Jets Free Agency and Trade Notes

Notes on some recent Jets moves and rumors:

The Kerry Rhodes trade is truly an addition by subtraction after listening to him during an interview with Michael Kay on 1050 ESPN radio. Rhodes left some parting shots in the interview and on twitter. On a side note, I find it funny that Jets fans’ knock on Rhodes is that he can’t tackle and Chargers fans’ knock on Jets newly acquired cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, is that he can’t tackle either. 

Articles like these make me want to destroy Bleacher Report. There are plenty more terrible articles on that website. 

Thomas Jones has signed a two-year deal, $5 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs which officials puts an end to his career as a New York Jet. 

Former Jets receiver, Laverneus Coles, has expressed interest in rejoining the team for a third time and the NY Daily News heard the Jets have similar interest. I’m not in favor of Coles coming back to New York. He’s 32-years old and may not be able to bang in the middle of the field as a slot receiver. I’d rather see the Jets use their second round pick in the draft on a receiver. Coles credits a poor 2009 season to Bengals quarterback, Carson Palmer, only liking to throw to tall receivers. 

The market for Leon Washington is currently rumored to be the 49ers and there is speculation at ESPN that the Patriots could use him too. A team would have to give up a second round pick to sign Washington from the Jets. 

Mike Tannenbuam and the Jets have their work cut out for them this off-season to make the team better.

Where Do the Jets Go From Here?

One off-season move can have a domino effect on the rest. As it stood prior to the trade with San Diego, Jets general manager, Mike Tannenbaum, had his sights set on selecting a cornerback with the 29th overall pick in the draft. By acquiring Antonio Cromartie, the Jets will be able to use their first round pick on a different position. 

Now that Thomas Jones has signed a two-year deal with the Chiefs and won’t be returning to New York, my question is where do the Jets get a running back from? If Leon Washington ends up remaining on the Jets, they should be content with going into the season with Shonn Greene as their premiere back and Washington as a change of pace and third-down back. I ‘d be elated if this happened for the reason that they wouldn’t have to acquire a new running back; one less need. If Washington signs with another team, then what? With Shonn Greene the lone running back left on the roster of their former three-headed rushing attack, would it make sense for the Jets to use a draft pick on a running back and have a rookie and second-year back making up their backfield? Do they instead sign a veteran back to split time with Greene? In this case, who is that veteran? 

The Jets could benefit from adding depth at some positions but before they add depth, they need to take care of some positions that could use a makeover at the top of the depth chart like an outside linebacker across from Calvin Pace, defensive end, running back (depending on Leon), safety and third receiver. 

Getting an outside linebacker is currently the Jets most critical need. For the people who question Cromartie’s skills, putting pressure on the quarterback will make Cromartie better. 

For now, Jets fans, we’ll have to sit patiently and wait for the next move and see how it effects other potential moves.

Kerry Rhodes Traded to Cardinals, Don’t Get Great Value in Return

On Friday, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said he expected Kerry Rhodes to take part in off-season activities and to be a part of the future of this team. 

On Saturday, Rhodes was traded. The Jets traded Rhodes to the Cardinals for a fourth round pick in this year’s draft and a seventh round pick in next year’s draft. Rhodes will fill in at safety for Antrel Rolle, who was recently signed as a free agent by the New York Giants. 

The Jets didn’t get a good value for Rhodes. A fourth round pick will rarely turn out to be a player with a similar caliber as Rhodes. But Rhodes and the Jets’ coaching staff weren’t seeing eye-to-eye, so the Jets probably are happy that they are moving forward without Rhodes, which to them, is worth the low value in return. 

Continue Reading…

Will Cromartie Stay Focused on Football?

The Jets might have answered their biggest off-season question last night by acquiring cornerback Antonio Cromartie from the San Diego Chargers. Cromartie burst onto the NFL scene in 2007 by leading the league with 10 interceptions and dazzling the highlight films with his kick returns. However, after 2007, Cromartie’s career took a nose dive. He was frequently in trouble with the law for driving without a license and being named as a defendant in several paternaty suits. The guy has 7 children with 5 different woman in numerous states. Yikes!

Cromartie’s talent is not the concern. The guy is an athletic freak who can match up man to man with elite receivers and run step-for-step with them downfield. The biggest question is his character and whether or not he can stay focused on football while now playing in the bright lights of New York City.

Cromartie actually played his way out of the laid back city of San Diego. But, he is still young (26) and can re-establish himself as an elite corner on the best defense in the league.

This type of trade, boom or bust, has become a staple of Mike Tannenbaum’s repertoire. He covers himself by trading mid to late round conditional draft picks on players that have warn out their welcome. Tannenbaum has become one of the best NFL GMs in only a couple of years with the reigns. I personally love the move. Now, the Jets can focus on getting an elite pass rusher in the draft.

How Can Acquiring Cromartie Go Wrong for Jets?

Reports of the Jets trading for Antonio Cromartie were on and off for a few weeks, but an hour before free agency was slated to begin, the Jets pulled off a trade to acquire the 26-year old cornerback for a 2011 third round pick that could turn into a second round pick depending on how well he plays in New York.

Some people don’t like his off-field antics or his loud mouth, but how can this move go wrong for the Jets? Sure he comes with some baggage, but yhe Jets are getting him for a future third round pick and his contract expires after 2010. If he’s a bust, let him walk. No big deal. All that’s lost is a 2011 third rounder which isn’t the end of the world by any means. They don’t have a third round pick in this year’s draft either.

Cromartie is excellent in man coverage and is better than Lito Sheppard and the corners currently on the Jets roster barring Revis.

Also, acquiring Cromartie means there is one less need to fill in the draft. The Jets needed a cornerback and it looked as though they were going to use their first round pick, 29th overall, on a cornerback. Now they can use that pick on a defensive end, outside linebacker or even a receiver. 

The Jets could have stayed pat and used that 29th overall pick on a cornerback, but you don’t know what you’re getting all the time in the draft. With Cromartie, he has NFL experience, unlike draftees, and has four seasons under his belt, including a Pro Bowl season in 2007. I’d rather give the keys to a four-year veteran cornerback rather than the third best cornerback coming out of college. 

Cromartie’s act fits in with Rex Ryan and the Jets. Thats part of the reason why the Chargers didn’t want him anymore. 

A third-round pick doesn’t always equate to a very good player and Cromartie has shown signs that he can be a very good player. If he becomes a consistent very good player for the Jets, that warrants the third round pick turning into a second rounder. Smart move by the Jets. Hopefully Rex Ryan can make Cromartie’s 2010 season with New York similar to his Pro Bowl 2007 season with San Diego where he had 10 picks and 18 pass deflections.

Jets Acquire Antonio Cromartie from San Diego for 2011 Pick

The Jets have acquired cornerback Antonio Cromartie from the San Diego Chargers in return for a 2011 third round pick that could turn into a second round pick, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. 

Having a number two cornerback to play opposite of Darrelle Revis was a concern for the Jets and this trade solves that problem. Cromartie will turn 26-years old this month and for the price, this move makes complete sense for the Jets. He was a Pro Bowler in 2007 and he’s in the final year of his contract.

Report; Jets Looking To Re-Sign Thomas Jones After Release

A league source has told Pro Football Talk that the Jets plan to cut running back Thomas Jones on Friday, then try to re-sign him. 

If the Jets had decided not to cut Jones, they would have owed him a near $3 million roster bonus.

With the possibility of Leon Washington being signed to an offer sheet, the absence of Jones and Washington would leave the Jets with one running back, second-year man Shonn Greene, out of the NFL’s best rushing unit in 2009. 

It’s uncertain if a team will take a chance on Washington and send a second-round pick the Jets’ way, but the Jets will still need another running back, preferably a veteran, to help carry the load with Greene. 

The release of Jones caused a stir in Jet land, but it was a financial move. Re-signing Jones would allow the Jets to fill other needs this off-season without worrying about getting another running back. It also allows them to wave goodbye to Washington (if a team really wants him) and happily accept a second-round pick for him in order to fill other concerns through the draft or even sign a tendered player from another team. 

I’m interested in seeing if Thomas Jones personally wants to come back to the Jets. Once he’s released, the ball’s in his court. The Browns and former Jets coach, Eric Mangini, are rumored to be interested in Jones. If the Jets released Jones in order to sign him for less money, and Jones decides to bolt to another team, the Jets may have created a hole in their roster that could have been avoided by just putting up the cash.

How the Rest of the Jets Off-Season Should Play Out

Jets have traded for CB Antonio Cromartie which changes everything for the Jets. Don’t read too far into this article. Take it for what it was before the trade. 

There is a lot of noise surrounding the Jets tonight and working under realistic terms and with rumors that have surfaced, here is my best case scenerio of how the off-season should play out for the Jets:

- Trade Kerry Rhodes to the Arizona Cardinals for Anquan Boldin.
- Don’t match an offer for Leon Washington and accept a compensatory second round pick. By acquiring Cromartie, the Jets may not need the additional second round pick and if a team doesn’t make an offer to Washington, the Jets would be happy to keep him.
- Sign Adalius Thomas at outside linebacker.
– Make an offer to the Panthers for CB Richard Marshall who was tendered for a second round pick and hope they don’t match it. (via David Wyatt of Gang Green Nation)* Jets have acquired cornerback Antonio Cromartie from the San Diego Chargers.
- With the 29th pick in the draft, select the next highest rated player on their board among RBs or DEs.*
- With a second round pick, select a player at the position they didn’t in the first round at RB or DE.*

* If the Jets can’t get a cornerback through free agency then things change (I’m not expecting the Jets to trade for Antonio Cromartie [Oh how wrong I was] or Nnamdi Asomugha). The final three points of the scenario become:

- Sign a RB like Chester Taylor, Willie Parker or a different veteran. (They could do this in the first scenario too, which would mean they wouldn’t need to draft a RB in the 1st or 2nd round)
– With the 29th pick in the draft, select a CB like Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt), Donovan Warren (Michigan), Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State) or Kyle Wilson (Boise State). No need to use that 29th overall pick on a CB now with Cromartie coming. 
- With two second round picks, select a DE and a DT or S or add depth at OL.

What do you think the Jets should do this off-season?

Rumor; Cardinals Interested in Trading Anquan Boldin or Third-Round Pick for Kerry Rhodes

Don’t hold you breathe fans, it appears that Boldin is going to be traded, but not to the Jets. The teams pursuing Boldin are currently the Ravens, Patriots and Chiefs while the Jets say they will not be trading Kerry Rhodes. I’d like to know where Schein and SNY received information about this rumor. It wasn’t reported anywhere else other than on SNY to my belief. SNY blew a little smoke on this one. 

Adam Schein of SNY reported on Loud Mouths Wednesday that the Arizona Cardinals are interested in trading for Jets safety Kerry Rhodes. Schein says the Cardinals would trade either receiver Anquan Boldin or a third-round draft pick to the Jets in exchange for Rhodes. 

For the Jets, this is a no-brainer. Rhodes was a cast-off in 2009 and was benched for a number of games. His replacement, Eric Smith, did a nice job as the starter. Acquiring Anquan Boldin for Rhodes would be a great trade for the Jets. Even receiving a third-round pick is good enough in exchange for Rhodes. 

With question marks in their backfield and what could be a diminishing running game, adding a veteran receiver like Boldin would be a huge help for the Jets offense. What the Jets lose in their running game due to the release of Thomas Jones, they would gain in the passing game due to the acquisition of Anquan Boldin. Even if Boldin isn’t the same player he was a few years ago, they are getting him for a guy that the Jets’ coaching staff wrote off for a period of games in 2009. 

If the Cardinals are truly interested in acquiring Rhodes and they are willing to part with Boldin, the Jets should immediately sign on to this deal.

Jets Place Second Round Tender on Leon Washington

The Jets have placed a second round tender on fan favorite running back and kick returner Leon Washington. The explosive back missed the second half of the 2009 season due to a broken leg. 

Washington’s agent, Alvin Keels, said, “I expect there to be a market for Leon during free agency and would say his return to the Jets will be 50/50 at best at this point.” Keels added, “He is ahead of schedule while rehabbing from his week 7 injury. He will be 100% healthy and ready for camp either in NY or elsewhere.”

As steep as a second rounder sounds, I expect there will be a team that makes an offer for Leon. He is an explosive back that can score any time he touches the ball. He can help a team that is on the edge of being a Super Bowl contender. He is valuable on special teams and on third-downs. 

If the Jets decided not to match an offer made by another team for Leon, getting a compensatory second round pick would help them out. What makes me feel better about this situation is that the Jets went on a deep playoff run in 2009 without Leon. What’s startling is that if they lose Leon, they’ll have just one running back remaining on the team out of their big three running backs that they had last season. That means Shonn Greene is the one remaining running back and the Jets would desperately need to get another difference maker to support the second-year back.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Jets try to bring Jones back on a cheaper deal, but don’t count on it. 

The Jets have created a hole for themselves and the hole may widen if they let Leon walk. A second round pick is tempting, however, and I wouldn’t put it past the Jets. The Jets must think extremely high of Shonn Greene. 

It’s going to be a very interesting off-season for the Jets when you take into account the rules of an uncapped year and the holes they need to fill. The draft is going to be critical for the Jets and receiving a second round pick for Washington may be worth it for the Jets.

The Jets also placed a second round tender on Brad Smith.