The New York Jets, coming off a disappointing season with a 9-7 record led by a broken down Brett Favre, have now set their sights upon improving the team and positioning themselves to make a run in the upcoming season under the supervision of newly appointed head coach Rex Ryan.

Ryan, the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, is highly regarded around the league by all players—defensive players especially, and especially Baltimore defensive players.

So, wouldn't it make sense for the Jets to go after some of the Ravens elite defensive players? Well, the Jets front office certainly thinks so, and they have already begun clearing cap room by releasing players and re-negotiating contracts.

Two of the biggest defensive names in free agency—Ray Lewis and Bart Scott—are both Ravens linebackers. They are said to be available, and it all makes sense for the Gang Green to try to lock up at least one part of this linebacking duo.

Lewis is the better player, although Scott is still one of the elite. Lewis has been said to be interested in signing with the Dallas Cowboys, where the common consensus is that he can provide leadership to a disgruntldd team.

Another team he is said to be considering? The Jets.

And why not? The Ravens, who at the beginning of last season were looked down upon as one of the worst teams in the league, proved their critics wrong, and ended up going to the AFC Championship game where they were defeated by the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  

That could have many similarities to the 2009 New York Jets.

Think about it: An uncertain quarterback situation, with two unproven starters both having talent. The running back situation is stellar, with Thomas Jones having a career year last season, not to mention an explosive second string back in Leon Washington. The Ravens had Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain. In fact, I may have to give the advantage to the Jets here.

The Ravens offensive line was young and mostly unproven, with the absence of Baltimore mainstay Jonathan Ogden. The Jets have a mix of good young players and old veterans making up their O-Line, so the Jets have the advantage here again.

The receivers for Baltimore—Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton—are both very good, if not underrated. Same goes for the Jets one-two punch, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery.

The Jets have a strong, up- and coming tight end in Dustin Keller, who will be getting a lot more action with the Jets dumping Chris Baker. Baltimore has Todd Heap, one of the best in the NFL, so while the tight end situations are similar as far as talent, Baltimore has the advantage in terms of experience.

So, see how similar those two teams are? And with Rex Ryan working on the Jets defense, it will come to look more like that of the Ravens, a good thing to be sure as Baltimore's defense is one of the best in the game.

Therefore, it isn't too bad of an option for Scott or Lewis to consider signing with the Jets.

And if history repeats itself—in this case, the Jets repeating the Ravens—things should pan out.

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