eMail: Stallworth or No?
Sluggo in Seattle wants to know about Donte Stallworth and AD …
Now that the Browns have released Stallworth, any sense on whether the Jets would be interested? It would solve the third receiver issue, you get an experienced guy who can play all three positions, albeit a somewhat tainted and checkered past. I guess I kind of think given the strong base that has been established, with Rex putting his stamp on the team, this is the kind of thing that would free up the Jets to make the right draft pick choices (corner back, d-line, o-line), particularly if Adalius gets released by the Pats (and hopefully reunited with Rex, who made him into a star). What do you guys think?
First AD. I don’t know how enthusiastic Rex would be to reunite with AD, who I think went against The Rex Code a few years ago when facing the Ravens in 2007. Read some of those statements from Ray Lewis in that link, or listen here. I don’t think that Ryan thinks much differently than Ray did at that time.
As hard as it is to do when talking about Stallworth, I want to put the manslaughter issue aside and just look at the football portion. I think that Stallworth would be an interesting option for the Jets and here’s why. Although I admit I don’t know the exact cap particulars, if the Jets could sign him now, before the new league year and CBA rules go into effect, and lock up one more spot of depth before the restrictions start, I’d say go for it.
As far as his game, it’s going to be hard to know what he can provide having been away from the game for a year. During the 2007 Patriots campaign, Stallworth wasn’t super productive (46 REC, 697 yards, 3 TDs in 2007), but his presence made a big difference for Randy Moss and Wes Welker to run their routes and be productive. Think about Brady this year and his season-long struggles with finding a third receiver Joey Galloway, Sam Aiken, both trainwrecks. Stallworth was that third guy in 2007, and teams had no answer for that trio.
Stallworth can be wildly inconsistent, hasn’t ever stuck anywhere, so there’s got to be some reasons for that and he’s been away from the game for a year. I don’t think that Stallworth would be a gamebreaker for the Jets, but I think he could take enough away from Edwards and Cotchery in three receiver sets and could be a big push forward for the Jets and allow them to focus elsewhere during the free ageny and draft process. I say go for it.
As cautions, beyond the PR headache he makes. The biggest difference for the 2010 Jets is that Patriots in 2007 didn’t have a Tight End like Dustin Keller — the team’s third option — and a good one at that. Although anything could happen, signing Stallworth could also mean that it’s the end of the road for WR Wallace Wright. So the Jets would have be prepared with a replacement on specials or a sagging in their kick and punt coverage without Wright, a guy in my opinion who is an usung hero on this team.
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Who is AD?
¡NO!
I think you mean AT (Adalius Thomas)?
I would look at Thomas and definetly pass on Stallworth, bad karma!!!
Subtance abuse problems……. probably a 3rd strike from ever playing again.
Not the worst slot WR I can think of but not sure if he is worth the trouble overall…..I do think he can play though
If Rex wants A. Thomas, then I’m fine with it, but I have a feeling he wants no part of him, which is fine with me too.
As far as Stallworth, surely there’s another third receiver option out there without the baggage and chemistry-killing potential.
I think Rex will want Adalius. Just because he got into it with Ray Lewis does not mean anything. Obviously Rex liked Bart Scott over Ray anyway. Oh and in that article they do refer to him as AD.
As to Adalius Thomas….. I am not sure why Ray Lewis having a problem with him would have much to do with Rex needing a guy to rush the passer? Plus Lewis likes to hear himself talk about Ravens pride and other nonsense but he would have walked at the top dollar last offseason if it ever came. I like that Thomas spoke up about the Ravens “limelight” players and didnt back off when Lewis challenged him. Maybe Lewis felt disrespected that Adalius didnt love his 15 min dance show before running on the field before games?
Thomas exceled in Rex’s system and would be an upgrade of BT off the edge. If Ryan and the Jets didnt investigate the option they would be foolish.
Let’s not get carried away now. Adalius isn’t THAT much better than BT. He’s better, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not like comparing Thomas to Harrison or Woodley.
thomas is old. if we sign him to a 1 or 2 year deal i’m fine with it. the fact that the pats didn’t mind not playing him tells me he’s breaking down.
the only reason i sign him is bc we’re in win now mode and he’s familiar with the system. that being said, we will have a glut of LBs, so im not sure how everyone would fit in.
Brendan
He is an upgrade overall and a much better passrusher. I like BT especially against the run but depending on what we wanted to do in the draft Thomas would be a nice addition
Plus with the 2011 year in doubt. we need this guy to come in for one year and get the QB on the ground.
No.
There is nothing wrong with bringing in a fella for a looksie.
If Stallworth, and his (morning after) substance abuse issues can play the slot better than current incumbents: Danny Woodhead, Wallace Wright and David Clowney, then I’m all for it.
I don’t see the point in discussing AT until he officially gets released. But even then, it seems as if all of Rex’s ex-players have a great desire to play for him. If AT does get cut, and wants an opportunity to stick it to Belichick next season, playing for the Jets would be an ideal opportunity. The only real issue then, would be whether Rex felt he has the ability to improve the team.
As such, I defer to the front office.
How about trying to make a play for reggie bush if the saints release him?
use him primarily as a slot wr, but line him up in the backfield as well. imagine a jumbo backfield package with reggie, leon and shonn greene, you could run out of it, pass out of it, run an option, very versatile and explosive…
What about Torry Holt as a potential #3 receiver for the Jets. Word is JAX is going to release him. While not nearly the player he once was he has still put up solid numbers the past two years (50+ catches and 700+ yards last year) and does not have the off field troubles that Stallworth has. Since Holt is going to be released the “Final 8″ rule issue will not apply. Signing a free agent wide receiver gives them the added depth they need as the position and allows them to focus on D in the draft
I think adding Donte Stallworth would be wise for the Jets, but it has to be at the right price. His last contract was 35mil over 5 yrs- 7mil ave.. I wouldn’t give him more that 3.5 per year for 2-3 years, preferably get him for 1-2mil with some incentives. He will be a definite upgrade as our #3 WR, established guy who has been a #2 option, which is good in case one of our top 2 guys gets injured. Looking at Free Agency for WR- anyone that is good is a RFA and with these top 4 rules we will be limited in who we can try to sign. Stallworth was cut, so we can sign him and due to his legal issue, not playing last year, and the last season he did play was for the pathetic Browns- put up horrible #’s you would think we can get him at a fair price. I also don’t see us doing any big blockbuster moves this offseason, like we did in the past signing, Bart Scott, Pace, Faneca, Jenkins- see us doing more smaller things like possibly signing Donte, veteran QB, pass rusher in Adulius Thomas or Joey Porter if either is cut, and signing another CB- will keep dreaming about getting the Pats Leigh Bodden- he had 17 PD and 5 int. this year and would be great Opposite Revis.
Brendan and I had a nice exchange about Stallworth in the posts under the Daily Links.
BradBaxter –
If a player gets released, any team can sign him? And it does not have to comply with the Final 8 rule? Are you sure? That would mean that, hypothetically, to sign reggie bush wouldnt even cost us an allotted free agent signing….
Reggie Bush to the Jets in 2010…start the petition now….
Yes, I believe any team can sign a released player. Per Mike T, post season press conference
“We will try to get you some more details, but the long and short of it is unrestricted free agents, we can’t sign one until we would lose one, and, again, that’s someone whose contract expires and they have been in the league for six or more seasons. If a player gets cut by another team, they become a free agent and we would be able to sign them. We would also be able to sign a restricted free agent that was tendered by another team and, obviously, trades are another possibility. We cannot sign an unrestricted free agent, one whose contract expires, until one of our unrestricted free agents signs with another team.”
BradBaxter- Good findings on Holt! Now that we are pretty established with our top 2 WR’s, I’m all in favor of bringing in one of the greats for a 1-2 year deal til we find someone better. Believe Holt made 4mil this past season, so u figure he would be happy with receiving that this season. He has put up respectable #s while not being in an Ideal position the last 2 years.
On basset’s comment about if we sign another WR, it is the end of the road for Wallace Wright- i dont think so- i think it might be the end of the road for clowney. Wright is at least very valuable on special teams, but clowney does nothing on special teams. Also, lets hope we dont carry 4 QB’s this year, it should be sanchez, veteran, ainge or o’connel- some say dont even need a third QB and should have Brad Smith as desperation QB.
I’d pick up both, fact is we won’t have many options due to final 8 rules so we shouldn’t be too picky when it comes to who we add for short term.
I’d also drop Clowney before dropping wallace wright, he does not contribute on special teams and while I’d like to keep him I say he has less worth than Smith and Wright.
in terms of AD – i would give him a definite look. the trash talking with rayray may even make him more attractive in rex’s mind. he clearly had a falling out with the pats and did not fit into their system. adding a motivated, proven veteran to an already solid defense is something that without a doubt should be looked into
i am against stallworth. the guy is a trainwreck off the field and as i mentioned in another post – the jets wouldnt even bring matt jones in for a look last year when their starting receiving coprs consisted of one proven player. Now we have Edwards, J-Co and Keller. We have less of a need for a guy like stallworth. Pass
i also hope the team figures out the QB situation so we do not continue to eat up 4 roster spots. this may have made sense last year with a 39 year old QB, but we have already found our QB of the futurte. we should have Sanchize, Veteran and Ainge / O’Connell. Ideally both Ainge and OC play well in preseason and we could trade them to another team for a 2011 draft pick.
having brad smith serve as the 3rd QB would be tough. technically he would have to be the 2nd QB listed on the 45 man roster. if sanchez got hurt for even one play before the 4th quarter, we would not be able to put his backup in the way the rules work. if brad smith was the 3rd QB on the 45 man he could not play. so i think the move is to go with 3 QBs plus brad smith.
Yes, Stallworth doesn’t count against the final eight rules because he has been released. However, he’s the first of many that will be, so let’s not be too hasty.
AD is Adalius’ nickname, by the way.
Just reading on Rotoworld that Joey Porter stated on the NFL network on 2/7 that he doesnt want to play for the fins anymore, and expects to be released unless someone offers the Phins a trade. Would love Porter opposite Pace with BT giving them breathers at times. He had 2 years left on his contract worth about 9.5 mil. Would love to get him for a couple of years and with this uncapped year, give him more upfront this year, so lower cap value his next year or two.
“AD” is Adalius Thomas’s nickname…
Adalius Donquail (AD) Thomas … even the Boston Globe uses this monniker.
http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/gasper/2010/02/end_of_the_ad_e.html
@ Brad
great point about clowney, I had forgotten about him … cheers.
i think AT would be a solid pick up i think hes a solid pass rusher but not a great one the big plus with him is he knows rexs system and his best years were with rex…but that was 3 years ago…personally i agree with brad i think joey porter would be a much better pick up i think he would put up double digit sacks for us next year and make are defense that much better…..
as for stallworth no way doo i pick this guy up draft a young guy
I would really like the idea of bringing in Torry Holt’s fingers for a season or two. He can still play, could be a good slot guy (I mean, this guy made a career out of perfect routes and getting wide open) and could mentor potential young receivers that the Jets bring in. Not a bad idea at all.
I would like to see Joey Porter for one or two years. If he put up 17.5 sacks in 2008 and 9 sacks in 2009 — imagine what he would do playing along side Pace, Douglas, Jenkins, & Ellis. As for AD, only Rex knows if he would be worth it. He has shown little, in his past two years.
I would rather see Clowney than Stallworth (32) or Holt (34). There is no doubt that Clowney could be a deep threat. If the problem is his route running, where have his coaches been for two seasons? I wouldn’t give up on this guy. The last thing I want to see is Clowney burning us, for years to come, on the Dolphins.
I’m high on AD, because versatile players are hugely important in the Rex Ryan defense, whereas (as we saw to an extent with Mangini running the same system) the Belichick 3-4 doesn’t always have a position for everyone, so being a “tweener” is a negative rather than a plus.
It did surprise me how little of an impact he made in NE though, because I certainly would have wanted Mangini to sign him if there was ever a chance. In retrospect, that probably would have been a bad move, although if all else was equal, perhaps he would have enjoyed a resurgence in 2009 under Rex.
If he has anything left, Rex will know. He might even be able to get him at a discounted price.
Agree Bent, you can never have enough good linebackers that know your system………
If we could make one splash this offseason would it be Dunta Robinson, Leigh Bodden, or Joey Porter?
Bring back sam Garnes
Porter
“If we could make one splash this offseason would it be Dunta Robinson, Leigh Bodden, or Joey Porter?”
To be honest, if the Jets can extend Mangold, Harris and Brick’s contracts this offseason that will get me way more excited than any of the above moves.
A decent veteran CB would be a nice move, but unless you’re spending big money, the caliber of player you tend to end up with is a Barrett/Dyson/Strickland type.
I keep trying to talk myself out of wanting Adalius Thomas, but then I thought of this. If Thomas was on the roster during the Colts game, he could step in and replace Bart Scott and the defense wouldn’t miss a beat. Instead the Jets had to use different formations or try guys like Digs and Pace at TED linebacker.
Also, Adalius Thomas might not seem like he was very productive last year in a down year, but he had 34 tackles and 3 sacks in 601 defensive snaps, which means he was more productive than Bryan Thomas (53 tackles and 2 sacks on 1048 defensive snaps), so not only could it bolster the depth, but also it could be a legitimate short-term upgrade (especially considering BT could be a cap casualty in 2011 if there is a cap).
I think it would just be such a luxury to throw out a starting corner who is proven next to Darrelle this year.
idk i am pretty done with clowney he shown signs but really doesnt fit the system
I’d take Bodden. Also love the Torry Holt idea. Few better receivers out there and from what I can tell, a real team player as well. I think he could be a great help to our younger receivers. I’d keep Clowney around actually if we get Holt. He might be able to teach Clown a thing or two. As for QBs, is there a rule that says we can’t just trot out Smith and have him QB the entire time? Does someone have to officially be labeled a QB in order to take a certain number of snaps? How does that jibe with the Wildcat? Reason I want to know is that I think we should just have Sanchez and backup, leaving Smith as an emergency guy just like one of the earlier posters said.
“I want to put the manslaughter issue aside and just look at the football portion”
Well, put that way, sign the man up.
We can add Brandon Marshall too. Then, get Woody to drive his limo to the jailhouse gates, bribe the gaurds with a truck full of black market Q-tips and Band-aids, and set Plaxico free. (keeping a talent like that behind bars is denying the citizens –Jets Nation — their right to their pursuit of hapiness. Plaxico could hit the coumpound, and learn his assignments on-the-run.
The words “GUNS, BATTERY AND AUTOMOBILES”, our new receiving crews nickname, will be on the lips of every sports reporter in this country, 24/7. It will put former catch-phrase names like “Earth, Wind and Fire”,and “Los Tres Amigos” into distant memory. Think of all that exra coverage.
With our young gunslinger, Dirty Sanchez, driving the team (sober or not), opponent’s defenses will buckle knowing that our new receiving corps will “slap ‘em down, shoot ‘em up and run ‘em over” on their way to the endzone. Our defense can then just pour salt on the wounds.
Next season can’t come soon enough!
Bassett, what PR headache were you referring to again?
Shamik – There’s no rules against that, but Smith’s arm is too weak. Teams would stack the box even more than they used to when Pennington (and Favre too) had a shoulder injury.
Despite the fact that he doesn’t carry quite the resume of the above mentioned receivers, I liked Bodden in last years fa class, and still think he fits nicely in this defense.
Bent,
Resigning those 3 players this off season are a priority, no doubt. Tanny has built a fine young core and keeping them as a centerpiece to build around will keep us strong for the long haul. A solid draft and keeping our youngs long-term alone, would certainly make a successful season.
That said, we’re fans. Thus greed replaces the need for a purely common sense approach.
That being stated, I like your short term solution for Will. Never been a BT fan, despite his excellent play in the playoffs.
Adding Bodden too, would solve our major needs and allow us to concentrate on “getting younger on both our lines” in early rounds. Then, in later rounds, Tanny could look for sleepers at OLB, DB, S, more OL and DL and/or wide receiver.
lets just stick with some young players and let them learn how to play. we have more than enough years with Sanchez at the helm.
Adalius Thomas can still play, and he is better than Bryan Thomas. Bryan Thomas is a glorified SSDE.
He is not the same guy the Jets drafted way back when, who ran a 4.5 forty. He plays hard, he plays tough, but Adalius Thomas has been, still is, and will be better than BT in Rex’s defense.
ADs problem in NE was he is just not a Read N React Pats guy. He is a balls out, versatile Rex Ryan guy. You combine that with one injury shortened season, dwindling snaps, and you get his lack of production.
A Thomas would be good for another 2 years, 3 max, with the Jets. Thats why you draft his incumbent with our first pick this year, and let the guy learn from him.
Porter is a better pass rusher than AD, so I would have no problem with Porter, I, like Bent, just love his versatility and familiarity with the Jets defense
Bodden had 5 int and 17 pass defense this year as the pats #1 CB. The problem is we need to dream to make this happen. Due to these final four rules, can only get him if someone signs one of our guys and on top of that we have to pay Bodden no more than the guy we lose gets paid his first year, and can only increase his salary by 30% in the second year. Highly unlikely of getting Bodden for a couple of mil- and the players we might lose arent going to be signing any big deals.
Our best bet is trying to get one of the OLB’s and WR’s that might be getting cut soon like Porter or AD and Stallworth or Holt…to hold those area down for a couple of years- readdress that in next years draft and focus this year on drafting CB in the first round and adding OL or DL in Rd. 2
Sanchez and Bodden had pretty good chemistry, so perhaps they would sign him as a wide receiver.
Take out that one game at Foxboro and Bodden had 2 interceptions and less than one PD per game.
Exacto-mundo Brad
We cant get any top tier UFA’s, we have to pick up good veteran players who make too much money, whose teams cut them loose to avoid future cap hits
Oh Bent, your bad man…ZING!!!!!! I still cringe watching Boddens dreads bounce while running back the pick six
ties in nicely with herms analysis, so what they hey i say go for it. more than braylon-sanchez, i look for cotchery-sanchez to really get on the same page. if both happen, bonus obviously.