53 Man Roster – Bassett’s Projection, Part II
We did this a week ago, and wanted to slide our thoughts in here again before tonights deadline. If you enjoy this sort of thing, please enter the roster contest if you haven’t already! Based on the preseason and some initial cuts, here’s my second go at the Jets’ 53-man roster.
As a note, the suspensions of Ellis and Pace allow the team something of a silver lining. It allows the Jets to sneak someone on the roster so they don’t have to clear waivers and probably the two most at risk but still under contract for next year would be the ones to make it. Although Ryan is a defensive guy, he’ll be able to slip some offensive players on now and potentially shelve some (like Slauson) he’d like to keep until next year.
Quarterback (3): Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge
Change: None
Analysis: Unless some other solid backups are cut between here and Saturday here’s how it stacks up. There’s no reason for Clemens to not back up Sanchez, at least for now. Ryan noted that Clemens had a “banged up elbow.” The Jets drafted Ainge last year as a player that they could potentially pull a Matt Schaub with, and they might yet do that … not bad for a 5th rounder. Still for now, Clemens is the backup, I mean come on, it was him in the competition with Sanchez, not Ainge. If Ryan wanted to put Ainge on equal footing he could have done that … a 4th preseason game isn’t going to change the natural order of things.
Running Back (5): Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Shonn Greene, Tony Richardson, Danny Woodhead
Change: Woodhead in, Caulcrick Out
Analysis: I hate being Debbie Downer, but can we remember that Shonn Greene has sat out two games? Rex Ryan is clearly agonizing over the fact that Woodhead is now a folk hero after that game. Woodhead’s problem is that even though he’s a sparkplug, he’s small to play in this league and I don’t know that he’s done enough on special teams to … I don’t know .. unseat Leon Washington or Jim Leonhard. Yes he had a good game tonight, and it wasn’t all against 3s and 4s but some of the bigger gains were. If you saw him earlier in the preseason, he struggled to break tackles. He’s fast, but so is everyone else. The only thing is that for everything that Woodhead showed, Jehuu Caulcrick wasn’t all that memorable. Still, it was Caulcrick in there on two back sets blocking for him most of the night. I’ll go with Woodhead only because the team might find it easier to replace a backup fullback, and Danny Woodhead is SO HOT RIGHT NOW, there’s no way they could sneak him back onto the team now.
Tight End (3): Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock, Kareem Brown
Change: Hartsock added, Brock & Simmons removed.
Analysis: Ben Hartsock’s sigining the other day changed the landscape for the Jets. Now the Jets can go into the season with two TEs if they wanted to (with Death, Hunter and Turner as pinch players) but we’ll keep Kareem Brown as a Danny Klecko type of player … blocker, special teamer and defensive player.
Wide Receiver (6): Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright, Aundrae Allison
Change: Henry removed, Allison added
Analysis: Henry was cut yesterday morning, and the plot starts to thicken. Cotchery, Stuckey and Clowney are all locks to make this team. Brad Smith shows more offensive promise (yes, even still) than Wallace Wright, but Wright has become known as one of Sanchez’s favorite targets with the second team. Still, Smith and Wright might be battling each other for special teams work, while Aundrae Allison will likely be an inactive most of the year if he makes the squad but could be used on return duties, if needed.
Offensive Line (9): D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Damien Woody, Alan Faneca, Brandon Moore, Nick Mangold, Wayne Hunter, Robert Turner, Matt Slauson, Stanley Daniels
Change: Added Stanley Daniels
Analysis: At the bottom of the pile here, it comes down to Matt Slauson, Stanley Daniels, and Mike Kracalik. Slauson is this year’s draft pick, so he might have that going for him, Daniels has seen time with the first team, and Kracalik is a former Raven. Based on what I know from these guys, it’s a crap shoot for me to guess this one. Although I think this team could go to battle with eight, the way the roster has tumbled out in other areas makes it seem like they could very well keep nine linemen.
TOTAL Offense — 26 Players
Defensive Line (7 – 1 game suspension): Shaun Ellis, Kris Jenkins, Marques Douglas, Mike DeVito, Howard Green, Sione Pouha, Ropati Pitoitua
Change: Potter removed
Analysis: Start with these three players: Thomas, Pace, Gholston. All can (or should) play with their hand up in the 3-4 alignment or down in a 4-3. That fact allows for more flexibility across the defensive front. Ryan is working in a lot more four man fronts for the Jets than I remember seeing last season. So if the DTs must be able to play some 3-4 Nose, but 3-4 DEs will need to shift inside on plays when the OLBs creep down. This is a versatile unit … there’s three guys who can play some 3-4 Nose (Jinx, Pouha, Green) while the others (Ellis, Douglas, DeVito, Pitoitua) can all play 3-4 End or 4-3 DT. Pitoitua might end up getting stashed somehow after week one.
Linebacker (9- 4 game suspension): Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas, David Harris, Bart Scott, Vernon Gholston, Jamaal Westerman, Kenwin Cummings, Marques Murrell, Jason Trusnik
Change: None
Analysis: Is Gholston finally rounding the corner? Granted he was playing against 2s and lower during the night, but still … a much strong showing from him. The Jets have a young and promising (and very cheap) set of backup linebackers and someone’s going to get the boot when Pace returns from suspension but Izzo shouldn’t be occupying a spot at this point. Name two plays you’ve seen him make this preseason. That’s what I thought. The problem is there’s no real veteran core special teamer like Izzo on the team, but we hope it doesn’t come to that. The new wedge rules make him less useful too. Westerman will be a key cog of this unit, as he’ll be able to outside early in the season, and be moved as the season progresses to the inside if required.
Cornerback (6): Darrelle Revis, Lito Sheppard, Dwight Lowery, Donald Strickland, Ahmad Carroll, Drew Coleman
Change: None
Analysis: With Leonhard and Smith able to play some dime in a pinch, and Lowery able to play back based on his skill set, Bent and I think nine DBs might be all this team looks to carry after tomorrow. Depending on health, that fact might change during the season. Look to see if Marquice Cole lands on the practice squad, he might be the only one currently on the team as eligible.
Safety (4): Kerry Rhodes, Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith, James Ihedigbo
Change: None
Analysis: If you watched closely, Eric Smth and James Ihedigbo have played long into some of these preseason games. It’s a safe bet that Ryan feels comfortable with these guys as hard-hitting backups. Emannuel Cook might be a practice squadder, but the team might be choosing between the last corner or S Emmanuel Cook for the last non-specialist spot on the team. At this point, the cornerback depth looks more unsettled right now than the safety depth (which is also less prone to in-game switching), so I might expect the team to go with the corner over safety.
TOTAL Defense — 24 Players
Specialists (3): Jay Feely (K), Hodges FOR NOW (P), James Dearth (LS)
Change: Pak dropped, Hodges added
Analysis: I thought Hodges’ dreadful game would get him sent packing … see what I know. Pak was sent packing by the Hartsock signing.
Filed under: Opinion
Bassett,
As far as the #2 QB, I agree that Ryan won’t leapfrog Ainge over Clemens just yet. But the point is: he SHOULD go with Ainge over Clemens. Ainge has better pocket presence, better timing, and a better arm, and he didn’t just demonstate this (as you suggest) in the fourth game, but the ENTIRE preseason. At this point, it’s clear: Clemens is a bust, and should be cut (or, if at all possible, traded), if only to clear another spot on the roster.
As for RB, I agree: keep Danny Woodhead. He’s LW’s Mini-Me, and a high-impact-player in the making.
As for Cornerback, I agree that there won’t be any changes, but there SHOULD be. Right now, the single biggest hole in the Jets D is at Corner, and the team should do whatever it takes to fill it. Lito Sheppard just isn’t going to cut it–he doesn’t play the ball, can’t keep his hands off the receiver, can’t anticipate a throw, can’t cover. And Lowery is a work-in-progress (though he could turn into a very good CB over the next year or two).
As for Punter, I agree: I can’t understand why Hodges is still on this team. Punter is the single biggest hole the Jets have on Special Teams. Hodges just isn’t going to give us any kind of edge in terms of field position. In fact, just the opposite.
So for my money, there are two URGENT needs the Jets have to address going into the regular season: ACQUIRE A QUALITY CORNER (to replace Lito), and ACQUIRE A QUALITY PUNTER (to replace Hodges).
The problem is I don’t think the team realizes it has a problem at Corner, but I’d be very surprised if Ryan was happy with the Punter he now has.
Ben, I actually think we are strong at DB (both CB and S). At CB, both Lowery and Lito have potential to get it together, Strickland is a decent sub or slot defender, and although I hate both Cole and Coleman, both have speed and are young enough to still get it. At S, Rhodes and Leonhard are set. But Eric Smith has actually looked like a FB and Ihedigbo may soon.
The real holes are at DE where we lack depth and youth, TE where we lack skill and depth, and OLB unless VG and Westerman develop real quick or BLT gets hit by lighting and turns consistent.
h
How is it that Danny is considered too small to play in this league when he is about the same size as Ray Rice and Sproules? He is much faster than the both of them and has according to Rex, very good hands. Rex saw what Rice did and is still doing with the Ravens and I am sure he will use Danny in a simillar manner. I think the kid will be productive if utilized properly.
Harlan Lachman,
I take your point about depth at DE, but the problem at Corner is that our STARTER (the starter who is not named Revis) sucks. And the back-ups are a work-in-progress. Which means that opponents are going target the-hole-that-is-Lito again and again and again.
As for TE, yes, Keller may not be a skilled blocker, but as a receiver, he is a monster.
As for OLB, I think once we have Pace back, we’re gold. But, yes, for the first four weeks of the season, that could be a problem.