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With the NFL lockout looking like its nearing the end this week, and with the free agency period close to beginning, The New York Jets will finally have to determine what direction they will be going at the wide receiver position. The Jets have two key unrestricted free agents at the wide receiver position- Santonio Holmes, and Braylon Edwards. With the new salary cap agreed to at $120 million per NFL team, the Jets will only be able to retain one of them. Depending on whom the Jets decide to re-sign out of Holmes or Edwards, will directly affect whom the team targets out of the notable wide receiver free agents on the market. Below, I have broken down the only two scenarios I see playing out depending on who the Jets decide to retain out of Holmes or Edwards.
Scenario A:
· Re-sign Holmes and go after Randy Moss-
The Jets come to the conclusion that Holmes, younger than Edwards by a year, is the more dynamic, clutch, and better playmaker. They reward him with a 4-5 year contract, probably to the tune of 10 million a year. After Holmes returned from his 4 game suspension last season, no other receiver was targeted more after week 5 in the Jets offense. In this scenario the Jets would most likely then pursue Randy Moss, giving Sanchez a deep ball/ and red zone option, playing in contrast to Holmes slashing and cutting across the middle of the field game. Moss is said to be in “freakish shape” and determined to prove that he is still an above average wide receiver. When Moss is committed and focused, which seemed to never be the case last year, he can still command the attention of a defense and can force a double team his way. The Jets also might be so inclined to pursue Moss so that he doesn’t end up back in the hands of Bill Belichick and the Patriots, a team and situation that can no doubt bring out of whatever’s left in Moss’s tank. Terrell Owens and Sidney Rice are also considerations in the event that the Jets commit to paying Holmes. However, Owens will be working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered while shooting a reality TV series during the lockout, and at his current age the Jets would be taking a major gamble on a receiver past his prime and with a long history of locker room and quarterback issues. Rice is a huge target who is still well in his prime and possesses more skill and playmaking ability than Edwards, however, it is highly unlikely that the Vikings will let him walk, and even if they did, the Jets wouldn’t be able to pay the salaries of both Rice and Holmes.
Scenario B:
· Re-sign Edwards and trade for Steve Smith-
In this scenario the Jets are turned off by comments made by Santonio Holmes during the lockout, in which Holmes pretty much spelled out that the highest amount of money offered to him by a team, would be his landing spot. The Jets also know that Holmes comes with his own baggage and off the field issues. Holmes was a former 1st round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers and was named Super Bowl MVP the year they defeated the Cardinals, and yet all his talents couldn’t outweigh the distraction he had become away from the field. So much was the case, that the Steelers were willing to part way with his services for a mere 5th round draft pick. If the Jets decide to show Holmes the door, then Braylon Edwards will receive the 4-5 year contract and the Jets will look to find a speedster to combine with Edwards’s physical play. One the players the Jets might target to fill this role is Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith. The Panthers were said to be trying to shop Smith around during April’s NFL draft, and were only looking for a third round pick in return. The Jets did show some interest at the time, but because the lockout was looming and because they didn’t know what the new rules would be under the new collective bargaining agreement, they decided to hold off. Smith, at 32 years of age, has been ridiculed by bad quarterback play and a Panthers organization looking to rebuild. Smith can still play at a high level in this league and could be plugged into Brad Smith’s role on special teams if the Jets also loose him to free agency. Steve Smith is due $14.5 million over the next two years. Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, one of the most plugged-in reporters covering the Panthers, says he expects Smith to be traded soon after the lockout ends. Other possible considerations for the Jets could come in the form of Santana Moss (WAS), Kevin Curtis (MIA), Johnnie Lee Higgins (OAK), or Chansi Stuckey (CLE).
Written by, Mike Durnin @ Sportsfan-network.net
The Jets have been rumored to be going after Randy Moss. When/if the lockout gets resolved, this would be a wise idea. Moss honestly still has something left in the tank. He would be another reason for Jets fans to buy tickets. Rex Ryan loves the media, and he would love the attention Moss garners. On the field, Moss is still a star. He would give someone for Sanchez to throw to, which is important at such a young age. It would be a gutsy move, but it should be done.
After losing their first game in embarassing fashion, the Jets have reeled off five straight wins. They stand at 5-1 heading in to there bye week and are in sole possession of first place in the toughest division in football. Last week, the Jets pulled out a tough come-from-behind win against the Broncos in Denver. The Jets trailed 20-17 with just under four minutes to go in the game. The drive started at their own 20 yard line and ended with a ten play, 82 yard game-winning drive. The Jets caught a break thanks to a pass interference call against the Broncos. The Jets lined up in shotgun formation. Sanchez dropped back and heaved the ball forty-six yards down the field intended for Santonio Holmes. Ronaldo Hill lost his balance and fell down, grabbed a hold of Holmes’ jersey and dragged him down with him. That call put the Jets at the Broncos two yard line. On the next play, LT took the ball up the middle, punching it into the endzone that gave the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets the 24-20 lead. The Jets sealed the victory after a Denver fumble recovered by Dwight Lowery.
It was a great win for the Jets. They showed a lot of guts and showed an ability to play in front of a hostile environment. Invesco Field is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, and the fact that the Jets went on the road, without any fear, in a close ball game and came from behind to win proves that they are developing into a championship team.
One reason for this immediate success has been the acquisition of LaDainian Tomlinson. LT was the man of the hour for the Jets in the defeat of the Broncos and has become the man in the Jets ground attack. The Jets brought in Tomlinson for veteran leadership and to be a role model for Shonn Greene and the rest of the Jets running backs. Their plan was to use him as a third down back and in goal line situations and possibly as a threat out of the backfield. Their vision was not to use him as a featured back, but a player opposing teams still had to account for despite the fact he was getting older and people felt that he may have lost a step.
But no one expected this kind of production. LT has far surpassed the level of expectations and is proving all the naysayers wrong. The chip that sat calmly on his shoulder after being passed by the Falcons as the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft, and was part of his success in San Diego, has found its place again on LT’s broad shoulders. LT has stepped in as the featured back for the Jets after Shonn Greene struggled to produce in that role. Tomlinson obviously had other plans and now the Jets plans have changed, too. I believe it is for the better anyway.
Tomlinson’s number’s heading into the open week read like this: 92 att., 490 yds, and 5 TD. His 5.3 yds. per carry are the most since 2003, and is tied for second in the NFL behind Arian Foster. That year, Tomlinson finished tied for first in yds. per rush and finished in the top three in rushing.
The difference between then and now is Tomlinson does not have to wheel the barrel as much as he did in San Diego. Greene is a perfect compliment to Tomlinson and having that sidekick will help keep LT fresh throughout the rest of the season.
Only twice in his career has LT not played in all sixteen games. He has the ability to stay healthy and has proven to be very durable throughout his career. After seeing this resurgence, all those questions of how much can LT hold up have shredded faster then a piece of paper. He has given the Jets no reason to think otherwise. And the rest of the NFL better take notice. This man, when healthy, is still one of the best running backs in the game and still has a knack for knowing what to do with the football. If his production holds up, it will turn out to be the best offseason acquisition of 2010 and could be the reason why the Jets make it to the big show this year.
The risk has certainly been worth the reward. Maybe a change of scenery was just what LT needed. I’ll bet the Chargers wish he was back in sunny SoCal now, huh. Hey, if you’re not gonna play in California, might as well move to the East Coast’s Hollywood. That may have been part of his thinking all along, may not have though. We may never know. One thing we do know about LT- he’s back.
The Jets are considered by many to be one of the sexy picks to head to the big game this year. And who could blame them? They have an up and coming young quarterback in Mark Sanchez who surprised a lot of people last year in leading his team to the AFC Championship Game. They have a promising running game consisting of the up and comer in Shonn Greene and the old vet in LaDainian Tomlinson who is looking to prove he’s got something left in the tank. They have improved their already solid receiving core of Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery with the additions of Santonio Holmes and the return of Laveraneus Coles. They have one of the best defenses in the league, if not the best, made up of quality players in Shaun Ellis, Kris Jenkins, and Jason Taylor. So they’re a shoe-in for the Super Bowl right?
In order to be a Super Bowl team, you need all of your guys to buy into a system, cooperate with one another, and possess the necessary communication skills in order to succeed. There’s one problem regarding the Jets, and that is one Sir Darrelle Revis.
Revis wishes to be treated like football royalty. He wants the max contract ever given to any player apparently and the Jets aren’t willing to dole out that kind of money. This guy cracks me up. Not only is he threatening to sit out an entire season, but he is willing to lose potential money he could be making if he had settled on his contract this season. What a joke.
Sanchez still needs to mature a bit. He is still quite raw as evidenced by his whopping 20 interceptions last year. That is one of the main reasons why I believe the Jets making the Super Bowl this year is a bit premature. The Jets will finish second in the AFC East behind the Patriots with a record of 10-6, good enough for a wild card berth.
By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network
The AFC East will have a new champion this season. The Patriots are no longer the team to beat in the division. Read on to see what team from the AFC East has a good chance of going to the Super Bowl.
1. New York Jets: The Jets may be the best team in all of football this season. The Jets had the best defense in the league last season, led by Darelle Revis, arguably the best cornerback in the game. The only problem is Revis is a holdout this season, not reporting to training camp. The Jets and Revis still haven’t come to terms on a new contract since he outperformed his previous contract. The Jets would be fools to let Revis slip away, they will give him what he wants or the Jets will not be nearly as good as they were last season defensively. On offense the Jets have improved a great deal. Mark Sanchez almost led the Jets to the Super Bowl last season with just one premier receiver in Braylon Edwards. Now the Jets have Laveranues Coles back for the third time after being traded away and Santonio Holmes. Holmes will be suspended for the first four games of the season, but that was alright with the Jets because they know he will help them in a big was once he’s back. To go along with their solid receiver corp. the Jets went out and got Ladanian Tomlinson. Tomlinson was thought to be washed up with the Chargers, but the Jets are taking a chance on him playing like everyone knows he can. If Tomlinson is anything like his younger self this season, the Jets will have by far the best team in the NFL. I think they will go 12-4 this season and wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the Super Bowl.
Click here to read the full article – By Eric Heyer of Sports Fan Blog Network
To update a previous item, star cornerback Darrelle Revis is reportedly furious at the contract offer the Jets presented to him last week. It seems clear that Revis’ intention is to obtain a contract that will make him the highest paid cornerback, and possibly defensive player, in the NFL. It’s equally clear that the Jets last offer was nowhere close to what Revis demanded.
What remains to be seen, however, is whether or not this is simply part of the negotiating process, where both sides offer proposals that they don’t expect to be accepted, or if this is the sign that there is a serious problem between Revis and the front office. Like all Jets fans, I really hope that this is not the sign that there will be problems between the team and its best player for the foreseeable future.
Instead, I am hopeful that this is just a small bump in the road, and that all of these problems will be resolved within a week or two.
by Nathan Eagan at the Sports Fan Blog Network
As a rule, minicamps in the beginning of June shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Whether a player is dominating his competition, or he looks hopelessly lost, it’s important to remember that there is still a long way to go until the season starts. Despite this fact, Jet fans are often looking for something to worry about, and today proves to be no exception.
With the conclusion of today’s practice, it was revealed that star cornerback Darrelle Revis was a no-show at today’s practice, and that his absence was related to his unhappiness over his contract. Revis is in the 4th year of the rookie contract he signed after he was drafted, and he is due to earn only 1 million dollars this season. Clearly, this number is incredibly low for a player of Revis’ talent. As the best cornerback in the NFL, Revis certainly has leverage in this situation, and there is no doubt that he will request a contract that will make him the highest paid cornerback in NFL history.
At the same time, however, Revis is also under contract for the next two years, so the Jets could conceivably force him to play out the remainder of his contract before they decide to offer him a new deal. Complicating matters, however, is the fact that Revis claims that he was guaranteed a new contract by Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, and that Tannenbaum promised him this contract before the start of this season.
Although Revis would still be forced to play this season as the most underpaid player in the NFL, it’s not likely that the Jets want a disgruntled superstar on their hands. In addition, this kind of issue could divide a locker room, if the team’s front office and best player are in active confrontation with each other.
This is probably the first of many contract disputes that will arise, as some of the core players of the Jets, including Nick Mangold, D’brickashaw Ferguson, and David Harris will all be eligible for new contracts in the next season. Seeing how Tannenbaum handles all of these issues will go a long way towards determining the Jets’ success over the next few years.
by Nathan Eagan at the Sports Fan Blog Network
This offseason, the Jets have made a number of moves that have made big splashes on the national radar. Santonio Holmes, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor and Antonio Cromartie will all be wearing the green and white of the Jets this season, and all of these players are expected to make large contributions towards the Jets 2010 campaign. One position that has received almost no coverage, yet is as important as any listed above, is the position of backup quarterback. Last season, Mark Sanchez was backed up by Kellen Clemens. While Sanchez ranged from average to bad during the regular season (the playoffs were a different story) he was still significantly better than Clemens in the 1 1/2 games that Clemens played in due to Sanchez’s bruised knee.
With Sanchez rehabbing from knee surgery, he must be considered at least a moderate injury risk, and the position of backup quarterback will take on an added importance should he get hurt again. Multiple reports have claimed that the Jets are very interested in signing Mark Brunell to back up Sanchez, and it is easy to see why he would appeal to the Jets’ front office. Brunell was a winner during his time in Jacksonville, and now that he is 40 years old, he should be able to provide help and advice to Sanchez. At the same time, however, there is a very real chance that the Jets’ backup quarterback will have to appear in at least one game this season. If that should happen, do we as Jets fans feel comfortable that Brunell would be able to competently manage the Jets offense? For all of his flaws, Kellen Clemens appeared able to move well enough, and he didn’t throw any interceptions in his performance against the Bucs. While neither Clemens or Brunell is a very appealing option, it is likely that one of these two players will be under center in the event that anything happens to Sanchez, and only time will tell who we can expect to see as a Jet next season
by Nathan Eagan at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Last season, the Jets ran the ball 607 times, compared to only 393 pass attempts. Their leading rusher from 2009, Thomas Jones, is now a Kansas City Chief, and the question of who will carry the load for the Jets’ rushing game is on the minds of many of their fans.
The most obvious replacement for Jones’ production is Shonn Greene. As a 3rd round draft pick out of Iowa, Greene’s rookie season was largely quiet, as he rushed for 540 yards. In the playoffs, however, Greene rushed for 304 yards in only 3 games, and had several memorable touchdown runs which raised expectations for this season. Despite Greene’s impressive talent, however, he has shown weaknesses in the past. Last season, he fumble 3 times in only 108 carries, and he failed to record a reception. Despite these worries, however, Greene showed a combination of speed and power that has many Jets fans excited for his 2010 season.
While Shonn Greene appears to be entrenched as the starter, his backup will be one of the best running backs in NFL history. LaDainian Tomlinson, signed from the San Diego Chargers, will likely be featured as the Jets’ 3rd down back. In his prime, Tomlinson was one of the top pass-catching backs in the NFL, but it seems as if Tomlinson’s prime ended two seasons ago. Last season, Tomlinson appeared to have lost a step, as he averaged only 3.3 yards per carry for a dynamic Chargers offense. Tomlinson’s season ended against the Jets’ defense, as he rushed for only 24 yards on 12 carries. Heading into this season, Tomlinson’s ability will be called into question by most Jets fans. If he can return to the form that made him one of the best running backs of all time, then the Jets offense will feature two running backs who compliment each other well. If Tomlinson’s decline continues, however, the Jets offense will likely struggle on passing downs, or in the event of an injury to Greene.
One final wildcard in the Jets 2010 backfield is their 4th round pick, Joe McKnight. Heading into college at USC, McKnight drew comparisons to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush. Although he failed to match Bush’s college production, McKnight is still regarded as a shifty runner who could serve as an asset to the Jets’ offense. With the departure of Leon Washington to Seattle, the Jets will need a quicker running back to take over Washington’s role. Although McKnight did not make the best first impression by appearing out of shape at the Jets’ first rookie mini-camp, there is speculation that his familiarity with his college quarterback, Mark Sanchez, could help him get onto the field as a rookie.
With the continued development of Mark Sanchez, it’s likely that the Jets will throw the ball far more than they did last season. Despite this fact, however, the Jets will likely remain a running team. In order for the Jets to succeed, they will need their running game to remain a dominant force. With the presence of three talented running backs, there is no reason for the Jets not to have success, but all three backs have question marks that won’t be answered until they step onto the field to open the season.
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