The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

It’s safe to say that GM Mike Tannenbaum has his fair share of detractors. They don’t believe he’s qualified to turn the Jets into a perennial contender, one that will eventually overcome the New England Patriots in the AFC East and a win a Super Bowl crown. But no one has ever accused the 39-year-old front-office man of not being a risk taker.

During his tenure with Gang Green, Tannenbaum has continually bucked conventional wisdom during the draft by dealing away his picks and trading up in search of the next great superstar.

This past draft was no different as Mr. T paid Cleveland two draft picks and a trio of veterans in exchange for the chance to select USC’s Mark Sanchez. He later turned around and coughed up three more of his selections for Iowa’s Shonn Greene.

The development of Sanchez may ultimately make or break Tannenbaum, who’s surrounded his future franchise quarterback with a solid offensive line and formidable defense to help new head coach Rex Ryan find success in his first year at the helm of the Green and White.

But despite his general manager’s questionable management of the draft, Ryan is more than confident that he has the right support staff in place to put a winning product on the field.

“I'm going to surround myself with the best people I can find. The kind of coaches that I bring in here are going to work with me. They don't work for me, they work with me. There are a lot of talented guys already here in place, which makes it much easier for me. Mike Westhoff coaching special teams and Bill Callahan are already committed,” said Ryan at his introductory press conference back in January.

“We've got things in place. I just hired Mike Pettine who was with me in Baltimore for the last several years as our defensive coordinator. He's a rising star in the league. We don't want to pump him up too much. We want him to be around here for a while, as well, but you're going to see, he's a star in this league.”

The former defensive coordinator also assured fans that his players would assume a take-no-prisoners attitude on the field, adding: “The only way I know how to handle a challenge is to hit that thing head on, and that's what we're going to do. The message to the rest of the league is, 'Hey, the Jets are coming, and we're going to give you everything we've got, and that's going to be, I think, more than you can handle.' We're going to find out…If you take a swipe at one of ours, we'll take a swipe at two of yours, and that's just the way this game is going to be played.”

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: The summer of Sanchez is underway and many in the New York metropolitan area already have visions of a Super Bowl trophy in the not-too-distant future courtesy of the second-coming of Joe Namath. But while the rookie field general seemingly has the confidence and charisma to deal with the lofty expectations that will be heaped upon him, his skill set doesn’t indicate that he’ll be anything more than a serviceable pro. In his first year, the Jets won’t expect Sanchez to the rainmaker on offense. In fact, the coaching staff is banking on letting the team’s defense and running game do all the heavy lifting with Sanchez developing in a supporting role. The 6’2” gunslinger is a mobile passer with good accuracy and slightly above-average arm strength, which tails off if he’s forced to throw on the run. How Sanchez handles pressure may be the deciding factor in whether he becomes the savior of the franchise and its restless fan base. Eternal backup Kellen Clemens has a quality arm, but lacks the instincts and awareness to be great. Third-stringer Erik Ainge is a tall pocket passer who can deliver the ball with decent velocity when given a clean pocket to throw from.

Running Backs: Thomas Jones’ off-season pleas for a new deal fell on deaf ears as the Jets brain-trust proceeded to select 235-pound bruiser Shonn Greene in the third round. Jones is coming off a magnificent season in which he rushed for 1,312 yards and scored a career-high 15 touchdowns. Jones is a decisive, hard runner with a second gear once he gets past the first wave of defenders. The soon-to-be 31-year-old’s bounce back campaign was also a product of a much-improved offensive line, which opened running lanes for him to attack. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will look to secure Jones, Greene, and playmaker Leon Washington with vital roles in the offense. Washington, in particular, is almost sure to see more touches. The 5’8” dynamo has better acceleration and elusiveness in the open field than Jones, although he’s not nearly as good as the former Bear in traffic. The coaching staff will try to make better use of Washington’s 5.9 yards-per-carry average by decreasing his work on punt returns and getting him more reps in the regular offense. Greene, on the other hand, may be used as a closer who runs out the clock in games where his team has the lead. The Iowa product isn’t a slasher by any means, but he’s an intelligent inside back that can hit the cutback lanes and has very quick feet for a man of his size. What he doesn’t possess is any sort of discernable skill in catching the ball. The Jets have also brought back 37-year-old war horse Tony Richardson at fullback, who can still clear out defenders with relative ease.

Wide Receivers: Tannenbaum’s failure to bring in any wide receivers of note via the draft or free agency has been quite shocking. As currently constituted, Gang Green doesn’t have anything that resembles a number-one wide out. The team’s most established receiver, Jerricho Cotchery, specializes in running inside routes and catching a high-percentage of throws that go his way thanks to his Velcro hands. Where the sixth-year veteran falls short though is in his lack of explosiveness. While Cotchery ranked among the league’s top-20 in red zone targets, he’s only caught seven of New York’s 37 touchdown passes over the past two seasons. Replacing the departed Laveranues Coles in the starting lineup won’t be an easy task, as a cadre of unproven options—Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith, and David Clowney—will all vie for the spot. While Stuckey is no blazer, he’s the most polished of the three. He mainly works out of the slot and showed the ability to make big plays last year with four catches of 20-yards or more and three touchdowns in limited duty. Stuckey has the skills to shake defenders with the ball in his hands. Smith is a tremendous runner, but is still extremely raw as a receiver. Clowney, on the other hand, is a fleet-footed and fluid athlete who can be a legitimate deep threat if he could ever find a way to be more durable. The Jets are also rolling the dice on second-year man Mario Urrutia. The former Bengal brings astounding height to the table at 6’6”, but isn’t much of a route runner and has been known to have a bad work ethic.

Tight Ends: Pass catching tight end Dustin Keller could very well be the key to the Jets’ passing attack, serving as Sanchez’s safety valve over the middle with the speed to outrun most safeties and linebackers. The second-year man is essentially a tight end in name only given the fact that he’ll often be asked to line up wide or in the slot rather than serving as an in-line blocker. Keller did a fine job of routinely getting open on inside routes toward the middle of his rookie campaign, but he also dropped a few easy passes and came up empty on nine of 10 end zone tosses in his direction from inside the 10-yard line. In addition, Bubba Franks was re-signed after Tannenbaum was unable to draft a much-needed blocking tight end. Franks, 31, is an aging player who can’t be asked to run anything beyond a seven-yard route, and isn’t quick enough to provide consistent support in pass protection. To make matters worse, the former Hurricane is already suffering from a sore knee as he gears up for training camp. A third tight end has yet to be found—nice going, Mr. T. In full desperation mode, the Jets have reportedly been trying to convert defensive end Kareem Brown into a tight end.

Offensive Line: Center Nick Mangold is hands-down the shining star of New York’s front five. The 25-year-old led the team’s rushing attack in 2008 by routinely moving defenders off the ball. The same can’t be said for left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Despite being chosen as the fourth overall pick in 2006, Ferguson has never shown the type of mean streak Jets’ diehards thought they were getting. Also working against him is his thin, lanky build, which sometimes renders him helpless versus outside pass rushers that simply toss him aside. Last year’s big ticket free agent acquisition, Alan Faneca, was a force at left guard. The drive blocking provided by Faneca and Mangold was instrumental in Thomas Jones’ Pro Bowl season. The ex-Steeler may not be the pass protector he once was, but he’s still among the best at his position. Over at right guard, the Jets’ front office wasn’t completely happy with the performance of Brandon Moore. In fact, Moore—an unrestricted free agent in the off-season—was only re-signed after Tannenbaum failed to secure the services of Pittsburgh’s physical run blocker, Chris Kemoeatu. Moore has come a long way since making the team as an undrafted free agent from Illinois in 2002. He’s a stout lineman who holds his ground, but he isn’t as aggressive as Mangold or Faneca. Holding down the fort at right tackle is Damien Woody, who can still throw his weight around, but is a bit slow in his reactions. Wayne Hunter and Robert Turner are versatile reserves that the coaching staff is very high on, while sixth-round pick Matt Slauson is a high-effort guard with good range and a nasty demeanor, which has endeared him to offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

DEPTH CHART

	CB	FS	OLB	ILB	ILB	OLB	SS	CB
	DARRELLE REVIS	KERRY RHODES	CALVIN PACE	BART SCOTT	DAVID HARRIS	BYRAN THOMAS	JIM LEONHARD	LITO SHEPPARD
	DREW COLEMAN	JAMES IHEDIGBO	MARQUES MURRELL	LARRY IZZO	JASON TRUSNIK	VERNON GHOLSTON	ERIC SMITH	DWIGHT LOWERY
	DONALD STRICKLAND		JAMAAL WESTERMAN				EMANUEL COOK	JUSTIN MILLER
	K			LDE	NT	RDE	KEITH FTIZHUGH	AHMAD CARROL
	JAY FEELEY			MARUES DOUGLAS	KRIS JENKINS	SHAUN ELLIS
	P			KAREEM BROWN	SIONE POUHA	MIKE DEVITO
	BEN GRAHAM			ZACK POTTER	HOWARD GREEN	MATT KROUL
	COACH			TY STEIKULER	JACK SIMMONS
	REX RYAN
	WR	LT	LG	C	RG	RT	TE	WR
	JERRICHO COTCHERY	D. FERGUSON	ALAN FANECA	NICK MANGOLD	BRADON MOORE	DAMIEN WOODY	DUSTIN KELLAR	BRAD SMITH
	CHANSI STUCKEY	WAYNE HUNTER	WILL MONTGOMERY	ROBERT TURNER	KYLE LINK	RYAN MCKEE	ANDREW DAVIE	DAVID CLOWNEY
	WALLACE WRIGHT		MATT SLAUSON	MICHAEL PARENTON			ROB MYERS	BRITT DAVIS
				QB		RB	BUBBA FRANKS
				MARK SANCHEZ		THOMAS JONES	J'NATHAN BULLOCK
		FB		KELLEN CLEMENS		LEON WASHINGTON
		TONY RICHARDON		ERIK AINGE		SHONN GREENE
		JEHUU CAULCRICK		CHRIS PIZZOTTI		JESSE CHATMAN
		BRANNAN SOUTHERLAND				DANNY WOODHEAD

DEFENSE

Defensive Line: The Jets have a solid collection of wide-bodies to lineup along their front three, starting with pocket-collapsing nose tackle Kris Jenkins. The oft-injured veteran held up for 16 games last season, but faded toward the end of the season. Coach Ryan will look to decrease his workload and move him to end on occasion to keep the 349-pound colossus fresh. Jenkins will be flanked by Shaun Ellis and Marques Douglas. A lot more was expected out of Ellis when he was taken with the 12th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, but he’s been a useful and versatile component who can get to the quarterback. The Tennessee product uses his tremendous strength and long arms to get by blockers, but he lacks top-shelf speed. The 32-year-old Douglas is a reliable journeyman who specializes in penetrating the opposing line and dropping ball carriers for a loss. The big end is also known to be a film room junkie. Backing up the treacherous three will be off-season acquisition Howard Greene, who has the girth to give Jenkins a blow, along with Sione Pouha. The wild Samoan is blessed with incredible power, but doesn’t make many splash plays. Brawler Mike DeVito is also in the mix.

Linebackers: The acquisition of Bart Scott was a real coup for the organization. The inside linebacker is a ferocious hitter with superb lateral agility to play the run and penetration skills to rush the passer. Lining up alongside Scott will be David Harris, who’s a sideline-to-sideline assassin in pursuit of ball carriers with the work ethic to match. Edge players Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas will be expected to bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks. Pace, however, will be serving a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. While many media members have been talking up the disappointing Vernon Gholston as a possible replacement, the man to really keep an eye on is Marques Murrell. Adrian’s little brother has shown the speed and motor to be a disruptive pass rusher. The inconsistent Thomas, on the other hand, lacks discipline and must show the ability to drop back into pass coverage. Former Scarlet Knights Brandon Renkart and Jamaal Westerman are both trying to stick with the team as reserves. In order to do so they must show that they’re versatile and have what it takes to play on special teams. Renkart, in particular, is a student of the game who brings a physical element to the team. Larry Izzo is a long-time special teams ace. Jason Trusnick is also expected to contribute in that role.

Secondary: Darrelle Revis is a top-five cornerback with shutdown skills and the strength to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. What makes Revis so special is the fact that he’s versatile enough to excel in both man and zone schemes. Newcomer Lito Sheppard will be sure to see several passes come his way playing alongside one of the best in the business. In the past, the former Eagle has shown a propensity for getting injured, but he is an instinctive and fluid athlete with good ball skills when he’s on the field. Dwight Lowery and Donald Strickland will chip in as the nickel backs. Lowery isn’t as physically gifted as your prototypical NFL corner, but he makes up for that with his exceptional ball skills. The second-year man is more of a zone-coverage type. Strickland is an instinctive defender that will often be asked to cover slot receivers. Corner Tyrone Brackenridge is a tough player who’s quick out of his breaks, but lacks elite speed. Free safety Kerry Rhodes is a versatile player that can cover tight ends down the seam, play receivers over the top, or stuff the run in the box. Strong safety Jim Leonhard is a heady performer with excellent recognition skills. Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo are part of the reserve corps that has impressed the coaching staff with their physical play.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Mike Nugent era officially came to an end in the off-season as the 27-year old turned down the Jets’ offer to sign with Tampa Bay. That leaves kicking duties in the hands of Jay Feely. The well-traveled veteran doesn’t possess a particularly booming leg, but he’s generally accurate. Feely surprisingly has had issues connecting on short-range chip shots from time to time. The punting situation is in a state of flux with T.J. Conley getting first dibs at earning the starting position. Leon Washington is an electrifying return man. He should continue to see action on kickoffs, but Jim Leonhard may be the primary return man on punts.

NEW YORK JETS OFF-SEASON TRACKER

Acquisitions
DE Marques Douglas: FA Ravens; terms unknown
DT Howard Green: UFA Seahawks; $625,000/1 yr, guarantees unknown
LB Larry Izzo: UFA Patriots; terms unknown
LB Bart Scott: UFA Ravens; $48M/6 yrs, $22M guaranteed
CB Lito Sheppard (trade Eagles)
CB Donald Strickland: UFA 49ers; 3 yrs, terms unknown
SS Jim Leonhard: UFA Ravens; $5.9M/3 yrs, guarantees unknown
Drafted
QB Mark Sanchez, USC (1/5): $45M/5 yrs, $28M guaranteed
RB Shonn Greene, Iowa
OG Matt Slauson, Nebraska (6/193): Terms unknown
Undrafted Free Agents
QB Chris Pizzotti, Harvard
WR Britt Davis, Northern Illinois
TE Andrew Davie, Arkansas
TE Rob Myers, Utah State
TE J’Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State
OT Ryan McKee, So. Mississippi
OT Tavita Thompson, Oregon State
OL Kyle Link, McNeese State
OC Michael Parenton, Tulane
DE Zach Potter, Nebraska
DE Jack Simmons, Minnesota
DT Matt Kroul, Iowa
DB Emanuel Cook, South Carolina
DB Keith Fitzhugh, Mississippi State
DE Zach Potter, Nebraska
DL Ty Steinkuhler, Nebraska
LB Jamaal Westerman, Rutgers
P T.J. Conley, Idaho
Re-signed
FB Tony Richardson: UFA; 1 yrs, terms unknown
WR David Clowney: ERFA; terms unknown
TE Bubba Franks: UFA; terms unknown
OG Brandon Moore (had been released by Jets): $16M/4 yrs, $10M SB
CB Ahmad Carroll: UFA; terms unknown
K Jay Feely: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown
P Reggie Hodges: FA Jets; terms unknown
Departures
QB Brett Favre (retired)
QB Brett Ratliff (traded Browns)
RB Noah Herron (released)
WR Laveranues Coles: UFA Bengals; $28M/4 yrs, $3MSB/$4.75M RB
TE Chris Baker (released)
DE Kenyon Coleman (traded Browns)
DT C.J. Mosley: UFA Browns; $5M/2 yrs, guarantees unknown
LB Eric Barton: UFA Browns; $11.15M/4 yrs, guarantees unknown
LB David Bowens (released/failed physical)
LB Brad Kassel (released/failed physical)
LB Cody Spencer: UFA Lions; 1 yr, terms unknown
CB David Barrett (released)
CB Hank Poteat: UFA Browns; $745,000/1 yr
DB Abram Elam (traded Browns)
K Mike Nugent: UFA Buccaneers; 1 yr, terms unknown
Unsigned
RB Jesse Chatman (not tendered as UFA June 1)
WR Wallace Wright (exclusive rights free agent)
LB Marques Murrell (exclusive rights free agent)
CB Ty Law (not tendered as UFA June 1)
DB J.R. Reed (not tendered as UFA June 1)

PROJECTION

There’s no doubt that the Jets have improved themselves on defense and solidified their running game with the addition of Shonn Greene, but their lack of firepower at wide out and inexperience at quarterback are concerns. New York should be competitive in close games, but will probably struggle to keep up with prolific offenses when playing from behind. While the Jets have some interesting pieces in place, they remain an incomplete squad. The Jets’ projected record is 6-10.