Very interesting article. This would have been amazing if they could have pulled this off. But clearly they liked Leinart, and had him rated over Cutler/Clemens. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NY Daily News, May 1, 2006 Deal for Leinart fell short If Jets had been able to make deal with Lions for No. 9 pick, Matt Leinart would have been displaying Gang Green gear instead. The Jets view left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson as the infrastructure for their offense. And after taking him with the fourth pick, they tried to construct a luxury high-rise around him: Matt Leinart. Not long after picking Ferguson and passing on Leinart, the Daily News has learned, the Jets were furiously working the phones Saturday trying to move back into the top 10 to get the USC quarterback. They held serious discussions with the Lions at No. 9, but were unwilling to meet Detroit's price. If GM Mike Tannenbaum had been able to get Leinart to go along with Ferguson, it would have been the the most productive draft day in Jets' history. Predraft speculation was that the Jets had Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler rated over Leinart, but sources insist the Jets had Leinart listed over Cutler. Leinart was definitely whom the Jets were targeting when negotiating with Detroit. The Lions were willing to move down to the No. 29 spot, the second of the Jets' two No. 1 picks, which they had acquired in the John Abraham trade. The Jets offered that pick, plus their third-round pick at No. 71, for No. 9, clearly not enough. But when the Lions demanded the Jets' second-round pick (35th) in addition to the first- and third-rounders, talks broke down and the Lions selected linebacker Ernie Sims. The cost to move up the 20 spots is more than the 29th and 71st picks, and the Jets surely knew that, but their unwillingless to part with the second-rounder didn't leave any room for negotiating. If the Jets had given up those three picks, the Lions would have had to part with a later pick to make things even on the draft value chart all teams use. At the same time they were talking to the Lions, the Jets called the Cardinals, who were picking 10th. But Arizona had no interest in trading. For good reason, of course. They took Leinart themselves. The Jets never were interested in taking Leinart with the fourth pick. They felt they couldn't pass up Ferguson, who plays the most important position on the offensive line. But the Jets obviously liked Leinart enough that they tried to double-dip in the top 10. Even so, passing on Leinart at No. 4 was a mistake. They could have rectified that by making the trade with Detroit. If the Jets had been able to squeeze the Falcons for their own No. 1 pick (15th) in the Abraham trade - they didn't get enough for him - they would have had enough ammunition to pull off the trade with Detroit. Ironically, the Broncos, who wound up with that Atlanta pick in the three-way Abraham deal, moved up from that spot to the Rams' No. 11 spot and took Cutler. The price: a third-round pick, No. 68. The Jets' chances of getting Leinart improved when the Raiders passed on him at No. 7 to take Texas safety Michael Huff, the player the Lions wanted. The Jets never had to worry about Lions GM Matt Millen taking Leinart. Detroit is still having Joey Harrington nightmares. Detroit was the highest team on the board the Jets called. Fifteen years ago, the Jets desperately tried to trade up for Brett Favre. They couldn't get a deal done and Favre went one spot ahead of them to the Falcons. The Jets took Browning Nagle. If Leinart becomes an All-Pro, the Jets will regret passing on him and then not paying enough when they had a second chance. PLUM PICK: Mike Shanahan managed Jake Plummer perfectly last season and made it all the way to the AFC title game. But Plummer imploded in that game with a 66.4 QB rating, two INTs and two lost fumbles. He is not a Super Bowl QB. Enter Cutler. Shanahan never brought Cutler in for a visit or went to Nashville to work him out because he didn't want to tip off other teams. But he relied on Titans coach Jeff Fisher, his good friend, for the scoop on Cutler. Fisher spent a lot of time with Cutler, but drafted Vince Young. ... Now that the Titans have Young, his mentor Steve McNair is on his way out in Tennessee. He's likely to wind up with the Ravens. ... Kurt Warner signed with the Giants two years ago after they drafted Eli Manning. He knew what he was getting into. The Cardinals' situation is different. This is his team. He signed a three-year, $15 million contract in February. But the clock is now running on how long he'll be able to hold off Leinart. This could be history repeating itself for Warner. "Well, it remains to be seen," he said. "Obviously when you've been through an experience like that, it's always in the back of your mind. All I can ask for, and all that's been conveyed to me, is the best player will be on the football field." ... The Texans passing on Reggie Bush is impossible to rationalize. Mario Williams should be an excellent player, but game-changers like Bush come around every 20 years. ... It was a tough draft for USC: Bush slipped to second, Leinart to 10th and Winston Justice (Eagles) and LenDale White (Titans), considered first round picks, dropped to the second round. ... Jeremy Bloom, the Olympic skier/wide receiver-kick returner, was drafted in the fifth round by the Eagles. Originally published on May 1, 2006
Good job not paying #35 + #71 + #29 for #9. That's 75 points overpaid. Of course, we tried to do it for a lot less. If we got Leinart and Ferguson though, the board would have been a lot happier. This is how it worked out: We got Ferguson + Mangold + Clemens + extra 2007 2nd rounder + Schegel + 7th rounder from that deal instead of Ferguson + Leinart. IN other words, is Leinart > Mangold + Clemens + Extra 2nd rounder + Schegel + 7th rounder. I tough call there... but I think we made out.
We did the right think, Clemens has a better arm for the North East and Leinart ended up in the perfect spot for him to look better than he is.
I think they got the man they wanted in Clemens. Mangini believes there are quality players to be had in later rounds, and they were posing themselves to get Clemens all along. This guy to me seems like Belicheck Jr (spelling), he does things almost identical. Hopefully it will equate to our record as well! As for the article, I believe this was done to get some of the heat off the FO for passing on Leinart. Just my opinion though..
He's pretty f'ing good man, so if he's going to look better. I don't buy this weak arm BS. I'd rather Leinart than Clemens, obviously, but when you factor in all the extra stuff. Heck, we got Clemens, Mangold and Schegel with those picks + a 2nd next yr
Would that really be necessary? Everything I have read suggests that people around the league and scouts think we had a great draft...
I agree. However, just looking at the posts of some people on this board, there are plenty of naysayers! This perhaps will shut some of the ignorant people up.
You know when you were a kid and you cut school and took your moms car for a drive with your friends and felt like you were living an "after school special"? Well with Matt Lienart I sort of felt the same way lol. I cant get the fact that he already had surgery before he even became a pro out of my mind. That coupled with his arm strength (or lack of) made me get that "Oh my god we will screw the team for 10 years with this pick" feeling. I could not be happier with our picks.
Did you see his face when we passed him up? He was so confident we would pick him, he looked like he was about to hurl.
I actually felt bad for him lol. But I had a strange feeling Mangini wasnt about to take a QB without having a deffinate way to protect him first. WOW! That must be a new concept over at Weeb Hall LOL!!!! hehe Hmm protect your starting QB? I LIKE IT!
Leinart is going to get picked off more than a scab in a leper colony. He's far from impressive. He had an assload of talent around him, and let's be honest folks, college level is college level. I don't care if it's a pro-style, it's not the NFL. Like authentic fake wood panelling on the side of a 74 pacer with bald tires......it looks like wood....but it ain't! When I was a kid my daddy used to lock me in the chicken coop and say , son there's kool-aid in there you just need to catch it. It's tough. Very tough. I cut myself and then put a balm on it and he said....you used a balm? Who told you to use a balm? I didn't tell you to use no balm, and you don't use a balm unless I say to use a balm! Now get to the back of the bus ya little runt.
Leinhart will be great In ARIZONA He is perfect FOR THEM But that does not mean we should have drafted him. He has a much better chance for success in Arizona than New York. He has weapons and they are young. The weather would be good for him as well. He fits into their scheme, not ours
Well put.. However, I still think he is bitter for being passed up. Not many endorsements coming out of Arizona! I'm willing to eat crow for this, but I think we have another Ryan Leaf in the making.
Yeah, kudos for the breakdown. I liked to watch Leinart play college ball, but he had a way above average line blocking subpar PAC-10 DLs allowing him to have all the time he wanted to make passes. When pressure is beating down on him, I think he'll struggle.
I think we did ok. We didn't get the sexy picks, but we made pretty solid ones. Now we just have to wait and see.
