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How the Jets Court Potential Talent


F.Chowds

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Jacoby Ford remembers everything about the day the courtship began: The pickup from the airport. The shower of compliments. The steak dinner. And, of course, the invitation to head somewhere more private for a physical exam.

As far as manners go, the New York Jets are gentlemen when it comes to wooing free agents.

 

In the technology-savvy National Football League, where players now study Xs and Os on iPads rather than in playbooks, the Jets still employ an old-fashioned way of pursuing players during the off-season: They ply them with steak and booze.

 

The Jets were frisky suitors in the past three months, winning over quarterback Michael Vick, running back Chris Johnson, right tackle Breno Giacomini and two receivers, Eric Decker and Ford.

 

Coaches lavished the apples of their eyes with praise, and wined and dined at least three of the players in New Jersey's finest restaurants. They would consummate the relationship by inviting them back to the team's swanky training facility to take a physical and sign a contract.

 

According to Ford, a 26-year-old receiver and kick returner who spent his first four season with the Oakland Raiders, the Jets even picked him up. He said that in late March or early April, the Jets flew him to Newark International Airport, where a Chevrolet Suburban was waiting for him. It whisked him to the Jets facility, where he got a tour and spoke with general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan in Idzik's office.

 

The Jets leaders told Ford, one of the NFL's fastest players, that he would fit in perfectly with the team. Ford and Ryan talked about Clemson, the receiver's alma mater, where Ryan's son currently plays football. Ford then met the team's offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, and its special-teams coordinator, Thomas McGaughey.

 

Then Mornwinheg, along with another Jets staffer, took Ford out to a nearby steakhouse for dinner.

 

The three talked some football, but the dinner conversation was more of a get-to-know-you session. "Do you have a family? Do you have a girlfriend?" Ford recalled being asked, as he enjoyed his eight-ounce filet mignon and side of asparagus.

 

After dinner, the receiver said, he retreated to the hotel room the Jets had booked for him. The next morning, he took the physical, signed the contract and flew home to Florida.

 

Just as corporations recruit potential hires over dinner, so do football teams. And why not? Professional sports franchises are wise to pull out all the stops to vet and seduce multi-million-dollar investments. They aren't necessarily essential, though; Vick said he didn't have dinner with team officials during his five-hour visit.

 

Giacomini said it was the terms of his contract and his comfort with the team that led him to choose the Jets.

"It's all about business at the end of the day," he said.

 

Still, he said, "it's good to get to know the coaches in case you do sign." Giacomini, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in February, said the Jets' two offensive-line coaches, Mike Devlin and Ron Heller, and another staffer took him to a bring-your-own-booze Italian restaurant in Morristown, N.J.

 

There, they asked the right tackle what he wanted to wash his chicken parmesan down with. He said a six-pack of Bud Light

.

He and his dining companions talked about their families and hunting as Giacomini easily drained the half-dozen bottles. "It was my first time meeting the coaches, so I didn't want to ask for a 30-rack right away," he said.

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Jacoby Ford remembers everything about the day the courtship began: The pickup from the airport. The shower of compliments. The steak dinner. And, of course, the invitation to head somewhere more private for a physical exam.

As far as manners go, the New York Jets are gentlemen when it comes to wooing free agents.

 

In the technology-savvy National Football League, where players now study Xs and Os on iPads rather than in playbooks, the Jets still employ an old-fashioned way of pursuing players during the off-season: They ply them with steak and booze.

 

The Jets were frisky suitors in the past three months, winning over quarterback Michael Vick, running back Chris Johnson, right tackle Breno Giacomini and two receivers, Eric Decker and Ford.

 

Coaches lavished the apples of their eyes with praise, and wined and dined at least three of the players in New Jersey's finest restaurants. They would consummate the relationship by inviting them back to the team's swanky training facility to take a physical and sign a contract.

 

According to Ford, a 26-year-old receiver and kick returner who spent his first four season with the Oakland Raiders, the Jets even picked him up. He said that in late March or early April, the Jets flew him to Newark International Airport, where a Chevrolet Suburban was waiting for him. It whisked him to the Jets facility, where he got a tour and spoke with general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan in Idzik's office.

 

The Jets leaders told Ford, one of the NFL's fastest players, that he would fit in perfectly with the team. Ford and Ryan talked about Clemson, the receiver's alma mater, where Ryan's son currently plays football. Ford then met the team's offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, and its special-teams coordinator, Thomas McGaughey.

 

Then Mornwinheg, along with another Jets staffer, took Ford out to a nearby steakhouse for dinner.

 

The three talked some football, but the dinner conversation was more of a get-to-know-you session. "Do you have a family? Do you have a girlfriend?" Ford recalled being asked, as he enjoyed his eight-ounce filet mignon and side of asparagus.

 

After dinner, the receiver said, he retreated to the hotel room the Jets had booked for him. The next morning, he took the physical, signed the contract and flew home to Florida.

 

Just as corporations recruit potential hires over dinner, so do football teams. And why not? Professional sports franchises are wise to pull out all the stops to vet and seduce multi-million-dollar investments. They aren't necessarily essential, though; Vick said he didn't have dinner with team officials during his five-hour visit.

 

Giacomini said it was the terms of his contract and his comfort with the team that led him to choose the Jets.

"It's all about business at the end of the day," he said.

 

Still, he said, "it's good to get to know the coaches in case you do sign." Giacomini, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in February, said the Jets' two offensive-line coaches, Mike Devlin and Ron Heller, and another staffer took him to a bring-your-own-booze Italian restaurant in Morristown, N.J.

 

There, they asked the right tackle what he wanted to wash his chicken parmesan down with. He said a six-pack of Bud Light

.

He and his dining companions talked about their families and hunting as Giacomini easily drained the half-dozen bottles. "It was my first time meeting the coaches, so I didn't want to ask for a 30-rack right away," he said.

 

 

 

Sounds like a guy I'd like to tailgate with.

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Cromartie was frankly terrible last year and Milliner at the start of the year really bad. Just going on that we should see improved play from Milliner progressing and a combo of experienced guys with McDougle a unknown X factor

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Nothing says we care like BYOB Italian in Morristown.

and talk about profiling eh?   Why ya gotta bring Giacomini to the Italian restaurant?    "Bring him to the Paisan place. That's what they eat John"

 

I'm sure he would have liked Arthurs steakhouse too man. What?  300 lb Italian guys don't like steaks ?  :D

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and talk about profiling eh?   Why ya gotta bring Giacomini to the Italian restaurant?    "Bring him to the Paisan place. That's what they eat John"

 

I'm sure he would have liked Arthurs steakhouse too man. What?  300 lb Italian guys don't like steaks ?   :biggrin:

 

Giacomini is Brazilian.

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and talk about profiling eh?   Why ya gotta bring Giacomini to the Italian restaurant?    "Bring him to the Paisan place. That's what they eat John"

 

I'm sure he would have liked Arthurs steakhouse too man. What?  300 lb Italian guys don't like steaks ?   :biggrin:

 

Eww. 

 

And Giacomini isn't Italian.  Profile much?

 

;)

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It's not that big of an if.  Every decent, starting CB is not acquired via an $8-12M/year contract.

One's that can have an immediate impact usually are. Hoping Patterson can stay healthy. If so, I think he will be a solid player, while allowing Walls and McDougal to continue to develop. Hopefully one, if not both, are ready to step into starting roles.

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One's that can have an immediate impact usually are. Hoping Patterson can stay healthy. If so, I think he will be a solid player, while allowing Walls and McDougal to continue to develop. Hopefully one, if not both, are ready to step into starting roles.

 

Risk either way.  Take a player like DRC for example.  He has the talent to be a top-tier CB, but he typically plays far below this level (which is why he's on his 4th team in 5 years; the lone exception being the year Philly traded for him and he was behind Asomugha and Samuel so he wasn't even starting).  So he should have an immediate impact (a positive one) but there's no guarantee he will be.  Plus the CB market nowadays is absurdly-priced IMO.  We had as good of a duo as there's been when we had Revis+Cromartie, and in the end we still only go as far as the QB is going to take us.  

 

I like the idea of a 1-year rental while we try to find our own long-term guy via the draft (or through better value in FA if possible).  This is what the team's done at RG/RT.  I think it's what they're trying to do at WR, but our group was so barren that they had to take a shot on Decker.  And it's also what they're doing at corner.  When the market is ridiculous price-wise at a position, then it's better to draft guys (if you're able to).  When you have positions that you can get solid or better production through FA, then have at it.  Decker wasn't free, but he didn't break the bank.  Same with seeking out veteran RBs as we have.  The difference between rookie $ and good-enough veterans to get you a top-5 running game isn't that great. The difference between that at corner is gargantuan.

 

Plus I think the relative hole at corner was amplified by a meh pair of safeties.  Allen, ideally, will only continue to get better.  But Landry is a high-end backup now.  The better of the two will be in on most snaps, along with Pryor.  I think improving the safety position - assuming Pryor is all that - will help more than just a little bit.  As a group, we have plenty of talent at corner.  Milliner is locked in as one starter.  Wilson theoretically will be the slot guy again.  And in any given game, the best guy (or best-suited for the opponent) will man up against the #2 corner.

 

Also I'm less concerned about immediate impact than most because I'm not viewing this as a SB contender season either way.  If we are it will be because we're going from crap QB play to above-average QB play.  Average play should land us in the playoffs, but the likelihood is unless we get better than that, we'll get bounced with what we've got at corner or with a DRC type.

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Risk either way.  Take a player like DRC for example.  He has the talent to be a top-tier CB, but he typically plays far below this level (which is why he's on his 4th team in 5 years; the lone exception being the year Philly traded for him and he was behind Asomugha and Samuel so he wasn't even starting).  So he should have an immediate impact (a positive one) but there's no guarantee he will be.  Plus the CB market nowadays is absurdly-priced IMO.  We had as good of a duo as there's been when we had Revis+Cromartie, and in the end we still only go as far as the QB is going to take us.  

 

I like the idea of a 1-year rental while we try to find our own long-term guy via the draft (or through better value in FA if possible).  This is what the team's done at RG/RT.  I think it's what they're trying to do at WR, but our group was so barren that they had to take a shot on Decker.  And it's also what they're doing at corner.  When the market is ridiculous price-wise at a position, then it's better to draft guys (if you're able to).  When you have positions that you can get solid or better production through FA, then have at it.  Decker wasn't free, but he didn't break the bank.  Same with seeking out veteran RBs as we have.  The difference between rookie $ and good-enough veterans to get you a top-5 running game isn't that great. The difference between that at corner is gargantuan.

 

Plus I think the relative hole at corner was amplified by a meh pair of safeties.  Allen, ideally, will only continue to get better.  But Landry is a high-end backup now.  The better of the two will be in on most snaps, along with Pryor.  I think improving the safety position - assuming Pryor is all that - will help more than just a little bit.  As a group, we have plenty of talent at corner.  Milliner is locked in as one starter.  Wilson theoretically will be the slot guy again.  And in any given game, the best guy (or best-suited for the opponent) will man up against the #2 corner.

 

Also I'm less concerned about immediate impact than most because I'm not viewing this as a SB contender season either way.  If we are it will be because we're going from crap QB play to above-average QB play.  Average play should land us in the playoffs, but the likelihood is unless we get better than that, we'll get bounced with what we've got at corner or with a DRC type.

TLDR.... just kidding.

 

Absolutely right about the QB play. Nothing translates into additional wins as quickly as an upgrade in a QB's performance. Geno decreases TO's by 30% and increases his TD's thrown by 30% (16 TD's vs. 15 INT's) & we are looking at an extra 3-4 wins from last year. I expect Geno to be near 20 TD's thrown this year. INT's are the biggest worry. If he can get them down to the low teens, and the RB's stay healthy, we will be in the top half of points scored. Expecting Decker, Hill and Kerley to get a nice thing going this year. Decker's professionalism will do wonders for these guys in game preparation

 

As far as our Defense goes, if everyone stays healthy, top 5 "D" this year. As you say, the Safety position will be a BIG help, allowing Milliner and Patterson be

aggressive at the LOS. Snacks, Sheldon, Davis and Coples having 1 more yr. under their belt, along with a healthy Barnes, = Hell Storm in the pocket! CB's will only need to have containment for 3 seconds in most cases. Our guys are talented enough to do this.

 

Would have liked us to be more aggressive in FA, but after seeing how the draft turned out I'm relatively satisfied. I think we could have had gotten some better selections in the later rounds, but I'll trust our new scouting dept.Ready to strap up, double down,  and root these guys on.

Go Jets!

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lol

 

Seriously, for all you know he requested Italian food. Even though he isn't Italian.

Yeah, I'm now realizing the miriad possibilities other than the angry racism claims I made earlier.  

 

That's usually how it happens for me anyway so I'm pretty ok with all of this

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I actually met Giacomini....I don't care what his lineage is, he's a Jersey Guido who'll smack you in the mout' if you mention his mudda'.  How he wound up in Washington is a mystery.  He should have been a bricklayer or longshoreman.  Maybe a thumb breaker from Newark.  Love this dude.

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