You guys are missing the point. RB is about the LEAST of the Jets needs this offseason. The draft picks should be spent on the D-line, secondary, and O-line.
He's a RB that hasn't even hit his prime yet. Not many of those guys around and enough of the BACKUP RB BS. Every RB in the league would be THE BACKUP if LT was on their team.
Their biggest need on offense is by FAR a right side of the offensive line. There's a player on the Philadelphia Eagles named Brian Westbrook who is in the exact same mold as Leon. With an o-line, Leon can easily be a feature back.
IMO a runstopping NT/DT is their biggest need. I will be very disappointed if Samuel doesn't get signed because of money (unless his demands are truly outrageous). The Jets have cap room, and this guy would fit in to their defensive system perfectly. Weakening the Pats is of course an important bonus, and pissing off BB is just the icing on the cake. Edit: and I agree with Brooks Brady above that their biggest need on offense is at RG/RT.
I agree with you, Brooks, although I'm not sure RB is the LEAST of our needs. But I'd definitely address finishing up the reconstruction job on both lines and getting some real talent in the secondary. I'm 95% sure Tangini will be thinking this way also, even before addressing RB. And Westbrook is a good example. You could sign Pee Wee Herman as RB if you've got a good enough line. Look at Regie Bush yesterday. Even he had trouble most of the day... and why? Because his line very often kept collapsing and the Bears stuffed the run at the LOS. Even Superman couldn't have gotten yardage running into that kind of traffic. It all starts with the lines.
I love Leon but let's face it, he's not an every down back. Situational, yes, but we're going to need a punishing, every-down back. I'm just not sure we need to be addressing this through the draft, especially before we address finishing the work we started on the lines and getting ourselves a legit second corner.
Tully Banta-Cain is not the pass rush specialist that we need....he will be solid depth and knows the system though, so if he wants a nice contract I can't see us signing him as he is not an upgrade over any of our lb's.
You say that with an air of finality like there can be no argument against you. The truth is that no one knows for certain if Leon can be a feature back. We only gave him 20 carries twice and both times he had over 100 yards. He single handedly won the Miami game for us. Like most rookies including Maroney for the Pats, he did hit the "rookie wall" at the end of the yuear a bit and was not as effective between the tackles. Early in the season he did flash some ability between the tackles. He is a DYNAMIC runner in open field. And don't use the "size" card on him either. He is short, but NOT small and there is plenty of precedence for players of his size becoming feature backs in the NFL. Our run blocking was sub-par this year. We need to address that. We need a better blocking FB (Pociask may be able to fill this role next year) Leon did everything the Jets asked of him to do. He has EARNED the right by his performance to be given the chance to become the feature back for the Jets. From the things that Tangini has said, and their general philosophy I expect him to be given that chance. No one can say definitively either way whether he will be able to do it, but right now there are as many signs pointing to him being able to do it as not. So many people declare "he is a change of pace back, not a feature back" like it is an argument ending truth that cannot be debated, it's just silly.
I meant that RB was the least of the pressing needs. I think it could be up there because it's not a certainty by any means but I think some more players are needed on both lines, at a pass-rushing OLB spot, and in the secondary before even thinking about RB in the draft. I think we need to find out what Leon can really do when given the bulk of the carries and being involved in more plays before we can just dismiss him as a "change of pace" back.
No, here I disagree with you. I think we already know what we have in Leon Washington. He's had enough carries... we don't need to anaylize this to death by going into next season for a second look. I'm not for delaying a decision on him 'till then. He's clearly a "scatback." His size tells you he'll never be a punishing, up-the-middle RB and there have been a number of plays this year in which that's exactly what we tried to use him for (too many, IMO). His strength is not getting bogged down in clogged-up traffic. Using him that way is a waste. Yes, if our line had opened it up a bit more and made a bit more daylight, he might have had more yards, but his strength is his juking, particularly in open-field, one-on-ones. Give me a Brandon Jacobs clone to punish and change the pace and use Washington for situations. That, to me, is the ideal way to use Washington.
You're drinking too much Jets Kool Aid. If you want them to be a Super Bowl contender, not a surprise the league, 10-6, weak schedule team, then you have to get a featured back and have Leon be a dynamite, 3rd down, situational back.
LT, Barber, Westbrook, Barry Sanders, Warrick Dunn and many others are/were tremendously successfull feature back without being a punshing up the middle RB. It is not a requirement for success at RB, just one way of being successfull. It is not a good argument against Leon being a feature back.
We need to shore up both lines starting with the Defense this off season. We are still not superbowl ready. To be able to compete we need a D-line that can put pressure on the Brady's and Peyton Mannings of the world. Finish our lines this year then go for a Running back the next year. We are not ready to beat the big boys yet and an avg back can be great with a great o-line. The Broncos do it every year!
You have a point. Tiki is not a big person by any means. But if you're going to build your running attack around the likes of Washington, you've got to have other, almost idyllic surroundings. I'm saying I know it's not impossible for a small back like Leon to succeed in this league, but if you assign percentages to his chances of being our "feature back," you're limiting your chances of success, IMO. What is it about having two distinctly different running games is it so hard for people to grasp? Clearly Mangini sees this in his "RBBC" approach. I love Leon... really love what he brings to the table, but come on now, fellas! We need that one-two punch! Think how much our running attack improves with two distinctly different running styles!
From the NEWARK STAR LEDGER: In defeat, Samuel returned an interception for a touchdown and batted away two other passes while holding Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison to four catches for 41 yards. Samuel's interception gave him three in this postseason, tying him with Hall of Famer Willie Brown for the highest career playoff total. He has returned three of his four career playoff interceptions for TDs. Samuel, who had 10 interceptions in the regular season, had two picks in the postseason. He has a total of 19 interceptions, regular season and postseason, in a four-year career. He wants big money. He said the Patriots have balked. "We've talked about a new contract," Samuel said last week. "What they offered isn't even worth discussing. It's disappointing. You want to believe they know what you've done, so you hope for the best, but you end up feeling underappreciated. You feel disrespected, especially how they come at you with so much negative stuff. "I took it personally, at first. You'd think I would have been around this team long enough to realize it's all about business." The Giants and Jets, looking to improve their secondaries, could make bids for Samuel.
I'd be ecstatic if we could land both turner and samuel. pick up a lamar woodley figure in the second and a run blocker in the second. sounds like a plan. if your not convinced on turner, you could check out arguements on him at JI. a poster with a lot of credibility, green eggs and ham, would defintely give up a first for turner. (i think he might even be a poster here?)
