Tagged: Rex Ryan
Getting closer
I really hate to rush the summer but we are only a little over a month away from training camp and I can’t wait for the 2009 NFL season to start. When I was traveling to Albany with the Giants I would always look forward to the smell of the fresh cut grass and watching the sprinklers go back and forth as the players marched out for their morning practice. I always enjoyed everything from the coaches’ whistles blowing at the end of every play to watching kids’ faces as they lined up for autographs from players at the end of every practice. I know the players hate it, but training camp provided some of the best memories for me when I was a part of it.
Nothing major to report on the Giants as their minicamps wrap up. The main buzz has been the wide receiver situation and the rumors that are still swirling about Braylon Edwards and Anquan Boldin. After they drafted Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, it would be hard for me to believe the Giants would look to make a deal not because of the trade compensation, but rather the huge salary that both will demand. At this point I think we owe it to give Jerry Reese the benefit of the doubt with his moves.
I love the attitude that Rex Ryan has already brought to the Jets; knowing who is father is this should not surprise Jets fans and I think that even though they have not played a single down of football, he is giving his team a confidence that was missing the last couple of years with Eric Mangini. It also looks as if Mark Sanchez will be given the opportunity to start in a competition with Kellen Clemens in camp this summer. I’d also be very surprised if the Jets do not add a veteran wide receiver before camp begins, Edwards, Boldin and Plaxico Burress are all real possibilities.
If anyone has any comments or ideas on the Giants and Jets wide receiver situations or any thing about the NFL, please do not hesitate writing them. We are all fans and there is no right or wrong answers.
Jets, Giants make waves in free agency
Both the Jets and the Giants were very active over the weekend, entertaining and signing key players.
The Jets started off the first day of free agency by making a huge offer to Ravens linebacker Bart Scott and bringing Rex Ryan’s pupil in Baltimore on board. Nicknamed The Mad Backer, Scott is a three-year starter and was a Pro Bowler in 2006 and at only 28 years old he still has some good years ahead of him. I think the Jets were determined to bring in either him or Ray Lewis so that they could provide the locker room presence Ryan desires. The Jets are better off with Scott because he is younger and has a bigger upside than Lewis (34 in May) would bring at his age.
The Jets’ other notable moves were acquiring cornerback Lito Sheppard in a trade that sent two draft picks to the Eagles and signing another former Ravens starter, safety Jim Leonhard. Another Ryan favorite, Leonhard had 69 tackles and returned one interception for a touchdown while playing in all 16 games. Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler and is expected to step into the starting lineup opposite Darrelle Revis.
Furthermore, the Jets re-signed guard Brandon Moore and fullback Tony Richardson while reworking Laveranues Coles’ contract so he could become a free agent and leave the team. But the interesting thing is that thus far the Jets have shown no interest in acquiring a veteran quarterback, leaving us to believe that they would be willing to stick with either Kellen Clemens or Brett Ratliff as the starter. It will be interesting to see if the Jets make any move for Jay Cutler, Mark Bulger or Derek Anderson who all are considered tradable players right now.
The Giants were also very active. Linebacker Michael Boley comes from the Atlanta Falcons and was a guy who the Giants really wanted to play the weak side linebacker position. They needed a linebacker who could drop back in coverage and Boley provides the athleticism and versatility to do so.
Rocky Bernard is a quick and athletic defensive tackle who causes problems for interior lineman in pass protection. Chris Canty is a very tall defensive lineman with long arms and legs much like Justin Tuck. The former Cowboy was a defensive end with Dallas but the Giants play a 4-3 defense and he will primarily be used as a tackle. He plays the run very well and is an improving pass rusher who can push the pocket. The Giants were very impressed by his play in the past two years when they have faced Dallas.
There are still some more areas that the Giants will need to address like safety and wide receiver but I was very happy with all three of these signings because it will give the Giants the rotation on the defensive line which was the key to them winning the Super Bowl. Down the stretch of last year is when they really felt the absence of Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, and were not able to rotate the fresh bodies that they had two years ago. When Ernie Accorsi was the Giants’ general manager he would say that you could never have enough pass rushers on a defense and it looks as if Jerry Reese has the same beliefs.
The Brett Favre situation
It is now the middle of February and the Jets have not played football in almost six weeks. Rex Ryan was hired three weeks ago and with him comes a new vision and a new attitude that the Jets will have this upcoming season. So while the focus with the team is clearly on the future rather than the past, there appears to be one big obstacle in the way of their plans.
“Brett the Jet” (everyone remember that headline at the end of last summer) or is it “Brett Maybe the Jet,” which is better term to describe the relationship with him and the team right now. I’m not even a Jets fan and I’m so fed up with Brett Favre and the whole situation he has put the Jets in this offseason.
My feeling all along is that Favre has been purposely dragging his feet so the Jets have no choice but to cut him so they can move ahead. He didn’t want to come here last season and since he’s seen the two faces of the New York fans and media, he wants no part of playing under the microscope at this point in his career. Last year he wanted to go to Minnesota, but because they are divisional rivals of the Packers, that could not have happened. The Jets can’t trade him there because there is a clause in the agreement which states that New York would have to give up a first round draft pick. But if they cut him, he is free to go wherever he wants. Why the Vikings would want Favre is beyond me, but I guess that even at his age he is an upgrade over Tavaris Jackson. The bottom line is that I am neither a Favre fan nor hater. I just think that he owes it to the Jets to make a decision so they can move on and focus on the upcoming season.
Look I know Favre is a former MVP, Super Bowl champion and all-around great player, but notice how I said former. This is not the same player who led the Packers to all of those playoff appearances and while doing so became one of the most well-liked players to ever wear a uniform. This is a man who is a very average quarterback right now and for him to think that he is so above the game these past two seasons is an absolute joke.
I place no blame on the Packers for what happened during last offseason; they waited patiently while he took his time (really took his time) and made up his mind to retire. The first few weeks of an offseason is a very crucial time for an organization to know what they need to do to address the upcoming campaign and replacing the starting quarterback position is the most important decision for any team. It involves so much off the field preparation that the quarterbacks themselves are relieved when it is over and they can begin throwing in minicamp.
I have no problem with someone deciding to retire and than changing their mind like Michael Jordan. (Really folks, did any of us think he was not coming back?) My problem is that Favre thought that just because he was ready to come back, the Packers would welcome him as their starting quarterback with open arms. Favre has been around the game long enough to know that training camp is not the start of the season. There are offseason conditioning programs, minicamps and film sessions, especially with the quarterback position. It was also a tough public relations situation for the Packers because of his legendary status there, so I really respect the way that they handled it.
I hoped that Favre would have been more considerate to his new team, knowing that he played so poorly down the stretch and there is a new coach in place with new ideas and plans for the team. Ryan is in a tough spot right now because in these upcoming weeks before free agency and the combines, a head coach needs to know about his options at the quarterback position, and there is no Aaron Rodgers waiting in the wings to become the new starter. Ryan said at his press conference that he would like to have Favre back, and right now I don’t think the Jets believe that Kellen Clemens or Brett Ratliff are the answers. But unfortunately at this point they really can’t make any kind of a move in free agency for a starting quarterback until they know Favre’s status.
Football NYC 