Start printing those Super Bowl tickets baby. The Jets have signed Bubba Franks!

Sarcasm aside (the hell you say!), Franks is a decent backup. He scored nine touchdowns in 2001 and has his best year in 2002 — 54 catches , 442 yards and seven touchdowns. You’re not getting Antonio Gates in his prime — hell, your not getting Bubba Franks in his prime — but you’re getting a serviceable backup, who can perform when called upon.

The Jets have also hosted another ex-Pat, this time Troy Brown.

I don’t think Brown is anywhere close to the guy that helped the Pats to three Super Bowls, but you can always use a guy that can play as a slot fourth receiver who’s smart, a determined special teamer AND play dime corner in a pinch. You’re not gonna find many players in the league that can contribute to a team in all phases of the game.

It’s been pretty slow after the intinal first round of free agency around the Jets, so I figured why not take a trip down memory lane and re-visit Dewayne Robertson…or more accurately, the Dewayne Robertson draft.
The year was 2003. The Jets had two first round picks : the 13th pick, which the Jets got during that year Dan Synder lost his freaking mind…again…and gave up the pick to the Jets for Coles.

Now, at the time, the Jets were coming off a 9-7 year, a magical run when Chad came in relief of Vinny and led the Jets to the postseason and that destruction of the Colts in the first round.

So you have two first round picks. The smart, prudent thing would be to keep both picks and take two first round talent players.

So Herm and Terry Bradway decide to trade up and get Dewayne Robertson. Uh oh.

Coming out of Kentucky, Robertson was considered another Warren Sapp type defensive tackle. Naturally with Herm playing that Tampa “2″ defense, he wanted Robertson in the middle and cause havoc. Only problem is he never turned out that way.

For Jets fans, these are the following players you could have had had you kept the picks:

Ty Warren

Troy Polamalu

Bryant Johnson (eh)

Calvin Pace…(hey, I know that guy!)

Willis McGahee

Larry Johnson

Nnamdi Asomugha

Nick Barnett

Start printing  those Super Bowl tickets baby.   The Jets have signed Bubba Franks!

Sarcasm aside (the hell you say!), Franks is a decent backup.  He scored nine touchdowns in 2001 and has his best year in 2002 — 54 catches , 442 yards and seven touchdowns.  You’re not getting Antonio Gates in his prime  — hell, your not getting  Bubba Franks in his prime — but you’re getting a serviceable backup, who can perform when called upon.

 The Jets have also hosted another ex-Pat, this time Troy Brown.

I don’t think Brown is anywhere close to the guy that helped the Pats to three Super Bowls, but you can always use a guy that can play as a slot fourth receiver who’s smart, a determined special teamer AND play dime corner in a pinch.  You’re not gonna find many players in the league that can contribute to a team in all phases of the game.

It’s been pretty slow after the intinal first round of free agency around the Jets, so I figured why not take a trip down memory lane and re-visit Dewayne Robertson…or more accurately, the Dewayne Robertson draft.
The year was 2003.  The Jets had two first round picks : the 13th pick, which the Jets got during that year Dan Synder lost his freaking mind…again…and gave up the pick to the Jets for Coles.

Now, at the time, the Jets were coming off a 9-7 year, a magical run when Chad came in relief of Vinny and led the Jets to the postseason and that destruction of the Colts in the first round.

So you have two first round picks.    The smart, prudent thing  would be to keep both picks and take two first round talent players.

So Herm and Terry Bradway decide to trade up and get Dewayne Robertson.  Uh oh.

Coming out of Kentucky, Robertson was considered another Warren Sapp type defensive tackle.  Naturally with Herm playing that Tampa “2″ defense, he wanted Robertson in the middle and cause havoc.   Only problem is he never turned out that way.

For Jets fans, these are the following players you could have had had you kept the picks:

Ty Warren

Troy Polamalu

Bryant Johnson (eh)

Calvin Pace…(hey, I know that guy!)

Willis McGahee

Larry Johnson

Nnamdi Asomugha

Nick Barnett

Depressing, no?  Especially consider how disapointing Robertson has been as a Jet.

From the 5th pick overall to a fourth and fifth rounder.  How the mighty have fallen.

Well, we’ve had a pretty eventful few days here, haven’t we?

The Jets, striking while the iron is hot, have signed guard Alan Faneca.  This is basically the Jets admitting they made a mistake by cutting Pete Kendall last year, paying for it dearly.   Faneca is 31-years-old…but he very well could possibly be the best guard in the NFL.  You have to do it, especially when you consider how much is Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson regressed without Kendall last year.  The Jets were awful in run blocking and pass protection…you would think that this helps that somewhat.   It’s cliche, but it’s true: if you don’t have a solid offensive line, you cannot win in the NFL, especially if you have a young, untested quarterback.

The Jets also signed Kris Jenkins, after trading a third and fifth round round pick in this year’s draft to Carolina. 

This might be putting a square peg into a round hole.  Jenkins has never, ever played in a 3-4 defense and never has played that nose tackle spot.  He’s 29, by no means a spring chicken and is injury prone.   It’s a big risk, but look at it this way Jets fans: he can’t be any worst that Dewayne Robertson there.

Applaud the Jets for being aggressive, and they have to be, considering the season they just had, and the division going to get stronger.   The Bills made a couple of moves and Parcells is cleaning house down in Miami.     The problem is, with Faneca and Jenkins is that they a little bit up there in age and you don’t know how they’re going to A) react to New York and B) react to a new system.

But to answer the question, are the Jets better now than they were at the end of the regular season?  The answer is a resounding yes.