Re: Jets' Personnel Overview <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Keeping the coaching staff intact wasn't quite possible, but the Jets already dodged one potential problem as offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer withdrew as a candidate for Miami's head coaching position. He is expected to be given a significant raise, as will head coach Eric Mangini.As for players, the Jets' most glaring needs are at running back, cornerback and on the defensive line. San Diego backup Michael Turner, stuck behind LaDainian Tomlinson, will be a restricted free agent and figures to be on the Jets' radar. If the Chargers make him a first-round tender offer, perhaps the Jets could swing a trade.New England's Asante Samuel and Buffalo's Nate Clements are the most attractive free agent corners, and the Jets are about $27 million under the cap. Samuel played for Eric Mangini when Mangini was a defensive backs coach for New England before becoming defensive coordinator, so maybe the Jets would be intriguing for him.A true nose tackle is needed, to absorb more blockers and take pressure off ILB Jonathan Vilma. If the Jets want to build from within, perhaps Sione Pouha, who saw some action in 2005 as a rookie and missed the 2006 season with a knee injury, can be the run-stuffer the Jets are looking for.LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson isn't going anywhere, except maybe to the training table and the weight room. Part of his inconsistent rookie campaign occurred because he lost weight during the season, finishing about 20 pounds under his listed 312. He has vowed to get bigger and faster in the offseason.<u>UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS</u>QUARTERBACKStarter -- Chad Pennington. Backups -- Patrick Ramsey, Kellen Clemens.After two surgeries on his throwing shoulder 10 months apart in 2005, no one knew exactly what to expect from Pennington, not even Pennington himself. Yet he defied the odds and started all 16 games, plus a playoff game, for the first time in his career. No, his 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions weren't quite the stuff of legend, but his perseverance and drive won him the Comeback Player of the Year Award and certainly served as inspiration for his teammates. Plus, the system installed by first-year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer minimized Pennington's deficiencies (such as arm strength) and maximized the cerebral quarterback's ability to read defenses both before and after the snap. Although coach Eric Mangini chose not to anoint Pennington as the starter going into 2007 training camp, it certainly is his job to lose. Yes, the Jets would like to see Clemens compete with Pennington in the summer, but the 2006 second-round draft pick doesn't quite seem ready for the starting job yet, although the organization loves his upside. Ramsey made two cameo appearances, one in the playoff game, when a shaken-up Pennington briefly left the field, but was relegated to clipboard duties otherwise. Still, the Jets could elect to bring him back, as his agent, Jimmy Sexton, is on good terms with general manager Mike Tannenbaum.RUNNING BACKSStarters -- RB Leon Washington, FB B.J. Askew. Backups -- RB Cedric Houston, RB Kevan Barlow, RB Derrick Blaylock, FB James Hodgins, FB Stacy Tutt. Reserve/physically unable to perform -- Curtis Martin.The Jets weren't as prepared as they should have been for the legendary Martin's inability to come back from a degenerative bone-on-bone condition in his right knee. If they had been, they wouldn't have resorted to making two trades for featured running backs within a one-week span in August. First came Lee Suggs from Cleveland, who was promptly shipped back when he failed a physical. Barlow was obtained from San Francisco shortly thereafter and passed his physical, although he complained late in the year that he still was hampered by lingering knee problems. He averaged only 2.8 yards a carry. Washington, a fourth-round pick from Florida State, showed both shiftiness and breakaway speed in leading the team with 650 yards, but his 5-foot-7 frame doesn't seem suited for the punishment of being an every-down back, although GM Mike Tannenbaum said he hasn't ruled out the possibility of Washington being one. Houston gives the Jets a yards-after-contact dimension, but he has been injury-prone. Barlow has said he would be willing to restructure his contract in order to stay. Blaylock didn't touch the ball after the second game of the season and was relegated to scout-team duties most of the season, so he won't be back. Make no mistake, the Jets aren't married to the running-back-by-committee setup, and despite what Tannenbaum said, they likely will look for a No. 1 back in the offseason, whether in the draft or through free agency. San Diego's Michael Turner, a restricted free agent, certainly is a possibility. Askew will again be challenged for the fullback job, which is blocking-oriented in this offense. Fullbacks had only 11 receptions for the Jets in 2006, nine by Askew.TIGHT ENDStarter -- Chris Baker. Backup -- Sean Ryan. Injured reserve -- Jason Pociask.Baker had a career-high 31 receptions and probably would have been included in the passing offense even more as a receiver had he not been needed to help block so much on passing downs. Still, he cut down on his drops and showed the ability to get open over the middle. His much-debated "non-catch" against Cleveland, which replays showed probably should have been ruled a forceout and thus a touchdown reception, highlighted his ability to catch the ball in traffic. Doug Jolley, acquired the year before in a controversial pre-draft trade with Oakland, was shipped to Tampa Bay after being flagged with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against the Giants in a preseason game, as coach Eric Mangini quickly made it clear that he wouldn't tolerate such mistakes, especially from a player already on the hot seat. Ryan was acquired from Dallas that same week and did a solid job, mostly as a blocker.WIDE RECEIVERSStarters -- Jerricho Cotchery, Laveranues Coles. Backups -- Justin McCareins, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright. Injured reserve -- Tim Dwight.Coles led the Jets in receptions (91) and yards (1,098) despite being beset with injuries through most of the season. While Mangini may not always like what the outspoken Coles has to say, the coach has no problems with the way the seventh-year receiver plays in pain and catches the ball over the middle. Cotchery blossomed in his third season with 82 receptions and showed an ability to make the big play. McCareins lost his starting job to Cotchery after failing a conditioning test at the beginning of training camp. He wants desperately to be a starter again and likely will get that chance on some other team. Smith made a decent transition from standout college quarterback at Missouri, and the Jets need to find ways to get the ball in his hands more often. Dwight was effective as a third-down receiver before a broken foot sidelined him after the 11th game. Wright was strictly a special-teamer, but he could have a chance to impress as a receiver in training camp.OFFENSIVE LINEStarters -- LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, LG Pete Kendall, C Nick Mangold, RG Brandon Moore, RT Anthony Clement. Backups -- C/G Wade Smith, T/G Adrian Jones, T Na'shan Goddard. Injured reserve -- C/T Trey Teague.Only two 2005 starters returned, Kendall and Moore. Otherwise, the Jets had to retool this unit on the fly, as two rookies started from opening day onward. Mangold, taken with the 29th overall pick, stepped in seamlessly at center, especially at the demanding mental aspect of making all the line calls. Ferguson was a bit of a disappointment. The fourth overall pick started strong but faded down the stretch and has a long way to go to be the shutdown left tackle the Jets envisioned when they selected him so high. The Jets' brain trust is hoping that an offseason strength and conditioning program will boost Ferguson, who is listed at 312 pounds but had dwindled to around 290 by the end of the season. Clement came over from San Francisco as a free agent and was shaky at times. He is an unrestricted free agent, although both sides seem amenable to working out a deal to keep him in green and white. Kendall and Moore were solid as usual. Still, with all this change, the Jets only allowed 34 sacks. Their 3.5-yard average per carry was as much a function of the inexperience of the line as it was the lack of a featured back. Jones, who started every game in 2005, quickly fell out of favor with the new regime and probably won't return, especially after a DUI arrest in November. Teague was sidelined all season after suffering a broken ankle during the spring.DEFENSIVE LINEStarters -- LDE Shaun Ellis, NT Dewayne Robertson, RDE Kimo von Oelhoffen. Backups -- DE Dave Ball, DE Bobby Hamilton, DT Rashad Moore, DT C.J. Mosley. Injured reserve -- NT Sione Pouha.There certainly are question marks here as the Jets head into 2007. Robertson played much better as the season progressed, but the fact remains that he is not bulky enough to be a 3-4 nose tackle and would be much more productive in a 4-3 system. The Jets may have to think about trading him while he has some value, because he just doesn't fit in the current system. Ellis had flashes of big-time play, but he also needed to get adjusted to the new scheme. Von Oelhoffen, known as a prototypical 3-4 end, was very good in the locker room but not so good on the field, and may not be back. However, GM Mike Tannenbaum recently mentioned von Oelhoffen's intangible contributions in 2006, while admitting there is room for improvement on the field. Tannenbaum added, "We'll move forward with him into '07." Moore was hampered by a hand injury late in the season but showed potential. Hamilton, in his second tour of duty with the Jets, was used in the rotation but showed his age somewhat. A knee injury sidelined Pouha for the entire season, but some in the organization believe that he could be the bulky, clog-the-middle nose tackle the Jets are searching for, that is, if he's healthy.LINEBACKERSStarters -- OLB Bryan Thomas, ILB Victor Hobson, ILB Jonathan Vilma, OLB Victor Hobson. Backups -- OLB Matt Chatham, OLB Cody Spencer, ILB Brad Kassell, ILB Anthony Schlegel.Thomas, moved from defensive end, bloomed in the new format, recording a career-high 8.5 sacks in his fifth season. Vilma, however, was hurt by the new system. Without a prototypical nose tackle in front of him, he was forced to take on too many blockers and thus didn't have the freedom to roam sideline-to-sideline. A more suitable nose tackle in front of him would be a boon for Vilma, although he still needs to make more impact plays. Hobson had his best season with six sacks, and Barton was solid with 4.5 sacks, although he, like Vilma, didn't seem quite as comfortable in this scheme. Chatham, formerly of New England, was invaluable in helping players adjust to the new systems and was OK on the field. Spencer is a big-time special-teamer, and his role in the defense should increase in 2007. Kassell was out of position too many times when he was in as part of the linebacker rotation, and Schlegel, a third-round pick, rarely saw the field and was the biggest disappointment of the Jets' 2006 draft.DEFENSIVE BACKSStarters -- LCB Andre Dyson, RCB Hank Poteat, FS Erik Coleman, SS Kerry Rhodes. Backups -- CB David Barrett, CB Justin Miller, CB Drew Coleman, FS Rashad Washington, S Eric Smith.Dyson was a steady performer, although he finished the season with a knee injury and probably shouldn't have started against New England in the playoffs. Poteat, a journeyman who works hard, ended the season as the starter at right corner but doesn't project as a 2007 starter, although he should have a spot on the roster. Perhaps New England's Asante Samuel, soon to be an unrestricted free agent, would like to rejoin his old coach, Eric Mangini. Rhodes probably should have been a Pro Bowler, finishing the season with five sacks and four interceptions. Erik Coleman bounced back from a subpar 2005 to have a solid season. Rookie Drew Coleman was part of the revolving door at right corner, and he definitely showed some flashes. Barrett was part of the rotation at corner, and he had his moments, good and bad. Miller still hasn't progressed as much as the Jets would like. Washington and Smith were very good in nickel and dime situations.SPECIAL TEAMSK Mike Nugent, P Ben Graham, LS James Dearth, KR Justin Miller, PR Leon Washington. Injured reserve -- Tim Dwight.Nugent recovered from an opening-day meltdown at Tennessee to connect on his last 21 field-goal attempts, including three in the playoff game at New England. He also made 26 of his last 27, including a career-long 54-yarder against Houston. Still, he needs to get more distance on his kickoffs and again will work on his leg strength and conditioning in the offseason. For the second consecutive year, Graham tailed off near the end of the season, finishing with a 37.8-yard net. But he did have 26 punts inside the 20. Dearth again did his usual reliable work, although Graham mishandled two snaps late in the season, costing Nugent a chance at two field goals. Miller led the NFL in kickoff-return average and made the Pro Bowl. Washington took over punt returns from the injured Dwight late in the season and showed a lot of potential. This could be a role for him next season, in addition to his running back duties, particularly if the Jets bring in a featured back to take some carries away from Washington.Copyright © 2007 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.</div>
Re: Jets' Personnel Overview Good Read for Jets Fans.I don't particuarly agree with them feeling D-Rob doesn't fit the 3-4 as he has done a good job of tailoring his game for the 3-4 Defense so far, is still young, and I'm sure could find a role as a full-time player either at Nose or Defensive End. I also think they underplayed our need on the Right Side of the O-line. Baker was in too block way too much as Clement was average, and D-Bricks play got worse as his weight did, and we could certaintly need an upgrade at the Tackle position and could use one at guard as Kendall is old and Moore is a JAG.They pretty much nailed the rest.
