I'm a big fan of last minute moves to correct problems before the the final 2/3rds of the season plays out. There are not many things as of now that I would do, say, if I were GM, but there are a few, and one big one (albeit unlikely) that I would love to see go down. 1) Trade: Brad Smith and a 6th round pick to the Seahawks for a 3rd/4th rounder (conditional). Reasoning: The Jets have Coles, Cotchery, Stuckey, and Clowney (when he gets back from being hurt) as 4 better receivers than Brad Smith. Smith is a tremendous athlete but he has not produced as a Jet WR even though he has looked better this season. However, the Seahawks, whose WRs are all basically dead men walking (if they can even walk), are in need of receivers. I mean they traded for Keary Colbert. Keary Colbert. Nuff said. If Smith has 5 or more TDs in the season, then the pick becomes a 1st rounder. If not, the draft pick is a 4th. It's not like we wouldn't mind having another 4th rounder anyways. The 3rd/4th rounds are rounds when you can still draft talented players for cheap (Cotchery, Harris, Lowery, Washington) while the 6th is more for depth. 2) *Blockbuster alert* Trade: Thomas Jones, Justin Miller, 2nd round pick to the Chiefs for Larry Johnson. Reasoning: Johnson is incredibly unhappy in Kansas City. He's been grumbling about his carries and the Chiefs plain suck. Johnson is one of the top (top paid as well) RBs in the league and does not fit into the youth and rebuilding scheme in KC. The Chiefs CS don't use LJ on passing downs because he apparently isn't a great blocker or receiver but I think he is better than he is given credit for. Thomas Jones can be used out of the backfield as a receiver and fits the all-around type of back KC would implement best. The Chiefs are also starting 2 rookie CBs, one of which is a 6th round draft pick, the other a 2nd. The Chiefs can use Miller, who has become expendable with the solid showings of Lowery, a lot more than the Jets can. Miller also adds a good KR to the Chiefs, and the Jets already have a better KR in Washington. This also now depends on Miller's health status, but by week 6 he should be healthy from what I've read. The 2nd is obviously to make this trade go through. If the 2nd is unavailable because of the Favre trade then the Jets would give a 3rd and a 5th and get a 6th. Imagine LJ in the backfield. This would give the Jets the premier RB they have lacked since Curtis Martin retired, and a RB who would surely not get stopped on the goal line if he had been given 3 tries to get in. LJ/LW is a better combination in my mind than TJ/LW. The Jets FO have shown they aren't afraid of going out and getting talent and I think he could be the missing piece of the Jets offensive puzzle. Plus the Chiefs could greatly use a 2nd round pick which will help add talented youth to their rebuilding squad. 3) Trade for an NT. I don't know what Jenkins deal is and how long he will be out for but we found out rather quickly that without a solid NT our run D is nonexistent. I can't think of and haven't looked into possible NT pick ups or trades, but I will over the next few days. Jason Shirley is a possibility even though he is a thug on Cincy which is a terrible combination, but he is a rookie, he is huge (6'5, 330 lbs), has brute strength and clogs up the middle. He was a 5th rounder so compensation won't be big. A better prospect is probably Alan Branch on the Cardinals who is big enough (6'6, 330 lbs) to dominate the inside as he did back when he was at Michigan. He is not a rookie but he hasn't played much yet and with Watson sticking around he could possibly be expendable. Anything you would like to see you can post here as well.
I 100% disagree with you. He still has it physically. He is playing on a crap team with a pedestrian line and he knows they aren't going to win. He is playing in a place where he doesn't want to be and he is grumbling publicly about it. How would that affect your mind set? Maybe you might not run as hard as you possibly can (not implying that he isn't). Who is making holes for LJ? Don't worry, I'll wait. If he was brought onto the Jets the Jets would immediately become a legitimate AFC contender, and being a team with so much talent that has a real chance of winning would definitely make Johnson a better runner. He would have a better line blocking for him, more motivation to do well, and the he would be somewhere where he wants to play. I think he would come out and be as effective as he was when he came in for Holmes midseason. Also, when you play the Chiefs, you put 7 or even 8 in the box because you know the only threat on that offense in LJ running the ball. That's why he doesn't look as good. If LT was a Chief the same thing would be happening to him. However, LT has Phillip Rivers and Gates and Chambers and Jackson and the Chargers actually have a good passing offense. Enter LJ in NY, and the Jets have a legitimate ground game and a passing attack consisting of Favre, Coles, Cotch, Stuckey, Baker and Keller, Washington and eventually Clowney. If Jones can average 4.4 ypc, what do you think Johnson can? And he looked good against Atlanta when they tried to take out the run. He showed that he is still a playmaker and a very consistent threat. However he is still very unhappy. You know he wants a scenery change. I would definitely (try to) make it happen.
The one thing we can not trade for that we need is time for the team to get on the same page. And for the most part the players that we have will suffice. But the one point you make I will agree on is another NT. Unbelievable the difference when Jenkins was out. I dont expect another "starter quality" guy but at least a decent backup or our defense will really suffer.
We need to go get another 350 pound stud for NT. One isn't enough. Without a big run stuffer we suck. If Jenkins misses too many games we are done.
I hope we somehow trade for Brady, put him behind James Dearth (Mangold to be rested), and let Faneca, Woody and D'brick be on the inactive roster. Let him get sacked twice EVERY play and watch him suffer for the remaining 10+ games. On a serious note, we do not need waste our money on a position that is not even a need. RB is not a need. Thomas is doing awesome for as much as he is offered. 4.4 yards a carry is really good for a back. I know he has only rushed for 200 yards so far but thats because he has'nt been carrying the ball 30 times a game like LT or LJ. He's been carrying the ball on average 15 times a game gaining 70 yards. What we do need is a solid backup for NT position. I don't know who that would be but a better backup for lets say a 5th round draft pick or maybe a 3rd round pick and getting a 5th rounder back. Highly unlikely though.
question: after seeing how valuable jenkins is to our 3-4 defense, what other 350-370 pound nose tackles are there in the nfl we could aquire through trade or signing? 2009 draft? just curious.
I always wanted to point this out: as successful as Mangini has been, he NEVER drafted a quality DL - most notably, NT. I don't know how Alan Branch is doing in AZ, but I'd take a stab at him. I wanted Jets to go after him, but they didn't - they settled for Revis and Harris, which I can't complain with. I heard he had a stress fracture in one of his feet by the time of the draft. Anybody know how his feet are holding up? EDIT: Looks like he's doing just fine down there in AZ, on his way to be a 2nd rd bust. Maybe Mangini can start a fire under his ass?
This is not a bad idea. I like the rotation at DE, but NT is too thin after Jenkins. Of course Jenkins could come back and play without limitation, which is my hope, but NT is the key position in the 3-4, and we see what a difference an effective Jenkins makes compared to his absence. I still would also like a deep threat wideout, but basically agree with the above post that in reality in season trades are rare and even more rarely all that significant.
Laveranues Coles to Miami for Jason Ferguson. They need a WR, we've had enough of his grumbling. Ferguson would provide the Jets with needed NT depth.
Great in theory, but it's not like those guys are just sitting out there. The NT in the 3-4 could be the hardest position to fill in the NFL, if a team has one effective 3-4 NT and a stop-gap replacement behind them, they are very lucky. If you draft one it's a risk because the majority of players your picking from don't have any 3-4 back ground. So you have to project skills when picking, and then spend at least a year teaching them the position, after which you may or may not even have the player you need.
Zach - Still feeling the effects of those concussions with that response? Do you realize you play in Dallas these days? Miami is very high on Paul Soliai, Ferguson's backup. They finally started getting him into the line rotation against New England. Ferguson is a hold the fort guy until Solilai is ready and is not part of Miami's ;ong term plans. All trades during the season are near impossible and will not occur. The odds of a trade between same division teams is not happening, I know that. I proposed a fair trade for both teams that fills a need for each.
