http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/02/sports/sp-joe-mcknight-usc2 "I just like playing man to man and I just sit on people's routes all day," he said. "I forget about all the coverages and lock on one person. That's my problem; I like to just play man up on somebody." I wonder if his man to man skills are better than Wilson's???
Ok, a 7th, a 5th, low round picks can be had without giving up a player who can win games for you, which is my point. Holmes was a bigger steal than Leon, but that's more the exception than the rule given that Pittsburgh had two of those situations in the same off-season. We worry about that after this year, if there's even going to be a season next year. We've loaded up to win this year with guys like Holmes, Jason Taylor and LT. I'm sure we could pry a 5th rounder away from someone next year without giving up an impact player if we really wanted to.
I don't see how. Going forward, a new Joe McKnight comes out pretty much every year and we still could have gotten Conner if we really wanted to. People act like keeping Leon would have handcuffed us to the point where we couldn't do anything we did. We got a low pick for him, nothing we couldn't have lived without and still had pretty much the same team.
That' what Rex wants his corners strengths to be, but he likes his guys to be versatile and be able to do different things.
So, by that pace, in the same number of returns, Smith would have 2 fewer yards on average and 2 fewer TDs overall. Yes, that's what I call a marginal difference, as I've said. All you've done is demonstrate that Leon is slightly more explosive because of personal speed, while Brad is nearly as reliable and productive because he follows his blockers better. In other words, they have different styles, but the effect on the team is roughly the same. We lost little (if anything) this season. We gained a hell of a lot of future potential. Win.
The fact that you ignore my request to explain HOW you would have gotten Conner and that you ignore my question as to whether you've watched Leon actually run the ball this season essentially proves that you're coming at this from a purely emotional standpoint. Please step aside and let people discuss this rationally.
At a glance this is really strange. The Jets have a 2-headed attack at RB, so the 3rd string RB has a decent amount of value due to the ramifications of one of the top 2 guys getting injured. They trade up in the draft to get McKnight, then within 3-4 weeks of the regular season starting are experimenting with him on the other side of the ball? They either think they made a huge mistake on evaluating his RB skills and are trying to salvage something, or Joe is legit and Rex sees him as a starting calibre CB in the league sometime in the future. It's strange, and it's the timing of it that's so curious to me.
Until you, or anyone for that matter, can come up with a reasonable scenario in which we get Connor and a young athletic running back your argument is nothing. Leon was an impact player but now he has a metal rod in his leg and the Jets have at least 4 maybe even 5 guys who are more likely to create a big play than Leon is. Based on both you and Junc's lack of response to IJR asking if you have seen him play at all this year besides the two kick returns I am going to assume neither of you have seen him. Your both living in the past and dealing with what if's in regards to Leon. We all loved him as a player but circumstance made it beneficial for the team to trade him and get two guys with great potential instead. We wait until next year to find next year's Joe McKnight and instead of dealing with the growing pains at a time when it isn't affecting the team we are dealing with growing pains at a time when the team needs a back to be ready. Next year when the Jets need a RB to step up McKnight would be ready. To play the what if game with you guys... what if we drafted a rookie next year and he needed to play a significant role right away? I bet you and Junc would be leading the cry's about how stupid it was to not plan for the future. I will simply ask this. Where would Leon be anything besides a marginal at best improvement over what the Jets have on the field this year?
It's not that strange given his history. During one of the preseason games, they ran a little piece on McKnight in which he said if he couldn't play RB, he'd be a corner. Rex wants guys to contribute however they can if they want a spot on the active roster. McKnight did well on STs yesterday, but there's really not going to be a spot for him rushing the ball week in and week out. I don't think you'd see him used except in an emergency, but they may check out his man coverage ability for that very situation. Having him able to play man in a desperate situation means you free up a spot on the active roster elsewhere. You dress 5 true CBs and have him available in case of injury, which leaves a free roster spot open at a position of need. With such little room for him to contribute on the offense right now, having him as a three way fill in makes a whole lot of sense.
"Leon is good and I miss him" "Leon is good and I don't miss him" "Leon is not that good and I miss him" "hurp derp"
True, I think the different things can be coached a lot easier than man to man coverage though. Man to man seems like something you can do or you can't.
No kidding, I gave up on this thread. Might as well rename it "McKnight vs L. Washington discussion".
I don't think we NEED them but that doesn't mean leon couldn't have been useful. That's great but look at how great their kick coverage has been, punt coverage is completely different. You realize 2 fewer yards is a pretty big difference, right? and the more returns he has the lower his averag will be as that 100+ yd KR won't mean as much. We gained a hell of a lot of future potential? McKnight has shown us NOTHING. You are fixated on this as if you want me to drag out a draft value chart. It's not hard to acquire a 5th round pick and AGAIN we could have moved down from our 4th.
Rex raved about McKnights improvements, enthusiasm in practice, and versatility today in his press conference.
It's not that strange. He finds himself third on the depth chart at RB behind a future HOFer who suddenly found the fountain of youth and the guy the organization traded away a 1,400 yard rusher in order to get more carries for. The guy is just trying his best to impress the coaches. You do that working your but off on special teams and volunteering for different positions on the scout team. Show the coaches your versatility. The more you can do; it's the B. Smith philosophy of getting on the field anyway you can. You rather that than the Clowney philosophy. This may end up working out for all parties involve. Mcknight - gets to play CB, a position he's been wanting to play since leaving high school but was not allowed because he was too valuable to USC on offense. Also more snaps in practice and maybe games at some point. Rex - the guy who feels you can never have enough CBs gets yet another CB. Tanny - An extra roster spot. Having your 3rd string RB also be your 4th to 5th CB who can contribute on teams means you can carry one less player CB.
