D.Harris is becoming one of the best 3-4 MLB's in the league... He had over 100 tackles and didnt even get the chance to start all 16 games with acouple of sacks... As a rookie, wow, it's kind of scary. D.Revis made some rookie mistakes, but just the fact that he started all 16 games as a rookie, held his own, showed a shiit load of potential and went one on one with players such as Moss, Owens and B.Edwards is a HUGE bright spot for this secondary. I was nervious about drafting Revis so high, but if the Jets were to draft all over again... Revis and Harris would be my first 2 picks once again. K.Rhodes is a Playmaker that makes this Jets secondary Dangerious... A Ball hawk, a great tackler, can get after the QB and complete the sack... We need to sign him LONG TERM if we are looking for a championship defense. Now the more I think about it... The more im glad we have no chance of D.McFadden. I say we go out and draft our own "Shawn Lights Out" in Gholston as an outside speed rushing LB to put pressure on the QB all game and replace either Hobson or B.Thomas. Also... We should keep J.Vilma playing next to D.Harris, because I wont lie... It will be almost impossible for this Jets team to find a #2 ILB with the speed, quickness and skill of J.Vilma... He may not be the best fit as a #1 3-4 ILB, but he can make one heck of a #2 Thats 5 young impact players starting for this Defense next year... 5! Out of 11 Starting players... To have 5 Impact players should= One of the best Defenses the Jets have had in a long time... Revis and Rhodes in the secondary (Yes we do need another 2 CB) Vilma, Harris, Gholston and Hobson/B.Thomas as our LB's
Good post... I wouldn't mind keeping Vilma and give him a chance to play against a real 3-4 ILB (Harris) before dealing him. If he thrives then it was a good decision otherwise we can trade him next year when he isn't inured (better value). If we get offered a first round pick this year, I would probably accept that.
it get even better than that. We move dewayne robertson to DE. I dont mind coleman as the other DE but we need a NT. Pouha is good to come in for some reps but I want a steady vet at NT.
I think we can keep Shaun Ellis too and keep using him the way we are right now as a hybrid. Every team needs depth anyways and we have the money.
Good point, I quess before we can say for sure who goes where and who gets what type of draft pick. We need to find out who the coaches will be. I can see at LEAST 5 or 6 changes right now.
In the 3-4 defense outside linebackers are generally bigger than inside linebackers. They usually are somewhere between DE and LB weight. Which would make Vilma even more of a misfit.
You made some very good points here and I agree with your evaluation of these players. The problem is a winning team starts with the Lines and we don't have one decent player on the defensive line for the 3-4. If there is no pass rush it doesn't make a difference who we have in the secodary. Coverage will eventually break down.
I'm not high on Hobson or Thomas, but you're spot on with everything else. We need to fix both lines first, and then could look to upgrade here. I guess we'll have to live Thomas anyway because of the silly extension he got.
I have a feeling that Thomas isn't as much of a bust as we all think we is. Last years success was based off of playing on the weak side where there isn't a responsibility to drop into coverage. He didn't do alot of blitzing this year - and lets remember that he is doing this opposite of Hobson who scares no one as a pass rusher. BT was decent in coverage this season. With the experience he got this year playing on the strong side BT will now be much more versatile for the defense. If we are able to add a legitimate pass rush OLB and line him up opposite BT the defense is now vastly improved. We need a NT and a rush OLB and our D can be very special.
Im not ready to give up on Drob either. I think if hey move him To De he can really be a player. Also he is only 24.
Call me crazy... But i'm not ready to give up on DRob... as a 3-4 NT... Like you said, once again, he is only 24 and maybe by the time he is 26-27 he can be an impact player for the middle of our D-Line. I just miss having a J.Abe rushing the QB as our starting DE (Yes Abe was injured alot, but when healthy he was a game changer) I just dont feel Robertson would do anything against the pass as a DE
How can people say that DRob should be moved to DE, have you actually seen what he is built like? Forget the measurements, the guy is way too top heavy, and short.
I hate to make the comparison to them, but the Patriots Defensive Line is made up of 3 prominent, 1st round, prototype 3-4 DL. Until we get something very similar to that up front, we will not have as bright of a future. Can it be fixed in one offseason? Most likely not, but it needs to start up front. Controlling the line of scrimmage is the most fundamental part of a successful defense. The 3 starters in Rhodes, Harris and Revis make me smile- to know we have that foundation. But it needs to get better up front.
Here's how I see the Jet's defense right now on a position by position basis: RCB - D.Coleman/H.Poteat = C- FS - Hole = F SS - K. Rhodes = A- LCB - D. Revis = B+ ROLB - Hole = F RILB - D. Harris = A LILB - E. Barton = C LOLB - B. Thomas = C- RDE - K..Coleman = C NT - D. Robertson = D- LDE - S. Ellis = C+ I think I graded very generously in assessing the real impact players have. That's not a promising defense at all. It's a bad defense with a few real bright spots. The Jets need to fix the interior line, find a pair of good outside linebackers and fix the hole at FS before they have any real chance to make an impact as a unit. I'm assuming in all of this that the Jets can live with the rotation at RCB and can absorb the lack of impact out of K. Coleman and E. Barton. Again I may be way too generous in those assumptions.
I agree. I was disappointed by Thomas' lack of sacks and other impact players, but everytime I watched him in a game he was dropping back into coverage. Of course he didn't drop back on every play, but he dropped back aloooooooot this year. I'm excited for this offseason. Our D has the chance to be pretty damn good with a couple signings/draft picks.
