I saw an ‘Instant Debate’ posted on NFL.com about the immediate future of the Jets franchise and I felt a deep need to chime in. Let me start with a clear assertion. Rex Ryan is a motivator and a game-managing coach. He is not an offensive mind. In fact, his history with Baltimore has trained him to be a classic ground-and-pound guy who is skeptical of the gimmick and unwilling to move forward in that vein unless there is a powerful and charismatic OC pushing the buttons. Last year they did not have that guy and the offense suffered. This year is about a new system and a new team of coordinators. Does that mean new results?
It starts with the players. Unless you are a genius on the scale of Belichick, you aren’t going to win many games with subpar talent. The Jets are loaded with subpar talent. The #1 receiver is best suited for a 2 or even a slot role (he would dominate) and there is nothing behind him. The team needs to look to the draft for a TE and the O-Line is a disaster. I’m not even prepared to address the QB situation. So, what then is the prognosis? The offense will come together incredibly well–provided the QB is not Sanchez. Without him, the team has an attitude of grit and fight and they will put up points in the offense. They will limit turnovers and score perhaps 2 TDs a game. That is not enough to win, so it has to happen on defense. Can it?
No. Not without Revis and a few other holes filled. The Jets once again have no answer at safety–the 2nd most important position on the D. The LB core is decimated, with 3 of 4 starters cut or gone to Free Agency. The D-Line lost the starting NT and the ends remain a question mark. So, without a huge influx of talent the D will buckle and yield more points than it did last season. Now, this could all be fixed with an extremely profitable Revis trade. Mark my words: Any trade of Revis will define both the season and the reign of Idzik. If the team cannot get extreme value for the defacto #1 corner in the sport, there is no reason to trade a guy that shuts down half the field–especially when there is a guy on the other side who can lock up on a receiver and take him out of the game. Imagine, Revis and Cromartie in top form? If the Jets grab the Honey Badger or another potential lockdown corner in the draft they can go 3 corners on 3 wides and pile up against the run with only 1 safety back for support or TE coverage. That is 7 in the box all day against a 3-wide set. That is pain and no-gain for yardage.
That is perhaps a pipe dream. It is also the fulcrum upon which the 2013 season hinges. As they say on NFL.com, Defense wins Championships.