Jets Insider.com Forums http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/ The most heavily trafficked New York Jets message board on the Internet en Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/images_greenish/misc/rss.jpg Jets Insider.com Forums http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/ Geno in uniform http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256225&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 17:53:42 GMT Image: http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/4b0d9010bfd111e2ae2a22000a1f9723_7.jpg ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 SBIII http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256225 <![CDATA[NFL.com's Marc Sessler categorizes NFL QBs]]> http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256224&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 13:26:47 GMT http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000200131/article/ranking-the-nfl-quarterbacks ---Quote--- *Ranking the NFL quarterbacks* By Marc Sessler Around the League Writer Last week, my... http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...l-quarterbacks

Quote:
Ranking the NFL quarterbacks

By Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer

Last week, my Around The League colleague Dan Hanzus unveiled his list of the NFL's top running backs.

That Herculean effort was met with a swirl of wonder, agitation and pressing questions, so, naturally, we're back for more.

This week, I humbly offer you my compilation of the NFL's top quarterbacks.

The ground rules are simple: Taking rookies out of the mix, I ranked signal-callers from top to bottom based on how I believe they'll perform in 2013.

I am prepared to be pistol-whipped by readers, coworkers, friends and family.

Off we travel:

Three kings

1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Peyton Manning
3. Tom Brady

Age to age, these men deliver. What Rodgers has accomplished since his Super Bowl-winning season of 2010 is even more impressive when you factor in the lack of a potent ground game and often subpar protection. I was among those who thought a neck-surgery-addled Manning wouldn't be the same guy. Instead, he was better, and he'll do it again in 2013. As for Brady, I won't be surprised when documents unearthed in 2077 reveal that Tom was, in fact, a robot patched together by a team of frustrated Foxborough-area scientists. His mission: To wreak havoc forever on the AFC East and merge with a dangerously attractive female humanoid.

Franchise gold

4. Drew Brees
5. Ben Roethlisberger
6. Matt Ryan
7. Eli Manning

Roethlisberger, in my eyes, is the toughest quarterback in all of football. Eli comes off a down year, but I'm done doubting him. Brees is a flat-out executioner. With five Lombardis between them, these three have proven they can go the distance. Ryan hasn't, but he's coming off a monster season and sits out there as legitimate MVP material. It's no coincidence that the coaches teamed with these passers -- Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Mike Smith and Tom Coughlin -- are in zero danger of losing their jobs.

The future, Part I

8. Andrew Luck
9. Robert Griffin III

Luck took a beating last season behind Indy's patchwork line, but he kept getting back up. In that sense, he reminds me of Roethlisberger. He might ultimately be the finest of the 2012 class. In Washington, I'm assuming RG3's knee regains full strength and allows him to spin his magic all over again. It's easy to get lost in Griffin's abilities on the ground, but his pocket presence, decision-making and crisp mechanics make him a top-10 passer.

The future, Part II

10. Colin Kaepernick
11. Russell Wilson
12. Cam Newton

Gregg Rosenthal informs me that I've given too much love to the newbies. I disagree. Last year's rookies -- and the schemes they operated -- altered the game. Wilson is a thing of beauty: technically clean, a fiery leader, never cowed by the moment. Kaepernick won me over during that chaotic first half of the NFC title game. He never panicked. Nothing about either player tells me they'll regress. Newton -- entering a huge year three -- sits at No. 12 because his physical tools are insane. So much pure ability. Cam can chart his fate, for better or worse.

Solid dudes

13. Joe Flacco
14. Tony Romo
15. Matthew Stafford
16. Jay Cutler

Citizens of Baltimore: Hear me out. Admittedly, Flacco's place on this list haunts me. His work in the playoffs was otherworldly. I might eat raven on this one, but I can't wait to see where Flacco goes in 2013. I also struggled placing Romo this low, but how much higher should he be? I don't blame Romo for the mess in Dallas, but he isn't saving the day, either. Stafford is still too inconsistent. And quick: List five truly memorable performances by Cutler. A tough group to grade.

Critical seasons ahead

17. Philip Rivers
18. Alex Smith
19. Ryan Tannehill

Rivers is an aging but tough-as-nails quarterback. Still, I'm not certain he's even on the Chargers in 2014 if he doesn't rebound from back-to-back down seasons. Smith's work in San Francisco was underrated. His handling of the situation was even more impressive. Tannehill, in his second season, will shoot up this list if he clicks with Miami's new toys.

Trick or treat

20. Matt Schaub
21. Sam Bradford
22. Andy Dalton

There's hope for this group, because this tier is where Flacco lived a year ago. Still, Schaub and Dalton -- playoff quarterbacks both -- leave me wanting. Dameshek has a growing man-crush on the Glowing Ginger Man, but I don't see it. Schaub concerns me, too. In summary: two big bowls of vanilla ice cream. Down in St. Louis, the Rams have paid Bradford $50 million guaranteed, and it's still unclear if he's the right guy. All three quarterbacks are surrounded by talent. Time to make it happen.

Stopgaps

23. Michael Vick
24. Carson Palmer

In theory, Vick gives coach Chip Kelly a quarterback who can run his up-tempo offense. In reality, does anyone trust Vick to stay on two feet past September? People talk about Palmer's big numbers in Oakland, but the Raiders eternally played from 20 points down during his run. Carson's not the future for the Cardinals -- or any team.

How can I trust you?

25. Josh Freeman
26. Christian Ponder
27. Jake Locker
28. Nick Foles
29. Kevin Kolb
30. Matt Hasselbeck

Ponder has been wonderful as an 'Adrian Peterson Handoff Machine 1.0,' but we need to see him take over games. Kolb can't go a fortnight without breaking a body part, and we're still waiting for Locker to exit the starting gate. Foles showed promise last season, but he's mired in a jam-packed quarterback room. In Indy, that song you hear? It's the closing credits on Hasselbeck's proud career. Of the group, it's Freeman who intrigues me most. He caught fire last season, before falling to pieces. As it stands, he's a candidate to lose his job in 2013.

JAG

31. Matt Cassel
32. Ryan Fitzpatrick
33. Brandon Weeden
34. Blaine Gabbert
35. Mark Sanchez

We're back with this Hanzus-inspired category: JAG, as in, just another guy. These are gentlemen on the fringe of a promising career at CVS. Apologies, Jets fans, but I don't have a problem ranking Sanchez this low. He's been a statistical train wreck ever since Gang Green abandoned the ground and pound. ESPN's Chris Mortensen this week spoke with league sources who insist Sanchez "is not throwing the ball as well as he was as a rookie." I'd argue that if Sanchez and Blaine Gabbert were both available, just as many clubs would take a chance on Gabbert, thinking they could fix him. Sanchez needs a full reboot. Weeden might fight his way out of this group if he takes off under Rob Chudzinski. If he doesn't, he'll be looking for work.
Hoping to see Geno in the "Future Part I" category next year. :yes: ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 DDNYjets http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256224 Possessed Female Arm Wrestler http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256223&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 12:59:10 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b6AaPrQPoY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b6AaPrQPoY ]]> The Hangar: Off-Topic Forum DDNYjets http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256223 Final Thoughts on The Jets Old Front Office http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256222&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 11:56:22 GMT http://nyjetscap.com/2013_Articles/c...-thoughts.html

Sar I, if you're listening you'll no doubt love the penultimate paragraph :)

The Jets finished off the restructuring of the front office today when it became known that Assistant GM Scott Cohen and Director of Football Administrations Ari Nissim would not be retained moving forward. Along with former GM Mike Tannenbaum these three were likely the three most powerful men in the Jets organization and responsible for shaping the organization over the last few years. This pretty much finalizes the break from the last regime as the Jets move forward in a new front office and approach to the salary cap and the building of a team . With that in mind I wanted to go back and look over the run that this group has had.

In many ways I’ll always feel a bit tied to this group. Tannenbaum was promoted to GM in 2006, Nissim was hired in 2007, and Cohen in 2008. 2008 was when I officially launched the nyjetscap website with planning beginning in 2007 so a lot of what I have discussed and learned about football has been observing and commenting on the decisions of these three. When I began the attempts to be an “amateur capologist” in 2007 I was pretty bad at it. If you go back and read some of my work from 2008 its really bad, but over time I got much better at the analytical side of it and really it was from getting a chance to watch from the outside as an organization was built from nothing into a contender before falling back down again.

There was a time when Jets fans were hailing Tannenbaum as “the best GM in the NFL” as early as 2007 simply because the team shocked everyone by making the playoffs in 2006. Many of those same people are the ones who now say he didn’t belong running an NFL franchise. Whenever a group gets fired like this the immediate thoughts will always be failure because that is the most recent memory in everyone’s mind. But when you look back at the job that was done failure is not the word that comes to mind. Incomplete maybe, but not failure.

I really thought the Jets turned a corner in 2010. I never bought into one title game making a difference (too many teams make 1 title game) but when they made it to a second one I felt the Jets had arrived. From a front office perspective the Jets, at that stage, were one of the best run organizations in football, in my opinion. They built the team the right way. There was never a quick fix that was going to occur so they turned to the draft in 2006 and 2007 to build a team with depth and what they felt were core building blocks of a team. The team carefully navigated the salary cap in 2007 planning for a run in 2008 when the young players were ready for the limelight and could see their performance improved with the addition of key veteran players. The Jets almost always moved on from players at the right time and brought in players when they could still contribute. It clearly worked as the Jets were arguably the best team in the NFL in 2008 before Brett Favre either got injured or stopped caring, and then in 2009 and 2010 the Jets were very close to making the Super Bowl. It was a good three year run.

Were things perfect with the team? Obviously not. The Jets began to get a reputation for overpaying for free agent players, Alan Faneca and Bart Scott probably being the best two examples, but they mitigated those risks with contract structures. While the Jets ended up falling victim to the uncapped years accounting rules, they had brought Faneca in as a stabilizing presence between two young draft picks with every intention of walking away with minimal cap pain in 2010.

Scott was brought in to change the culture of a team which he did before being one of the factors that saw it break apart. Twice the Jets re-worked Scott’s contract to be team friendly, once just months after he signed it and again in 2011 when they got Scott to agree to a paycut provided he received guaranteed salary. At the time most casual observers and statistical tracking sites claimed Scott was one of the best performing interior linebackers in the NFL. Nobody will give them credit for the move but that was as proactive a move as you could find.

Some of the contracts that the Jets signed were very unique and in many cases team friendly. I was always so impressed with what the Jets did with Mark Sanchez in 2009. It was a contract designed to get all the pain out of the way early to the point where if he failed the cost to release him was minimal. Contrast that with the contract for Matt Stafford who is a cap killer for the Lions and even is he busted would have been impossible to move away from. The Jets didn’t fall into the trap of the 5th or 6th year “salary cap void” for their rookies opting instead for things like franchise tag provisions that gave the team more time to decide on their course of action with the player.

The team negotiated their fair share of great contracts and took their chances on high upside low cost players via trades. D’Brickashaw Ferguson took a contract that was so low in real guarantees as well as dead money that it was arguably one of the best deals in the NFL for a high level player. The Jets made moves to bring in players like Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and Antonio Cromartie on low cost contracts where the expected performance was going to exceed the cap charges for the players. From a budgeting standpoint on a win now team it helped mask the failures of the 2008-2010 drafts in the short term.
The Jets were, at times, tough negotiators. Clearly the drama with Darrelle Revis has been well documented since day 1. The Jets overpaid Revis as a rookie for the ability to have him at a reasonable rate in the 4th and 5th years of his rookie deal. Of course that led to a Revis holdout where the Jets wisely stood firm before the head coach forced their hand and led to a compromise of sorts. It still ended up being a good contract for the Jets despite the high payouts. Why would I say that? When you have big name media folks in both the NY market and nationally out there complaining that Revis is underpaid, you know those words are coming from inside Revis’ camp. If they are complaining just two years in it means the team got a good deal.

Rightly or wrongly the Jets negotiated salaries downward for many mid tier starters such as Mike DeVito and Matt Slauson. This past year a similar strategy was used for Holmes. These are moves that are planned years in advance when signing players to contracts that contained escalator clauses which had no guarantees attached to them. It didn’t always work, players like Faneca and Thomas Jones resisted, but the Jets made sure to make it known that if you didn’t play ball you were not playing ball with the Jets. It’s a cold business but these are the moves that teams make thinking they can win a title.

The front office was always big believers in building the team chemistry through the offseason programs and the Jets compensated their players with workout payments more than almost any other team in the NFL. It was a strategy that promoted incredibly high participation rates from their entire squad. In the later years the Jets began to build more holdout protection into their contracts by including reporting bonuses towards the end of the contract terms to ensure a player had a financial incentive to report to camp and not try to hold out.

I’m sure that the guys would like to have a mulligan on a few moves. Speaking strictly from a contract standpoint the Jets probably went overboard on the guaranteed money. Would David Harris have really had options outside of the team at this kind of pay? Doubtful. Would Holmes have had those kind of guarantees from any other team? Doubtful.

They also seemed to fall into the trap at the end of being a champion for an idea rather than objectively analyzing the idea. While they were forceful with players who were relatively under the radar guys like DeVito they did not take the same approach with players who were significantly worse such as Eric Smith and Wayne Hunter. Those were players who should have been on veteran minimum contracts in 2012 but the Jets refused to budge and I have to think that in part was from the excessive criticism those two players received for being on the wrong end of far too many SportsCenter highlights.

Of course the biggest disaster was the extension of Sanchez, which undid almost all of the good they gained when they negotiated his rookie contract. In some ways I understand what they were doing. The Jets saw that there was a QB market growing at a ridiculous rate that was going to see Joe Flacco earn upwards of $20 million a season. To lock up your QB for under $14 million a season is smart cap management. The problem is that it was just misguided judgment as to what Sanchez was. Sanchez wasn’t Eli Manning. Sanchez was Joey Harrington. It was a terrible judgment call. Now its not Sanchez’ cap hits that have sunk the Jets but the dead money that hangs over their head if they cut him this year.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions of the Tannenbaum era is going to be the thought that the Jets were in “cap hell” and that the salary cap destroyed the team. “Cap hell” is a situation where the cap dictates the moves that your franchise is forced to make. It’s a situation where you cant sign free agents because of the cap. It’s a situation where you are forced to cut productive players you want to keep because of the salary cap. In general you cant compete because of the salary cap.

I think I can safely make the leap of faith that outside of those within the organization itself I probably have as deep an understanding of the Jets cap the last few years as anyone. I saw the phrase “cap hell” first pop up in 2007 which was part of the reason why I began the website as I wanted to see if things were really that bad with the team. It wasn’t the case then but it was being reported as such. Its one of the problems with people getting a cap sheet with no context to the cap sheet and just reporting a number. One of the goals of my websites is to explain what those cap sheets mean, even if my sources aren’t as good or the numbers not perfect.

In 2009 Mike Lombardi, now General Manager of the Cleveland Browns, began a campaign over at National Football Post basically lambasting the Jets for being in such a bad cap situation, reporting that the team was $30 million over the cap due to the spending of the year before. In that case he didn’t even have the right numbers, but just the lack of context from someone who worked in a front office was pretty bad. This carried over to Pro Football Talk and the Jets cap became the talk of the town. The Jets were never in cap hell nor were they ever $30 million over the cap. The Jets had two high priced cap charges on the books that year, one was Kerry Rhodes and the other Calvin Pace, due to high roster bonuses that were designed to be converted to prorated bonuses. At the end of the day the Jets had enough money to make Bart Scott the highest paid ILB in the NFL and not cut anyone of merit.

In 2012 we had the same talk about “cap hell” and how the cap was keeping the Jets from signing more players. It was never the case. The Jets flirted with Peyton Manning in the offseason. The cap was never an issue, it was the talent pool available for the team. This past season we have heard nothing but talk of cap hell and how it was the 2nd worst in the NFL (the Raiders being the worst). Why? Because Jason Smith had a huge cap hit with no dead money? Because Bart Scott had a high cap charge with minimal dead money? The fact was the Jets ended up around $17 million under the salary cap with almost no dead money on the books. It wasn’t painful. I outlined ways for the Jets to get to $30 million under the cap with no issues. They didn’t go there but they could have. Next year the team will likely end up with over $30 million in cap space.

The fact is the Jets could have kept Revis and LaRon Landry and Dustin Keller if they wanted to. They chose not to. Since 2007 no matter how many times people have said the Jets lost a player due to cap I cant recall any player that was cut for anything besides play on the field. Most of the players the Jets lost this year cant find a job. That has been the case for years. The only player who the Jets downgraded via trade/cut was Rhodes, who simply did not get along with the head coach. For the most part the Jets effectively allocated their cap dollars among the team often using the renegotiation process to bring higher cap deals back down to levels that came closer to matching the on field production.

Salary cap has never been a real problem for the Jets. Never have they fallen into the trap that the Cowboys fall into where they are loading deals with voidable years to keep a team together. Other than the Revis deal they have never gone that route and his situation was unique. They have never used exotic NLTBEs to avoid cap charges in the present and damage the future. The Jets have always kept the books flexible to work within the framework of the current contracts and not significantly damaging their future. In the 7 years since 2006 ended the Jets have been big spenders in 3 years and only in 3 years would I say the Jets held cautious on spending.
What sunk the Jets was the poor drafting from 2008 thru 2010. For whatever reason that has often been overlooked this year in lieu of the salary cap discussions. If the Jets had found a way to move up in 2008 and grab Matt Ryan rather than standing firm and getting Vernon Gholston we wouldn’t even be talking about this today. Too many poor decisions which led to the Jets being too filled with downtrending veterans with nobody to pick up the slack. You can only mask the problems with free agency for so long and for the Jets the clock struck 12 somewhere halfway thru the 2011 season.

Looking from the outside there were philosophical changes that seemed to begin in 2011 and really peaked in 2012. I tend to think that was tied to Rex Ryan’s upbeat personality taking the organization over but it was at that time where the Jets started to break away from what got them to the dance and instead chasing dreams and overguaranteeing dollars to players who may not have deserved it. They went from risk averse to very risky and in this case almost no risks worked out.

But, at the end of the day, we got a competitive team that nearly made a Super Bowl and for a little while became the talk of the NFL world. They were always in a position to have money at their disposal and improve the team through a variety of means. Other than the bookend seasons of 2007 and 2012 there was never a time when this team was not competitive and they should have made the playoffs from 2008 thru 2011 if they were a mentally tougher team in December. Who know where we will be 5 or 6 years from now, but I do know if John Idzik, Rod Graves, and whomever else they bring in have the same success as Tannebaum, Cohen, and Nissim they will be hailed as the greatest thing since Joe Namath and as soon as it goes down will be vilified as they are shown the door. ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 LIJetsFan http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256222 Holmes still injured (Lisfranc)? http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256221&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 05:15:13 GMT ---Quote--- *NFLPA Rookie Premiere: 7 things we learned* By *Dan Hanzus* Around the League Writer Published: May 17, 2013 at 10:09 a.m.
Quote:
NFLPA Rookie Premiere: 7 things we learned


By Dan Hanzus
Around the League Writer
Published: May 17, 2013 at 10:09 a.m.


LOS ANGELES -- Life is good for a rookie in the NFL. Especially right now.
We're less than a month removed from the 2013 NFL Draft, and the new-car smell still is present. Many players haven't signed contracts yet, but the paycheck that comes with attaining a lifelong dream is promised. Wealth and an NFL career all are right there. It's like Christmas Eve on high levels of HGH.

That giddy sense of anticipation is palpable when you share a room with these guys. On Thursday, Around The League tagged along with some other NFL Media folk at downtown L.A.'s Sunrise Elementary School to check out "Rookie Premiere," an NFLPA event that promotes active lifestyles.

It's neat catching these guys in a collective sweet spot in their lives. You're not getting any quotes about being unhappy with teammates, coaches, playing time or contracts. Everything is ... cool. It won't always be that way, but it is right now.

Here are seven takeaways from the event (video plus more here):

1) Geno Smith may or may not be the answer for the New York Jets at quarterback, but he seems to get it. This is the second time I've spoken to him in the past month, and both times he was engaged and provided thoughtful responses. Contrary to anonymous sources, Smith hardly seems aloof. Does that make him loof? Geno Smith is fully loof.

I asked Smith if he thought the Jets had enough players on offense to allow him to succeed when if he takes over for Mark Sanchez this season.

"We gotta see," Smith replied before catching himself. "I do, I do believe we do. We've got a great bunch of guys. We've got Santonio (Holmes) coming off injury, (Jeff) Cumberland, who's a really good tight end. Stephen (Hill)'s in his second year, he's ready to blossom. Defense has always been strong, so it's about me being a good quarterback."

Smith just cited Santonio Holmes (possibly walking with a limp right now), Jeff Cumberland and Stephen Hill as weapons to get excited about. I admire his ability to keep a straight face ... or not cry.
Edit: Geno video got moved to here ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 jetrider http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256221 Buccos!!!!! http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256220&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 04:44:46 GMT How bout my pirates? They are playing pretty well this year. Could the losing streak end? I know I spew my other sports teams a decent amount in here, but this is worth mentioning. Maybe bucs and... How bout my pirates? They are playing pretty well this year. Could the losing streak end? I know I spew my other sports teams a decent amount in here, but this is worth mentioning. Maybe bucs and yanks in the series this year. Would be nice to see.

Cutch, marte, Martin. On paper, they are the best we have had in years. ]]> Major League Baseball Talk JetsfanfromtheBURGH http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256220 Had the opportunity to hang out with Geno Smith the other night http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256219&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 03:48:25 GMT Sorry it's a short read but I got really wasted and woke up in jail. ]]> The Hangar: Off-Topic Forum crossfire http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256219 Had the opportunity to hang out with Geno Smith the other night http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256218&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 01:10:20 GMT (Sorry it's a long read but I hope it's cool and informative)

I was fortunate enough to get invited to the NFL Rookie Premiere party the other night in LA. As some of you may remember, I have a relative who works for the NFL Players Association. Rookie Premiere is essentially a kickoff for new NFL players and their involvement with the NFLPA, licensees, sponsors, etc. It lasts about 4 days, the players will receive and put on their official jerseys for the first time and have pictures taken at USC for sponsors such as Topps for trading cards. I'd say about 50 players from throughout the draft (rounds 1 through 7) attend....it's kind of a mixed bag. The last time I went to this event was back in 2006, right after Mangini started coaching and I got to speak with Leon Washington and Kellen Clemens (no comments on me cursing our 2nd round QBs please :O ).

In any case, this was a relatively small cocktail party and dinner event outside on the pool deck at a Hollywood hotel. There were about 100 people and half of them were rookies with the rest being NFLPA and NFLPI staff, some sponsors, and a few other guests. There were icebreaker games likes Q&A with players, trivia, etc. Guys I got to see or meet included Dion Jordan, Marcus Lattimore, Eddie Lacy, Tavon Austin, and Manti Te'o....but Geno Smith was who I came to see.

I saw Geno hanging out at a table chatting with someone from the PA so I went over and introduced myself, telling him that I'm not with the PA but just a very big Jets fan. The first thing he said was, "Cool...wait, do you have season tickets?" I said yeah and he's like, "Whoa, I heard those things go for $125K!" I laughed and told him..."well, not mine!" I explained a little about the PSLs and told him the stadium is still accessible for lots of us regular fans at decent price points. It was kinda funny that was the first thing he said to me after learning I was a Jets fan. We quickly moved on to football and chatted for about 20 minutes over some beverages. So here's the cool stuff...

- I asked Geno how mini-camp went. His eyes got big and he said (paraphrasing), "it was awesome....fast, lots going on. You can just see how professional it is and how organized things are on this level. It was great and man, do we have a great group of rookies. Like that's a big difference with college, everybody on that field is a player...really talented."

- I asked him what he thought of the QB competition and the view by some people that it's a crowded situation (the Garrard news was just hitting the wire that evening so we didn't know about it yet). He said he really doesn't care who and how many QBs are on the team, he's just ready to play. "I'm a player...I want to play...every time they tap my helmet and hand me the ball I'm ready!"

- He's just now transitioning to NJ and finding a place in the Morristown / Roseland area. Said it's about 20 minutes from the facility, nice and quiet. He's from Miami originally and I said we friggen hate the Fish. He laughed and said, "yeah, honestly, they don't even have a lot of Dolphin fans down there." We talked about New Yorkers who retire to Florida and he brought up the Tampa game right after Keyshawn was traded. I was kinda taken aback that he remembered this but he called it "the Wayne Chrebet game" and said it was awesome and he remembered it vividly. At this point I asked him how much he followed the history of Jets football and if he knew how hungry our fanbase is for success...

- Geno said he's really excited to play in NY and "it will be a great place to win." He said he is working with both Vinny Testaverde and Chad Pennington right now. (I didn't know this)

- We started talking about how the draft went. I said to Geno that lots of Jets fans thought we were going to take Tavon Austin at 9 and that, looking at how things worked out, we would have had a dynamite West Virginia connection with him and Austin. At this point Geno points over at Stedman Bailey (WR West Virginia, taken at 92 by the Rams) who is standing nearby talking with some other people and Geno says, "yeah, we should have tried to get Stedman too. He's a real good one and the Rams got both of them." (I didn't realize the Rams drafted both of his West Virginia teammates.)

We wrapped up the conversation and went to get some food. I wished him good luck and told him he has Jets fans in his corner, we're ready to win.

If there's one thing I took away from my conversation it's that from the very first minute we shook hands until we ended our conversation, Geno is a really, really nice guy. He's personable, engaging, didn't "check his text messages" :P and seemed genuinely interested to be talking to a Jets fan. Now, this might simply be because his whole weekend will be spent with sponsors and staffers from the union but he just came across as a really good dude. So, in my humble opinion, all that stuff about him being aloof prior to the draft seems like a bunch of BS...but again, this was just one 20 minute conversation. It will be VERY easy for me to root for this guy if/when the Jets call his number. :thumbup: ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 jetstream23 http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256218 Bruce Irvin Suspended per Schefter http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256216&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 20:18:51 GMT Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
Seattle's former 1st-round pick Bruce Irvin has suspended without pay for violating NFL policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Imagine the vitriol and hellfire from media if the Jets had drafted him.

Also isn't this like the 3rd defensive player from Seattle to be suspended for PED's? ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 sevomd http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256216 Now that Goodson is out http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256214&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 19:26:02 GMT Can we Plz get Chris Polk off the eagles ?? He fits the WCO needs. Can we Plz get Chris Polk off the eagles ?? He fits the WCO needs. ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 SgtAshton http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256214 A Standing Ovation for Rep. Mike Kelly http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256213&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 18:34:11 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCjssK-i4Mg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCjssK-i4Mg ]]> Politics and World Events DDNYjets http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256213 Giving up my PSL - Will Jets sue me? http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256212&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 18:20:02 GMT I have seats in Row 2 of Section 220a, next to the "club seats". These are great seats, but I don't want to keep renewing and taking a big loss on my tickets, so i am considering walking away and just not renewing, and forefeiting my PSL, which I originally purchased on the 15-year payment plan. Will the Jets let me just walk away, or will they sue me for the balance of the PSL? Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks in advance. ]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 fortmeister http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256212 Right wingers are on their way out http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256211&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 17:19:56 GMT I don't come into this area of the message board much, so I don't if this has ever been discussed...

On the subject of illegal immigration. Most Republicans think all illegal aliens should be sent back to their country of origin. All democrats want to make them citizens.

Lets think about this:

If you or I break the law, what can we expect to happen to us? We are going to walk the plank, right? Because the law doesn't back off in certain situations, the law is the law, period.

Yet we are supposed to simply choose NOT to enforce any of the immigration laws on these illegal aliens? WTF kind of sense does that make? We are bound by the law and illegal aliens (which by that very title makes them CRIMINALS) are exempt from the law?

Lets take this even further...

If democrats get their way and all estimated 11 million or so illegal aliens are allowed to become american citizens, what happens during the next presidential election? Democrats will have an extra 11 million votes for their party.

Democrats do not give a sh*t about illegal aliens anymore than republicans do. They just want their votes.

This will continue to happen in the future and you can guarantee yourself that consitutionalists and conservatives will always fall short so long as it happens. We'll continue to lose elections because we will not sink so low as to "americanize" a bunch of immigrants (that do not have any idea what our constitution says, nor do they care because they have an INTEREST in not caring) like the democrats will.

Meanwhile, the main stream media will continue to make democrats look like a bunch of heroes. When in fact, they are VIOLATING the law by covering it up.

Democrats have a proven recipe for success.:steamin: ]]> Politics and World Events Mainejet http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256211 live in florida -want ny channels?? Directv? http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256210&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 15:30:09 GMT Live in florida ..transplanted new yorker..jet fan of 35 years ..i have heard it is possible to get ny feed of local channels if i change my service address instead of my billing address??? has... Live in florida ..transplanted new yorker..jet fan of 35 years ..i have heard it is possible to get ny feed of local channels if i change my service address instead of my billing address??? has anyone heard of this?? thanks!!! ]]> The Hangar: Off-Topic Forum ryan10 http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256210 Mike Goodson Arrested http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256209&goto=newpost Fri, 17 May 2013 15:15:04 GMT @Steiny31 Breaking: According to News 12 in New Jersey, #Jets RB Mike Goodson was arrested for drug/weapons possession last night. #nyj Goodson was apparently so drunk, per News 12, that an... @Steiny31 Breaking: According to News 12 in New Jersey, #Jets RB Mike Goodson was arrested for drug/weapons possession last night. #nyj

Goodson was apparently so drunk, per News 12, that an ambulance was called and he had to be rushed to the hospital. #nyj

Link to news article

http://newjersey.news12.com/news/jet...?firstfree=yes

Quote:
EDISON - New York Jets running back Mike Goodson was taken into custody early this morning for drug possession and weapons charges, News 12 New Jersey confirmed Friday.
Sources say Goodson and a companion were found intoxicated in an SUV along Route 80 in Denville. Authorities have not said why the car was stopped on the highway.
Goodson was being taken to a hospital when authorities discovered marijuana in his possession. Officers searching the SUV also found a loaded 45-caliber handgun.
Both Goodson and his companion, identified as Garret Evans, were taken to a hospital for an evaluation. They were then released to State Police custody and transported to the Netcong barracks.

Stay with News 12 New Jersey for more on this developing story.
]]> The Landing Strip: All NY Jets and NFL - 24/7 Scoop24 http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256209