We played some teams with real issues during the first quarter of the season. We snuck away with 4 wins in 5 games. We were 4-1 and the media was raving about the Jets. This was the real turning point of the season.
We played New England in their house, and overall we played hard. Brandon Marshall, who has been outstanding for us so far this season, truly shit the bed in that big game. #15 brings an awful lot to the table as a true #1 receiver. Without him we are 3-6 at best right now. So by trading a 5th round draft pick it has bought us 2 extra wins during the first half of the season. That's nothing to sneeze at. BUT, the one thing he lacks is big game experience. And it showed in Chowderville.
Since then this team has simply mailed it in. A disastrous game vs. our #1 non-division threat for a wildcard spot in Oakland. Our coach said our defense was "loafing". He was 100% accurate. Then we face Jacksonville, consistently the worst team in the league for a decade. We struggled and barely squeaked out a win. Next was the show down with Rex Ryan and The Bills.
Again, sloppy uninspired football. Dropped passes, horrendous play calling, and our seriously underachieving D-line still applying little pressure on the QB and giving up big runs at the worst times. Lets not forget we have four 1st round picks on this D-line.
So why were they playing hard to start the season and have checked out for the last 3? The answer is simple. Our players, especially the thirty four Rex Ryan leftovers, were satisfied being 4-1. And they were fine being 4-2 after a hard fought game vs. our arch enemies from Cheatersburgh, MA. This is a team with too many players who are simply happy being 7-9, or 8-8 and coasting through the season.
They play hard when they feel like it, and they sit back and put their feet up when the going gets tough. Rex Ryan cultivated this environment, most especially during his last year here. He and his staff decided early on that they didn't have enough talent and they quit about 3 weeks in. He also cultivated a culture of ZERO accountability and very little discipline.
Big time, highly paid players like Wilkerson and Richardson. These two players can play like top 5 defensive linemen in this league... when they want to. If they gave 100% every down and demanded 100% from their teammates they could easily be viewed as the best defensive one two punch in the NFL. But, instead they talk a big game and give you about 10-15 full speed plays per game.
It's not just these two who are the problem, but they are the kingpins. When we drafted Williams #6 overall one of these two clowns needed to be traded. We could have ended up with an early 2nd or even a late 1st for one of them. We are not going to resign them both anyway with Williams as new cornerstone of the team our GM is trying to build. So why just sit on them and let Wilkerson walk in free agency and get nothing in return?
Especially considering the gaping holes we have at OLB, TE and most importantly QB.
It all boils down to the mismanagement of our roster for many years. In the late 90's Parcells built an outstanding roster via free agency (bringing Mawae in and a bunch of his former players as well), the draft (landing a group of outstanding defensive picks) and trades (Martin is maybe the 2nd best Jet of all time).
Our team floundered after Parcells left and Terry Bradway took over as GM. He hit on a few draft picks like Vilma, but there were far more busts in the draft. And his trades and free agent moves were a disaster. Justin McCariens anyone?
But in 2006 our cap guru Mike Tannenbaum took over as GM, Bradway went back to scouting and we hired a bright young coach named Mangini. Mr T signed a few key free agents, executed a few solid trades and put together maybe our best back to back drafts in team history landing D'Brick, Mangold, Revis and Harris in 06' & 07'. Not to mention a few solid role players in later rounds.
Mangini was simply not ready for a head coaching position, and Tannenbaum started to like seeing his name in the headlines which led to an ill-advised trade for Favre. 2008 was a wasted season but we had an outstading roster. Rex came in like a hurricane and we added a top 5 drafted QB as more of a final piece to the puzzle, instead of the first piece like many other teams have done. I liked the approach, and we made it to 2 AFCCG's.
Sadly Rex's coaching short comings started to become apparent. The team lacked discipline and the head coach had zero involvement with the offense... an entire HALF of the team neglected. Mid way through 2011 the wheels came off and they have never been put back on.
We have had a bunch of trades, free agent signings and terrible draft picks since. 4 plus years of terrible mismanagement can't be fixed in 1 season. The free agent miscues are easy enough to move on from when the contracts are structured properly. Idzik only did one thing well during his short tenure, he didn't lock up long term money on anyone. But Tannenbaums last few drafts, both of Idziks drafts and our new GM's first draft are all heavily flawed.
I know you might say "drafting is not an exact science, every teams drafts are flawed". That's true, but successful teams know what they are looking for in the draft. Sure, every team has busts, but they also have late round hits that balance out. It's about a lot more than just physical tools.
Woody has obviously steered our front office and scouting department away from guys with off the field issues. We have had the bare minimum of trouble makers. But focusing on what motivates these guys seems to be overlooked. Maybe we have taken TOO MANY choir boys. Maybe a Dez Bryant here or there is a key ingredient?
Lets start with the 2015 draft. Williams has .5 sacks through 9 games. Not 5... point 5. A half sack from the #6 overall pick, whose playing on a front 7 with a bunch of other 1st round picks, as well as impactful players like Harrison, Harris, Davis, and Douzable. Combine that with a top 3 secondary and one of the most respected defensive coaches in the NFL today. And he delivers 1/2 of a sack in 9 games. Not saying he's a bust, but that's sad. Mauldin has shown a few flashes and our 2nd round pick, a top 40 draft pick, has done NOTHING. Now I do like our 5th round pick yielding Marshall, but this draft doesn't look good so far. Just like how the Texans draft history was poor during Mac's time there running their scouting department. But, it's way to early to pass final judgment, so I will move on.
2014 was the worst draft in Jets history and that is like picking the worst public relations moment of Mike Tysons career. It's saying a lot. 12 picks, and all we got is a HUGE maybe that Pryor may develop in Bowles defense. Nonetheless, he has already proven he was drafted too high, but we still have hope he can at least become a contributor. Just a horrific draft. Sets us back years.
But lets not forget 2013. We had three top 50 draft picks including 2 in the top 15. We land a CB who is undersized, and has a long history of injury problems, and struggled mightily his rookie year. Next was a player who some call the steal of the draft. But the last 6 months has certainly taken the bloom off the rose with #91. He obviously has major judgment and attitude issues. And those are hard to fix. Finally we land the one and only Geno Smith. Gross.
2012 gave us Coples and Hill with our first two picks. Both were looked at as great values considering where they had slipped in the draft combined with their physical tools. Both were drafted WAY too high. Hill should have been a late rounder and Coples a 3rd. I'd actually compare these picks to our 2014 first 2 picks. Amaro is a late rounder and Pryor is a 3rd. Again and again we reach and roll the dice thinking we are getting a steal.
2009 & 2010 were horrible drafts for a variety of reasons, but mainly because this is when Mr T started trading away draft picks like tic-tacs. Five plus years later and we are still feeling the affects of these dumpster fire draft classes.
So the only draft I skipped was 2011. We landed a blue-chip defensive end in Wilkerson, we traded away our 2nd rounder as part of bringing in Cromartie the previous year, and we take Ellis, Powell and Kerley in the following rounds. When 3 of your top 4 draft picks are still on the team 4 years later that's not bad.
Sadly Wilkerson has shown he has elite talent but very little consistent fire when compared to guys like Watt, Chancelor, Von Miller, and other elite defenders of his generation. And Kerly has basically shut it down since getting his big extension. It shows that we aren't looking for guys that have the proper motivation.
This is what sets championship organizations apart from perennial losers. Just like the Browns, Jags, Dolphins, Texans, and a few other teams that are always stumbling through free agency, bad trades and lack luster drafts, we are always underachieving.
And, in my opinion, it all boils down to the ownership. Woody Johnson is the one constant through this whole debacle. Hess was even worse, but I'm not going back to a different millennium. The top owners in this league wouldn't have touched Favre with a ten foot pole at that stage of his career. They would demand a certain standard regarding the quality of individual they draft. I know Woody isn't scouting players or attending the combine. But it starts with him.
You need a Pete Carroll, Ozzie Newsome, Bill Parcells type of culture changer to step in and get this organization back on track. A guy with a rare vision. I love Bowles as a head coach, but he needs a real game changer at GM, and I just don't think Mac is that guy.
I give Maccagnan credit for making a decision and saying "whatever it takes I'm signing Revis". It was a good PR move, it has had a big impact on the defense, and it took balls. He's not afraid to make a decision. But I really don't like the way he has structured contracts, handing out way too much guaranteed cash.
I also don't like his first draft. If Williams becomes an elite game changer and a 10 year starter... and Petty becomes a solid starter it's a homerun. But I simply would have picked different players with every pick except for Petty. Williams was a luxury we simply couldn't afford at #6. 4 DE's in the first round over 5 consecutive years is asinine. Devon Smith was a HUGE reach. Trading down in the third round was a mistake, a few key players came off the board and Mauldin was a reach as well.
What we need to do, we can't do in todays NFL. A message needs to be sent to this roster. Guys with bad attitudes and inconsistent effort need to go. Parcells did it in 84' after suffering through a disastrous 1st year as head coach. He dumped the big name players with little fire in their bellies and found 'his' guys to fill their roles.
Jimmy Johnson did it in Dallas. When he arrived as the new head coach his former college player Michael Irvin came to his office with a list of the guys in the locker room who were simply coming to work for a pay check. These lazy vets would criticize the young Irvin after big losses for being so upset. They would tell him to calm down, he was getting paid either way. Johnson turned over almost the entire roster and landed hungry players who NEEDED to win.
Unfortunately in 2015, in the NFL's biggest media market we are handcuffed. 16 bad games and your ass can be fired. There are no more 3 or 4 year rebuilds in this league anymore (outside of Jacksonville LOL).
