The New York Jets 2015 training camp kicks off in just a few days. This year, for the first time ever, camp will be held here in NJ. Hofstra and Cortland universities were the previous camp sites going back many years. These locations were just not a reality for me as a fan to attend. I have always visited Florham park and watched practices there. But they were few and far between. This year I will have a chance to see a lot more.
This is the time of year where we can take a long hard look at the roster and a picture of what our Jets will look like starts to come into focus. I will break down the strengths and weaknesses of this squad, but I will start with this disclaimer:
I do not feel this roster is finished yet. I think there could still be a big move on the horizon over the next 2-3 weeks for Mac and Bowles. I am shocked they are going into camp with Geno Smith as the #1 QB. But I'll get deeper into that later.
I think our GM and brand spankin' new front office did a solid job this offseason. I would have done many things differently, but they were obviously focused on making this team as competitive as possible today. There doesn't seem to be much thought put into the years to come, but in 2015 we have a well rounded roster.
I personally disliked Mac's approach when it came to disregarding what Mr. T and Idzik did before him. He seemed to forget that we have guys like Milliner, McDougle, Coples, Richardson... Via free agency and the draft he spent big bucks and a very high draft pick addressing areas where we have young talent that we have drafted and want to develop.
With Cro, Meeeevis, and Busta Ryhmes its hard to see where our other young CB's fit in. With three 1st round DE's chosen in the previous 4 seasons I don't like the idea of taking Williams and then doing nothing with the others. I understand what a value Leonard was with the #6 overall pick, but we have serious needs in other positions. If you want the big man with that pick, off Wilkerson or Coples to pick up some more picks or maybe a veteran O-linemen, or even a pass rushing OLB (Coples never was and never will be a linebacker... he's a hand-in-the-dirt linemen).
But in the end Mac and Co. have a lot more insight than I do, so my faith is in them. Mainly because as fans we have no choice. Enough about the draft, lets examine who we have heading into camp.
I want to start with O-line. This is one area that Mac didn't seem to make a big priority. He signed the 6'5" 320+LB guard from Seattle James Carpenter. He's a B- veteran who has size but poor technique. However, he is a solid upgrade from Willie Colon (who is still on the roster for depth). We also have 2 other young guards in Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi. They both have started games and look like they could become solid starters. Between the four previously mentioned players I think we should be able to establish two B-
/B+ level guards this season. I also doubt Colon makes the roster unless we take some major injuries on the O-line during camp.
That leaves us with D'Brick and Manbeast at LT and Center respectively, and a big, gaping hole at RT. Breno Giacomini is not a starting quality tackle in this league. I have no issues with him providing depth, but if he is our starter week one, our offense will struggle. That position is simply too important to the flow of the machine. Addressing this glaring need could be the "big move" I mentioned earlier that may be on the horizon. At least I hope so. As it stand today this O-line is not solid enough to make us competitive.
I grade it as a C+, and I think you need a least a solid B+ to compete in the NFL.
Next I will look at the TE position. Gresham just signed with the Cards. And I cant, for the life of me, figure out why we passed on him as a free agent. Right now we have Amaro and Cumberland as our top 2 prospects with Kellen Davis as our #3. Davis has 50 receptions in his 8 year career, so obviously he's a blocking TE. In todays NFL you need 2 solid pass catchers at the TE position. We do not have that. Amaro is unproven and Cumberland is proven... sadly. We know what we have in him, and it's not much. Our hope here is that Jace starts to look like a 2nd round pick. O-line and TE are the 2 areas where Mac seemed to want to build on young talent that was in house. That's why I started there. Nick O'Leary was available to us in the draft and would have been an excellent compliment to Amaro. I am disappointed we passed on him multiple times.
I grade these guys as a group as a B-, only because not many teams have great TE tandems.
Next I will jump into the CB spot. Lots of attention on this squad in 2014 when we were starting guys off the street each week, and even more attention during the offseason as we spent a boat load of guaranteed money on this position. I don't see how we move on from a guy like Milliner this quickly. With the moves Mac made it seems like he is doing just that. A top 10 pick, with the highest ceiling of any CB to come out in the draft in a decade, a guy Saban said has more upside than Patrick Peterson, and a guy who actually played well in Rex's very challenging 3-4 scheme at the end of his rookie year... is not a guy I think we dump, trade away for pennies on the dollar or bury on the depth chart. I never liked is fragile body, and didn't want him in the draft for that reason, but he's ours. I'll be damned if we trade him for a 4th or 5th rounder and watch him go to multiple pro bowls some where else. The Guy from the 2013 draft we should be moving on from plays QB for us, not CB. I really wanted to see what we have in McDougle, Walls and Dee... and I am not thrilled with the long term money that we gave to two CB's in their 30's, but in 2015 our secondary should be pretty damn solid.
Unquestionably an A+ squad!
Next up is Safety. Wow, Gilchrest, Allen, Jarett and Pryor. None of them are A+ players, but as a whole, and combined with our corners, I love this squad. We can weather a few major injuries to our secondary and still field maybe the best group in the NFL. Wish we would have had all of these guys last year when we were playing Manning, Brady and Rodgers all in a row. Big question: does Pryor evolve into what we all hoped he would be? With Bowles as your HC, these safety's couldn't ask for much more. It's make or break time.
I think our safety's are a B+ group that could become an A by seasons end because of Bowles and the benefit of playing with a great group of corners.
Lets dive into the LB position next. VERY interesting group. We lack a game changing outside pass rusher, but we do have a well rounded group of vets and young guys. Harris and Davis in the middle are a rock solid pair, especially now that Davis will become the every down ILB. At the OLB spots we have 3 interesting vets in Pace, Babin and Henderson. I think they are all past their primes and are just situational guys now, but Henderson could catch on if he can stay healthy. He had a couple of good years in Minnesota. I'll be keeping my eye on him. We also have Coples who is very one dimensional at LB and the rookie Lorenzo Mauldin. He has a great back story and is an inspirational kid, I just don't see him as a future starter. By far Mac's biggest reach of the draft.
Our LB's as a whole grade out to a C+ IMHO.
Our D-line is stacked, but with the loss of Richardson we are one or two injuries away from a crisis up front... believe it or not. The Richardson suspension is interesting when you look at the draft. Is there a chance the Jets were tipped off regarding Sheldon's drug habit and saw this coming? I am NOT a fan of Richardson. I don't like is attitude. I will never root for this guy. But he is a rare specimen. This four game suspension may have saved the Jets millions of dollars when his contract is up. I hope so. As for Wilkerson's contract, I can care less. He's a solid DE, but he's not a megastar. He, however, does have a wining attitude and is a choir boy off the field. So I would invest some cash in him, but not 70 million. Big Snacks is my favorite D-linemen, and I hope he continues to grow at his position.
This squad gets an A- because of the loss of Richardson for the first quarter of the season.
Ivory, Stacy, Ridley, Richardson, Powell and Bohanon.. Now that's a backfield. That's also the order in which I see their talent. I am a huge fan of Richardson and Stacy and I think either can be a 500+ yard back up, Ivory and Ridley are proven vets and Powell is the best back that nobody has ever heard of. 5 RB's and a FB is not realistic heading into week 1 of the regular season. I think Richardson heads back to our practice squad and Powell and Stacy fight it out for a roster spot. Outstanding depth here. If Ivory were to go down with a major injury one of these guys could become a 1,000 yard rusher in 2015 and a real fantasy football sleeper.
A- backfield because there is no real megastar, but in todays NFL this is a great way to structure this squad.
That leaves QB and WR. Our 2015 WR corps is pretty damn intimidating. The Marshall trade was brilliant. If we get just one 1,200 yard 8 to 10 TD season from him its well worth the 5th round price. But the sum of it's parts is what's exciting about this group:
- A true, big, game changing, clutch, savvy #1 WR,
- combined with the best true #2 in the business,
- add in a fearless, prototype slot WR known as Mr. 3rd down,
- and a lightning fast 2nd round draft pick
...and you have a defensive coordinator's nightmare. The problem with ensemble groups like this is when guys are asked to be something they are not. Like Decker playing #1 last year. Or moving a guy like Antonio Allen to outside CB. This is when things start to crumble. This WR group is very nicely settled into their roles. We also have young guys who are developmental like Hakim, Evans and Enunwa.... but sadly most of the 12 WR's we are bringing in camp will probably be cut by week 1. I think there is some real talent there, but we can only carry so many guys.
This group gets an A from me.
As for the QB's, my opinion on Smith is well documented. I think he is lazy and has a bad attitude. He has the skills to be a wining QB, and he's probably bright enough, but 30 games is enough for me to know that he will never lead us anywhere but to mediocrity. I like the veteran trade for Fitz and the 4th round pick of Petty. Bryce has MAJOR upside, but in 2015 we simply don't have the guy. And sadly that's the whole ball game in todays league.
QB group gets a D, and I am being kind.
That's why I am so critical of how Mac spent the money this offseason. We are at least 2 tears away from Petty developing into a high level QB. By then Revis and Cro will be sucking our cap dry and will be a shell of their former selves, not to mention Decker and Marshall will be all but done. I grade this team as a C- collectively mainly because of the QB situation. It's our worst group and the most important. If we had made a move for a guy like Foles I think we have an A- team which is easily top 8 in the league. But with Geno its 6-10 or 7-9 and back to the drawing board once again for Woody Johnson.
