RB Situation

Your right. The quantity of quality at the RB position is very good. I dont think we really need a RB this year by any means, but I would not be against it either. I am a big fan of 3 specific runners coming out this year. Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, and Mike Hart. I am for any of those three guys, and they each of their own strong areas that appeal to me.

 

Given the amazing depth of this RB class, definately so. There will be some great ones available in the later rounds.

It's economics, supply is far greater than demand in this draft. Beware of fallings RBs...

 

I actually would love to see Ray Rice as a Jet....

I think he will go too high though.

I could deal with him in the late 3rd or later.

 

With all the great talent around him, he could fall to Day 2 IMO as long as he doesn't light it up in the pre-draft workouts.

 

Good post. While it may be the one position where the Jets are in good shape, depth is not bad thing. If we are looking at quality depth we probably need to make that selection in the third round. But I would like to wait until after the third round for a RB.

 

honestly, i wouldn't mind mcfadden's backup felix jones either or even steve slaton. damn, many quality backs.

 

I wouldn't mind a late round RB to be picked up, but I also wont be surprised if the Jets wait and pick up someone who goes undrafted. There should be a few that don't get drafted that will have a chance of being an NFL player.

 

look at the giants with bradshaw this would a good idea for them to draft a back in the 5 or 6 round

 

We should definitely pick one up in the third or forth. If Jones or Washington go down with a career ending injury, we'd be in big trouble. Next year will be the worst RB class in NFL history. There all coming out this year.

 

well if anybody on the starting squad gets a career ending injury, we are still screwed, not just if a back goes down...

 

If we can get Hart or someone else in the third round or so (not Hart probably), then I would supposrt it. The question is: what body type do we need? I'd like a speedster that weighs like 220lb. I know the guy right now, he is in the CFL.

Anyway, if we take an RB that's not a "name" guy, I's like a speedster with some size, or a Brandon Jacobs-esque monster that we hope will be a surprise like Jacobs was.

 

Depth

You can never have too many good skill players. How many teams survive the season with the same starting RB that began the season? I don't think it's a luxury, we need another good young RB to provide depth and insure us against an injury to Jones or Leon. Maybe w/ one of our two 4th rounders...

 

Good post and a good idea. I'd try to pick up good value on Day Two, especially if we trade out of the #6 spot to somebody who is willing to pay through the nose with multiple picks. This would be a good chance to build for the future and not have to address it next year.

 

First of all, how are we set at Running Back? Jones proved nothing and Leon has yet to carry the full load. He may be a Brian Westbrook-esque player for us but I doubt we'll ever know.

That said we should absolutely look at RB this year. Also, along the same lines we should look at WR. With the amount of juniors to declare at those positions and the lack of needs throughout the league there will be a bunch going between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. If you look around the league, only seven teams have a need for RB in the first round (Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Oakland, Seattle, and Tampa Bay. Either Atlanta or Oakland will draft McFadden, Houston and Dallas will almost certainly draft a RB and Chicago, Seattle and Tampa Bay may or may not. So that is 3 locks and 3 maybes, lets say 4 go in the first round. Speculatively, I would say McFadden, Stewart, Slaton and Mendenhall. That leaves Jones, Hart, Rice, Choice, Johnson as 2nd round looks and Forte, Forsett, Patrick, Torain, and Little as 3rd rounders. Those are all potential starters (obviously some more so than others).

The matter gets even better at WR. Historically, the "best" WR classes have yielded 6-7 picks in round 1. This year isn't being tabbed as great so maybe 3-4 go in round 1. Let's say Jackson, Sweed, Doucet, Manningham. That leaves big and fast receivers like Kelly, Bowman, Hardy, Hall, Bennett, Douglas, Monk, Caldwell and Urrutia. All potential fits for the Jets.

We need OL and DL desperately, but the value is in the skill positions. Assuming we don't get OL or DL in round 1, which looks likely, it might be worth our while to go WR/RB in rounds 2 and 3 or find a way to trade back in round 1 or trade a pick in ;09 to get a couple more picks in this range.

 

I have to take exception to this and in fact, find the statement a bit bizaare. How much more does Thomas Jones have to "prove," after having helped the Bears to a Superbowl? Behind our dismal line, no one could have done better, so stating he "proved nothing" is misevaluating, IMO.

And Leon has yet to carry the full load? Since when was he supposed to be an every down back to begin with? He's done nothing but work his ass off since he got here, especially this year with his punt returns after Miller couldn't go. So to state he isn't "carrying a full load" is also a mistatement, IMO.

I'm not saying we're "set at RB" though, because you're really never set with just two guys, which is why we need to nose around for the future. But I think what the originator of the thread meant was, compared to other positions and needs, we're relatively "set" at this position.

 

Just look at the Chargers, their third string running back is Darren Sproles, who could probably at least compete for a starting job on a few teams... and they reap the rewards every time LT gets bumped... there's no reason not to grab a late round RB prospect in a draft class this deep.

 

Although I like Jones, with all the depth in the draft this year, I wouldn't mind seeing what I could get for him in a trade, and pick up a RB in the middle rounds.