How about this scenario; We get star RB , get him killed , then work on our O line which is going to take more than a veteran lineman to fix and wonder why he won't run like he used to , if hes still in the NFL.
If McFadden falls to us I think it would be a brave desicion not to take him. From what I've seen the guy can be a game winner and he looks set for the number 1 draft slot. Whilst many are holding up logic and and stats to highlight many problems in taking him when he have clear needs at so many positions, how many times have we seen 1 player in a skill position turn an ordinary team into a great one. Logic doesn't always pan out in the NFL. The Jets aren't a bad team and have some extremly good players on both sides of the ball, if and it's a big if, we attack free agency with some purpose the desicion will be made easier.
3-12 says we are a bad team, close games or not. We have a few select players who are already good enough to play at the next level , but we have more holes and deadwood than we have draft picks and cap $$$.
Our cap space aint so bad. Our draft pick situation is looking pretty healthy if we throw in a possible 4th/5th for Kendall and some of the obvious trades that are going to happen with our Veterans and fringe players. 3- 12 deosn't lie but how many players have done themselves justice this year? A possible game winner in the team can spark a new "lets go the extra yard, we can still win this" mentality instead of , "oh f*ck we don't have Curtis no more lets go home".
I hope we sign some of the young FA linemen (Andrews and Bell specifically) so we CAN draft McFadden. I'd still rather go BPA than anything else, and McFadden has been the BPA in this draft from Day 1. It'd be nice to see that. More than likely a good pass rusher will be available in the second (Crable, Ellis, Blake). What's going to suck for us is that we probably won't get a shot at the two best 3-4 DE prospects in this draft (Balmer and Moore).
We may get a shot at Moore with our second. I don't like Balmer personally, I'd prefer Bryant at end over him. I really think that we can be a winning team if Gholston declares and we get him in the first round along with a DE and someone to rotate with Pouha at NT, moving Robertson to the other end. Our secondary is amazing without a pass rush, imagine what it would be like if we could get the same pressure we get with blitzing now with the front three and shooting a linebacker? (Defensively, anyway. Still need at least two new players at LG/RG/RT.)
Balmer's my boy in this draft. High motor, big, athletic, anchors well, can generate a pass rusher...he's a much better player than Bryant. Bryant's praise from me stops at "good size." I'm just not too interested in him. I'd love to have Gholston, but right now this draft is so loaded with good pass rushers that passing up on him doesn't bother me as much. Plus, I'm starting to think he's a little overrated.
Most of the others (Groves for example) are purely speed rushers. I would trust Crable more to the weak side, but that's where Thomas excelled for the first time in his career and I would want him back on that side. Gholston seems like has has the whole package. Excellent bull rusher, excellent speed rusher, great against the run, everything.
If they make the commitment to adding a veteran ol in free agency ie; Faneca, Andrews I believe they do not pass on McFadden if he is on the board. There is absolutely no veteran presence on this line. Also, our Rb's had 4 total tds combined this season which is atrocious. A serious run needs to me made at Suggs this off season also if they care at all about having a legitimate pass rush. This is the first off seaon in a couple of years where we can take advantage of our cap space and players are available to fill primary needs. We need to hit the FA market this off season.
I will say this; the guy is fast. He will still need holes to run through. We have to have our line fixed first before we even contemplate drafting this guy. Let's see, first, if we win or lose today. It makes a huge difference. If KC beats us we could end up #2 or #3. If we win we could move to #4 through #7. If we lose, it is very possible McFadden could be on the table - no guarantee though. If we win, it is very unlikely that McFadden will be there so all discussions become moot. Personally, I want to go into next year feeling like we really tried to address the offensive and defensive lines with quality players. That is the only way we will see a big difference in our play.
True, I've wanted Gholston to the Jets for a while now. I definitely like him better than Chris Long in the 3-4. But as far as drafting goes...unless McFadden sucks at the combine where Gholston will probably shine...McFadden is BPA. If we attack our O-line problem in FA, I think we go McFadden in the first based on that.
Unless McFadden is the next Barry Sanders, he won't do a damn thing behind this OL. It's much easier to build a great OL then it is to find Barry Sanders.
if we get alan faneca in FA and draft mcfadden our running game will be set. I agree that a good RB can make an O-line look that much better. I think TJ makes our O-line look worse. He is not patient and just runs straight ahead with the ball as soon as he gets it. He consistently runs into the back of our O-Lineman instead of cutting it somewhere else where there are some holes. Its not that there are no holes its that our RB isn't finding them. Curtis did this great. He was always patient and waited for a hole to open up. This is something that mcfadden shows in college. He stays patient and bursts through any hole there is. Plus, if we had Faneca, we are dramatically improving our o-line, making more holes open up.
Faneca is bad in pass blocking and has been going downhill this year with his run blocking, ask any Steelers fan.
Even if we shore up the line in free agency, I still think we should draft defense over McFadden. Premium defensive players are harder to find than premium running backs. Don't we all agree on that?
I do agree that McFadden will not help if the line does not improve. I just don't get using this as a rationale to not pick McFadden. The only position that it makes sense to draft an offensive lineman top ten is left tackle. The problem spots on the Jets are left guard and the right side. Does it make financial sense to take a guard or a right tackle? No team in the league would do that. Are we really considering giving up on D'Brickashaw this soon by moving him to guard or right tackle (where he would be awful considering his run blocking skills)? No, McFadden will not be productive without a revamped line, but selecting him would in no way preclude the Jets from improving there.
