I say we do 1 of 2 things. 1.take Upshaw 1st round and H.Smith 2nd 2.take Barron 1st round and Chandler Jones 2nd
The RT plan is really 2 part. For one..they want to get back to being a run first offense, which is what this OL was built to do in the first place.This will cause less risk for sack and allow the OL to play to their strength.Secondly they wanna give Vlad his shot to win the job. Physically he's there..it's a matter of whether he can work out the kinks or not. If he can't the Jets bring in a stop gap veteran sometime in training camp.I really don't believe Hunter is under consideration for the starting job. He's here to be a swing tackle & nothing more. Beyond RT, the Jets issue on the OL is depth. Long term center and guard prospects are needed for immediate depth and possible long term starter replacement. This should be addressed in the draft. Sparano & co. will surely have some big uglies targeted.
Since I usually bring the gloom, I thought I'd do the reverse this time by pointing out that the Pats when to a superbowl (2001) with a rookie 2nd round LT (Matt Light) and a 4th round 2nd year RT who had never started a game before that season (Greg Randle).... and was out of the league 2 years later. Marcus McNeil was a 2nd round pick that didn't allow a sack his rookie year....and he's a FA now, though there are questions about his health. So what the Jets need could certainly be found in the draft But on the other hand, I would think that the Jets OL problems are a lot bigger than straightening out the RT position. Slauson, who is average at best (not that there's anything wrong with that) is coming off an injury. Moore who is good, is also old and declining, AND coming off an injury. D'Brick had his worst season. Was it a hiccup or the sign of things to come. You can make all the excuses you want, but the fact is Vlad has only been active when there have been injuries over TWO seasons. That might be OK for a developmental UDFA, but not a 2nd rounder. The fact that the Jets are going to be going to entirely new OL blocking system, might be a problem for the rest of the OL, but it might hopefully be a help to Ducasse. The Jets have gone from having one of the top OLs in the league, to having one that's merely average, and doesn't look like its ready to improve on that. And add to all that, the OL is STILL as thin as paper. You don't have a SINGLE back up who any Jet fan would be confident that they could step in and start for a long term. In fact do the Jets even have a back up OLman who has EVER started an NFL Game???? OL is just another area where the gap between the Pats and the Jets is Growing, not shrinking.
I can't see DeCastro as an RT I could see Glen as an RT and he might become dominant at that position. Huge man for the run game and hard to get around in pass protection. Maybe take him and pick up an OLB in Round 2 I am beginning to think that Upshaw is a DE not OLB.
When Tom Brady is gone so will the gap between the Patriots and the other teams in the AFC East. You're dreaming if you think anything else.
Yeah but they had a defense in 2008. Since then they have lost Seymour, Vrabel, Warren and Bruschi. Just look at that list of names and realize that they carried Cassell and the Pats when Brady was out. They had a healthy Randy Moss playing WR. If Brady went out for the year this year in training camp the Pats would probably win 4 games. They might win 6 or even 8 if one of the backups performed well. But their roster is not that much more talented than Indy's was this year. Same story.
Why do Jet fans keep saying what you've written. First of all I have at least another 3 or 4 years before I have to begin to worry about it. Secondly, been there an done that. We've been without Brady for a year and the result was 11-5, with a QB who hadn't started a football game in 8 years when he was in HS. So you'll have to pardon me if I'm not in the least worried about life after Tom Brady. It might not always be perfect, but it WILL ALWAYS be very competitive. BTW- YOU'RE dreaming if you think anything else.
. That's just dumb, and you are NOT a dumb poster. Yes the Pats had a better defense that year But how much better with all those players you mention. The fact is that the gave up only 32 more points in 2008 than they did in 2011. That's just 2 points per game more. BTW- the offense WITHOUT Brady was in the top 10 in total yds(6th, scoring, (8th) rushing (5th), and less than 50 total yds over a whole season out being in the top 10 in passing. So don't tell me its all just Tom Brady because clearly it was not. This expectation/wish/dream that when Brady goes the Pats suddenly will fade from view is nothing more than a delusion that Jet fans pathetically hold on to, like a blow up doll on their date night. Your depiction of the Pats Roster as being Colt-like is just laughable. The results speak for themselves
