To hear the critics and some fans talk one would think the quarterback position for the New York Jets is the worst in the enitre National Football League. Hardly. The Jets have a young gun who started a whopping 8 games last year at the helm of a 4-12 team with visions of golf courses dancing in their heads by October 1. That is 8 games for his career so far. Then you have injury riddled vet Chad Pennington. All of 31 years old. Maybe, just maybe, getting ready to be the best back-up quarterback in the league. This is not a disastrous duo. No, they are not the Manning’s but really aren’t we all sick and tired of those family commercials by now? Just once, don’t you want to see that giant Jason Taylor crashing down that hallway crush Peyton Manning the way you’d just once love to see Wile E. Coyote blow the Road Runner into smithereens?

Well the battle has begun for the starting QB gig and I have to say if Trent Dilfer can win a Super Bowl why not a Kellen Clemens? A Chad Pennington? Clearly not the strength of the team but if both play well in camp and one clearly edges out the other I feel good going into the season with either…provided the team rallies around them and plays better as a whole. Neither player will put a team on his back and carry them through the season and the playoffs but both can offer different assets. The young strong armed Clemens can open up the offense. The crafty Pennington can keep the Jets competitive and limit the mistakes. So doomsayers beware, this duo may surprise you. After all, I think there are at least 10-12 teams in the NFL with as bad or worse players not named Manning who are manning the position.

The way you make Clemens or Pennington look a heck of a lot better? Build a top 5 defense. The Jets might be on the right track. In fact they may just be one good cornerback away. Consider that before Eric Mangini arrived we had maybe one impact defensive player: Jonathan Vilma. Once the 3-4 defense was installed we had zero impact defensive players. In the two years since we can now count David Harris, Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes, Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, and Vernon Gholston as one of the best and brightest defensive cores in the league. David Harris is going to break out according to USAToday. If you couple that with the fact that the team has had two years to get comfortable in the 3-4 and all the above players should make these players better: Shawn Ellis, Bryan Thomas, Kenyon Coleman, Justin Miller, and Eric Barton. I think with some aggressive play calling the Jets defense can be the unit that wins games and is the strength of this team.

Even John Clayton at ESPN, who you would think isn’t even aware the Jets are in the league, thinks they have improved. It takes spending $140 million to get on his radar but we have arrived. Hopefully, we still fly under the radar of the teams on our schedule who may be ticking off a win against the Same Ole Jets.

What can I say? Either I’m easily impressed, I love potential, or a healthy combination of the two. The New York Jets certainly have not given me much reason to be overly optimisitc over their history or my 25 plus year affiliation with them as a fan. Yet…I have a good feeling this year. I like this time of year for the optimism of the draft and rookie mini camp. It makes all fans feel like anything is possible.

One player to like: CB Dwight Lowery. Yes I like this guy alot. I think he will join the ranks of 4th round wonders we have drafted of late. Maybe the Jets were happy to get rid of our third round pick? Atfer all, who was the last third rounder we took? Anthony Schlegel? He may be forever linked to third round bombs in all future round by round bust lists. Lowery looks the part he thinks the part and he has put up the stats of the part. So why didn’t he go in the second round? Maybe he was too slow when everyone was paying attention. I’m just glad the Jets didn’t stop paying attention at the stopwatch. I think this guy is a football player.

Another reason to savor the kool aid: WR Marcus Henry. This guy has exactly the type of size we desperately needed going into the draft. He was just what the doctor ordered. So why all the booing? Why do fans and critics alike knock the Jets for not taking a WR with their second pick? Hnery produced a thousand yard season at Kansas at an 18.8 yard per catch clip. Maybe he suffered the same “slowness” infection that felled Lowery? I think the Jets will be glad that they did. I seem to remember the big knock on Jerricho Cotchery coming out of college was his 40 time and that he didn’t have great speed. He has quickly become one of the sneakiest big play threats in the league who may not have great speed but he has great hustle and he knows how to turn up the football speed when he needs to. So for all you nay sayers out their who joined the boobirds when TE Dustin Keller’s name was called…

Yup, you guessed it. He is my number one reason to be beaming headed into training camp. I think Dustin Keller not only has the chance to be special for us but I say his only competition for offensive rookie of the year honors is near Jet Darren McFadden. Vernon Gholston should be great but you have to expect that when you pick that high of whoever the selection is or else you’re not that good at doing the lip service. Keller was the x-factor. The reach pick. The combine warrior who also had the huge college numbers last season. He is a dynamite talent and not your father’s Oldsmobile. I remember Johnny Mitchell in his season plus of dominance for the Jets. He had it. He was a star. If only he would have committed to football instead of just having to be committed. Dustin Keller reminds me of Johnny Mitchell with a purpose. A focused and determined athlete and not somebody worried about honing his dance moves for the judges. I say Keller has a big impact for the Jets with 50 catches and 7-8 touchdowns. Yes sir, I’m buying. Kool Aid for the house. 

The New York Jets have been very busy these last few weeks with wrapping up their initial dalliance in free agency, draft evaluations, completing the agonizing Dewayne Robertson trade among others. There is no rest for the weary as General Manager Mike Tannebaum’s motto has been he will leave no stone unturned to find players for this roster if they will make it better. His hard work continued after the 2008 NFL Draft as the Jets signed several very intriguing undrafted free agents including two with very inspirational stories.

The first came right after the draft in the form of a diminuative dynamo, Chadron State running back Danny Woodhead. You’d think the NCAA career rushing leader would get a sniff as at least a 7th round draft pick but the Jets are hoping he is just one of several diamonds in the rough they have unearthed. Can I get a Rudy chant going?

Another player who everyone in the league should be rooting for may actually get a chance to stick as a Brad Baxter type goal line back. Jehuu Caulcrick has lived a life none of the 252 players had to experience before being drafted and that alone is one amazing accomplishment.

And before the rookie mini camps have even started there is this look ahead to the training camp positional battles some of the newly minted rookies will have to face with their incumbent teammates. Hint: Jets have two going on. There is also this look at the top QB battles of which Jets have the #5 most anticipated. I wonder what it would cost to pry Brady Quinn loose from the Browns?

Finally, what would a recap of last week’s draft be without a look ahead to the 2009 NFL Draft? I don’t know why this is even attempted when so many experts whiffed on this past weekend’s draft. Here is a look at some of the top prospects expected to be available in 2009. I can’t say I agree with the “experts” predicting Jets picking anywhere from 9-12 meaning we’re just a 5-6 win club. I see Jets as a real playoff contender and picking somewhere in the 20’s come Draft Day 2009.

Why does the media give draft grades the day after the draft? Better question: Why does the media do the grading? After all most of these guys like CBS Sportsline’s Pete Prisco and Yahoo’s Jason Cole are not athletes nor front office player personnel people. They are more like Siskel & Ebert. Thumbs up I loved The English Patient or thumbs down I had no idea what that schlocky movie was about.

Here we are not 24 hours removed from a very solid draft by the New York Jets and these two “journalists” are handing out grades on players they have never met for a sport they watch on TV. Qualifications? Excuse me, but can I see your resume once more?

No offense to our good friends in Kansas City but it is harder to get a failing grade when you have 13 draft picks than get a glowing review. Yes the Chiefs did well in the draft but let me repeat that number: Thirteen picks. Three of those picks came from having to unload their franchise player Jared Allen who is only 26.

The Jets had less than half as many picks but did alright for themselves adding stud rusher Vernon Gholston and a tight end missile in Dustin Keller. On day 2 the Jets made several picks that could turn out to be steals in CB Dwight Lowery and WR Marcus Henry both of whom fill position needs and have the size and productivity in college to at least seem to be winners from those as qualified to judge drafts like Prisco and Cole. The fact they seem to question the selection of Vernon Gholston is what irks me. Not to put much stock in their opinion because we all know what opinions are like right? I also don’t want to give their work that much creedence but you have to wonder just what their impressions of Gholston would have been had the New England Patriots drafted him. After all, no matter what they do seems to be the smartest move a team could make. Having a very un-Patriots like draft the Pats didn’t make much noise, didn’t stockpile picks and reached on a late rising linebacker in Jerod Mayo who only 2-3 weeks ago was regarded by everyone not named Mel Kiper, Jr. as a second round pick. Enter the Pats who trade down after their target - Gholston - was gone. Now Mayo is a top ten draft pick and these guys are already carving his bust for Canton.

Let’s have some distance here and see what these guys do in a preseason game first before we start coronating the king of the draft.

Whew! It went just as quickly as it came. Literally. The fastest first round ever thanks to the NFL’s new shortened time limit between picks down to ten minutes made the first round fly by. If you blinked once every 3 hours or so you might have missed not one but two new Jets.

The New York Jets sat at the sixth overall pick and saw a player they liked - Matt Ryan - get picked up by the QB hungry Atlanta Falcons and then saw a player they loved - Darren McFadden - get sucked into Al Davis’ black hole in Oakland. That left the Jets sitting at 6 staring the sixth of the six elite prospects in this draft right in the face. Thankfully the Jets did not move anywhere and took Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. Now hopefull the Jets won’t switch back to a 4-3 defense anytime soon.

The Jets seemd to rain on the New England Patriots draft day parade after taking Gholston because the Patsies quickly traded down and reached for late rising Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo. Of course most reviewed this Pats move as just another stroke of divine foresight by Bill Belichick but I say the Pats had their most suspect draft in years and clearly seemed off their game.

As the first round moved to a close some very interesting names were still waiting when the Green Bay Packers came on the clock at 30. The Jets needed an offensive threat and most specifically a wide receiver. A big target who could shake and bake and fly down the field. Tood bad none of the wide recievers in this class fit that description so when the Jets traded up back into the first round at the Packers spot the crowd was buzzing. Would it be for Michigan quarterback Chad Henne? I would have been satisifed with that. Maybe wide receivers Devin Thomas or Limas Sweed? Also two very good choices nobody would have disputed. But a WR was not to be taken in the entire first round this year - a first in nearly 20 years - as the Jets surprised (not me) and went with the top tight end and combine darling Dustin Keller of Purdue.

Some jeered some cheered but as much as Gholston was a no brainer, this was also a home run. Jets fans will love Keller right away. Forget the fact he is a TE because that is in name only. He has size at 6′2″ plus. He is a chiseled 240 pound load and he can breakaway from the pack running a 4.5+ 40. He has game breaking ability and can take it the distance when he touches the ball. He rocketed up the charts after having one of the most impressive all around combine displays - not unlike fellow first rounder Gholston. Keller will step in right away as the third recieving option on this team and provide a great weapon and a mismatch nightmare for defenses.

The Jets draft was essentially a two player draft again this year. With just six picks their was little depth to add and the Day 2 picks did offer some good picks for potential contributors in CB Dwight Lowery, WR Marcus Henry, and OL Nate Garner I was not impressed with the pick of Erik Ainge at quarterback. Lowery led college football in interceptions with 13 last year and fills a big need as positional depth while Henry and Garner both are intriguing projects with great size at their respective positions. Overall I think the fact that the Jets did not select one of the top WRs in a very weak class has led some analysts to downgrade this draft into the B to B- vicinity, but without a plethora of picks this year the Jets concentrated on adding quality over quantity. They did so in bringing on immediate studs to both the defensive and offensive side of the ball and really did not reach or gamble at all but took hard working, physically dominant players in the first round. This pick will be a favorite of mine to make our draft grade in three years an A+

The Jets also made a move Sunday night to add the most prolific running back in NCAA history to the squad. Chadron State’s Danny Woodhead may be short on stature but not on stats.

Ok people, here we go, the home stretch! I feel like I’m on the long, slow, vertical climb up a roller coaster and the breathless anticipation is driving me nuts. The 2008 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow at Radio City Music Hall and the New York Jets are right in the thick of it. The rumors are still there but Dewayne Robertson isn’t anymore! Huzzah!

Look, Robertson was never a great player, even in the 4-3 defense which has gone the way of the dodo for the Jets. He was just a marginally solid defensive tackle who would never have given the Jets a good return on their investment. The long awaited (and hoped for) trade of D-Rob to the Denver Broncos finally happened yesterday. What did we get? Well bupkus for 2008 unless you get excited about cap relief — which in D-Rob’s case is a substanial $8.4 million. The great thing about this trade is that we did get a conditional draft pick for 2009. That pick could be as high as a second round pick. Couple that with the conditional pick we are getting for Jonathan Vilma that could reach second round status and the 4th rounder we got for Pete Kendall in ‘09 and we will be having a real fun time at next year’s draft — unless we trade all those picks tommorrow!

As for the 6th pick overall, well who the heck knows anyway? It could be any number of players or scenarios but the guy most linked to us in mock drafts is Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and I am A-OK with that. The Jets badly need his offensive ability. If he’s there I think he has to be the pick. Of course we have also been heavily associated with QB Matt Ryan, DE Chris Long, and DE Vernon Gholston. The new name pinned to us is small school Troy State’s CB Leodis McKelvin. He may be the top corner and kick returner in the draft but he’d be a slight reach at 6 overall so if he is the guy the Jets better trade down and get another pick out of it.

Some names I really want the Jets to consider in the second round include: TE Dustin Keller, ILB Curtis Lofton, WR James Hardy, QB Chad Henne, CB Brandon Flowers, OL Sam Baker and maybe in the 4th round DE Vince Redd.

All in all Jets fans have got to be excited heading into tomorrow nad the possibilities that await. Merry Christmas Jets fans because Santa is coming tonight.

We’ll be back Sunday to analyze the Jets moves.

I feel like one of those plastic discs on an air hockey table, being pucnhed first one direction than jarringly sent in the opposite way. No matter where you look now, today, this week you will be ping ponging back and forth with NFL Draft information or rather speculation on what the New York Jets are doing.

The Jets are going to trade up and get Arkansas running back Darren McFadden…

…no wait, this just in…

The Jets are moving up in the draft because they are in love with Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan…

…check that, stop the presses, I have it from an ironclad source - unnamed of course - that…

…the New York Jets hoping Chris Long, Matt Ryan, Darren McFadden, Vernon Gholston all slip to them at 6…

…when in reality all of the above were smokescreens because what the Jets really intend to do at 6 is…

…trade down.

This is what is so great about this time of year. You just don’t know. The Jets traded up in both the first and second round last year - a departure for the normally staid organization. A huge gamble but it paid off. This year? I have to say I’m really hard pressed to decipher Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum’s poker face.

There are rumors surrounding not only the Jets but many teams scattered all over the first round of the draft but one rumor that came true - the Chiefs trade of Defensive End Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings - may just have thrown the Jets draft plans on their ear. The Chiefs now appear to have a huge, gaping chasm at DE and picking right in front of the Jets can fill it with one of the two players the Jets covet: Virginia’s Chris Long or Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston. It would seem that Long will be a long shot to last until 5 so if the Jets really want Ghoslton they will most likely have to leapfrog Herman Edwards crew to get him.

[Lost style flashback sequence to last game of 2007 regular season when Jets beat Chiefs 13-10 in overtime barn burner thus knocking themselves from 4th spot in the draft to the 6th spot]

Where am I? Oh that’s right, picking 6th. Now the Jets can go in any direction but I am hoping they stay put and take one of the draft’s top players rather than trade down. I think this club is far better served by going for quality over quantity at this point. They have made enough improvements via free agency to be a viable contender for the wild card and dare I say it? The division even? Yes, why not? The New England Patriots have suffered a mass exodus from their secondary and their linebackers are all awaiting their AARP membership cards in the mail. They are still the team to beat but the years of incredible good fortune are finally catching up to the Pats. It would appear the Devil is coming to collect his payment for the deal Bill Belichick made once he thumbed his nose at the job of HC of the NYJ.

Ok, I’ll admit I’ve been trumpeting the horns and beating the drums for the New York Jets to draft Arkansas runing back Darren McFadden if he is sitting there at 6 this Saturday at the NFL Draft, but…

Well, what can I say? This Vernon Gholston kid has me all flummoxed. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Jets need Darren McFadden and should make him the pick if he is at 6 because the Jets offense is not good enough to pass on such an elite offensive weapon. The reward merits the risk. However, Gholston also has to be near the top of the Jets draft board because as low octane as the offense was the Jets pass rush was invisible. I mean there was NO pressure ever put on the quaterback. Calvin Pace and Kris Jenkins should help but Vernon Gholston - he of the Ohio State school record 14 sacks in 2007 - could move the Jets defense from vastly improved to borderline elite status with the continued development of Darrelle Revis and David Harris.

It would appear that Gholston is the Jets player link du jour in the local print media and that is very understandable considering that just about every ealry mock draft projected the Jets selecting Vernon Gholston.

And here is the final ESPN mock draft which features dueling draft guru’s Mel Kiper Jr., (although we all know Mel is the one true jedi master of the draft) and Todd McShay and I have to say I’d be pretty thrilled if it turns out how Mr. Kiper calls it - Gholston in round 1 and Limas Sweed in round 2. Wow. Mr. McShay on the other hand gets it right in round 1 with McFadden but I’m not sure Jets would take such a second round risk as Quentin Groves as he recovers from heart surgery. It is looking like the Jets will be hard pressed to screw up the draft any way they go so hopefully 2008 will mirror the bonafide runaway success Jets had with their first two picks in 2007.

The NFL Draft is just five days away and the rumors that were just swirling a week ago are turning into cyclones now the closer we get. It is an incredibly exciting time to be a New York Jets fan because - aside from having a perfect record this time of year - the offseason additions have set the Jets up perfectly to add some very high impact players this weekend. If the Jets don’t do anything before or during the Draft in terms of a trade they are looking at adding 2 of the top 36 players in the nation.

John Clayton of ESPN breaks down some of the rumors and the Jets are linked to two of them. The well known Darren McFadden link and the lesser known infatuation with Delaware QB Joe Flacco, a tall drink of water at 6′6″ and a rocket laser arm.  Flacco is a project at the position but that would be fine with the Jets who have two QB’s ahead of him already. The only real concern about Flacco will suprise you.  He might be too tall. Here is an interesting look at the shocking paucity of of QB’s with Flacco’s height in the NFL and the lack of success enjoyed by those who have made it.

The Jets and their fans are also keeping their collective fingers crossed that a deal sending Dewayne Robertson anywhere for a pick or two happens this week or during Draft Weekend. Reports out of Philadelphia that were promising a few days ago have since cleared things up a bit and while D-Rob may still be on the Eagles radar there is nothing imminent to look forward to.

Finally, yours truly represented the Fan Sided team and The J-E-T Press on internet radio show Fantasy Insider Online with host Tim Miller. You can hear the show and my thoughts on the Jets draft options here.

Hickory dickory dock, the Jets are on the clock…what will the clock strike? Nobody knows yet but we will soon enough. It is the BEST time of year to be a diehard fan of the National Football League because draftniks of the world will once again unite next weekend at Radio City Music Hall. The site has become the mecca for all things NFL Draft related and the pilgrimmage is on.

The intrigue is starting to brew as now is when rumors start to swirl atop the draft board - who will the Dolphins take? Will the Bengals trade all the way up to 2? Will the Chiefs trade franchise DE Jared Allen for a king’s ransom? How far will Matt Ryan fall and who trades up to nab him? And these are just the subplots that we’re aware of! The New York Jets are no stranger to creating Draft shockwaves and sound bytes. Just last year the Jets traded up to the 14th overall pick to select CB Darrelle Revis — a move that looks like a winner. They also traded up again in the second round to get tackling machine David Harris from Michigan to replace the sputtering Jonathan Vilma. Harris was a home run and nearly became defensive rookie of the year while not cracking the starting lineup until after the 6th game of the season.

This year is no different. What will the Jets do? Do they trade up? Very possible. Do they stand pat and pick the best available player be it Darren McFadden, Vernon Gholston or somebody else? More possible. Do they trade down if their is gone and the Matt Ryan sweepstakes begins? Also hard to dispute. The Draft is wide open for the Jets and their offseason actions are only adding to the confusion.

Are the Jets really McLovin McFadden? It would appear so with the attention they have heaped on him. Most would call that a smoke screen right before the Draft. A little misdirection if you will. The problem with that conspiracy theory is that the Jets are picking at 6. McFadden is expected to go in the top 4 and if he slips to 6 will be a huge bargain. The smokescreen usually works best when you are in the drivers seat with a pick and can make other teams behind you sweat it out. The Jets are clearly in the hail mary position as in that is what they are saying now in hopes McFadden slips to them. Reports are all over about the Jets wining and dining McFadden last night in New York. It would seem that Eric Mangini is at it again with the boxing and now he’s sucked McFadden into the ring. Is Teddy Atlas on the coaching staff yet?

The camps are still divided as to whether or not McFadden would be a smart gamble for Jets due to off the field concerns. He is as most football people report extremely dedicated to and passionate about football. I am still of the belief that the Jets are sorely lacking an offensive threat the likes of McFadden and if he is there when the Jets pick at six the Jets would be McFools to pass on him.