I'm thinking the FO/CS wants to see if Clemens can win the starting job in TC first, then i'm sure they will be talking with his agent during the season, and depending how he plays, lock him into a contract. All this being said, my money's on Ratliff.
Right now the only thing sick about our defense is the utter lack of a consistent pass rush, and you can pinpoint that condition to our non-impact defense ends. Rex and the new recruits will help a great deal, but if those two positions are not upgraded, any hysteria that Rex can scheme up will not last as the season wears on. I say build the "killer" defense first, don't draft a QB or WR, fill in the missing pieces and get at least one side of the ball truly dominant. In addition to defense ends in the Seymour-mold, you're gonna need a young stud NT to give Jenkins a breather. Jenkins disappeared the last 1/4 of the season and he's an injury risk at that size and age.
In a perfect world, Ratliff wins the competition, proves that last preseason was no fluke, and comes in seemingly out of nowhere to light up the league.
In a perfect world, Clemens is the starter and does well, but is injured after 8 games. Ratliff comes in and does even better, leading the Jets into the playoffs. After the season, we trade Clemens to a NFC team for a 2nd round pick, and Ratliff leads us to the playoffs for several years. Note: Even in a perfect world I can't guarantee a Jets SB win.
