Thursday, June 21, 2012

My Thoughts On The New York Jets Entering Training Camp

     The 2012 Off-Season has been an interesting one for the Jets, to say the least.  The team traded for the most famous back up in NFL History.  The Media loves this move if only for the headlines of Tim Tebow in the Big Apple.  The Media has also created a Darrelle Revis hold out and pedictions of a losing season.  Since the "experts" clearly don't know what they are talking about I am going to share my thoughts and opinions on the New York team wearing Green & White.
     First thing is first, Revis will be at training camp.  This is a story that isn't a story.  Revis never said that he will hold out and he has a clause in his contract that would essentially ruin his career if he did hold out.  He has a 3 year extension clause for minimum money if he holds out and the Jets would OWN him for the next 5 years.  The media needed something to talk about so they threw darts at the wall.  Expect Revis to give the QB, and WRs trouble all season long, but the Jets only the best CB in the League.
     If you are one of those people that thinks Tim Tebow will ever start at QB for the Jets for any other reason BESIDES a Mark Sanchez injury, then Football should not be the Sport you follow.  Tebow was brought to the Jets to play in the Wild-Cat formation and for short yardage situations.  He will obviousy get practice reps at the QB position, but even Brad Smith spent plenty of time during Training Camp from the QB position.  Mark Sanchez is head and shoulders a better QB if you only use the play from the 2011 season. Expect for Sanchez to improve greatly now that Shottenheimer is on a team far far away from here and Sanchez is entering his fourth Season as an NFL starter.  During OTAs and Mini-Camps it has been clear to even the die-hard Tebowmaniacs that Sanchez is far more accurate and the more polished player at the QB position.  The best QB will play  and even Ron Jaworski rates Tim Tebow as the #30 QB in the NFL.
     The Free Agents are looking good.  The Jets were not as aggressive attacking Free Agency as they have been in years past, but the players they did go after seem to be fitting in perfectly.  LaRon Landry is coming off of an injury so it will be some time befoe we fully understand how he jells with the team, but his recovery is moving along much quicker than anyone had anticipated.  If he stays healthy for this upcoming Season the Jets will have the best secondary in the NFL, hands down.  Yeremiah Bell is the other Safety they brought in with expectations to be the starter (sorry Eric Smith).  He has REALLY impressed so far in his short stint with the team.  Like Landry, Bell is known more as an in the box player, but both have covering skills that are over shadowed due to them being such aggressive players in the run game.  Expect for the Coaching staff to put them in positions where they can be the most impactful.  Chaz Shillens is a WR from the Raiders who has been injured his entire career.  He is a tall body with 4.3 speed much like Braylon Edwards and 2nd round Draft pick Stephen Hill.  He comes with a lot of question marks, but he did have a spectacular catch in the End-Zone over Darrelle Revis.  For that alone we will be keeping an eye on him.
     Speaking of Rookies, it seems like the Jets might have another year like 2007 in this department.  That year they landed Revis and David Harris.  One is the best CB and the other is a top 10 ILB who may end up in the top 5 when this season is said and done.  DE Quinton Coples has been compared to Julius Peppers, WR Stephen Hill has been compared to Calvin Johnson and ILB/OLB  Demario Davis has been compared to Ray Lewis.  I am dizzy just from imaging the possiblilities, but we have to keep in mind that these players must make their own names for themselves.  So far Coples has lined up all across the front 7 on Defense.  The Jets will be using more 4-3 allignments as well as the 46 Defense created by Buddy Ryan, Father to Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan, and used by new Defensive Lines Coach Karl Dunbar who was an assistant Coach under Buddy Ryan in Arizona alongside fellow assistant Rex Ryan.  Coples has also spent time standing up at OLB in the Jets base 3-4 allignment.  Coples is so incredibly athletic that there is no limit to where Rex can put him in the Defense.  Stephen Hill has been running all over the field so far.  He was clocked in the 4.29 range prior to the Draft and he certainly has showed that speed running down the field for some impressive catches.  Hill looks like he may be the #1 WR later on in the Season.  Lets see if he can still get open when the pads come on.  I am expecting for Hill to be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year.  ILB Demario Davis has shown leadership qualities early on, but it is his 4.5 speed that has impressed me the most.  Bart Scott has lost some weight and looks like he will return to the player he was during the '09 and '10 season, but Davis would still be faster than He was at those years.  Davis will also recieve the benefit of learning from Bart Scott which will benefit him greatly in the years to come.
     The Jets got their Safeties in Free Agency, pass rushers in the Draft and if they play to the level expected, then you can bet on the Jets having the #1 Defense this year.  If you add in comparisions, then we are talking about having one of the best Defenses EVER!  The Jets sufferred from Chemistry issues last year and not so much holes at certain positions.  They just improved themselves greatly.  They need their WRs to get open and make plays down the field in order to help Mark Sanchez and the running game.  All of the new players will be on display when the pads come on for Training Camp and we will see just who will have some impact in the upcoming Season.
     What expectations do you have for the new players?  Comments and opinions are more than welcome.