So today was Rounds 2 and 3. It started around 5:30 and by then I was in Lombard, getting ready to meet the boys at AMC to go see "Oblivion", the new Tom Cruise sci-fi flick. The Jets had the seventh pick in the second round and as the round began, I was walking around Sports Authority, checking out the running shirts, hockey gear, and exercise equipment.
I wanted the teams to pick quarterbacks and defensive players. Above all else, I wanted the RB's, WR's, and TE's left on the board. this team is so in need of weapons at the skill positions, it's scary. Jacksonville selects a safety, who is good, but no big deal, because there is no way the Jets can pick a defensive player in Round 2 after picking two defensive players in the first round. Then Tennessee makes a trade and grabs Justin Hunter, a talented wide receiver. Disappointing, but ok. Then Philly takes Zach Ertz, a Stanford tight end, and that annoyed me. This team desperately needs a starting tight end and Jeff Cumberland is not the guy. Then the Lions take a CB, fine. Cincinnati takes a running back from North Carolina who I had never heard of named Giovani Bernard. Then with one pick left, San Diego drafts the legendary Manti Te'o from Notre Dame.
So I'm figuring the Jets are likely to take Geno Smith. I didn't want a quarterback without any hint of a supporting cast, but the fact that he fell so far when he was expected to go in the top 10, maybe that will put a chip on his shoulder. Maybe it's a good thing. The guy I really wanted was Eddie Lacy, the running back from Alabama. But the Jets indeed take Geno, giving them not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six quarterbacks on their roster! They are Geno Smith, Mark Sanchez, Matt Simms, Greg McElroy, David Garrard, and of course, Tim Tebow. To say the least, two need to go before summer training camp begins.
No doubt, it's a very intriguing pick. The big question is will Mark Sanchez be on the roster in September? Earlier today, D'Brickashaw Ferguson restructured his contract, allowing the Jets to save $5 million on their salary cap. I wonder if that's to create room to absorb the hit they would have to take if Sanchez gets cut.
So then the movie began and I turned my phone off. Two hours later, I came out of this mind-bender of a film and checked the draft tracker on my phone. I see in the third round, the Jets drafted a guard from Kent State, named Brian Winters. I don't know the man, but I like what I'm reading about him.
"Solid starter." "Throws smaller ends to the ground if they let up as the whistle blows." "...steps out to attack his man quickly after the snap, latches on like he’s beginning a wrestling match." Exactly what I want. You can have the best QB in the world, but if the line cannot protect him, he's going to get annihilated.
I figured that would be it for the night. But then, I drive 45 minutes home and I make some popcorn and a soft pretzel and head to the basement. Once I'm in the basement, I turned the Knicks playoff game on the TV and I checked the Jets website. Then, I see the Jets acquired Smith, Winters, and Ivory. This had been rumored about for a week or two, but Idzik has pulled the trigger and made the move to acquire Chris Ivory, the 25-year-old running back from New Orleans. I am ecstatic over this trade. He has shown flashes of excellence throughout his career, but was simply a victim of the numbers game in New Orleans who have the likes of Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, and Darren Sproles at running back. In New York, he will have a golden opportunity to prove he can be a legitimate starting running back in the NFL. I feel much better about the draft tonight than I did 24 hours ago.
So the Jets have three picks left, in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds. It's hard to find great players there, but I would like to see them take a safety with one of them. And I think another offensive lineman would help too, they've rarely had enough depth at that position.
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