03/06/2008 5:21 PM ET Jets fill holes in free agency Team addressed key needs but missed Samuel By Michael Salfino / SNY.tv analyst The Jets missed out on Asante Samuel (right), who would have given them a formidable secondary. (AP) print this pageemail this page In my offseason preview, I said the Jets desperately needed to fortify their offensive line at guard and right tackle and that an impact pass rusher was a top priority on defense. The Jets have made dramatic improvements in those areas and imported a new nose tackle. They also shipped out some decent players who clearly were a bad fit for the 3-4 defense Eric Mangini is so stubborn about keeping. If you would have told me the Jets would give more guaranteed money to Cardinals defensive end/outside linebacker Calvin Pace than would have been required to secure All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel (now an Eagle), I would have thought the Jets blew it badly. Pace is still mostly projection and isn't a young player. Samuel is a sure-fire stud, who would have given the Jets the best CB tandem in football for the life of the contract. Perhaps Samuel preferred Philly. If not, this choice seems senseless. I admit that the Jets needed a pass rusher more than they needed a corner. You can find guys like Samuel in the fourth round of drafts (where the Patriots originally drafted him). Impact pass rushers are much more difficult to get cheaply. But I seriously question whether Pace will be an impact rusher. Let's start here before we analyze the Jets' other major offseason moves and speculate on how all this shapes the upcoming draft. Pace was a good player last year, really his first year as a starter. But I don't like paying for projection when it comes to five-year veterans. Yes, there's room for him to grow. Last year was his first in the 3-4 defense and first as primarily an outside backer (who often plays as an end on passing downs in this style of defense). He got significantly better in the second half. But he still played at just a nine-sack level, even in his best half. That's not quite the impact rusher the Jets paid for, considering Samuel was signed for less (guaranteed, which is all that matters). In fact, Pace's 2007 looks a lot like Brian Thomas' 2006, which got him a big contract extension. Thomas rewarded general manager Mike Tannenbaum's faith with two sacks in 2007. Thomas and Pace play the same position, unless Thomas can move to the strong side and play over the tight end. You usually need a real linebacker for that, not a hybrid, pass-rusher type like Thomas. It looked like the Jets were a good bet to use the No. 6 overall pick (or a clever trade down) to get a pass rusher for their system. Usually at that spot, you can get the best tweener in the class. The reason why you play the 3-4 is so that you can get pass rushers relatively cheap (because you don't care if they're undersized tweeners like all those 4-3 teams). Those plans now seem scrapped. They might use Pace and whomever they draft (say, Ohio State's Vernon Gholston or, after a trade down, Auburn's Quentin Groves) as a pass-rushing tandem at linebacker similar to how the Chargers employ Shawne Merriman and Shawne Phillips. But with Thomas still around and highly compensated, they'll likely give him a try first. Thus all signs point to the Jets selecting Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in the first round. Some believe that he's the best player in the draft after running a 4.27 40-yard-dash in a recent workout. But running back is a position you can finesse in today's game. Drafting them high rarely works out given the number of guys who can be had much later in the draft (if they get drafted at all). Think of Green Bay's Ryan Grant, the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw or the Bucs Earnest Graham (just from last year). Even if McFadden pops, you win the NFL by passing better than your opponents. There's zero proof, despite all the conventional wisdom, that running the ball well makes you pass it any better. Of course, you want to run it well whenever you run it and there's no denying that McFadden can be an explosive playmaker. But premium resources like sixth-overall picks are typically better spent in ways that more directly impact your ability to throw it or to stop the opponent from doing so. Besides, with all the coin now spent on the offensive line, why not let someone like Leon Washington or the guy you paid so much for last year, Thomas Jones, run behind it? Offensive linemen like Alan Faneca, whom the Jets made the NFL's highest-paid lineman, typically excel into their mid-30s. So that will likely turn out to be a good signing. I'm less optimistic about Lions-import Damien Woody, who was benched at guard before moving to right tackle for the last five weeks and playing okay. When unmotivated by the prospect of a contract, Woody has mostly been a fat underachiever since leaving New England. On Thursday, the Jets added former Vikings fullback Tony Richardson, a run-blocker extraordinaire. It seems increasingly likely the Jets would like him to pave the way for McFadden like he did for last year's running back ing?nue: Adrian Peterson. The other major move was bringing in Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins to replace Dewayne Robertson at nose tackle in the 3-4. Jenkins has never played nose in this style of defense. He's also battled weight problems in his career, but has been a sometimes-dominant interior player in the not-too-distant past. Forget what you've read about his contract. If Jenkins doesn't work out, the Jets can cut him next year with little impact on their cap. The challenge remains to either get good at passing and stopping the pass, or to get great in one of those areas. I think Samuel could have made them one pass rusher away from being a great pass defense. They should be solid there with these moves and maybe one more via later rounds in the draft. But the chance of them having a good passing offense is unchanged from January; it remains unlikely they will be an above-average passing team. Remember, we don't even know who the quarterback is going to be. If it's Chad Pennington, you know what you get: at best, a weak-armed caretaker. Kellen Clemens has more upside than Pennington (almost anyone does) but could easily be much worse. The Jets continue to pay for Eric Mangini's sin of not turning the reigns over to Clemens after the team was 1-4. Michael Salfino is a nationally syndicated football and baseball columnist and regular contributor to SNY.tv
A lot of that I don't necessarily disagree with. I think if McFadden drops to us then we will take him but I doubt he will last that long. Having said that, I think if Gholston is there we take him despite the Bryan Thomas situation because Gholston is the most talented at that spot. So take him or trade down.
I still think we need another CB, I'd draft one by the 4th round, with Poteat likely gone and Dyson gone.
There is a lot of debate about the level of ability that Samuel. Some, like the writer, believe he is top notch. I have read plenty of others that feel he is a product of the Patriots system. Based on the money the Jets have thrown around, if they really wanted Samuel, they would have signed him. If New England feels they can win without him, that says something as well. As for Pace, his season last year was far more productive than Bryan Thomas' two years ago. You have to look at more than sacks. Pace made 21 more tackles than Thomas. More important, he had 6 passes defensed. He is more effective and comfortable in coverage than Thomas. Pace does more things well and is excatly the type of fit Mangini looks for in his defense.
Reading SNY online is much easier than watching Lance Pants and Butthead try and convey semi-coherent thoughts on TV. WAK wasn't Poteat signed to a one year deal a few months back?
That's an extremely well-written piece and I agree with most of it. I'm hoping the Jets go CB with their #1 at this point.
Cant disagree with the article but i think the jets offered samuel a contract he just chose Philly over N.Y.
I actually disagree with this article a lot. You don’t win by passing the ball. The Patriots – the most prolific passing team in NFL History still did not win the Super Bowl. Why? Because they could not run the ball. There was no balance in their offense and the Giants were able to pin their ears back and rush the quarterback. Yeah, I know they went 16-0 but looking back at their schedule it’s hard not to see why. Look at when the Pats played us. We had them on the ropes. What were they able to do to beat us in the end? Maintain ball control by running Maroney all over us. We could not stop them and they finished out the game. Another team to look at is Denver. They have arguably the best pair of corners in the league with Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly. They were TERRIBLE against the run (30th in the NFL) and missed the playoffs. Of course upgrading our other CB should be a primary goal in the remainder of Free Agency and the Draft, but I disagree that signing Samuel would have made this defense top tier.
1. The Pats won 18 out of 19 games. Not winning 1 game (even if its the biggest one) doesn't mean their strategy sucked/didn't work. 2. They actually could run the ball, they just didn't. They still ran for 4.1 YPC, good for 14th in the league.
So what are you saying? Because it worked for one team (mostly) justifies a winning strategy? Passing has now trumped running the ball?
They also have one of the best QB's of all time and one of the best WR's currently playing the game. That certainly helps. We have neither.
1. I'll reserve comments about Calvin Pace. I initially didn't like the signing with all the money involved, and still don't. I'll bitch about it when it actually turns sour. No point in bitching about it even before the first game is played. 2. You don't win by passing the ball well. You win by maintaining balance between running and passing effectively. At last SB, Pats couldn't do that. They couldn't run on Giants' front seven. So what happens if you can't maintain the balance between running and passing? You become predictable (1) and you are put in bad situations (3rd and 8) where your chance of converting isn't all that great (2). If you become predictable, and forced to convert from 3rd and long too often, you know what is going to happen, so I won't elaborate on that. 3. Picking up Asante Samuel wouldn't have helped the team that much. Secondaries can do only so much - if the opposing QB has all day to throw, then he will. Even Pennington can throw a beautiful long-strider once given time. Sure, "Poteat" is not how you spell a starting cornerback, but you don't have to shell out that kind of money at CB - Revis is a good one to start, and you only need #2 CB, which you can either draft, or pick up through free agency at a reasonable cost. The serious question should be about whether the Jets front seven can generate enough of pass rush to neutralize the offense before the QB can make plays. They plain sucked at that department last season, and the DBs got torched because of it.
I think the no. 6 has to be a cb -- just like we did with Revis. Get a speedy BIG cornerback before he's drafted by somebody else who needs one LIKE NEW ENGLAND!
The pass rush still makes decent CBs great. Thats how the Giants won it all.. get me a 12 Sack, 35 pressures a year guy so that Poteat is a Pro Bowl Alternate
Quote: "...The challenge remains to either get good at passing and stopping the pass, or to get great in one of those areas. I think Samuel could have made them one pass rusher away from being a great pass defense. They should be solid there with these moves and maybe one more via later rounds in the draft. But the chance of them having a good passing offense is unchanged from January; it remains unlikely they will be an above-average passing team...." Samuel said he picked Phila, not the money. He was NEVER an opportunity for the NYJ. We can draft a fast, preferrably BIGGER, CB at No. 6, or we can draft a good pass rusher there. This Salfino disses the running game which I do not like. The running game is the best way to defeat a defense, whether you score by the run or the pass. Until you engage and defeat the DL, you aren't going anywhere. I don't like the NYJ's tendency to pussyfoot physically with the other team. The NYJ CS is showing an interest in accelerating the physical conflict at the line of scrimmage and escalating the beating they can GIVE rather than take with a major FB blocking the way. We need more speed on the outside at WR, this is an undeniable fact. But it can be drafted and cultivated. Forget the middling free agents that were out there this year. The NYJ would do well not waste any time or money on ballet dancers like Trent Green and newbie QBs. We need to develop Kellen into the QB he can be. The best way is to develop mean DLs and OLs who like to smash the guy across the line in the mouth for breakfast, lunch, and supper. The NYJ may be respected for their hearts or minds, but they are not respected for their successfully violent toughness yet. Not NEARLY enough. You are not going to pass the ball well until the other team becomes apprehensive that you might run the ball at them first.
Good to see you, KJ. how's Trix? I agree with the title. The Jets went and tried to fill a few humongous holes through FA.
