I will use players I have seen. I go back to the early 80s so before anyone starts bashing me for not having Namath and others included remember this is from early 80s-current. QB Chad Pennington. Tough call over Vinny, had we got Vinny 3-5 years earlier Vinny would win this. RB Curtis martin RB Freeman McNeil(going w/ 2 Rbs and not using a FB ) TE Mickey Shuler WR Al Toon WR Keyshawn Johnson LT Brick LG Kerry Jenkins C Kevin Mawae- very tough call, we have had some great C's w/ Fields and Mangold. RG Brandon Moore RT Marvin Powell DE Joe Klecko DE Mark Gastineau DT Jason Fergsuon OLB Mo Lewis OLB Calvin Pace- we don't have many options. ILB Marvin Jones ILB David Harris CB Darrelle Revis- best player in franchise history CB James Hasty S Darrol Ray S Victor Green K Nick Folk P Tom Tupa KR Leon Washington PR Santana Moss LS John Hudson HC Rex Ryan OC Joe Walton DC Rex Ryan STs Mike Westhoff
I know I'll get flamed for saying this but there have been a lot of backs more talented than Curtis. Curtis' best attribute was being able to take a lot of carries until Herm ran him into the ground. If you want to say he's better because of his durability then fine. But a healthy McNeil > healthy Curtis.
McNeil ran better as evidenced by the average per rush numbers, but Martin was more valuable in the passing game as a receiver and QB protector.
Please do me a favor. Stop being a smartass and act like you can comprehend a 3 sentence paragraph. You cant conceive how one player can look better than another when they're both healthy but have a worse career in part due to injuries? Really? But since I'm writing about it, Curtis Martin didn't have to play on the death turf that many stadiums had in the 80's including the Meadowlands. It's a lot easier to have a longer career when the ground is softer.
. I disagree completely with your choices of Johnson and your statement regarding Revis. Johnson only played four years with the Jets. You can't be an All-time great with four years on a team. Chrebet, Walker, Coles all had longer better careers than Johnson. And the way he acted in forcing his way off the team and as a complete asshole after he left knocks him down another peg. Revis was a Jet for 6 years. He missed one season because of injury and and part of another because of a hold out and subsequent injuries. Four full seasons, no matter how good they were, do not make a player the best player in franchise history. Add in his selfishness - he is one of the most selfish players in NFL history and clearly in Jets history (with Johnson coming in a close second) - the constant hold outs, the complete lack of locker room leadership on a team that desperately needed its best player to be a leader in the locker room, and he just doesn't fit the bill as a franchise best player. He is gone for a reason. And Nick Folk? After 3 pedestrian seasons, he had a great 2013, but Pat Leahy was a decorated kicker who played many seasons for the Jets. He deserves it over Folk.
McNeil vs Martin If the Jets were in an imaginary SB and I could pick either RB in their prime (and healthy) for this one game, winner take all, loser go home, I'd take.......wait for it......Freeman McNeil. While Martin's almost guaranteed 4-5 yrds/carry were great and he could protect a lead put a game away late, McNeil was a threat to put the game away early every time he touched the ball. McNeil was more electric, exciting, and fun to watch. I could be wrong but it seemed defenses handled Martin with Gap Discipline and a Safety cheating up. But McNeil forced defenses to play Zone with all 11 defenders on high alert looking into the back field. McNeil was just that fast getting anywhere on the field. For one game, I'd take McNeil. For the whole season? Martin.
Revis played his position better than any Jet previously. revis is in the discussion for greatest corner of all time, no other Jet is in that discussion at their position. as far as Key goes, he's the best WR we have had since Al Toon even if he only played 4 years year. he was better than Wesley, Chrebrt, Coles, Cotch, etc... Unfortunately he only played 4 seasons but played at a higher level than those other guys. Leahy was here forever but he wasn't very good, the man used to missed extra points every year. Folk was great last year and has been really good since an up and down first year and he has made a million game winners. we are allowed to disagree, this is just how I feel. McNeil was the more dangerous runner BUT he couldn't stay healthy. if healthy Freeman was by far the better pure runner but durability counts. Not at all, Freeman was nowhere near as explosive as Johnson.
Even Jets fans don't give Martin the respect he deserves.. I loved Freeman McNeil but a healthy McNeil isn't better than a healthy Martin at all. You are way wrong about Martin's best attribute, btw. Among many great attributes, the best was his vision. The ability to find open space. All the best backs have that. Walter Payton had it, Emmitt Smith had it. Martin's overall talent is under-appreciated. Maybe it's because we are heading towards 10 years since he played and like 12 or 13 since his prime and you aren't remembering it right. He had all the tools: vision, quickness, hands, blocking ability and reliability. He was a 4 down running back, a rare breed. The only thing Martin didn't have that McNeil did was top-end speed. Instead of saying McNeil was more talented, it's more appropriate to say you personally enjoy McNeil's running style more. That would be a more valid argument, some guys like the home run hitter over the workhorse. But he wasn't a more talented player. You are doing Martin a disservice.
I absolutely love McNeil (one of favorite players from my youth), but Martin was by far the best Jets RB. He was the better rusher, better receiver, better pass blocker, better leader, better protector of the football (best all time actually), and the focal point of our offense the entire time he was here (and with the Pats). Everyone knew he was getting fed the football, and still couldn't stop it. His presence set up the passing game, especially play action. Only Barry Sanders rushed for more yds in less years all time. He started career as ROY, and ended his career with a rushing title (oldest to do so), posting 1697 yds. never a down year. It's not even close. A better argument would be whether Snell or McNeil was the second best Jet RB. difficult argument as different era, style of play, and position. I'd probably go Snell, primarily due to McNeil's inability to stay healthy.
Another thing about McNeil is that he benefitted from sharing the ball with Johnny Hector for a chunk of his time on the team. It was a great changeup, benefitting stats for both players. In fact Hector may have been the best number 2 back on the team. Sure Lamont Jordan was also a great backup, but for one thing Jordan was here for only four of Martin's eight years, so there's that. Hector was on the Jets for ten of the 12 years McNeil was. Others have pointed out how great Martin was as a receiver, but a telling stat on that was that in 8 years Martin totaled 12,741 yards from scrimmage for the Jets. In 12 years McNeil totaled only 11,035. One huge factor in that difference was that McNeil was not as durable as Martin, losing particularly big chunks of seasons especially after 1988. Martin by comparison only missed playing and starting in a miniscule total of five games over 8 full regular seasons, four of which were in his last year. He was incredibly durable, and in fact started all regular season games for six years in a row from 1999 through 2004. Finally even subtracting games lost McNeil averaged only 56.1 yards rushing per game compared to Martin's 83.8. Clearly Martin was the more valuable player.
It's no coincidence that in the Curtis Martin era, the Jets were consistently the best screen pass team in football. 1998-2005 they would run screens everywhere. It didn't matter what down it was, short yardage or backed up, red zone, or not, they would run screens effectively. For some reason people don't want to give credit to Martin for this, a lot of credit goes to the OL (which changed a lot in that era) or the QBs (also changed a lot)..the only constant was Martin. He was the reason why. He had the tremendous ability to catch the ball and immediately look up field, finding open space and following his blockers. Not easy at all.
TGG Rule #307: Any Jet player who's ever been injured can never be compared in any way shape or form to any other Jet player past or current. There are no exceptions to this rule.
TGG Rule #308: Any Jet player that you have an affinity for, create a rule that makes you feel better about your opinion, and disparage anyone who disagrees.
Does this mean Lam Jones owns the hamstring injury and it can never be compared to any other players hammy's again? If so....I get it.
