I am still on semi-strike...

I have not been active on my blog for months... ever since the end of the 2010 season. I paid a little attention to the draft, and overall I was happy with what I saw from the Jets. FINALLY some D-linemen!!!

I love the guys we picked, but I am concerned about our high risk/ high reward 3rd round DT. Kenrick Ellis (6'4" 346LBS) from Hampton is the massive space filler that I have dreamt of from the draft for years. He has well documented off the field issues, and that is the only reason this guy dropped to the 3rd round. If he was a model citizen in college he probably goes higher than our first round pick Muhammad Wilkerson.

I like our RB and 2 WR's we landed in the later rounds and Greg McElroy, the young QB from Alabama, was also a great value. Nice job Mr. T... I couldn't have done it better myself =)

This week has been a big one regarding the labor dispute being resolved in the NFL. It is starting to look like things will be finished up by the beginning of July. I can't really analyze the league or what may happen in 2011 because no one knows what will happen regarding free agency. Once FA starts it will be an amazing thing to watch. I doubt we keep Cotchery, Holmes, Edwards and Smith. I think Mr T will hit the ground running, and I expect some flashy trades. I still believe that Cotchery will be traded to free up cap room and we will do everything possible to keep Edwards and Holmes.

I also think Sean Ellis will take any amount of money to finish his career here. For the right price he could be useful. He is a solid 1st and 2nd down DE. If we could bring in a developmental pass rusher for 3rd down at the LE position it would be a perfect fit.

The players to watch this year are:

1) Kyle Wilson

2) David Harris

3) The "Sanchise"

4) Dustin Keller

5) Kendrick Ellis

• I hope Cromartie plays for some other team in 2011. We need Wilson to actually show up this year and become that bookend to Revis he was intended to be. Thats why he was drafted in the 1st round. If he is a bust this year, we are in bad shape.

• Harris needs to become a leader. For the money he is going to cost us he needs to do more than tackle people. He will never be a great cover LB or a double digit sack guy. He needs to find a way to be more vocal.

• #6 has proven a lot to me. But, if Mr T works his magic and retains Holmes and Edwards, Mark needs to take it to the next level. Top five draft pick, huge contact, face of the franchise.... it's time to start putting up some big numbers.

• Keller has been a disappointment in my eyes, and he could be the missing piece of the puzzle. TE is such a crucial position for a young QB. If he can step up and play like a 1st round TE... that could be the difference for us in 2011.

• And lastly our new mountain of muscle on the D-line. Ellis couldn't ask for a better situation. If he can keep his nose clean and dominate up the middle... we have a real chance at being the bride instead of the bridesmaid this season.

More to come, once the NFL decides they want to get back to work!

48 hours until the Draft kicks off...

I haven't posted lately because there simply is NO football news. I don't care who is getting paid, getting sued, getting ripped off, getting taken advantage of, or getting a raw deal. I think the NFL is a corrupt business and the owners, players and coaches are all stealing money. Eventually this ridiculous lockout thing will be over and we can get back to football.

Right now there can be no trades, releases, or FA signing. It will be very interesting to see what our opening day squad looks like. It's all speculation for the time being, but experts a saying it will be impossible to keep Harris, Holmes, Edwards, Cromartie, Eric Smith, Brad Smith... as well as Ellis, Pool and Coleman. Many times I have heard Mr. T say that the Cap can be manipulated so that we can always keep the players we really want. So, working under that premise, who are the players we can't live with out?

Personally I won't cry if we let Ellis Pool and the Smith's all test the FA market, once it's back in effect. Years ago we let Brandon Moore test the waters and re-signed him a few days later. No one is interested in the Big Kat, so he will be back for short money. Why would he want to leave now? We will probably retain Eric Smith as well. He is a excellent special teamer and has evolved into a solid safety. I don't see a long line of teams chasing Pool either.

As for Brad Smith, he will have a lot of options. He would fit very well in New England or Philadelphia. I hate to see him go, but I can't see giving up 3 to 5 million a season from or Cap to a guy who contributes on 5 to 10 plays a game.

The guys I would simply let walk would be Cromartie and Coleman. I have very little to say about these guys. They are B minus talent and Cromartie comes with waaaaaay toooo much baggage. We can't get buy with only Revis and Wilson, so if we let these guys walk we will need to address the holes they leave behind in the draft and FA market.

That leaves Harris, Holmes and Edwards. Harris is technically under contract because he was franchised before the lock out started. That is probably just a precautionary move. I think once we get back to business they will work out a long term contract for him. He is a solid ILB and a good citizen off the field. I would love to see him step up as a leader, but you can't be something you are not.

As for the Holmes/ Edwards dilemma, I feel that we can work out a way to keep both of them. But, should we keep both of them? My first question is which WR is the more valuable of the two? Edwards is a physical freak. His size and speed are a rare find. He showed last year that he can make the big play when it counts and also put to rest all of the talk about his bad hands and or bad vision. He caught everything that was thrown his way. He had a DUI arrest this past season, but I was really impressed with how he handled it. His attitude was great in 2010 and he worked hard in the off-season.

Holmes is a very different personality. He has a horrible attitude and is a lose cannon. That being said, he is unquestionably a top 10 receiver in this league. There is no other WR out there I would rather have on my team with the game on the line than #10. I am not sure if I have ever come across a player in my 25 years of watching football that has that same look in their eyes when it counts. A lot of guys talk about being 'prime time' players, but how many have proved it in the Superbowl with one minute left on the clock?

His 2010 campaign with the Jets was fantastic. His game winning plays in November... 3 weeks in a row vs. Detroit, Cleveland and Houston, plus his game winner against thee Pats in the playoffs are all the references I need to see on his resume to say that we need to hold on to him. He won't be cheap and he is a ticking time bomb, but we stole him for a 5th rounder from Pittsburgh, and if your whole season comes down to one play... he suddenly becomes worth it. He is the top priority.

So, should we keep them both? Answer: yes. They make each other better. But, can they continue to co-exist together? Two huge ego's who bit their tongues during a contract year for both of them. If we pay them and give them multi-year deals the whole dynamic could change. Especially if there are incentives built in based on performance. It could get nasty very quick.

As for the draft... If we don't move around Phil Taylor should be our pick, and he is the big space filler I have been asking for since 2006. He will be there waiting and I would be shocked if we skipped him. That being said, there are some teams in the top half of the first round that have a multitude of holes to fill that would be very interested in moving down. The teams picking in the last few spots of round 1 may be one great player away from the Superbowl. I know of one from New York that is on the cusp of winning it all.

I don't see any reason to move up, but because of all of the hype surrounding all of the QB's in this draft, and the lack of competent starters at that position in the NFL, a bunch of VERY talented impact players will drop in our laps at spot 28.

If Mark Ingram was there, I would take him. Ingram, Greene and McNight could be a perfect 3 headed beast moving forward, Tomlinson is done. I am also very interested in D.J. Williams from Arkansas. He is the perfect compliment at TE to Keller and he may still be on the board when we pick in round 3. I would trade up to get him him anywhere in round 3 because I think he will be a very productive player.

We need to also address the D-line and I would look for a WR as well. I would dump Cotchery for an additional 3rd rounder and pick up a slot guy for less money. Unfortunately we can't trade a player to pick up more picks =(

The back up QB spot is also a big question mark for us. Wouldn't be shocked to see Pennington back in the green and white.

What to say in a climate of complete doubt...

Who knows whats going to happen over the next few months? Usually around this time I would be talking offseason moves and the NFL Draft. Frankly, I have been so off about what the Jets would or should do in the draft, I won't waste my time with detailed evaluations. For years I have been wanting to address the D-line and land a 1st round impact RB. In 06' I wanted Addai and Ngata. In 07' I wanted Peterson and Okoye. In 08' McFadden and Calais Campbell. In 09' I wanted Knowshon and Clay Mathews. Last season I wanted Jerry Hughes and no RB. I didn't like one in the whole draft.

The reason I list these previous players is because this might actually be the year we address the D-line early. I also have my eye on another 1st round RB stud... Ingram. I can't imagine Sanchez with Holmes and Edwards out wide and Mark Ingram running behind our O-line. WOW, how do you defend that?

In other news, Vernon Gholston is a goner. Good riddens, I won't beat a dead horse, his complete lack of impact speaks for itself. David Harris has been franchised, mostly as a precautionary measure. If it wasn't for the labor ambiiguity I think a deal would be done by now. I do like Harris, but I am sure we will over pay for him. He is horrible in coverage, has little experince calling plays and is practically a mute. But... he is solid against the run, big and strong, and that INT in the playoff game against the Patriots may have sealed the deal. I'll take em'.

Our wide receiver predicament is very interesting. The 3 most important in order are Homes, Smith and Edwards. Holmes made a loud, definitive statement last season. He is our #1 WR and should be for years. Smith will stay for a fair contract and he is a jack of all trades. He has a significant impact on Special Teams and Offense. Edwards is a rare combination of size and speed, he has a nose for the big play and he caught everything thrown his way in 2010. I think we will also land him for a hometown discount. The Holmes contract will be the real struggle, but I am sure he is our top priority. The odd man out is Jericho Cothchery. He had a lack luster season, missed some time with injury and will count heavily against our salary cap in 2011. I would focus on the other 3 WR's, trade Cotchery (4th rounder) and pick up a young prospect somewhere in the draft.

I am not so sure we need to address the Safety position. With Poole, Lowery, Smith and Leonard I think we are OK. I would drop Cromartie ASAP. This guy is a ticking time bomb, I am shocked that we paid the price we did to land him. He is almost as sloppy and lazy as Lito Shepppard, and off the field he is a P.R. nightmare. I don't need to see quotes like "FUCK Tom Brady" in the newpapers with a Jets logo next to it. It's disgusting and classless. Jettison this animal and let him go to the Redskins or the Raiders where he belongs. Kyle Wilson is the key to the whole secondary. Mr. T has a great batting average in the draft, but a team can only afford one major strike out in the 1st round each decade. Gholston is that one. If Wilson also fails to develop (and develop quickly) it could have major ramifications moving forward.

I am 100% confident in our O-line and thats without Woody. We have at least 5 very solid lineman since Slauson and Hunter stepped up and we still have Vlad the Impaler on the bench developing. Great work by our GM and coaches in one of the most important squads on a team. The O-line really is the foundation for everything.

I am a true fan of Mark Sanchez. I think 2011 will be a break out year for him and Shonn Greene. #6 did make some progress last year and he is 4-2 in the postseason after only 2 years in the league. That playoff experience and the plays he made to win games in the final moments last year are invaluable. He is the real deal IMHO. Greene had a bit of a sophomore slump, but he has the tools to get the job done. He and McNight could be a real force in another year or two. McNight is a project, but working with Westhoff on special teams could help him become another Neon Leon.

One final concern for me is the tight end position. Keller has developed as a decent blocker and from time to time he can make a big play. We need to add a big veteran blocking TE, and a tall rookie who can be a perfect target for Mark and have an impact in the passing game. If Keller goes down, we are in a bad position.

I think this is the year to move a few players like J-Co, pick up some mid round picks and focus on the draft. There aren't very many interesting free agents out there, and our cap situation is approaching the critical level. We have an excellent nucleus, a few key rookies could get us over the hump.

Tiki Barber: An egomaniacal train wreck

Tiki Barber was a talented, fast, dynamic and sneaky powerful half-back who was considered a B- talent early in his career. Why would he be labeled a B- if he had all of these attributes? Because of one that I haven't mentioned, which was the one he was best known for before he met Tom Coughlin... 'fumble prone'. Thats the kiss of death for a runner in the NFL.

From the day Coughlin took over as the coach of the Giants, Barber began to ascend to the top of his game. When he walked away from football in 2006 he was universally considered a top 5 RB and may have been the best the NFL had to offer that year. He had put up 3 consecutive seasons of over 2,000 all purpose yards including his infamous 2005 campaign that yielded nearly 2,400 yards and double digit TD's... Oh, and a grand total of ONE fumble in 16 regular season games.

He showed his gratitude to his coach and teammates by throwing them under the bus every chance he got, and even leaked the news about his retirement early causing a huge distraction. As soon as the season was over he was introduced by NBC as their new dynamic TV personality. Not only would he be a big part of their "Football Night in America" show, but Barber also insisted that he become a part of the "Today Show" because he had soooooo much to offer.

Tiki was prepared for the inevitable question regarding why he retired at his introductory press conference. He made it clear that he was ready for a new challenge, which in and of itself would have been a classy answer. But, Barber made sure to add that Coughlins strict disciplinary coaching style was also a contributing factor.

He proceeded to amaze viewers with his mannequin-like facial expressions, fake robotic smiles and monotone commentary and interviews. While he was crashing and burning on TV, his former team went on one of the all time greatest Cinderella post season runs winning the Superbowl (much to my delight) by defeating the 18-0 Patriots.

So, he walked away... at the top of his game... made sure to throw the coach, who helped him reach his full potential, under the bus... crashed and burned on TV while his former team simultaneously won the big game... Oh, and he also decided to leave his pregnant wife for a 23 year old intern he was having an affair with. So now it's 2011, he his 35 years old and has no money to pay his divorce settlement. That means he is broke.

He has just notified the NFL that he plans on returning to football this season (if there is one). What a coincidence! Let this be a lesson to you children... EGO can be a dangerous thing. And, burning all of your bridges on the way up can make the trip down a very lonely free fall. Good luck to whatever team decides to sign this way past his prime, locker room cancer who has zero passion for the game.

What did beating the Pats mean moving forward?

It means a lot of things, but mostly it means the playing field is finally level. That is what Rex and Mark have accomplished in their first two years. They are 21-12 in the regular season and 4-2 in the post season. They have made it to the final 4 in both of their first two seasons as well. Most importantly they ended the Patriots season and burst Brady's bubble for good. He can't walk around believing he has the Jets # the same way he does the other two teams in our division.

Currently Mark Sanchez is 3-2 vs. the Pats, but he has also outplayed the golden boy from New England. In their first ever matchup Mark put up a QB rating of over 100 while Brady put up a 53.1 In the second game of 09' Mark put up 4 INT's while playing in New England. In 2010 the same thing played itself out. An early September game in NJ yielded a much better game for #6, and a winter game in Gillette Stadium panned out perfectly for #12 when our team forgot to show up.

On a bitter cold day in New England Mark faced off against his arch nemesis for the 5th time. The media had made it clear that Sanchez plays horrible in cold weather and even worse in 'The Razor'. The Pats were such a sure bet in this game that an 'expert' analyst from ESPN actually stated that he felt that there was ZERO chance that Brady could throw an INT vs. the Jets.

#6 went out on the field and put up 3TD's zero INT's and a 127 QB rating... when it counted. Brady, who hadn't thrown a INT in multiple months and almost 400 pass attempts, hit David Harris square in the chest for a Favre-esc mental mistake on the opening drive. The Jets never looked back. The highlight of that win was Wes Welker crying on Brady's shoulder at the post game press conference.

So, Brady hasn't won a Superbowl since.... 2004. He hasn't won a playoff game since 2007, the same year he and his brilliant coach put up the ultimate choke of all-time by winning their first 18 games of the season and losing in the Superbowl. Another fact is that the Patriots were found to have been videotaping their opponents defensive signals for years and were fined collectively over 3 quarters of a million dollars and docked a 1st round draft pick... for the second time in a decade (the previous time was when they were convicted of tampering for offering a contract to our head coach and stealing him away... yes I am talking about Belichick.) Awful lots of cheating going on here for such highly regarded NFL royalty.

So, since that disastrous 2007 season Bill and Brady have done absolutely nothing. Yet they are still heralded as the greatest duo in all of the NFL.... today. Belichick just won the coach of the year award and Brady will end up as MVP. Interestingly enough the latest person to step up and say that they felt deceived by Billy B was Roger Goodell the commissioner of the NFL.

He said that after he handed down the fines and penalties to the Patriots organization for cheating back in 2007 he was guaranteed by their coach that he would give a public apology to the press. Brace yourself... he LIED! I know it may be hard to believe, but one of the lowest character men to ever coach pro football said one thing... and did another. The interesting part was the timing of the commissioners public comments... the same day Belichick got his 'honor'.

It's so sad how men like these are so highly regarded and a 2nd year HC and QB can be attacked so much, especially when they have outplayed them and outcoached them. The most recent attack is aimed directly at Mark. There are rumors swirling about a 17 year old girl who has pictures of herself in Sanchez's bedroom and is claiming they had sex.

First off, I have always felt that he was gay, so if he really did bang this chick.... more power to him! Secondly, it is not illegal to have sex with a 17 year old in NY State. So... why is this even a story???? After all of the non-sensical slandering of this team in the press, I have no choice but to conclude that their is a conspiracy against the Jets.

Out of all of the 'horrible' things this team supposedly did this past season... almost nothing materialized into anything concrete. The only things that actually happened were a DUI by Braylon Edwards (who went on to have an excellent season for us) and the tripping thing by some nobody low-level trainer. ALL of that other stuff you saw on TV and read about meant nothing. Even the Favre sexual harassment thing had nothing to do with the 2010 Jets or our current coaching staff.

Why would a promising young team like ours be under constant unfounded scrutiny? Maybe their are some Giants fans who have the kind of pull and influence to wage this kind of media war against this organization who is quickly becoming the #1 team in NYC ... or maybe someone in the evil Kraft Foods empire. Who knows? All I know is it has gotten out of control and some independent media sources need to step up and start exposing this bullshit.

Some more Bengal bashing...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my NY Jets and despise the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets and Bengals aren't really a rivalry and have had limited interaction over the years (trades, big games ...ect) I just hate the way they do business.

Mike Brown has held the city hostage since he took over in 1991. He refuses to hire a GM to shape the image and overall direction of the team. The roster has been put together with the same attention a 12 year old boy puts into his fictitious 'Madden' video game franchise. There have been times over the past decade that one has to ask ones self if Brown and Marvin Lewis have been targeting the absolutely lowest character players available in the draft and free agency.

Lewis has been the coach for 8 years and has only made the playoffs twice, has never won a playoff game, and overall losing record to go along with it. After winning the division last year and returning mostly the same roster the Bengals proceeded to put up another horrible 4-12 season. Instead of firing their underachieving coach, Lewis laid out some demands and ground rules revolving around him accepting a contract extension. SERIOUSLY??

The latest news out of Cincy is about Carson Palmer who has released a trade demand to the team and media, and he followed it up with a threat of retirement if Brown tries to play hardball. Watching owners like Al Davis and Synder from D.C. make horrible moves and mismanage their teams is bad enough, but at least they are trying to win. They just don't have the ability to evaluate players, the patience to let their teams develop an identity or the clear vision to hire the right front office personnel to steer the ship.

Brown just doesn't care. This is all a big joke to him, and he refuses to set standards or provide his fan-base with a quality return on their dollar. Sickening!

We beat the filthy Pats, and come up short in the AFCCG again...

If you read my previous post from right before the Divisional game against the Pats the focus of this post season run was the development of Mark Sanchez. The Jets showed over and over this season that they were not a disciplined football team. They developed some bad habits during the regular season, the worst of which was starting slow and playing catch up. They had some exciting last minute victories led by #6... but unfortunately that style of play can only work for so long.

We have the most talented squad in the NFL, but you can't beat a team like the Steelers, at home, in the AFC Championship Game when you are dropping passes, missing tackles and letting potential interceptions bounce off your face mask.

The previous week we played our best game of the season. We outplayed the Pats for 60 minutes and Sanchez showed exactly what we needed to see from him. In my previous post I asked: "Will he become the next dominate force in the AFC East, or that guy who is always chasing Brady's coat tails?"

#6 answered that question with authority. He put up a better QB rating than Brady (again) and our defensive gameplan was nothing short of brilliant. Sadly we peaked against Belichick and Brady and started out the game against Big Ben and Tomlin totally flat.

Again, Sanchez put up a 127 QB rating compared to Big Ben's 37, but our running game was non-existent and Schotty kept calling plays in totally obvious and predictable patterns. He called the same fake reverse to Edwards at least a half-a-dozen times and the same draw play up the middle to LT every time resulting in zero yards. He also called the same screen pass to Cotchery 3 or 4 times, but those plays actually netted yards and even a TD late in the game... so kudos. His mind boggling series of calls on the goal line in the 4th quarter of this game will never be forgotten. Rex is standing by him, but I have a feeling he may step down sometime over the next few weeks.

We came up short, but more importantly our young core of players showed they play even better when the pressure is on. Revis was lights out against 3 of the best QB's in the NFL, Mangold and D'Brick dominated the dynamic pass rushers from Indy and New England, David Harris snagged one of the biggest INT's in our teams history on the biggest stage, Shonn Greene stepped it up in the post season for a 2nd reason in a row, and MOST importantly Sanchez showed everything you can ask for at this stage of his career.

What this team is missing is a dominate draft class of defensive linemen. This is how I would handle things moving forward towards the 2011 season.

Lets start with the offense. Starting QB is covered, Mark has shown he can play through injuries and keeps getting better in all aspects of the position. The back-up QB spot is a major issue. I would offer Brunel another season but he can only fill in briefly. If #6 was to go down for more than one week we would be left high and dry. We need an experienced back up who can play long term if needed. Thats HARD to find in todays league.

I would target David Garrard and Jason Campbell. They are both under contract, but I have a feeling they might both be unemployed sooner rather than later. The Jags will be targeting a new QB in the draft and the Raiders are very interested in trying to land disgruntled Bengals QB Carson Palmer who has officially demanded a trade... and is threatening retirement if Cincy plays hard ball. BTW BRAVO Mr. Palmer!!!!! But I will explore that decision in my next Bengals bashing post. Another nice candidate would be Rex Grossman in Washington. I don't see him coming on the market, but if he does, I would snag him.

Our running back situation is very interesting. LT will play again next year and I guarantee he hits the wall, right before our eyes. He should not be counted on. Greene may develop into an elite runner, I have a feeling this season was just a sophomore slump. I wouldn't be shocked if he breaks through in 2011. But, he can't be counted on either. Joe McNight??? Well, thats a shot in the dark. We need a dynamic young back in this years draft, and Mr. T will need to hit another homerun.

If Miami doesn't take Mark Ingram @ the #15 spot I would try to trade with the Jags and leap frog Bill Belichick at the #17 spot and pick up the Alabama RB. I am sure if Ingram is still there when the Patriots choose they will take him. Belichick has a history with Mark's dad who played for the Giants back in the day. He would be perfect for them. By jumping ahead of them we would get two birds with one stone. I think there is about a 5% chance of this happening, but it would solve a lot of problems for us. Greene, Ingram and McNight would be a formidable backfield and compliment our elite O-line very well.

Our O-line is looking pretty sweet. The aforementioned Mangold and Ferguson are very solid, Brandon Moore has some very good years ahead of him and Slauson got the job done for 16 games this season, replacing Faneca. Turner stepped up this season playing RT and even Center whenever his number was called. Lets not forget Vladimir Ducasse our 2nd round pick from last year. We are set on the line, and I am saying that while also recommending dumping Woody. He is done and will cost us a ton of cap dollars if we keep him.

Keller is an OK TE, but we need to bring in a solid, run blocking veteran like Crumpler who was signed by NE last year. Their two rookie TE's have panned out very well, so Crumpler may be available. Randy McMichael and Leonard Pope should also be out there and would fit very well on this squad.

As for the WR's.... I would keep Holmes and Edwards, but they would have to sign very reasonable contracts. If they want top dollar you have to let them walk. They both have baggage and big money long term contracts are too risky. I would fight to hold on to Brad Smith and unfortunately I would release Cotchery. I think he has become too expensive and he has developed a habit of dropping passes he use to be counted on for catching. Those 3 remaining WR's matched up with a couple of young guys from the draft would be perfect.

On defense I would dump Cromartie (unless he takes a rock bottom deal) and Leonhard is a waste of cap dollars. Rex won't part with him, but he is simply too small, too slow and he is now recovering from a major injury. It's time to cut bait IMHO. Rounding out or secondary is the epic draft bust Kyle Wilson. #20 looks like a player, and seems to be a real high energy guy. He also looks lost most of the time and dropped an easy INT against Pittsburgh that may have won us the game. I wish we could dump him, but that is not realistic. I REALLY hope this kid shows something next year.

The D-line needs a major overhaul. Jenkins, Price and Ellis are simply too old and I wouldn't build my future D-line (the foundation of the entire defense) around Mike DeVito, no matter how much he has overachieved. Mr. T has his work cut out for him re-building this group.

It's the end of January and we are already talking about next season... Sadly.