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New Jersey – Today we take a look at a few things including the Ryan Fitzpatrick trade, Antonio Cromartie and what is going on with Jets training camp . . .
The Jets trade for Ryan Fitzpatrick makes an awful lot of sense.
First of all, he’s a wonderful system-fit, having played for Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
System fits are huge in the draft and free agency. Huge.
While he was somewhat inconsistent in Buffalo under Gailey, he had some tremendous games, and earned a big money deal.
Last year in Houston, his season ended prematurely when he suffered a fractured tibia against the Indianapolis Colts on December 14.
But prior to that injury, he was having one of his better seasons as a pro, throwing 17 touchdowns to 8 INTs with a 95.3 quarterback rating. He was 6-6 as a starter (Jets certainly would have taken 6-6 from a starting QB position last year).
You have to defer to Gailey on this signing. While the guy wasn’t a great head coach, he’s a heck of an offensive coordinator, and he pushed hard for the Jets to acquire this player.
Here is the bottom line with Fitzpatrick – he can be a terrific game manager, but you have to keep his throwing attempts down.
When you make him into Tom Brady, throwing 35-40 times all over the lot, turnovers tend to become a problem.
He also needs a running game, so he can sell the play-action to create spacing, because he has an average arm. He has a hard time making throws down field when his mechanics are stressed, and he can’t step into his throws.
QB’s in their 30’s can turn out to be terrific signings. It’s such a tough position, so experience is very, very helpful. This guy has seen so much. Think of quarterbacks like Rich Gannon, Jim Plunkett and Vinny Testaverde – guys who did some of their best work in their mid-30’s. I’m not saying “Fitz” is going to lead a team to the Super Bowl like Gannon and Plunkett did, but he’s at the stage of his career right now, where he has a great feel for how to play the position on this level . . .
A lot of people are wondering where the Jets training camp is going to be this year.
Cortland, Farmingdale, Florham Park?
Well as Newsday reported, Farmingdale is out. It’s not a great place for a football training camp since the school doesn’t play football.
Cortland would love to have them back, but from what I hear, it’s not likely to happen.
From what I’m hearing, the Jets are mostly likely to train in Florham Park this summer, at their training complex . . .
Somebody on NFL.com wrote today, in regards to Antonio Cromartie possibly returning to the Jets, “Cromartie and Revis formed a deadly, physical corner duo under Rex Ryan from 2010-2012.”
Cromartie physical?
He’s not a big fan of playing bump-and-run coverage and is a porous run defender.
No question, Cro has good cover skills, but he’s not a physical player.
I’m not taking a shot at him, just dealing with reality.
If you can deal with his lack of physicality, and embrace his cover skills, then he’s for you . . .
March 11, 2015
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