I think I might cry if we took a RB in RD 1 and he wasnt hyped like Adrian Peterson or Trent Richardson. We need to go LB/OL. Considering we are probably dumping Pace and Scott and Slauson and Moore are declining. And if we trade up, oh man....
1)Trenches 2)Trenches 3)Trenches 4)... You get the picture... (also trenches mean DE/OLB pass rusher to all the haters) With what were stuck with at QB Build and protect & GET READY TO INSERT A ROOKIE QB DOWN THE ROAD what we have and hope he matures and manages the game better until we can drop him... Also get this defense into the QB's face... I am up in the air which to believe or want 3-4 or 4-3 I know we are a multiple D but still it has not worked and been in decline for the past 2 years... If you can have a Team ready for a rookie QB I.E 09 things can fall in place if you draft correctly Problem is we dont draft efficently
You think Tannenbaum and Ryan will both be back? No chance of that, 1 will for sure be gone as GM and Ryan probably toast also. We shall see
We need to keep Revis. With Revis back next year we'll be back to the best defensive backfield in the league. We need to leave that alone. We should keep (and restructure) Harris since we're likely to have lots of change at LB next year with Scott and either Pace, or Thomas going. I think our LB will be Harris, Davis, Pace and a 1st or 2nd round draft pick next year. We should draft two OLBs this year (one who can start and the other who we can develop) and try to get a real Free Safety into the mix. Bell is old and we miss Leonard. DL is still not where we want it to be despite investing heavily, not sure what we can do there except letting the new guys develop and hoping for better in year 2/3 for Coples/Ellis. I think this approach will give us continuity with what's good about our defense while plugging some key holes that will give us a better pass rush and leave us some picks to address some of our offensive issues. Regarding Hugh Douglas, the reason we got rid of him is because rather than resigning Douglas Parcells opted to use the money on Curtis Martin and get him away from a division rival, good move I think. Parcells was great, we need to bring him in as a consultant, he'll shape us up on no time. In one year he took a 1-15 Jet team with no talent and found a way to make us a contender. Only bad move he made was not committing to Archie Manning that he wouldn't trade Peyton Manning away after he picked him with the number one overall pick. Peyton stayed in school and went to Indy #1 the following year.
How to realistically make us a contender in one offseason? Disclaimer: It's a salary cap game and we are locked into Sanchez (If cut, we freeze $17 million in cap money) and Holmes (If cut, we freeze $11 million in cap money) - so them being traded or released is not an option. Jets have some horrible contracts out there and we have to unload some veterans: Pace - 8.5 million Jason Smith - 12 million (will renegotiate. that money is a bonus due for a bad rookie contract and he will be cut if he doesn't) Scott - 7 mil That's $28 million in space. probably 26 if we keep Smith. Add Free Agents on the cheap: 1) Mendenhall - injury year. 2) Bowe - bad numbers but with a bad qb. physically elite #1 WR body 3) Levitre - solid guard. manageable contract 4) Shaun Philips - old but a good fit in the 3-4 for a year. 5) Shawn Merriman - old but a good fit in the 3-4 for a year 5) Ray Mauluga - huge win. locker room. compliment to Harris on inside Re-sign Laron Landry before end of season, Mike Devito, Yeremiah Bell, Nick Folk. Keller only if he gets no interest. He's not worth more than 2.5 million a year. Keep Austin Howard and Jeff Cumberland (if Keller goes) Draft Chance Warmack OG - Alabama - (Todd McShay says he's the best guard he's seen in the last decade) AND possibly trade down in first round for extra draft pick and still get him Draft TE (if Keller is out) or LB in rounds 2 or 3: O 2013: QB: Sanchez RB: Mendenhall/Powell WR: Bowe/Holmes/Hill/Kerley TE: Rookie? Maybe Keller OT:Brick/Smith/Howard OG: Warmack/Levitre C: Mangold D 2013: DL: Wilkerson/Pouha/Devito/Ellis LB: Harris/Coples/Maualuga/Phillips/Merriman S: Landry/Bell/Smith CB:Revis/Cro/Wilson This is solid and can contend. The real key is limiting Sanchez and use him like Harbaugh used Alex Smith in SF. We should consider making their QB coach OC and cutting losses with Sporano This actually can be done in one offseason.
^ I think your numbers on the cap are way off. We have to cut all those guys just to make it under the max. See this thread: http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=75602
The Steelers wouldn't have given up on Mendenhall if they thought he had much left. Some guys really can't take the pounding and Mendenhall has been going downhill since the 324 carries his third season. Add in that he's not a good outlet receiver and the Jets would be in the same situation they are in now with two one-dimensional backs rotating and nobody reliable for third down. Shaun Phillips is going to sign somewhere for about 5-6 million for next year. He might get more than that depending on the suitor. He's going to be 32. Pass. Shawne Merriman has never played a full season. He hasn't played anything approaching a full season since 2009. Not For Long. Jason Smith is a cut for talent reasons. The cap number makes it obvious but he's not a good tackle. He has no place on the team. Howard is a place-holder at this point with one more camp to try to make the leap to real contributor. If Maualaga goes free i guess the Jets could do a lot worse than sign him. I don't really see him going free at this point but I don't follow the Bengals at all and maybe he has worn out his welcome there due to the fines and DWI's.
Two problems: 1. cutting those guys saves 28 million, but we are over the cap so it only puts the team $11M under the cap. 2. Your salary guesses are way off on those FA. Merriman and Phillips both are unlikely to take a significant paycut from their current 4 and 4.5M deals respectively. Bowe made $9.5 this year and likely won't take much of a cut from there. Levitre and Maualuga are the top FA at their respective positions, and should see $5M a year minimum.
