yeah it is either that or those fans want to see the Jets finally win a Sb and know that signing a dominant defensive player who can do anything and everything on a football field helps them reach that goal.
Yeah but one player making up a large percentage of your salary cap does not win a superbowl. They key for this organization is building up the lines on both sides of the ball so that the team can be competitive every year. If you want to spend a ton of money and make an all out run at a superbowl this year go root for the redskins.
Noone is suggesting to build a team through FA, which is what the Redskins do. The Redskins don't sign one big FA that fits there team perfectly, they sign every FA and ignore the draft completely. Damn I'm so sick of hearing the Redskins brought up constantly, the comparison doesn't fit.
It fits because the best teams in the league year in and year out don't overspend for free agents. They may go out and sign free agents but they never get into a bidding war because the good organizations know that depth is the key and that you build depth through the draft and cheap free agency signings. Do you honestly believe with our run defense being as bad as it is that signing one linebacker is going to change things? Wouldn't it be better to either hold onto that cap space or use that money on defensive lineman? I also don't see this huge need for an OLB. Hobson and Thomas both played very well and both of them are versatile players that can play the run, rush the passer or drop into coverage. Why do we need to replace either of them with a guy getting $7 million a year who might be better but he's certainly not Lawrence Taylor, Richard Seymour or Dwight Freeney. Imagine how much better our defense would be with a dominating nose tackle? We could slide Robertson over to end in the base 3-4. And then you have the same 4 linebackers starting as last year and they will be that much better with a huge 2 gapper in the middle. If this was next year and our defensive line was set and we had plenty of cap space then I might be for signing Thomas but we are a long way from throwing money at linebackers when we don't even have a good defensive line.
Maybe if there was a Dlineman as good as A.Thomas available I would agree but there is not. I happen to disagree with you, I think upgrading the pass rush is as much of a need if not more than upgrading the run D. Where are you going to find a dominating NT? Bringing in a guy as talented as A. Thomas is never a bad thing, he is a great run defender as well which will help our run D & will free up the draft to maybe find that dominant NT that we need. We will either sign A. Thomas or spend one of our first 3 picks on an OLB, I'd rather sign the best defensive player available then use the draft for other needs..
Because upgrading the pass rush is a major need & in a 3-4 D the pass rush is coming from the OLB. I think Mangini wants to move Hobson inside and upgrade the OLB position. You didn't answer my question.. where are we getting that dominant NT from?
I agree, this team needs to make some improvements on the defensive side of the ball in order to stay competitive next year. They need a NT, rush OLB, and a CB...2 of the 3 can be likely be added in the first two rounds of the draft, but trying to get three rookies to play such integral roles of the defense is asking too much. I personally would rather see Clements, since I feel the learning curve for a rush LB is a lot shorter than that of a cornerback, and there will probably be more value in LB then there will be at CB by the time picks 25 and 37 roll around. That said, is going after Thomas a bad choice? No. He's an ALL-PRO...how can adding an all-pro at a position of need hurt at all?
No idea, wish I had the answer to that, I think our front office has to be active in free agency and in the draft and get 2 or 3 lineman or hope they can fill that hole. The Casey Hamptons, Jamal Williams and Vince Wilforks of the world don't grow on trees. My personal feeling is that Mangini wants the ILB to be Vilma, Barton and Schlegel. Hobson proved to be a better player at weakside in a 3-4 then he was playing strong side in a 4-3 which is more similar to ILB in a 3-4. While I understand the need for a pass rusher in the 3-4 from OLB I look at how the Pats have built there pass rush from the d line. Warren, Wilfork and Seymour can pretty much generate a pass rush by themselves. I think having two outside linebackers that keep the offensive line guessing about where the pass rush is coming from is equally important. I think with Hobson at weakside and Thomas at strong side on any given play either one could blitz or drop into coverage. If you bring in a Merriman or Ware type player all of a sudden that guessing game is over. You know as an offensive lineman that 98 out of 100 plays that Merriman is coming. When you play the Jets your not sure who is coming so it keeps the qb and the protection guessing. So while I understand the value that those pass rushers bring to a defense and the disruption they can bring as pass rushers I believe that having a great defensive line is more important then having a great pass rusher.
That is the thing with A. Thomas and why I think he is such a perfect fit for this D. He could do it all, he isn't just a pass rusher although he could rush the passer with the best of em. He was literally covering Chad Johnson, that is how good he is in coverage. The guy is an animal on the football field. In the end I think this conversation will become moot because I think this rumor will end up being true & he will sign in SF. I do agree that we need to upgrade our Dline as well, I just don't see anyone available in FA that is as good a fit or as good of a player as Thomas.
I agree that he is very good. I'm certainly not trying to knock his abilities. I just think that the Jets need defensive lineman a lot more then linebackers and then spending that kind of money for a linebacker who is 29 will wind up hurting them. I would rather they draft 2 defensive lineman and sign 2 big defensive lineman and then as the line as is progressing if they see that they want to upgrade that OLB spot they can address it. I just feel like the biggest needs on the field right now are NT, RT, RG, and LG and that those positions are much more important to upgrade then signing a linebacker. But I certainly understand your point, and I wouldn't complain if they signed him I'm just looking at this team as a more long term view and I feel like the best way to get and stay good is to build up the lines in the draft year after year.
It's tose of us that WANT to win a SB that know that overpaying for players doen't help you get there. He's a very good player, he's not worth a $20 mil SB. I'd like him if he comes reasonable but if not it would be in our best interests to pass.
Well Junc, so much for your theory that good teams don't break the bank for FAs. Reports are that A. Thomas will be a Patriot in the next 24-48 hours.. Well at least we will still have a cap flexibility.. Yipeeee
Reports are? There are reports on every FA, don't buy any info until a dealm is official and even if they did what does that mean? NE's dynasy is fading, they are getting desperate. Let's see if they win after making moves like this, in the past they ahve won and they haven't made moves like this- I'd rather follow the dynasty formula they used than the post-dynasty formula.
In 03 they signed their two highest priced FAs in Colvin and Harrison and won the SuperBowl that year....
How is it that Jets fans forget the Antione Winfield fiasco. Players are signed until they are signed and announced at a press conference. However, I disagree with you about the Pats. They played in the AFC Championship game last year, so I don't think their "dynasy is fading." I think they learned last year that there is no sense ending the year with $5mm - $7mm in cap money when you were a player or two away...specifically at linebacker...from making the super bowl. Furthermore, the Pats have two 1st rounders and a decent amount of cap space. If they can sign A.Thomas, draft an OLB and CB that can contribute and get a WR from somewhere, they will be one of the Top 3 teams in the AFC going into next season. Signing a "big name" FA isn't against the "Pats way," just that it has to be a big need and they aren't willing to overspend. In the past they signed Rosey Colvin and Rodney Harrison. (Harrison was a June 1st cut, but that was only b/c they could spread the bonus acceleration over two years by waiting to release him. While he may not have been signed during the early FA period, he was a "big name" signing.)
Harrison got a $2.5 mil signing bonus(he was a player viewed on the downside of his career) and Colvin $6 mil. Neither broke the bank the way Thomas will.
the yanks made 2 WS after their dynasty ended and then were a game away from the WS a year after their last WS appearance. I don't mean they will suck but their Championship days are getting further and further away from them and that is why they are looking at making an "un-Patriot like" move. Harrison was a big name considered past his prime and he wasn't expensive, colvin was a guy most football fans didn't know alot about and he also didn't break the bank. Thomas is looking to break the bank.
Your playing the silly semantics game again. Colvin was the top rated FA that year just like Thomas is this year. The money is only greater because the cap is greater. Your quote "Let's see if they win after making moves like this, in the past they ahve won and they haven't made moves like this-" has been proven wrong. They have signed the top FAs in the past and have won. Move along....
It's very debatable whether their dynasty is fading. As far as their formula changing, it has to when the salary cap increases.
