While I don't disagree with the premise, there's a major difference between Chad Johnson and Javon Walker. You can argue if the upgrade is worth the price (salary and trade), but there's no denying Chad represents a pretty decent upgrade over Coles/Cotchery. The same can't be said for Walker.
Chad Johnson solves none of the Jets problems. When he can protect the passer, open holes for the running game, rush the passer, or plug the run, then he would be a great offseason pick up. With an improved OL, I find it hard to believe that Cotchery wont put up another 100-200 yards and 5-6 more TDs (if they throw to him in the red zone, which they did not do at all this year), which puts him in the same neighborhood as Johnson. Too many fans are fixated on skill players when it should be clear by now that the success of skill playeres depends almost entirely on the OL, and the Jets OL is terrible. Fix the OL, then worry about the Chad Johnson's of the world.
or do BOTH instead of one or the other. for example: try to trade for Johnson (maybe Vilma and a pick or Vilma and Coles?) AND sign an OL and draft and OL.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo unless we trade mccariens for him
The Jets don't have enough draft picks and cap room to trade for Johnson, pay him his large salary, and fix all the holes on the OL and defense. Coles and Cotchery are just fine and will be just fine with an OL that gives the QB time, a running game to keep the defense honest, and better QB play. Why, when the Jets got pushed all over the place on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, would the Jets chase a player like Johnson when they have two very good wideouts right now??? Meanwhile, the Jets need 2 guards, a right tackle, a nose tackle, a 3-4 DE, an edge pass rusher, and LBs. There is no way the Jets can fill all of those holes with free agents and the crap shoot that is the draft. Chad Johnson would be a waste of draft picks and money right now. The Jets are not the 2006 NE Patriots who clearly needed wide receivers to fill out their team. The Jets are a mess.
An elite wide receiver who commands double teams like Johnson does help an o-line (can't afford to blitz as often), helps the running game (can't put eight in the box) and takes attention away from Cotchery (see T.J. Houshmandzadeh). The difference in offensive production when Coles was out with injury should show the impact a WR can have. In the five games Coles didn't play, the Jets had three offensive touchdowns. In the 11 games Coles did play, the Jets scored 18 touchdowns. To ignore that type of difference is absurd. As good as Coles is, he isn't close to the player Johnson is. Would Johnson alone fix the offense? Of course not, that not mean you dismiss the opportunity to obtain a game-breaker if one is available. Too many people want to blame all of this team's problems on poor line play. While that is a definite problem, the glaring lack of elite talent on this team is damning. Look at this roster, how many players would qualify as the top 5 or top 10 at their respective position? With this lack of overall talent, the Jets are in no position to be ignoring any Pro Bowl caliber players that are available, regardless of position.
The Bengals are a terrible organization, but I don't think even they're stupid enough to ditch Ocho Cinco and keep Marvin Lewis. Lewis has proven himself a terrible head coach incapable of managing his talent, and you really don't want to alienate Carson Palmer. -X-
