After a summer of my own planning so far, I thought it appropriate with training camps just around the corner to write my first piece of the year on the New York Jets. The new footballing year that is of course.
After a busy offseason which saw the additions of LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Nick Folk and Antonio Cromartie to offset the losses of Alan Faneca, Thomas Jones, Jay Feely and Kerry Rhodes, not much more could happen. Right?
Well, Faneca was the main talking point for a while. Yes, his production and speed has declined in the pocket and yes, he isn’t the player he was when he left the Steelers and joined the Jets but he was still a workhorse, a captain in the locker room and an all round nice guy. Going from an O-Line which had acted as one throughout the past two years to one which is implanting a rookie out of UMass in Alan Faneca’s place looks daunting but I have faith. At the very least, Vlad the Impaler (Yes I know I didn’t create this!) will fill a literal hole if not a metaphorical one. Ducasse weighs in at 332 and is a listed 6’4”. Huge. Being a Jersey sports fan, I am not big on Boston products but let’s give this guy a chance.
The contract issues surrounding the Jets have not disappeared like I perhaps naively believed a couple of months ago. I was sure that Revis would be on a 6 year $100 million contract by now, followed swiftly by Mangold and Harris to complete the long term extensions of the ‘core four’. I still believe that this will be done but Mangold’s ‘non-complaining’ about the situation is beginning to sound like complaining to me. Brick is signed and the rest will follow, patience is a virtue remember. In younger news, Ducasse, McKnight and the Terminator have all signed from the draft.
Though Santonio Holmes is out for four games due to violating one of the league’s substance abuse policies, he is making a smart move by heading to Ghana on a goodwill mission. This will help the public’s perception of him and will help distance himself from his past with Ben Roethlisberger. A great move in my books.
One of my friends managed to get into the New Meadowlands stadium the other week and all reports are great. The stadium looks every bit as classy and grand as Dallas’ new stadium just not as big. The screens look crisp and views from all seats are immense. Good news for all going to games this year – myself included.
Finally…Mark Sanchez decided to take the receiving corps and Schotty down to SoCal for extra workout sessions which shows what we all already knew. He is an outstanding professional who is as dedicated to the game as anyone else around, Number 18 included. Give him a couple more years at the helm and he will really be set for bringing Championships to New Jersey.
With the 29th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected Kyle Wilson. This cornerback out of Boise State (though he is a New Jersey native), makes the Jets secondary seem so much scarier than it was even with the addition of Antonio Cromartie a few weeks ago. What was the main reason the Jets didn’t make the Super Bowl? Peyton Manning. To win the AFC outright, you are going to have to beat Brady and / or Manning in a clutch game. This means that your secondary has to be s*** hot.
Though Sergio Kindle and Terrence Cody both had their considerable frames still on the draft board when #29 came around as well as my personal favourite, Taylor Mays, Mike T couldn’t pass on a top 15 talent 14 picks later on.
Wilson may only play in nickel and dime packages this year but with a rotation like that, good luck beating the Jets through the air.
Just when I think the holy trinity of Johnson, Tannenbaum and Ryan are done for the offseason, a new move happens and leaves me speechless.
As if the LT signing didn’t rock enough boats, the Jets then managed to trade for Pittsburgh’s Santonio Holmes though I use the word ‘trade’ lightly as it was tantamount to robbery. A fifth round draft pick this year for a 1,000 yard receiver and a Super Bowl MVP. I mean, I know the Rooney family is unhappy with him but a fifth round pick? May as well have given him away.
So now the Jets offense has Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Jerricho Cotchery at receiver, Dustin Keller at TE and Shonn Greene, LT, Leon Washington and Tony Richardson in the backfield.
Amazing.
A lot of concerns were raised about the release of Thomas Jones and the signing of a less productive back in the form of Tomlinson. Fair points given LT’s numbers over the last 2 years or so but in reality, the Chargers went from a run first team to a pass first team given the significant development of Phil Rivers under center. The move for them was inevitable, for the same reason that Indy and New England don’t put out 1,400 yard runners, their QBs are too good. Thomas Jones was a huge part of the Jets’ success recently but the time had come to pass the torch onto Greene, a younger and potentially more productive runner. Add Tomlinson to the mix and Sanchez has another weapon to rely on when he gets in trouble and that’s exactly why my eyebrows were not raised when I heard Rex and co. were to take LT out for steak in NYC. His receiving skills out of the backfield will prove invaluable for Sanchez when he feels under pressure. Despite massive forward steps from number 6, he still has a lot to learn and the security blanket that is LT will certainly make the transition to sophomore more manageable.
Then Sunday night, I flick onto NFL.com to see what’s going on and if there are any new videos of draft prospects up and running and I see that my Jets have got Santonio Holmes from the Steelers. Sure, he is going to miss the first 4 games of next season but I still wager that he will be an 800 yard guy with a half dozen TDs through the air. That will be massive when you look at the close games the Jets lost last season. It will keep defenses on their toes and not allow them to put 9 in the box on 3rd and goal. Holmes is not a deep threat but when he has the ball, his speed and elusiveness are second to very few. I love the move.
Jason Taylor. Meh. I will dedicate very few words to this should it happen and even fewer now. I don’t want him in Jet green. No thanks. He hates us, we hate him. Next.
The draft is little over a week away now and it looks like the Jets will go with a pass rusher in the first round unless a huge talent falls right the way down to 29. I personally like Taylor Mays out of USC. He is a monster who will more than replace Kerry Rhodes along with the other Jets down there in Arizona. I know every fan starts optimistic about their upcoming season but for me, the Jets have done the most to advance from their position last year and being as last year was the AFC Championship game, I can’t help but like the upwards trend.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez still hasn’t been able to run following his February knee surgery, but he remains upbeat and is positive that he will be ready for the start of training camp.
He had a minimally invasive procedure to stabilize ligaments surrounding the patella tendon on his left knee, which had been giving him trouble since college.
When asked if he’ll be ready for camp, he replied, “Oh, absolutely. Without a doubt.”
However, he admitted there isn’t a specific timetable yet for when he can begin football-related activities.
“No clue yet,” Sanchez said. “As cliche as it sounds, one day at a time and it’s really like that. They’ve used the term cautiously aggressive. Go to Source
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent kicker Jay Feely, bringing an end to Neil Rackers' seven seasons with the team. Go to Source
LaDainian Tomlinson says you shouldn't believe everything you see on film when it comes to his last few seasons in San Diego. The New York Jets' newest running back said Thursday after a team workout that several factors led to his decreased production with the Chargers. "The things that happened in San Diego, everything was taken away from me," Tomlinson said. Go to Source
