Jets Rookies, First Year Players Impacting Jets

It takes an entire team effort to get where the Jets are, but credit Jet rookies and first year Jets for changing the culture of the organization.

It starts with first year head coach Rex Ryan, who was brought over from the Ravens. Ryan is one of the top defensive minds in the NFL. Ryan brought over linebacker Bart Scott, safety Jim Leonhard, defensive end Marques Douglas and a few coaches with him from Baltimore and those guys are a big reason why the Jets’ defense has been so successful in their first year under Rex Ryan’s scheme. Without Scott, Leonhard and Douglas, the Jets defense would have probably been lost. They are the coaches on the field that know the defense as well as Rex does because they’ve been in his system for so long. Those guys have helped the Jet defenders learn the scheme. 

The Jets 2009 draft will be looked at as a success because two of their three draft picks have played major roles in the Jets spectacular season and both are offensive players. Quarterback Mark Sanchez and running back Shonn Greene have been instrumental to the Jets success and Greene in particular, has had an outstanding postseason. Sanchez has matured right in front of our eyes and has learned that ball safety should be his number one concern while the Jets defense and running game does their thing. 

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum has been building and tweaking this team since he took over the job in 2006 and it turns out he has made all the right moves in the player department. All he needed was the right coach. Rex Ryan is that guy. Tannenbaum put together the Jets entire offensive line, he has drafted players like Leon Washington, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, and more impressively, he traded up in drafts to choose Darrelle Revis, David Harris, Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene. His only mistake was drafting Vernon Gholston (but let’s blame Mangini for that one).

Braylon Edwards is also a newby to the Jets this season and his tall presence and big play ability has been pleasant for the Jets on offense. The only problem is he drops a lot catchable passes. He is a free agent after the season and the Jets will have to make a choice whether they want to sign him to an extension or let him walk. That’s another debate for another time. 

To use a cliche, these aren’t your father’s Jets. The players and the entire organization has bought into Rex’s philosophy. Some of the names may be the same from the Mangini days, but their attitudes aren’t and their play on the field certainly isn’t. Rex’s tenure as the head coach of the New York Jets may put an end to the ‘Same Old Jets’ and we can start talking about the ‘Brand New Jets’.