Abraham was terrible. The fact that Jets fans will remember him as one that "got away" is a sad commentary on the observational abilities of this boards members. Consider... Abraham could never play linebacker. He was a one dimensional situational rusher as a rookie. Herm tried to make him a Derrick Thomas fifth rusher type and he couldn't handle the transition. He was immediately moved back to end. Aside from his contract year, Abraham only has two full healthy seasons under his belt. You can't rush the passer if you're not on the field. At 28 years old, guys who have had nagging injuries their entire careers do not suddenly become less prone to injury, so investing big money in guys like that is dangerous. Abraham HAS MISSED JUST UNDER A THIRD OF HIS CAREER DUE TO INJURIES. OVERRATED- Aside from one season, Abraham has never been the premiere pass rusher that many Jets fans valued him as. Last season he had seven games without a sack, including TWO 3 GAME STRETCHES WHERE HE HAD NO SACKS. Championship teams are not built on the backs of players whose greatest skill is their magical ability to disappear before your very eyes. LOOK AT THE NUMBERS- In 2003 nearly half his sacks came in one game, against the Eagles back up tackle, and several of them were coverage sacks. In 2004 Abraham had 7.5 sacks over the season's first 6 weeks. Over the next six weeks, Abraham had 2 sacks. 2 SACKS. In 2002, Abraham had only 5 sacks over the first 11 games before he got hot. This is not a Pro Bowl performance we're talking about. In 2001, Abraham had what I believe was his best season as a pro, with 12.5 sacks. His best game that year came against New Orleans, where he dominated Willie Roaf's backup for 3 sacks. He was a big tease who never really saw his full potential, and I think it's worked out for the best. Whether this new coaching staff could have done anything with him or not is debatable, but really, it's moot. Giving money to the unhealthy and inconsistent is a recipe for disaster. -X-
You guys are being to hard on the creator of this thread. He was simply asking if we missed John Abraham's pass rushing ability; the answer is a resounding yes. He didn't imply that the trade was bad or that he'd rather have Abraham over Mangold. We could use a pass rusher of Abraham's caliber next season. He wasn't overrated at all, by the way, just injured alot. A healthy version of Abraham would be great.
Did the Jets miss what a healthy Abraham can provide? Yes Were the Jets better off dealing him for a #1 (Mangold) and the financial flexibility that came with the move? HELL YES
If he was healthy he would have certainly helped. He is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL (when healthy).
