I said all along, don't expect anything but conservative, plain vanilla picks in this draft. Mangini and Tannenbaum were going to play it safe and make the right picks for a long-term build. But even more than that, both these guys realize the wisdom in building from the ground up... and that starts with terrific offensive and defensive linemen. Anyone expecting a splash in this year's draft should have been lobbying to keep Terry Bradway in the GM spot. This way we could have traded all kinds of multiple picks to move up and take a superstar ala DeWayne Robertson, virtually insuring our remaining a mediocre team for years to come.
All I have to say to this post is if the previous regime had done a better job of building the offensive line we might have very well seen a trade to get Bush. Thanks to a lack of planning by Badway and Spem, Tangini were forced to plug as many holes as possible.
The reigning Super Bowl champions won because of their offensive line, and nearly all the starters on that line were high draft picks.
Go no further than our own Kenny O'Brien. Granted, O'Brien used to take a split-second longer to choose a target, but the poor bastard spent damn-near his entire career in the fetal position due to lack of protection.
You're not quite seeing it - the Jets didn't want Max Jean-Gilles. They wanted Schlegel and Smith. They didn't throw darts at the draft board.
Solid linemen on BOTH sides of the ball is what makes a championship team. And NONE of them have to be superstar standouts, either. Just solid, consistent, hard-working, playmaking guys who master the basics real well and realize the importance of playing like one as a team. If you've got that on both sides of the ball, you'll make Pee Wee Herman look like Gayle Sayers.
Offensive line is critical. We all know that. Fleming didn't poorly grade those picks. I don't think I have seen anyone, including myself grade those picks poorly, and I gave the team a C overall. Clemmens was a good pick, but the trading up and down bothered me a lot. Picking safety and tight end to me was a waste of picks, especially when help at DE and DT was available. That's why taking the DT with the 7th made me finally breathe a sigh of relief. See here is the thing. If this draft had gone down in ANY other year, it would have been viewed as PHENOMINAL. It was a VERY GOOD draft by the Jets. The disclaimer on that is the quality of this year's pool. In a draft where 40 players were deemed to be first round talent, we left behind the 35th pick. In other words, we let go of a first-round level talent for a low pick this year, and what will probably be a low pick in a much depleted draft next year. In my view, getting Clemmens was lucky. We wound up with a guy who could be the guy with the talent to warrant the 35th pick, and we got an extra pick next year. This is a great series of moves if Clemmens is the "answer." If he isn't, this is yet another mistake in the history of the club. This is as realistic view as I can come up with. I know some guys are on fire over this draft, but we picked up a north/south-only LB to play next to Vilma. A converting QB to WR. Yet another S, and TE. These weren't awe-inspiring picks. Yes, they are more bodies, but we have over 70 people right now, all looking for their place on a 55 man roster. We could have made a couple of trade ups with later round picks into the 3rd or 4th, and addressed DE. Who knows? None of us know what the Tangini mind holds for this team. All we can do is hope that their plan is a good one. We will see by 2008 whether this draft was better or worse than any other. It's all about patience now.
The thing that you have to remember is that it wasnt #35 for Clemmens but the #35 for Clemens and a 2007 2nd round pick. What the Jets wanted wasnt available at #35. The next best LB/DL werent there. They werent going to take OL 3 straight picks so the moved a bit and got the QB they targeted plus a good pick next year. I think it was done very, very well.
I'd say that imagination is in the eye of the beholder. Right now, I'm not sure how we'll generate a pass rush. I think that our WRs plus TE Chris Baker do provide us with receiving options. Coles is good and if McCareins can stay healthy he will be decent too. Cotchery deserves a chance. Schlegel wasn't a bad pick really. He is a good inside run stuffer. Not an every down guy, but maybe I'm wrong about that. And, yeah, it looks to me Eric Smith is a special teams pick up. But, hey, special teams are important too.
Don't forget, though, that the converted QB and the TE are both guys who can play multiple positions and bring value that way.
All I am saying is that the extra pick next is nearly worthless. The draft next year is severely depleted by this years crop. Also, I can't see the Skins, even if they don't make the playoffs, going less than .500. That puts the pick in the middle range of round 2. In a draft where practically all of the talent will be in the top 5, it won't give us much. Was it a bad move? Not necessarily. If Clemmens turns out to be as good as many are projecting him, we got an absolute STEAL with this pick. It's all the picks after Clemmens that I had a hard time trying to understand. I'm over my initial fire though, so I am back to trying to have faith in the mindset of the CS/FO.
Good points. I'm a bit more optimistic however. While we surely don't know what's in the mind of Tangini, I think they've shown us what the mindset is. They're looking for athletes with leadership and "teamwork" attitude. To a man they selected guys they think will be tireless and relentless and selfless. Kind of sounds Bruschi-like, doesn't it? And they didn't waver, unless you want to consider trading the 35th pick, which bothered me considerable too at the time. I remember saying to myself, "Good God, Washington must have REALLY wanted this guy bad and I hope we got something good in return. We did, because they gave away the farm, IMO. So, I'm not too upset about all that and in general, I like what we came away with and I like the fact that we also came away with a #2 next year. And I'm not sure next year's draft will be a "much depleted draft." Talent will emerge and I don't see the Redskins doing very much this year, I think Dallas and the Giants will be a handful for them, so I expect them to have a relatively high 2nd Round pick next year.
Oh absolutely. I'm not saying any pick we made was bad. My big issue was the constant trading down, sacrificing better talent, for more picks, which we used to fill overflowing spots on the roster. We left behind DE, which I feel was a mistake. I could be totally wrong, so I can't hold it against these guys. They surely know what they are doing better than I do. They have watched the film, and know what sort of schemes they will install. I was really just hoping to find a way to fill the void on D left by the Abe situation. I just don't want Vilma getting torn from sideline to sideline making every play for the next 5 years, and running out of gas prematurely.
You dont know how next years draft will shape up. There will be plenty of underclassmen who step up in place of the drafted this year and then declare. What looks weak today may be strong next April.
