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New Jersey – So much going on around the NFL today, including Shonn Greene finding a new home. Let’s get into some nuggets . . .
People who write or say that that Jets “lost” Shonn Greene in free agency aren’t entirely accurate.
How do you lose somebody you had no intention of keeping?
The Jets weren’t bringing Greene back, so how does that constitute losing him?
Both sides knew they were going in different directions.
And as we have mentioned before, Greene’s a bad fit for Marty Mornhinwig’s offense.
Just think about Marty’s ten years in Philadelphia – he and Andy Reid loves those smaller, quicker backs who excel as a receivers out of the backfield.
First they had Brian Westbrook and now Shady McCoy.
They were never really into big backs with limited quickness.
Greene is an average receiver, and isn’t good at making people miss after the catch, like Westbrook and McCoy.
You know who actually would be a perfect fit for Marty’s offense – Leon Washington, just cut by Seattle.
Joe McKnight and Bilal Powell are good fits, so is John Griffin, a late season addition to the practice squad.
West Virginia’s Tavon Austin would be ideal. Just like Clemson’s Andre Ellington.
Greene is oil and water with Marty’s offense.
Greene landed in the perfect spot – in Tennessee, he and Chris Johnson can provide a thunder-and-lightning approach, with Johnson, and his 4.3 speed being the scatback, and Greene complimenting him with power.
So the Jets didn’t lose Greene.
You can’t lose somebody you don’t want.
However, they will get a high supplemental pick next year due to Greene’s departure . . .
A lot of Jets fans are nervous about the safety position with the departures of Yeremiah Bell (Arizona) and Eric Smith (released), and the likely departure of LaRon Landry.
But keep one thing in mind – both Bell and Landry were added last off-season, so the Jets are basically in the same spot they were a year ago.
They’d like Antonio Allen or Josh Bush to grab one of the starting spots. They were both basically red-shirted last year. Allen is very good in the box, and Bush is more of a center-fielder.
They also quietly signed two young veteran safeties after the season, both who have played in NFL games – Bret Lockett (Cleveland and New England), and Jaiquawn Jarrett, the Eagles second round pick in 2011 out of Temple, who was released early in the 2012 season. I’m not putting either one of these guys in Canton, but they aren’t green players – they have played in NFL games.
This is also a very strong safety draft led by Texas’ Kenny Vaccaro (pictured above), LSU’s Eric Reid, Florida’s Matt Elam and FIU’s Jonathan Cyprien to name a few, and there quite a few more with starting potential.
Personally, I think the Jets are going to be fine at safety. They have plenty of options in house, in free agency (like Michael Huff) and the draft.
There is no reason to panic . . .
One thing to consider about the Revis-to-Tampa Bay rumors – he can take a little less money from the Buccaneers because Florida has no state income tax . . .
March 13, 2013
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