Questions???????????????

As jets fans we have three simple questions that will determine how effective our 2009 team will be.


Will Vernon Gholston begin to blossom and complete our line backing corps? With Harris, Scott and Pace, an effective Gholston could give us the biggest strongest and most intimidating LB squad in the league.

Can Jericho Cotchery step up and be a true #1 wide receiver? He doesn’t have elite speed but Hines Ward (who is similar to Cotch in many ways) has held down the #1 spot in Pittsburgh for years and was instrumental in helping ‘Big Ben’ develop.

The final and most important question: Is Kellen Clemens the future? He brings a lot to the table. I think he is far enough removed from the nightmare 2007 campaign to start fresh.

The Gholston and Clemens questions are simple ones. As fans we need to understand that young players rarely step into the NFL and produce at a high level from day one. It’s especially hard for quarterbacks. Frankly, Clemens couldn’t be in a better situation. He has been around this system for three years. He has played behind two excellent quarterbacks who have very different styles. This job is his for the taking. If he can’t make it here he won’t make it anywhere.

As for Gholston, his situation last year was a bad one to be thrown into. He was drafted very high to a New York professional team and given a huge salary. He was put in an over complicated system and asked to move from DE to LB. I’d call this a recipe for disaster. Our old 3-4 ‘one gap’ system was useless, and the new ‘two gap’ brought in by Ryan and Pettine will fit #56 much better.

He and Kellen might end up as busts, but we need to accept that world class QB’s and LB’s don’t grow on trees. In the words of Bill Parcells “you can’t just dial 1-800-quaterback” and get a good starter. A lot of the great players in this league took time to adjust and learn. There is no way of knowing if these guys will end up on the NFL scrap heap with Brian Bozzworth and Ryan Leaf, or super bowl champions. Only time will tell.

The Cotchery question is much more complex. We know who and what he is. I must say that I love the way he plays the game. He is a WR in a RB’s body. His hands are amazing and his lower body strength makes him a nightmare for corners and safteys to tackle. However, he is slow. There is no other way to say it. He has some quick moves, but he is not going to stretch defenses. As a #2 WR or a slot guy he is a major weapon, but as a #1 I feel he will fall flat on his face.

The front office has addressed a lot of issues and holes so far this off season. Our defensive line and WR corps are still areas of need. A number of DE’s and wide outs who I targeted in free agency are long gone. A trade for Braylon Edwards would cost us our #1 pick and I feel we need it to pick up a young RB. I hope Tanny hasn’t painted himself into a corner with this one.

Who ever ends up as our signal caller this year is going to need some real targets. Cotchery Stuckey and Clowney are a nice supporting cast but we need a star. We also need a big solid blocking TE to fill out the pass catchers. If Dustin Keller goes down we have no real option at TE. Things are looking good but I hope Mr.'T’ dots all the I’s and crosses all the T’s.

J.Wagner