The Final Countdown: Safety Kerry Rhodes
Since we are just about 22 days from the start of camp, we’re gonna COUNT YOU DOWN to the kickoff in Cortland by looking at the starter for each spot on offense and defense (sorry Jay, we’ll get to you if we have time) and lead you through a daily discussion on a player.
We want to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Since we called this The Final Countdown, I don’t think it would be fair to do this post without the man who singlehandedly re-invigorated this Rocky IV soundtrack classic Eurock 80s classic for our current decade.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VwQIt7CwPI
Thanks G.O.B., and now without further ado, we begin.
Position: Safety
Player: Kerry Rhodes
Comparison: Elite
Summary:
Rhodes didn’t make the impact plays you’d expect from him in 2008, largely because of the players with which he was coupled. He wouldn’t outright say it to the press, but it’s clear that he wasn’t thrilled with the restrictions placed upon him during the 2008 season. Abe Elam is a willing hitter, but was limited in coverage, so it was often Abe over Kerry around the LOS during the 2008 season.
Due to this, Rhodes often was too often positioning the players around him, and played more of a reactionary game. I’m sure many of you remember it vividly too, but there was that one play where the play called from him to blitz from what seemed like centerfield at Shea … oofah.
Moving Forward:
Under Ryan’s system, Rhodes will be allowed to improvise more than under Mangini’s. The addition of Jim Leonhard also allows for a versatile player to play up or back, but who clearly excels in stopping the run. With Darrelle continuing to tighten his game, Rhodes knows on which side of the field he’ll be more often needed, which might allow for a spike in his INT totals (2,5,4,1) this season as he’ll be moving forward towards the ball rather than backwards.
From a quick look at Ed Reed’s sack totals, I wouldn’t expect him to be safety blitzing to the degree he did in 2006 though. But look at Reed’s INT totals, that’s where Rhodes can be more effective.
Questions:
How high can Rhodes soar in a role better suited to him? With a fairly good secondary around him, what freedom does this role allow for Rhodes? Will Ryan utilize him to press the QB like Rhodes did in 2006?
15 Responses to The Final Countdown: Safety Kerry Rhodes
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charleyjet says:
I heard Kerry on SNY yesterday. He clearly dumped all over our last coach. He said that now the Jets have a coach who might inspire some fight. He also said that he now he will be free to make plays in the new system.
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Benny says:
Hopefully Rhodes will get back to his playmaking ways in ’09. By the way, “The Final Countdown” was not part of the Rocky IV soundtrack nor was it in the movie.
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I think that Rhodes will be able to do more things this year and that’s because of the addition of Leonhard & Sheppard, who brings more experience to the secondary now. Rhodes will have more freedom to roam the field and throw new things at the opponents. Those new things will be blitzing the QB, with different looks, which he didn’t have a chance to do last year! The Jets certainly need that and Ryan’s defense also creates Rhodes to have that opportunity
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Bent says: For those of you that missed it, I discussed this in detail here:
http://www.thejetsblog.com/2009/01/24/bent-gets-serious-rhodes-rage/
(Or you could just read Rob’s comment above, which basically says the same thing in a lot less detail)
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TJBfan says:
Rhodes responded to the article on twitter(below are the 3 tweets):
“@thejetsblog that’s cool. The only thing is when u said something about the sack total of reed. He went a lot and I will have that chance.
He had chances and ill have chances that’s just something he wasn’t as great at! And I like it!
and that makes my game dynamic and unpredictable and that’s when I’m at my best”
Personal thought:
I, like everyone else, am very excited about the potential of this defense, and I think the players are even more so since they can potentially reach their max and wont be reserved to roles like Rhodes was last year. -
Bent says:
Someone should invite him to the TJB chat. (I realize that just means we’ll get 50 fake Kerry Rhodes impersonators now, but that never gets old anyway).
I’d love him to feedback about my article (linked above), because I’d be interested to know how accurate all the assumptions about how he was used etc were.
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Benny, my apologies! I don’t know why I thought it was! Doh!! I’m a movie revisionist historian
TJBFan, thanks for the tweets, I’ve got a post set up for a bit.
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SackDance99 says:
FO’s Bill Barnwell had this to say about Rhodes in ESPN Insider as one of his 10 sleeper players ready to become nationally recognized:
Rhodes will get press this year as the northern version of Ed Reed in Rex Ryan’s scheme, and while he doesn’t have Reed’s ball skills, he’s arguably better in coverage and has the same preternatural timing that makes Reed tick. While Reed dissects plays from center field, Rhodes is among the league’s best at tiptoeing to the line of scrimmage, only to break out into a full sprint the moment before the ball is snapped, allowing him to disrupt a play in the backfield before it’s even begun. Ryan will unleash Rhodes in 2009, and the result should be national attention.
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fonzie says:
Hey Bassett,
How can Rhodes be considered “elite” if he hasn’t made a single Pro Bowl appearance??
As for his lack of production in 2008, I have stated and beat to death already. He underachieved greatly last year. He had all the help around him and chose to become a statue in the backfield making plays 10 yards down the field after the opposing reciever caught the ball instead of meeting the player head-on (question his fearlessness). Abram Elam improved remarkably and helped the defense with a couple of gamechanging plays (See int return for touchdown against Buffalo and force fumble against Chris Johnson in Tennesse, and force fumble again against buffalo in the meadowlands). He improved against the run last year and though inexperienced in the backfield against the pass he will DEFINITELY make an improvement this year with the Browns. It stinks that these Jets fans would rather pay a backup safety like Jim Leonhard top dollar money to replace a blue collared worker like Elam who was our own player and trade him away just for name recognition and hype. Lowery this year will be the “playmaker” of this defense and Leonhard will allow Rhodes to be turned loose but Rhodes will not make as much of an impact as we really think. Not to Pro Bowl level. Merriweather will proably be picked way before Rhodes in the Pro Bowl if fans had to decide.
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ramble914 says:
The same way Mo Lewis was “elite”. Probowl snubs shouldn’t diminish what a player accomplishes.
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Dave says:
“How can Rhodes be considered “elite” if he hasn’t made a single Pro Bowl appearance??”
Are you being serious?
Kerry Rhodes over the span of 2006 and 2007 was the best safety in the league, and put together a ridiculous 2007 and Will freakin’ Demps had more pro bowl votes than Rhodes that year. It’s a popularity contest. As long as Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu play in the same conference and people are still naive enough to believe that Bob Sanders “makes” the Colts defense Rhodes is going to have a hard time making the pro bowl, unless the Jets can win games and get him more attention.
This past year, he wasn’t the same playmaker in coverage but despite the fact that he was being used much more as a deep cover player(wonder why the Jets were rarely beat deep this year unless teams were picking on Lowery?) he was still one of the most active players in the league at the line, only Dawkins had more stuffs at the safety position this past year.
He’s a complete player. You can stick him deep and he can get you five picks, you can put him in the box and he plays the run as good as anybody in the league and he can rush the QB as well when given those opportunities. The ONLY thing Rhodes doesn’t do that well is deliver big hits. That’s it. Anything else, he can do and do it as good as anybody in the league.
Just get a little creative with him again, and he’ll be back to elite production.
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Zartan says:
unlike Farve last year. Rhode had to come accross the other side of the field to make a play to save @ games for us.i have NEVER seen a safty with his athletic abillity. I think Dwight Lowery is better at INTs than Revis but that doesnt make him a better player. dont be surprised of i guess Rhodes over acheiving year this time.
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Charlie D says:
Fonzie,
You dont know what the heck you are talking about! I follow the jets year round and read most articles written about them. Kerry Rhodes is one of the top FS in the NFL (world) today. Bill Belichek commented the Kerry Rodes was “the best safty he has ever gone up against”. The Jets “my team” has a pro bowl defense and Kerry is the heart and soul of the secondary. What do all the fans think about me point and Kerry please comment. If we dont appreshate him the Pats will some day I that can’t happen to us!!! To many Jets fans are too negative. Why watch footbal if you don’t want to think positive about your best players and team overall. I will love the Jets if they go 4 & 12 or 12 & 4 every year. I true fan will always be a true fan.
I had the chance to meet Kerry at Jets camp last year on 7/24/08 and talk to him; he is a nice guy and gave the fans more time than any other player signing autographs. We shook hands and I welcomed him to his new home in NJ.
Charles D -
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I love Kerry Rhodes he is my favorite player and I love GOB and Arrested Development. This blog entry delivers.