JD hasn't fleeced anyone in a while. Let's go with a more logical theory: they took best offer. Which was Jax 6th round pick. Our 6th round pick is better, and would get the deal done. But why spend 6th rounder, when you can get a guy who already played for Keith Carter before for free? I am sure Keith swore by him. Except this is not the same guy anymore. He got old and he played like shit last year, and hasn't played in a long time. We got our 6th round pick though!
I dunno if Cleveland is or isn’t any good. But there’s usually a reason teams give players away for nothing. I would’ve for sure taken a flyer but there’s a bit more of a meltdown than is worth it IMO over not getting that guy. It’s more irritating that they’re replacing him with a guy in Dalton Risner we could’ve signed a month ago. Mixed reactions on the Vikings board about Cleveland. It sounds like he should’ve been playing right tackle but they was so defunct at guard they put him inside. It’s possible that was an issue for him and he was looking to sign as a right tackle somewhere in the off-season.
A lot of people wanted Risner. JD fucked up then and he fucked up now, as simple as that, as he usually does when it comes to OLine. This is 4th year in a row Oline sucked. We had a chance to get a durable (yes someone who actually started every game last 2 years and this year, imagine that) well performing OLineman, when ours are dropping like flies. How do you not do that?
While I like that we did sign someone to help the O-Line, the Jets could also have added a G through a trade today. Ezra Cleveland from Minnesota was trades for a 6th round pick in 2024. He has been a starter for the last three seasons and could have helped our depleted line, plus he is young and not at the end of his career. Like I said, I am happy we at least did something, but I recall our HC saying no one is trading an offensive linemen.
It's precisely the point that something could and must have been done. 6th round pick is not high, and Cleveland didn't even have to be a rental. Enough with the excuses. He went into the season with Duane Brown at LT and that cost us Rodgers. And it went downhill from there, and there is a chance to get a good durable guy and he latches on to that 6th round round pick like a baby to mom's tit. No excuses - JD fucked up when it comes to OLine time and time and time again.
Maybe he’s really good and it could’ve helped? Maybe he’s not even that good and it also would’ve helped? All I know is the Vikings have the second to worst running game in the league and Kirk’s been hit more than any QB in the league/most knocked down by a wide margin. He just doesn’t have the gargantuan sack numbers because he steps up into his throws and knows how to absorb hits. https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/advanced-stats-qb.php
You would prefer Duane Brown/Ryan Kalil 2.0? Didn't he already do this with Kalil? I for one would have liked to risk 6th round pick to see what Cleveland would do. But JD knows what he is doing when it comes to OLine right?
No, I’m his biggest critic on the matter. I probably would agree, we should’ve pulled the trigger. The point I’m making is that there’s something peculiar about this. Outside of Trent Williams who was holding out, I can’t remember in the past ten years when a starting guard (a touted above average one like him) or tackle was traded at the deadline. Very strange.
Who was that? I think JD was right not to trade even a 6th round draft pick. IMO it makes zero sense to expend any more resources on this season. Next year, Rodgers will be back for certain, we don't have much cap space, we have a bunch of FAs, only 1 S under contract, and need at least one OT (if not 2), one OG, probably a S, and could really use a run-stuffing DT and we don't have a 2nd or 5th round pick, and maybe not a 7th. Next season is the time to go all in, NOT this season. A ton of resources have already been expended and there's no way that we're going to go deep in the playoffs, much less get to and win a SB with so many key starters and players out with season-ending injuries. If I'm not mistaken, you're one of the guys who have been killing Zach the most. With that being the case, why in the world would you want to use 2024 resources for this season? IMO that's not a wise use of resources, and I believe in Zach.
In addition, maybe the team is an AFC team and didn't want to trade him to the Jets, maybe he's not a scheme fit or character fit. It really is pathetic how many posters here bitch about something all the time. What's funny is that they contradict themselves. They don't believe in Zach, yet they want to burn resources that we will need in 2024 for Rodgers this year. I'm convinced that maybe 2/3 of this site need some serious psychotherapy. It's obvious that the Jets have driven them over the edge.
You do realize a player traded for today could be brought back next season right? https://x.com/rapsheet/status/1719417799955698066?s=46&t=JlmH7uPux-PXk1bn25Wuaw
It was the Minnesota Vikings, and it was a 6th round pick. What are the odds that that player drafted with that 6th round pick is starting for us next season?
Actually you have no clue if he did go after him and the Vikings wanted no part of us. I’m incline to think he did.
But you and I have not been killing Zach. I actually think he can turn things around, but needs help around him. I am sure you agree. Then why can't JD spend a 6th round pick to bring in a solid guy, like Cleveland, who can help in a position of dire need? Look at the offense we have. The narrative was that Zach was the lone problem. But since KC game, I don't think this has been the case. And yet offense sucked. We can point at yet another OC, but this gets old. What I see is while Hack and Zack have not been great either, majority of the problems are that WRs are not separating in the little time that OLine gives Zach. We clearly need upgrade in WR and OLine. Even a little bit will help. And yet JD made WR worse instead of better, and brought Ryan Kalil 2.0 instead of giving a late pick for a much better option. That does not help Zach nor the offense now, when they desperately need help. A 6th round pick next year, even without 2nd rounder, is not going to break our back. It's a 6th round pick for Pete's sake. Not having extra help this year might just waste the whole year.
Because it's throwing good resources after bad. We have lost too many key players for the season. We're not winning anything this season. Do you really Ezra Cleveland is going to make that big of a difference? I don't. If we hadn't lost Rodgers, AVT, Clark, and about all of our OL depth, I might have been in favor of it. As you said, we also need a WR. Just adding depth and a potential starter at OG would help some but not enough. It's not going to do a thing to help the WR position. Also, how do you know that JD didn't try to acquire Cleveland or some other OG, and the asking price was higher because the Jets are more desperate? I don't know why you and other posters are saying that we could have had Cleveland for a 6th. If Jacksonville was willing to give up a 6th round pick, we would have had to have beaten that, and we don't have a 5th round pick ion 2024. We would have had to have used one of our 4th round picks. That would have been a big overpayment for a half-season rental (or less) of Cleveland. How many games would it have take him to learn our scheme? If JD had given up a 4th for Cleveland, posters would have been killing him for that, especially if Cleveland didn't play well or he got injured almost immediately. There comes a time when you have to accept reality, and in terms of the team winning anything significant, imo this season is pretty much already over. Hopefully, they can still make the playoffs but unless Hackett opens up the offense and starts tailoring it more to Zach's strengths, that's probably not gonna happen imo. I don't see the dumb penalties and dropped passes stopping any time soon, and I don't see the officials to start calling the games the right way. You can't beat the other team, the refs, and the injury bug too unless it's some kind of destiny or fate, and imo if we're somehow gonna wind up surprising everyone and winning it all, it will be with the players we already have here. That will be the miracle. IMO the Jets need to save all their 2024 resources for 2024, when Rodgers, AVT, and all the others we have lost for the season will be back. He's already used a ton of resources for this season, and imo would be negligence or incompetence to panic and use any more of their 2024 resources. How did JD make WR worse? Do you mean by trading Hardman? If so, I tend to agree with you, yet, if the Jets had zero plans to use Hardman, so why keep him on the roster? That's just taking a roster spot that could be used for another OL or Brownlee. I don't buy that the sole reason that Hardman never played was due to Gipson beating out Hardman. That's probabliy part of it, but there's something else going on. IMO the only Hardman would have ever seen a significant number of snaps is if Lazard, Cobb, Gipson and Brownlee all went down with serious injuries. In terms of going deep into the playoffs or potentially getting to a SB, this year is already wasted. IMO the only positive things that can be gained in the rest of this season are developing Zach as far as he can go (as much as Hackett and the OL will allow), developing Izzy, Gipson, Brownlee, JBC, the other young players getting them invaluable experience, and seeing which players are worth keeping for next year.
I looked it up and yes, it was Ezra Cleveland. To begin with, we wouldn't have gotten him for a 6th since that was what Jacksonville gave up. We'd have had to beat their offer, and we don't have a 5th round pick in 2024, so we'd have had to have used one of our two 4th round picks, and that would have been a gross overpayment and Jets fans would have killed JD for that. JD could use that 6th round pick to move up a spot or two in the 4th round to get a player they like, or who knows look at the UDFAs that are contributing that JD added. He could definitely wind up getting a key backup or maybe a starter with that pick. It's not likely, but it's not impossible, and it would be used when we have all our injured players back, including Rodgers when we have a better chance to win than we do this year.
Cleveland is going to be a FA. JD already has to re-sign Huff, maybe Becton, and at least 1 or 2 of our present safeties as we only have 1 under contract for next season, and we have about 20 some FAs next year and not very much cap space.
