There are rumors flying that the Jets brass are considering bringing Plaxico Burress on board. They are waiting to see what happens with his legal situation before making a decision. This is a BAD MOVE!!!

If the New York Jets want to stop the “second class citizen” stigma that surrounds the organization in New York, then they have to stop playing these kinds of games. The Giants showed class in kicking Plaxico Burress to the curb. He was a distraction in the locker room, was late to meetings and is now in trouble with the law.

The Steelers echoed the sentiment a few years prior. What do the Steelers and Giants have in common? Well, 3 of the last 4 Lombardi Trophies, that’s all. The Jets need to commit to building their organization with class. These one year fixes, i.e. Favre & Burress are just embarrassing. Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum need to take this into consideration. The NYPD briefs both teams at the beginning of the year about what is acceptable and what is not. Burress had no regard for himself, his teammates, and his organization. Mayor Bloomberg made it clear he wants no preferential treatment handed to Burress in this case. Is this really the big receiver the Jets want to bring in as they start a young QB. Whether it be Kellen Clemens or Mark Sanchez, Burress is just not the answer.

Rex Ryan has made it clear this organization is going to run the ball and play defense. There’s no reason to bring in Burress for one year, regardless of his talent. If they really think they need an big target, they should revisit Matt Jones. Otherwise, they should stick with their current roster.

The signing of Plaxico Burress would send a terrible message to the young Jets fans out there. What does this tell them about this organization and it’s values?

Regardless of the X’s and O’s, the Jets need to change their identity. They’ve been moving forward with good guys in the locker room and they need to keep it that way. It looks like the 3 headed monster in the backfield can compete with any in the league, and the defense is poised for a dominant season. Let’s keep that the focus.

The news and notes are awfully slow in these days. How each of the players look in OTA’s really makes no difference in how they look during the season. The roster’s are incomplete, the fella’s still need to work into game shape, and the newbie’s are still learning the language.

The good news so far is Sanchez is signed, and at a reasonable price. The Jets did a nice job getting him under contract for considerably less guaranteed than Matt Ryan. This leads me to believe Sanchez will get this year to learn, which is the right thing for him.

Clowney and Stuckey are both looking to step up into the #2 WR position. The fact the Jets haven’t made a significant move for someone shows their commitment to the run…. I love it!

All reports are the defense is flying around. The guys seem to like Rex Ryan and look poised to be one of the best crews in the league.

Side Note: Dustin Keller was almost attacked by a stray pit bull… Luckily he scaled a fence to avoid injury. Guess he’s in good shape That’s good!

The bad: Brett Favre used the Jets for a one year route out of Green Bay on his way to the Vikings. He said he didn’t want anything to do with the Jets and then faked his way through an Interception filled season at the expense of this organization. Now he will get his wish and be with the Vikings. I hope all Jets fans will now see last season for what it was and will have a little more forethought when similar situations pop up in the future. It’s embarrassing what he did to this team and our guys. Thank goodness Thomas Jones and Kerry Rhodes stood up for the group. Looks like everyone in Green this year, wants to be here!

As always, hopes are high in June. More to come…

No, not the Clemens that is still grabbing headlines for the giant “conspiracy” theory levied against him by people with very little to gain. Instead we should be rooting for the kid from Burns, Oregon to be the opening day starter. Kellen Clemens deserves his chance, while Mark Sanchez deserves a chance to develop.

Let’s take a step back and look at this thing logically. This is not the Big Ben situation, the Joe Flacco situation, the Matt Ryan situation, the Carson Palmer situation, nor the Phillip Rivers situation. This is the Mark Sanchez situation and needs to be handled as such. While Sanchez is a great talent and has shown the poise and leadership that we all hope will ultimately lead him to greatness, every logical thought points to letting him develop while learning the offense and competing to get better. Many people thought he improved all year last year and has the potential to continue that growth at this level. Playing in NY, there is a far greater expectation for results now and to throw him to the wolves could damage that progress.

Clemens, like his predecessor Chad Pennington, has been dealt a raw deal in NY. Neither QB had an offensive line for most of their time here. Pennington lead the Jets to the playoffs in every year he finished the year upright and subsequently was ran out of town. Clemens has a small body of work, all in a season where the offensive line looked like they should’ve been playing for pop warner. Is it a coincidence that Thomas Jones couldn’t run the ball that year? Is it a miracle that with a few O-Line additions, a full back, plus another year under the belt of our young guys he was able to lead the conference in rushing (despite Brett Favre attempting to pad his INT stats)? Clemens was also without any viable weapon. Remember, Coles and Cotchery both missed time due to injury, so Clemens was on an island as a rookie with no help… raw deal folks!

Let’s not forget why the Jets drafted Clemens originally. He was a beast at Oregon, posting amazing numbers. He broke Dan Fout’s school record as a sophmore for passing TD’s, improved in his junior year, and posted 19 TD’s, 4 picks and a ridiculous 152.87 passer rating in an injury shortened senior season. OK, granted that was against Pac-10 defenses… including USC… somewhat like Mark Sanchez, except without playing against USC.

I’m not going to go as far as to say Clemens will be a better QB for the Jets. I think Sanchez has all the intangibles to be a leader for this team and I just want what is best for him and Gang Green. Clemens has the experience in the offense and should give the Jets the best chance to win now. While I think Sanchez will have to get in there and take his lumps eventually, if we’ve learned anything from our recent past it’s to not overlook the talent we have in house. The schedule is brutal this year, especially early as the Jets head to Houston, then home for New England and Tennessee, and back on the road to New Orleans and Miami. All these teams will throw the kitchen sink at a rookie QB. If the Jets want a chance this year, Clemens is the answer… at least early on.

There has been some growing chatter that a Thomas Jones for Braylon Edwards trade might have some validity for both clubs. The Browns and Jets have already shown a willingness to deal as they made the biggest splash on draft day.

Now there is an obvious need for a RB in Cleveland as they have virtually no depth. The same can be said for the Jets at WR. The Browns made a big charge for WR’s this offseason grabbing Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi, Mike Furrey, David Patten.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Browns asking price might be a little too high right now. The Jets still need to add a blocking TE as well as WR depth, so they might have to look elsewhere. Plus, Thomas Jones is the kind of veteran in the huddle who can help Mark Sanchez through some early road bumps.

I’d hate to see Jones leave, but if the Browns drop their price, Jones would most likely get the deal he’s looking for and the Jets would get there WR. Regardless, something will happen before August.

The Jets will certainly monitor Plax’s situation.

The Jets most impressive move on Draft Day might turn out to be their leap to grab Shonn Greene out of Iowa. I gotta tell you guys… Greene is the real deal.

He’s the perfect fit for this football team. He’s a prototypical Rex Ryan type guy. He’s a hard working, hard nosed guy with a mean streak that comes out on game day.

The Jets have had a tough time pushing the pile in short yardage situation and Greene should have no problem making that happen. He’s a Jersey kid, who despite his size and power, has some moves to go along with it. He’ll have to develop better hands out of the backfield, but they won’t be asking him to do too much in the passing game right away. Check it out!!!

It’s taken me a couple of days to digest how I really feel about the Jets move to grab Sanchez. Originally I was dead set against it and here’s why.

#1. He only started 16 games in college all of which came against mid tier defensive competition.

#2. As a highly rated high school QB, he stepped into the USC locker room and was beat out for the starting job by Matt Leinart & John David Booty.

#3. The asking price to move up into the top 8 picks would surely cost an arm and a leg while the Jets still have depth needs at RB, WR, QB, and O-Line.

#4. They pulled a stunt last year to sell PSL’s for with the new stadium, and wound up leading the league in INTs, while Pennington kick our ass.

With that said, I’ve had a chance to go back and watch Sanchez games at USC and his workout at the Combine and I’m starting to think the Jets made a good move and here’s why.

Pete Carroll rarely will give the reigns to a young guy. Sanchez paid his dues and was way better than the two aforementioned USC gunners this past season. Plus the word out of USC is that he is the best QB they’ve had since Palmer.

Regardless of the competition he faced, he still delivered in a pro style offense. I don’t think the Jets will make him throw too often which should allow him the opportunity to learn. Plus, it seems like Clemens will get the reigns for at least a brief amount of time.

As far as the price paid for this move, I was convinced we would need to give up a 1^st round pick next year to move, especially being the whole league knew Tannenbaum wanted too. Luckily our boy Mangini threw us a bone and we came out of this thing with no future damage. The Coleman move will need to be addressed, but I think that can happen.

The depth was filled at all the positions except for WR. In a run first, that need becomes less valuable. I still think they’ll bring in a WR & a blocking TE too so Keller can be an option in the air. The Jets did pickup, J’Nathan Bullock, a basketball player out of Cleveland State to try at TE, so maybe there’s some potential in him.

The Shonn Green move was the best thing they could’ve done on draft day. I’ve said in previous posts that Green is the guy we NEED. The Jets have been lacking that pile pusher for a while. Green is a Jersey kid that will flourish behind the bruisers in front. Whether it was the Big Ben Steelers or Flacco’s Ravens, each had 3 change of pace backs to take the pressure off the young QB.

O-Line was then addressed as well with one of Callahan’s boys, Matt Slauson… well done.

The bottom line on Sanchez is he is gym rat and will hopefully live up to all our expectations. He’s done and said all the right things so far. I’m buying in… good things to come!  

Side Note: The Jets FINALLY released Brett Favre. Minnesota… let the bidding begin! 

The FanSided.com Sports Network proudly presents our first ever network-wide live NFL Draft chat. That’s right; NFL bloggers from all 32 team sites will be checking in to discuss the 2009 NFL Draft and all the news and rumors that go along with it. If you want knowledgeable, real-time commentary on the entire draft, then this chat is for you. Thanks for joining us, and keep the comments and questions coming (but clean and respectful, please).

NFL Mocks is the Home for the first FanSided.Com Live NFL Draft Chat

With the 2009 NFL Draft approaching, the Jets have a tough decision to make. They are looking at a couple of options in the 1st round. The Jets biggest concerns are in no specific order, QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DE OLB. OK, I lied, the offensive positions in that list are the biggest concerns. The Jets need some extra competition at the QB position. Josh Freeman, who might be the biggest gamble in this draft is certainly worth a shot if he’s at the top of Mike T.’s list. While I like Brandon Pettigrew & some of the other WR’s, could you really see the Jets taking another TE in the first round? How about a WR from MD? Freeman seems like the obvious selection. The Jets are close to being really good and Freeman has the biggest upside in this years draft. Freeman hasn’t had a chance in college to show his real potential. Besides Jordy Nelson, he hasn’t had a supporting cast to allow him to display his skills. Freeman has spent the last few years avoiding the pass rush to allow his receivers to get open. The Jets are going to pound the run, which should protect one of their young QB’s as long as they can stretch the field.

WHILE I THINK THE JETS SMARTEST MOVE WOULD BE TO TRADE DOWN THIS YEAR, my guess is Freeman will be the pick. I can’t get too mad because I like Freeman, but I’ll go on record to say they should move down if possible. I don’t think it will happen, so I’ll get my Freeman jersey asap.

Freeman would be a big risk in Round 1, but probably has the most potential as anyone in the draft. Besides Freeman, I’ve been a big fan of Percy Harvin in the first round, even as a reach, until recent developments which unfortunately will scare the Jets away (he’ll do big things). 

In the second round, the Jets should be able to focus on Jared Cook or Kenny Britt.

 Round 3 will depend on their pickup in Round 2. If the Jets happen to land Jared Cook, my guess is they will target Louis Murphy (WR Florida) in the 3rd. If they land Kenny Britt at that spot, I would suspect a push to get Shonn Greene.

Obviously all these players in this draft are dependent on previous picks, but here’s some more picks I like for the Jets to target for the rest of the weekend.

Round 4: Javon Ringer, Ramses Barden and Richard Quinn… besides that, it’s too tough to predicts after the first 4 are complete. The rest will depend on the talent left over per position.

The Jets have done a great job preparing themselves for a brutal schedule. I like the makeup of this team to fight this one out. Offense is where they need to go for the future… enjoy!!!

Regardless of the order, the Jets and the rest of the AFC East are in for a dog fight this year. The AFC East is responsible for 4 of the top 7 toughest schedules this year.

What does this mean for the Jets? It means they better find a way to win close games and my feeling is they now have the right approach to make that happen. Teams who run the ball and play tough D are in every game so there is a chance.

It also means whatever young QB has the reigns will have to grow up quick. Here’s your SOS breakdown…

Jets schedule has been released… BRUTAL… I don’t think the Jets are anyone’s patsy, but they better learn how to win the close one.

Here ya go, per www.newyorkjets.com,

This will be the Jets’ first season opener in Texas since the Houston Oilers prevailed, 20-0, in the Astrodome in 1977. This will also be the fourth time in five years, the 12th in 16 years and the 37th time in the franchise’s 50-year history that the Jets will open their season on the road.

With the draft pending the Jets have a major need for speed. While I think the Jets will grab Josh Freeman in the first round, I’ve said since day one I think they should go after Percy Harvin. The Jets have 6 picks in the upcoming draft and while I love Freeman’s upside we do have 3 QB’s in house. If the Jets like Freeman though, I wouldn’t be hurt. One of our current arms would be on the block. There are a lot of teams in need of a QB and we have some nice young ones. With that said, if they are happy with the current group, they need to focus on speed!

The running game and defense will be the focus of the team. This means the offense needs to stay on the field and move the chains to give those guys on defense a chance to rest. The most glaring weakness the offense had last year, besides leading the league in INT’s, was the fact that Leon Washington was the only Jet that could really turn nothing into something. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Cotchery fan. Cotchery is one of the most underrated WR’s in the NFL. The fact remains the Jets could use someone on the other side who is a homerun threat. I’m not talking about someone who can neccessarily beat everyone deep. I’m talking about the guy who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball, a’ la Leon!

So besides Josh Freeman, there are only two options in my mind. Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin. So let’s look at some pro’s and con’s.

Maclin has amazing speed is shifty enough for everyone to worry. He also has return ability which is obviously a bonus. The unfortunate truth is that kids that come out of the spread offense like Missouri tend to struggle with running routes in the pro’s, especially early. Maclin does have all the intangibles and would obviously be nice weapon across from JC.

Harvin on the other hand is not as quick on a straight line, but has the ability to make people miss and is also a threat to go the distance on every possession. He is built like a brickhouse which will also help him overpower DB’s. While he also came from a spread offense, I personally think he is the man that would fit in the best in Schottenheimer’s system. He’s not afraid to block or go over the middle, which is a big deal on the pro level. He fought to come back from injury to play in the championship game in college which shows his work ethic and desire. Plus he’s from the Hampton Roads, VA area where I currently own a house. Great football players down there. The con on Harvin is I’m not sure he can neccessarily stretch defenses on the pro level.

Bottom line is both these guys would be welcome additions in my book. I don’t think Heyward-Bey is built for the Schottenheimer’s precision O. He would be better off in a vertical passing attack.

We’re only a few weeks away! I can’t wait!