The Jets traded their 3rd, 4th, and 7th round picks to move up and grab Iowa RB Shonn Greene yesterday. Does it fill a need? One could say that with the ongoing contract disputes between Thomas Jones and the Jets. If Jones does come back, the Jets may have their own version of the three-headed monster featuring Jones, Greene and Leon Washington.
The Jets' running backs coach, Anthony Lynn, actually had Greene as his top running back in the draft this year, citing his "Curtis Martin-like vision". Greene's a big back and usually uses all his 227 lbs of manliness running in between the tackles.
Even with all this said, I would have preferred Jarron Gilbert out of San Jose St. A DT in college, he projects as a perfect 3-4 DE in terms of size. He's a tremendous athlete with good quickness and will be working on his strength every offseason. He also would have filled a need now that Kenyon Coleman is no longer a Jet.
Hopefully, Shonn Greene proves me wrong and makes the Jets ground game one of the best in the league.
Yes, I said it. When was the last time the Jets drafted a quarterback this high? You would have to go all the way back to 1964 when the Jets took Namath with the 1st pick in the AFL Draft. Many have said that Sanchez would have been the #1 overall pick, or at least a Top 3 pick, if went back to USC for one more year. Instead, he took a risk and it certainly paid off.
Rex Ryan absolutely loves this kid (so does Mel Kiper Jr. and Steve Young by the way). He loves his arm, his release, his footwork, his pocket presence, his vision and all of his intangibles. There's a very good chance Sanchez will be a better Pro than #1 pick Matthew Stafford. Sanchez will be able to handle the New York media and New York will love him.
The Jets gave up their 2009 2nd round pick, Brett Ratliff, Kenyon Coleman and Abram Elam for the #5 overall pick. This was a STEAL! I thought for sure their 2010 1st round pick would be included, but no! For comparison, a team traded their 2010 1st round pick to move up 7 spots in the 2nd round. To only give up a 2nd round pick and three backups (or at most, fringe starters) was truly genius. Tannenbaum did a terrific job today.
I'm currently looking at this trade using the value chart. Considering just the picks traded, we were +370 in terms of value points.
That means, that on average, each of the players we traded were worth a late 3rd round pick. I don't really think any of them are, considering:
1) Coleman is a veteran who only became a veteran a couple of years ago. He can easily be replaced.
2) Elam made some big plays for us, but was out of position most of the time. He went undrafted. He's a good backup but a fringe starter.
3) Ratliff, although loved by many here, had no gameday experience. He was also undrafted.
Are any of these guys worth more than a late 3rd/early 4th round pick? I don't think so.
The Jets got their Quarterback of the future at a good price; a great day in Jets Nation! Oh, and check out these pics of Mark Sanchez and Joe Namath. Genuine replicas!
-Adam Barazani
1)Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford
2)St. Louis Rams- Jason Smith
3)Kansas City Chiefs- Aaron Curry
4)Seattle Seahawks- Michael Crabtree
5)Cleveland Browns- Brian Orakpo
6)Cincinnati Bengals- Eugene Monroe
7)Oakland Raiders- Jeremy Maclin
8)Jacksonville Jaguars- Mark Sanchez
9)Green Bay Packers- BJ Raji
10)San Francisco 49ers- Michael Oher
11)Buffalo Bills- Andre Smith
12)Denver Broncos- Tyson Jackson
13)Washington Redskins- Aaron Maybin
14)New Orleans Saints- Malcolm Jenkins
15)Houston Texans- Robert Ayers
16)San Diego Chargers- Rey Maualuga
17)New York Jets- Knowshon Moreno
There are a lot of directions the Jets can go in here. They will be able to either trade up (Mark Sanchez? Tyson Jackson?) or down (Brandon Pettigrew? Kenny Britt?). I have them taking Moreno because Thomas Jones is getting older and Leon is a better complimentary back than an every-down back. However, I don't think running back is their #1 concern so they may make a move.
18)Denver Broncos (from Chicago)- Chris Wells
19)Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Josh Freeman
20)Detroit Lions (from Dallas)- Michael Johnson
21)Philadelphia Eagles- Everette Brown
22)Minnesota Vikings- Eber Britton
23)New England Patriots- Brian Cushing
24)Atlanta Falcons- Clay Matthews
25)Miami Dolphins- Brandon Pettigrew
26)Baltimore Ravens- Darrius Heyward-Bey
27)Indianapolis Colts- Peria Jerry
28)Buffalo Bills (from Philadelphia)- Larry English
29)New York Giants- Kenny Britt
30)Tennessee Titans- Percy Harvin
31)Arizona Cardinals- Donald Brown
32)Pittsburgh Steelers- Vontae Davis
Jets' Picks
Round 2, Pick 20 (52)- Jarron Gilbert, DE
Makes a lot of sense if he's still on the board. He could replace Kenyon Coleman next year.
Round 3, Pick 12 (76) (From New Orleans)- Louis Murphy, WR
I like Louis Murphy a lot but he's a project. He would help out in the redzone and could be a playmaker for us down the road.
Round 4, Pick 15 (115) (From Washington)- Jasper Brinkley, ILB
We need a linebacker to back up Scott and Harris and this is the guy who can do it.Round 6, Pick 20 (193)- Anthony Hill, TE
A blocking TE that will fit well in our run-oriented offense.
Round 7, Pick 19 (228)- Dallas Reynolds, OG
A big lineman who could be a solid backup down the road.
-Adam Barazani
There has been a lot of talk the past 24 hours or so regarding both the Redskins' and the Browns' interest in QB Mark Sanchez. The Jets have also been involved in these discussions but interesting new scenarios have sprung up.
If Washington trades up to take Sanchez, it will be because Dan Snyder and Co. don't have trust in starting QB Jason Campbell (who was Joe Gibbs' guy). Campbell then would be available via trade and the Jets could be a suitor. He hasn't done much in his time as a QB in this league but he may be better than what the Jets currently have and would cost either a 2nd or a 3rd round pick.
It has been rumored that new Browns coach Eric Mangini is interested in Mark Sanchez and doesn't like Brady Quinn. The Browns could conceivably take Sanchez with their pick and then trade Quinn to another team. The Jets have been rumored to also like Quinn more than their current quarterbacks.
Hold on a second Jets' fans...let me speak my mind before you bash me. Yes the Jets have a notorious history of reaching for TEs in the draft. However, this time I believe we actually need one. Dustin Keller is not a true #1 TE; he's a terrible in-line blocker. A blocking TE is a huge need for a successful run-oriented offense, especially under the helm of Rex Ryan. I understand that we also need to help out our quarterback, whoever he may be, with some type of receiving threat. What if we took both these needs (run blocking and receiving threat) and combined them for our 1st round selection?
Enter Brandon Pettigrew. He has the ideal size and speed (6'5", 263lbs, 4.85) you look for in a true tight end. He's a terrific blocker with solid receiving abilities. You can line him up with Keller in a two-TE set or Keller could be free to line up in the slot; a lethal TE combo. Pettigrew is the best TE in the 2009 draft and isn't getting the attention he deserves because he isn't a flashy playmaker but he gets the job done whether its run blocking or making a big first down reception.
I'm not saying the Jets should pick him at #17, but if they think he's the most talented player on the board when they pick, then I'm all for it. I believe the Jets picking a receiver in the first round is getting less and less likely as they think they can get good value in the 2nd or 3rd round at that position. I think it'll either be a running back, a TE, Mark Sanchez, or a LB/DE in the first round.
-Adam
April is one of my favorite months and the NFL Draft is a reason why (along with the start of the baseball season). My Mock Draft is only a week or so away but right now let's take a look at what position the Jets need to address in the draft. To do so let's take an early look at their depth chart (starters + primary backups, not 3rd string):
*PS - Projected Starter (at least, according to me)
QB: Ratliff(PS), Clemens, Ainge
RB: Jones(PS), Washington
FB: Richardson(PS)
WR: Cotchery(PS), Stuckey(PS), Smith, Clowney, Wright
TE: Keller(PS), Franks
OL: Ferguson(PS), Faneca(PS), Mangold(PS), Moore(PS), Woody(PS), Turner, Hunter
DE: Ellis(PS), Coleman(PS), Devito
NT: Jenkins(PS), Pouha
OLB: Pace(S), Thomas(S), Gholston
ILB: Scott(PS), Harris(PS), Trusnik
CB: Revis(PS), Sheppard(PS), Lowery, Coleman
S: Rhodes(PS), Leonhard(PS), Elam, Smith
K: Feely (PS)
P: Hodges (PS)
If you take a look, you can tell that we really don't know what we have right now at the QB position. Having said that, I really think Brett Ratliff has what it takes to win the starting job and help this team win. However, if Mark Sanchez is on the board at #17, we may have to take him. He has a quick release to go along with good accuracy and adequate arm strength. He would surely be a Top 5 pick were he to come out next year. We're solid at running back, although Thomas Jones is being a bit of a pest with his contract situation but I love Leon and I think he will and should be a starter soon; he just keeps adding muscle to go along with his speed and quickness. Our offensive line will be returning all five starters and all five should be at least as good as they were last year. I don't think we will address our needs for TE and FB depth in the first few rounds of the draft but could be late-round picks. That leaves us with wide receiver...and we need some help in that department. Cotchery is not a #1 wide receiver, but is a very good #2. Wide receiver is one the Jets' biggest needs and I think it can be addressed in this draft. Here are some wideouts I'd take a look at:
Jeremy Maclin - Maclin could end up going as high as #7 to the Raiders but could stay around for a while (depends on when Crabtree is picked). Maclin is a great talent with the speed, size, athleticism and hands you look for in a #1 wide receiver. We'd be fortunate to have him.
Darrius Heyward-Bey - Heyward-Bey, or DHB, currently has the 2nd fastest 40 time to be recorded at the Combine since 1999. Add that to his great size (6'2, 207) and you have yourself a specimen. The thing with DHB is that he wasn't much of a force in college, collecting only 137 receptions in his 3 seasons. This is the classic Boom or Bust case...will he be able to demonstrate his amazing abilities on gameday? With this much talent, I'd definitely considering taking him at #17. He has the most upside in this wide receiver class, hands down.
Percy Harvin - Harvin may be the best athlete in the entire draft but my problem with him is that I think he's too small to play wideout and he definitely won't be a #1 type of receiver. He's also had some injury problems at Florida and might not last in the pros. A lot of experts have the Jets picking Harvin but I don't think they will.
Kenny Britt - Britt has the size you look for (6'3, 218) but does not have the elite speed and catching ability you would like. However, he has enough tools to be a #1 in this league. He knows how to use his body to his advantage and would definitely help the Jets in the size department (when was the last time the Jets had a good WR over 6'3?). It might be a little too early to pick him at #17 but if they think he's exactly what they need, then I won't be against it. You can probably still get him in the low 20s. One question I have about him is his character so that may be one thing that deters the Jets from picking him.
Hakeem Nicks - Possibly has the best pair of hands in the draft...he's made some great catches in his college career at UNC. He has adequate size but his speed may be a concern and could have trouble beating corners downfield. He's a late first round pick so if the Jets want him, they should trade down.
Potential Mid-Round Picks: Brian Robiskie, Louis Murphy, Brooks Foster, Marko Mitchell, Mohamed Massaquoi
Potential Late-Round Picks/Projects: Aaron Kelly, Patrick Turner, Dominique Edison, Jaison Williams, Greg Carr, Nate Swift, Michael Jones
Stay tuned for more draft analysis.
-Adam
The Jets have signed cornerback Donald Strickland to a three-year deal on Tuesday. This will be Strickland's fourth team in eight seasons. Over the past two years he has accumulated 72 tackles and 10 passes defended; however, he has not had an interception since his rookie year. He should be sliding in at the dimeback position behind Revis, Sheppard and Lowery. This signing probably dooms the chances of us signing either Corey Ivy or Samari Rolle, unless a trade is made (Lowery?).
-Adam; March 25, 2009: 11:50 PM
RSS Feed
