20 Million dollars a season??????????????????

Darrelle Revis is one of the top two or three players ever to wear a Jets uniform. Only Joe Namath and Curtis Martin (also a graduate of Pitt coincidentally) would be ahead of him on the list. When it's all said and done he might take over the #2 spot... be nervous C-Mart, be very nervous. He's a once in a lifetime draft choice for Mike Tannenbaum. Mr. T will never draft a player that could ever live up to their potential any better than #24. OK, that being said... this week has been a strange one for Revis and Tannenbaum.

Revis and a bunch of his teammates have made it clear that they are looking for new contracts. It's important to understand that most NFL players don't want to play out their contracts like Lebron James did this past season because of how dangerous football is. Mr. T has to address Revis, Mangold and D'Brick during the next few months because he will have some huge decisions to make regarding Cromartie and Edwards next year. A funny side-note last week was Sean Ellis's 30 something year old ass throwing his hat in the 'I want a new deal' arena. Dude, are you serious? The Jets released a short, sweet statement that basically said 'NO CHANCE IN HELL!". Sorry big boy.

Back to a relevant player. Revis's camp has flooded the media with a story regarding his new salary demands. He is looking for 20 million a season. I would assume he wants at least 6 years and a nice fat signing bonus. Looks like he is aiming for about 125 million all together. Thats just crazy. If you look at deals like the one Hanesworth signed last year with Washington, 125 million doesn't seem so nutz.

The Jets need to be clear with this negotiation that #1) They are a premier team #2) They plan on competing for a championship every year, and #3) If you want to stay a part of this team, you will have to sign a 'fair' contract so that the team can stay competitive and maintain a high level of talent. Tom Brady could have played real hard ball a few years back when he signed his 60 million dollar deal. He was already a Superbowl champion when he negotiated a 'fair' market value contract. The Jets had already thrown a larger deal at Pennington because he had won one playoff game.

Brady could have played his deal out and signed for 80 million plus somewhere else. Instead he accepted a reasonable deal and sent a message to his teammates that, even though this is a business and players only get a very brief window to earn, winning is just as important as getting paid. He signed a contract that was structured in a way that allowed the team to sign players like Welker, and Moss which certainly worked out well for him and the Patriots as a whole.

If Mr. T botches this contract and lets Revis write his own pay check, our other pro-bowl caliber young players like D'Brick, Harris and Mangold are going to rape our front office and make it impossible to stay competitive when the salary cap is reinstated. We need those guys, but we can't win with 4 or 5 good players. This isn't the NBA.

Tannenbaum started the negotiations by releasing a statement to the press making it crystal clear that 'Revis will retire as a NY Jet'. Thats an absurd statement on so many levels. First of all, if Joe Montana, Emmit Smith, and Bret Favre didn't retire with their respective teams, nothing is guaranteed. It also sent Revis's agent into a tizzy. Thats like a guy telling a girl that she can pick out any ring she wants as long as she agrees to marry him. I am pretty sure she will come up with a number as equally absurd as the one that Revis's agent conjured up this week.

#24 needs to understand that he is playing for the #1 defense in the NFL, he is their unquestioned leader and star player, we have the newest state of the art facilities and stadium and Oh...BTW... it's New York City. He is in the media capital of the world, and if he leads the NY Jets to their first Superbowl in over 4 decades, he will be royalty here forever. Look how that has worked out for guys like Joe Namath and Phil Simms. They have both made millions and millions after football because of their reputations and what they accomplished in NYC.

If he plays hardball I would let him cry for the next year or so, and when things get out of hand, trade him to Oakland for their top 3 players and their entire 2012 draft ( Al Davis would think that was a bargain). Go rot in football purgatory and become an afterthought Darrelle. Ask Nnamdi Asomugha how rewarding elite talent is when it's wasted on a team that is below .500 every year. Nnamdi is just as talented as Revis and he gets little to no attention. Revis is a media darling, and if he plays his cards right, he could have a few rings when his career is done.

Our 2010 regular season schedule...

Game by game predictions. The first four are simply horrifying and we will be without the services of Santonio Holmes. The last four will be in some bitter cold weather.

Lets start with the big Monday Night Football season opener.

Week 1 @ The New Meadowlands: Ravens vs. Jets. WIN. I am not sure how to express how much this game means to our season. The Ravens will be a powerhouse this year. If we can come out and send a message to the league it will set the tone for the whole season. I predict a very very sloppy game on offense. I am praying that the defense looks like a well oiled, vicious machine. My mind is telling me we lose this game, but I just can't predict that.. my heart won't let me. Hopefully the electricity that will be in the air and the 12th man will help us sqeak out a win. 3 FG's and a defensive TD will hopefully be enough. Ravens 10 Jets 16.

Week 2 @ The New Meadowlands: Patriots vs. Jets. WIN. This one has a lot to do with week #1. If we lose to the Ravens in a close game, I think we stomp the Pats in week 2. If the Ravens dismantle us... our bubble may be burst. I doubt Welker will be back this early and the Pats without Welker are not very scary. I am predicting a big game for Cromartie... hopefully his coming out party. Brady will test him, hopefully he passes. Pats 17 Jets 30 (if we win week 1).

If things work out the way I am saying, by week 3 Jets fans will be booking hotel rooms for the Superbowl. I expect euphoria and fireworks... don't worry, the sky will be falling soon enough.

Week 3 @ Miami: Jets vs. Dolphns. LOSS. Sorry, but I see a very cocky group of players heading down to Miami thinking they have it all figured out. They party the night before and get their asses handed to them by the new big three in South Florida (Henne, Brown and Marshall). The Dolphins will be a tenacious team this year, and they will be very confident considering they swept us last season. I hope Rex finds a way to focus these guys on how we lost 2 games last year that we should have won to this team. Unfortunately some of our new leadership wasn't here last year. This is where chemistry really starts to come into play. How will the team react to a loss? Jets 9 Dolphins 17.

Week 4 @ Buffalo: Jets vs. Bills. WIN. Yep, we face all 3 of our division opponents in the first 4 weeks of the season... wow. If we aren't at least 2-2 after the first four weeks (which won't be easy) we will be in a tough spot if we plan to see the post season. The Bills are a complete mess, and we should be pretty pissed coming off the loss in Miami. I expect a very solid performance. The only real X-factor here would be special teams. I see a big lead at the half and maybe even some starters sitting in the fourth quarter. Bills 17 Jets 38.

Week 5 @ The New Meadowlands. Vikings vs. Jets. LOSS. It pains me to think of Favre coming back here and beating us, but the Vikings are just too good. We won't be able to run the ball on this team and Jared Allen will be in our backfield all day. D'Brick can't handle him. Sanchez will be forced into some mistakes and Brett will get it done. Jets 21 Vikings 31.

Week 6 @ Denver: Jets vs. Broncos. LOSS. This is where it starts to fall apart. This is when the sky starts to fall. The Broncos will be a good team and their headcoach knows the AFC East. Trust me, he hates the Jets and will have his team amped up for this one. The high elevation will expose the age of some of our Vets. I am predicting a big year for Moreno in 2010 and who knows what role Teabow will play. I would expect a close game, maybe even an OT. Jets 27 Broncos 30.

Week 7 *BYE*

OK, we are approaching the mid point of the season. I have us 3-3 and our defense is giving up a bunch of points. In reality I see our offense giving up some of those points on turnovers. .500 isn't a disaster here, but I expect Jets fans to be unhappy.

Week 8 @ The New Meadowlands: Packers vs. Jets. LOSS. I think the Packers will be a top 5 team this year and I don't like how we match up against them. I can see Sanchez really struggling in this one, and Jets fans won't be shy about voicing their displeasure. How will the golden boy respond to being booed? Mark will be a 2nd year guy and every defense he will face in the first half of the season could easily be in the overall top 10 (except Buffalo). That doesn't bode well for the young signal caller. Remember, there will still be more growing pains Jets fans. He can't go from rookie to seasoned, savvy Vet in one offseason. Jets 17 Packers 24.

Week 9 @ Detroit: Jets vs. Lions. WIN. Stafford vs. Sanchez, I can't wait for this. To make a long story short, the young QB from Detroit will be facing a much tougher defense than the young QB from NYC. Hopefully this is the point where we start to get things back on track as a team. Mark should be able to put up some solid numbers and hopefully our defense beats the Lions into submission. For the last 4 or 5 years our defense usually wakes up around week 9. The offense should also start to gel. The roles should be clear, Holmes will find where he fits and our O-line will be in mid-season form. Lions 9 Jets 28

Week 10 @ Cleveland: Jets vs. Browns. WIN. This team should be on their 2nd or 3rd QB by this pint. My dream is that we make the Browns look so bad in this game that Mangini is fired the next day. If Rex can't out coach this guy he shouldn't be our coach. One interesting wrinkle will be Rex vs. his own brother (Rob Ryan defensive coordinator). For the record, Rob Ryan should be the head man in Cleveland. Hopefully Rex helps grease the wheels on that scenario becoming a reality. Browns 3 Jets 31. Rob Ryan takes over as interim HC.

Week 11 @ The New Meadowlands: Texans vs. Jets. WIN Hopefully our domination of this squad in 2009 will carry over. I expect a lot out of Houston this year, but I think we match up very well against them. We are bigger, stronger and more ferocious. Might be a chilly day, late November is a complete enigma in north Jersey. Rain or cold weather will seal the deal for us. Texans 20 Jets 27.

6-4 after 10 games... not too shabby. The first five games are very hard to predict. Division games are always a toss up and who knows if Favre will play in 2010. we could feasibly be 4-6 at this point. No matter how bad the first 5 are I feel confident that we will have a solid 2nd half of the season.

Week 12 @ The New Meadowlands: Bengals vs. Jets. WIN. We have their number. 4 straight wins should provide some real swagger fuel. If we shut down the Bengals running game, they have no chance. Playing a game on Thanksgiving is a real challenge, we will only have 4 days rest. The question at this point of the season is: How healthy are we? This is where depth becomes a real concern. Bengals 12 Jets 21

Week 13 @ New England: Jets vs. Patriots. LOSS. We will be coming off an 11 day lay off. If Welker is to make a comeback he should be healthy by December. We lose this game and the division title. We have the final 25% of the season left. 7-5 and hoping for a wildcar... so whats new? Jets 21 Patriots 28.

Week 14 @ The New Meadowlands: Dolphins vs. Jets. WIN. Finally a win against the Dolphins. I see us using the cold weather as an advantage. I also see us running up the score a bit considering how long it has been since we beat them. The last win would have been week 1 in 2008, thats 27 months. Hopefully a big game for Greene (200+ yards). This is the stretch where we will be counting on him. We will play 2 of the last four in our house and the other 2 will be in Pittsburgh and Chicago. Holy wind-chill. Dolphins 10 Jets 41.

Week 15 @ Pittsburgh: Jets vs. Steelers. WIN. I hope Holmes goes out and makes a definitive statement. This should be a painful bone crushing war. Both teams will be fighting for their lives. Mendenhal vs. Greene should be epic. This game will be decided in the trenches. #6 will have to make a few plays... if he steps up, we win. Steelers 13 Jets 19.

Week 16 @ Chicago: Jets vs. Bears. LOSS. All of these cold weather games will start to take their toll on us. I would expect a bunch of banged up players on our side, and we lose to an inferior team. Cutler should be able to make just enough plays to squeak one out. We are built for this time of the year, but so are the Bears. They have no chance at the playoffs, but they will probably be playing for their coaches job. Jets 10 Bears 13

Week 17 @ The New Meadowlands: Bills vs. Jets. WIN. We should be able to sweep this pathetic team, and hopefully the Gailey era will be coming to an end after this match up (damn, I am hoping to get two coaches fired this year). I really feel bad for the Bills fans. 15 years ago we were in the same boat: A rich, old owner who was content with collecting his collective bargaining money from the NFL and keeping the payroll as low as possible. Ralph Wilson could care less about winning, and Bills fans will continue to suffer. I enjoy watching them lose, but I know the feeling. Bills 14 Jets 27

I'm calling 10-6 and a wildcard. Our only chance at winning the division is to sweep the Pats. I just don't see that happening. If we are relatively healthy heading into the post season, we can do some real damage. So much of this season rests upon the durability of Shonn Greene. He is the key to the whole damn thing.

I hope to see Sanchez with 3000+ yards and a TD /INT ratio of something like 21-12. Greene has the potential to put up 1500 yards on the ground. If we see 1000 all purpose yards from LT that would be excellent. 100+ receptions and a probowl nod for Cotchery is possible. I would like to see double digit sacks from Pace and Harris in the probowl as well. Defensive MVP for Revis is overdue, and I think Cromartie needs at least 8 picks to have a chance of being here in 2011.

16 solid, healthy games from Sanchez, Revis, Jenkins, Pace, Mangold, Keller and Greene should equal a playoff birth for the NY Jets in 2010.

The best of whats around...

The Jets have made moves for some big name free agents who I feel are well past their prime. Players like Taylor and Tomlinson may sell jerseys and PSL's, but this is a young mans league and these guys have been around for way too long.

Ironically I had a post in late June of last year where I presented my top 5 most hated players (Coles, Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Taylor and Phillip Rivers). If the Jets decided to sign Laveranues Coles (which is looking like a real long shit now that Holmes is here) 3 of my top 5 would be wearing green and white this year.

That being said, I don't think any of these old-school vets will hurt us. However, if we feel that our roster is filled and we are ready for 2010 I am afraid we may be mistaken. Here are a few positions where I feel we need to solidify our depth and some players who are still on the market. Remember these are unsigned players and this is an uncapped year (i wouldn't normally reccomend spending like this for older players). I am not an expert, but the "top 4 rules" shouldn't prevent us form picking up any of these players if we wanted them.

I am most concerned with the TE position. Dustin Keller is a budding young star, but he is not much of a blocker and we have no one behind him on the depth chart that could make a significant impact. Since we are signing former Dolphins who hate us, why not take a crack at Randy McMichael. He is a big body who can block and catch the ball. I wouldn't want him as my #1 target if I were Sanchez, but he could provide great depth. L.J. Smith is also available. He is an amazing talent, but he continues to struggle with chronic injuries. He is better that any other TE on our roster besides Keller, so I would be comfortable making him our #2 guy.

Our defensive line has some issues as well. If Ellis can play like he did last year and Jenkins stays healthy than we are not in bad shape. We have some talented young guys who can rotate in like DeVito, Pitoitua, Wright and even Vernon Gholston. But if either Jenks or Ellis were to go down... or (God forbid) both of them... we would be in a horrible spot. John Henderson is available, Charles Grant, Anthony Montgomery and Adewale Ogunleye are ripe for the pickins' as well. These are proven players who could be a big help down the stretch. In an uncapped year I would sign at least one of these players. Ogunleye would probably serve as a OLB in our system in pass rushing situations.

Our secondary is looking solid. Our corners are going to be a real terror and our safeties are solid as well. One name still on the market is Antonie Bethea. He's a hard hitter and could probably push Poole for the starting spot.

Our O-line has some holes now as well, thanks to the release of Faneca and the age of RT Damien Woody. I like our young players who will compete for playing time, and I hope at least one of them will develop into the real thing. Shawn Andrews was released by the Eagles because of a number of off the field issues. This guy would be a great pick up if we could sign him for short money. I would offer him a one year deal and let Calahan work with him. Our front office has the ability to develop a guy like this. If he could return to his old self he would be a force and a great value. Like I always say, buy low.

Kevin Mawae is also out there. He has been black balled by the league because of his involvement with the NFLPA. He has said that he hasn't even had a call about a job, not to mention a work out. He would be an amazing player to provide depth and leadership, and I am sure he would like the chance to retire as a Jet. Why Not?

Finally for the back up QB... There are only two decent veteran names still available. Marc Bulger and Mark Brunell. If I had to choose I would take Bulger. He has all of the tools. With a solid O-line, the #1 rushing attack in the league and Edwards, Holmes, Keller and Cotchery... I am pretty sure he could use his experience to guide this team to some wins... if #6 were to go down. He would be a huge upgrade to Clemens.

For the record I am not a fan of the new philosophy around here. The 'Yankees mentality' works in sports like basketball and baseball. Spending a ton of cash and trying to buy a championship historically doesn't work in the NFL. The last uncapped year the NFL experienced was in 1994. The 49ers went out and signed a bunch of ringers with the intention of going for broke. They won the Superbowl that year and paid the price for years after because of the salary cap ramifications.

The strategy that seems to work consistently for teams like the Steelers, Colts, and Patriots revolves around solid drafting and signing the occasional FA for reasonable money. The reason you can't just snatch up a bunch of big names and 'win-it-all' is because football is violent. Every week these men put their physical well being on the line. In order to do that and play confident winning football, you need to believe in the man lining up next to you. That takes time. That takes more than a few weeks in training camp.

There will be a bunch of new faces and personalities in our locker room this season and some established leaders will be gone. If they don't develop chemistry quickly we could be off to a sub .500 first half to the season and an uphill fight for a post season birth. I am going to think positive and enjoy all of the entertainment that Rex and the boys provide.

The weight loss challenge, 'Hard Knocks', swagerlicious trash talking... I will take it all with a grain of salt and enjoy the ride. I just hope MR.T is dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's. Our first 8 games of the season are going to be a marathon. We could very easily be 3-5 by the midway point. That will be a disaster. However, if we win our first 4 games, we have a great chance at the playoffs. My next post will be an in-depth analysis of our schedule.

My annual "Best" and "Worst" moves of the offseason...

Every year at this time I post my analysis of the best and worst moves of the offseason, including FA signings... trades... and the draft.

Top 7 worst moves:

7) Browns keep Mangini. Ummmmm, yeah he is a complete impostor. Huge mistake. Oh well Cleveland, their is always 2011.

6) The NY Jets sign Jason Taylor. I have already cried and dried my eyes over this one. He is not a hungry player, he has lost more than a step, and he will do nothing to help us in the locker room or on the field. For the first time ever I will be rooting against a Jets player. Mr T signed this guy so that he could address other needs in the draft. At #29 in the first round we had Jerry Hughes and Sergio Kindle waiting for us. I like Kyle Wilson, but with no pass rush our talented DB's will be exploited by the talented QB's on our schedule in 2010.

5) The NY Jets release Alan Faneca. The #1 rushing attack in the NFL with Thomas Jones carrying the rock. Jones was a B- RB in 2009 and our O-line made him look like an A+. I know Faneca was on his way out, but this was a huge blunder. Faneca was a leader, just like Thomas Jones. Our beloved Jets have traded some good character leaders for some flashy FA's. Guys like Tomlinson and Taylor have come up short in the post season many times. I am not trying to be pessimistic, but there is very little that happened this offseason that makes me think we are a better football team.

4) Raiders pass on Jimmy Clausen twice, and trade for Jason Campbell instead. Dude, you were going to dump Russell anyway. Bring in a young signal caller with experience in a pro-style offense. You could have landed him in the second round for a reasonable contract Mr Davis. Campbell will be out of the league by 2012. Another washed up QB in Oakland... what's new?

3) Denver trades away Tony Scheffler and Brandon Marshall. In 2006 The Broncos pulled off a hat trick by landing Jay Cutler, Tony Scheffler and Brandon Marshall with their first 3 picks. That was a draft that had the potential to propel Denver to a Superbowl if their owner had not pulled the plug on Shanahan, and let McDaniels come to town and trade away these talented players. All 3 of these guys are the real deal. If Tim Tebow and McDaniels lead Denver to a world championship, I will eat my autographed picture of the great Joe Klecko.

2) Buffalo signs Chan Gailey as the new face of the franchise. Wow... Bill Cowher, John Gruden, Brian Billick, and Bill Parcells were available, all former Superbowl winning coaches. Exciting young coordinators like Brian Schottenheimer, Mike Zimmer, Mike Nolan, and Cam Cameron were also up for grabs. Taking Schotty or Cameron would have hurt an AFC East rival as well as improved their situation... thats two birds with one stone.

Instead they hire another loser to tend this chaotic flock of mammals. The 2010 Bills will be used much like their buffalo counter parts in the animal kingdom. They will provide food and sustenance to the other AFC teams and be extinct when it's all said and done.

1) The St. Louis Rams draft Sam Bradford instead of trading down and trying to fill some more holes on their swiss cheese roster. This guy has no chance with an organization as poorly run as the Rams. ESPN ran a story showing the GM of the Rams taking a poll in a local bar on who the Rams should take #1. He said that it wasn't a PR gimmick, he actually values these drunken losers opinions. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The entire NFC West is a disaster area. I am calling it right now... there will be at least a dozen different QB's who play in that division in 2010.

My top 7 best moves:

7) Seahawks dump Mora unceremoniously and hire Carroll. Huge upgrade. I am shocked that he didn't make a move for Lienhart, who he probably could have landed for the same price as what Whitehurst cost them. I am also shocked that he preferred Neon Leon to McKnight. Not super loyal to his former college guys. Not very confident in Pistol Pete coaching at this level, but it will be fun to watch.

6) Jets trade for Santonio Holmes. A 5th round pick for a WR who is in his prime. He has proven himself on the biggest of stages, and is also coming off a season in which he put up elite numbers. Obviously there is a reason that the Steelers dumped him, but I think that has more to do with their big, goofy, sexually deviant QB than Santonio. I have a feeling that the Jets have landed a guy that can help us take another step closer to our ultimate goal. And if he never scores a TD for us, who cares??? We only gave up a fifth rounder. Brillant move!

5) The Lions. Yep, the whole damn team. I have never witnessed a turnaround like this in such a short time. Granted... they haven't won any games yet in 2010, but I really think they could be on their way to a 6 or 7 win season. That would be a miracle after their record 0-16 season in 2008. I remember lookinmg at their roster during the 2008 season and thinking that they had a major need at almost every position. I couldn't even begin to think about how they could rebuild that mess.

When their new GM and headcoach took over it must have been like taking over an expansion team. Fast forward to the present and they are starting to look like a real football team.

Players like Calvin Johnson, Mathew Stafford, Tony Sheffler, Brandon Pettigrew, Kevin Smith, Bryant Johnson and rookie Jahvid Best may actually make some noise on the offensive side of the ball. I pronounced Stafford as D.O.A when the Lions took him #1 overall in last years draft (much like Bradford this year) but he showed some fight his rookie year.

The Lions also made some improvements on their defense. Not the least of which would be Ndamukong Suh the monster DT out of Nebraska. Some lower profile players who should make big contributions this year will be Cliff Avril and Sammy Lee Hill on the defensive line. Free agent Kyle Vanden Bosch will fill out the D-line very well.

Their LB corps. and secondary are both big question marks. If Favre doesn't come back this year I feel the Vikings will really struggle. Could that open the door for the Lions to be a wildcard team in 2010??? Not a chance in hell. But they are much better than they were 2 short years ago.

4) Redskins fleece their division rival. I am not sure if this should be in the worst moves section for Philly, or here on the best moves list for Washington. Either way, the skins' are winners no matter how you look at it. Finally a real leader behind center and at the all important headcoach post. Essentially the Eagles traded McNabb for Nathaniel Allen, the FS from South Florida. He had better develop into the next Brian Dawkins and Donavan needs to go down early with a major injury for this trade to make sense for Philly.

If the Eagles miss the post season and the Redskins squeak in as a wildcard, I think we will see a complete overhaul in Philadelphia next offseason. Dumping Dawkins last year was bad enough, but trading your franchise QB to the only team in your division with no identity or talent at the most important position on the offense... thats just nutty.

3) Baltimore trades for Boldin. Rice, Flacco and Boldin could do great things for the Ravens... if Anquan can stay healthy. I think he is one of the best WR's in football and he certainly deserves to land with a solid organization like the Ravens... but, can he start 16 games as the #1 guy and be fresh for a playoff run. He hasn't proven that yet.

2) Carolina dumps Delhomme and signs Clausen. Obviously I believe in Jimmy Clausen as I have sang his praises for months on this blog. I am 100% sure that Jake is done as an NFL QB, and I am also 100% sure that either Matt Moore or Clausen will step up and become the Panthers next long term starter. My money is on Jimmy.

This offseason should give the Panthers players a fresh energizing start. They also dumped Peppers, who is an amazing talent but was also becoming a locker room cancer and a distraction. If they can just find a WR to compliment Smith. 2010 won't be their year, but the moves they made this offseason will have long lasting positive effects... and took a lot of balls.

1) The Chiefs entire draft. They may have landed 4 future starters with their first four picks. 3 may start this year. I also love how they made it clear from day one that Jones will back up Charles. Very definitive moves by this team... they may be a real threat by 2011 if their highly overpaid QB can start living up to the hype.

Here's a final few good and bad moves... honorable and dishonorable mentions I guess you could say.

Losers

• Patriots draft a CB when they have a bunch of other glaring needs. FAIL
• Raiders release Russell after only 3 seasons. FAIL
• Vikings allow QB question to go unanswered deep into the offseason. FAIL
• Steelers bring in Leftwich to replace Big Ben for the first 4 games of the season. FAIL
• Bengals sign another delinquent problem child, Pac Man Jones. FAIL
• Pennington tries to make another comeback. FAIL

Winners

• Mike Singletary continues to give the 49ers an identity by sticking win Smith. WIN
• John Gruden stays with MNF and ESPN... love this guy. WIN
• Jerry Jones drafts Desmond Bryant and learns from his past mistakes (passing on Randy Moss). WIN
• Jets dump Kerry Rhodes. Quiet move that sent loud reverberations through the locker room. WIN! WIN! WIN!

Top 5 players...

Here's my list for each position on the field...

Lets start with the Quarterbacks.

5. Aaron Rodgers

4. Tom Brady

3. Phillip Rivers

2. Drew Brees

1. Peyton Manning

Rodgers and Rivers will be the leagues top 2 by 2012, and hopefully Mark Sanchez and Mathew Stafford will also be in the top 5.

Running Backs:

5. Steven Jackson

4. Adrian Peterson

3. Maurice Jones-Drew

2. Ray Rice

1. Chris Johnson

I was 100% sure that Ray Rice had zero chance of being a productive RB at the NFL level. Wow, I have never been so wrong. I didn't like his size or his speed. This guy has become a force to be reckoned with. I feel equally pessimistic about Joe McKnight from USC. Hopefully I will be wrong again.

Full Backs:

5. Tony Richardson

4. Jason Snelling

3. Vonta Leach

2. Brian Leonard

1. LeRon McClain

Very underrated position. Technically McClain hasn't signed his RFA contract. I think he is head and shoulders above the rest.

Tight Ends:

5. Chris Cooley

4. Antonio Gates

3. Jason Witten

2. Dallas Clark

1. Vernon Davis

It's amazing what Mike Singletary has done for Vernon Davis's career. I wanted Davis ahead of D'brick in the 2006 draft, and for a while he was looking like a bust. Not anymore. That being said, I am very satisfied with Dustin Keller.

Wide Receivers: (how about a top 10?)

10. Santonio Holmes

9. Dwayne Bowe

8. Steve Smith (Carolina)

7. Desean Jackson

6. Wes Welker (pre-injury)

5. Reggie Wayne

4. Larry Fitzgerald

3. Calvin Johnson

2. Brandon Marshall

1. Andre Johnson

Randy Moss is getting too old and has always been a half-ass player. Greg Jennings is a hell of a young talent but Holmes is more proven in the post season. Anquan Boldin would be in my top 3 if he wasn't injured every other game. Fitzgerald is #4 because, all things being equal, my top 3 are simply faster than him. Welker is a big question mark as he tries to recover from his injury.

Offensive Linemen:

5. T David Diehl New York

4. G Chris Kemoeatu Pittsburgh

3. C Nick Mangold New York

2. G Steve Hutchinson

1. T Joe Thomas Cleveland

D'Brick wouldn't make my top 30. Brandon Moore would make my top 20. How did we miss the post season in 2008 with our offensive line, Jones and Washington, and Favre passing the ball... and almost missed the postseason last year with the #1 overall rushing attack in the league?

Defensive Ends:

5. Mario Willams

4. Jared Allen

3. Dwight Freeny

2. Justin Tuck

1. Julius Peppers

Allen would be #1 if this was the NFL's ugliest man list. Tuck is the most well rounded end in the league. Peppers is one of the most talented overall players at any position, imagine if he was passionate about football.

Defensive Tackles:

5. Albert Hanesworth

4. Kris Jenkins

3. Pat Williams

2. Vince Wilfork

1. Kevin Williams

Imagine if Hanesworth cared about anything besides money. Jenkins would be my #1, but he is injury prone.

Outside Linebackers:

5. James Harrison

4. Brian Cushing

3. Lamarr Woodley

2. Elvis Dumerville

1. Demarcus Ware

Cushing is going to be a monster in this league. He only had 4 sacks, but he also had 4 picks, and an unstoppable motor. He could be #1 by next season. Orakpo from washington is also amazing, but I think Cushing is more well rounded and has more long term potential. Calvin Pace is a close #6 IMHO.

Inside Linebackers:

5. David Harris

4. Paul Posluszny

3. Brian Urlacher

2. Patrick Willis

1. Jonathan Vilma

There are a lot of names you could put on this list. Urlacher has fallen off the radar because of his injury last year. Vilma is the best defensive player on a team that is all about offense. Posluszny also had an injury that kept him off the field for 25% of the 2009 season. When 100% healthy this is my top 5. Harris has simply outplayed Jerod Mayo and Demarco Ryans, and has been much more durable. Deal with it!

Safeties:

5. Nick Collins

4. Tanard Jackson

3. Ed Reed

2. Adrian Wilson

1. Troy Palamolu

Bob Sanders is the most talented safety I have seen in years, but he is injured way too much to make the top 5. I think Jim Leonhard has a chance to break the top 5 if he has a big 2010 campaign.

Corner Backs:

5. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

4. Mike Jenkins (Dallas)

3. Charles Woodson

2. Cortland Finnegan

1. Darelle Revis

Revis is the best defensive back in all of football, but there are some other young players that are very close behind him on this list. No other player had to face the consistent elite level of talent that #24 did in 2009. His performance against the cream of the crop, and the way he shut them all down, was nothing short of amazing. Here's a reminder...

Andre Johnson (my #1) : 4 rec, 35 yards

Randy Moss : 4 rec, 24 yards/5 rec, 35 yards

Terrel Owens : 3 rec, 13 yards/ 1 rec, 3 yards

Marques Colston : 2 rec, 33 yards

Steve Smith : 1 rec, 5 yards

Roddy White : 4 rec, 33 yards

Reggie Wayne : 3 rec, 33 yards/ 3 rec 55 yards

Chad Ochocinco : o rec, o yards/ 2 rec, 28 yards (back to back weeks)

Any questions?

The best place for Kellen Clemens...

...Ok, first off lets state the obvious, it's not with the NYJ.

He has zero chance to start unless Sanchez were to go down, and it's so hard for a back up, with little to no regular season playing experience, to step in and pull a Jeff Hostetler. The back up spot is best filled by a veteran who's prime has passed. He is in a no win situation here.

Clemens is 26 years old, he has started a grand total of 9 games in 4 full seasons with the Jets. He was a second round pick in a draft that yielded 3 high profile 1st round QB's. I would say that more often than not he would have been a late 1st rounder like Teabow or Josh Freeman. He had a successful career at Oregon and slipped in the draft because of a minor knee injury that hampered him in the combine.

He has a good arm and respectable speed for his position. He could have a lot of success in the NFL if he was able to get into an offensive system that would allow him to roll out of the pocket and make plays IMHO. He has good size for a QB and has shown nothing but class as the Jets perennial stepping stone. Pennington, Favre and Sanchez all beat him out, and he has always said the right thing and walked the line.

He has never had a fair shot to show what he could do. He played with a swiss cheese offensive line and a poor group of skilled players during his 8 starts in 2007. Peyton Manning would not have been able to win games with that squad. In a QB needy league a guy like Kellen should be in demand.

But, how needy is the league? There are maybe 12-13 established, experienced, proven winners at the QB position in this league. Maybe 5 could be referred to as elite. That leaves over half the NFL with unproven signal callers at the helm (the NYJ's being one of them). But how many teams provide an open opportunity for a QB like Clemens to come aboard and compete in a fair QB competition?

Teams like the Jets, Falcons, Ravens and Lions all have guys who are their unquestioned starters. They may not have resumes like Brady or Peyton yet, but they are "the guy" on their respective teams. I only see 3 teams where the starting spot is up for grabs... Buffalo, Cleveland and the 49ers. Even the Raiders traded for Jason Campbell, so that starting spot is wrapped up... at least for the first half of the season.

• The 49ers are starting to feel good about Alex Smith again (If Kellen had been in Smiths draft, 2005, he would have been a 1st rounder). Smith will start for them and he has a real chance of finally making it work in 2010. They are out.

• The Browns have an NBA squad sized QB depth chart, and Mangini was never high on Kellen anyways... so I don't see that as a solid landing spot for him, especially considering how little talent they have on the offensive side of the ball. A cashier position at a local supermarket may be more attractive than the Browns Starting QB spot right now.

• That leaves the Buffalo Bills. They have hitched their carriage to some low round draft picks like Brohm, Fitzpatrick, Edwards and Levi Brown, who I think was the guy who knocked up Sarah Palins daughter. Kellen would be just another face in the crowd in upstate NY.

Two other potential landing spots for him would be in Minnesota or Pittsburgh. I think he could beat Leftwich and Dixon out to start the first four games for the Steelers. Four good starts could raise his stock value dramatically. It could even give the Steelers the confidence they need to trade Big Ben and move on from that nightmare. Thats one hell of a long shot.

With the Vikings, if Favre is finished, Kellen would have a fighting chance against the other two losers who are on the Vikings QB depth chart. But, imagine for a moment a scenario where Kellen gets signed by the Vikings... works his way up the depth chart... looks like he is going to be the opening day starter... just to have Favre swoop in and pull the rug out from under him all over again. That would be painful.

If the Jets cut him, Kellen Clemens will have a hard time finding a fair chance to get his foot in the door and compete for a starting job. One final thought... how about The Indianapolis Colts? Peyton can't play forever, and if you are going to be someone's understudy... why not the greatest of all time? If nothing else, Kellen will have some sick stories to tell his grand kids about backing up couple of HOFer's.

My depth chart after free agency and the draft...

A lot can still happen that could change our overall roster, and the OTA's and summer workouts haven't even started yet. It's absurdly early to start looking at who will start and who will contribute in various packages. So... here we go!

QB- Not sure yet, need to see more from our current players. That was an attempt at humor. Clemens is not the right guy to be our #2 anymore. First of all he deserves to go somewhere else. He deserves the chance to compete. If Eric Ainge isn't ready to step up to #2 after 3 seasons he should be dumped.

RB- Shonn Greene should be our starter, and LT should be able to contribute on 3rd down. I would like to see Greene average 20 touches a game so that we can get a crystal clear picture regarding his durability. He could easily break 1200 yards if he can play all 16 games. I can care less about Mcknight.

FB- Obviously Richardson is the man, but I hope to see John Conner get some playing time.

WR#1- Braylon Edwards.

WR#2- Santonio Holmes. He is better than Edwards, but #17 has more potential. We need to know if he is worth a big contract when this season ends. Also, Holmes is used to the #2 spot.

Slot- Jericho Cotchery. He could put up 100+ receptions this year if things fall into place.

TE- Dustin Keller. I am very concerned with our depth at this position. If Keller goes down our whole offense would feel the effects.

LT- D'Brick.

LG- Vlad the Impaler.

C-Mangold.

RG- Moore. He was amazing during our playoff run last year. I am thrilled we held onto him.

RT- Woody. He's getting older, and eventually I could see Vlad playing in Damien's spot.

RE- Very interesting position for the Jets in 2010. I could see Gholston lining up here in any 4 man fronts (nickel or dime). I would very much like to see Ropati Pitoitua get as many snaps as possible as our 3-4 RE. Rodurique Wright will probably be able to contribute here.

DT- Big Jenks and Pohua. Devito and Pohua showed some real moxey when Jenkins went down last year, and I hope they can rotate in to rest Jenkins.

LE- I have been waiting for an upgrade here for 2+ seasons, but no one can deny Sean Ellis's contribution last year. He may have one or two more big years left thanx to Rex Ryan.

ROLB- This position should be filled by Adalius Thomas on 1st and 2nd down and Jason Taylor on 3rd down. I am not sure if the Jets will snatch Thomas up, but he was born to play our system, and no one knows that better than Rex.

WILB- Bart Scott and Jamal Westerman. I feel that Scott is useless on 3rd down. Westerman has the young legs and strength to pressure the QB on passing downs.

SILB- David Harris. His back up should be Scott. If Harris goes down I would rotate Scott to his spot and use Westerman and Josh Mauga on the weak side.

LOLB- Calvin Pace. Nuff' said.

FS- Leonhard. Had a slow start last year, but has a knack for the big play, especially down the stretch.

SS- Dwight Lowery. He should move from nickel back to SS and take Rhodes spot. Brodney Pool has a history of injuries, and would be better used in Dime and Quarter packages. He can still have an impact, and will take less punishment.

CB#1- Again, I need to see more. Hardy har har!

CB#2- Cromarite. I really think he can excel considering the attention our other offseason pickups will draw. He can simply lay back and pounce on those desperation passes that will be soaring this year. Our pass rush should create endless opportunities for Antonio, and playing opposite Revis shouldn't hurt either.

Nickel Back- Kyle Wilson. Wouldn't be shocked if he is our #2 in 2011. He has what it takes.