THE NY JETS franchising JAbe...This was an interesting move. Abraham will have to make the adjustment this season from DE to OLB in new head coach Eric Mangini's 3-4 scheme. The Jets are hoping Abraham will fit that DE/OLB hybrid position and can be a guy they can move around to look for potential mismatches. By Jeremy Green Scouts Inc. So we are not looking to trade him??!!??
Well we can't tell the media, "Well we want no interest in Abraham, and we want to trade him." for 2 reasons: 1) It's illegal under the CBA to franchise a guy with the SOLE PURPOSE of trading him. Of course, it happens all the time, but you can't come out and SAY IT. 2) It would KILL his value.
This not a real good analysis by green. He leaves out two valid points: 1. The Jets franchised Abe in order to trade 2. he position he described above is exactly the way Abe was drafted used in his rookie season under Groh. he also dropped into coverage many timesunder Cotrell/Henderson, so it's not completely unfamiliar.
The Abe situation has "Smoke Screen" written all over it... Hopefully they'll trade him for a first rounder and we can grab Cutler along with D'Brick
If it is a first then it will be a low first, so trade down get Deangelo Williams, then go McNeill and Gilles, trade our second for Matt Shaub
Are you sure... did Mangini tell you this, or is that speculation. I seem to remember that he has played there... and was VERY successful there in his Rookie year. I'm curious where you got this new inside info, and no I'm not trying to be a wiseass, I'm truly curious. Ellis
Noo.. see short term memory here... he was used as the RUSH LB in 3-4 situations... he had some problems dropping into coverage... then Parcells left, and along came the 4-3... Ellis
Do you honestly think we are going to play strictly 3-4... I don't... He'll be used, if he's still with the team, much like LT was, and Derrick Thomas was. his sole role on the field was to terrorize the QB, and that will be his role here... believe me, pass coverage will be the least of his worries...
^^ I hope you're right but LT did spend enough time in coverage. It just seems that he is best suited to play DE. Its one thing to drop back in coverage in a zone, its another thing for him to cover a TE, RB or WR in the slot if he needs to. His best position is DE. It's one thing to change something up and show Abe as a OLB every once in a while but if EM is committed to the 3-4 then I think that Abe is gone.
You may be right. I hope that if he stays with the team he will be able to adjust to the LB position and become an elite QB pressure specialist. I don't think he will stay on the team as a franchised player though. He will either be traded or signed long term to help our cap situation.
if Abe is on the team, he will be stricly a rush backer...it will be a rare occasion to see him in coverage... Rare indeed... LT, he didn't drop in coverage very often, neither did Thomas, watch Dallas, Ware rarely plays in coverage as well. Amazing the short memeories here... Ellis
Whats even funnier, and oft over looked, is Dallas drafted Ellis/Abe Clones last year, and is making it work were Ware rarely plays DE... he plays the rush backer position. I wonder who's idea that was to draft them in the first round... Ellis
Though I think its a smoke screen for trading Abe, I WOULD like to see him retained. Hes proven in the past that he can play rush backer with success and I would like to see what he could do next year in the 3-4. But like I said, I think its most likely a smokescreen, and that hes most likely gone :sad:
Abe can't play OLB. He's gone. I predict the Jets will draft either DE prospects Jason Hatcher or Victor Adeyanju who are both big, strong and fast and better suited to a 3-4 D. The question that has not been raised is what will the Jets do with D-Rob? Are they thinking that he can play end in a 3-4? Will they try to trade him or cut him?
Nothing will be done with DRob this season because it would accelerate his cap #'s to this year... He's here until the end of the 2006 season minimum.. Ellis
IMO DRob is fine at NT, not DE. Check out some of the guys around the league...Casey Hampton, 6'1, 320, Vince Wilfork, 6'1, 320...DRob, 6'1, 320. All his tasks would be simplified too and not as much would be required of him. I think its a position at which he could excel
He has proved to be an average DT in this league. He has not done any special to say he will be fine at NT. Also, his chronic knee problems worry me...
