I-AA players are projects. Level of competition is much lower, how they will perform in the pros is a big question mark. Plus he is late to the game. 2nd round pick on a project, but who else was there? The proof will be in the pudding, but let's not crown him an all pro yet.
He is a beast for sure at 6-5 330,...he sounds like a solid pick..let him grow for a year and he could be a staple on this O-Line...I wouldn't touch the line if you dont have to but maybe he if he would be an upgade they might...having Callahan really makes this an even better pick.
As a UMASS grad, naturally I love the pick. Don't forget that Tanny is a UMASS alum as well. BTW here is UMASS' write up and video of his work at the combine as well as an interview with him and Michelle Bonner from ESPN... http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/042310aaa.html Several vidoes at center and bottom of page.
Love at the press conference on the jets website they ask Tanny if Ducasse is going to be starting right away, he says "no, he won't just be handed a starting position, he will have to work for it and compete with guys like Slauson and Turner" next question, do you expect Faneca to be back, "all I can tell you is he is on the team now, as to opening day, it's all hypothetical, you just never know" Two questions later to Clinkscales, With Ducasse being from a small time school, can a guy with his lack of experience come in and be a starter right away? "He will have to work for it, he will fight for his chance to compete with Slauson, Turner, Hunter and the other depth guys" So either both Tanny and Clink forgot to mention Faneca as a guy who would need to compete with Ducasse to start, or you know faneca will be cut tomorrow 30 seconds after the draft. It seems riskier than hell to expect a I-AA prospect to come in and start immediately along this OL and not miss too much. Hell if Ducasse can handle that, there is simply no way that Tanny/Clinkscales would ever be questioned ever again by anyone on this board. I trust in them implicitly, but this has to be some kind of a gamble, I just worry that with us loading up, it is not the best plan to go for it all with a bit of a project at LG...
I still have a hard time believing we're gonna cut Faneca...you have a lot of money to eat anyway might as well hold onto him
They aren't cutting him. If they cut him they would still have to pay the majority of his contract. Maybe they trade him for a future pick, but most likely he's playing left guard for the jets next season.
You can't keep going public with your desire to dump a guy, then don't go through with it and expect him to carry on like nothing happened. In the end, I don't see Faneca being here. I don't think anybody knows for sure who his replacement is yet, but I would guess Slauson has shown enough for the staff to make this move, and its going to happen.
Take this fwiw..... It was reported on another Jets forum by a guy with usually reliable inside knowledge ( The stuff he reports is usually accurate) that Ducasse was being discussed at the Jets #1 29th overall pick. They were that high on him. Since it is another Jets forum I am not putting a link.
We already have a dominant line, i dont see the need for an OT, when we have more immediate needs like a DE or a OLB
This pick has nothing to do with Faneca being gone. They would've gotten a more NFL ready player. I had the opportunity to meet Vladimir on Monday. Brief only a hello, how are you but he seems like a nice kid.
We have two offensive lineman at the ends of their career. If we don't draft replacements for them we will have to go out and spend $40 million for a free agent replacement. In addition, Mangold and Brick are both on the verge of getting monster 2nd contracts. I believe in 2011 that Slauson and Vlad will be starting at left guard and right tackle.
Alan Faneca is a 12 year veteran and he's not a dummy. He knows that his play fell off a bit last year and if a team was willing to give up a value pick based on his name then the Jets were gonna do it. Basically he knows it's a business
Wow. If those are direct quotes they sound a little disrespectful towards Faneca.I mean after all the guy is a Pro Bowler and a future HOF'r, i'd think they coulda handled it a little different.
I love the pick. Ducasse has the size, strength, athleticism, work ethic and personality. The rest can be fixed by Callahan, possibly the best O-line coach in NFL.
He's going to be groomed to be Faneca's replacement. Won't happen this year, maybe not even next year, but he will replace Faneca when he is released/traded/retires
I wonder how much this comment by Faneca has to do with him being on the block. We know the Jets don't like to hear complaints about anything. ""It just goes to show the business side of the game, when such a productive guy like T.J. is released," Faneca said in an e-mail. "To be so close last year, and then for T.J. not to be there with us going after the ring again is what hurts."
I'd hate to get nothing for faneca. The guy is still a competent guard and pro-bowler (albeit non-deservingly). At worst I'd like to be able to go +15 picks in the 4th for him.
