Archive for April, 2011

I have nothing to say

I have nothing to say about the Jets second seventh round pick.

It was a publicity stunt.

Stick to the value board.

Jet add draft’s smartest player

It’s really, really, really hard to play quarterback in the NFL.

To play quarterback you need to be really, really, really smart.

The first of the Jets two seventh round picks, Alabama QB Greg McElroy, is really, really, really smart.

He scored one of the highest scores in history on the Wonderlic IQ test.

He also quarterbacked the Crimson Tide to a national championship.

So this cat has a lot going for him.

His average arm strength might make him a career backup.

But you are better off with a very bright quarterback equipped with an average arm, than a signal-caller of average intelligence with a howitzer.

Slot machine added

In the fifth round of the 2011 draft, the Jets selected TCU WR Jeremy Kerley.

He fits into the Jets plans as a slot receiver.

He has very good hands, and does a nice job running after the catch,

Kerley came out of a funky college offense, so his NFL learning curve will be steep.

He is a lock to make the roster.

Powell joins Jets

The Jets stuck to their board and picked Louisville running back Bilal Powell in the fourth round.

He is coming off a terrific senior season for the Cardinals, rushing for 1,405 yards and catching 18 passes. He hurt his knee late in the season and didn’t work out  the combine.

He overcame a rough childhood in Florida, and has turned his life around.

Powell is fearless runner who is more quick than fast.

He will give the Jets more quality depth at the running back position.

Jets add another raw defensive lineman

In the third round, the Jets picked defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis out of the Hampton Institute.

He has had drug issues in the past.

He also was arrested for assault last April after he broke the jaw and nose of a man on the campus of Hampton. In his defense, the man was about to hit him with a bat.

Ellis was tossed out of the University of South Carolina after a failed drug test, and transferred to Hampton.

We are sure Mike Tannenbaum looked into his background and is comfortable with Ellis.

He has a lot of potential, but like Muhammed Wilkerson, he’s raw, and will take a lot of development.

These two players are going to help the Jets, but will likely have a minimal impact on their pedestrian pass rush.

Dan breaks down Mo Wilkerson

The Jets stuck to their board, and that is always a good thing.  Temple DE Muhammad Wilkerson doesn’t fill their biggest need, a pass rushing outside linebacker.


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Jets pick Muhammad Wilkerson

The Jets picked defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson with the 3oth pick of the first round.

This is a great value pick. The Jets did a good job sticking to the board.

Wilkerson was an under the radar recruit out of high school who turned out to be a steal for Temple.

He overcame the mean streets of Elizabeth, and wants to get his family out of there. Now he can.

Wilkerson has outstanding character. He’s a terrific person.

He has requisite size to play 3-4 end at 6-4, 315 pounds, and he runs under 5.0 in the forty.

And he while he won’t necessarily be the panacea for the Jets pedestrian pass rush, he will help. He’s a talented interior pass rusher.

The Jets deserve kudos for this pick. It makes sense on so many levels.

Temporary NFL labor rules – talk about it

The NFL clubs have been notified that we have requested from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals a stay of the preliminary injunction issued late Monday afternoon by the Federal District Court. Pending further guidance from the Eighth Circuit, we believe it is appropriate for clubs to take additional steps in response to the preliminary injunction. The clubs were informed of the steps below that will be effective on Friday at 8 am ET following tonight’s first round of the NFL Draft. Clubs are free to contact players immediately to advise them of the hours that the facility will be open for their use, to schedule medical and rehabilitation activity, and to arrange meetings with coaches or related activity, such as film study or classroom work.

Players will be permitted to use club facilities for physical examinations, rehabilitation and medical treatment, as scheduled by the club.

Clubs will be permitted to distribute playbooks, game film and other similar materials to players. 

Coaches may meet with players for the purpose of discussing any materials distributed to players under item 2 above, as well as the club’s off-season workout program, its schedule of mini-camps, Organized Team Activities (“OTAs”), and other similar matters.

Voluntary off-season workout programs, including OTAs and classroom instruction, may begin subject to the rules in Article XXXV of the 2006 CBA and Appendix L.  Participating players will be paid $130 per day, provided the player fulfills the club’s reasonable off-season workout requirements.  Such workouts will count toward the requirements of any off-season workout bonus in the player’s contract.

On days during which no official off-season workouts or OTAs are scheduled under item 4 above, nothing shall prevent the club from permitting any player to use the club facility to work out on his own on a voluntary, unpaid basis during normal business hours, or such other hours as may be set by the club, provided: (i) there is no participation or supervision by any coach, trainer or other club personnel; and (ii) the club has first verified that the player has an existing medical insurance policy in place.  Players without such personal coverage should not be permitted to work out at the club facility on an unsupervised basis under this item 5, but may do so under item 4 above.  Unsupervised workouts will not count toward the requirements of any off-season workout bonus in the player’s contract.  This item 5 will apply both prior to and after the commencement of the club’s official off-season workout program.

Mandatory and voluntary mini-camps may begin subject to the rules in Article XXXVI of the 2006 CBA.

The league office will promptly make arrangements to resume counseling, rehabilitation and treatment activities in connection with the substances of abuse and steroid programs.  We will advise clubs as to when and on what basis testing will commence.

Players may participate in club-sponsored charitable and community relations events.

With respect to player transactions (such as signings, trades of player contracts, terminations, tryouts, etc.), we plan to distribute to all clubs, likely tomorrow, a comprehensive set of procedures governing such transactions. This will include the timing for the commencement of the 2011 League Year, free agent signings and other customary player transactions.

Another helping of Jets Website Whispers

You can scratch one potential pick off the Jets list for the 30 spot. This and more in this edition of Website Whispers . . .


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What a mess!

The “NFLPA” won an injunction to lift the lockout.

That is no surprise.

They never win cases Minnesota’s 8th Circuit.

The league is going to fight this with all their might.

The owners refuse to work under the old CBA – at all costs.

And if the injunction stands, the NFL will likely go back to the 2010 labor rules, which really aren’t great for the players.

Remember, there was no salary cap or floor.

The floor part is more imporant to consider.

There is no rule forcing teams to spend money. Under the old system, teams were fined for going below allowing their salary pool to go below a certain number.

That wasn’t the case last year, and several teams went before the floor.

If the 2010 rules are brought back, this will definitely happen again, and more teams will likely join those frugal clubs below the floor.

But this legal battle is long for over.

The owners want a new CBA that makes more financial sense to them, and are going to fight tooth and nail to get one.

They aren’t going to let Susan Nelson and Jeffrey Kessler tell them how to run their league.

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