The 2006-07 season for the NY Jets proved to be very promising for the future. Many players made huge steps, especially with the new offensive and defensive schemes. As Flowtrain put it, that was just the appetizer, I, along with thousands of Jet fans, am ready for the full course meal. I have many (I don?t want to say obstinate) strong beliefs about building a franchise. I don?t believe in trading up, but rather in stockpiling more picks unless there is a player who deserves to go at the spot and also a player who fits a need. The ?Best Available Player? approach doesn?t always work out for me as there can only be a certain number of competent players for every position. I never, no matter how dire the need, will want a player who does not deserve the spot he gets. That is why I loved the D?Brickashaw Ferguson selection but disliked the Anthony Schlegel pick. Further, I don?t believe in building through free agency. At most the Jets should go after one true star player. With the cap room we have I think this is plausible and necessary, but I don?t want to have three or four heavily back loaded contracts seven years down the line. Use the money now. All the excess cap space doesn?t tag along next season. Front loaded contracts are usually what a team would do in this situation. The rest of free agency should be allocated to getting small secondary players who come in packages and are what we call part time starters. The core of this team should have been drafted by the NY Jets. So without further ado, here is my first of many countless New York Jet Mock Off-seasons. ************************************************************************************** NYJ Off-season Plan 2007 Current 2006-07 NFL 53 Man Roster (3) QB: Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Kellen Clemens (5) RB: Cedric Houston, Leon Washington, Kevan Barlow, Derrick Blaylock, Stacy Tutt (2) FB: BJ Askew, Jamie Hodgins (5) WR: Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Justin Mccareins, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright (3) TE: Chris Baker, Sean Ryan, James Dearth (2) LT: D?Brickashaw Ferguson, Adrian Jones (2)LG: Pete Kendall, Na?shan Goddard (1) OC: Nick Mangold (2) RG: Brandon Moore, Wade Smith (2) RT: Anthony Clement, Ed Blanton (2) RDE: Bryan Thomas, Dave Ball (2) LDT: Kimo von Oelhoffen, CJ Mosley (2) RDT: Dewayne Robertson, Rashad Moore (2) LDE: Shaun Ellis, Bobby Hamilton (2) ROLB: Eric Barton, Cody Spencer (3) MLB: Jon Vilma, Brad Kassell, Anthony Schlegel (2) LOLB: Victor Hobson, Matt Chatham (5) CB: Andre Dyson, Hank Poteat, David Barrett, Drew Coleman, Justin Miller (2) FS: Kerry Rhodes, Rashad Washington (2) SS: Erik Coleman, Eric Smith (1) PK: Mike Nugent (1) P: Ben Graham IR: Tim Dwight (WR) Jason Pociask (TE) Sione Pouha (DT) Trey Teague (OC) Jamie Thompson (FS/SS) New York Jets Free Agents: Askew, B.J. FB RFA Ball, Dave DE RFA Clement, Anthony OT UFA Cotchery, Jerricho WR RFA Hodgins, James FB UFA Moore, Rashad DL RFA Poteat, Hank CB UFA Riddle, Ryan LB ERFA Ryan, Sean TE RFA Smith, Wade OL RFA Spencer, Cody LB RFA ************************************************************************************** Retirements: The way Pete Kendall sounded on ?Jets 24/7?, the TV show before the New England game (?For a player like me, way past the games he can play, the playoffs are?) made it seem like he was going to retire. As of now I am still keeping him on this team. He is a solid veteran presence to a very young offensive line. Restricted Free Agents: We have a lot of restricted free agents this year. We have to let some go but there are some players I want to see a lot more of. RFA?s are only allowed one year deals, but the multi-year deals are considered extensions. Jerricho Cotchery (6 yr) (Frontloaded Contract): Sign this guy to an extension. He was our second best receiving threat and made big clutch catches against many teams. He is soon going to be an elite split end alongside Coles at the flanker position. He shaved a lot of time off his 40 yard dash (ran sub 4.4) and has really buffed up. This guy deserves every cent he gets. Dave Ball (1 yr): This guy made a load of plays in preseason. Our linebacking core is not as solid as it was say two years ago. Barton?s skills seemed to have regressed and Vilma is not that big time player he once was. This guy could help on the outside. Wade Smith (1 yr): Came in as our first substitution for any player in the middle of the offensive line. He showed me enough to merit him a second look next year. Rashad Moore (2 yr) (Evenly Loaded Contract): He was a huge gap eater for our team. He made sure that we stopped teams in the red zone which we did pretty damn well. He should get two solid years to prove that he can be that 4-3 Nose Tackle (not to be confused with a 3-4 Nose Tackle [who is much shorter and more bowling ball style]). Cody Spencer (1 yr): I know little of this guy, but he could be a potential backup/special teams player. Mangini trusts him, so I do too. He made the 53 man roster for a reason. BJ Askew, Ryan Riddle, and Sean Ryan will be let go and will go to the unrestricted free agent pool. Unrestricted Free Agents: Luckily, our unrestricted free agents are less vital to the team like two years ago. Still, there are some nice players I still want to keep. Anthony Clements (2 yr) (Evenly Loaded Contract): He was huge for our running game as he was probably our best run blocker behind Mangold. He, alongside Kendall, proves to be a nice solid veteran presence in the huddle alongside Chad Pennington. Our starting offense is very young. It is good to have some rugged veterans in the mix. We need his size and his leadership next year. BTW He and Kendall were teammates in Arizona. Hank Poteat (3 yr) (Front Loaded Contract): He was a starting corner for the latter part of the season and is the type of cornerback that can hold his own in man coverage. Don?t line him up against Chad Johnson or Marvin Harrison though. He provides solid depth in the cornerback rotation and should get starts depending on the opposition. We are not resigning James Hodgins. Cuts Sadly, there are always a few players who don?t fit the team needs. I feel we can upgrade certain players. There are also certain players cut to let other players get into the mix (younger players especially). Kevan Barlow: There is no more room for him on this team. Leon Washington and Cedric Houston do provide a nice thunder/lighting combo and Barlow is the odd man out. Derrick Blaylock: This guy has not done anything this season, PERIOD. Justin Mccareins: Though this guy is an excellent backup, he is not a slot receiver. He can?t seem to get the job done and wasn?t Tim Dwight ahead of him for a while as the third target? Brad Kassell: Tough? Sure. Smart? Not always. He is a very one sided player and really bites hard on play action and doesn?t have great pass defending instincts.
Free Agent Signings There is nothing like the slug fest to get the free agent players today. Well this particular free agency period will be a bit brighter than the normal. The NY Jets are officially legitimate playoff contenders and they should act accordingly. Adalius Thomas (6 yr) (Frontloaded Contract): Yes, I know this is a huge signing and he is a first time all pro. The only thing is that this player is perfect for the Mangini system. He can play in a variety of systems, can play a variety of positions, and can make GAME CHANGING plays. Here is what Football Outsiders had to say about him. “Thomas is like a chameleon. Lines him up on the line of scrimmage and he attacks the quarterback like a defensive end. Line him up as much 10 yards off the line and he covers wide receivers like a safety. He’s very tough against the run but quick enough to keep up if he’s called on to defend downfield passes. He’s also the gunner on the Ravens’ punt team. Sometimes it just seems unfair for a 270-pounder to move like Thomas does.” There is no doubt that this player will be expensive and that every 3-4 team (and probably every 4-3 team) is looking at him, but this player can change our defense. There is a difference between good and great, Adalius Thomas would make that difference. BTW, Adalius Thomas and Bryan Thomas...same last name, say hello to the Thomas brothers wrecking company. Daniel Graham (4 yr) (Frontloaded Contract): This guy could be huge for our offense. He can make our twin/double tight end sets lethal. He is very similar to Chris Baker but is slightly stronger in the blocking aspect of the game. Remember, we lack a true fullback on this team, so we could see our second tight end come into block. Also remember that he was quite a player for the Patriots in the red zone and was a semi-starter along with Ben Watson. He is used to the constant rotation and really would help Man genius and Schottenheimer develop a nice new package. He grabbed seven touchdowns when he was a full time starter. Both New England and San Diego used double tight end sets heavily. He has the ability to move back to FB and play if necessary in motion. Patrick Pass (3 yr) (Back loaded Deal): Here is another Patriot who seems to be a very interesting option for our offense. He is a pass catcher who is very versatile and can play the tight end position (sparingly). He is not a full back in the true meaning, but he is exactly what New England uses. He had a terrific season in 2005-06, but was bogged down with injuries this season. We love stealing from the Patriots, so lets do it now. Draft Day Round 1: Darrelle Revis CB We need a top cover man, and the draft has proven to be the best way to go. Revis would be monstrous if he could help with man coverage which Mangini employs heavily. He has good size and excellent speed. He is the prototypical shut down cornerback we are looking for. Round 2: Adam Carriker DE He has a motor. He is 6’6”, 290 pounds and can really fit in nicely as a 3-4 DE. He has better physical tools than most NFL defensive ends and can really use his motor and skills to make impact plays. Slowly but steadily he has become a terrific player starting from his sophomore year. Round 2: Josh Beekman OG This guy would be huge for our offensive line. Not only does he have size, he could start his rookie season. He would fill a void we have at RG. I love his play and hope he is there for our selection. Round 3: Jason Hill WR A ‘Mangini’ type player who is the typical overachiever. Has solid size and nice hands and could really work well with the Chad Pennington style of play. He would be a great slot receiver playing off the line. I like his ability to catch off target passes. Mccareins out, Hill in. Pre-Season Roster/Depth Chart (without 53 man roster limit) (3) QB: Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Kellen Clemens (3) RB: Cedric Houston, Leon Washington, Stacy Tutt (1) FB: Patrick Pass (6) WR: Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Tim Dwight, Jason Hill, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright (4) TE: Chris Baker, Daniel Graham, Jason Pociask, James Dearth (2) LT: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Adrian Jones (2)LG: Pete Kendall, Wade Smith, Na’shan Goddard (1) OC: Nick Mangold, Trey Teague (2) RG: Brandon Moore, Josh Beekman (2) RT: Anthony Clement, Ed Blanton (2) RDE: Bryan Thomas, Dave Ball (2) LDT: Kimo von Oelhoffen, Adam Carriker, Rashad Moore, CJ Mosley (2) RDT: Dewayne Robertson, Sione Pouha (2) LDE: Shaun Ellis, Bobby Hamilton (2) ROLB: Eric Barton, Cody Spencer (3) MLB: Jon Vilma, Anthony Schlegel (2) LOLB: Adalius Thomas, Victor Hobson, Matt Chatham (5) CB: Andre Dyson, Hank Poteat, David Barrett, Darrelle Revis, Drew Coleman, Justin Miller (2) FS: Kerry Rhodes, Rashad Washington, Jamie Thompson (2) SS: Erik Coleman, Eric Smith (1) PK: Mike Nugent (1) P: Ben Graham Position Battles: QB #2/3: Patrick Ramsey, Kellen Clemens RB #1/2: Cedric Houston, Leon Washington WR #3/4/5/6: Tim Dwight, Paul Williams, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright TE #1/2: Chris Baker, Daniel Graham RG #1/2: Brandon Moore, Josh Beekman 3-4 DE: Kimo von Oelhoffen, Adam Carriker 4-3 NT: Rashad Moore, CJ Mosley 3-4 ILB: Eric Barton, Anthony Schlegel CB: Andre Dyson, Hank Poteat, David Barrett, Darrelle Revis, Drew Coleman, Justin Miller That’s it folks, questions? Thoughts? I will make a separate post about the defense as it is hard to explain each player's use.
Didn't you sign Adalius Thomas? He isn't even on your roster... How would you fit Adalius Thomas into this team? I think you didn't do too well in the draft. Carriker was a good pick, but he will probably be gone by our 1st round pick, I don't think we can get him with our 2nd rounder. And I don't like the Revis pick in the first round. We need a better running back, period! We cannot have Houston and Washington going into the season as our starters. They just are not good enough. And you didn't improve the O-Line what so ever, which is a big need for us. And lastly, you do know that we run a 3-4, right? EDIT: You also put Paul Williams (A guy I like as a WR and was in my mock off-season) instead of Jason Hill as one of the WR. So I don't know how you did that...
My apologies, I made a few mistakes...let me fix them.... I know we run a 3-4 but we also need a 4-3 some times, just like the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.... Jason Hill was the WR.... I like our running backs and believe it is the offensive line that makes the running back, not the running back making the offensive line
Then why didn't you improve the offensive line at all? Beekman is not much of an upgrade from Moore, or won't be until his 2nd or 3rd year, and you didn't get anybody else.
I posted the roster as a 4-3 because that was how it showed up on the NFL website. I would set the starting 3-4 roster like this.... DE- Carriker or Kimo NT- Robertson DE- Ellis OLB- Bryan Thomas ILB- Vilma ILB- Barton or Hobson OLB- Adalius Thomas
the draft doesn't make sense considering there is no way we will use our first rounder on a CB. absolutely no way considering the cb position is not easy to find someone who can just come in and start immediately. also, we would need to take carriker with our first pick, not 2nd. also, we need to get a RB this offseason. i see us getting OLB, and CB in FA (thomas, samuel) although we might not end up needed another CB, and using the draft for DL, RB, OL.
1. I believe Beekman will be a considerable improvement over Moore 2. We have Trey Teague off IR 3. Ferguson (who was our worst lineman other than Moore) will get stronger at the point of attack with the NFL strenght program (as will Mangold)
Don't be surprised if the real emphasis this offseason is improving the personell/depth of both lines....w/ an eye on improving the RB position..
Our #2 CB has been rotated constantly and we have tried forever to get that true shutdown CB....I think Revis could be the guy... Carriker has been in the late 1st early second in most mocks but some say he is worse.... and should not crack the top 50....remember he is a tweener and only 3-4 teams will look at him...... FA CB's are extremely expensive....I think Mangini woudl rather draft his players RB's are not making the blocks....read my above post...
Regardless of who we add to the front 7..if Kimo is starting for us come next year...we will not see any improvements against the run. Sure, keep him as a back-up w/ leadership qualities..but he was our weakest link on D all year long.
Moore lost playing time based on 2 factors... 1. D Rob improved and became a very good player for us at NT 2. Moore wore down as the season went on. Early on I thought he shouldve been starting...but as the year went on he was getting pushed backward on running plays and had awful balance rushing the passer.
Yes. Ball is our pass rushing De when we go to a 4 man front. He's also a pretty good special teamer from what ive seen..
