Daily Links: On the Rocky Path
Posted on November 27th, 2009 by E. Weeks
- Despite his shaking season thus far, Braylon Edwards is willing to stay for a little while longer (Who can blame him? At least the Jets have better chances than the Browns).
- Can we get this kid on the team?
- Thomas Jones is quietly on the verge of a career milestone.
- There has been a lot of focus on Kerry Rhodes that replacement Eric Smith is either getting bashed (by the few who do remember) or forgotten but Smith has been known to spring back and this week could be his chance to prove himself.
- Phil Simms endorses Sanchez.
- Teammates are stabbing Kerry in the back left and right. This coming after only yesterday another teammate took a shot at Rhodes.
- Without Kris Jenkins getting a chance to take a few shots against his old team, the Panthers run game could pose a serious problem to the Jets defense.
- Are the Tweeting careers for Clowney and Rhodes cut short?
Filed under: Daily Links, Main Page
Inside sources are telling me Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard both took Ryan aside and called for the benching of Rhodes.
I hate when ‘anonymous’ players speak up.
But if I had to guess, I would agree with Kyle above that it most probably was Scott.
Furthermore, I just love the way Leonard plays the game. Great signing there.
Apparently, Leonhard told Rex after the miscue against JAX that Rhodes needed to be benched.
Scott later echoed Leonhard’s assessment of Rhodes after the NE game.
Rex Ryan is not an idiot. And if his guys from a successful Baltimore team are coming to him and telling him that Kerry Rhodes is a dog, you can bet your ass he is gonna be benched.
I doubt he’ll even be on the team next year, because it looks as if the some of Rex’s guys on the sideline have already singled him out.
Something to make you laugh,
“Eric Mangini has proven himself to be the first head coach to put up 37 points on the Detroit Lions and still lose the game.”
I’m glad we can all put this “We should have kept Mangini” stuff to rest.
Wow!!!
Someone posted this on twitter:
e_man: According to beat writer Rich Cimini, the Jets will “almost certainly” put FS Kerry Rhodes on the trading block if he doesn’t recapture job.
To which Kerry Rhodes replied:
kerryrhodes @e_man kerry may not mind that!
This is serious stuff. Rhodes days on the Jets are over even if he does have a better end to the season.
Kyle,
Don’t let Hank or Fonzie see you say that.
From Rhodes’ twitter;
“Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and was around people that truly care for them not frauds”
I think it is pretty clear what is going on here. The players are with Rex Ryan.
TRADE this guy NOW.
Hahaha.
Seriously though, how can you score 37 on the Lions and lose the game?
That is REALLY HARD to do.
Where are you guys getting your info from? Who are these “inside sources”.
I’m not gonna turn my back on Kerry Rhodes, and im disapointed that there are players saying bad things about him annonymously.
Kyle/brendan:
FYI, The Lions did NOT beat the Browns, the Zebras DID!!!!
And right now the Jets ( preseason SB winners ) are soooo bad, they would flat out lose to the Lions. Any bets? Also,
It took a couple of his own players to make a “Coaches” decision for Rex. That’s the way to demonstrate you have the brass nuts you CLAIM to have REX!!
Rex, not only you have demonstrated you are a loud mouth, but your underskirt is begining to show, all bark, no bite.
Fonzie,
your post lost all credability when you said the Lions would beat the Jets.
Or maybe it lost all of its credability when I saw
“fonzie, on November 27th, 2009 at 12:08 pm Said: “
Brendan;
And by the way, Cimini is the only scribe who has correlated that Franchez problem is NOT physical.
In that his problem is ALL between his ears and he compounds it by assimilating his college play into the Pros.
Like I said many, many MANY moons ago, the kid needs tons of MENTAL help for which I suggested that we ALL sit down ( it may take a long) while waiting for him to become the Jets $50 million FRANCHEZ or SANCHIZE.
Fonzie,
I’m pretty sure every reporter believes that the issues plaguing Sanchez are all mental. We all know he has the physical tools, it’s just a matter of bringing him up to speed in the NFL game. Once again, what on Earth are you thinking?
You act like you were breaking new ground by saying we’d have to wait for Sanchez. Once again, we all believe this, so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make.
And you can’t blame a loss on the refs, when what they called was correct regardless of what you or Hank wants to say to try and reason otherwise. The Jets are not nearly as bad as the Lions and you saying that just shows you are really an anti-Jets fan. Hop off Mangini’s lap for a minute and look at things objectively.
Brendan;
“Problems” generally have a higher degree of difficulty than “issues”. You allude to lack of experience as the cause/solution to his issues.
If you read my comments correctly, which often you do not, I said the Franchez has mental “problems” that are “COMPOUNDED” by assimilating his college play into the pros.
I’m not going to list the reasons I have repeatedly given, (you can look them up) just sufice it to say that his PROBLEMS are mental/emotional in nature and that those have a high probabily of taking a long time to correct AND often NEVER get corrected.
So that’s your rebuttal? Saying that by me saying issues instead of problems I am wrong?
You never give examples, just general, sweeping statements. “and that those have a high probabily of taking a long time to correct AND often NEVER get corrected.” Show some proof when saying something like this.
And what does he “assimilat(ed) his college play into the pros” even mean? Don’t all rookies do that? And then have to be taught the differences between the college and pro games?
I do read your comments, fully, and just find that your logic is more full of holes than a mesh jersey. And you also never back your statements up with any factual background information at all.
Brendan;
Question; What is wrong with you and your cohorts that because I find mangini to be a person of impecable character, and interred core values, the hardest worker in the world, that because I SUPPORT HIM I MUST also have the Browns as my “FAVORITE” team?
Why are you cohorts sooooo arrogant in assuming you are the ONLY true Jets fans and that I, like them, MUST follow BLINDLY the Jets?
FYI, I follow ALL 32 PRO teams, OLE MISS ( my sister is football embassador for them) and I also follow a few other college teams.
Brendan:
You ARE funny when you say….”You never give examples, just general, sweeping statements. “and that those have a high probabily of taking a long time to correct AND often NEVER get corrected.” Show some proof when saying something like this”.
I guess you want me to give you case by case studies to verify my comments.
My staments are not as ridiculous as those from you and other fans/experts that also claim they have played football since birth when they compare Franchez potential to Payton, Eli and Brees without even giving one iota of consideration about their PAST
fonzie,
It’s not that you support Mangini. You support him blindly. You talk about him as if not one thing he does is that goes poorly is his fault. You refuse to admit his shortcomings, and while he’s overseeing one of the worst NFL campaigns in recent memory you continue to talk about him as if he’s the next Tom Landry.
I don’t think all Jets fans have to think the way I do. I truly believe that fans of your ilk are what perpetuates the “SOJ” mentality. Constant negativity and lack of anything resembling a positive outlook is something I take issue with.
You’re not alone in following the entire league. I love this game, dedicated 20 years of my life to it, and enjoy it on many, many levels. Being around the game so closely for that long I’ve generated my own set of views on the game and I just think you embody what is wrong with this fan base.
fonzie,
What us “fans/experts” use those comparisons for, is to show that it is indeed possible to have improvement of exponential proportions regardless of how horrid your first year was. Eli and Peyton had horrendous first seasons, and both have a Superbowl ring.
I never said you have to do a case study, but it takes me all of 3 minutes to shoot over to pro-football reference or any other stat site and pull up some numbers to back me up. Or I’ll site a specific play/game. You just say general statements and expect that we’ll all be accepting of them without anything to back them up.
LOL..that first quote about rhodes has bart scott written all over it if it’s true (i tend to not believe in anonymous quotes)
Brendan:
a)…”What us “fans/experts” use those comparisons for, is to show that it is indeed possible to have improvement of exponential proportions”
b) I’m shure we can agree that for every success there are “exponentially” many more failures.
a)….”but it takes me all of 3 minutes to shoot over to pro-football reference or any other stat site and pull up some numbers to back me up.’
b) I’m also sure then that 3 min of you time it’s time well spent to satisfy your thirst for PROOF.
Um, yes. I like to use proof to support a theory. Why is that a bad thing, again?
It’s also cute when you try to use words I used to prove a point, to try and prove something else. I would say that Peyton’s success is exponentially greater this year than it was his rookie year. I don’t think that there are exponentially more failures than successes for top 5 picks. Your boy Cimini has used that same comparison, as have numerous sports reporters (as well as us “fans/experts”). QB development takes time and that is what that comparison is supposed to show. Patience.
Brendan;
This is a freeking blog, Brendan, not a scientific dissertation on the probability of success of QB’s transitioning to the NFL. Get a grip.
By saing that…”I would say that Peyton’s success is exponentially greater this year than it was his rookie year’ . You can see that when I say: there you go again!!
You did not read my comments when I said ” ….compare Franchez potential to Payton, Eli and Brees without even giving one iota of consideration about their PAST”
The operative word here is to consider the “PAST”
Regardless of how drunk you get from drinking all the koolaide or how much experience you give a jackass, he would never win the KY.Derby
You must consider the past to look towards the furure.
Fonzie,
You mean the past where Sanchez lost rarely, if at all? The past where Sanchez never had accuracy or turnover problems? The pedigree of a starting QB at one of the top programs in the country? That past?
“This is a freeking blog, Brendan, not a scientific dissertation on the probability of success of QB’s transitioning to the NFL. Get a grip.”
Are you kidding me? We have a franchise QB, 23 years old, and are all concerned to some degree about his improvement at what is the most important position on a football team. Sorry for having the audacity to even think to talk about his chances of success. The nerve I must have to do such an absurd and outrageous thing, here, at a simple NY Jets blog. Get a grip? You are laughable at this point.
If the “source” is true about Leonhard and Scott it does make sense…
There were a few occasions that Rhodes called a TO and Leonhard came to the sidelines annoyed that a TO had to be taken.
From the sounds and looks of it most of Rhodes’s probelms were being out of position…Which we all saw from the Jacksonville game.
I have been coming to Kerry’s defense most of the year. I will say this is a new defense for him where Leonhard and Scott basically grew up in it.
I am not sure if the twiiter/off field issues are the reason for the mistakes but this will clearly get his attention.
The great players sleep and eat football especially during the year. If Kerry wants to get back to top player status on our defense he will have to……..at least for this coach
Random things on my mind:
-I watched Brandon Marshall destroy my Giants and Louis Murphy taking a leadership role on the Raiders. Couldn’t help but think aout our ongoing debate about late round value as they are both 4th rounders.
-I’ve heard some recent talk about the value of sitting to get a better perspective of the game. First I heard it in the Tennessee game in terms of Vince Young’s improvement. Today I’m hearing it in terms of Tony Pike in the Cincinnati game. I’m cool with Sanchez sitting in the name of him getting a chance to watch the defensive and offensive interaction. Also, as much as I like Sanchez, I don’t know that I’m all that comfortable with him having been anointed the starter.
-As per an old conversation we were having about WR. My first time watching Benn, I think he’s a much more athletic WR than Bryant. He reminds me of Ochocinco. He makes some nifty catches also.
Looks like all of us who broke remotes on draft day are vindicated somewhat
Well I think that there is a real good chance we will not see Rhodes next season. I think Rex won’t tollerate this kind of play. Look back at his first press cofrence I do believe he mentioned that he will not have player on the team like that. You know not focused or ready to play. I think with a year under his belt he will have a real good feel who is grasping the system and playign to Ryan’s expectation.. He could weed out the probelms and import his guys now that he has a better understanding of the team he has now.
Brendan:
You are not seriously comparing the past of Payton or even Eli to that of Franchez, are you. Are you?
What exactly are these “inside sources” because this is the only place I heard anything about Leonhard and Scott asking for Rhodes to be benched.
When you Bench a young QB you bench him so he can watch a veteran not another guy as young as him.
I won’t reveal who, but one beat writer indicated to bassett and myself at the Miami game that some veterans (she didn’t specify who) were already growing a little tired of Kerry’s “act”.
That doesn’t entirely justify these stories as true, but the shoe does kind of fit.
Hasnt Hutch always had an inside source? He seems to always break these “silent players” quotes
Bent or Bassett
I also heard that Damien Woody is the Town Crier of the Jets, u guys hear anything like that?
Brendan
Hahahahahaahah…its a joke man
Leberfeld needs to stop taking sides with #25 here. The guy deserves every bad thing said about him and I’m sure some of this stuff has been said to #25’s face too. And if he wants to be traded, I certainly won’t shed a tear. Unfortunately we’re on the hook for his cap hit, but if he’s going to be incompetent AND disgruntled, it might be best to get him out of that locker room sooner rather than later. Good riddance you self-involved, big talking, little playing diva.
as for rhodes, he perpetuates the drama by just being out there feeding his alter-ego. no big deal, if you want to entertain be my guest, but if he does his job, none of this happens.
They all have their sources. It’s pretty evident Cimini gets a lot from Brandon Moore for example.
What I will say about Woody is that he was the last guy in the locker room, answering questions in a very mature, measured and matter of fact way, without passing any blame.
maybe the jets can trade kerry rhodes, david clowney, and their 2nd for the browns first.
then they could have to top 15 draft picks..
Lets just hope Rhodes turns it around. When he is playing well, he is one of the best safeties in the game. Trading Rhodes for a pick wouldn’t be all that great, because we would need to use one of our picks on a safety, and there is a good chance that they wouldn’t be nearly as good a player as Rhodes can be.
I would love the Jets to get either Haden or Cody. DT’s normally don’t end up as huge busts, because it is one of the simplest positions to play. Size, strength, and athleticism are really the only skill sets that are really needed. I also would love to see Haden in green and white, because Lowery and Lito just haven’t been cutting it.
I agree with everyone that Rhodes has been extremely disappointing this year, but I think we should give it more time before we completely write him off. Its his first year in a new system and he is obviously struggling, but he is still young and talented. Hopefully Ryan benching him will humble him a little bit, and he will start to do his talking on the field instead of to the media.
Green,
It also seems like there are other perspectives for a QB sitting to take in, not just watching the backup QB.
Dylan,
I think Haden would be a great pickup for the Jets. What I think would benefit the Jets is to try and find a guy to do what Ed Reed does for the Ravens, maybe Kerry is being asked to do more than he can. I certainly don’t think that anyone on the team has that kind of range outside of, maybe, Dwight Lowery.
igs,
Yeah i agree. If Berry is available he is too good to pass up on. I doubt he will fall out of the top 10, though the way the Jets are playing, they still might be able to get him lol. The Jets pretty much have the option to take the best defensive player available, besides ILB. I can’t wait to finally see Rex draft “his guy” on defense.
I really like Lowery, but his speed is the one thing holding him back. He has good instinct and ballhawk skills. He is probably best suited for nickel corner, but he has done a pretty decent job in place of Lito.
Has everyone else been all that impressed with Bart Scott? I guess I was expecting a little more violence from him, but only see it on (rare) occassion. I was hoping from more adeleline and fire from this defense. It is interesting to see how a lack of offensive rythm affects a defense.
Yeah, Berry would be great. Folks are talking about the possibility that he might be the 1st safety ever drafted #1 overall. Of course that depends on who’s picking #1. I don’t know if the Jets can really get away with going OLB though. There also Taylor Mays who is Kerry Rhodes with way more talent. Rex could do a lot with him in terms of having him play different LB positions and safety. Ultimately, with Mays, the jets would still be stuck with the same range problems unless they were willing to go safety again in the 2nd round. Which would just be too much.
Talyor Mays has slipped alittle ( maybe beause Berry is so damn good ) and might slip into the middle of the first round.
I would still draft best avaiable DT/OL.
True, but only because Berry is that much more of a playmaker. The 3-4 DE class is pretty deep this draft also.
Yeah Mays has trouble covering. He has the potential to be what Rhodes was a few years ago, but then again, so does Rhodes. I doubt the Jets go with an OLB in the first round, but it could be an option in the 2nd. Gholston hasn’t really shown anything and BT has been disappointing. I wouldn’t mind if the Jets traded down a little and picked up an extra 2nd if Haden/Cody/Berry all aren’t available.
The Jets biggest needs are:
DE/DT- Ellis and Douglas will both be 33 going into next season and Jenkins will be 30. The Jets have some nice depth in Pouha, Green, and Devito, but they need more talent on the d-line.
CB- Revis is THE BEST corner in the game, but Lito is always hurt and isn’t great in coverage. Lowery is best as a nickel corner.
WR- The Jets will probably bring Braylon back, but they don’t have much depth behind him and Cotch. Clowney hasn’t shown much yet and Smith and Wright are special teamers.
O-line- Mangold and Brick should be around for awhile, but the Jets need to find replacements for Woody and Faneca.
OLB- Pace is very good but Thomas and Gholston haven’t been getting the job done.
FS- Only if the Jets decide to trade Rhodes. Smith is a very good backup.
TE- The Jets could use a good blocking TE with some pass catching skills. Hartsock is always getting penalized, and has one reception on the season.
We Should Be Looking At Eric Berry(DB), Gerald Mccoy (DT), Carlos Dunlap(DE), and Corey Wooton (DE).
They all fill a position of need and does anybody else want to trade Rhodes to the Browns for their First Rounder and Get Berry?
Actually No Dunlap just seen him play recently and he just seems slow and like he can’t get off blocks.
I mean Greg Hardy. Off Field Troubles And All.
Imagine A Eric Berry and Greg Hardy/Corey Wooton day. Id be happy.
Dylan,
Great list. Here is 1 adjustments I would add to your list:
-I would put FS as the same level of need or right under CB. Maybe even higher, but definitely in the area. And not necessarily a FS because a SS can fill the same role if he has the same skills, a la Troy Palamalu.
Also, Smith is a terrible safety. He’s just bad.
Green Lantern: NOOOOO Carlos Dunlap. Guy is insanely overrated.
Dylan:
Agree we need D-line depth. Big time.
They also need that 2nd CB. I like M. Cole as a future project who could be a nickel CB with the speed to match up with Welker. Pipe dream, I know, but it will be intriguing to see how he develops as Rex seems to really like him.
Before this year, you couldn’t find a more anti-Brad Smith fan than me. And you know what? I’m not as hard on that stance as I used to be. He does drop passes, but when he was healthy earlier this year he was making impact plays. `Now if Schotty used their wildcat better (a.k.a. keep Sanchez on the field and shift into the formation from something else) Smith would be valuable there too. Remember, this guy had 2300 yards passing and 1300 yards rushing on year. WR could be improved, but not an area of great need.
We need a RT, but hopefully we have our future LG in either Turner or Slauson.
If they trade Rhodes, than obviously we need to draft his replacement. Smith is not a starter, he’s good in Rex’s role for him, but he is certainly not a starter.
TE only in the 6 or 7 round. We have much more pressing needs.
As for OLB, we have a very good SAM in Pace. I think everyone agrees we need that Will linebacker to create pressure without having to send the house. I’m still not going to completely give up on Gholston though. I’ll give him another year before I think he’s useless on the football field.
Be very careful lending any credence to anything on twitter.
Brendan-
I took Dunlap off my list and put Greg Hardy there instead.
igs,
I agree that FS is a HUGE need IF Rhodes doesn’t start making plays. If nothing changes this season, then the Jets definitely need to find a good replacement. If the Jets want to create a defensive system similar to the Ravens, a good FS is very important.
Yeah Eric Smith doesn’t have much talent, but he plays with effort and has done a pretty decent job in Ryan’s system. He is definitely not a starter, but I think he is a good backup because of his versatility and his ability to plays both safety positions. I don’t ever want to see him starting though, because he doesn’t have half the physical ability that Rhodes has.
I really like Leonard starting, but he definitely needs a playmaker to start opposite him. He is extremely tough and smart and brings it every week.
Wide Receiver definitely isn’t a big need, unless they decide to let Braylon go. I think Clowney has a chance to develop into a pretty good slot receiver. I wish the Jets would run some more slants and screen passes with him. Smith hasn’t really improved enough since he has been here for me to have any real expectations this year. He does a pretty good job in the wildcat, trick plays, and special teams, but I see him as more of a fourth receiver.
I think CB is a huge need. Another good corner opposite Revis would make it nearly impossible for teams to throw on the Jets. It would allow the Jets to let their FS play centerfield, instead of trying to help out in coverage. I think one of the reasons Rhodes has had such a disappointing season is because he has been asked to help out in coverage on most plays, which is not one of his strengths. Rhodes is a playmaker and is at his best when he can play centerfield and rush the quarterback. Another good corner would allow him to do that.
Dylan, good points, definitely.
One of the things I wonder about is which safety is the odd man out. Because non of them really have the coverage range that the Jets need. I think with Leonard and Rhodes you can say the same thing – they look great when they don’t have too much coverage responsibilities and have a safety with range across from them. of course Rhodes had the better body and Leonard knows the system better, which is pretty tangible. For me I think it’s benefits the Jets more if Rhodes sticks around.
Then there is still Dwight Lowery. Is safety out of the question? The guy is certainly to slow to be a corner?
The 3-4 DE position is also fairly deep in this draft. There’s Arthur Jones, jared odrick, Cameron Heyward, and a few other guys around the 2nd and 3rd round that could start for the jets. There’s kade Weston at NT outside of Mt. Cody also. I beleive Weston is a 3 down guy, though I’m nt 100 percent sure.
igs,
Good idea. Maybe the Jets would already being trying Lowery there if they didn’t need him to start opposite Revis. He would obviously have good coverage skills for a safety and seems to have a good nose for the ball. Then the Jets could also try and make Cole their nickel corner.
If the Jets make Lowery a FS, that would probably make Rhodes expendable. Maybe the Browns would take him for their high second round pick. Rhodes was a really good player in Mangini’s system. It would also give the Jets 3 picks in the first two rounds which they could use on CB, D-line, and O-line.
igs, Dylan, Brendan
You ever hear of Corey Wooton out of N’Western. He is supposed to be the prototype 3-4 DE 6-7 290. I heard something like he would have went 1st rd last year but got hurt, u guys ever hear about him?
anyway, you guys hear about any DEs in college right now that might be able to convert to a WILL or OLB in the 3-4. I havent been keeping up with college as much as I normally do
Dylan,
However, though Leonard has more years in Rexy’s system, Rhodes has more years in the Jets org, which is the most underrated attribute on this team. There would also be a big size issue if Lowery and Leonard are your safeties.
Ultimately I think its Rhodes, another safety, and another CB that brings this backfield together next season. That other safety may be Lowery or may be a guy from the draft. It all depends.
lol Are you guys just skipping over my comment? I brought up Corey Wooton.
Green Lantern,
The Browns will most likely have the number one pick, so the Jets could probably only get their high second rounder for Rhodes. McCoy and Berry are probably both top 5 picks, and I highly doubt either of them fall out of the top 10. Unless the Jets lose out or only win one more game, I doubt they will have a shot at either guy without trading up. Dunlap NOT a good player. He might be the most overrated player in the draft. There a bunch of good DE/DT’s that should be available in the 2nd round. Guys like Corey Wooton, Jared Odrick, and Arthur Jones would all be nice pickups in the 2nd round. I also really like Derrick Morgan out of GT. He is a 6-4 275 DE and already has 12 sacks this season! He probably wont be available in the 2nd, but might be a nice pick if the Jets decide to trade back in the 1st.
Sorry Green, I haven’t seen any of Wooten – I tell you, TCU and Nevada are 2 teams I wish I could watch here on the East Coast – But size-wise, Wooten doesn’t look like he’ll fit. He looks like a 4-3 DE.
*Northwestern?
Kerry Rhodes will only bring back a 3rd rounder at best. Who are you guys kidding? A first or second is out of the question. 3rd round is even pushing it a little. Low 4th more like it
I think it would be major mistake if the Jets lost yet another veteran of the organization. Teams don’t win without leaders. And leaders are not the guys that get bought in from other teams that know a coach’s system. Leaders are guys with experience in that organization. You need kery Rhodes on this team.
This team is against the cap too. So it’s not like we can go sign anybody we want. I think the front office needs to be shaken up.
“We” ???
I think something needs to happen with the FO also. I wouldn’t fire Tanning-Bum because I think he is a very good GM. But someone needs to really enforce the value of building a team vs putting one together.
Another question as far as the draft goes, particularly with the OLB talk – what’s in the plans for guys like Pitouitua and Jamal Westerman, who show some promise? Do these guys eventually work there way into the starting lineup?
Both are signed thru 2011. I’d expect each to get a fair shake, maybe even an end of year start, perhaps, a la Trusnik last year.
I like Pitoitua’s chances better right now, but both could be future contributors.
I’d like to think that wuld be a very good thing.
If anybody were to get traded, at this point, I’d think about trying to move VG for something descent, maybe along with an elevating 2nd pick if he blows up. The guys seems to have no hope as a OLB.