[Hey Coach]

March 5, 2008
<H2 class=asset-name>Ayanbadejo could be next Jet</H2>The first phase of free agency is over, with nearly all the top players off the board. Right now, the board looks like a turkey the day after Thanksgiving, picked clean, as Bill Parcells used to say.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum made it clear Monday night that he’s still hoping to sign a few players. Next up (just speculating here, folks): Bears special teams standout Brendon Ayanbadejo, a 6-1, 228-pound linebacker. The Jets have a connection, as a newly-hired special teams coordinator Kevin O’Dea spent two seasons as the Bears’ special teams assistant.

Ayanbadejo visited the Jets on Monday, the Ravens yesterday and he’s mulling offers from both teams, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He could make a decision by today.

***

League insiders, observing the Jets’ plan of attack in free agency, say it’s looking more and more like the team is plotting to pick RB Darren McFadden - if he’s available with the sixth overall choice. I’m not totally convinced of that, but I do know this: This draft is going to be all about upgrading the team speed.

Like I wrote recently, they’re buying bulk and will draft for speed.

Here’s a list of the top seven players in the draft (a consensus of various scouting services), followed by a quick analysis of their chances of being picked by the Jets:

RB Darren McFadden: A definite possibility. They could be tipping their hand if they sign Dolphins RB Jesse Chatman (visiting today). With Chatman, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, they’d be well stocked in the backfield.

DE Chris Long: Too small to play end in the Jets’ 3-4 scheme. He probably could stand up and play outside linebacker, but they just signed that guy, Calvin Pace.

QB Matt Ryan: This would mean rebuilding and, based on the mega contracts they’ve been doling out, the Jets do not see themselves as a rebuilding team.

OT Jake Long: He’d be hard to pass up at No. 6, but it would be a tough sell. They couldn’t play him at left tackle because that would be admitting D’Brickashaw Ferguson was a mistake. They’d have to play him at right tackle, but they just signed Damien Woody.

DT Glenn Dorsey: Two reasons why they won’t pick him: He’s too small to play nose (see Dewayne Robertson) and they just traded for Kris Jenkins.

DT Sedrick Ellis: See Dorsey.

DE/LB Vernon Gholson: Too small to play end. He’d have to play linebacker, but this brings us back to the Chris Long/Pace issue. Then again, after the year OLB Bryan Thomas had, maybe they feel they need two new outside ‘backers.

By Rich Cimini on March 5, 2008 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[jets0n]

I like the way he thinks.... definitely looking like DMC is coming to NYC.

Run DMC back in the NYC. Sounds like a good little headline eh?

[VaNDelaYInDusTrIEs]

I was opposed to DMC just because I thought the Jets had too many holes. Well, it seems like they have filled a lot of those holes. If he's there, I would be psyched if they took him. Man what an offseason that would be.

[Pennington]

Then again, they could be targeting a guy we have not thought of. I'd have to take a closer look, but this organization thinkks a bit out of the box, so who knows? I never quite thought about it before, but I really like Gholston in the place of Thomas. Thomas could be a dynamic sort of backup player. He can spell Gholston and Pace as well as get some looks at WSB with Pace going inside and Gholston jumping over to the strong side. Just a thought, because I dont think Bryan Thomas' deal was too prohibitive.

[Pennington]

Also I have never been on the Mendenhall bandwagon, but you can now officially call me a fan. This kid is real good, and I would love to see the Jets trade out of #6, maybe to a team like Arizona so they can jump ahead of the Pats and get Gholston. They are at #16 so we might have Mendenhall there. Havent looked at the value chart, but my GUESS is their 1st, 2nd and their 2nd next year?

[Merenguito]

Leon, back me up here...but what might happen is a trade with Dallas to stockpile picks.

[Hey Coach]

Leon, back me up here...but what might happen is a trade with Dallas to stockpile picks.

Thats what i want also!!!!

[Holmes10]

Leon, back me up here...but what might happen is a trade with Dallas to stockpile picks.

According to the charts(for those on the board that don't, each pick is worth a certain amount ofpoints...1st overall in the 1st round obvious the highest,all the way down the rounds and selections in each round decreasing in the point value)...now our pick #6 overall, can be traded to Jerry Jones (who is reportedly in love with having his former Arkansas alumnus on his team)

In this hypothetical trade...our #6 overall pick if traded to Dallas would give us both their 1st round picks, 2nd, and 4th.....we would have 4 picks in the 1st 2 rounds to work with. If you want to be objective and open minded, take a look at your favorite guys updated mock drafts now that the Senior Bowls and combines are over and see the talent that should be available with those 4 picks. And be honest would you pull the trigger if that deal was available?

And take into consideration, the odds of a significant hold out with the #6 overall pick. And also we could package the 4th with one of our 4th rounders and move back into the 3rd round.

[Holmes10]

Ayanbadejo will probably be signed tommorow....don't see him going with the Ravens. mangini will get him in for situational packeges, which is what he is looking for an oppurtunity. The entire NFL knows how good he is on specials. The Richardson signing should turn out nice...he ain't no Darian Barnes/James Hodgkins.