We didn't expect a splash last year and ended up with Holmes, Cromartie, LT, Taylor, and Folk. This year we didn't expect a splash and ended up resigning nearly getting Nnamdi. Moral of the story: Don't doubt Mr. Tannenbaum. :smile:
We essentially resigned our team from last year. No real major addition besides the swap of Braylon and Burress.
Now that the core is locked in, we need an influx of young guys to perform with low contracts. Guys like Greene and Slauson that are doing that now. At the top of the list are Ducasse, McKnight, K Ellis, Kerley, even Wilkerson and Wilson. If a good portion of those guys perform with a couple of surprises (McIntyre, Bellore) we will be ok. I haven't seen it mentioned but this is the latest we've gone in awhile with all of our draft picks in tact for the following year. That draft class will be huge for our future.
Yup, we definitely need our draft picks to be big for us the next few years. I agree that we have a few overpaid players and it definitely makes me feel uncomfortable, but I am happy with our roster, so I'll keep my faith in Tannenbaum and assume he knows what he's doing.
Imo unless you have a truly special RB like LT in his prime, AP, CJ, etc. none of them are really worth keeping at a large salary. Build the offensive line the right way and the RB position essentially becomes plug and play.
Unless you have an elite running back like Peterson or CJ, they are probably the most replaceable position in the NFL, it's all about the line. edit: ace beat me
You fail to mention these stars and borderline stars were all playing on reduced salaries or reduced contracts due to rookie deals. Sorry, that argument sucks.
A real cap killer would be if Mr Sanchez is named SB MVP and demands Manning money ($20M/yr) and gets it. Then you can bitch.
Looking at that list, there is a whole lot to like. 1) 60% of the top paid players, and 100% of the core 4 are home grown. That's a sign of drafting well, retaining/rewarding in house talent, and strong stability within an organization. 2) We paid high on the right core positions. QB, LT, C, 2CB's, and OLB are critcal for what this organization wants to do. Ideally, a dominant big man on DL commanding double teams would be in there too. We had that with Jenkins prior to this year. Hopefully we'll find a future force in Wilkerson (albeit a different DL role). i'm happy with the players they paid at those positions. Pace obviously may be only exception. Hopefully he can kick it up a notch this year, as our options are limited there. i expect our first round pick next year will be spent on OLB. 3) For the remaining positions we paid on: - WR Holmes - you need at least one game changer on offense. Holmes fits the bill perfectly, and we'll need big things from him. - OG Moore - not normally a high paid position, but then Moore is the least paid of the 10. Guy is as steady a G as i've seen play over the last 5 years, and absolutely should have reached the pro bowl by now. Considering the running we like to establish, Moore is a great player to have, and actually is a value. - ILB Harris and Scott - More money than i'm comfortable with at ILB. When Rex came here, he wanted to immediately establish an identity of work ethic and physical play. Play like a Jet. Scott was his man to turn the culture on the field, and so far that has panned out. He just happens to play ILB, so overall i have no issue here. 4) 7-10 players i'd say is about right number of guys to pay over 4mil in this cap. We're at the high end, but we're also a strong contender so its about right. You pepper the rest of the roster with value veterans for character, and young upstarts. The young guys who exceed expectations eventually have chance to crack the top 10 in pay like Harris just did. All in all, i love the job Tanny has done since 2006. Brilliant really.
There was no reason not to expect a splash last year. It was cap free, anyone could be added on a short term deal. Last year was an entirely different situation with regard to our payroll too. We had 3 major contracts to navigate before the extensions paid out to Brick, Mangold, and Revis. Now? We have 9. And the only one that gets smaller next year is Sanchez. Nobody doubts Tanny, but he's operating in a very different scenario.
Agreed... this is also why next year's draft will be CRUCIAL and why I think, unlike other years, we won't trade picks for players this year.
Great post... and agree 100% with the bolded part. I wonder how much Magnini was involved with the drafted guys... for all the shit we gave him for Gholston the Jets drafted really well when he was our HC.
Not saying you're complaining but this sentiment seems to be a very common complaint among Jet fans. What fans don't realize is retaining our team was the best possible outcome, although a OLB would've been nice. Sanchez is going to be great this year, I have no doubts about our QB. Wilson will be much improved as well as our safety group. Again, we were 1 half away from the SB, but this time we really felt like it was going to happen. When Cro does prove his value as does Wilson we'll have the best CB tandem/ trio in the league. Plax can box out like no other, him + Tom Moore working directly with Sanchez will do wonders for our offense.