It's looking more and more like Adalius Thomas is going to be a Jet every day. The only way I don't see that happening is if the Patriots can trade him.
Damn this is so tough, I really really hate this offseason, so many limitations, this uncapped year came at the worst time for us. We will still be a good team, but I'm all about the foundations, OL and DL are most important to me in terms of having good players, depth and stability. The DL has depth, but the starters are all old, if Jenkins wasn't so injury prone I wouldn't worry, but we really need a better NT then Pouha. Don't get me wrong he did well, but we need someone who can be as effective as Jenkins or at least closer to then Pouha, and then he can be shaped to eventually replace Jenkins. Also Ellis is getting old, and Douglas really wasn't anything special, this DL needs big young 3-4 linemen. Otherwise we will see more 6-8 man blitzes getting minimum pressure, which makes me want to pull my fucking hair out. This league is getting pass happy and we need to get our pass rush dominant first before anything else on defense.
Definitely have faith in Tanny/Rex to grab BPA and like others have said it should be a CB, DE or OLB. I definitely see a premium def player taken with our first pick. Our second pick is up for grabs...may even be a position we don't anticipate a la the D. Keller pick...
It will be BPA, and it will be a defensive player or maybe an OL. I hope its an OL, since that is the oldest part of the team. LG and RT are a year away from needing a replacement. Fanceca turned it on in the playoffs and kicked ass, but the older these guys get the more they break down. the Jets need a guy who can step in soon without the OLs production noticeably slipping. Sanchez is now the most important part of this team, not the defense. Protect the shit out of him.
Both of our lines are old. At least we have a little bit of youth on the offensive line with Ferguson and Mangold...plus Slauson, Turner, and Hunter are younger guys that provide decent depth. I wish I could say the same for our defensive line. Mike DeVito is the only guy under 30 that really contributed in 2009. Hopefully Ropati Pitoitua will continue to develop - he looks promising. I agree that this is Mark Sanchez's team now. Rex Ryan will put a damn good defense on the field no matter who is out there. It's time to build around Sanchez. Rex Ryan has no problem picking and choosing from all the outcasts in the league, because he loves those type of players. I can't wait to see what kind of diamonds in the rough he brings in over the next couple of years.
So in other words, you are hoping for mr. Iupati... to be honest at this point, I have no preference between guys like Iupati, Kyle Wilson, Golden Tate/Damien Williams, Brandon Graham, Dan Williams, Mt. Cody and a few others I am forgetting... We are in a good place where we do not need to reach for player to fill a specific need, we can select talent at nearly any position and put it to use. The best scenario would be to select a young DL to groom behind Ellis/Jenkins which is our weakest position, but we do not need to reach for anyone in particular...
I just want a placekicker who can kick more than a handful of touchbacks a year. Is that too much to ask for? Remember John Hall in the year before they moved the kick-offs back?
Iupati may not even be around when its time to pick. There are plenty of 3-4 DEs to be plucked from the pile at 29. Those lines need help, even though they are the strength of this team.
Either an LB or a DE who can really rush the passer. The guys we have are just so-so. We may not get someone like that at 29. I would like a safety who can make WRs wet their pants.
