Bleacher Report - Articles by Gary G.

Did Anyone Know That the UFL Debuted Last Night?

Gary G. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:11:01 -0400

Did you know that the United Football League started last night? Me neither.

Who is in charge of marketing? This is possibly the worst hype for a league that I have ever seen. There is more marketing for a high school football game that is held on a local cable network in my small town of upstate New York than there is for the UFL.

I really doubt half the people that have supported the UFL in saying that this league will survive. How can a league survive if no one even knows it started?

Let’s catch everybody up.

The Las Vegas Locos defeated the California Redwoods last night by a final score of 30-17.

The Locos have a roster full of ex-NFL players, including former first round quarterback J.P. Losman under center. Other players include running backs Marcel Shipp and D.D. Dorsey, wide receivers David Kircus, Samie Parker, and Tab Perry, linebacker Brandon Moore, and backup quarterback Tim Rattay.

All of these names, and did you know the game was on?

I had been following the UFL on a somewhat regular basis as they began to introduce us to coaches, players, and teams. However, I have become a little bit busier in the past month or so and haven’t followed it quite as much.

I figured that I would have seen a commercial or two about the debut game for UFL, but did I even see that? Nope. Because of that, I totally missed it.

Nice job UFL. Your marketing plan sucks. You want to compete with the NFL or even become a minor league for the NFL, you better try harder than that; otherwise all of this work that has been put into developing this league will go unnoticed when this league folds after just another season.

This is the XFL all over again. The only difference is that the XFL was on NBC. At least I knew when their debut game was so I could watch it.

I am already writing off the UFL. There is not a chance that this league survives. I know I won’t be the first to say it, but this is a one and done.

Rest in Peace, UFL.

Could the UFL Be the Only Football on TV in 2011?

Gary G. — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:18:58 -0400

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the United Football League will have its inaugural season this upcoming fall with four teams with intentions to expand to six or possibly eight teams in 2010.

Unlike the XFL, if the UFL can hold strong for one or two full seasons, it could be the only organized professional football league on television during the 2011 season.

Why would this be the case?

The National Football League and the NFL Players Association are at a dispute over guaranteed benefits for the 2010 uncapped year, according to Peter King of Sports Illustrated.

Both owners and the players association have had two meetings, but new NFLPA boss DeMaurice Smith is concerned over the lack of progress on an agreement being reached.

If for some reason an agreement is not reached between the owners and players, could we possibly see the UFL as the only pro league on television in a few years? Only time will tell.

Michael Huyghue, the commissioner of the UFL, along with the help of many others, have already helped the UFL make a small, but safe name for themselves, and not one down has even been played yet.

With the recent television agreements with the UFL and both HDNet and Versus to broadcast the games, it could very well be a nice start for the upcoming league.

After compiling a good list of players and NFL hopefuls that plan to use the UFL as a place to shine, the inaugural UFL draft was held earlier this summer, and each team now has a base in place.

J.P. Losman, arguably the best player and most marketable player for the UFL, will be the quarterback of the Las Vegas franchise. Losman, being a former first round pick in the NFL draft, could definitely help get the UFL some looks and consideration among the NFL fan base.

It will be interesting to see how well the UFL does after a year or two and what happens with the NFL and the Players Association.

The UFL could very well be the only football we are watching in the 2011 season. The only question is…who will you be rooting for?

Why The Mets Should Trade Jose Reyes

Gary G. — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:23:42 -0400

While the Mets continue to struggle during this putrid 2009 season, the talk continues, and it's the same thing we have been hearing since the first collapse after the 2007 season.

Break up the core.

At first, I said, "Are you kidding me? You can't break up a talent core of talent like David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran."

Then 2008 came, and the Mets added Johan Santana to that core.

The Mets, again, collapsed late in the 2008 season.

Once again, the talk of the town was to break up the core...and again, I said, "Are you kidding me? We are looking at four of the most talented players in the majors right now, how could you want to trade them?"

We are just about to the halfway mark in the 2009 season and the Mets are sitting under .500, but are only three games out.

The question right now is, will Omar Minaya make a move and acquire a bat to help jumpstart this offense?

He'll probably grab a bat—there's no doubt they could use it, but do the Mets need to start looking at this from a wider angle?

After two collapses and a .500 season so far in 2009, I am really beginning to wonder if breaking up the core of this team should be considered. I know that everyone will say this 2009 season is a fluke because of all the injuries, but it's not just that.

Right now, a player like Jose Reyes has so much value. Why? Because he is just 26 years old, and is in the prime of his career with so much more to come.

He is arguably one of the most unique players in the game, and is a threat in just about every aspect of the game.

Yes, he is only costing the Mets a bit under $6 million this year, is due $9 million in 2010 and an $11 million club option in 2011. Trading with the Red Sox gives Boston, a large market baseball town, the opportunity to lock him up on a big long-term contract if they choose to do so.

Between the age, the talent, and the cheap contract, the Mets could easily turn this situation into a major overhaul for this franchise—especially considering the team's farm system isn't anything to be thrilled about.

I see a perfect fit for Reyes in Boston, and I think the Red Sox front office would heavily consider doing it this upcoming offseason.

I think a swap of Jose Reyes for Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and Michael Bowden would get it done for both teams.

With Reyes, the Red Sox would be getting a five-tool player at shortstop, which has seemingly been a hole for them since they traded Edgar Renteria after the 2005 season. They would also get a viable leadoff hitter that would replace Ellsbury at the top of the order.

Ellsbury would give the Mets a replacement to lead off, and give them speed atop the order, while also giving them a consistent option in left field.

Lowrie would be the replacement at shortstop; however, despite not being the athlete that Reyes is at the position, he has the ability to be a solid defensive shortstop for the Mets.

While he doesn't have a lot of power, Lowrie has a great ability to hit for average and has strong plate discipline, so it's possible that he could be used as the No. 2 hitter. For an added bonus, he's also a switch-hitter.

Bowden is one of the better pitching prospects in the Red Sox farm system, and is the closest thing to major league ready, outside of Clay Buchholz.

With the likes of guys such as Fernando Nieve, Livan Hernandez, and Tim Redding spending time in the rotation right now, the Mets would welcome the opportunity to bring a pitcher like Bowden into the mix to compete for a spot in the rotation along with young pitchers of their own such as Brad Holt or Jonathan Niese.

The problem that always seems to be the issue with Mets fans is that the lack of depth in their farm system always makes those few home-grown prospects that actually do pan out such as David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Mike Pelfrey hard to trade.

Fans tend to grow attached to the younger players, especially when it comes to New York. Smaller market teams may not so much, because they know they have to let go when the player becomes too pricey.

The Mets need to play this situation out like a small market franchise to benefit their team in the long run.

Free agency is not the way to go, and the Mets have a dreadful farm system—at least, in terms of major-league ready talents.

If the Mets want to win now, they are going to have to take a piece of the core and use it to acquire a wide spread of talent that can fill several holes in their team.

Five New York Jets Who Could Break Out in 2009

Gary G. — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:51:34 -0400

My definition for a breakout season is a player who has something to build on from the previous season and to potentially have a significant season. Here I list five players on the current New York Jets team that could top their 2008 numbers and become key components to the 2009 team.

Calvin Pace

Pace came to the Jets last offseason after five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. After being awarded a hefty six-year, $42 million deal, Pace did a solid job in the Jets pass rush, recording seven sacks, five forced fumbles and 80 tackles despite not having a solid, steady player on the opposite side of the defense to take the pressure off.

The blitz-happy Rex Ryan is now in charge, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Pace is going to be heavily involved in almost every play on the defense this season.

Projected 2009 stats: 83 tackles, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles

Vernon Gholston

The Jets first-round pick in 2008 was Vernon Gholston. After failing to meet the demands of a first-round pick, Gholston and his 15 tackles rode the bench for most of the year, with the exception of coming in on substitute packages on occasion.

Gholston’s possibilities are endless. It is clear he is very athletic and has the talent to make it in the NFL. This could be the story to watch out for this fall and winter.

As I stated above for Calvin Pace, the Jets lacked that solid, pass rusher on the opposite side of the defense. Rex Ryan took Terrell Suggs under his wing when he came into the league. Could Gholston be Ryan’s next project?

Projected 2009 stats: 67 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles

David Clowney

Clowney is basically falling into a golden opportunity here with the Jets. After the Jets picked him up a couple of years ago off the Packers practice squad, he is finally going to get his opportunity to prove himself as an NFL-caliber player.

With Jerricho Cotchery the only proven NFL wide receiver on this team with a good amount of experience, Clowney will compete with Chansi Stuckey and Brad Smith for playing time on the opposite side.

Clowney’s sub-4.3 40-yard dash speed will provide a very nice compliment to the possesion, over-the-middle style that Cotchery brings to the table. He will be fun to watch if he gets the opportunity to stretch the field.

Then again, a signing of Plaxico Burress could change this all…

Projected 2009 stats: 45 receptions, 590 yards, five touchdowns

Dustin Keller

While Keller had a very solid 2008 campaign, it is quite possibly that Keller could shatter last season’s numbers and become a top-eight tight end in the NFL this season.

Without a steady starting receiver on the opposite side of Cotchery, it is quite possible that whoever is under center in Week One will make Keller their safety net and utilize him as their second-look or sometimes first-look receiver.

His blocking isn’t quite what you would like, but as a receiver from the tight end position, Keller has what it takes to become one of the elite tight ends in the game today.

Projected 2009 stats: 67 receptions, 780 yards, seven touchdowns

Leon Washington

Some might say, "How could he be on this list? He’s already a premiere talent on this team."

This is true.

But, as it has become known, over the past two seasons, Eric Mangini had somewhat handcuffed offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in the conservativeness of his play-calling.

Schottenheimer has stated that he is looking to get back into the style of offense that he coached during the 2006 season, when Washington was a rookie and the leading rusher on the team.

An interesting stat that Leon can put his name to is the yards-per-attempt statistic. In his rookie season, he averaged 4.3 yards an attempt, while in 2007, he increased it to 5.0 yards. Last year, Leon managed to get 5.9 yards per rush attempt.

With Rex Ryan letting Schottenheimer control every aspect of the offense, this could open up the opportunity for Washington to get more touches, both out of the backfield as a receiver as well as taking handoffs.

Projected 2009 stats: 120 rushes, 684 yards, si touchdowns/32 receptions, 227 yards, two touchdowns

Top 10 New York Jets of Past 10 Years

Gary G. — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:21:54 -0400

Over the past 10 seasons, the Jets have had some extraordinary talent pass through their franchise whether it be home-grown, trades or free agents. It's hard to argue that the past ten seasons have produced some of the best players that this franchise has ever seen. It was a tough time making this list due to the amount of talent, but I was able to narrow it down to a list of ten players that I deemed fit to include in this slideshow.

Begin Slideshow

Predicting the New York Jets' 53-Man Roster: Offense

Gary G. — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:33:08 -0400

This is the last of three articles that will break down my predictions for the Jets' 53-man roster.

To view the Special Teams/Practice Squad, Click Here.

To view the Defense, Click Here.

Quarterback: Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge

The two obvious ones here are going to be Mark Sanchez and Kellen Clemens. Both will compete for the starting job, and the loser will be the backup. Sanchez has reportedly had some very good days and some average days, but he will quickly adjust to the offense.

He has impressed the team, media, and fans with his professional attitude and the way he conducts himself despite being under such pressure of being the franchise quarterback of a team that hasn't seen the Super Bowl in over 40 years.

It is up in the air on who is actually going to win the starting job, though head coach Rex Ryan has gone on record saying that he was one of the only coaches on the Baltimore Ravens in support of Joe Flacco as the starter in his rookie season last year. It shows that he would not be afraid to throw Sanchez right into the fire in week one.

On the other hand, you also have another quarterback battle going on behind those two. 2008 fifth-round pick Erik Ainge is competing with 2009 undrafted rookie free agent Chris Pizzotti. At this point, I would say Ainge has the upper hand, but Pizzotti is not far behind. Ainge will and should win this battle.

Running back: Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Shonn Greene

The talk of the offseason beyond Mark Sanchez has been the contract holdouts of running backs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. It has been stated by agent Drew Rosenhaus that Jones will report to mandatory camp this week.

The Jets reportedly won't budge on the contract. He is due to make $900,000 this year after receiving $13 million of the $20 million, four-year deal he signed back in 2007 during the first two seasons.

Washington seems to be the hardest one to overcome at this point. His contractual stance keeps him from putting on a practice jersey, and he is hell-bent on getting a new contract. The Jets are wary because of the uncertainty with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Players Association and Owners.

This one could last well into the summer, but in the end, the Jets will reach an agreement with arguably their best player on the field.

2009 third-round pick Shonn Greene will fill the role as the Jets' third running back this year. The coaching staff reportedly loved him so much that they chose to hand over the bulk of their second day draft picks to move up to grab him in the top of the third round.

Greene will be there for the Jets in the tail end of games when they need him. His fresh legs in the fourth quarter could tear apart an opposing defense. This coincides with Rex Ryan's willingness to pound the ball on the ground this year.

Fullback: Tony Richardson

Tony Richardson is the ultimate professional and is just as much responsible for Thomas Jones' career season and Pro Bowl appearance last year as the offensive line was.

Richardson has played the blocking fullback role for many running backs who have surpassed 1,000 or more yards in a season on the ground, including Priest Holmes three times (2001, 2002, 2003), Larry Johnson (2005), Chester Taylor (2006), Adrian Peterson (2007), and Thomas Jones (2008).

Wide Receiver: Jerricho Cotchery, David Clowney, Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright

Perhaps the weakest of all positions. The Jets have been lacking a proven wide receiver to start opposite Jerricho Cotchery since Laveranues Coles left to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, but with that opens up a new opportunity for a variety of young wide receivers with talent to prove themselves worthy of the void.

David Clowney and Brad Smith appear likely to compete with each other this summer to start outside opposite Cotchery. Clowney brings a 4.37 40-time to the table and gives the Jets a nice deep threat, while Brad Smith gives the Jets the experience that none of the other competitors carries.

In the end, I see the Jets going forward with Clowney, who the new coaching staff has seemed very high on since their arrival.

The Jets spent their seventh-round pick in 2007 on a Clemson wide receiver named Chansi Stuckey. A foot injury in his senior season would drop his draft stock from a mid-round pick to almost out of the draft completely. Nevertheless, the Jets took the risk and grabbed him with the 235th overall pick.

He put up promising numbers in his first preseason, only to be hampered by a broken foot that would put him out for the season. He returned in 2008 and started at three games for the Jets.

In each of the first three games of last season, Stuckey caught a touchdown pass from Brett Favre. He finished out the season with 32 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

Stuckey has all the makings to be the great third down slot receiver that the Jets haven't truly had since Wayne Chrebet. If he can pull off that role, he will be a huge security blanket for the quarterback in crucial parts of games during the 2009 season.

Wallace Wright rounds out the wide receiver list. Reason? He is a special teams ace. When you watch a Jets game every week, it's hard to go a game without hearing Wright's name called as making a special teams tackle or two. For that reason alone, he will return.

Tight End: Dustin Keller, Bubba Franks, Jack Simmons

Did I say wide receiver was the weakest part of the Jets roster? Check that. It could be tight end. The only difference is that the Jets have a superstar in the making at tight end, and he's really the only one on the roster of any significance. The Jets really lack depth at this position at this point.

Keller came on strong and had an excellent rookie campaign in 2008, recording 48 receptions for 535 yards with three touchdowns. He has really brought a pass-catching credibility back to the Jets, and it made Chris Baker expendable in that part.

However, Keller is not a great blocker, and in addition to depth, that is what the Jets lack at the position. The Jets brought back veteran tight end Bubba Franks to possibly assume the role as a blocking tight, end and Rex Ryan is also very high on Jack Simmons, who may make the team as a third tight end.

Offensive Tackle: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Damien Woody, Wayne Hunter, Mike Kracalik

The Jets head into the 2009 season with good depth on the offensive line for the first time in a while. I can't ever really say the Jets had great depth up front on offense during Eric Mangini's tenure as head coach.

D'Brickashaw Ferguson heads into his fourth season as the Jets' starting left tackle. While he has hit a few bumps in the road, he has truly come into his own, and with the guidance of a future Hall of Fame guard to his right in Alan Faneca, Ferguson is making life easy when it comes to protecting the Jets quarterbacks on their blind side.

Damien Woody begins the second-year of a five-year, $25 million deal that the Jets gave him last offseason. The Jets haven't really had a good player at right tackle since Kareem McKenzie left to join the Giants. Woody never played the tackle position on a regular basis until this past season and made the switch very well.

Wayne Hunter has reportedly caught the eye of the coaching staff, and they expect good things from him as a backup tackle.

The former third-round pick by the Seahawks in 2003 spent three seasons in Seattle and one in Jacksonville before joining the Gang Green for the 2008 campaign.

The best news of all is that Hunter saw no action as a starter in 2008.

Mike Kracalik was originally signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2005. However, he found no place on the team's 53-man roster and joined the Baltimore Ravens.

He spent four seasons with the Ravens before returning to the Jets this offseason and is joining ex-Raven personnel Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard, and Marques Douglas in New York. Standing 6'8" and weighing in at 337 pounds, Kracalik is a load and gives the Jets a nice big body up front behind the starters.

Offensive Guard: Alan Faneca, Brandon Moore, Matt Slauson

Alan Faneca became the richest offensive lineman in NFL history for two months until Jake Long came along and took that distinction away from him. Faneca did nothing but great things for the Jets in his first year.

Whether it was continuing to do what he does best in run blocking or mentoring third-year players D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold to his left and right on the offensive line, Faneca's addition made the Jets offense just that much better.

Brandon Moore has leaped all the hurdles it took, but after signing with the Jets as an undrafted free agent defensive tackle in 2002, he has made the switch to offense to become one of the league's better and most underrated run-blocking guards.

Moore was due a $7 million roster bonus earlier this offseason, so the Jets decided to cut him rather than pay him the bonus. However, a mere one day later, Moore re-signed with the Jets at four years, $16 million with $10 million guaranteed.

It worked out for both sides. The Jets didn't have a huge cap number with Moore's old contract, and under his new contract, Moore would make more money per year on average.

Matt Slauson joined the Jets this past April when it was announced that the team had taken him in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

A huge factor and perhaps one of the main reasons why the Jets selected Slauson was because current offensive line coach Bill Callahan was Slauson's head coach at Nebraska for three of his four years at college. The rookie was named first team All-Big 12 by the San Antonio Express-News and second team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press.

Slauson will be a key depth player and will work closely with his former head coach as he makes the transition from college to pro.

Center: Nick Mangold, Robert Turner

When asked by a Patriots fan who the league's toughest center he ever faced was, nose tackle Vince Wilfork replied, "Nick Mangold."

Not only does Mangold's name fit that billing, but in a recent list ranking the top centers in the NFL, a group of former NFL scouts also named Nick Mangold the No. 1 center in the NFL.

This guy is simply, hands down, one of the premier players the Jets have drafted in recent years, perhaps the best, though he will be the most unnoticed. Mangold, like his first round counterpart Ferguson, has started every single game since his arrival in the NFL.

There is not much else you can say about him. He is clearly one of the best players this team has.

Robert Turner joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent in May of 2007. He has since been a member of the Jets and provided key depth on the offensive line.

While he started out at guard earlier in his career, he has the versatility to play center as well in the unfortunate event that Nick Mangold were to ever come down with an injury. For that, the Jets value him as a crucial player on their depth chart.

Predicting the New York Jets' 53-Man Roster: Defense

Gary G. — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:43:12 -0400

This is the second of three articles that will break down my predictions for the Jets 53-man roster. First up will be the special teams and practice squad, followed by the defense on Monday and the offense on Tuesday.

To view the Special Teams/Practice Squad - Click Here

Defensive End - Shaun Ellis, Marques Douglas, Mike DeVito, Zach Potter

Shaun Ellis is the longest tenured player in the franchise. He has been with the Jets since they drafted him 12th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He has played in 140 games at left defensive end and accumulated 465 tackles and 61.5 sacks over the course of his nine seasons in the league.

Some thought Ellis would have a tough time making the transition from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 defense end, but Ellis has responded with a pair of five-sacks seasons followed by an eight-sack season last year to lead the team.

Ellis is a leader on this Jets defense and leads by example. It will be interesting to see how Rex Ryan uses Ellis. He will be 32 years old to start the season and the Jets have played with the possibility of using Kris Jenkins at left defensive end with Sione Pouha in at nose tackle on several plays to give the defensive line more beef.

The Big Katt will be a fixture on the defensive line this year and with his past success as a pass rusher, it will just be another toy for Rex Ryan to play with when he creates his blitzing schemes.

Marques Douglas was another ex-Raven that joined Rex Ryan in New York. He signed with the Jets on March 13, 2008 to give the Jets some depth at defensive end.

Little did he know, he will likely be called upon to start for the Jets this upcoming season at right defense end. Why? Because former starter Kenyon Coleman was dealt to the Cleveland Browns in the trade that sent the No. 5 overall pick to the Jets in which they used to select Mark Sanchez.

None the less, Douglas knows Ryan's defense well as he spent four years with the Ravens between 2001 and 2004 and once again in 2008. The Jets are counting on him to fill the void that Coleman left.

Mike DeVito is an interesting player. Despite going undrafted during the 2007 NFL Draft, the Jets brought him in and tried him out. DeVito did so well proving himself to the coaching staff that he won a roster spot over established veterans Bobby Hamilton and Kimo von Oelhoffen.

Ever since, DeVito has established himself as one of the first players off the bench when a defensive end is needed. In 16 games last season, DeVito registered 24 tackles with 0.5 sack.

DeVito is quietly doing a good job in providing depth behind an aging defensive line. With a change in scheme to come under Rex Ryan, it is possible that it could benefit him in the long run and possibly take over as a starter a year or so down the road.

At this point, I'll gladly take him as a solid player on my defensive line depth any day.

The Jets were so depleted at tight end that they have attempted to convert defensive end Kareem Brown to offense and use him as a blocker. While the process is still under evaluation, I don't think it will be a success.

So at this point, we will continue to deem him as a tight end. However, his success at tight end could hinge on the dream of another young player.

Zach Potter was projected to be a mid-round pick in this year's NFL draft. It was quite shocking to see that a player of his caliber was available on the free agent wire following the conclusion of the seventh round.

At 6'6" and 280 pounds, he has a big enough frame to give the Jets what they need as a defensive end. He replaced former Nebraska Cornhusker Adam Carriker as the starting defensive end in 2007. In his two years as a starter, Potter recorded 92 tackles, eight sacks, and 27 tackles for a loss in 25 games (24 starts).

He has all the makings to be a good player in the NFL and under the right tutelage and scheme, there is no telling how far he could go.

Nose Tackle - Kris Jenkins, Sione Pouha, Howard Green

Perhaps the biggest acquisition of the previous offseason, both physically (349lbs.) and from a team standpoint. Kris Jenkins has given the Jets the key component that they have lacked since they made the switch over to a 3-4 defense.

Despite questions and concerns over the conversion from 4-3 to 3-4 for Jenkins, as well as weight issues, he overcame it all and became the key to the Jets successful run-stopping defense.

His motor, athleticism and size up the middle prevent many running backs from breaking through for a big gain and he also managed to inherit multiple lineman, which is needed in the 3-4, to open up the pass rush that came from the linebackers behind him.

There is no doubt that his workload was over what he was capable of handling and that he faltered down the stretch of the season, but with a strong pair of backups like Sione Pouha and Howard Green, Jenkins should remain and have as strong a season as ever.

Sione Pouha was one of the few holdovers from the Herm Edwards era that Eric Mangini inherited. His size and success gave the Jets another option up the middle that was used to his advantage when the team switched over to a 3-4 defense.

Pouha subbed in for Jenkins on several packages during the course of the 2008 season. As I have stated above, Rex Ryan has attempted an offensive line that consisted of Kris Jenkins moving over to play defensive end with Pouha playing nose tackle.

I am anxious to see how well that bulky defensive line would do in-game.

Howard Green was a sixth-round pick by the Houston Texans in their inaugural season during the 2002 NFL draft. While he spent time during the offseason in Houston, he also spent time during the 2002 season with the Ravens under then-defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Since then, Green has bounced around the league and spent time with the Seahawks, Dolphins, Saints and Vikings but is now joining the Jets. He brings another big body and depth for the Jets on the defensive line.

Outside Linebacker - Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas, Vernon Gholston, Kenwin Cummings

Another one of the Jets many 2008 offseason acquisitions, Calvin Pace joined the Jets last year to give them a much needed pass rusher from the outside linebacker position. Prior to Pace, the Jets only managed 19 sacks from their two starting outside linebackers during Eric Mangini's tenure as head coach.

Pace provided stability to the position last season and managed 80 tackles, 7.0 sacks and five forced fumbles. He is a pivotal player in this team's future as it stands right now with Rex Ryan at the helm. Using Ryan's blitzing schemes, Pace has the ability to put up career highs in every category.

Bryan Thomas was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. After failing to live up to his first-round status, the Jets moved him to outside linebacker when Mangini took over the team and switched to the 3-4 defense.

With his hand out of the dirt, Thomas broke out for a career high 8.5 sacks and 77 tackles. The Jets rewarded him with a long-term contract.

Thomas' success was short-lived and he only managed to come up with 2.5 sacks in his second year as a pass-rushing outside linebacker.

With Pace on the opposite side of him, Thomas rebounded with 5.5 sacks and 58 tackles in 2008.

It's unclear at this point how the Jets intend to use Thomas. He has talent and could be a major contributor as a pass rusher, but there is a fellow named Vernon Gholston sitting behind him on the depth chart waiting to break out.

Speaking of Vernon Gholston, the Jets sixth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft had a miserable rookie campaign. One in which he did not even reach the field as a starter, despite being highly regarded as a premier pass-rusher out of Ohio State.

It was evident that through last summer, Gholston was having trouble making the conversion from a 4-3 defensive end in college to a 3-4 outside linebacker at the pro level. He managed a putrid 13 tackles and no sacks.

When Rex Ryan took over as head coach of the Jets, the media asked him about Vernon Gholston and if there was anything he could do to help him get his NFL career on track. Ryan compared Gholston to Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who was deemed a bust early in his career, but under Ryan became a Pro Bowl player.

As early as this past week, Gholston was impressing the coaching staff, and specifically defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.

There has been talk that the Jets could use him as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in different packages. It would give opposing offenses different looks and make it harder to read the defense. Look for Gholston to possibly make his mark on the NFL under Ryan this year.

Kenwin Cummings joined the Jets last year as an undrafted rookie free agent. He took the Jets by storm and had a solid preseason finishing in the top 10 in tackles in the AFC with 19 and also added on a sack against the Browns in the first week.

Cummings should provide solid depth to the team at the linebacker position and is versatile enough to play both outside and inside.

Inside Linebacker - Bart Scott, David Harris, Jason Trusnik, Marques Murrell, Larry Izzo

Bart Scott, the Mad Backer, signed a six-year, $48 million deal with the Jets this offseason.

One of the most interesting stories I have ever heard was how Rex Ryan recruited him by sitting in his driveway until the clock struck midnight when it was legal for teams to start pursuing free agents.

Negotiations went on and in the end the Jets had themselves a new leader on defense and he has already brought the swagger that Rex Ryan has been preaching onto this team.

Scott was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2002 NFL draft. For the next three seasons, Scott was limited to backup duty and special teams work.

When Ray Lewis went down with an injury during the 2005 season, Rex Ryan called upon Bart Scott to replace Lewis. He would go on to make 10 starts and have a breakout season in which he registered 92 tackles and 4.0 sacks.

From that point on, Scott was a starter in the Ravens defense and would work out of both the inside linebacker and outside linebacker positions.

He would go on to record 103 tackles with 9.5 sacks and 2 interceptions in 2006, also receiving an invitation to the Pro Bowl for his efforts. In 2007, Scott made 93 tackles along with 1.0 sack as well as 82 tackles and 1.0 sack this past season.

The Jets will call upon Scott to lead this defense and to help the conversion process of the move from Eric Mangini's 3-4 scheme to Rex Ryan's defense.

David Harris turned out to be an outstanding pick by the Jets in the second-round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He took the world by storm when he was summoned to replace the injured Jonathan Vilma in week eight against Buffalo during his rookie year.

He responded with 17 tackles and one sack. The following week Harris made an astounding 24 tackles against the Washington Redskins. He finished the season with 127 tackles and five sacks.

In his sophomore season, Harris missed five games due to injury, but still managed 76 tackles and one sack. Look for Harris to have a rebound season under Rex Ryan.

Jason Trusnik was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio Northern following the 2007 NFL draft. He has been a very solid contributor on special teams and has given the Jets depth at inside linebacker.

In two seasons, he has recorded 18 tackles in 13 games (six special teams tackles in 2007), including a career high five tackles in the final game of the 2008 season.

Marques Murrell, the younger brother of former Jets running back Adrian Murrell, joined the Jets in November of 2007 when he was signed off the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.

Murrell provided nice depth for the Jets at inside linebacker after Jonathan Vilma went down with an injury and continued to do a good job both as depth and on special teams last season.

Lastly, Larry Izzo was signed by the Jets this offseason to contribute solely as a special-teamer. A 13-year veteran, Izzo has played for the Dolphins and Patriots throughout his career, most recently spending his last eight years with New England.

Last season, Izzo led his team in special teams tackles with 14, marking the eighth time in his career that he has done so. Izzo has averaged 1.4 special teams tackles in his career. He has recorded 257 special teams tackles in 188 regular season games.

The Jets welcome Izzo and he will join Mike Westhoff's always great special teams unit.

Cornerback - Darrelle Revis, Lito Sheppard, Dwight Lowery, Donald Strickland, Drew Coleman, Ahmad Carroll

“We've got some linebackers, got a free safety that's a ball hawk, and to me the best corner in football. That's a pretty good starting point."

That was Rex Ryan's introductory press conference in which he deems starting cornerback Darrelle Revis the best corner in football. How is that for praise from your new head coach?

Revis has done all the right things and has made the plays to back up that very statement. It's hard to believe he's only been here for two years, because he plays like a six or seven year veteran.

During his rookie season in 2007, Revis managed 87 tackles to go along with three interceptions. He followed that up with a 58 tackle season and added five picks, including one run back. Revis made the Pro Bowl last season and made an amazing interception while covering Anquan Boldin in the end zone.

Heading into his third season in the NFL, it's hard to argue with Ryan in that he is one of the top five cornerbacks in the league right now, if not the best. Not to mention, he managed to do this with a revolving door of cornerbacks on the opposite side of him.

Can you imagine what he could do this season when he has a former Pro Bowl cornerback in Lito Sheppard covering the opposite side?

Lito Sheppard joins the Jets after seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Unhappy in Philly after being demoted to a backup when the team signed Asante Samuel, Lito finally got his wish and was sent to the Jets for a fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft and a conditional pick in 2010.

Though injuries have always plagued him, when healthy Sheppard is as good as they come. He can give you Pro Bowl numbers as such like he did in 2004 when he recorded 56 tackles and five interceptions and in 2006 when he made 30 tackles with six interceptions.

The Jets have gone through many cornerbacks over the past couple years, such as Justin Miller, Dwight Lowery, Drew Coleman, Hank Poteat, David Barrett, Ty Law, and Andre Dyson. The Jets are looking for stability opposite Darrelle Revis and I think they will be happy with what they get in Sheppard.

Dwight Lowery was the Jets fourth-round pick last season. He was thrown into the fire in his rookie season in week one as a starting cornerback, but after a few weeks, it was clear that it was too early as he was having trouble covering NFL corners.

Lowery has a ton of talent and will likely develop with time to become a solid corner, but is best suited as a nickelback at this point.

Last season, he recorded 68 tackles and one interception.

It is going to be a treat to watch him develop into the player that we all know he can be. Having him behind a duo of Lito Sheppard and Darrelle Revis is not a bad thing.

Donald Strickland joined the Jets this offseason as a free agent. A third-round pick by the Colts in 2003, Strickland's career hasn't lived up to what he was thought to be during his rookie season. As a first-year player, Strickland recorded 48 tackles and hauled in two interceptions in 11 games. He hasn't recorded another interception since.

The past couple of seasons he has spent with the San Francisco 49ers and has appeared in 27 games (7 starts) in the last two years.

Overall, what you are getting is a reasonable cornerback that will likely contribute as a special teamer while also filling the void sometimes in dime situations. Nothing more.

Drew Coleman was the Jets sixth-round draft choice in the 2006 NFL Draft. With injuries and just overall inconsistency at the cornerback position, the Jets gave Coleman four starts in his rookie season. Misplays and misfortunes sent Coleman back to the bench before long.

In 2007, Coleman saw less playing time with the addition of Darrelle Revis to the mix, but managed seven tackles and one interception. He played in even less games in 2008 (nine), but came out with 23 tackles and a sack to show for it.

Coleman is what he is. He won't wow you with his numbers, but he is a good bottom of the depth chart cornerback to have on your roster.

Ahmad Carroll was a first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2004. Inconcistant play led to him being released after week four of the 2006 season. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars later on that month, but was waived by the team after he was arrested on drug and gun charges.

After spending the 2007 season out of football, Carroll decided to get his career back on track while he was still only 24 years old. He joined the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League and spent the 2008 season there before the Jets signed him prior to the start of the 2008 NFL season.

Carroll did an amazing job contributing on special teams for the Jets last season and was tied for the team lead in special teams tackles with 26. The Jets rewarded him and he was re-signed by the team earlier this offseason.

Safeties - Kerry Rhodes, Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith, Emanuel Cook

Kerry Rhodes has been stellar since his arrival on the NFL scene in 2005. In his rookie season, Rhodes finished third on the team in tackles with 106 and added 1.0 sack and one interception.

Under Eric Mangini, Rhodes became an all-pro in 2006, recording 99 tackles with four interceptions and 5.0 sacks. One season later, Rhodes made 68 tackles with five interceptions and 2.0 sacks. Somehow, he still did not manage a Pro Bowl appearance through all of this.

Last season, Rhodes numbers fell off, coming down with 84 tackles, 1.0 sack and just two interceptions.

Never the less, he has drew praise as a ball-hawking safety by Rex Ryan who may look to use Rhodes in the same way, shape and form that he used Ed Reed in Baltimore.

I am expecting a big year from Kerry Rhodes this year in this new defense.

Jim Leonhard is another player that joins Rex Ryan in New York. He absolutely fits the bill of a player that New York fans tend to kind of rally around. A hard-nosed, good attitude safety, Leonhard spent last season in Baltimore after three years with Buffalo.

Under Ryan in Baltimore, Leonhard broke out and had a career high 69 tackles along with one sack and one interception that was returned for a touchdown.

New York Jets fans are going to love this guy. Well, didn't they like that other undrafted, hard-nosed and undersized guy named Wayne Chrebet?

Eric Smith was a third-round pick by the Jets under Eric Mangini in 2006. After spending two season in backup duty, Smith got the opportunity to start for the Jets after Erik Coleman left the team for free agency.

In the middle of the season, Smith suffered three concussions in a five-week span and lost his starting job to Abram Elam mid-season.

Smith will return to the Jets this season in backup duty once again and will likely be the first safety off the bench if an injury were to happened to either of the starters.

Like Zach Potter, Emanuel Cook was a mid-to-late level draft prospect that dropped out of the draft and into the undrafted free agent pool. The Jets swooped in and picked up the 21-year old safety.

Cook will compete with James Ihedigbo for a spot on the roster and to round out the safety position.

Next up: Offense - Tuesday

Predicting the New York Jets 53-Man Roster: Special Teams/Practice Squad

Gary G. — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:31:45 -0400

This is the first of three articles that will break down my predictions for the Jets' 53-man roster. First up will be the special teams and practice squad followed by the defense on Monday and the offense on Tuesday.

Special Teams—Jay Feely (PK), T.J. Conley or Eric Wilbur (P), and James Dearth (LS)

Jay Feely was hanging out on the free agent market when the Jets gave him a call after starting kicker Mike Nugent was hurt in the team's first game. He signed on with the Jets on Sept. 8, 2008.

Feely did a great job in place of Nugent, going 24 for 28 in field goals and 39 for 39 in PATs. He did so well that the front office and coaching staff decided to bring him back instead of Nugent this year, and he re-signed with the team on a one-year deal.

It was also Feely's game-winning 34-yard field goal in overtime against the Patriots that put the Jets in sole possession of first place in the AFC East for the first time since Nov. 19, 2001.

Over the past four seasons, Feely has been very accurate with a field goal percentage of 83.3 or higher.

T.J. Conley and Eric Wilbur will compete this summer for the starting job as the Jets' punter. The best bet would be that the loser ends up on the practice squad.

Conley went undrafted this past April despite entering the NFL Draft after spending four seasons with the Idaho Vandals in College. After leading the NCAA in punting this past season, he was named to the prestigious Walter Camp All-American Team as a First Team selection.

Wilbur was signed by the Houston Texans in 2007 after going undrafted, but didn't make it past Aug. 8, when he was released. The Jaguars quickly scooped him up only to hold onto him for a mere twelve hours before he was released again.

The Jets signed him on Apr. 15 to compete for the starting job.

James Dearth.

He is what he is...a long snapper...and one of the best in the league.

What else do you want me to say?

Practice Squad

QB—Chris Pizzotti—Another camp arm for the Jets. From the sound of it, he's giving Erik Ainge a run for his money.

Could be the Jets' future third quarterback.

RB—Danny Woodhead—The NCAA's All-Time leading rusher ran for 7,962 yards in his NCAA career and 9,749 all-purpose yards, good for second all-time. At 5'7" and 195lbs., he faces an uphill battle to make it in the NFL.

FB—Brannan Southerland—Could be the Jets' future fullback after Tony Richardson leaves/retires.

OT—Ryan McKee—A projected late-round pick, was twice named second Team All-Conference USA by the coaches.

Could be a projected offensive tackle.

WR—Marcus Henry—The Jets sixth round pick of the 2008 NFL Draft has the height to give the Jets a nice big target in the redzone, but at this point, the Jets need more than that. Perhaps an injury could move Henry to the active roster.

P—T.J. Conley/Eric Wilbur—One of these two will win the battle; the loser will be on the practice squad ready to take the other's job away if one has any hiccups.

DE/LB—Jamaal Westerman—The local product of Rutgers could make it in the NFL in the right system as a situational pass rusher.

DE—Brian Schaefering—Another defensive end that the Jets can have available to them considering the age of their defensive line starters.

Next up: Defense—Monday and Offense—Tuesday

Leon Washington's Demands Will Cost New York Jets in the End

Gary G. — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:44:43 -0400

By holding out with current teammate Thomas Jones, Leon Washington has likely sacrificed his team's running game for the upcoming season.

Thomas Jones started the offseason by holding out. He has two years remaining on a four-year, $20 million deal that he signed in 2007

Coming off of the best season of his career at age 30, Jones rushed for 1,312 yards on 290 attempts and scored 13 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 36 receptions out of the backfield for 207 yards with two touchdown passes.

The contract that Jones decided to signed in 2007 was front-loaded and paid him $13 million of the full $20 million in the first two years of the contract. He now faces a $900,000 base salary for the 2009 season with a $2.8 million base salary for 2010 including a $3 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year.

It definitely gripes me when a player chooses to a sign a contract that he agrees to, only to hold out for a new one two years later because he had a good season.

Jones isn't the only Jets running back that is holding out.

Leon Washington, who is the Jets' everything man, is holding out as well.

It is quite clear that Washington is underpaid. He represented the Jets as an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2008 as a kick returner, but his mere presence on the field makes him an amazing football player. Other teams cringe with the thought of the ball in Leon's hands in open space.

Washington is set to earn $530,000 in the fourth year of his rookie deal.

It is highly unlikely that the Jets don't give him the deal he is coveting as he is just such an impact player on this team whether it be running, catching, or returning.

Jones on the other hand may have just gotten help from his teammate. When Leon chose not to attend Monday's OTA's, it put the Jets in a helpless spot, with not a single running back that has ever played a down in the NFL on the roster in attendance.

If the Jets choose to give Leon a new deal and not give anything to Jones, you can bet he will be fuming and ask out of his current deal.

The Jets had an opportunity to go into the 2009 season with a tri-headed running back attack similar to the Giants of the past few seasons. How has that done for them?

Prior to Monday, I assumed the Jets would find a happy medium with Thomas Jones and work out something, but now? With two money-loving unhappy running backs? I think Thomas Jones will be wearing a new uniform come September.

Kurt Warner: A True Underdog Story

Gary G. — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:36:36 -0400

Kurt Warner's first opportunity in the NFL came during a Green Bay Packers training camp in the summer of 1994. He failed to impress and was sent packing before the regular season even came.

After missing out, Warner needed to find a job and began stocking shelves at the Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

His salary? $5.50 per hour.

His aspirations of becoming a starting quarterback in the National Football League never faded, however.

Despite not being offered a job by another NFL team, while stocking shelves, Warner returned to his college of Northern Iowa and worked as a graduate assistant coach with his football team.

Still with no calls from an NFL team, Warner decided to take an opportunity with the Arena Football League during the 1995 season and signed on to quarterback the Iowa Barnstormers.

In the 1996 and 1997 seasons, Warner led the Barnstormers to the Arena Bowl in both years.

After his performance in the AFL, he caught the eye of St. Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil. He was signed by the Rams and sent over the Atlantic to the NFL Europe where he led the Amsterdam Admirals in passing yards and touchdowns. He returned to the team as the backup quarterback behind starter Trent Green.

Warner returned as Green's backup on the Rams for training camp and preseason in 1999, but tragedy struck during the third preseason game against the Chargers, when Green went down with a season ending injury.

Vermeil wouldn't even think about putting in an inexperienced quarterback who was only four years removed from stocking shelves at a local grocery store.

Would he?

Sure enough, he did, but not before the support from running back Marshall Faulk and the entire Rams receiving unit. Vermeil was hesitant, but gave in and handed Warner the ball.

Warner took advantage of the opportunity. He started all sixteen games during that season, compiled 4,353 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of 109.2.

The powerful offense led by Warner was nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf."

After leading the Rams to a 5-0 record and starting out the season with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in his first five games, the fine people at Sports Illustrated put him on the cover with the headline, "Who IS This Guy?"

Warner took the Rams on his shoulders for the 1999 season and finished up with a 13-3 record, first in the NFC West.

For his outstanding performance over the course of the regular season, Warner was named the league's Most Valuable Player.

He wasn't done yet.

A 13-3 record gave the Rams the first seed and a first round bye in the playoffs.

In Warner's first playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, the high powered offense continued to put on a show, scoring 49 points with Warner leading the charge with five touchdown passes for 391 yards.

The Rams moved on to the NFC Championship game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Warner didn't have a great game (one touchdown, three interceptions), the team still managed to come out with the ugly "W" and headed to the Georgia Dome for Super Bowl XXXIV.

The challenger? The Steve McNair-led Tennessee Titans.

Arguably, one of the most amazing games you will ever see. Warner led the charge onto the field in Atlanta before a crowd of 72,000+ people.

He went out and tossed two touchdowns and threw for 414 yards and with the score at 23-16, with the Rams leading, the Titans took the ball back with 1:54 to go in the regulation and 90 yards to go.

McNair led the team down to the Rams 10 yard line and used their final timeout with six seconds remaining.

Can you even write a better scenario for a Super Bowl?

With six seconds on the clock, McNair took the snap and found receiver Kevin Dyson about five yards from the end zone. Dyson snatched the ball, but linebacker Mike Jones attempted a wrap up tackle about two and a half yards shy of the goal line. Dyson reached out and attempted to place the ball over the goal line, but missed by mere inches away.

The result? The Rams defeated the Titans by a score of 23-16 and shut the door on one of the most amazing single seasons by a quarterback in NFL history.

Kurt Warner's accolades in Super Bowl XXXIV deemed him as the Super Bowl MVP.

A superb season and one of the most memorable quarterback performances you will ever see.

Warner later went on to spend the next four seasons in St. Louis. He was named NFL MVP for the second time in three years during the 2001 season when he threw for 4,830 yards with 36 touchdowns and 22 interceptions and led the Rams to an NFL-best 14-2 record and yet another Super Bowl appearance.

He joined the New York Giants and became their starting quarterback in the 2004 season, but was replaced after nine games by incumbent franchise quarterback Eli Manning.

The Cardinals came calling and Warner signed a one year, $4 million deal to play in Arizona.

After three starts, he was benched in favor of Josh McCown. He took over the starting job once again in week nine, but partially tore his MCL in a week 15 game, ending his season.

The following February, he signed a three year contract to remain in Arizona. He again lost the starting job after four games, this time to a quarterback who was to become the new franchise quarterback, Matt Leinart.

In 2007, Warner was finally worked back into the mix, starting 11 games. He finished the season with 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Under Warner, the 2008 Cardinals took the NFC West with a 9-7 record, but it was just the beginning.

After a 30 touchdown season, the 37 year old quarterback continued to dominate throughout the playoffs, defeating the Falcons in the wild card round, Panthers in the divisional round and Eagles in the NFC Championship game, in which Warner tossed four touchdown passes.

He once again found himself in the Super Bowl.

As heavy underdogs going in against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Warner did his best to give the Cardinals their first championship since 1947, passing for 377 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Arizona ended up on the losing end and the Cardinals spectacular playoff run came to a close.

Heading into 2009, Warner is still at the top of his game and one of the best quarterbacks in the league at the age of 38.

After 11 seasons in the NFL, Warner has eclipsed 28,591 passing yards, 182 touchdown passes and is the second most accurate quarterback in NFL history with a 65.7 career completion percentage, trailing only Chad Pennington.

How's that for a guy who went from making $5.50 an hour stocking shelves in a local grocery store to being named league and Super Bowl MVP in the span of five years?

From Thirty-Nine Games Out Last Year, To First Place In 2009

Gary G. — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:09:38 -0400

Seven months ago, the Mariners were sitting at the bottom of the American League West, thirty-nine games out of the division lead. Now? They are 15-11 and leading their division.

Granted it is just May and we are just 26 games into a 162 game season, it is a good sign that they are doing well.

Over the end of last season and winter, the Mariners shed many parts to the core of their team.

First baseman Richie Sexson, outfielder Raul Ibanez, closer J.J. Putz, reliever Sean Green and outfielder Jeremy Reed were moved or left in free agency, while they acquired many key players to their 2009 team.

When the Mariners traded Putz, Green and Reed to the Mets, they received outfielder Endy Chavez, pitcher Aaron Heilman, outfielder Franklin Gutierrez (from the Indians), along with various prospects.

They then flipped Heilman to the Cubs in return for infielder Ronny Cedeno and pitcher Garrett Olson.

The Mariners chose not to make any changes with their rotation for the most part, keeping Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva and Jarrod Washburn together.

While Silva has continued to bomb after signing a four-year, $48 million deal prior to last season, Hernandez, Bedard and Washburn have held the fort down.

Hernandez is 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in six starts, and is tied for second in the American League with 45 strikeouts. The left hand throwing Bedard has put up solid numbers as well, going 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five starts for the M's. Washburn, arguably the biggest surprise is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five starts.

The steal of the year for the M's could perhaps be their first baseman. The Mariners signed Russell Branyan to a one-year, $1.4 million deal this offseason.

When Seattle's General Manager Jack Zduriencik stated that he had 400 to 500 at-bats in mind for Branyan as a regular player, he wasn't expecting it. "Over my career, I haven't been given that opportunity. It's been something that I dreamt of," Branyan said.

That signing has since paid off. Branyan is arguably the team's best hitter as we head into the middle of May. He is hitting .320 with seven homers, 15 RBIs and 17 runs scored.

Franklin Gutierrez, who the M's acquired from the Indians, has played very good as well. He is hitting .303 with three homers, 13 RBIs and 13 runs scored. He has also shown that he has a great glove in centerfield.

The Mariners' also looked to their past for help at the plate. On February 19th, 39-year old Ken Griffey Jr. returned to Seattle. In 63 at-bats this season, Griffey is hitting under the Mendoza line with just a .190 average, two home runs and five RBIs.

"A New Day, A New Way" was the deemed the team's new slogan to signify their rebuilding ways. The M's have many young players to be excited about this year and many years to come.

Overall, I like the direction that this franchise is headed. Jack Zduriencik has done all the right things so far as general manager of this team. He immediately got to work, hiring Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu, orchestrating the J.J. Putz deal, and beginning the overhaul that this franchise desperately needed.

Could Pirates See First .500 Season in 17 Years?

Gary G. — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:54:38 -0400

1992—A familiar year in the Steel City. No, not just because the Penguins defeated the Blackhawks in four games to win the Stanley Cup, but because it was the last time the Pirates finished a season above .500.

The 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates went 96-66 finishing first in the National League East, a 25-year old Tim Wakefield was making his debut in the majors, and Barry Bonds was noticeably thinner.

Seventeen years later, the Bucs are still in shambles, but things are looking up.

The average age of this team is 26.4, putting them just below the Marlins team who currently lead the Majors with the youngest talent in the league at an average age of 26.2.

With a pair of southpaws leading the way at the top of their rotation in Paul Maholm and Zach Duke, the Pirates are currently hovering around .500 to start the 2009 season at 12-13, 25 games into the season.

In six starts, Maholm is 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA, while Duke leads the pitching staff with a 2.21 ERA and a 3-2 record. Ian Snell, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jeff Karstens round out the rest of the rotation.

Closer Matt Capps had a fantastic April, going 5 for 5 in save opportunities with a 1.48 ERA. May hasn't been too great for him yet, as he has given up six earned runs in 2.0 innings with a loss and blown save.

After getting the opportunity to start full-time in left field, Nyjer Morgan took advantage of it and it showed. Morgan hit .307 with six stolen bases, 16 runs scored and 11 runs batted in during the month of April. Morgan provides the Pirates with a solid source of speed atop the lineup every night.

Second baseman Freddy Sanchez is currently in the top 10 in the National League in batting average, with a solid .330 to begin the season.

Centerfielder Nate McLouth picked right up where he left off last season, showing solid pop with the bat with four homers, 16 runs batted in and a .306 average to show for it.

When the Pirates decided to trade the likes of Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte and Jason Bay last year, they acquired a whirl of talent in return, bringing back outfield prospect Jose Tabata, starting pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, Bryan Morris and Dan McCutchen, third baseman Andy LaRoche, relief pitcher Craig Hansen, and outfielder Brandon Moss.

The Pirates have a nice little thing going for them so far this year and things could be looking up in Pittsburgh. With a very young team and a great amount of talent, could we finally be looking at an 81 win team?

Time for a Change in the Front Office in Queens

Gary G. — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:30:39 -0400

How much longer is Mr. Wilpon going to deal with Omar Minaya as the general manager of the Mets? What will it take for him to realize that he is the wrong man to be running this franchise?

Take a step back a couple of seasons. Minaya's bullpen wears down and the Mets collapse to finish off the 2007 season by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason.

The Mets went into the 2008 offseason knowing they needed to make some sort of splash and Omar did just that. Stealing the best pitcher in baseball away from the Minnesota Twins when he acquired Johan Santana for four minor leaguers.

Going into the offseason, the Mets were far from the odds on favorite to be the winner of the Santana sweepstakes, due to the Mets lack of quality minor leaguers compared to the Yankees and Red Sox. However, Omar played the waiting game and it paid off.

On the flip side of that, he did the total opposite when it came to the second base situation. After making a deadline deal for Twins second baseman Luis Castillo, Omar had a choice to either re-sign Castillo or move on and find another player.

David Eckstein had been a target of the Mets to play second base during the 2008 offseason, and the Mets wined and dined the 2006 World Series MVP, trying to lure him to Flushing. The dinner went well, but it was evident that Eckstein's financial demands exceeded the Mets parameters.

So, Omar decided to go back to Luis Castillo and handed him a four-year, $25 million deal, bringing him back on average at $6.25 million per season on November 19th, 2007. About one month later, David Eckstein signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal to play for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Had Omar waited it out like he did with Santana later on that offseason, he would not have strapped himself down with a heavily-paid long-term contract, which is now coming back to haunt him.

Later on in the 2008 season, Omar made the decision to remove Willie Randolph from his managerial position -- one that he held since the offseason prior to the 2005 season. Randolph wasn't doing the job, it was clear the Mets were probably heading towards a change.

Instead of notifying Randolph that he would be given his pink slip, Omar decided to wait until after a 9-6 road victory in Los Angeles about two hours afterwards, roughly around 3:00 a.m. EST. Pretty classy, eh?

Omar notified Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto of their release and named bench coach Jerry Manuel as Randolph's replacement. The move changed the clubhouse swagger, but in the end, the Mets collapsed once again disappointing their fans for the second season in a row by missing the playoffs.

The 2008-09 offseason came and Omar decided that enough was enough. The bullpen had been a major part of the last two collapses and that it wasn't going to happen again.

Omar completely demolished his bullpen, bringing back just one player (Pedro Feliciano) that started the previous season in the bullpen. He also went out and made a blockbuster trade, acquiring relievers J.J. Putz and Sean Green from the Mariners.

Last but not least, he signed the stud closer of the offseason, Francisco Rodriguez to a three-year, $37-million deal.

With the team lacking another big name starter, Omar chose not to sign Derek Lowe to a four-year, $60-million deal that would have given the Mets a dominate right-handed frontline pitcher to counter the Mets left-handed ace. Instead, he chose to bring back Oliver Perez, who signed a three-year, $36-million deal.

The outcome? While still early, Derek Lowe is doing slightly better to start the season. Lowe is 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA in five starts for the Braves, while Perez on the other hand is 1-2 with a 9.31 ERA in four starts for the blue and orange.

The Mets are currently sitting fourth in the National League East and are heading into the home of the defending World Champions with a 9-12 record to start the 2009 season. Sound familiar? Same ole' Mets.

Omar Minaya tries and tries again to fix this team and do all of the right things, but the moves are just not working. The Mets entire rotation now sits with a giant question mark with the exception of Santana because of Omar's unwillingness to give Derek Lowe a fourth year on his deal.

Instead, we are discussing the options that the Mets can do with Oliver Perez's recent struggles. Send him to the minors? Put him in the bullpen and work as a long reliever?

The Mets need to find a new baseball mind to put in the front office. I credit Omar Minaya greatly for putting the Mets back on the map after the early 2000s, but I am failing to see the greatness factor that some people label Minaya with.

Wilpon should definitely consider pulling the plug on Minaya and he should be on a short leash from here on out.

New York Jets Find Their Face For the Next Decade

Gary G. — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:58:29 -0400

When you look around the league, who do you associate most with the Colts? Peyton Manning, right?

How about the Vikings? Adrian Peterson, anyone?

The Cowboys? Tony Romo, sound familiar?

The fact is almost every team in this league has a face for their franchise. The last time the Jets truly had that was when they had Chad Pennington take over for Vinny Testaverde in 2002 after a 1-3 start.

Pennington remained the face of this team for the next few years, but the injury bug hit him in 2003—forcing him to miss games every season from there on out.

He fell out of favor with the franchise and lost the confidence of the fans. The Jets were left without a face to lead this team once again.

When the Jets moved up to the top five of the draft this past weekend, they saw the opportunity to give their franchise a face once again. They selected University of Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick.

It takes many things to be a successful quarterback in New York. You have to have leadership, passion, character, hard-working ethic and most of all you have to win.

Ask any USC fan about Mark Sanchez and they'll tell you about the passion and leadership that he brings to the table.

When Sanchez made his rounds through the New York media, whether it be press conferences, TV interview or radio interviews, you could clearly tell he was comfortable and had a good understanding of what was to come.

He knows how to handle the pressure of playing in New York and has the character to make the fans and media love him.

Lastly, the most important thing (and the key to succeeding in New York) is just to simply win. That is all I can ask from Sanchez. Win...and you will be loved.

Jets Hoping to Catch Lightning in a Bottle; Give Amani a Chance

Gary G. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:38:19 -0400

The draft has come and gone, and the Jets are still trying to figure out who their No. 2 wide receiver is going to be in 2009.

The Jets chose not to address the wide receiver spot during the draft and intend to head into camp with a battle between David Clowney, Brad Smith, and Chansi Stuckey, to see who will get the job.

David Clowney

Clowney offers the Jets the lightning. He has that deep threat ability to take the ball all the way. Put it in his hands and Clowney won't disappoint you.

Brad Smith

Brad Smith has slowly but surely made the switch over from being a college quarterback to a wide receiver in the NFL. Smith's touches on offense took a step back in 2008 (12 receptions) from his 2007 numbers (32 receptions).

At this point, the best thing going for him as that, when he steps on the field, it creates a distraction for the other team's defense not knowing if he's going to pass, run, or catch the ball.

Chansi Stuckey

Chansi Stuckey broke out during 2008 under Brett Favre after an injury in his rookie season. In 15 games, he hauled in 32 passes for 359 yards and caught three touchdown passes. He is your prototypical slot receiver and is best kept in that spot in this offense. You won't see much of him on the outside.

With all of the talk prior to the draft regarding Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards and Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin, nothing ever materialized. Does that mean that it still won't happen?

The slate is clean and the Jets now have seven picks for the upcoming draft, once again. Could they make a training camp run at one of these two guys if they can't find their man from within?

Not even a day after the draft, the talk of the town wasn't Mark Sanchez, but it was the rumors that the Jets were interested in former Giants receiver Plaxico Burress. It has since cooled, but Jets' general manager Mike Tannenbaum stated that he made contact with Plax's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to inquire about his pending legal situation.

The odds that the Jets sign Plaxico are remote at best.

The free agent wire still has a couple of potential names available. The most attractive options include former Colts' wide receiver Marvin Harrison, former Bucs' wide receiver Ike Hilliard, and former Giants' wide receiver Amani Toomer.

All I ask is that one of these players provide depth at wide receiver.

As it stands, I'd be willing to bet that Mark Sanchez will be the Jets' starting quarterback come week one. The best thing that the Jets can do for him would be to give him a couple of sure targets and right now. He currently has both Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller, but to be able to give him a steady veteran on the other side or in the slot at times would pay dividends.

Marvin Harrison

Marvin Harrison was released by the Colts on Feb. 25. His physicality appeared to diminish as the season went on during the 2008 campaign and, with Anthony Gonzalez set to take over his spot, the Colts decided to move on. If Harrison would be willing to accept a role that would give him the opportunity to prove that he is still capable of playing in this league, then the Jets should bring him on board.

Harrison's 2008 Stats—60 receptions, 636 yards, five touchdowns.

Ike Hillard

Ike Hilliard was tied with Warrick Dunn as the Buccaneers' second leading receiver in 2008 behind Antonio Bryant. The former first-round pick of the Giants spent the first eight seasons of his career in New York before heading to the Bucs for the past four years. Hilliard has played in all but one game during his tenure in Tampa and put up 109 receptions for 1,146 yards and five touchdowns over the course of the last two seasons.

Hilliard's 2008 Stats—47 receptions, 424 yards, four touchdowns.

Amani Toomer

Amani Toomer finished the 2008 season neck and neck with fellow teammate Domenik Hixon as the second leading wide receiver for the defending Super Bowl champions. While Plaxico Burress was off shooting himself in the leg, Toomer managed to give the Giants solid consistent play from the wide receiver position. The 13-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Giants until they chose not to re-sign him this offseason.

Toomer's 2008 Stats—48 receptions, 580 yards, four touchdowns.

Personally, I would absolutely love to see Amani Toomer in green and white come week one of the NFL season.

The former captain of the Giants would provide a veteran presence at the wide receiver position and could act as a mentor to the young receivers such as Clowney, Smith, and Stuckey. Toomer's size (6'3") would benefit the team as well in the end zone. The Jets tallest receiver is currently Brad Smith who stands at 6'2".

The 34-year old Toomer has stated that he would like to play for another two or three years.

The Jets intend to wait until after the first minicamp in June to see what they have first in Clowney and Smith before they choose to target a free agent veteran wideout.

Hopefully Toomer will still be on the market, because he could truly help this team's learning curve for both the receiving core and for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Give Amani a two-year, $6 million deal. You won't be sorry.

So, Who Is Actually Playing at Citi Field?

Gary G. — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:40:04 -0400

As you walk towards the front entrance of Citi Field, any baseball historian or former Brooklyn Dodgers fan knows that they are witnessing the second coming of Ebbets Field.

The "Jackie Robinson Rotunda," as the Mets have deemed it, looks almost identical to the rotunda that Dodgers fans last entered on September 14, 1957, prior to moving to Los Angeles.

After you step through the front entrance, you walk into a huge 160 foot diameter floor with escalators and stairways that lead to your seats. But before you head to your seat, be sure to take in all of the Mets memorabilia and history inside of the rotunda.

The eight-foot sculpture of the number 41 to represent the greatest player in the history of the franchise, Tom Seaver.

Oh yes, and be sure to check out all of the quotes from the greatest Mets players of all-time that are engraved into the walls of the rotunda.

You know like when Tug McGraw pegged the ever so popular term, "Ya Gotta Believe..."?

How about the pictures and videos shown on the walls of all the Mets astounding moments in their 47-year history? Sound familiar yet? Yeah, me either.

In fact, the only difference from Ebbets Field is that when you walk through the gates at Citi Field, you see an eight-foot sculpture of the number 42, belonging to Jackie Robinson to go along with all of his many quotes and larger-than-life images that defined Robinson’s nine values in life.

All of the videos and pictures shown in Citi Field are from way back during the Dodger days of Ebbets Field. All of this for a player who has no significance to Mets history.

You would think that by retiring his number throughout baseball and giving him his own day on which every single player wears a No. 42 jersey, would be enough, right? Wrong.

The Mets really screwed this one up. This stadium does not feel anything like home. You look at the colors of the stadium and you would have a hard time feeling like you aren't at Camden Yards with all the black and orange around.

Where is the blue and orange? You know, the colors that have graced this team since it's conception in 1962?

Any sort of tribute to the 44-year-old stadium that the Mets called home to two World Series championships? If so, they are hard to find.

Face it. Shea Stadium was a dump. But it was a dump that Mets fans absolutely loved. No matter what, that stadium continued to pull in 47,000 people on average and 51,000 on average in it's final year.

Shea Stadium will always have a soft spot in my heart as the place where the team that I grew up watching made history by becoming the World Series champions of 1969 and 1986.

Yet somehow, Fred Wilpon is forcing all of this Brooklyn Dodgers history on us because of his childhood fantasies of one day having a ballpark that showcases what it was like as a Dodgers fan in the 40's and 50's and his close relationship with the Robinson family.

So, where's all the Mets history? The Tom Seaver statues? The amazing moments that occurred in Shea Stadium? The videos, pictures, and memorabilia of the 1969 and 1986 World Championship teams? Where is that, Mr. Wilpon?

New York Jets Draft: Trades That May or May Not Happen

Gary G. — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:37:23 -0400

With the 2009 NFL Draft coming up this weekend, the Jets will have a number of options when it comes to trading their first-round pick.

Jets trade up in the first round

This is one thing I hope the Jets avoid, though, when Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum has traded up and sometimes into the first and second rounds, he has always grabbed the player he wanted in each of those drafts (2007 - traded up in the second round to pick linebacker David Harris, 2008 - traded up into the end of the first round to grab tight end Dustin Keller).

Obviously, if you covet a player that much, then go get him. The only bad thing about trading up for the key player you want is that it is going to cost you draft picks.

If the Jets do happen to trade up, there could be a few players that they could be targeting. Of the names that I would expect them to grab if they move up include defensive end Tyson Jackson, quarterback Mark Sanchez or wide receivers Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree.

Possible trade partners include the Bengals at No. 6 overall, perhaps to jump in front of the Oakland Raiders to take one of the top two wide receivers. The Jets could also try to leapfrog the Denver Broncos, who own the No. 12 in an effort to pickup Tyson Jackson if he falls.

The Broncos and Jets both would love Jackson as he is the best pure 3-4 defensive end in the draft and would slot right in as a starter.

Right now, with only six draft picks to their name, the Jets would be wise to keep them and fill their holes needs at defensive end, wide receiver, quarterback and both depth on both the offensive and defensive lines, instead of trading away their entire draft to find just one marquee player.

Jets trade down in the first round

Trading down may be the best scenario that the Jets could foresee. As it stands, they currently own just six picks in the draft, but at least one more pick would be nice.

If the Jets don't have a player fall to them that they are in love with at No. 17 overall, the Jets could look to trade down to the near tail end of the first round and pick up an additional second or third-round pick, perhaps.

Potential trade partners could include any team in the end of the first round who would like to jump above the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to grab quarterback Josh Freeman. I wouldn't expect Freeman to get past No. 19 with new Bucs coach Raheem Morris' ties with him from his days at Kansas State.

Supposedly, they have coveted Freeman for months. Don't even doubt the Buccaneers trading with the Jets to jump ahead of the Bears, to ensure that a team doesn't trade with the Jets or Bears to grab Freeman in front of them.

Other teams I could see the Jets trading down with include the Atlanta Falcons, which would give the Jets the No. 24 overall pick and would place them above the Dolphins, Ravens, Giants, and Titans, all of whom could look to take a wide receiver in this area of the draft.

Of the possible names that could be available to them later on at the tail end of the first round include wide receivers Percy Harvin, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks, cornerbacks Vontae Davis, Alphonso Smith or Darius Butler, and defensive lineman Peria Jerry.

Jets trade their first round pick to the Cardinals for Anquan Boldin

Personally, I don't think Boldin is wearing green and white next season. He is a tremendous player, but I just can't see the Jets going out and trading their first-round pick and possibly another mid-round pick for Boldin.

Boldin would be a solid compliment to Jerricho Cotchery at the wide receiver position, but have similar skill sets that would not work well. A trade for Boldin would also have to include a new contract.

Are the Jets willing to put money for another long-term deal with another veteran player? Leave it to Tannenbaum to find a way to fit everyone under the cap, though.

I wouldn't rule out the Eagles as a destination for Boldin. They have already traded one of their two first round picks when they acquired offensive tackle Jason Peters from the Bills, but still own the 21st overall pick in the draft this weekend.

Jets trade for Browns quarterback Brady Quinn

Another unlikely scenario that would add another competitor to the tri-headed quarterback battle currently in New York. The Jets could swing a deal with their former head coach Eric Mangini in Cleveland that would send Brady Quinn to New York.

Quinn would easily cost the Jets their first-round pick, and probably another mid-to-late round draft pick.

If the Browns fall in love with Mark Sanchez or Matthew Stafford with the No. 5 overall pick, and he falls to them, the Browns could part ways with Quinn. At this point, I wouldn't expect Quinn to move without that happening though.

Jets trade their first round pick to the Browns for Braylon Edwards

I feel Edwards will end up playing in the Meadowlands next season, but he won't be wearing a Jets jersey. I think the Giants and Browns will eventually hook up and find a way to reach an agreement on a deal that puts Edwards in Giants blue.

Though, if somehow the Jets have interest in Edwards and find a way to reach a deal for him, it would definitely cost them at the very least their first-round pick. Perhaps, the Jets could sweeten the deal by tossing in a Mangini favorite such as Brad Smith. Like Boldin, a hefty contract will soon follow with his arrival.

Jets trade for Browns quarterback Derek Anderson

I hardly think this one will happen, but if it does, it may have a better shot of happening between the first and second days of the draft or even after the draft is finished. The only way Anderson is likely dealt is if the Browns pick up a quarterback early on in the draft within the first couple of rounds.

Anderson comes a $1.45 million base salary for 2009 with a $50,000 workout bonus and a $7.45 million base salary for 2010 and a $2 million roster bonus.

With that said, Anderson could be had for cheap and likely a late-round pick just to have a team take him and his salary off their hands for the next two seasons. The 6'6", 230-pound quarterback tossed 29 touchdown passes in 2007.

As I stated above, I wouldn't doubt a growing interest from around the league if the Browns grab a quarterback to replace his spot on the roster in the draft this weekend.

Jets trade disgruntled running back Thomas Jones

The AFC's rushing leader from the 2008 season is upset about his contract. So far, he was one of two players who did not join his teammates at the voluntary minicamp that new head coach Rex Ryan held this past week.

This one could drag well through the summer months too. I eventually see the Jets and Jones either reaching an agreement on a new contract or Jones, being the professional that he is, returning to camp without a new deal in place.

When the Jets acquired Jones, they rewarded him with a nice four-year, $20 million, with $12 million guaranteed, which Jones happily signed. The deal also paid him $13.1 million over the first two years of the deal, which has occurred, as he is now in the third year of the four year pact.

Jones is now due a $900,000 base salary for the 2009 season with a $100,000 workout bonus and $2.8 million base salary in 2010 with an additional $100,000 workout bonus and a $3 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the league year.

Two years ago, Jones got what he wanted, and signed the deal. Why is it a problem now? As far as I'm concerned, honor your contract.

In the unlikely case that Jones is traded, I couldn't see the Jets getting much more than a third-round pick at best, and even that is pushing it. Yes, Jones was the AFC's leading rusher, but any team who wants to pick up Jones will have to give up a mid-round pick for a running back on the wrong side of 30 and a new contract to keep him happy.

In the end, I see Jones coming back, perhaps, the Jets will guarantee the rest of his contract and/or give him a little raise. Either way, I expect the Jets to address this position in the draft.

If I had to pick one from this list, I would definitely put my money on the Jets trading down and recouping an extra pick in the middle of the draft somewhere. Should be fun!

Draft Preview: New York Jets Have Some Holes To Fill Next Weekend

Gary G. — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:58:40 -0400

The New York Jets head into the 2009 draft with many holes to fill and will have six draft choices to use on them, pending any tradebacks to recoup picks. Here is a draft preview/outlook on the positions that the Jets could look to fill.

Quarterback

The Jets will enter the draft with three quarterbacks on the roster, all of which have a grand total of eight starts in the NFL, and all of which belong to Kellen Clemens.

After being the team's second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and being the quarterback on the roster with the most in-game experience, he has the edge right now to start, but don't count out 2007 undrafted quarterback Brett Ratliff, who the team is extremely high on. Erik Ainge was the team's fifth-round draft choice in the 2008 draft, but is unlikely to garner much interest in terms of being the team's starter this season.

Head coach Rex Ryan has preached since his arrival that he is content with the Jets current quarterback situation and intends to go to camp with these three at the helm. It seems quite clear now that they do not intend to target a veteran, because they have let each veteran go by without making a run at them.

Jeff Garcia, who started 10 games for the Buccaneers last season, signed on to be the Raiders' backup for $1 million this year. If the Jets had any interest in signing a veteran, you would have thought that they would have jumped at the opportunity to get Garcia at that cheap price. Luckily, they didn't...and that was the right move.

So, it will be interesting to see how strong the interest is on getting a quarterback in the draft.

Running back

Thomas Jones was the AFC's leading rusher in 2008. His backup, Leon Washington, is arguably one of, if not, the best change-of-pace back in the NFL. Both of these running backs are looking for new contracts this offseason. The Jets will find a way to lock up Leon Washington long-term. He wants to be here for a long time and the Jets would love to have him.

Still, with Jones' age and his contract situation, the Jets are hesitant to offer a new contract to the 30-year old tailback. Could the Jets look to draft an eventual replacement for Jones high in the first couple rounds of the draft, or will they choose to go with what they have?

The Jets also have Marcus Mason, Danny Woodhead, and Jehuu Caulcrick on the roster. They will likely compete for a spot as the third-string running back.

Wide Receiver

After the Jets sent Laveranues Coles packing, wide receiver became even a bigger need than it was before. The Jets have Jerricho Cotchery, clearly one of the two starters, but they have a few other wide receivers who are less seasoned that will likely compete for a few spots on the roster.

Chansi Stuckey, the Jets seventh-round pick in 2007, really came on strong last season with Brett Favre at quarterback, reeling in 32 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

David Clowney appears to have caught Ryan's attention early on. The third-year wide receiver finally got an opportunity to shine and did just that in his first preseason game with the Jets, collecting four receptions for 163 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were for 70+ yards each. His speed would give the Jets a nice deep threat to complement the possession receiver that Cotchery is on the opposite side.

Last year's sixth-round pick, Marcus Henry, brings the height that could make him an end zone threat, standing at 6-foot-4-inches. It is just unknown if he has the talent or ability to be a key player in his second-year. Brad Smith has the most experience of the bunch, but is more of a role player.

Wide receiver appears to be one of the Jets' top priorities in the draft, and with the 17th overall pick, there will be plenty of choices with names such as Darrius Bey-Heyward and Percy Harvin.

Tight End

Dustin Keller is the lone tight end on the roster. The Jets need to find a complement to Keller's receiving ability and find a big blocker in the later rounds of the draft.

Richard Quinn of North Carolina made a visit to the facilities last week and should be a consideration. Though he didn't make many catches during his collegiate career, he is an absolutely massive, outstanding blocker that could help this team. NFL Draft Scout has him pegged to go in about round four.

There was also a report that stated the Jets are considering the idea of moving defensive end Kareem Brown to tight end. With minicamps going on this week, we will likely learn more about it, but it is some food for thought.

Defensive End

Each of the Jets projected starters on the defensive line will all be on the wrong side of 30 to start the season. The Jets also have signed backup Marques Douglas, who is 32, and likely nearing the end of his career. The entire defensive line should be a priority in this draft, but more so at defensive end.

Tyson Jackson is a very intriguing prospect to come out this year and would be a great fit to put next to Kris Jenkins and opposite Shaun Ellis at defensive end.

With Ryan addressing much of the defensive problems this offseason, grabbing Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard to fill holes, and trading for Lito Sheppard to fill the void at cornerback, this team could be a top-tier defensive end away from having a top five defense, and one that could carry this team to the playoffs alone.

Cornerback

So, when the Jets traded for Sheppard, did the Jets fill their void entirely for the cornerback spot? Well, not quite.

When the team signed Sheppard to a new contract, it was essentially a a one-year tryout with the Jets. He will receive a $3 million base salary for 2009, but is due a $10 million option bonus on the fifth day of the 2010 league year.
This will likely force the team either to choose if they want him back and renegotiate a contract or release him.

The Jets also have Dwight Lowery on the roster, who did very well for the team for what he was...a fourth-round pick last season. Eric Mangini threw him into the fire, starting the team's first 10 games before being pushed to the bench. It's clear Lowery has the ability to be a solid cornerback in this league, but for now, he will resort to competing with Donald Strickland for being the team's nickel back.

The Jets have an interesting decision to make whether or not to look at a top cornerback to draft in the first couples rounds of the draft this year. My gut tells me they will go with what they have right now. It is not a high priority to go with cornerback this year, and the Jets should go elsewhere with their high picks.

Punter

Should I even include this on here? Right now, the team has Reggie Hodges penciled in as their starter. The Jets will definitely send out a few phone calls after the draft is over and bring in a couple of punters that didn't have their name called.

Offensive Line/Defensive Line Depth

Last but not least, the Jets could use some line depth on both sides of the ball. Outside of the five starters on the offensive side of the ball, the Jets have Stanley Daniels, Wayne Hunter, and Robert Turner to fight for a couple of backup spots on the line. The Jets could definitely look at a late-round offensive lineman to add to the mix.

Despite having plenty of bodies on the defensive line, it is just a question to how much talent they have to backup their starters. The Jets used Sione Pouha in a backup role behind Kris Jenkins at nose tackle last year.

They also signed 320 pound Howard Green to help solidify that position. The team has been developing Mike DeVito as a defensive end and he has seen spot work, recording 24 tackles with a half sack in all 16 games last season. He seems likely to grab a spot. The Jets will also bring second-year defensive lineman Brian Schaefering and last year's practice squadder Ropati Pitoitua in to the mix to compete for a spot.

The Jets have the 17th, 52nd, 76th, 115th, 193rd, and 228th overall picks in the draft. It will be interesting to see which way they go with their first couple of picks in the draft.

Will they choose to solidify their defense in the first round by going with a guy like Tyson Jackson if he falls to them? Will they choose to go with a signal caller and give the franchise a face? Or will they choose to go with a wide receiver and give help to the three quarterbacks that are already on the roster?

We'll find out soon.

The Skyline: Week One of the Yankees' Half-Billion Dollar Investment

Gary G. — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:26:35 -0400

The Half-Billion Dollar Investment

So, the Yankees went out and signed a trio of players that equalled contracts out to nearly a half billion dollars. Will it prove to be worth the investment?

So far, we have seen them in pinstripes for just a week into the regular season. How have they been doing?

C.C. Sabathia, who signed a seven-year, $161 million deal, saw two starts in his first week, with his first coming on opening day against the Orioles and one to forget.

The near 300-pound southpaw tossed 4.1 innings, but gave up six earned runs on eight hits, and received the loss. Sabathia redeemed himself Saturday night when he took a shutout into the eighth inning and struck out six.

A.J. Burnett put his ink on a five-year, $82.5 million deal this offseason. He got the start against Baltimore on Thursday and did a fine job, going 5.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out six in the Yankees 11-2 win over the Orioles.

Mark Teixeira signed an eight-year, $180 million deal to become the Yankees starting first baseman for nearly the next decade. Over his first week in a Yankees uniform, he went 4-for-16 with one round-tripper and two RBIs.

Teixeira sat out Saturday's game against the Royals due to a sore wrist, but is expected to be in the lineup Sunday.

It has been an interesting first week for this wealthy trio.

New York Jets looking at Miles Austin?

An interesting name popped up this week on the Jets radar. Head coach Rex Ryan has decided to bring Dallas Cowboys restricted free agent wide receiver Miles Austin in for a visit.

The Cowboys tendered Austin at the third level, making the compensation for signing him a second-round draft choice.

As it stands, the latest report says that the Jets are preparing an offer sheet for Austin to sign, which would then be sent to the Cowboys to either match it or let him sign with the Jets.

The Cowboys, who are already short-handed at receiver, believe Austin has big game ability and could be a rising star. Last season, Austin recorded 13 catches for 278 yards and took three into the endzone.

The Jets must really see some potential in him if they are willing to give up a second round pick.

Perhaps the Jets are targeting a different position in the first round of the draft and were planning on grabbing the best wideout with their second round pick, but don't see anything that excites them as much as Austin could bring to the table.

New York Giants targeting a red bird?

It appears that despite a report out of a Philadelphia radio station, the Giants are not targeting Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

Matt Mosley of ESPN noted that Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin is still the leading candidate to join the G-Men before the 2009 season commences.

What exactly would it take to get Boldin remains a mystery. It would surely take a couple of high draft picks in this year's draft. The Giants have the 29th, 45th, 60th, 91st, and 100th in the first three rounds of this year's draft.

The rival Eagles, who are also in the market for a wide receiver, have the 21st, 53rd, and 85th picks in the first three rounds. I could definitely see these two teams battling it out for a top name wide receiver a week or so before draft day.

Rangers slide in through the back door

The Rangers won their last two games and now have one more to go against Philadelphia. However, with the win over Philadelphia, the Rangers were guaranteed a playoff spot, but it has not yet been determined if it will be the seventh or eighth seed just yet.

Henrik Lundqvist's solid play against the Canadiens and Flyers this week proved that he is one of the best in the league. Captain Chris Drury had an outstanding week, recording two goals against Montreal and two assists against Philadelphia.

Rangers fans should be happy that they are in. Just how far will they go remains a mystery.

Devils clinch the Atlantic and No. 3 seed

After the Devils left Ottawa on Thursday night, they left knowing that they have clinched yet another division title and secured their spot in the playoffs as the No. 3 seed.

The Penguins beat the Canadiens on Saturday, which guarantees that the Devils will face the sixth-place Hurricanes in the first-round of the Eastern Conference side of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Martin Brodeur got the start tonight in the final game of the regular season, oddly enough against their first-round opponent, the Hurricanes.

"I feel good," Brodeur said. "I'm happy that I got some wins, some tough wins. We won in Buffalo and it was a tight game and tonight and in Ottawa also.

"I think these are good wins for me. I haven't played these type of games in a while. When I came back, I didn't have. I had a couple of them, but not many."

Knicks offseason will be an interesting one

The Knicks are heading into the final offseason before they go after one of the marquee names of the 2010 free agent class. What is going to be the offseason philosophy for Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni?

The Knicks have two significant players heading to free agency, when Nate Robinson and David Lee both become restricted free agents.

It begs the question as to whether or not the Knicks will attempt to bring back one of them or let them both go.

If they choose to bring back one, who do you bring back? Lee gives you a guaranteed double-double every night, but then you have Robinson who is a two guard, who plays no defense, but is arguably a contender for the NBA's Sixth Man award.

Who would you rather see back with the Knicks in the long term?

Is Vinsanity's time up in New Jersey?

Could this be the end of Nets forward Vince Carter's tenure as a member of New Jersey? For the past two years we have heard all of the rumors about the Nets wanting to deal Vince Carter, but they chose to deal the other two players of the once Big Three, sending Jason Kidd to the Mavericks and Richard Jefferson to the Bucks.

Carter would like New Jersey to keep him in the fold for the 2009 season. "Absolutely," Carter said. "Like I said, I'd love to finish what we started. I think we've built some good things together."

Right now, money talks. Carter's salary hits $16.1 million next season and $17.5 million the following year. If the Nets want to make a run at one of the many big-name free agents in 2010, it might be a wise decision to find a taker for Carter.

Should have they signed Lowe?

The Mets had quite the interesting first week this season. They got a solid performance from ace Johan Santana, going 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and allowing just one run.

However, during game two against the Reds, the Mets sent Mike Pelfrey to the mound, and he let up four runs in the first inning before finally settling down. In the end, he put up the W.

Oliver Perez pitched game three and he was every bit erratic as ever, giving up eight earned runs in just 4.1 innings.

I was against signing Perez all offseason. I absolutely did not want him back for this reason along. Yes, he can be very dominant at times, but when he is off, he is really off.

The Mets had the opportunity to grab Derek Lowe and to fill Perez's hole in the rotation with a top of the line starter, but chose not to and let him walk to the Braves on a four-year, $60 million deal.

Did you see Derek Lowe's first game? He blanked the World Champion Phillies with an eight-inning, two hit shutout. Looks every bit worth the $15 million the Braves are paying him this year.

Islanders worst NHL team, but yet, still winners

As the NHL season comes to a close, the New York Islanders finished the season out as the worst team in the NHL. The Islanders will find out what their future holds when the NHL conducts the draft lottery on Tuesday. They are guaranteed either the first or second spot in the June entry draft.

The Islanders will entertain the idea of likely drafting either forward John Taveras or defenseman Victor Hedman.

They will be looking to restock their farm system in this draft. They currently have 11 picks going into the draft, including two first round selections.

The Skyline is a once or twice weekly sports column written based around the world of New York-area sports.

Ten Head Coaches Who Could Be Job Hunting After 2009

Gary G. — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:26:20 -0400

With the 2009 season still a few months away, I figured I'd take an early look at some of the potential head coaching vacancies to watch out for in 2009. A few interesting coaches are on this list that you may or may not expect. I believe with the three big head coaches becoming available once again in 2010 (Cowher, Holmgren, Shanahan), it could shake things up once again in the NFL Coaching Carousel. Here is a glance at some of the names I believe could be shown the pink slip come the end of the 2009 season.

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Memo To Jets: Just Say No to Cutler

Gary G. — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:53:27 -0400

Why would Jets fans want a whiny quarterback trying to lead their offense in the biggest sports market in the world? If little things, like being involved in trade talks, get to him this badly in Denver, what is it going to be like when he goes on a bad streak during the season and the New York media begins to grill him?

Yeah, this kid is as talented as they come, but it takes more than talent to succeed in the NFL, especially at the quarterback position. When you simply are not there mentally, and you are unable to push aside the little things in this business that can bother you, then it's hard to believe you will ever have success in this city.

A report came out earlier this morning that stated that the Denver Broncos are asking for two first-round draft picks in return for Cutler. One high-profile NFL agent said it could take more.

"I could see a first and a second this year, and a first next year," said a high-profile NFL agent. "If you're looking at some unknown kid in the draft, you'd much rather have Cutler. You're talking about a quarterback who's athletic and talented. The only question on this kid is maturity, but he's going to grow from this."

The New York Daily News reported late last night that the Jets spent Wednesday formulating a plan to acquire the 25-year old quarterback.

You think trading two first-round picks is all it will take? Try a brand new hefty contract too. Cutler signed a six-year, $47.86 million deal when he was drafted as a rookie out of Vanderbilt in 2006. It's hard to believe that he will show up after a trade to a new team without getting a new deal signed and play for what would be his current 2009 salary at $1.035 million.

I think the only question that needs to be resolved with Cutler is how will he cut it in the big city? Will he ever mature enough or will the little murmurs from fans on talk radio or constant nagging by sports reporters get to him when he's in a bad streak?

Personally, I am against trading for Cutler. Right now, the best thing that is on my side is the fact that the Broncos would like to trade him out of the conference, and right now, the Redskins appear to be as interested.

I can only hope Daniel Snyder will find a way to screw himself out of another solid draft class by trading away several picks this year and next year for Cutler, to ease the mind of Jets fans like myself. Snyder also has the money to give him that contract that he will desire as well.

I know what most Jets fans are saying, "the Jets haven't won a championship in over 40 years and we want to win now." Well, doesn't everybody? Sacrificing two first-round picks and handing out a mega-deal to a quarterback is hardly the way to do it.

Think about what this team currently needs other than a quarterback. Their entire defensive line will all be 30-plus years of age come the start of the 2009 season. They have a void at wide receiver opposite Jerricho Cotchery with the departure of Laveranues Coles.

They only have one tight end on the roster (Dustin Keller), and they are going to be in the market for another running back soon with Thomas Jones likely either heading out the door or simply just for the fact that he'll be 31-years old this season. With a significant amount of voids to fill now and for the future, the Jets would be wise keeping all of the draft picks they can for this year and any future drafts.

I'm a firm believer in giving people second chances, and to a lesser extent, a first opportunity. Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff have never been given a fair chance in the regular season to run the offense with this current offensive line and the AFC-leading rusher behind them. I want to see what these two players can do. Surround them with another wide receiver from the draft and throw them out on the field.

Kellen Clemens opportunity in 2007 was not a fair shot. Working behind an offensive line that consisted of a Adrien Clarke at left guard and Anthony Clement starting at right tackle is not exactly the same as what 2008 brought when the Jets replaced those two players with former first-round picks Alan Faneca and Damien Woody.

In addition to Clarke and Clement's poor play, it did not allow Thomas Jones to play to his fullest abilities without any holes opening up, as such they did in 2008, when he became the AFC's leading rusher.

Naturally, without a good offensive line and a running game to open up the pass, no quarterback is going to succeed. Clemens took the opportunity, but honestly did not do a terrible job with it, going 3-5 in eight starts in a 4-12 season.

One of those games included a game against his current head coach Rex Ryan in Baltimore, down 17-3 in the fourth quarter. Had it not been for three drops (one by Laveranues Coles, two by Justin McCareins), the Jets would have come out on top of that one. In case you missed it, here's the video:

Jets fans have been misled by Clemens performance in the 2007 season and are simply not giving this guy a fair opportunity. Instead, they see a former first-round pick, who can throw the ball as far as Brett Favre, and gawk at the idea of having him as their franchise quarterback, even if it means giving up two or three top draft picks.

If you are a believer in Rex Ryan and his defense, you would know that it doesn't take a stud quarterback behind center to make it deep in the playoffs. Just ask Joe Flacco who took his team to the AFC Championship in his first season...or Trent Dilfer, who has a ring to show for it.

The Skyline: Sean Avery Does Battle with Martin Brodeur, Part Deux

Gary G. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:17:54 -0400

New York Rangers Playoff Chase Continues Tonight Against New Jersey Devils

Are you Rangers fans as pumped as I am for the game tonight? It’s going to be fun to see what Sean Avery pulls out of the basket against Marty Brodeur in his first game back with the Rangers against the Devils since the “Avery Rule” was enacted in the NHL.

The team currently sits in seventh place with 87 points in the Eastern Conference with six games left to play. The Blueshirts will face the Devils (third) tonight, Carolina (fifth), Boston (first), Montreal (eighth), and Philadelphia (fourth) twice to finish out the season.

They are currently just one point ahead of the eighth place Canadiens and just two points over ninth place Florida. They will need to pull out all the stops in these final six games, but tonight however, is a must win.

New York Mets Wrapping Up Opening Day Roster

The Mets’ 25-man roster is becoming a little clearer, with Livan Hernandez likely locking up the No. 5 starter spot. The bench is mainly set, but Nick Evans will probably join the team for the first four games of the season before they activate Hernandez for his start against the Marlins on April 11.

The only thing left of uncertainty would have to be the final bullpen spot that will likely go to either Brian Stokes or Elmer Dessens.

Brett Gardner Announced As New York Yankees’ Opening Day Center Fielder

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi announced on Sunday that Brett Gardner beat out Melky Cabrera for the starting job in center field. It’s nice to see the Yankees letting their young talent work their way into a starting role.

There’s nothing I like to see more than homegrown talent playing key roles on a team. Gardner will surely give the Yankees a solid glove as well as great speed, which could benefit the Yankees’ lineup day in and day out.

New York Knicks Survive Season Without Any Negative Back Page News

Well, the Knicks season is coming to an end as their playoff hopes are pretty much dead. It was a heck of a first season for GM Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D’Antoni.

It was sure nice to see the back pages of the New York newspapers with a positive headline here and there about this team instead of sex scandals involving the head coach, poor attitude by their point guard, and just an overall negative surrounding involving the team.

Without the team in the hands of Isiah Thomas anymore, that alone makes this team watchable.

Fading New Jersey Nets Unlikely To Score Playoff Spot

Meanwhile, the Nets are in a similar boat, just a mere game ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, sitting in 12th place, six games out of the last playoff spot with nin games to go.

The month of March has been sour for Nets fans after going 4-11 in 15 games and watching their playoff hopes slip away, making April become an irrelevant month in the Meadowlands.

Both the Knicks and Nets will begin to shift their attention towards the draft.

New York Giants and New York Jets Prepare for NFL Draft

Like the two New York area basketball teams looking ahead to the NBA Draft, both New York area football teams are doing the same.

The Giants and Jets are both preparing for the NFL Draft that commences on the final weekend of April, under a month away.

Both teams seem to be in the hunt for a top wide receiver in this year’s draft class, and while that seems to be the likely road the Giants take in the first round, the Jets, who hold the 17th overall pick in the draft, have a few more vacancies than just wide receiver.

A few names that have been associated with the Jets in recent mock drafts include wide receivers Jeremy Maclin, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Percy Harvin, quarterback Josh Freeman as well as defensive end Tyson Jackson.

It will definitely be interesting to see which direction Rex Ryan will go in his first draft as the head coach of the Jets.

New York Islanders Disastrous Season Nearing a Bittersweet End

There is another hockey team in New York—the Islanders. Ever heard of them? Well, they aren’t quite as bad as the 1974-75 Capitals, who won 10 percent of their games, but they are sitting at the bottom of the barrel in the NHL and are likely to receive a top pick in the June’s draft.

Their attention may now be shifted to the top available players in the entry draft. There is some hope for Islanders fans though. Probable No. 1 pick John Tavares addressed the rumors and set the record straight when he was asked by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun if he would have a problem playing for the Islanders.

"It's not true at all," Tavares said.

Now all Islanders fans can do is hope for the No. 1 pick in the draft.

This is the first edition of the sports column that I am going to begin writing on a regular basis. The Skyline is a fitting name for it as I am a diehard New York Sports fan in general. Yes, I have my favorite teams, and I hate the other ones, but being a good writer means leaving your bias opinions behind and writing to all fans. I am going to do my best to give my opinion on each of the four major sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) and nine sports teams in New York.

Top 10 Home-Grown Current New York Sports Icons

Gary G. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:36:07 -0400

This slideshow represents the top ten current home-grown players in New York area sports and contains players who were drafted or signed by their current team and spent their entire career with that team. New York sports fans attach themselves with their homegrown sports talents a little more because being in the biggest city in the world allows the local teams to spend more money on free agents and focus less on developing their own players as much as a small-market team would.

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Why Pedro Martinez and the Los Angeles Dodgers Makes Sense

Gary G. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:04:06 -0400

Right now, the Los Angeles Dodgers could use the help of another veteran starting pitcher to round out the rotation.

Could that man be Pedro Martinez?

The three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star is still on the market right now, and he had a great performance in relief at the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic.

Over the course of four days, Martinez pitched six innings, allowing no earned runs, just one hit, and struck out six.

The Mets are shying away from Martinez, since their big four in the rotation (Santana, Pelfrey, Perez, Maine) are already set, and they already have Tim Redding, Livan Hernandez, Freddy Garcia, and youngster Jonathan Niese battling for the fifth starter spot.

The Mets are clearly not fascinated with Pedro's interest in a guaranteed $5 million contract either.

The Dodgers, however, don't share the same opinion.

"He's somebody we're curious about," Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti said. "We know how great he has been, and we know how popular he is in Los Angeles."

Here is how the Dodgers rotation currently looks: Chad Billingsley, Randy Wolf, Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, and Jason Schmidt.

Clearly, the Dodgers are going to have to rely on a 21-year-old Kershaw and a 36-year-old Schmidt, who is coming off two shoulder surgeries, to round out the back end of their rotation.

The Dodgers arguably have one of the best lineups in baseball, and to not have another reliable pitcher near the back end of the rotation to complement that could be a major issue in 2009.

Is the First-Round Quarterback Worth the Risk?

Gary G. — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:25:40 -0500

Over recent years, some NFL fans become very weary of finding that franchise quarterback and selecting him in the first-round.

With recent busts such as Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Alex Smith, J.P. Losman, Kyle Boller, Rex Grossman, David Carr, Patrick Ramsey, and Joey Harrington, I would worry, too.

The jury is still out on the quarterbacks from this past year's draft and the 2007 draft. Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco both have done well and both led their team to the playoffs in their rookie season.

JaMarcus Russell has all the makings of being a good quarterback, but lacks the supporting cast around him right now. Brady Quinn looks as if he will finally get his shot as a starter this upcoming season with the Browns.

Clearly, it seems as if there is a 50-50 chance that the quarterback you choose in the first-round is going to be a solid quarterback in the NFL.

But wait, Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth-round! Marc Bulger was drafted in the sixth-round. Matt Cassel was a seventh-rounder!

So would you rather take your chances on a quarterback after the first-round?

Some NFL fans prefer taking a shot on a quarterback after the first-round because they think taking one that high is too risky. In a sense, they are right. Your first-round pick is a large commitment money wise.

If you select a quarterback in the first-round, there's a good chance that you are going to set him up to be your quarterback for the next several years at least.

If he falters, it could set your franchise back another couple years, whereas, if you take a mid-round quarterback, you can just get rid of him without taking much of a hit financially.

So, if your team is in need of a quarterback, and there is one on the board when your team is on the clock in the first-round, do you take him? Or do you wait for the second-tier of free agents in the following two rounds?

How many star quarterbacks come out of the second and third-rounds? Just to name a few, Jake Plummer (1997), Brian Griese (1998), Drew Brees (2001), Matt Schaub (2004).

But look at the names at quarterback that have also gone in the second- and third-rounds...Giovanni Carmazzi, Quincy Carter, Marques Tuiasosopo, Josh McCown, Dave Ragone, Charlie Frye, Andrew Walter. There are countless other ones. Definitely not the marquee names and definitely not a great success rate.

With that said, compare it to the names that have gone in the first round. Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Chad Pennington, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Jason Campbell, Jay Cutler, all of whom are currently starting for their respective teams.

Obviously for every Peyton Manning, there is one Ryan Leaf. And for every Donovan McNabb, there is one Akili Smith, but the numbers show that the you have a better chance of finding your franchise quarterback in the first round than anywhere else.

If my team is on the clock in the first round, and they are in a desperate need of a franchise quarterback, and there is one on the board, you really have to consider taking him. The success rate of a first round quarterback as opposed to a second-, third- or even late-round quarterback is far better.

Right now, it seems as if there are two sure-fire quarterbacks, and likely a third will follow somewhere later on in the first-round.

Both Matthew Stafford of Georgia and Mark Sanchez of USC appear to be guaranteed first-round picks at this point. Josh Freeman of Kansas State has a very good shot at going in the first round as well.

So, if your team is need of a quarterback, and one of these three quarterbacks are on the board when your team selects in the first-round, do you take him? I know I would.

Recapping the Jets' Moves During Free Agency

Gary G. — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:16:45 -0500

The New York Jets signed...

Bart Scott

It had been speculation since the day Rex Ryan was named head coach of the New York Jets. One of the Ravens two inside linebackers, Bart Scott and Ray Lewis, who were set to become free agents, were going to be headed to New York.

In the end, Scott ended up joining the Jets after a chess match with the Ravens, signing a six-year, $48 million deal to come to New York.

Scott's abilities will help the Jets immensely as the team prepares to turn it over from Eric Mangini's defense to a much more complex Rex Ryan attack defense. With that said, acquiring a player from the Ryan defense in Baltimore is a huge plus for the Jets as they make the switch.

Scott has started 58 consecutive games for the Ravens and has helped pave the way for the Ravens to finish within the top six defenses in the NFL over the past four seasons as a starter.

While receiving $8 million per year, Scott is clearly going to be a three-down linebacker, lining up next to David Harris on the inside.

Yesterday, in a press conference with Rex Ryan, he stated that he can now switch Scott and Harris in and out from both inside linebacker positions to give identification problems to opposing offenses, something he was incapable of doing in Baltimore with Ray Lewis not being as versatile.

Lito Sheppard

Someone call the police! The Jets literally robbed a very talented cornerback named Lito Sheppard from the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday.

The Eagles mishandling of their cornerback situation this past season decreased the value of Sheppard, leaving them to have to settle for a fifth-round pick in this year's draft and a conditional pick in next year's.

When the Eagles went out and signed free agent cornerback Asante Samuel to a six-year, $56 million contract, Lito Sheppard's playing time significantly dropped, while the tandem of Samuel and Sheldon Brown each started 15 games apiece.

The only knock on the two-time Pro Bowler is that he has never started a full season in his seven years in this league.

With Sheppard now in the fold though, the Jets have filled a void that they have desperately been in need of for about four years.

Pairing him with Darrelle Revis gives the Jets a solid cornerback tandem, one in which they haven't had since 2005 when Ty Law and David Barrett combined for 15 interceptions.

Returning...

Brandon Moore

Despite being given the pink slip on Thursday afternoon, the Jets re-signed guard Brandon Moore, a mere two days later, but not before making a run at Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu, who eventually turned down the Jets offer and decided to re-sign with Pittsburgh.

Moore was due a $7 million roster bonus and the Jets chose to release him.

This quickly became an unpopular move among Jets fans. They did not want to disrupt the continuity of the current offensive line, which did an excellent job last season.

The front office found a way to make both the Jets fans and their cap situation happy, when they re-signed Moore to a four-year, $16 million deal.

I for one, was not one of the many Jet fans who were opposed to releasing Moore in the first place, because I felt the $7 million roster bonus was a bit much for my liking.

All in all, I am happy that Moore is back with the team, as you cannot deny the success that Thomas Jones and Leon Washington had behind this offensive line.

And with Brett Favre out of the mix and no other clear cut starter, the Jets are going to need to run the ball a lot once again in 2009.

Tony Richardson

The veteran fullback had a huge impact on Thomas Jones' AFC-leading 1,312 rushing yards and the rest of the running game. The 37-year-old Richardson is going to be a crucial part to the team in 2009 as head coach Rex Ryan plans to run the ball a lot.

Visiting...

Robert Royal

An interesting name that the Jets have brought in for a visit is former Bills tight end Robert Royal. The veteran is entering his eighth season in the NFL next year and could be an option to replace Chris Baker, who was a cap-saving cut last week.

Royal had a career-best 33 receptions for 351 yards and one score last season for the Bills.

Corey Ivy - Visited Friday

The Jets haven't really had a true nickelback since Ray Mickens. Signing Corey Ivy would likely help round out the Jets cornerback depth and would also give head coach Rex Ryan another player who knows his system to help ease the transition into his defense.

However, with the recent acquisition of Lito Sheppard, the Jets may be less inclined to go down this road now.

Ivy, 31, has played in 45 games under Ryan over the past three seasons, recording a total of 137 tackles with two interceptions, four forced fumbles, and seven and a half sacks.

Jim Leonhard - Visited Saturday

Prior to the start of free agency, almost every writer and analyst pegged safety Jim Leonhard to go to the Jets. Adam Schefter of the NFL Network continues to believe he will eventually re-unite with Rex Ryan sooner than later.

He is the perfect fit for a Rex Ryan defense and he did very well with the Ravens last season, recording 69 tackles with one interception and one sack. In addition to being a hard-nosed safety, Leonhard is also an exceptional return man.

If I had to guess, I'd pencil Leonhard in opposite Kerry Rhodes on my preliminary 2009 depth chart.

Interested In...

Kevin Jones

Pro Football Talk reported Friday morning that the Jets were among one of four teams that had interest in former Lions first-round running back Kevin Jones.

Jones, 26, has 3,176 career rushing yards and 24 touchdowns with 143 career receptions for 1,011 yards and three touchdown catches.

He would definitely interest me if he can remain healthy enough to make the 53-man roster. The Jets had veteran Jesse Chatman slotted in as their third-string running back last season, but a four-game suspension and a knee injury ended his season on the injured reserve.

Out of the four teams that were interested in him, Jones' best option would be the Bills, due to the fact that Marshawn Lynch could miss the first four games of the season due to a suspension from the league. This would likely give Jones the best opportunity to start and to get his career back on track.

Jay Feely

The Jets are finally moving on from Mike Nugent as their kicker. Finally! When Nugent went down with an injury in the first week of last season, the Jets signed former Dolphins kicker Jay Feely to a contract and he ended up playing the entire season as the team's kicker.

Feely did a very solid job for the Gang Green last season, going 24-for-28 in field goal attempts and making all 39 PATs. One of the more important stats here for me is that he was 2-2 in field goals from 50+ yards out and 4-5 in field goals between 40-49 yards out.

He has experience kicking in the swirling winds of Giants stadium, as he spent two season with the Giants in 2005 and 2006.

Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News has reported that the Jets are moving close to an agreement with the 32-year old.

Jabari Greer

Perhaps one of the better cornerbacks available on the market includes former Bill, Jabari Greer. The Jets reportedly had interest in Greer prior to the acquisition of Lito Sheppard. At this point, this option is off the table.

Overall, the Jets have had a pretty successful off-season so far when it comes to filling needs. The Jets found their replacement for Eric Barton by signing Bart Scott, and have grabbed a much-needed cornerback to play opposite Darrelle Revis.

Now if the Jets can pick up Leonhard, they should be set with their secondary and linebacking corps. It's unclear at this point what head coach Rex Ryan's thoughts are of Shaun Ellis and Kenyon Coleman and if he sees a potential upgrade elsewhere at both of those defensive end positions.

Right now, the Jets have filled a few of their holes on the defensive side of the ball, but a couple remain on the offensive side with quarterback being the obvious need.

No matter how much Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum say they are comfortable with the quarterback situation, I fail to see them not even consider a quarterback at No. 17 overall.

The Jets also have a major hole to fill at wide receiver with the recent release of Laveranues Coles.

Lastly, the New England Patriots may have done the Jets a favor by trading Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. With the Chiefs now set at quarterback, it now makes it highly unlikely that they will target a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick and with one less team looking for a signal caller, it puts the Jets in a better spot to grab one with the No. 17 overall pick.

Though, I'm not particularly in favor of going with a quarterback, as I am not all that impressed with the ones available outside of Stafford. I'll elaborate more as the draft comes closer, though.

Five Questions for the New York Mets' 2009 Season

Gary G. — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:54:05 -0500

Can Mike Pelfrey duplicate his 2008 performance?

For the first two years of his career, Mike Pelfrey was the type of pitcher you would sigh over seeing his name as the probable pitcher for the upcoming ball game.

Not much changed in 2008 in the start of the season. Pelfrey's first nine starts of the 2008 season led him to a 2-6 record with a 5.33 ERA, nearly two months into the season.

Of those nine starts, he pitched through six innings in only three of them, one of which resulted in a win. It was seemingly the same thing in every Mets fan's mind...the same old Pelfrey.

On May 31, the Mets hosted the Dodgers in the third game of a four-game series at Shea Stadium. This game was the turning point of Pelfrey's season as he pitched solid ball, going seven and two-thirds innings allowing just two earned runs.

From that game on through August, Pelfrey went on an 11-2 streak, while significantly dropping his ERA into the mid 3's. He finished up the season with a 13-11 record and a 3.72 ERA, all while pitching 200+ innings for the first time in his young career.

Mets fans were finally able to be proud of their 2005 first-round draft pick after he had a turnaround season. The question remains on whether or not Pelfrey will be able to duplicate his success into the 2009 season. The Mets are banking on him to likely be their No. 2 or No. 3 starter this season.

What can Luis Castillo bring to the table?

Kudos to anyone who can name how many different players have started a game for the Mets at second base over the past three years. (Answer at the bottom of the article)

After signing a four-year, $25 million deal prior to the 2008 campaign, Luis Castillo ended up playing 87 games for the Mets and was seemingly a black hole in the lineup day in and day out.

Castillo finished up the 2008 season with a .245 average, three homers, and 28 RBIs, though he did have a .355 on-base percentage, which is reasonable. The question just seems to be, can his 33-year old knees hold up, or is it just the end of the line for the three-time all-star?

Castillo reported to spring training 17 pounds lighter than last season, has gone on record in stating that his knees no longer bother him and that he was embarrassed by his 2008 performance.

The Mets have options such as Alex Cora, Argenis Reyes, Marlon Anderson, and Jose Valentin in camp right now as insurance in case the oft-injured Castillo goes down during the season with an injury.

Who is going to win the final rotation spot out of spring training?

One good thing about the Mets this year, as opposed to past seasons, is that they actually have a number of solid names in camp who can compete for the final spot in the rotation.

Early in the offseason, the Mets signed former Nationals pitcher and New York native, Tim Redding to a one-year, $2.25 million deal. The Mets also picked up Freddy Garcia and Livan Hernandez off the free agent pile and signed them to minor-league deals.

The team is also bringing back Tony Armas and Nelson Figueroa, who made spot starts for the Mets during the 2008 season, as well as allowing young southpaw Jonathan Niese to compete for the spot in the rotation.

It's quite clear the Mets have solid depth this year as opposed to previous years dealing with the likes of your Aaron Sele's or Jose Lima's.

Right now, I'd have to guess that Hernandez, Garcia and Redding are the top candidates to win the job. The 34-year old Hernandez managed to pick up 13 wins with the Twins last season, despite having an enormous 6.05 ERA.

Garcia was limited to just 16 games over the past two seasons after he underwent labrum surgery on his right shoulder in August of 2007.

Garcia's best season came in 2005 when he went 14-8 with a 3.87 ERA, helping the White Sox win the World Series. Redding went 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA for the Washington Nationals last season.

It has been discussed that if Redding doesn't win the fifth starter job, he'll likely be relegated to long-relief duty in 2009, something the Mets truly did not have during the 2008 season.

How will Daniel Murphy fare in his sophomore season as a full-time starter?

The 23-year old took the Mets fans by storm last season, joining the team in August. Daniel Murphy, a third-baseman by trade, didn't quite have the opportunity to play that position in the majors with David Wright clearly occupying that position.

The Mets decided to send Murphy out into left field. While Murphy had never played left field before regularly, the Mets were in love with his bat and continued to platoon him as the left-handed compliment to Fernando Tatis.

In 131 at-bats over the final two months of the season, Murphy finished up with a .313 average with two home runs and 17 RBIs with 24 runs scored.

Murphy may not be the prototypical power hitter that a lot of teams covet with the left field position, but he brings a great approach to the table, in addition to his superb pitch recognition and tremendous bat control. He should be an excellent asset to lineup.

While it was assumed throughout the offseason that the Mets would platoon Murphy with Fernando Tatis in left field, manager Jerry Manuel showed enough confidence in him early on in camp to name him the full-time starter in left field this past week, despite only have 10 at-bats against major league left-handers.

"I don't need to see it," Manuel said. "I've seen it. I'm confident. The way he swings the bat, I'm confident that he can handle that. I don't have a problem with that."

So, what is the bullpen going to look like?

The Mets biggest issue last season was the bullpen once again, as they failed to hold the fort down after the ball was taken from the starter in the late games of September.

Omar Minaya went out and signed the top closer on the market in Francisco Rodriguez. He wasn't finished yet. It was evident that Minaya wanted to get rid of the bad taste left in Mets fans' mouths after the 2008 season.

The Mets sent relievers Aaron Heilman and Joe Smith packing and acquired Mariners closer J.J. Putz and middle reliever Sean Green. Minaya also sent left-handed specialist Scott Schoeneweis to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Out with the old...in with the new.

The Mets bullpen now consists of Rodriguez, Putz, Green, Pedro Feliciano, and Duaner Sanchez. Right now, those five are likely considered locks to make the 2009 squad. One more name that is pretty much a guarantee is Brian Stokes, whom the Mets called up in August and did a tremendous job out of the bullpen in 2008.

Why is he a lock? Stokes is out of minor-league options and there is a good chance that he will end up making the team because of that alone.

One darkhorse who could become a major player for the Mets later on in the 2009 season is someone who Mets fans know all to well as their former closer, Billy Wagner.

Right now, it has been reported that Wagner is ahead of schedule after having Tommy John Surgery to repair his elbow this past season. He is now eyeing a return to the Mets perhaps in August if all things go well in his rehab.

Having a healthy Wagner in the seventh inning in September to go along with J.J. Putz and K-Rod would be a spectacular thing to watch.

Overall: The Mets do have a number of questions yet to be answered and it will be interesting to see how things go this spring. I'm anxious to see both how Luis Castillo's progress is going in his attempt to jump start his career back on track as well as seeing how Daniel Murphy will do in a full season's work.

Answer: The Mets have had 11 different players to hold the fort down at second base since the start of the 2006 season. Luis Castillo, Ruben Gotay, Jose Valentin, David Newhan, Damion Easley, Ramon Martinez, Marlon Anderson, Argenis Reyes, Anderson Hernandez, Chris Woodward, and Kaz Matsui.