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New Jersey – When it comes to sticking to the board, you can’t worry about getting “run out of town” if you pick a certain position . . .
I’m so tired of hearing about how the Jets need to fill the void left by the departure of Antonio Cromartie.
The Jets moved on from him.
First, they released him for cap reasons, and then they let him move on to Arizona without much of a fight. He didn’t get a lot of money. They had their chances to bring him back, and their interest was tepid.
He’s too much of a finesse player.
“He’s a track guy,” a Jets assistant said to me a while back.
The Jets need corners who aren’t afraid to mix it up – whether it’s being very physical at the line in bump-and-run or in run support.
Cromartie didn’t get high marks in either department.
Cromartie is a low-dive tackler. It’s hit or miss.
I don’t mean to beat up on the guy, but it was time to move on. He should do a decent job as the #2 corner in Arizona opposite Patrick Peterson in a small media market. Aside from his issues with physicality, he hated dealing with the New York press. Last year was a nightmare for him with the pressure of being the #1 corner in the #1 media market.
I’ve talked to people around the league, and I’m telling you, if he can stay healthy, Dimitri Patterson is a very solid football player. I know people are into big names, but going from Cromartie to Patterson isn’t a drop off, and Patterson is more physical.
I think Jets fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with Patterson.
I think the X-Factor for the Jets at cornerback is Ras-I Dowling.
He was a heck of prospect coming out of Virginia with a great size-speed ratio, but had issues staying healthy in New England.
If he can stay healthy, and the light bulb comes on for Chesapeake, Virginia-native, he could turn out to be a steal for the Jets. Rex is very excited about having this guy on the team. We will see if it works out.
Should the Jets pick a cornerback at 18?
If he’s the best player on their value board, that they spent months setting up, and is under lock-and-key, when they aren’t meeting in the war room, yes they should.
I know that is boring, but it is the best way to approach the draft.
“You know my prediction, I think we’re gonna take another D-lineman,” Rex Ryan joked at a PBA charity event. “That would be funny. I told (GM John) Idzik, if that happens, they’d run us both out of town.”
I know Rex is kidding, but he shouldn’t think that way.
Why?
Because if a defensive lineman is the best player on their board, they should take him.
You don’t worry about fan and media reaction. You pick the best player on your board.
Now, it just so happens that the value at 18 doesn’t seem to be defensive linemen.
How about corner?
Ohio State’s Bradley Roby just got in trouble with the law. Jets shouldn’t go down that road right now.
If Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert slips to them, he would have to pique their interest, but they need to be careful here. The words “finesse” and “soft” are thrown around about this guy. Should the Jets really go there after moving on from Cromartie for being too much of a “finesse” player?
The corner at 18 who makes the most sense is Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard. He is a terrific press corner who is very physical on the line and in run support. He’s a well-built 200-pound corner – very muscle bound. And he’s got really good instincts.
If they go corner in the first round, Dennard is the best fit for them at the position.
April 28, 2014
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