We will be Relocating to NYJetsTalk.com

Hey, I am in the process of moving this blog over to NYJetsTalk.com . It will be a few days before I get everything up and running. If anything important happens regarding Jets news, I will still update this blog to keep you guys updated.

Thomas Jones signs with the Chiefs

ESPN is reporting that the Kansas City Chiefs have signed FA RB Thomas Jones. The contract is reported to be 2-years, $5 million. I find it strange that the Jets could not have worked out a similar deal with him if they were really interested in bringing TJ back. Look for the Jets to try to retain Leon Washington now and also add either a veteran RB or draft one in the early in this year's draft.

Schefter: Jets interested in Safety Brodney Pool

According to ESPN's NFL analysis Adam Schefter, the NY Jets are interested in S Brodney Pool, a former 2nd round pick from the Cleveland Browns. Since the Jets traded away safety Kerry Rhodes to the Arizona Cardinals earlier in the week, there is an obvious hole at the safety position. Pool, a 2 year starter in Cleveland, would provide some much needed depth in the Jets secondary. Pool is scheduled to visit the Jets tomorrow. However, Brodney Pool does have some injury concerns, as he was placed on the injury reserve last season with a concussion. This could be a problem since the Jets' secondary was often injured last season (Strickland & Lito) and it ended up costing them big in the AFC Championship Game.


In 2006, Pool lost the battle for the starting safety spot in Cleveland, but ended up starting at corner back due to injuries to Leigh Bodden, Gary Baxter, and Daylon McCutcheon. In 2006, Pool recorded 54 solo tackles and 13 assisted tackles along with 1 sack, 1 INT, and 7 deflected passes. In 2007, Pool was a full time starter at safety and recorded 72 tackles and 2 picks.


If the Jets do make a move for Pool, I would expect him to be a depth signing or a rotational player to go along with Eric Smith. Rex likes to keep his defensive players fresh and I could see Pool being much more effective as a rotational guy rather than a full time starter. Remember, there is a possibility that James Ihedigbo does not return to the Jets next season, so the Jets need to look for both a starter and depth and the safety position. We all know that Rex likes to load his active roster with as many quality defensive backs as possible (Last year- Shepperd, Revis, Strickland, Lowery, Coleman, Rhodes, Leonhard, Ihedigbo, and E. Smith were all active when healthy).

As always, I will keep you posted with any updates.

Look for the Patriots to be interested in Leon Washington

With the Patriots having plenty of first day picks over the 2010-2011 drafts, it doesn't surprise me that I've been reading reports that the New England Patriots are interested in acquiring Restricted Free Agent (RFA) Leon Washington from the Jets. The Jets have placed a 2nd round tender on the 4th year RB out of Florida State, which means that the Patsies, or any team for that matter, would have to give up a 2nd rounder to acquire Washington from the Jets. Of course, since Washington is a RFA, the Jets are allowed to match the contract offer from the Patriots if they wish to keep him. Alvin Keels, Leon's agent, says "Leon's return to the Jets is 50/50 at best."


The Patriots have seen first hand the kind of play-maker that Leon Washington is and I'm sure they would like to add him to there offense. As a Jet fan, I certainly don't want to watch Washington, Welker, Edelman, and Moss play against us twice a year. Leon would appear to be a good fit since the Patriots do not have the best running game in the NFL and definitely could use Leon behind Tom Brady.

With the Thomas Jones departure and Rex Ryan's run first philosophy, it would seem essential that the Jets keep Leon Washington. However, there are some concerns here- Leon is coming off a serious leg injury and he will also be 28 by the start of next season. With the 2010 draft being so deep, it would be nice for the Jets to get an additional 2nd round pick. I believe the Jets' front office is interested in having 2 quality backs to split time with next year's workhorse- Shonn Greene. I expect the Jets to draft a RB in the early to mid rounds in this draft even if they keep Washington on the roster. If Washington is picked up, I expect a veteran RB to be acquired as well as one being drafted.

Bottom Line: It appears that the Patriots do indeed have interest in Washington, but I'm sure Tannenbaum and Rex would hate to see Leon go to the Jets biggest rival. I would expect the Jets to match nearly any offer that the Patriots give him if they decide to make a move. If a team with an early to mid 2nd rounder offers Leon a contract, especially an NFC team, I think that would be in end of Leon in green and white.

Tannenbaum Conference Call- Ben Hartsock resigned- T-Rich and Coles coming back?

Mike Tannenbaum had a conference call this morning. Here is a breakdown on some of the things that were talked about.

Ben Hartsock has resigned with the Jets. Mike Tannenbaum said that "Ben has been important to us, he really solidified our running game last year." I think this is a good move, since obviously Hartsock is a huge improvement over Dustin Keller in blocking, especially on running downs. He is not much of a threat in the passing game and had some bone-headed penalties last season, but he was a major contributor to the success of our running game

Tony Richardson- Mike Tannenbaum said "We hold Tony Richardson in the highest regard on and off the field..we won't rule anything out at this point" Mike had a conversation with Tony Richarson and he said that he definitely wants to play at least one more season, so we can probably rule out the rumor that he might retire. My impression from what he said was that we would most likely be seeing Tony Richardson in another uniform next season. I think the Jets are high on practice squad FB Jason Davis and are looking to have him be the possible starter next season if they don't pick up T-Rich or someone late in the draft.

Laveranues Coles- Mike Tannenbaum said he texted Coles' agent back and forth, but nothing is immenent at this point. Tannenbaum did not sound very confident in the thought of him coming back to the Jets, but that is just my impression from listening to his tone of voice.

The whole conference call with Mike Tannenbaum can be heard here.

Wallace Wright signs with the Panthers

Just a quick note, special teams ace Wallace Wright has worked out a deal in free agency with the Carolina Panthers. This was reported first by Darin Gantt, of the Rock Hill Herald. It comes as no surprise that he was picked up considering he played special teams at a Pro-Bowl level for the Jets the last few seasons. Hopefully the Jets and Mike Westhoff can find an adequate replacement, whether that person is on the roster already or not.

Kerry Rhodes traded to Arizona

So as my last blog stated, there were rumors that S Kerry Rhodes may be involved in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. However, about 20 minutes after my blog, Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum stated that Rhodes would remain on the Jets and receive his roster bonus. Since when did I start trusting what Tannenbaum and Rex said? Anyway, Rhodes was traded to the Cardinals for a 2010 4th rounder and a 2011 7th rounder. It seems like the Jets were asking for a 3rd, but ended up settling for the two later picks. Remember, Arizona made the playoffs last year so the 4th round pick will be late in the round, I believe 26th.

Now the Jets have an obvious need at safety opposite of Jim Leonhard. Eric Smith can help out in run support, but I don't want him matched up 1-on-1 with Dallas Clark. Look for the Jets to sign or pick up a safety before the draft.

Will Kerry Rhodes be a Jet in 2010?

There have been many questions regarding Kerry Rhodes' status and whether or not he will be a Jet in 2010. Kerry Rhodes was far from his 2007 All-Pro form in the last few seasons, even finding himself on the bench for 2 games in 2009. Kerry Rhodes has been taking a lot of criticism for his overall lack of toughness and many question his drive and work ethic. When Kerry Rhodes was benched, S Eric Smith filled in as the starting safety. Smith was an obvious upgrade in the run support, but struggled covering the faster TEs in the league. With that said, Smith played fairly well and seems to be a much improved player than when he was in Mangini's system.


Now, Adam Shein reported that there could be a trade in the works between the Jets and the Arizona Cardinals. Since the Cardinals have cut S Antrel Rolle, they have a need at the safety position, in which Kerry Rhodes would be an immediate upgrade. In return, the Cardinals would be offering a 3rd round pick or WR Anquan Boldin. It would have been nice for the Jets to sign Antrel Rolle and then trade Rhodes to Arizona, this way the Jets would be improving at safety and also picking up a 3rd rounder or a Pro Bowl type WR. At this point, it does not appear that Antrel Rolle will be signing with the Jets. He is visiting with the Giants and the Dolphins, and will likely sign a contract with either of those teams.


Since it doesn't appear that the Jets will be able to sign a quality replacement for Rhodes at this time, I don't think it will be very likely that they will ship him out. Mike Tannenbaum likes to go into the draft without any big holes, so they don't have to reach for a player. If the Jets traded away Rhodes without getting a replacement, they may be in a bad situation come draft day with such few picks, and be forced to reach for a safety. The only way I see them doing this trade at this point is if the Jets are comfortable with Eric Smith as a starting player, which I don't think they are.

Remember, a lot can happen between now and the start of the season, so it would not surprise me if the Jets made a move with Rhodes. However, I don't see it happening in the next few days, especially without a starting safety on the roster to replace Rhodes. I definitely believe that the Jets are entertaining trade ideas involving Rhodes, since it is clear that he really doesn't fit Rex Ryan's system and does not take the NY City criticism very well.

Coles Reunion?

Yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengals released veteran WR Laveranues Coles. Coles, the 11-year vet out of Florida State, played 7 seasons in Green and White. According to Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star Ledger, Coles never wanted to leave the Jets in 2009, and the Jets would be the first team he would call if they were interested in signing him. Now, all Jets fans know that Coles is a tough WR that isn't afraid of going over the middle to catch the tough passes. However, this has caused Coles to get banged up a lot, suffering from numerous concussions over the years. Although he does get banged up a lot, he rarely misses any playing time. This could change now that Coles is getting up there in years and he could be one injury/concussion away from being forced into retirement.


Coles stated that Bengals' QB Carson Palmer never developed a good rhythm with him and was never comfortable throwing to him. Coles had one of his least productive seasons last year, catching 43 passes for 512 yards and 5 touchdowns. However, that type of production would be exactly what the Jets would be looking for in a slot WR in their "ground and pound" offense.

The biggest questions regarding the Jets possibly bringing back LC would be the type of money he is asking for and the role he wants to play. If Coles would accept a 1-2 year deal worth about $2 million a year to play in the slot, I could see the Jets making the move to sign him. The main reason why the Jets and Coles parted ways in 2009 was money, and I could see that being a problem again. Does Coles still think he is worth starting WR money, or will he accept a reduced role as the Jets 3rd WR?

Anyway, I'm sure Tannenbaum will be looking into this, as the Brad Smith and David Clowney experiments seems to be over at WR, since neither have been very productive over the past 2 seasons. Coles would be a short-term fix, so if he is signed, I don't think it would stop the Jets from possibly looking for a younger WR in this year's draft.

Jets trade for Antonio Cromartie

With the limitations the Jets faced in Free Agency due to the "Final 8/Final 4" rules, many Jets fans assumed that this would be a rather quiet off-season, at least compared to last few seasons. However, it should come as no surprise that Mike Tannenbaum was looking at any and every possible way of improving the Jets' roster. Late Thursday night, The New York Jets and the San Diego Chargers have agreed on a trade that will send CB Antonio Cromartie to the Jets in exchange for a conditional 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft. Reports are stating that the pick could reach a 2nd rounder, depending on Cromartie's playing time and the team's performance. Expect to see the full details of the trade to be released later today.

Cromartie, the four year veteran drafted out of Florida State in 2006, had a career high 10 interceptions in 2007 and was voted to his first Pro Bowl. Cromartie's best year was in 2007, where he was in a defense that utilized his man coverage skills. His production over the last 2 seasons has dropped, especially in regards to interceptions. The production drop over the past two seasons may have been from the decrease in the pass rush from Chargers' LB Shawne Merriman and also the Chargers' defense using Cromartie more in a zone coverage scheme. There has also been criticism of Cromartie's physical toughness and his tackling ability, which many Jets fans can remember from his attempted "tackle" on RB Shonn Greene in the AFC Divisional Playoff game a few months ago. How will his toughness fit in with Rex Ryan's physical style of defense?

Look for Rex Ryan to use Cromartie in a similar way as they use All-Pro CB Darelle Revis. I expect them to put Cromartie, for the most part, on the opposing team's number 2 WR while they put Revis on the number 1 WR. Cromartie also has a bigger frame than Revis, so they could match him up on the bigger WRs in the league, like Houston's Andre Johnson or San Diego's Vincent Jackson.

Cromartie has had his share of off the field issues that could be cause for concerns. He has 7 different children with 6 different women in 5 different states. He also has some problems with the DMV and has failed to show up at court a few times to pay his fines. More about these issues can be read here.

If the Jets had given up a pick in this year's draft, which appears to be one of the deepest drafts in recent years, I would have completely different thoughts on the trade. The Jets have limited picks this year, and have to patch up the aging OL and DL, as well as find a slot WR. Tannenbaum loves to patch up all the holes before the draft, allowing the Jets to become creative on draft day and not to have to make a "reach" pick just to fill a need. If Cromartie can reach his full potential, this trade will be an absolute steal. If anyone can help Cromartie find his true form, it will be Rex Ryan.