http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/08/ex-jets_long_snapper_james_dea.html This, just after Rex said Purdum had a coupla iffy snaps. So much for the Super BOwl.
How long before someone comes in accusing Woody of being cheap and refusing to take care of the best players on his team, like Revis?
I don't understand why, I really don't. If Rex and Tanny saw this kid Purdum play and decided, "Holy shit, this kid's automatic!" that'd be one thing. But he's not; Dearth was. Maybe I'm being naive, and Dearth was missing tackles during punt coverages or letting blockers through or something. But "younger and cheaper" just doesn't make sense to me, not at that position.
Dearth wasn't automatic last year, however. He had a few bad snaps last season. Atlanta, Buffalo, and Indy if I recall correctly.
Well, I'll concede to you guys on that point. I thought a lot of the problem had to do with Weatherford's holds, but I could be wrong. All I know is that the longest streak of made field goals in Jets history happened when James Dearth was snapping the football. There's something to be said for that. If you want to go younger, if you want to go cheaper, then sign a young guy like Purdum and let him earn the job in training camp. I never said Dearth was "automatic," but if you're gonna jettison the guy without a fair shot to defend his contributions to the team, his replacement should be.
There's no argument from me that Dearth was a good snapper for a number of years. The main issues I believe were a less than average 2009 season, the fact that he doesn't play any other position, his age, and salary. A younger and cheaper option definitely makes sense. However, if the new guy doesn't work out, this could end up being a big mistake.
