With Leon and Jenks coming back, the #1 Defense and #1 Running game, (Thomas Jones averages 4.26435 per carry) a potential franchize QB who will be "that much better", a #1 WR like Braylon Edwards, the best shutdown corner in the game who is named Revis, not to mention a 2nd year HC who players love to play for, I for one am very excited for '10. It's obvious to those who know football that the Jets are on the way up.
A few things:
- There is no guarantee that Jenkins will come back or even if he does whether he will be close to the same player. Considering conditioning has always been a problem with Jenkins, him sitting down for months being a couch potato nursing his injury could be the death nail of his career at his age.
- Washington is a free agent after the season (unless there is no CBA), there is no guarantee he will be a Jet next year.
- Thomas Jones is going to be 32 next year. RBs hit the age wall fast and hard. It is very conceivable that he can go from a 1300-1500 yard back this year to an 800 yard back next year, the Pats fans saw it with Corey Dillon.
- Sanchez should progress, but how much. He makes really dumb decisions which might not change especially if the problem his height not allowing him to see the entire field. That won't change.
- Bryalon Edwards is also a free agent after the season assuming there is a new CBA and there is no guarantees he will be back. Besides, he is a way overrated player.
- Players do love to play for Rex. Jets players also loved to play for Herm Edwards. Idn't get the point. Other than Tony Dungy, I can't remember the last players' coach who has won the Super Bowl. The best coaches are feared, but respected by their players (Belichick, Parcells, Cowher, etc.). I don't neccessarily think that the players loving Ryan is a positive. He seems to lack decipline and allows players to be distractions in the clubhouse. That is a problem. If I was a Jets fan, I would rather have the players fear Ryan, not love him. It doesn't have to be the immense hate that players have for Mangini (which is just as bad as players loving a coach too much), but it should be enough of a fear that they tow the party line and work their hardest without trying to make a spectacle of themselves. All you have to do is look at Kerry Rhodes and Bart Scott to see how Rex's coaching style could be a bad thing.
- As for people who know football know the Jets are on their way up, I seriously doubt that is an universal agreement among football experts. Many people are wondering if Rex's style will work in the NFL, whether the Jets blew consecutive top ten draft picks on Gholston and Sanchez, and whether after being really active in free agency the last two years and not producing results whether they made the right personnel decisions.
No one doubts that the Jets have a great defense and running game, but the running game could be kaput as soon as next year with Washington starting somewhere else and age catching up to Jones. The d-line of the Jets will need to be rebult in the next year or two since all of their starters are over 30. They have questions at every secondary position other than Revis. They have a good LBing corp but lack great outside rushers.
I think the Jets' future is very much a question mark. I don't trust Ryan or Sanchez at this point. The Jets got a lot of key aging players (Jones, Faneca, Woody, Ellis, Jenkins, etc.). They could pull it all together and become an elite team or be rebuilding in 2011 or 2012 with a new coach. No one knows what to expect out of the Jets at this point since their QB and head coach are their two biggest question marks.
