The Rundown: Reworking the Secondary
Hutch wrote yesterday about the desire for the Jets to bring in some guys to help round out their secondary. While Jackson already signed with the Eagles, it’s clear that the Jets have two spots that they should consider filling, the slot and the second safety, no matter who they have on their roster.
… the Jets are looking to replenish the unit. Their top priority right now appears to be a nickel back, with Antonio Cromartie set to replace cornerback Lito Sheppard and safeties Eric Smith or James Ihedigbo on tap to step in for Kerry Rhodes.
Currently, the Jets view Dwight Lowery as their nickel back.
The interesting thing here is that both Pool (concussion) and Jackson (knee) have an extensive injury history and the main reason the Jets parted ways with both Sheppard and nickel back Donald Strickland is because neither could stay on the field because of a variety of injuries.
First off, I don’t know that I can see Lowery as a full-time slot corner. Lowery isn’t all that quick, though he’s physical, which would help in run support. But, as far as I understand, a slot corner might not have the best receiver lined up against them, but without a sideline as help, they need to have the burst and quicks to track a receiver across more real estate inside or out. I still think dabbling with Lowery as a safety might be a good move.
While we know Rex likes corners, he’s never had one as talented as Darrelle, let alone two this physically talented. So while Rex likes collecting corners, it’s not something that Ozzie Newsome ever made the priority that the Jets have for Ryan, evidenced in obtaining Lito last year and Cro this year. The front office in Baltimore might place a premium on safeties (Woodson, Reed, Landry, etc.) over corners.
I have a tough time swallowing that the Jets are content with Digs and/or Smith as the guys they platoon-plug for Rhodes. So does Cimini:
Don’t buy any of that GM-speak about feeling comfortable with Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo. If they’re so high on Smith, why did they give him the low tender as an RFA (original draft round, third)? That’s all you need to know.
Kerry Rhodes felt underused in the Jets defense, while a top athlete would be great, the team doesn’t need one to be there, they just need a guy who can fit into the system and go at the present time.
If the argument is, “Jim Leonhard can only play in this league for so long” then I’ll grant that, but at the same time, with guys like Pool and Sharper out there, they might be better players to help round out the squad, fill more serious concerns, and look for long-term answers later.
79 Responses to The Rundown: Reworking the Secondary
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brian311 says:
with Revis and Cro seemingly playing press man coverage the majority of snaps, it would seem that we’d need a single high safety, with Leonhard playing closer to the LOS. preferably we need a taller guy with sideline to sideline speed who could play center field….a guy like kerry rhodes.
i cant see either smith or digs in this role. one, they are not fast enough. two, they are short. in a cover 1 scheme, we’d get killed by taller TEs running the seam route.
the problem as i see it is that smith, digs and leonhard are all the same type of players – physical guys who can excel in run support but i dont see them as deep center field type guys. smith especially – he cannot cover TEs. that is why i think/hope Mr T has a move or 2 coming
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Frank says:
Center field safety type hopefully won’t be quite as important with Revis and Cromartie locking down the WR1 and WR2 of other teams — I think the 2nd safety spot is a problem but not as big a problem as our depth issues on the OL and DL. I’d love to see us address line depth first and then worry about the safety.
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Brendan says:
Frank,
DL: Jenks, Ellis, Pouha, Devito, Pitoitua. That’s 5 guys, which is the most Rex carried all season for the DL (I think). You could throw Gholston in there because he will probably play a lot more 3-4 DE this year.
OL we have Turner who can step in and play as well as Slauson who we drafted last year.
Pass Rusher, Safety, RB are all bigger needs in my opinion. Then nickelback, slot receiver, line depth would be my next tier of needs.
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Brendan,
I hope it came across, but I’m not arguing that we don’t need to upgrade the unit, we do, but we don’t need to get a jackhammer to kill a fly either (as Taylor Mays probably is) .. .Sharper or a guy like Pool is a safer, and smarter play, in my mind.
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Oh, my ideal situation would be bringing in Sharper as well as drafting a player in the first 3 rounds to groom under him. Who better to learn how to play the position than a guy who is one of the best to ever play it?
Ideally, for me at least, that player would be Mays because he has the physical tools, and would learn so much from Sharper that he’d improve dramatically (I assume this since by all accounts his work ethic, intensity and drive to improve are all very high).
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I think Sharper will only use the Jets to get NO to pony up more cash…. I dont see Sharper leaving NO. I would like it if it happened and then draft a young safety but …..I think Sharper dropping the “bright lights” of NY would be cool line….was a complete ploy on his and his agents part.
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Harvlis says:
I am more concerned with the D-LIne. With Jenkins getting hurt every year, Marques Douglas on the way out, and Ellis not getting any younger — we need to add a solid D-lineman. Why we haven’t picked up Joey Porter, to help with the pass rush, is a mystery to me. Add a solid D-lineman and Porter and whoever we put at FS will be fine.
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I am absolutely not comfortable with going into the season with digs & smith at safety.
I hope that Tanny has a plan and/or that there is a guy they like in rounds 2-4 who they think is a good fit at safety. Would like to see Sharper. Porter? There’s been no talk at all of bringing him in. Maybe Rex thinks he and Scott together would be too much mouth/tude? One way or the other, we need to address the pass rush. -
JL says:
Bassett, you mentioned that; “…dabbling with Lowery as a safety might be a good move”. There was some talk about that last year and I’m surprised with the departure of Rhodes that his name hasn’t come up in that context again. He was a very productive cover-2 DB in college, double-digit INTs and he’s shown flashes of his ballhawking skills with the Jets.
Could it be that they want other teams to think they are looking at safeties in the draft, when actually they are looking for a prototypical slot corner?
Also, I like a more traditional safety combo, one thumper, one center fielder. I like Jim Leonard as a player, but he doesn’t really fit the bill.
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i dont see us adding a guy like sharper and drafting a 1st round safety. thats a lot of $ tied up in the position, and puts 5 safeties on the roster. i think if we got a vet like sharper we would go passrusher in round 1
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Marvel says:
Brendan
I like Mays aswell but ever since I saw the kid from Georgia R.Jones I’m split .From what I’ve seen Mays is a BIG hitter but Evry time I see Jones lift someone up & body slam them in the dirt I lean more towards him plus he has speed , well they both have speed but it looks like Jones can cover better.
Bottom line I’d rather not trade up because I want Shipley in the second round so I’d actually trade down & go with R.Jone (I think) . If we bring Mangini back for 1 day we could probably get 20 extra draft picks on draft day .. We should look into that lol ..
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JesusRevis says:
I dont know much about Pool, but looking at his numbers – they are as good as Antrel Rolles, who just signed the biggest contract ever for a safety. Pro Football Focus also had him ranked 5th for safetys.
Seems like hes a good player who just has some injury problems. Sounds like we can get him reasonably priced so this appears like it would be a good signing.
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Bent says: JR – Note that he is better in coverage than Rhodes according to their ratings too. I saw plenty of Browns games last year and he was certainly much better than Abram Elam. Of course, so was Rhodes.
I agree with those who say they would feel better if they were to sign Pool and draft someone in the 2nd round. There are other, sexier, options out there and I’m sure the Jets are investigating those too.
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Well I left him off because they haven’t resigned him yet. But if they keep him and Douglas, it’s pretty clear that depth on the DL isn’t as big an issue as people think.
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Bent says:
Sorry, I thought that was a list of players from last year and then I read it properly and edited my own comment.
Ignore me…
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Bent,
Based on all of those factors, is it fair to believe that the only reason why the Browns are letting him walk is because of his issues with concussions?
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Hah, no worries. I just think that with the way Rex carries minimal D-line, and you look at the fact the Jets could potentially have 8 defensive lineman (if we count Gholston, and Green/Douglas are brought back) that defensive line depth isn’t a pressing need, not when a pass rushing WILL, a FS, a 3rd RB, a slot receiver, a future O-lineman (where there’s much less depth) are all more urgent.
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I may be in the minority here but our O-Line should be intact for 2 more seasons, and the players we will need to replace (Faneca, Woody) can be replaced when its necessary.
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Ben Nevis says:
Jesus-
I believe Pool has had four concussions, and that he’s one concussion away from retirement. I think that’s the major concern here, as his stats from last year are quite good.
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JR,
I say one more full season together, but I’m not as skeptical of the O-line’s future health as most. I think Slauson is the future RT. Even though he was dubbed a guard pre-draft, he has the size (6’5 315), mean streak & physically brutal blocking style that would pair perfectly with Brandon Moore and would continue the right side being the power rushing side. That LG spot will be harder to fill, but as you said, I think we have at least another offseason to figure that out.
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poole can play if healthy and is 2 yrs younger than rhodes and also put up better numbers just youtube him.
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jcjets says:
If sharper is healthy, he would seem to be a good, short term fit.
My question is will Brian Thomas be one of our starting LBs next year? What’s going on with Adallus Thomas? Seems NE isn’t releasing him.. Can we draft someone at 29 to be a 3rd down edge rusher? To me, that is our biggest need on defense.
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I have never been a B Pool fan and his 5 known concusssions in 4 seasons is a major red flag for a safety in our system.
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If we add a vet safety like Sharper, then we’re definitely not going to trade way up in the draft for Eric Berry, or even trade up a bit for Earl Thomas.
Instead, we’ll probably draft a safety who falls to us in the second round, like Reshad Jones. Who is a monster run stopper, can intercept, but can’t play the kind of deep coverage that Rhodes was good at.
If we don’t add a vet safety, then of course I’d love to see us trade way up in the draft for Berry, but this seems highly unlikely. We could trade up a bit for Earl Thomas, who (other than Berry) may be the best S available, and is a very solid cover safety. The advantage with Berry, though, is that (unlike Thomas) he’s a sold edge blitzer. But again, I think trading way up for Berry is a bit of a pipe dream.
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Dylan says:
Adam_Schefter
Filed to ESPN: If he gets out of Minnesota today, RB LaDainian Tomlinson is scheduled to visit the New York Jets on Friday. -
Jetfan in Miami says:
I saw that Tweet by Schefter now… Pretty interesting, I actually wouldnt mind having the Greene/L.T/ Washington backfield…
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i wonder if cromartie is on the phone recruiting him to join the jets since i heard that they are close friends.
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JEFFDOLFINI says:
Jimmy Leonard can play safety on my team for the next 10 years! I don’t want a guy that will have a concussion at some point in the season, we either need to sign Sharper or just wait until the draft. I don’t know why we haven’t got Porter set up for a visit. He is out here in Arizona today, he will probably leave with a contract.
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Dylan & HOZ-
LT was saying yesterday that he liked what he was hearing from the Vikings, that it would be awesome to play with Favre, and that he saw himself as a fitting well into the role behind AP.
So it looks like LT is pushing hard to land in Minnesota, if they would have him.
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Ben Nevis,
Thats true, but its no guarantee that the Vikings will offer him a contract. The Vikes need a change of pace back, and I’m not too sure that LT fits that mold.
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Dylan-
I agree. But it appears that LT is lobbying for the Vikings to offer him a contract.
Which either means that they’re close to working out a deal, or that they’re not, and LT is getting nervous.
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I would not love a LT to the Jets deal but if I was LT why would I want to go to the Vikings?
AP will get every carry. They will have Favre throwing the ball 35 times a game…Percy Harvin, S Rice, Vishancoe.
He will never see the ball over there.
If he came here he would get alot more carries and chances to make plays….Again not in love with what he still brings to the table but our system sets up so much better for him.
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weshould try to get sharper for a two year deal 5 mill and draft a pass rusher then worry about saftey later< i really like golden tate if the jets could grab him look at tate owns mays on u tube
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Drew-
I agree. But LT specifically said that he sees himself fitting into a role behind AP.
Which may mean that LT sees himself as having little left in the tank, and is just looking for a way to get paid.
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oleosmirf says:
if im the Jets, i look hard at Larry Johnson, Westbrook and LT.
obviously none of the 3 are pro bowlers anymore but with the Jets dominant line maybe you can get one more year out of them while splitting time with Greene and Leon
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Brad says:
Looking at that profootballfocus analysis of safety- Jim Leonhard was a beast in pass coverage- at least 500 defensive snaps, QB passer rating against him was 2nd worst- 34%, 2nd best in yards gained in his area by a pass -79, 40% completion percentage in his area- 5th best, thrown at 30 times for 12 receptions compared to Rhodes of 36 times thrown at for 24.- Dont understand how they calculate Rhodes to have a slightly better coverage rating when it seems all his number are below Leonhard. Rhodes- QB rating against- 55%, yards in his zone 279, 66% completions in his area!
Leonhard’s run numbers were down – but the guy was playing with one hand half of the season which really limited him, and caused him to miss some tackles. -
with the jets o line i could run th ball and look good watch t jones is goin to blow this year >>>>> hes goin to wish he took less n stayed with the jets cuz he ran the way he did bcouse of that line
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Ben
If we sign LT ….. I will go back an re-read everyone of your LONG TJ arguments…..lol
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I think LT said that after he had a good meeting with the Vikings….If he comes here and Rex lays the we want to to carry the rock and show our young RB’s the way …..he will bite!
We are just as ready to win the SB as the overrated Vikings…Which hoped hinge on that Cowboy Favre coming back.
i just hope the Viking offer him something before he gets on the plane… Just not a big LT fan
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Drew? Are you drunk? You’re not a fan of 30 year old running backs with almost 3,000 carries for their career? You can’t be serious.
I would be skeptical of anyone who was gung-ho to bring in LT. All I saw from him last year was the ability to run into the back of his linemen and fall down. Basically, he was TJ but much worse and at least a step slower. As a tutor to Greene & Leon though, his experience could be invaluable. And he could get some tough goaline carries to keep Greene from taking that extra punishment.
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Drew-
LOL. I agree: I think LT is done. Hope he lands with the Vikings, just to keep him out of green and white.
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dmazz says:
I like signing Sharper and drafting Safety Rd1
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deuce4417 says:
just throwing this one out there……. WHY THE HELL ARE PEOPLE ****TING ON JIMMY LEONARD!!! if it was not for him nobody accept revis would know where to line up and who to cover. he is money in rex’s scheme. how many times last season did that little 5’8 [guy] fly up to the line and make a huge play. he is tough as nails and one of the big players in this d. if he was not he would not have come here with rex. give him his props!
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ramble914 says:
We absolutely need to worry about the DL.
Pouha, Devito, Pitoitua, are average at best. Jenkins cannot stay healthy, and Ellis is at the end of his career.
Draft Jared Odirck at #29, and Rashad Jones at #60. That would be a nice infusion of youth for the D.
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EastSide says:
I wonder if Mays being Jewish might make him more appealing to Woody Johnson who can market him to NY and NJ’s Jewish communities. We all speculate that part of Sanchez’ appeal to the organization was his ability to be marketable towards the Hispanic community…
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Mays is Jewish?
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I saw him on the USC campus wearing a yarmulke so I assumed he is.
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nyj2010 says:
WHy are the Cowboys showing interest in OJ Atogwe and we have shown absolutely nothing for a steal of a player? the link is on rotoworld.com nfl- player news for those interested to see.
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Mays is 1/2 Jewish 1/2 African American.
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Ramble,
Pouha and Devito are legit 3-4 D-lineman. They’re not “average at best”. They’re actually quite good at their doing their jobs, the dirty work. Pro Football Focus has Pouha ranked 5th and Devito 7th overall for DT (even though Devito played 3-4 end). In fact, both are outstanding against the run (which has to do with their marked improvement thanks to Rex, as well as Rex’s scheme) and both play with a high motor. I see both being starters, or at least rotation players getting big minutes.
Pitoitua is a project player, but one with a great deal of promise. He impressed many when he actually got to dress for games (Rex notoriously carries very few D-lineman so that’s why Potty wasn’t in, not because he wasn’t good).
Jenks’ is an injury concern, but anyone of that size will be. He tore his other ACL earlier in his career and came back to have his All-Pro season. I’m fully confident he returns to form next seaosn.
Ellis just came off a Pro Bowl season, so to say “Ellis is at the end of his career” is pointless because he’s still one of the elite 3-4 ends in the NFL. He puts up 4-3 DE numbers from a position that is supposed to offer a fraction of the stats.
Then you have the cases of Howard Green & Marques Douglas who are free agents, but the Jets are looking to bring both back. They’re both great value for their $ and Douglas is one of the best run-stopping 3-4 DE’s of the past 5 seasons.
Then you have Gholston. I know, I know…he sucks. But he’s also pretty well suited to play 3-4 DE because no one is pushing him out of the hole and he can bull rush to collapse the pocket. He’s a new 3-4 DE for this team, Rex even said he thinks Ghost is going to play with his hand down a lot more this year.
So, as I said, D-line isn’t as urgent as people think. That’s 8 D-lineman, 6 Green/Douglas sign elsewhere. I don’t think Rex carried 6 D-lineman for one game last year. Why waste a 1st round pick on a kid who won’t start or get significant time when the Jets need a pass rusher, a safety, a nickelback, a slot receiver, a 3rd RB and O-line depth? All are more pressing than adding another body to the D-line. And it’s not like Rex needs 1st round D-linemen, he can turn ordinary players into studs (like….Pouha and DeVito!).
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SackDance99 says:
Brendan,
I’ve been saying the same thing. DL depth really isn’t an issue. And, OL depth might not be, either. Turner, Slauson and Hunter have all looked good in their limited PT and another season under Callahan and learning from Faneca has to help. I still think pass-rushing WILL/DE is the no. 1 priority because the Jets don’t have one on the roster. One good thing about this draft is that the Jets will have a lot of flexibility with no glaring needs (IMO, the Jets will sign a vet safety). I’ve said this before, but I would love it if the Jets traded up to the Bengals pick and swiped Graham before the Pats can take him. But, whoever the Jets take at 29 will be a good player and one that might have gone top half in other drafts.
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“I just think that with the way Rex carries minimal D-line, and you look at the fact the Jets could potentially have 8 defensive lineman (if we count Gholston, and Green/Douglas are brought back) that defensive line depth isn’t a pressing need, not when a pass rushing WILL, a FS, a 3rd RB, a slot receiver, a future O-lineman (where there’s much less depth) are all more urgent.”
As usual I am in agreement with brendan, except that I would add in nickelback as an area we should address one way or another. Don’t see Lowery there and am not convinced Coleman can do it game in, game out.
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NYCPE,
I thought I had nickelback in there (I had included in previous posts), but I agree with you 100% that this is definitely a need since Lowery/Coleman don’t seem good fits. Coleman wasn’t a bad 4th DB, but facing other team’s 3rd receivers he’d probably be exposed. But I agree, nickelback is a definite need.
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I also think it’s kind of funny that people are lobbying for LT, Johnson, Westbrook – who are all aging RBs whose best days are behind them and may or may not produce at a high level. If we wanted that, we already had it in TJ. Price was obviously a concern with him, but he knew the system and players and was a team leader. I’d hate to replace him with LT for instance, who I don’t see as having a positive effect on the locker room in his first (and likely only) year and whom I doubt would even be as good as TJ.
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Brendan – Coleman sure was exposed in the Champ. game. I know it was against Peyton and he had a great game, but man, that was painful to watch.
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I do not agree with most of you, I think Lowery is actually a pretty good nickel back, now if we can draft a good corner to play nickel we could use Lowery as our fourth, or dime, corner. He makes plays period. I think it is time for Coleman top go. Is Cole going to be in our rotation this year?
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jeff
rex is real high on cole thats for sure so i gues we are gonna see what the kid can do.
nobody ever talks about devito, talk about big stops, he made a ton of them. this is the last shot for the “ghost” thats for sure, and rex has the right idea putting him on the line. 3rd down ” get the qb son, thats your job” thats all vernon needs to know. out of our big 3 needs (fs,cb,dl) de is last
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Killa says:
y do we bash Lowery so much?…I love that kid, hes a good CB, no hes not perfect but hes better than alot of CB’s out there…
I really think were going to get Mays for some reason. PPl say he has problems adjusting to the ball but thats what our coaches are here for…they will coach him the right way.
He reminds me of Sean Taylor (R.i.P)…very intimidating to throw against. and with Revis Island , and Cromartie World on the other side. he wont have to help out much, just “Clean Up the Mess”
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Taylor Mays….and Jim Leonhard back there is pretty good…
If any1 has payed much attention to the games…Jim has been telling Rhodes who to cover all season, he knows the D very well so im Sure if its Mays that we select he will guide him in the right direction also
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Green Lantern says:
Yea you cant coach the natural talent Mays has. Im still very hesitant of Taylor Mays but if Rex Drafts him I love the pick.
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And I think that’s where most of us are. In Rex we trust.
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Eddie DiGio says:
I dont think we are getting Mays at all…its not a knock on him as a player but I just see the Jets going in a different direction. I dont think he fits here and I dont remember Rex ever having a huge, freakish S like Mays is. Besides, E Smith can hit (he broke Boldins face…literally). I see a pass rusher going number one and wideout in Rd 2 barring an epic fall by a highly rated player
Pool or Sharper are probably going to be brought in to be role players. With the two corners we have, that is really all we need at FS, a guy who wont give up the big play.
But Brendan hit it on the head in that Rex does not use a lot of D Lineman. He prefers depth in the secondary, and Tannenbuam confirmed that in an interview with Francesca
However, whoever the Jets bring in on defense, I have great faith that Rex and Pettine will be able to turn the guy into a player…
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Ramble,
I agree with you. The D Line has to be addressed. If Marques Douglas leaves, we have problems. Of course, I hope Pitioitua can step in and become a star but, there is no guarantee. I believe that the better our defensive front, the easier it is to play in the defensive backfield. If Detroit is willing to trade the number two pick, I would give up our number one and our number two for King Kong Suh. Suh is going to be a major force in the NFL. Why pick a questionmark at 29, if you can get a killer. Martin Luther King had a dream…
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Harvlis,
Care to make that a realistic deal by giving up our 2011 first rounder and even more picks? It’d take a boatload of picks to move up to that #2 spot, which is worth 2600 points (compared to 640 for the 29th pick which the Jets have).
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Harvlis,
No chance the Lions would make that deal. We would probably have to give up our 2010 1st, our 2011 first, our 2010 second, and our 2011 second.
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Brendan and Dylan,
Although, I would love to have Suh, I wouldn’t mortgage the house for any draft pick, as you never know. When I read that Detroit was thinking about getting rid of the pick, I thought it could be a monetary thing. They have been very active, over the past two seasons, and might not be able to afford the second pick in the draft. I might throw in our fourth pick, if that would do the trick. How about that — a first, a second, and a fourth for Suh. Would Detroit consider it, if they can’t afford him. Would you guys do it, if you were Tanny.
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Harvlis,
I would do it in a second, but Detroit would never go for it. In order to get Sanchez we had to give up a 1st, a 2nd and 3 players (2 of them starters for the Browns). That was only to trade up 12 picks, and that was a HUGE steal for us. We would have to give up a lot more to trade up from 29 to 2 then we did to trade up from 17 to 5.
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harvlis – no, I wouldn’t. As great as Suh would be, we have too many needs to give up 3 picks to fill that one spot.
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Balsley says:
draft Raeshon McNeal from ND. The kid is a steal. He can play all DB positions, smart and no one has heard of him.
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I’ll just say “ditto” to what Dylan said.
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It’s kinda funny how it seems like the last 4 years or so we’ve had a “bad pick”. I like Suh but drafting him high (and giving up what we will have to give up) still seems like a risk. I know a lot of people have been citing Glenn Dorsey as a cautionary tale.
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TJBfan (twitter @infresco4) says:
From Adam on twitter “Not just LT news in NY: Jets reached agreement on a one-year, $1.3 million deal with former Browns S Brodney Pool”
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jvsvn says:
It all depends on how they rate guys. Who knows. If they think Suh is the best DT prospect they’ve ever seen (and I’m not saying they do), then maybe they make an “all in” type move. Something like letting Leon walk while getting back the 2nd round tender then trading this year’s first, 2 second’s and next year’s first for the right to draft Suh. Then they could use our 2 4th rounders for a RB and a safety. If Suh is that good, the inside of our DL would be anchored for the next 10 years.
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Slim says:
From ESPN & Twitter:
@Adam_Schefter Not just LT news in NY: Jets reached agreement on a one-year, $1.3 million deal with former Browns S Brodney Pool. 9
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TJETSFAN says:
LOWERY SUCKS.
he got picked on the whole the closing drive of the first half and the whole 2nd half by the colts. did he give up two touchdowns personally? and several other mimic plays right down the seam
I’m sorry, but going into the season with Smith & Digs as the safeties would be an utter nightmare. There’s no way that they don’t need to upgrade the free safety position.