A Look Back at John Idzik’s Inaugural New York Jets’ Season: David Nelson

Dec 29, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Jets wide receiver

(86) hauls in a catch against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Time to continue our look back this morning, on the first season in green and white for John Idzik. Over the last several days, we have been looking back at the moves of Idzik’s first year, evaluating the good, and the not so good. We have gone through the draft. Most recently we have looked at Chris Ivory, and the Mike Goodson/David Garrard decision.

Now, we move onto an acquisition that was fairly innocuous at the time, but turned into one of Idzik’s best moves of the entire season.  That move was the signing of

DAVID NELSON: We all know why the move was made. The Jets were, and still are, lacking in weapons for Geno Smith to throw to. Holmes was hurt. Stephen Hill was doing nothing. Jeremy Kerley was banged up. What was Geno Smith going to do? Throw the ball to himself? I don’t think so.

So on October 2, in walks David Nelson. We have seen him play well in the past as a member of the Buffalo Bills. His previous best numbers occurred in 2011, when he caught 61 passes for 658 yards and five touchdowns. Are these the numbers of a number one wide receiver? No. Are they the numbers of a serviceable number two or number three? Absolutely.

So, how did Nelson perform? He only became one of Geno’s most trusted weapons. He caught passes in every game he played for the Jets except for the game against Baltimore. He totaled 36 receptions for 423 yards and two touchdowns. Put that over a full season and you are between 50-60 receptions. Again, not a number one weapons, but a serviceable mid-level weapon.

Another, important reason to appreciate the move is his character off the field. Nelson, along with his siblings, run a charity called “I’m Me“.  The major goal of this organization is to buy land in Haiti in order to set up an orphanage there.  They call themselves the “voice for the voiceless”, which is a really profound thought.  Orphans feel they have no one, and if the Nelson brothers can give them a voice, help them find their identity, that is just wonderful.

If there were only more players in the league that were like David Nelson, we wouldn’t have to hear about so many problems on the news about the league’s players.  The league would be a much classier group of people with more like David Nelson.

For both his play on the field, and his behavior off of it, give the move an…….A+.