in the game i saw him play in. (week 4, 2007) But good ol chad couldnt throw that far.
This will absolutely be Brad Smith’s break out season. As everyone is so fond of saying “it takes 2-3 years for a WR to develop” it takes 3-4 years for a QB to make the transition to WR. BS has all the physical tools to be a good WR, and this year he will get the chance to prove it. Anybody not familiar with his career at Missouri should check it out, he really is an amazing athlete.
Smith ran a 4.45. But anyone that’s seen him play knows that it hasn’t translated on the field. He’s pretty slow in action. I think he is a commodity for the Jets, but not a starter.
This is David Clowney’s “Break Out” year and Brad Smith’s “Break Up.”
Smith might be a good QB, but sucks as a wide receiver. He Can’t No Se-Par-At-Ion… No. No. No.
Drop him or Add him as a ‘Sweetener’ in a deal to Browns for Braylon Edwards.
Smith and Mangini can “Make Up” and “Make Out.” Re-U-Ni-Ted and It Feels So Good!
Good riddance to both!
It can’t be understated how much of an impact WR coach Henry Ellard will have on this season. I like his pedigree as a pro-bowler with experience in both the receiving and special teams game. Plus he coached the St. Louis Rams, a team that won a SB with two 6′-0″ receivers (albeit prior to his arrival). If he can get Smith, Stuck and Clowney into form, this receiving corp will have the chance to surprise some opposing defenses early on.
MrJetGreen,
You mean Jerricho is OUR #1 receiver…he would be a #2 receiver on most NFL teams….we still need help at the WR receiver…someone from our corps must elevate their game unless we pick up a late camp salary cap casuality…I don’t want defenses to stack 8 in the box against us time and time again.
I would ike to mention that on most kick offs that were returned for a TD by Leon W… BS was right behind Leon.
I wouuld aslo like to mention that on plenty of occasions during kick returns, BS would chase down LW from behind.
Of course, i am assuming that everyone thinks LW is fast enough… beacuse BS looked faster and more endurnace than LW on some of those kickoffs…
Randy Moss & Wes Welker, Ted Ginn and Brian Hartline/Patrick Turner, Terell Owens and Lee Evans, Jericho Cotchery and Brad Smith???
igs…
That was good…
We cannot be serious about Brad Smith being our number 2. Id rather take an old Marvin Harrision at this point.
igs – I know you’re high on Patrick Turner, but that just makes the Dolphins look bad…and they won the division last year before they even had two of those guys!
Even if the Jets WRs are the worst in the division, they can still compete (Miami showed that last year). Let’s hope the running game is good enough to move the ball.
Bent-
Running the ball is great and will obviously be critical for us. However, no matter how good it is, having 8 stacking the box every game complicates things. Yeah we will be able to move the ball like that, but how do we score? Defenses will focus on Keller and Jericho… but thats easy enough to cover (lets be honest). We need a valid third passing option. Miami is actually a good comparisson of what we might end up looking like on offense if we dont do something. Lets not forget that Miami had a solid TE last year as well in Fasano . Lets also not forget how Rex Ryan embarassed that offense in the playoffs.
The idea of getting a new WR is to basically put the cherry on top to an already solid offense. Im not sure anyone is saying we cant compete, but we will need a scorer if we want to compete down the stretch. We dont have that anywhere right now.
Until we get to see who performs in pre-season, we know that Jerricho is the no. 1 and Stuckey is in the slot (and may be the no. 2). As to who mans the no. 2 when Stuckey is in the slot, I have no clue. It could be Clowney, B. Smith, Whittaker or Wallace Wright. Just because there’s uncertainty doesn’t mean that one of these guys won’t surprise us and become a viable NFL starter. Who could’ve predicted Chrebet’s stellar career?
Bent, I think if it’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the Jets can and will compete next year. Of that I have complete confidence and am very content.
I think with Ginn, Turner and Hartline, Miami has an excellent set of WR. Of course Hartline and Turner have to develop. Camarillo is a good WR to boot.
It also shows that Miami had the smarts to take some WRs in a draft that was deep at WR (although there’s really no such thing). I mean it seems like for every other team but us there was a jailbreak. The Browns walked away with Massoquai and Robiskie, 2 guys I bet have big careers.
But that’s neither here nor there. Right? MY point is to say that in every other team in the AFC the receivers are serious.
Sack, I don’t want a surprise. i want foresight.
MSM,
Kansas City and San Diego have had some of the best running attacks of the past decade with little at either WR position, but a great pass-catching TE and great running attack. It’s nearly impossible to have 8-men in the box with a pass-catching TE…somebody has to cover him and it can’t be one of the back 3 or the TE will kill them. I’m not saying that some defenses can’t do it, but with 8-men in the box, the defense has to both stop the run (not a given with the Jets’ great OL) and sack the QB before letting a WR/TE/RB get deep. It’s harder than you think and I’d say only 2 NFL defenses can do it effectively…Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
As for Miami, let’s face it, Baltimore exploited the short-comings of the QB. They challenged him to pass left, throw over the top, and throw on the run…3 things he cannot do. KC and Sanchez, on the other hand, can do all of those things…they just need the poise to do it in the face of a great defense.
How is Ted Ginn serious ? I don’t get why there is this NEED for a big WR. Sure, its a luxury and can help us but there have been plenty of teams in the past that have leaned on running, D, or a serious TE threat. I don’t think there are enough plays to justify trading for B.Edwards or signing Plax.
2 solid backs possibly 3 that NEED to get touches along with a TE that looks pretty nasty. I think if we have 2 cotchery type WR’s we should be good. Can anyone tell me who Baltimore’s WRs were ?? they went pretty far.
igs – by the sounds of it, I’m less convinced than you are about the Jets ability to compete next season. I can’t get optimistic until I’ve at least seen some results in preseason, because there’s going to be a very different look on both sides of the ball.
MSM – when teams stacked the box against the Jets in the second half of last year, it led to more long runs as there was less help at the second level, so scoring might not be as big of a problem as you think. I don’t think there’s many better lineman in the NFL than Faneca at springing a big gap and getting the back to the second level.
However, I do think the team will be better served by grinding out yards and controlling the clock, so if they will be prevented from doing that, there’s a problem. The wide receivers they had on last year’s team couldn’t get separation either, so I can’t see the situation being markedly worse. I think it might come down to the QB moreso than the WRs.
Sack…
Listen, I agree with everything you say but lets put the Chiefs aside for a second since theyve sucked a long time. The Chargers however are an excellent example though…
They had a much better offense last year even when LT had one of his worst seasons ever. Why? Because they had Chambers and a NASTY Vincent Jackson.
NO ONE (at least not me) is saying that we wont win without another solid WR. What I am saying is that if you look at the team right now, we could seriously improve our offense with one. We could serioiusly help out a rookie QB by giving him a big target that isnt unproven. And we could seriously be competative if we just finish the deal on offense, plug the gapping hole. I mean we are too good right now and too young, and too hungry to win, to just accept what we have. I dont think Tanny even wants to accept it becauses hes done too much good to just stop now and risk his job (lets be honest about that) to not address it this season.
igs,
Foresight? Don’t we have to see how the guys on the roster perform before we condemn them as players? I know that the Giants have some big name young players, but they haven’t done jack, either. FWIW, B. Smith is taller and faster than Hakeem Nicks.
MSM,
But, the Chargers offense was arguably better from 2004-2006 with nothing at WR. And, the Chiefs offense was in the top 5 from 2002-2005 (not exactly ancient history). What makes these teams similar? Great running games and a stellar TE. The WRs were after thoughts. I don’t know if Keller can be like Gates or Gonzo, but I think the Jets have better WRs than these teams, which were GREAT offensively. I’m just saying that when you look at the overall strength of the Jets receiving corps (Keller, Cotch, Stuckey, Leon), it really isn’t that bad.
I’m running, but some quick replies:
Bent, true that. On paper everything but the WR, maybe a spare DL is in place to be competitive. But hey, we were competitive last season right?
PDUBB, Yeah, Ted Ginn’s always been serious. From Ohio State to the NFL. And watch this, he may not have been the second coming of Randy Moss, but he was mature enough to handle being a main guy as a rookie and will keep getting dangerous as he matures. He is one of those WR where there is no “if”.
And it doesn’t have to be a big WR. Big is nice. It helps. Especially for rooks that have to develop skills. Height can make the learning curve a little easier. But it doesn’t have to be big. Ginn isn’t big btw. He’s like 6′0″ or 6″1′
Sack, I saw them perform last year. I know what these guys can do. I can tell you Cotch is a perfect #2. He’ll keep getting better. Stuck’s a good 4, maybe slot. Smith is great special teams guy to keep around. Clowney has limitless potential but the only people he performed for last season were doctors and nurses.
Foresight means I look at that roster and I don’t condemn those players but I understand that they are not enough. GIve them time to develop and play their roles. Don’t force them to be what they are not, a #1.
Sack, btw, I wasn’t comparing Smith to Hakeem Nicks and I’m not really sure of the reference. To me, if you look at how the Giants used Tyree 2 seasons ago, that’s exactly how Brad Smith fits into the picture. imo.
we say this every year….lets face it this guy sucks
I sure hope so!
He’s got so much ability, and he seems to definitely have his head on straight. He’s shown flashes in the past, but seems dedicated to his craft.
Granted, it didn’t come as Anquan Boldin, who dominated his first season in the NFL after transitioning from WR in college, but he has some serious raw skill he’s refining and as I said above, he seems very dedicated and has the smarts.
I’m pessimistic about it, just b/c he’s shown flashes in the past, but I wouldn’t rule out his quantum leap. I’d say he will improve again though.
igs,
Whenever cotch was the no. 1 because of an LC injury, he produced as well or better than LC. To the extent LC was a no. 1 for the Jets, I don’t think there’s much tail off. LC was faster, Cotch more physical.
My reference to Nicks was that you’re an advocate for taking WRs in the draft, but Nicks is shorter and slower than B. Smith and Brad has 3 years of NFL experience under his belt. So, why take a Nicks when you don’t know what B. Smith can do? Also, realistically, B. Smith hasn’t had a chance to get regular reps…he’s not a good candidate for the slot, so he’s only coming in when LC or Cotch were injured and, while he didn’t set the NFL on fire in his starts, I didn’t think he was terrible either. I’ll take your word on Tyree, but from what I’ve seen, Tyree’s more of a speed guy and Brad more of a YAC guy. In fact, I don’t remember Smith ever catching a deep sideline pass, just short stuff.
Its not really fair to say that B. Smith is our pair to Cotchery. It should be Moss/Welker; Owens/Evans; Ginn/Hartline; Cotchery/Keller! Now that’s something to talk about, because those two guys can get open and do some damage. The real question is who’s the third guy? Probably Stuckey, but maybe B. Smith, or Wallace Wright, or Clowney. The point is, the combination of Cotch/Keller sounds a lot better than Cotch/Smith, Cotch/Keller and Leon out of the backfield gives the Jets three explosive guys on the fiels at the same time. It almost doesn’t matter who that other receiver is, however it would be better to have another playmaker for the 2nd WR. In fact, to open things for Cothery/Keller/Leon make Clowney the 2nd WR and let him fly once or twice a series to keep the defense honest.
Breaking down the Jets receivers in 2009:
http://turnonthejets.com/2009/06/25/jets-positional-analysis-wide-receiver/
Sack,
That’s not saying much. LC was also a #2 (no pun intended) That Cotch sould produce the same numbers just prove that. Don’t make me get into the years of ineptitude at the WR position. I get all worked up.
Also, I’ve seen what Brad Smith can do. I know how to read players. Yeah, he could surprise me. But seeing him in action, I see David Tyree. That’s what I see.
As far as the Nicks reference, generally, my problem with the Jets FO is not that they didn’t take a WR this year. It’s that this year is a continuation of 10 years or so of refusal to grab a good talented #1 WR, even a guy in the lower rounds that looks like he could develop into a true #1, the way a Brandon Marshall has.
Now I’m not an all out blind advocate of drafting a WR. I just think it’s been way to long for this one position to stand on the JEts list of dire needs.
Personally if I was running the Giants draft I’d have taken Mauluga or traded for Braylon Edwards. But I feel much more ok about their WR corp than I feel about the Jets.
Ramble,
a TE is a TE. I don’t care how you want to use him. He’s still a TE. Ask the Chiefs how far they got with a very athletic TE and not enough invested in the WR position. Yeah, that TE was all over the Pro-Bowl. Will probably go to Canton first ballot. ANd the cheifs don’t have so much as a division crown to show for it. So TE does TE stuff. And WR does WR stuff. And neither makes up for the other.
Kansas City’s problems were more than missing one good WR.
I was just listening to Sirius NFL, the Morning Drive, and they were talking about the Cowboy’s lack of WR’s, that the only legitimate one the had was Roy Williams, but they kept talking about Jason Whitten, and the Cowboy running game, they sounded a lot like us. My point is you do have to take into acount Keller’s playmaking ability regardless if he is a TE. We have three very good playmakers on offense Cotch/Keller/Leon, if one of these other WR steps up we will not be a s bad as everyone is predicting, that’s all.
I disagree. Kansas sity’s problems were certai ly more than at WR. But it was one. And having the best receiving TE ever to play the game, decidedly did not make up for theor W problems.
Keller is a great TE. And in the right circumstances I believe he will hold up his end of the bargain. And that’s all I want hm to do.
THe cowboys first off have Roy Williams. Enough said. Now add Patrick Crayton, a great compliment to Williams. Now isn’t Mles Astin in the mix?They have Marion the Barbarian and Felix Jones, a great backfield. And Manuel Johnson, who will be special, fell to them. So I don’t really know what kind of crap Sirius is feeding you. But the Cowboys problems have never been talent.
Williams and Crayton combined for 980 yards and 5 TDs last year, considerably less than Cotchery and Stuckey (who received backup reps). I like Austin, but he really isn’t any more proven than Clowney and I’m sure some of their fans would prefer to replace him with a better known name. How is Manuel Johnson, a seventh round pick that underwhelmed me most of the time in college, certain to be special when Henry and Smith (fourth and sixth rounders reaching the end of their development cycle) are not? And their running game and tight ends are comparable to the Jets.
I’ve deliberately gone to the opposite extreme, although in reality I accept the Cowboys may have better talent, but the Jets don’t appear to me to be that far behind, with both teams having question marks that could tip the balance one way or the other. The edge they right now have is Romo, but is their line as good?
igs,
KC’s problems during the Vermeil years, when Gonzo was by far their top receiver, were all on the defensive side. Their offense was right at the top of the NFL and in 2003 they won the AFC West with a 13-3 record and got a first round bye, only to lose to the Colts 38-31. Having a stud WR was not their problem at all. I’d take the Jets offense being as good as KC’s from 2002-2005. In fact, if the Jets’ offense and special teams (Dante Hall was great) are as good as KC’s in ‘03, the Jets would be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
igs,
KC has never had a defense, their offence has never been anything, we are a much better team now than KC has ever been in the last 5 years, probably 10 years. If they had some other talent around Gonzalez, like maybe Cotchery, or Leon Washington, coupled with our running game things would have been different for them.
I don’t see how you are touting the Dallas WR’s, they’ve done nothing, the least of which is Austin. Roy Williams has also done nothing, I might very well take our group of WR over Dallas’. Also, our backfiels is as good as anyone in the league.
Again, I’ll say the same thing…when you have Cotchery/Keller and Leon on the field at the same time, that is a lot for any defense to handle. If one of our other WR steps up, and I believe Stuckey or Smith can do it, we will have a prertty good group of skill position players, who should make things a lot more interesting than people are giving them credit for.
“I’ve deliberately gone to the opposite extreme, although in reality I accept the Cowboys may have better talent, but the Jets don’t appear to me to be that far behind, with both teams having question marks that could tip the balance one way or the other. The edge they right now have is Romo, but is their line as good?”
Bent, that’s all I was saying. I never said they were the second coming of the ‘99 Rams. I know Bent, that I don’t have to explain to you the abilities of Roy Williams. Even if he did have a bad year with the dysfunctional Cowboys. Even if he continues to have bad years with the dysfunctional Cowboys. He’s a great WR and cements some things for the other receivers, who are also good, to work around.
Also I would say that they have an advantage in that their best WR is marquee NFL commodity, #1split end receiver and ours is a complimentary WR. And the entire NFL knows that.
Sack,
Ooooh, Sack, you’re actually right about the Cheifs. THey Had Eddie Kennison AND Jonnie Morton to go along woth Dante Hall who was a fabulous KR. And didn’t they have Preist Holmes running the ball? All that? And Dick Vermeil as head coach. Man, Tony Gonzalez was having a field day. He was eating cookies and picking his nose on the sidelines. Yeah, that was a bad example. But you still proved my point. TE gotta do what TEs do and WR gotta do what WRs do. And neither makes up for the other.
And yes Jonnie Morton and Eddie Kennison WERE both GREAT WRs, each in their own respect.
igs – ah, ok. Williams is talented and, who knows, maybe being THE guy is just what he needs. Apparently he’s working harder this offseason (although I hate to praise guys for that when the majority of players ALWAYS work hard).
Roy Williams is not a great WR!!! Nothing he has done says that he is great. He has 281 career receptions in 6 years in the league! Where is the greatness? He’s average at best. The Cowboys might have made one of the worst trades in NFL history for what they paid for this guy.
Bent, I can’t disagree with that. And that may be the character issue that got him jettisoned by the lions. The thing is he really has to pick up where he left off year 2 with the lions. And if he does, watch out. Because this guy is a freakin linebacker playing WR.
Ramble, maybe not great yet, you’re right. But talented and the sky is the limit.
Igs,
No, Johnnie Morton was a colossal failure with KC. His best years were with the Lions, when Herman Moore was one of the NFL’s best WRs. And, are you kidding me with stone hands Kennison? You’re calling them GREAT? Gonzo led the Chiefs in receiving 3 out of the 5 Vermeil seasons and, especially, the 2003 season, which I refer to above. KC’s RBs (Holmes, T-Rich, Blaylock) almost had as many receptions as Morton and Kennison. Kennison was okay (he never made a Pro Bowl during his 13-year career), but no better than Cotch, and Morton was a failure (never cracked 800 yards in his 3 seasons with KC) and the rest of the Chiefs WRs were middling.
Priest Holmes was great and much better than any single RB that the Jets have; however, TJ, Leon and Greene collectively could match his production. Let’s get back to my central point, a stud WR is not necessary for a potent offense. A strong running game and great pass-catching TE can make up for lack of star quality at WR.
But, I needed a laugh. Kennison and Morton “great” as Chiefs? That’s comedy. You were just pulling my leg, right?
Sack,
1, i’m not comparing them player for player. You seem to keep doing that. So yeah, Holms was great, but that’s not my point. Im not knocking the Jets players. I’m looking to fill a specific position. Morton was great with the Lions and for whatever reason the Cheifs made it work. And Kennison wasn’t Randy Moss but he played his role and they made it work. Gonzo was a very good, productive TE, But just that, a good receiving TE. He could block to boot.
Understand, when I’m looking at these Jets players, i’m not looking to put them down. i’m saying that I know who can do what. And they can’t do what needs to be done. They’re good in their own right. If the Jets want to win a SB next season, they get that last guy.
And you better beleive they respected Jonnie Morton every second he was on that field turf.
igs,
I hear you, but I have another bone to pick: Gonzo is not and was not ever a good blocker. KC had a great OL and Tony Richardson (as he is now) was a great blocking FB. Another thing that I keep saying about Keller, as long as the Jets OL is strong and T-Rich is around, who cares if Keller can block? I want him going out for passes and drawing defenders to him. Let Faneca pull and T-Rich lead block with Keller occupying an LB in the flat…tough to play 8-men in the box if those guys do their jobs because you’ll overwhelm the D at the point of attack.
Personally, I don’t like fill in stuff unless it’s for trickery and not to make up for weaknesses. I won’t argue the Gonzalez stuff. I remember him to be a good blcoker, but okay, you remember that team more than me. Again, I’m not knocking Keller. I think he will be a great receiving TE. For me it doesn’t make up for the WR issue is all I’m saying.