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“5. The Jets’ future is now: Staying with the Jets: They are gambling against the biological clock in free agency and trades. Most teams try to add younger players when they sign high-priced free agents or make trades. The Jets are one of the few teams willing to add some age. Faneca is 31 and Woody is 30. Fullback Tony Richardson is 36 but is coming off a Pro Bowl season, while 34-year-old cornerback Ty Law is coming in for a visit this week. The Jets aren’t worried about building for the future. They want to win now.”

It’s great that the Jets are trying to go for it.  Here’s a major problem with that:

Let’s be honest.    This guy, for better or worst is the once and future quarterback for the New York Jets, whether you like it or not.  He’s played 12 games so far, not even a full season.   He’s thrown just five touchdowns and 10 picks.

Now I ask you: is this the right move for the Jets?   Putting all your eggs in this basket?   As much of an improvement made to their offensive line with Alan Faneca and Damian Woody, to their defensive line with Kris Jenkins and to their linebackers with Calvin Pace, the season comes down to how the quarterback performs.

Tom Brady not withstanding, it takes time for a quarterback to “get it”.    They need time and patience.  And we all know how patient New York and especially Jets fans are.     Its not fair to Clemens to expect him to be become this great quarterback over night…fact of the matter is, even with the additions the Jets made this season, they’re still way behind the Patriots, the Colts and the rest of the AFC echelon.  So in turn, you’ve added age and injury prone players in this desperate charge to compete.

This may irritate Jets fans to bring up the Giants up, but look how they got it done last year.  Young players drafted that got blooded into and contributed.   Obviously that doesn’t happen all the time.    But the Giants showed that if you take your time, be patient, and most of all have Eli Manning all of sudden not turn the ball over, you can win and still have a young group of players that have championship experience — the best of both worlds.

The Law to Return?

As stated in Clayton’s piece and in this Newsday article, Ty Law could be rejoining the Jets.  Having not seen much of Law since his Jets days, I’m just going off the stats…47 tackles, two INTs and 13 passed defensed (tip balls, knock aways, that sort of thing).    Positives: The pass defensed were his best since 2003, when he had 17 for the Pats.   Negatives: Undoubtedly not the same player even in his one year with the Jets and the tackles total were the lowest of his career.   Now granted, the Chiefs stink, so you’re hopeful that Mangini can find the fountain of youth for Law and that Herm was…well, Herm.     But make no mistake, another risk by the front office.

Robertson is also rumored to be headed out in that article.   What the hell went wrong with him?   We’ll examine that next time.

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.

But before we go forward, it’s important to look back on the 2007 season…a season to forget.

We learned that 2006 was really a mirage and this team was nowhere a playoff team.  We learned that Chad Pennington, for all his grit and determination was not going to be leading Gang Green to a Super Bowl.   We learned that the defense was full of holes and needed a massive overhaul — players were being used as square pegs for round holes in Eric Mangini’s 3-4 defense.  The offensive line, dogged by the loss of Pete Kendall was ineffective.    The fact is, to paraphrase Bill Parcells, the Jets are what their record was — an awful 4-12 football team.

The Jets lists of needs is long and its immediate.    They need help on the defensive line and according to the Newark Star-Ledger, they’re looking like they’re going to get it…either Kris Jenkins of the Panthers or Shaun Rogers of the Lions. Jenkins has been injury prone in his career, starting just five games in 2004 and 2005 combined.   Rogers has been playing for the Lions.  ‘Nuff said.   You know he’s looking to get out of Dodge.  Either guy is gonna help that D-line, with cost being Jonathan Vilma, who just never seemed to fit Mangini’s scheme.

They need help on the offensive line and they’re looking to remedy that with the  pursuit of Alan Faneca.    This guy is perennial Pro Bowl guard — a guy who can open holes for a Jets running game that was craptacular last year.

Even though this was a terrible year for Jets football, there is hope that they can get it turned around and winning.  Hey, no one thought the Giants were gonna win the Super Bowl.  Why not the Jets in 2009?