The Jets' Future

I am a Jets fan, and this season has been miserable. But to be honest, it was expected. Last season, they were a team devoid of any real talent that far and away exceeded expectations; the fact that they even made the playoffs was a pleasant surprise.

I still believe Mangini is one of the best coaches in the league, even if he is a snitch, and if the Jets get a much-needed infusion of talent, they could be competitive (screw the Patriots, they don’t count).

All this said, what do I believe the Jets need? Help on the lines. The Jets’ two biggest weaknesses are their offensive and defensive lines. The LAST thing the Jets need is Darren McFadden. I am sick of people who believe he should be drafted.

Look at the fall of Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson and Reggie Bush, among others. Due to the slotting system, the Jets would have to invest $35 million dollars and five years on Darren McFadden, give or take. Let the Patriots take him, who cares? Running backs get abused, and are oft-injured. Now yes, LT and AD are two talents that give one pause, but let’s consider: they run behind fantastic offensive lines, and one can not discount the importance of that. Plus, between the Raiders, Packers and Buccaneers all showed that quality running backs are findable.

Now, I am not taking away anything from running backs, but the franchise tag price of running backs is FALLING as salaries in general increase. What does this indicate? That GMs are realizing, slowly, that while the skill position players get all the press, they don’t win all the games. You know why Peyton Manning and Tom Brady continue to dominate? Because it is a lot easier to throw a ball when you aren’t on your back, just ask David Carr (okay, bad example. He sucks anyway). Ask Marc Bulger how important the offensive line is. The problem is the OL doesn’t sell; they have no real statistics and they are only noticed when they aren’t doing well.

If the Jets are smart, they will do everything possible to sign Alan Faneca, one of the best LGs in the league. The Steelers can not afford him and he has no interest in taking a “hometown discount” (an idiotic idea if I ever heard one, but that’s a complaint for another day), and so will hit free agency. The Jets need him. They have a young offensive line that could use a veteran presence to shore them up.

So if not Darren McFadden, whom should the Jets draft? Well, I don’t know college football well, but an impact DE would be ideal. The Jets’ pass rush is pathetic; they get no pressure unless they blitz, leaving them vulnerable to big plays. Also, the Jets rush defense was in the bottom portion of the league, and that needs to be changed. If teams can run all over you, you lose. The Jets biggest weakness on defense is that their defensive line doesn’t penetrate the line of scrimmage, giving quarterbacks and running backs room to find flaws in the defense and attack. Defensive line help is imperative to fixing this.

So Jets, DON’T draft McFadden. You were smart two years ago and bypassed Leinart, understanding then that you needed offensive line help. In fact, HOPE the Patriots take McFadden. Let them invest so much of their salary cap to an unnecessary player, maybe meaning they can’t resign some of their more valuable players. Take a DE.