I think I'm still OK with the pick. I'm also going to give it more than a couple games. Stephen Hill had two touchdowns his first game, lol. In a world where the Jets tackles were a bit younger, and a bit more healthy, TE would have been fine. With the Jets current tackle situation, I think Fashanu was still the right pick. We'll see him at some point, so we can judge him this year.
The argument for Bowers vs Olu is mainly taking place because we’re looking at it in a very myopic manner, relating the impact of right now. Long term conventional wisdom in the NFL makes it a no brainer, you always take a franchise LT over a TE in the draft. Just about every GM that is faced with that decision is going to take the LT when both are needs. The only thing that would’ve swayed JD to take Bowers is the potential of the immediate impact of the player, but if Smith goes down so does our season if we don’t have Olu (assuming Olu is good as advertised). Carter Warren and Max Mitchell are trash and we can’t have Rodgers running to avoid sacks, he’s old and slow and he’s gonna get hurt.
Regarding the first bold - yes, but this is absolutely a win-now year. Getting to the Super Bowl involves selling out for immediate production during years you think you have a chance to get close. There's very little chance Olu contributes as much as Bowers would've this year. Regarding the second bold - it doesn't really work like that. If we didn't have WMD, we'd have JSN, Zay Flowers, or Jordan Addison. There's absolutely a chance the game wouldn't have even been as close as it was in the first place with one of them. Those guys are all fringe WR1s. We also probably wouldn't have let Huff walk if we hadn't drafted WMD, and Huff is currently a much better pass rusher.
I don't understand drafting for need at 11 and thinking it's for the future. You passed on an elite playmaker. You just hurt your future.
Not if Olu becomes our next D’Brickashaw. Just about every GM in the league will take an OT over a TE when both are a need. The only reason we’re having this discussion at all is because Bowers is a weapon we could use right now.
There's a big picture here as to why we even had to draft an OT and also why we could not take Bowers. It occurred to me while contemplating this, that JD had already invested so much in the TE room that he boxed himself out from Bowers. Recall the gluttonous fuck (I'm a little worked up) added both Uzomah and Conklin at too-high $$ contracts and then used a 3rd to get Ruckert. Furthermore, in addition to other opportunities to get a LT, we traded up for AVT and the #1 pick Minn received they used to get themselves a franchise LT (in addition to two 3rd round picks).
JR really has to start showing something for a 3rd round pick. It was sweet he was a Jet fan growing up and all that stuff, but you gotta produce something my guy
Yes, we're all hoping beyond hope that Joe Douglas all of a sudden becomes really good at targeting offensive line talent in the draft. I think it's more likely that Olu ends up having an actual ceiling of Above Average but time will tell. The pick only works if Olu is elite.
yes if Fashanu is a good player then its a good pick. That's the type of insights you can only find here
and worse it sounded like it wasn't a case of preferring Fashanu for the need/position. The Jets allegedly wanted Odunze and Fashanu was plan B. That means Bowers, the elite playmaker, was plan C at best, maybe even further down in their priority. it was an evaluation error.
I also find it funny that Odunze is underperforming so far, making the Jets' evaluation look even worse. Yes, it's a tiny sample size and largely means nothing, but still funny.
The issue isn’t about who we took. It’s about who we didn’t take and the reasons given to justify not taking him. The dumbest of which was - you never take a tightend that high in the first round. Whoever invented that stupid trope should be bashed over the head with their keyboard annually on draft day. The point of the draft is acquiring talent, not just filling holes. That's my problem with this team. The draft philosophy seems to always be focused on filling holes. Once we fill one, another one opens up somewhere else. It's only been two games, I get that. But if Bowers gets through a full season without injury, he's on pace to lead the league in TE receiving and obliterate the rookie TE record. He also seems to be lifting up Davante Adams' game; not to mention Gardner Minshew, who's miraculously tied for second in league passing while being sacked more than any other QB. At this point in his career, Garrett Wilson should be a top-10 receiver in this league, busting it out going into a contract year. And, our Win-Now QB should have all the tools he needs to, y'know, win now. 25th in passing, but I'm sure he takes great comfort that he's been well protected both on the field and on the sideline.
I'm thrilled to have taken Bowers in the first round of my Dynasty Fantasy Football league draft this summer. Key word is "Fantasy". I am more than happy with the Jets going after linemen time after time for the real world. And by all accounts Old seems like a great guy with tremendous skills. No regrets here.
How well is having a "high impact" player like Garrett Wilson actually playing out so far? How well has it gone so far this season compared to last year? How well of a job do you believe this team has done in fully utilizing his potential? Is this his ceiling, or do you believe he'd be doing more with that talent somewhere else? There is an alternate reality out there where guys like Kyle Pitts get drafted to another team/situation and wildly succeed. Or where I'm not finding myself regretting homer picking Garrett Wilson with my 1st round money league fantasy selection, for a second year in a row, just to watch him be WR40 again in one of the lesser creative offenses in the NFL. This conversation here is not happening within any of those alternative realities. No matter how much people would rather be able to find a short cut around that, and which the Jets prove time and time again that we can't find a magic pill fix for (Rodgers at QB isn't going to be it either).
Yah I was not an Odunze fan at all…same for Penix. Small sample size for sure as I only really just watched the championship game. But my criteria is that great players should play great in big spots. Penix sucked in that game…awful mechanics, piss poor accuracy, just a terrible game. Only one game I know. But I was out on him after watching that game. Same for Odunze…he did not pop out like a superstar…he did not look to me to be in the same league as Nabors or Harrison Jr. Again I know he had a great year, but I just didn’t see much in that game. And only two games in, I don’t think he’s in the same class as those two other guys. I like to say that GREAT doesn’t take long to show up…and in Nabors and Harrison’s cases, they already look to be studs two games in. Granted Odunze is playing with a rookie QB so not really fair to compare, but its also not like the other two guys have superstar QBs either…Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones are not great QBs by any stretch.
Yeah, you said it exactly: 2 games. NFL defenses will adjust and everybody is raw right now. If he's still doing this midway through the season, you could argue that. If Olu locks down that LT position for the next decade, it's well worth it. LT > TE 6 days a week and twice on Sunday. If a Jets tackle goes down it could end the season and Bowers would be irrelevant. Rodgers is the key to going to the playoffs, not Bowers.
I get such a warm feeling knowing that we've locked down protection for the next hole we'll have to fill and have a strong 2024 backup to protect our win-now QB for a really solid 200 yards per game.
