Link: Revis ‘Enamored’ With Rex Ryan, According to TBL
Our man Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com was in Miami for SuperBowl week and during an all-encompassing junk-drawer style post, he gave some of his thoughts coming away from a meeting with Jet CB Darrelle Revis.
One of the coolest moments of the week was briefly working out with and chatting with Darrelle Revis of the Jets. Gatorade is promoting the G2 series and set it up. Although we only spoke for about 10 minutes, Revis seemed like the kind of guy the Jets’ need more of – respectful, engaging, humorous, and not the type to pick up his cell phone and look at it twenty times (or once) while in public.
Revis does a dead-on imitation of Dave Wannstedt. He’s absolutely enamored with Rex Ryan, and he made it seem like every Jets’ player feels the same way. Not surprisingly, he thinks cornerback is a need in the draft. I got the impression Vernon Gholston doesn’t have a future with the Jets.
The one player Revis thought needed more pub: Jerricho Cotchery. I said I’d oblige if he can get someone to keep Kris Jenkins’ weight in check.
Interesting. I’m sure that Revis won’t be thrilled that such statements about Gholston have ‘gotten out.’ As for Gholston, as Bent pointed out there’s serious opportunity cost reasons why Vernon Gholston will most likely be in New York for at least one more year. Look for him to get the axe in 2011 if great strides aren’t made in his game.
We agree about Cotchery. The morning of the 2009 NFL Draft, Cotchery told us he wanted help across the line to help him with his game, and man did he get it in Braylon Edwards. With a battle tested QB, and offensive continuity, I’d look for Cotch’s numbers to jump in 2010.
Although not flashy, he’s one of those hard-working, quietly productive receivers that could start for all but a handful of NFL teams. All this and he’s doing it at a crazy production to contract value ratio. Edwards might be the better talent, but until I see otherwise, Cotchery is the lynchpin of this passing game and team’s #1 WR.
45 Responses to Link: Revis ‘Enamored’ With Rex Ryan, According to TBL
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SackDance99 says:
I actually think that the Jets, when they go 3 WR, should have Cotch play the slot. He needs more opportunities the get the football because when he does, he’s a YAC god.
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Bkkilla says:
yeah cotchery catches everything, blocks, doesn’t fumble,not a diva at all, underpaid, under rated, good after the catch, and i don’t know what jet fans your talking to snakeman, maybe that retarded kid always at the draft who thinks who knows everything
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Brendan says:
I agree with Bassett that Cotch is our true #1. He’s the glue that holds that receiving core together, and when we need a big first down he’s the guy that usually gets it (and Leon, but I’m talking 2009 here). He’s a blue-collar type of player and we’re lucky to have him for the price that we do.
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And though cotch missed some games with injuries, he still put up decent #s. Ultimate team player.
Cotch in the slot? Interesting. Is he quick enough? I know he runs good routes, has awesome hands and has had some exciting YAC adventures the last few years. Could he get the quick separation underneath that the slinky, speedy guys who seem to excel in the slot get? -
I have to admit that I underrated Cotch until this year. Yes…. I still think he is not the “proto” #1 WR but he is so good at everything a WR is suppsoed to do.
He is slowly becoming one of my alltime favorite players and he might be the easiest player guy to root for.
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i actually said this last week or so….but the closer we get to the draft I think we are going to go CB. I still want the best available pass rusher (hopefully B Graham) but i just keep thinking how much Rex loves those damn CB’s.
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brian311 says:
if we dont bring strick or lito back – do we really have any choice other than to go CB in round #1?
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NYC PE-
One of my pet peeves is the “quick enough for the slot” argument and, of course, everyone thinks of Wes Welker as the prime example. IMO, what makes Welker great in the slot is his ability to find open spaces in the defense and his good hands…skills that I think Jericho has in spades. Also, at the Combine, Welker’s 40 time (4.65), short shuttle (4.01) and 3-cone drill (7.09) were all SLOWER than Jericho’s, which were, respectively, 4.54, 3.92 and 6.95. In fact, Jericho was projected out of college as a 3rd WR, aka a slot WR. Jericho has the speed, quickness, hands, YAC ability and football IQ to be in the slot. If Clowney had the ability to play the “Dedric Ward role,” the Jets could have a 1998-type of 3 WR set up Braylon (Keyshawn), Jericho (Wayne) and Clowney (Ward). I’m pretty sure that Schotty couldn’t consider Jericho for the slot when he was the no. 1 WR, but with Braylon as the no. 1, Schotty would have the flexibility to put Jericho in the slot. But, I really don’t know if Clowney can step up and perform.
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Lance Mehl says:
I have to say I was never all that impressed with Cotchery until the playoffs ..
He runs the tighest patterns and has amazing hands .. If he was better and getting open I think he would be an amazing slot guy .. otherwise he’s pretty damn good ..
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brian311-
Yes, because at 29 the Jets will not be able to get a CB that could possibly play better than an average veteran (like Lowery, Coleman or Cole, who I have high hopes for). I think Revis’ success has caused Jets fans to think that rookie CBs can step in and perform competently in the NFL. Nothing could be further from the truth. Moreover, because teams often choose to ignore the WR covered by Revis, the rookie CB would be tested early and often. I think taking the kind of CB who would be around at 29 (Revis was taken at 14 and was the 1st CB off the board) over any of the other needs the Jets have would be a mistake. I’d rather go for a late round project or even UDFAs…but a 1st round CB at 29, which might be the 3rd or 4th CB taken? No way, the value just won’t be there.
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SD99 – I realize it takes time to develop into a proficient NFL CB. That is irrelevant – you could make that same argument every year and if you suscribe to that school of thought, you would never end up drafting a CB.
Furthermore, as of now – no one has any idea what kind of value would be at #29 or anywhere in the draft for that matter. No one knows how many CBs will be taken in the 1st round. The current predictions will be rendered useless after the combine and pro days.
I believe in the “best player available” school of thought. However (and this is just my own opinion) but the thought of Lowery, Coleman or Cole starting and/or playing major reps in nickle and dime packages is a scary. We need another CB. If Donovan Warren is there in round 1 or Devin McCourty is on the board in round 2, we should seriously consider them – assuming the team has done its due diligence
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Our #1 priority should be a pass rushing WILL. I don’t even think this is debatable at this point.
As SD pointed out, drafting a CB in the first round doesn’t guarantee a competent player at the 2nd CB position for 2010. I would much rather get a guy in the Brandon Graham/Jerry Hughes than a CB. Pass rushers have a better chance for immediate impacts because if they have NFL-ready skill & technique (as Graham does) they’re more likely to have an easier transition. CB is a much harder transition to make from the college ranks to the NFL. CB is more of a gamble and an elite pass rusher would have a more immediate and more drastic impact. You get a guy like Graham to get after the QB and your 2nd Cb can be “serviceable” rather than “good” or “great”.
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Brandan – you clearly must have had a guy named Vernon Gholston in mind when making that argument
I am not saying pass rusher is a need. it clearly is. but you can make up with a lack of a dominant 1-on-1 passrusher with scheme and blitz. there really arent many dumervils, harrisons and freeneys in the NFL.
if we had Lio and Strick healthy and coming back, I would say that CB is less of a need. But having to start Lowery (who i like, however not as a starter just yet) and have Cole and Coleman play significant reps -thtat is just a recipe for disaster. What if someone went down? That secondary is now paper thin. It would be a huge mistake IMO to not draft a CB in round 1 or 2, or trade for an established player.
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sd99 – very interesting #s on cotch and welker at the combine (sorry to stoke that pet peeve!).
Do you think those #s equate to quickness as opposed to speed? Everyone knew that Chrebet wasn’t very fast in terms of measurable speed, but he was damn quick. He had a football quickness that just couldn’t be measured. Think Cotch has that? If so, I’d like to see them draft a more conventional, speedy WR. I think Clowney’s window of opportunity may be closing, I mean the guy was as invisible as Gholsten the last half of the season (fwiw, gholsten showed some improvement as the year evolved). But for a guy who apparently cannot play specials, clowney has used up a valuable wr roster spot with precious little production.
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Brian, I see your point, that the draft is a crap shoot know matter how you slice it, but Gholsten was a project from the get go, everyone knew that, so I don’t think it fair to use him as the poster child for how a 1st round pass rusher plays.
Everyone has it tough adjusting to NFL speed, but I think the point that Sack and Brendan were making is that some positions, like a RB or a pass rusher who is basically pinning his ears back have less of an adjustment than a db who will be picked on mercilessly opposite revis. No doubt you are right than in either case, we could get a dud or a stud. -
brian311,
But, what you said sounded like you think the rookie CB will step in and start:
brian311, on February 8th, 2010 at 2:09 pm Said:
if we dont bring strick or lito back – do we really have any choice other than to go CB in round #1?My point is that it is extremely unusual for a CB, even the first CB taken off the board, like Revis, being competent from day 1. The Jets defense isn’t in rebuilding mode, so throwing a CB to the wolves doesn’t make sense. And, the fact that Revis is the NFL’s best lockdown CB would expose a rookie CB even more than a regular rookie. And, I do think that some rookie CBs develop sooner than others, I just don’t think you can draft a rookie like that at 29…a shutdown CB is the type of player that teams draft in the 1st round and the top prospects go way before 29 (I mean do you really think that 28 NFL teams, including CB-starved teams like the Pats, Cowboys, Giants, Texans, Cards, etc. would miss on a CB that could be a bona fide NFL starter from day 1?). So, the fact that a rookie CB needs time to develop, especially one that is barely 1st round talent, is not “irrelevant,” especially if, like you, the Jets expect the rookie to take the place of “strick or lito.” And, for the record, I expect Strickland to be back and I think that Lowery, now entering his 3rd year in the NFL, Coleman or Cole could all do at least as well as the marginal 1st round talent at CB that the Jets could draft at 29 and especially a late 2nd rounder. I don’t want a project taken in the first 2 rounds, I want a player that will either start or be in the rotation. But, I trust Tanny/Rex to draft good value and if it’s a CB, then I would expect a CB that will be part of the defense in primary, nickel or dime packages from day 1. I just think that’s very unlikely.
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NYC PE,
I cited the short shuttle and 3-cone times because those are “quickness” drills rather than “speed” drills. I think Cotch can play the slot. He has a different skill set from Welker and Chrebet, but I think he’s just as elusive because he’s better at breaking tackles. Anyhow, it’s just a thought. I think we all agree, however, that Jericho’s punt return duties should be over!
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JesusRevis says:
I disagree with those who say Cotchery is our #1. He may be more reliable and consistent than Braylon Edwards, but make no mistake, Edwards is definitely out #1.
Sack,
I think Cotchery would succeed in the slot, used at the right times, because of his ability to find open spaces, his great hands, and his ability to pick up yac.
I disagree with the idea that we should go corner in the draft. I would much rather sign 1 or 2 corners in free agency and use our draft pick on another position. Remember, a better pass rush will help out the secondary much more than a new corner would.
Jets should go bpa, if that player happens to be a corner, then so be it.
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Absolutely, and Leon’s kr duties as well. Perfect way to keep Smith involved and should he unfortunately get hurt, it wouldn’t kill us the way Leon’s injury did.
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i wonder if Leonhard will be back on punt retirn duties next year?
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Man, I worry about Leonard getting hurt doing that. I’d much rather have a non-starter handle both pr and kr, but especially pr.
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Brian,
In my post I said “Pass rushers have a better chance for immediate impacts because if they have NFL-ready skill & technique (as Graham does) they’re more likely to have an easier transition.” As NYCPE pointed out, we all were aware that Gholston was a once-in-a-generation physical freak, but with no football skills. That’s not what I was referring to. If you get a guy like Graham, Hughes, or Sapp from Clemson you are getting guys that already know what they’re doing. And if you cut down reps and basically tell them “you have one thing to worry about right now, take that QB apart piece by piece” then they can go out and do that job.
With CBs you almost never put them out on their own without help. I mean, you rarely see that with 2nd year guys. Pass rushers are more easily translated to the NFL. And guys that play DE in college generally are very versatile (they usually come into college as LBs).
I’m not saying that we in no way should take a CB first round, but I think if given the choice between WILL LB and 2nd CB, I’ll take the WILL with pick 29.
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TannyVision says:
Edwards may have the ability to brake a big play, but there ain’t nobody in this league who can toe dance on his way out of bounds the way Cotch can.
With his sure hands and his great pattern running as well, he is a sure first option when tough yards at critical moments in a game are required.
Sounds like a #1 to me!
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For PR/KR duties, I have high hopes for Larry Taylor, the kid from the CFL the Jets signed who was the CFL special teams player of the year for 2009. He’s small, but he’s very fast and elusive (though it’s tough to tell whether the longer and wider field hurt or helped him). He’s one of the guys I want to see in training camp and he’s a local product from U. Conn.
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i am in agreement that a pass rusher is a need. in terms of traistioning a player from college to nfl – i think it is just as easy to miss on a pass rusher as it is on a CB. for every justin miller bust i could probably find you a vernon gholston. but thats just my opinion and it could easily be incorrect.
the angle i am coming from is that i believe if we found another CB with man-to-man skills (not a revis but a CB who can follow a WR up and down the field ) – our D has the chance to be truly dominant. not saying you would draft a guy at #29 and put him on an island in 2010, but the draft is all about finding players with an established skill set and coaching them up to get the most out of them. i like lowery and especially him being a find in the 4th round but the question i ask is he really the answer as our #2 CB? i dont think he has the speed and assuming that answer is no, then go out and draft a CB in the hopes to fill this hole.
i feel that with rex’s imaginative scheme, if we could man up on the outside with rhodes in center field, that would allow us to do a lot more in terms of rushing the passer. and i dont see how, with Lito and Strick leaving, we cannot say that CB is a huge need
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brian,
I don’t totally disagree with you there. I guess you could say we’re on the same path, just headed opposite directions. I believe, that if you go and get that WILL edge rusher, it will benefit the defense greatly.
I believe that a pass rusher is more important because they, more than a CB, can change the game completely. Yes, there are guys like Revis, Asomugha & Woodson. But there are more guys like Harrison, Woodley, Dumervil, Jared Allen, etc. who can get after the QB. With the abundance of pass rushers it’s confusing that we don’t have one ourselves. A pass rusher does so much other than get sacks. Once he beats his man a few times and gets pressure on the QB, the QBs internal clock speeds up a split second, causing him to get jumpy and antsy and throwing before he needs to. It also could cause the offense to have to keep a TE or RB in to help block that player. It enables you to get pressure without sending the house, and also let’s you get more creative with your blitz packages (similar to having a 2nd lockdown CB can).
I just think that mental aspect of getting into the QBs head and making him play quicker than he wants to is more of a factor in changing a game than a #2 CB who can play good defense. Not saying I wouldn’t want the CB, just that I’d prefer the pass rusher.
Either way, I think it’s a safe bet we get one of these guys (and probably both) as they’re clearly our two biggest needs.
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James in TN says:
Did anybody here seriously think Gholston wasn’t a bust? I just hope we never pick another player on the basis that we picked him. That draft was just awful. Gholston is a monumental joke.
STILL glad the Saints beat the colts LOL.
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If the defensive players, especially Revis, are starting to “whisper” about Gholston, that’s not good. The only reason to hold out hope for Gholston was that it sounded like he was a hard worker eager to make a contribution. But, if his teammates think that he isn’t putting in the effort or doesn’t have what it takes, then he’s officially done and a waste of a precious roster spot.
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I wonder if we can trust that Revis really did have something negative to say about Gholsten. Could it be a misinterpretation of what Revis said? Sounds a little un-revis like to me. This year (if he in fact is here) is truly his last chance, he’d need to make some big strides to hang on.
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James in NY says:
is gholston transitioning to an end even possible? how much weight would he have to gain?
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just read something about gholston having played O-line in HS. is it possible to convert him?
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haha maybe he could transition to kicker while at it
i think him playing next year with his hand down is a virtual lock. he did it somewhat effectively this year and would only need to gain 15 pounds to be the protypical 3-4 DE size
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Can we make him head of security for the new stadium? Of course we would have to give Gholston some pepper spray so he could actually stop someone from advancing.
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i just saw his combine numbers again and was blown away yet another time. how is this possible? i just don’t get it…
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James in TN,
LOL!
But really, he was making improvements as a line pushing DE. In this D, that is not a position that’s going to get a lot of stats. A couple would’ve been nice, though!
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Bent says: Gholston is a reclamation project, so I don’t see too much problems with somebody “getting the impression that he has no future” by reading between the lines. How can Revis (or anyone) possibly know how the attempted position change will go?
It might work out, it might not. Only time will tell.
In the Rex defense, you can contribute as a DE even if you’re less than 280, but ideally Gholston needs to get closer to 300. However, he was already 266 when drafted and I reckon he’d already added some weight by the halfway point of the season.
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someone give him dwight freeny’s number. he’s gotta become a speed rusher off the edge
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Tos9987 says:
Cotch is a pimp . Catches everything and alaround great guy
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JetSetRadio says:
SD99-
I think a CB can come in and have an immidiate inpact. The Dolphins( who i hate more than anything) started two rookie cb’s most of the year and they played really well and the Colts best CB was Jerraud Powers who was a rookie 3rd rounder this year.Its all about drafting the right guy… hopefully revis is a teacher to these young guys and doesn’t intimmidate them with his greatness.
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jp losman says:
the CB from miami is an exception to the rule.
i thought teams generally drafted with the game plan for those players to contribute in three years. even if this philosophy is outdated now with the college game evolving, you still can’t plan to draft a player @ 29 and expect him to contribute in year 1. with that said, i dont think tannenbaum has any other choice but to address needs through FA. ( & i know not specifically UFA).
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JetSetRadio,
Almost every pundit that I’ve read panned the Dolphins’ decision to start two rookie CBs. Tim Graham on ESPN’s AFC East Blog called it Miami’s worst decision. Sanchez had 3 TDs, 0 INTs and a combined QB rating in the mid-90s against Miami. The rookie DBs affected their entire D. Also, Miami took Vontae Davis with the 25th pick. The Jets pick 29. I think Davis is a decent CB, but better than Lito, Lowery and Coleman? Maybe next season and maybe never as to Lowery or Lito. Also, factor in that the non-Revis, rookie CB would get tested early and often. If the Jets started a rookie, Revis might have to play LCB all the time because teams would just put their 2nd WR on the right side and abuse the rookie.
So, getting back to Miami. Yes, starting 2 rookies had an immediate, they made it easier to get TDs and avoid INTs, even though Miami still had a good pass rush.
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*immediate impact
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DSmizzle says:
Cotchery is a top-notch player and reminds me a lot of a guy like Hines Ward. Just outstanding at keeping his feet in, etc. LOVE the guy!
Just want to say that Cotch is probably my favorite player on the team, and when I rave about him even fellow Jets fans don’t quite see what he brings to the team. Extremely reliable, tough, all the intangibles – and will never, ever run his mouth. Something refreshing about the “ego-less” player in 2010.