[patsfanken]

I post this to offer an alternative....and not so rosy.... picture of the acquisitions that that Jets have made thus far in this off season. Much has been said, and by and large the Jets FO has been praised for their aggressive actions to improve a team that was one game away from the superbowl.

Let me state up front that I agree that Jet fans have every right to be thrilled with last year's team. They have every right to be optimistic, or even wildly optimistic about the upcoming year. The Jets SHOULD BE considered the frontrunner in the AFCE coming into the 2010 season.

That being said, lets look at the 3 most significant acquisitions and losses that the Jets have made this off season....SO FAR (because I believe that what rosters look like today, and what they will look like in late Aug, can change dramatically)

1. Antonio Cromartie - On the surface this looks like a huge upgrade. Who wouldn't love to have one of the rarest commodities in the NFL, a tall CB with big play skills. However what Jet fans have NOT considered is the lack of PRODUCTION that comes with that pretty package.

Even in his one "productive" year, a closer examination finds that 8 of the 10 picks he made came against 4 QBs who were never starters again or are now out of the league. And in every year since that time his game has regressed to the point where last season the 2 most telling stat he had were his 30 tackles and 10 passes defended.

Like I said, a tall athletically talented CB is one of the rarest commodities in the NFL, why then would SD give up such a gem, especially to the team that knocked it out of the playoffs last season.

Does the phrase looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane sound familiar. It was a phrase often used unfairly by disgruntled Pats fans to describe Ben Watson, who in reality was a decent all round TE, just not a great one. He also had the misfortune to be the 32nd pick his year, and thus labelled a first rounder. Had be been the 33nd pick, and a "2nd rounder" expectations would have been lower (go figure). But the point is that Watson had all the physical tools you could ask for in a TE, speed, size, and willingness, yet for some reason, he couldn't put it together to get to the "next' level. (plus the Pats offense since 2007, doesn't seem to value the TE as a receiver like some)

But "expectations" is what this post is all about. Its also about the gap between "image and reality", and physical skill vs football production. The facts are that Cromartie IS NOT the potential shut down CB that "some" Jet fans are predicting. He IS NOT going to suddenly make the Jet secondary invincible, and IMHO there even the question if he is even going to be an upgrade on the late and UNlamented Lito Shepard.who missed several games to injury and STILL had very similar stats. (28 tackles and 9 passes defended)

2. Brodney Pool - I don't know much about Poole, except for the poster who used some site's stats that claimed that he was the 6th best S in the league. I have to admit that this was pretty impressive, until I noticed that the SECOND best S in the league (at least according to this site) was the late and equally unlamented Kerry Rhodes. :rolleyes:

So how is this an upgrade????? I don't think you can have it both ways. Either Poole is the 6th best S in the league and the Jets released the 2nd best, or that site's ratings are worthless. And the only way to rationalize it as an upgrade is to SPECULATE that in a different defensive system, Poole will somehow elevate his game beyond what Phodes gave you.

In reality it was just a mid level pick up of an NFL quality player who was deemed expendable by his former team. You filled position of need with a body, but it can hardly be called an upgrade

3. LT - Congrats, you just picked up a future HOFer, and you will have the opportunity to see (though very rarely) why he will be inducted in Canton Ohio. Consider your experience similar to that of Cardinal fans who saw the rare examples of brilliance that Emmit Smith flashed in his 2 years of relative unproductive play with the Birds before he finally gave it up.

The stats, the history, and what you can see with your own eyes, tell you that LT is a FORMERLY great RB, but someone who just has nothing left. He is not going to surplant Green as your main running back, he will merely take away snaps from him AND Leon Washington (IF he remains and IF he is healthy). Two RBs who are far more dangerous than LT.

In fact when you look at the Jets RB situation, I would find it far from comforting. You are all counting on Green to be your main running threat, yet wasn't he hurt THREE different times during the course of his rookie season, and wasn't his injury history one of the reason's he slipped in the draft. That can hardly be comforting despite his obvious running talents.

And when you add the fact that your 2 back ups are the washed up LT and the damaged Leon. That's HARDLY a good situation for a team is a run first NFL offense. And an impossible situation, especially given that your team was 2-8 in games where your QB was forced to throw the ball over 22 times.

When you respond, please respond to the issues and questions presented. Forget my username and DON'T compare it to the Pats situation. That is NOT what this post is about. Its about the JETS, and THEIR acquisitions and current situation. I'm looking for reasonable responses for the questions I raised about the players the Jets have picked up since FA began. Any comparisons about what the Pats have done vs what the Jets have done should be the subject of separate thread.

OK now that that is settled......fire away. ;)