Last year, on June 14th, the Jets announced that they had signed Jordan White, the last remaining unsigned pick from their 2012 draft class. Third round pick Demario Davis had signed on June 2nd and the rest of the picks, including first rounder Quinton Coples had been signed back in May. Here we are on June 17th in 2013 and the Jets’ three top picks remain outstanding. Is there any reason we should be concerned about this?
A look back at last year reveals that John Idzik’s Seahawks signed all of their draft picks in one go, in the first week of May. However, the Jets may have slightly different organizational philosophies and have always been a team that deals with their rookies on a piecemeal basis. A look at the NFL’s signing status page reveals that only eight first round picks have been signed, leaving 24 still unsigned. In terms of 2nd to 7th round picks, there remain 21 unsigned, of which Geno Smith is one.
As a general rule, we’re in an era where the basic parameters for rookie deals are more or less set in stone and there really isn’t much room for negotiation as a result. The rookie allocation – an amount set aside for rookie signings which counts against the cap but cannot be exceeded and does not allow for unused surplus to be used on veterans – is now so tight that that teams have no choice but to agree on a contract that slots in between the picks above and below it in terms of value, otherwise they won’t be able to fit all their deals under that rookie allocation. Note: If you release a draft pick without signing them, your rookie allocation is reduced accordingly, so it’s not possible to create more breathing room by doing that and spreading an allocation for six players across five contracts or whatever.
The new CBA places restrictions on the length of these deals. Also, all incentives are treated as likely to be earned and salary advances, option bonuses, buybacks, voidable years and renegotiating in the first three years are all prohibited under the new CBA, so you can’t use loopholes to get around the rookie allocation. There are also special rules that restrict the guarantee of future salaries and how much you can increase or reduce salaries by year-on-year, which means that there isn’t much wiggle room in terms of how these deals are structured, either.
There are still some key negotiation points, as set out in this article from OverTheCap.com. So, while we may already have a good idea about what these contracts will look like in terms of size, structure and guarantees and might therefore be wondering what the hold-up is, there is still work to be done.
After the jump, I’ll be looking at each of the remaining unsigned rookies and summarizing the details for those that did sign so far. To read more of this story, click here
Yesterday, the Jets announced that they had, as expected, signed tight end Kellen Winslow to a one-year deal. Winslow had attended the recent mini-camp on a tryout basis and reports were that he had done a solid job. He will now attend camp to compete for playing time with the likes of Jeff Cumberland, Hayden Smith and Konrad Reuland.
Winslow, the son of a hall of famer, was the 6th pick in the 2004 draft, but has suffered some serious leg injuries early in his career, which continue to trouble him to this day. However, he has still been a productive player and his four 75-catch seasons are the third most in NFL history, behind only Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez. He does not have a good reputation as blocker though and has been a controversial figure over the years.
After the jump, I’ll be looking back over his career with an in-depth look at last season in particular in order to assess what he brings to the table and whether the good outweighs the bad.. To read more of this story, click here
It’s not just the Jets players that will need to get to grips with a new system this season. The hire of Marty Mornhinweg means that after I spent last year familiarizing myself with Tony Sparano’s concepts and tendencies, I’ve now got to get a handle on the Jets’ new offensive system.
Obviously, I don’t have access to the playbook (not that I’d be able to share it even if I did). Nor will I need to get anywhere close to the level of understanding as any of the players on the team (especially the quarterbacks). I just wanted to get an idea in advance of some of the approaches Mornhinweg takes and how that corresponds to our ideal of a prototypical west coast offense. It will also be interesting to cover some of the main differences between the scheme and those run by the Jets over the last few years. I’ve also been on the look-out for any quirky patterns or unusual aspects.
To that end, I’ve been watching footage of the Eagles offense from 2012 and 2011 and after the jump I’ll take a look at some of the plays that are staples of Mornhinweg’s offense, together with details of some of the things I noticed about his play calling and game planning. To read more of this story, click here
Yesterday, the Jets signed free agent wide receiver Ben Obomanu. Jets fans might not know too much about Obomanu, so I’ve been looking at game footage in detail to investigate what he could bring to the table.
Obomanu is a 6-1, 205 pound receiver who was a 7th round pick out of Auburn in 2006. He has 4.45 speed and has caught 100 passes for 1,383 yards and seven touchdowns (including postseason games) in his career, the majority of which came in 2010 and 2011. He caught just four passes last year and missed the second half of the season with a wrist injury. He signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Jets per Jason at OTC.
After the jump, I review Obomanu’s career and look in detail at footage from 2012 to evaluate some of his strengths and weaknesses. To read more of this story, click here
Since the Jets haven’t signed a free agent for me to scout in almost four weeks, I’ve been watching footage of some of the bottom-of-the-roster guys to try and get an insight into what kind of potential they have and whether any of them could realistically be expected to step into an important role in 2013.
Today, I’m going even deeper to take a look at some of the lesser-known players expected to be bottom-of-the-roster guys and not really expected to challenge for a place on the team. The Jets have several players with NFL preseason or, in some cases, regular season experience that we haven’t considered in any detail yet on BGA, so I’ve been looking at the footage to see if there are any players who might have the potential to push for a roster spot.
After the jump, I look in detail at footage from over the last few years and give some background on some of these guys. To read more of this story, click here
Since the Jets haven’t signed a free agent for me to scout in several weeks, I’ve been watching footage of some of the bottom-of-the-roster guys to try and get an insight into what kind of potential they have and whether any of them could realistically be expected to step into an important role in 2013. Today I’ll be looking at running back John Griffin. This particular study could be of particular relevance in light of recent events, which may lead to an improvement in Griffin’s chances of making the team.
Click the BGA link at the top of the page to look back at some of the scouting work I’ve done on some of the other signings the Jets have made since the end of the season.
Griffin made his first NFL appearance with the Jets last December but did not feature on offense. Prior to that, he had been a last minute cut for the Bengals in 2011 and spent time with the Omaha Nighthawks in the UFL. He’s listed at 5-11 and 208 and played his college football in the North East, with three years at Northeastern and one at UMass.
After the jump, I’ll be reviewing his career so far and looking in detail at footage from the 2011 season to see what he’s capable of and assess his chances of competing for a roster spot. To read more of this story, click here
BGA: Scouting David Garrard
Bent , TheJetsBlog.com
With the offseason well underway, the Jets have continued to sign some guys that Jets fans might not know too much about. I’ve been taking a closer look at each of the new signings and trying to assess what they can bring to the table for the Jets in 2013. I originally wasn’t going to do a BGA for David Garrard on the basis that he’s already a well-known player that most Jets fans are likely to be familiar with. However, I saw so many people talking about how he hadn’t played since 2010, that I thought I’d go back and review the tape from 2011 – where he made three preseason appearances with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Click the BGA link at the top of the page to look back at some of the scouting work I’ve done on some of the other signings the Jets have made since the end of the season.
The 35-year old Garrard is a one-time Pro Bowler who has a 39-37 career record in 76 career starts, all with the Jaguars. He did not play in 2011 due to a back issue and missed last season after a minor knee injury suffered a couple of days before preseason. Prior to that, he had a QB rating of at least 80 and a completion percentage of over 60% (two numbers Mark Sanchez has never achieved) in five straight seasons. He signed a one-year, $1.1m contract with just $100K guaranteed back in March and will be competing for a job with the Jets in camp.
After the jump, I’ll briefly review his career so far and looking in detail at some of the footage from 2011 to try and evaluate what he could provide the Jets with this year and going forward. To read more of this story, click here
We don’t often link to Bleacher Report, but sometimes they interview cool people…
Go here to read Bent’s interview with Adam Waksman about the Jets’ post-draft plans on defense.
BGA: Scouting Stephen Peterman
Bent , TheJetsBlog.com
With the offseason well underway, the Jets have continued to sign some guys that Jets fans might not know too much about. I’ll be taking a closer look at each of the new signings and trying to assess what they can bring to the table for the Jets in 2013. Today, I look at another recent signing, guard Stephen Peterman.
Click the BGA link at the top of the page to look back at some of the scouting work I’ve done on some of the other signings the Jets have made since the end of the season.
Peterman, a 31-year old, is 6-4 and weighs in at 323 pounds. He was drafted in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys in 2004, but was released after two injury-plagued seasons. However, he soon found a new home and has been starting at right guard for the Detroit Lions for the past six seasons. Peterman signed a one-year, veterans minimum deal to join the Jets and should compete for a job with the likes of Vlad Ducasse, Willie Colon and Caleb Schlauderaff, along with the Jets’ 3rd, 5th and 6th round picks.
After the jump, I’ll be reviewing his career so far and looking in detail at what he could provide the Jets with this year and going forward. To read more of this story, click here
BGA: Scouting Chris Ivory
Bent , TheJetsBlog.com
With the offseason well underway, the Jets have continued to sign some guys that Jets fans might not know too much about. I’ll be taking a closer look at each of the new signings and trying to assess what they can bring to the table for the Jets in 2013. Today, I take a look at running back Chris Ivory.
Click the BGA link at the top of the page to look back at some of the scouting work I’ve done on some of the other signings the Jets have made since the end of the season.
Ivory is a big back, standing 6-0 and tipping the scales at 222 pounds. He was an undrafted small school prospect out of Tiffin, but made an immediate impact with the Saints, rushing for over 700 yards and five touchdowns. However, he found it difficult to get many opportunities over the past few seasons and was traded to the Jets for a fourth round pick in this year’s draft. Ivory signed a three-year extension with the Jets, worth $6m, although that could rise to as much as $10m if he meets certain performance targets.
After the jump, I’ll be reviewing his career so far and looking in detail at what he could provide the Jets with this year and going forward. To read more of this story, click here
