Ryan’s Hope

A week ago D’Brickashaw Ferguson was working out in the Jets weight room. A week later he’s retired, and the Jets didn’t have to list his job long . . .

As you all know by now, the Jets traded for Ryan Clady, sending a fifth-round pick to Denver, and getting a seventh-rounder back.

And the Jets got Clady to do what they clearly wanted Ferguson to do, go from $10 to $6 million in salary this year.

Ferguson retired. Clady said, “Where do I sign?”

Clady knew he’d have to take a pay cut after missing two of the last three seasons due to injuries.

But it’s a lot easier to do that with another team, than your current club – a lot less humiliating. You see this all the time. From an ego standpoint, it’s a lot easier to do this elsewhere.

Is Clady an upgrade over Ferguson?

Sans injuries, probably, but he’s had too many injuries over the last few years to know that answer right now.

And all his serious injuries have occurred on his left side, his plant leg – torn patella tendon in 2010, lis franc foot sprain in 2013 and torn ACL in 2015.

So while Clady is three years younger than Ferguson, Brick never had any serious injuries and had no surgeries during his 10 years with the Jets.

Clady had four – the aforementioned three, and a shoulder repair (he didn’t miss any time for this one).

So “the Clady is younger” argument might be numerically accurate, but when you have that many surgeries, it has to age you to a certain degree.

But if Clady can stay healthy, and perform close to the Pro Bowl form he often displayed in Denver, this trade will be a steal.

This guy is a heck of a player – 6-6, 320 with the feet of a dancing bear.

In 2012, he gave up one sack the entire season.

One stat from his days at Boise State I find very cool – over a three game stretch his junior year (his final season at Boise), he didn’t give up a stat – no sacks, tackles, tipped passes, QB pressures – nothing.

And he’s not just a guy with great natural ability, he’s very bright, and doesn’t get fooled a lot by stunts and twists.

If Clady can stay healthy, and revert back to his 2014 form, this trade will be yet another grand theft by Mike Maccagnan, like his deals last year for Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall. Those two guys were a big reason the Jets went 10-6 last year. And like the Marshall and Fitzpatrick trades, the Jets gave up very little here.

If we were having this discussion 15-20 year ago, and you told me that a player had a serious left foot injury, and two serious left knee injuries, I’d tell you he’s finished.

But modern sports medicine is so amazing, I’m not quick to say that anymore.

Hey, Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis blew out the same knee three times, and came back to play on a high level the last two seasons.

If Clady can stay healthy, and hasn’t lost much due to the surgeries, this trade could be a masterstroke.

April 11, 2016

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