Category Archives: Buzz
The Jets shuffled the draft board a little in the fifth-round, swapping picks with the Eagles and sending their 2011 sixth-round pick for Philly’s 2011 seventh-round selection. The purpose? To move up eight spots from 161 to 153 overall and grab 5’10″ receiver Jeremy Kerley from Texas Christian.
The NFL provided the media at Radio City Music Hall with a player profile bible that tells us all we need to know about a player (read: they did the hard part for us). I tweeted some tidbits after the selection was announced, but thought it’d be a good idea to go a little more formal.
Now that the first-round spectacular is almost a day old, it’s time to crack knuckles, clap some dirt into our palms, and grit our teeth through the rest of the 2011 Draft.
All signs point to Muhammad Wilkerson figuring into the Jets defense immediately. The defensive line rotation and Rex Ryan’s “organized chaos” schemes mean there should be plenty of opportunities for the 6-4 end to succeed. With Wilkerson injecting youth to an aging line, is there a lingering sense of urgency elsewhere that needs to be addressed today?
The question at large, which I’d like to formally pose to the TJB faithful for discussion, is this: Does Gang Green wait till late in the third round to make their only pick of the night, or is there a must-have prospect that will force the Jets to take off for a landing spot in the second round?
This is the dangerous part of the draft, because leapfrogging 30 or more spots means mortgaging some of Saturday’s picks and dipping into the future. Is there anyone close to being a sure thing that would warrant that kind of investment? Let this be your sounding board.
Surprising to few, the pre-draft buzz has the Jets and defensive-minded coach Rex Ryan showing the most interest in defensive prospects. Rich Cimini thinks that’s a bad idea, and detailed his reasons. The argument is compelling at points.
To improve, the Jets are willing to bet on their last two drafts, which produced quarterback Mark Sanchez, tackle Vladimir Ducasse and running backs Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight and John Conner.
They’re willing to bet on the front office’s ability to re-sign wide receiver Santonio Holmes and, if possible, fellow free-agent wideout Braylon Edwards.
And they’re willing to bet on coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who, in a possible make-or-break season, needs to galvanize the entire operation.
If the Jets’ blueprint comes to life, they will have only two new starters — Conner at fullback and Ducasse at right tackle. Maybe they will pick up some Holmes/Edwards insurance by taking a receiver in the third or fourth round, but you’re probably not going to see them take a receiver with the 30th overall choice — or any other skill-position player, for that matter.
A little more than an hour after Godfather Bassett shared a Daily News report on Darrelle Revis retracting his “slouch” comments directed at Terrell Owens last season, Rich Cimini slips a contradicting item into the conclusion of his report on T.O.’s grudge with Revis.
“Just an average corner to me,” said Owens…
“I’m not going to back down from anyone. I know my skill set. Last year we played, I know why I didn’t perform to the best of my abilities. It’s going to be a great game on Thursday.”
…
“In my career? He’s a great corner — uh, a good corner,” Owens said, correcting himself. “The guys I have played with throughout my career … I’ve faced Deion Sanders, Aeneas Williams, Todd Lyght, guys like that. … Charles Woodson, throughout my career.”
Owens doesn’t believe Revis is in that class.
“No disrespect, he’s only done one thing for one year,” Owens said. “You talk about shut-down corners, you need to repeatedly do it, year in and year out. I think he did it one year and everybody made a lot of hoopla about it. I think, you know, he started feeling himself, then he wanted to come out and say that I’m a slouch.”
Frustrated by his increasingly poor play, the Chicago Bears are poised to sit former first round selection and three time Pro Bowl DT Tommie Harris for a second straight week. Recent reports further posit that Bears GM Jerry Angelo is prepping the former star for the trade market, having met with Harris’s agent Drew Rosenhaus to discuss the matter on Monday. Harris is known for his speediness and ability to break through to the quarterback, but has been hindered since injuring his knee in 2007. Additionally, he has spent the majority of his career in Lovie Smith’s 4-3 Tampa 2 defensive scheme, and thus may not be a perfect fit for Rex Ryan’s system.
Yet Harris, 27, is also relatively young for someone in his 7th NFL season, and he remains, despite his troubles, an incredible talent. He would add further depth and experience to a defensive line that has been craving both for some time. Although Harris claims he does not wish to be traded, stating, “I love Chicago. I love my team…I play hard for this city,” the Bears may feel differently and could conceivably be willing to deal the league’s second highest paid DT for a relatively low price.
What do you think? Is Tommie Harris worth a cursory phone call to the Windy City, or should the Jets focus their attentions elsewhere?
FoxSports evaluated every team’s quarterback situation and ranked them from bottom to top, squeezing the Jets in at 19 before finding a way to put Texans QB Matt Schaub behind Miami’s Chad Henne.
Face it, Mark Sanchez has “it” — the moxie, the mojo, the schutzpah = the charisma needed to not just survive the NYC fishbowl as QB, but to excel. He may have put up very rookie numbers in 2009 (12 TD, 20 INT, 2,444 yards), but he stepped up in the playoffs in leading the Jets one half from a Super Bowl. Expect improvement, but don’t overvalue him just yet. Behind him, Kellen Clemens has played at least, albeit not well, and is nothing more than a potential .500 QB.
Oh, summer, how I loathe thee. It’s arbitrary rankings time, perfect for boosting page views by throwing live bait into the offseason piranha tank. And fans bite — oh, they gon bite! — every time. And here I am, setting the table while preparing a side dish of snark and glass of disappointment.
Ranked higher than the Jets are the Seahawks, banking on Matt Hasselbeck’s back and J.P. Losman to (eventually) take the reins after No. 8 is sidelined again. Putting the Jets at 18 instead of 19 isn’t a significant jump, but it would’ve been more responsible for reasons that should go without saying.
We’re not delusional. Sanchez is not yet an elite, Top 10 quarterback. But he’s going to have a lot more help getting there than any quarterback in Seattle, Chicago, or Washington.
It could be the news you’re all waiting for with bated breath.
John Geiger, Revis’ manager and best friend, hash-tagged the Jets on Twitter and hinted toward good news in the coming hours. Geiger is far from the type to play around when it comes to business, and he’s close enough to Revis to know facts before they hit the beat.
Don’t let those fears since yesterday’s hold out consume you. There’s not much doubt that a contract extension for Revis is being hammered out and worked over diligently. Even if something isn’t signed, it’s good to know that both parties are trying to reach an understanding.
The best and worst case scenarios have been discussed thoroughly, but Geiger’s tweet should be a beacon of light and hope for those of you who were concerned. If a contract is signed soon, it should only confirm that the Jets aren’t hard-nosed negotiators with no appreciation of their talent.
Post will be updated with more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, make sure to follow John (@GeigerGeiger) to stay on top of updates we’re not quick enough to share.
Kyle Wilson has been called by some analysts as the “best pure cover corner” in this draft, so when his name was floated as potentially going in the top ten to the Browns, it wasn’t totally preposterous. It’s just a point to show how much some thought of him. According to ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini, the Jets weren’t the only ones who wanted him …the Vikings, who drafted right behind the Jets did too.
About five minutes before he was selected by the Jets, Boise State CB Kyle Wilson received a phone call from the Vikings. Made sense, considering the Vikings owned the 30th pick, one spot behind the Jets.
“I don’t know if they were trying to hold me on the line, but I got a call, and then somehow the phone hung up,” Wilson told New York reporters on a conference call.
Maybe the Vikings hung up when the Jets chose him at No. 29. What transpired seems rather obvious: The Vikings wanted him and, when they couldn’t get him, they traded out of the 30th spot, working a deal with the Lions. The Lions took Cal RB Jahvid Best in that slot.
The Jets have made a lot of sexy moves this offseason, and I think, to some regard, it’s spoiled some of us fans going into this draft. Still, it’s always good to hear some validation of where your team picks if another team was about to go for the same guy.
Jason LaCanfora reported on NFL Network’s Around the League that the Redskins will try and trade Defensive Lineman Albert Haynesworth.
With Brandon Marshall grabbing two second rounders, it’s hard to imagine that Haynesworth wouldn’t be more valuable. I don’t know if the Jets would make a trade for Haynesworth, but they’ve been involved in enough transactions so far this offseason, that I would rule it out.
While we’re sure that having Haynesworth as a lineman would make Rex Ryan drool, you have to wonder just how willing the Jets would be to pick up such an exorbitant contract on a 28 year old player.
The folks at PFT addressed the Santonio Holmes vs. Braylon Edwards dynamic created by last night’s trade, asking the question I hoped to pose to you all this morning. With both receivers on one-year deals, did the Jets just ask two No. 1 receivers to enter so they can see which one will leave?
More damning for Edwards is that Holmes is a similar player, but better. Sure, Edwards is more physical. But ultimately they are both vertical threats fighting for similar passes. Holmes has better hands and makes more plays after the catch.
Throw in $1 and $1 to catch passes over the middle, and it’s hard to see Edwards breaking 1,000 yards in 2010 for the second time in his career. 800 might be lucky.
There is also the matter of a possible long-term extension. The Jets can likely only afford to keep Holmes or Edwards. We think Holmes is the superior player, and now the Jets could play the two against each other for leverage.
The ink is flowing from a lot of poison pens this morning, citing all the indiscretions before discussing what really matters — the game and how it comes together on the field.
The Jets are clearly wary of Edwards’ hands. They want to see him fight and claw for the job, and what better way to make that happen than to tell him he’s now in a race against Holmes for his dinner? How intense will the battle for productivity be?
Either way, this changes a lot of mock draft boards. No one can reasonably expect receiver Golden Tate to still be on the radar at 29 with Holmes on board. And if Jason Taylor is signed, does it mean the table is set for a safety next Thursday?
More importantly, anyone else noticing the “No excuses” foundation being built around Sanchez? Rex Ryan & friends expect to win all the time. The talent will be in place this season — it’s strictly up to Sanchez to make use of all the new toys.
Tip of the fitted hat to Mad Max for correcting me on the botched movie reference.
Jason Taylor is on the Jets’ radar today after touching down in New York yesterday for a tour of the team’s facilities, John Clayton reports. Taylor still has the option of re-signing with Miami and listening to an offer from the New England Patriots, but the Jets are taking their familiar aggressive approach to courting the 13-year pro.
Taylor arrived in New York on Wednesday and is being heavily recruited by the [Jets], according to a source. The Jets have been interested in signing Taylor since the start of free agency but didn’t have the leeway to sign him.
Under the terms of the uncapped season, because the Jets made the AFC Championship Game, they had to lose a player to free agency before they could sign one.
Last week’s loss of free-agent kicker Jay Feely to the Arizona Cardinals met that requirement, and started the Jets’ process of recruiting Taylor, the last remaining unsigned Dolphins free agent.
The Jets have competition for Taylor’s services: Miami is interested in re-signing him, and the New England Patriots also are interested.
So the Jets are planning an aggressive sales pitch. According to a source, part of the recruiting process includes a trip to the Jets’ new stadium in the Meadowlarks, where highlights of Taylor’s career will be shown on the scoreboard.
Tim Graham also weighed in on the visit, reminding readers about Taylor’s admission that it’d be “very difficult” to sign with the Jets if the opportunity presented itself.
When he still was an unrestricted free agent a year ago, Taylor professed his disdain for the Jets.
“There are a few teams that are not on the list,” Taylor said of the teams he would consider. “We can all figure out which ones those are, but I have no top three.”
Asked specifically about the Jets, he gritted his teeth.
“It’d be very, very, very difficult. Very difficult,” Taylor said with a grin. “But at the end of the day, if you can’t find a job anywhere else and the Jets call, I guess you’ve got to retire or go play.
“The Jets are the Jets. I’ve had a lot of history saying bad things about Jets fans. The fireman hat guy [Fireman Ed], and all of the people in New York that are Jets fans are not the ones that are working on Wall Street. I’ve said all of those things. So I’ve got to leave it at that.”
Taylor doesn’t seem to be at a stage in his career where he would have to choose the Jets or retire. Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero reported Wednesday the Dolphins recently reached out to Taylor and agent Gary Wichard.
What a difference a year makes. That’s the Rex Ryan effect, I suppose.
Pure speculation mind you but Rich Cimini of the Daily News wonders if the Jets will go after Marc Bulger after being released by the St. Louis Rams today. Cimini points out that Bulger has been on the Jets radar once before and could very well pop up once again.
A year ago, when the Jets were floating in the post-Favre, pre-Sanchez limbo, they had their eye on Rams QB Marc Bulger as a possible salary-cap casualty. If the Rams had released Bulger, the Jets might have made a play for him. Because the cap hit would’ve been too high to cut him, the Rams retained him for 2009, prolonging the inevitable.
Today, the Rams officially released Bulger, who got the pink slip on his 33rd birthday. He was due to make $8.5 million, and there was no way that was happening. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Rams are expected to select Sam Bradford, so Bulger is yesterday’s news.
Now he’s in play for the Jets, who have three backups behind Sanchez, none of whom has a greal deal of experience — Kellen Clemens (unsigned restricted free agent), Erik Ainge and Kevin O’Connell. Clemens has nine career starts, including a win last season when Sanchez was injured, but the Jets may want to bring in a more seasoned (read: reliable) player.
To be honest I really can’t see this happening for a few reasons: 1. Bulger’s injuries that have plagued him over the years 2. His less than spectacular performances that have gotten him benched (anyone remember the 47-7 bashing that got Trent Green some face time with the Jets D?) and 3. His age (33).
On the other hand, Bulger brings experience and would provide a veteran presence. But in the end, it would seem to me that the Jets would take their chances on the trio of Ainge, Clemens and O’Connell backing up Sanchez or they find another vet.
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