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The Need For Speed

Maxman

By Maxman
in NY Jets Forum

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Maxman

Maxman

Posted
Posted

By Glenn Naughton - Air Force Jet Fan

 

Ask any Oakland Raiders fan about the importance of speed, and they’d probably bemoan the obsession that the late Al Davis had for one dimensional track stars.

 

Ask any New York Jets fan about the importance of speed, and they’ll bemoan their front office for neglecting it for so many years.

 

With John Idzik heading up the Jets front office, it looks like the Jets are trying to strike a balance between the two.

 

Even when the Jets were making deep playoff runs during the first two years of Rex Ryan’s tenure, Jets fans were frustrated by their inability to get a quick score. While it made sense to use up as much clock as possible with a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez, and one of the top defenses in the league, every team should have their own “home run” threat that has to be accounted for by the opponents defense.

 

Sure, the Jets boasted one of NFL’s top rushing attacks when Thomas Jones rumbled for over 2,700 yards and 27 TD’s during the 2008/09 seasons, but many Jet fans feel like there were a lot of yards left on the field. Too many times we saw Thomas Jones burst through a gaping hole with plenty of open field in front of him, only to get caught from behind or knocked out of bounds. Jets fans were forced to wonder how prolific their offense could have been if GM Mike Tannenbaum had acquire a speed back.

 

At the wide receiver position, Tannenbaums biggest acquisitions were Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. Holmes, the faster of the two, showed glimpses of what could be done with game-breaking speed, but seeing Holmes play at a high level for the Jets was short lived. Whether it was a suspension, an injury, or poor attitude and lack of effort, Holmes was never able to provide the Jets with that consistent deep threat. While Edwards, still a fan favorite for many of the Jets faithful, played well on the other side never had elite speed. If you were to compile a list of players who even possessed the ability to stretch the field over the past several seasons, it would strongly resemble a midget in the NBA. Very short, and wildly ineffective:

 

WR Stephen Hill- We all know the story with Stephen Hill. He has great height, great speed, questionable hands and poor durability. This is a make or break season for Hill, who will have to show significant improvement in year three if he ever hopes to make an impact with the Jets.

 

WR Clyde Gates- Gates is a holdover from the Tannenbaum regime that Idzik seems willing to give another shot. Plenty of glowing reports about his pre-season performance last year didn’t add up to much when he suffered an early season-ending injury. News of his output in camp has been strong again this season, so time will tell if it translates to game day.

 

WR David Clowney- Rex Ryan was said to have asked several times in training camp “who can cover the clown”? Apparently, the answer to that was “anyone who feels like it”.

 

RB Joe McKnight- A bust in college, and the NFL. McKnight is barely hanging on as an NFL player, currently injured in camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.

If we want to dig really deep, we can include WR Eron Riley out of Duke (Currently playing in Canda with the aforementioned Clowney) who played all of two games and recorded zero catches for the Jets.

 

With most players being nothing more than a distant memory, we fast-forward to the Jets roster as it stands today.

 

Veteran speedster Chris Johnson leads the way despite having added a few years and a lot of miles since his CJ2K days. Johnson was a guy that could afford to lose a half step, and still be faster than most guys on the field. Johnson could end up being a brilliant signing by Idzik.

 

Chris Ivory expects to get the starting nod at RB and Jets fans should be fine with that. After being acquired in a draft day trade from New Orleans last year, Ivory paced the Jets with 833 yds on the ground that included a career-long 69 yard run. With the additions made the to the WR position, Ivory should see more running room even if 2nd year QB Geno Smith shows only modest gains.

 

Daryl Richardson, a surprise cut by the St. Louis Rams has already become somewhat of a forgotten man in a crowded Jets backfield, but multiple sources list Richardson as having sub 4.4 speed. Richardson flashed some of that speed as a rookie with the Rams two seasons ago when he rushed for 475 yds on just 98 carries, a hefty 4.8 ypc average. The brother of Ravens RB Bernard Scott, Richardson should get a shot in the pre-season to add another burner to the RB rotation.

 

WR Jacoby Ford was one of the fastest WR’s in college when he was drafted by, who else, but the Oakland Raiders. Ford showed flashes as a rookie when he hauled in 25 passes for 470 yds (18.8 avg) and amassed over 1,200 yards as a kick returner. Since then his production has regressed each year, but again, that was in Oakland. Ford will be given every opportunity to make an impact with his game-breaking speed for the green and white.

 

Adding veterans wasn’t Idzik’s only plan. He used three of his picks on WR’s and all of them boasted impressive 40-times at the scouting combine. Jalen

Saunders (4.41), Quincy Enunwa (4.40), and Shaq Evans (4.47) give the Jets three rookies to work with and hopefully cultivate in to impact NFL players.

Nobody knows how any of these moves will pan out, but Jets fans should be encouraged knowing that they now have a front-office in place that recognizes the importance of having game-breaking speed at the skill positions.

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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Good job.  In addition to these guys, it seems that Idzik likes to take a chance on guys that can seriously fly.  They brought in Saalim Hakim last year who reportedly ran back to back 4.22 and 4.23, Jeremy Reeves a CB from Iowa St that missed the 2013 draft with a torn pec and ran a 4.29.  S Brandon Hardin who they just moved to the injured list ran a 4.38 @ 220 lbs. Earlier they had Nick Taylor in camp.  A basketball player from FIU that was with the VIkings for a bit, never was sure if he was a DB or WR, but he ran a 4.27.  These guys are no joke fast.  

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JoeC36

JoeC36

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Good job.  In addition to these guys, it seems that Idzik likes to take a chance on guys that can seriously fly.  They brought in Saalim Hakim last year who reportedly ran back to back 4.22 and 4.23, Jeremy Reeves a CB from Iowa St that missed the 2013 draft with a torn pec and ran a 4.29.  S Brandon Hardin who they just moved to the injured list ran a 4.38 @ 220 lbs. Earlier they had Nick Taylor in camp.  A basketball player from FIU that was with the VIkings for a bit, never was sure if he was a DB or WR, but he ran a 4.27.  These guys are no joke fast.  

 

Just for updating purposes, Hardin was just waived

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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Just for updating purposes, Hardin was just waived

 

He is still listed on the reserve/injured list.  It does not affect the 90 man roster.  

 

http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/roster.html

 

 

Prior to the start of the season, teams cannot place players on injured reserve without waiving them first. Once a player has cleared waivers, he is immediately reverted to injured reserved, allowing the team to retain its rights to the player. Should a player wish pursue opportunities with other teams, a club can negotiate an injury settlement with the player.

 

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/nfl/saints/2014/06/24/saints-place-davis-on-injured-list/11339489/

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JoeC36

JoeC36

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He was given the settlement.

 

 Brian Costello ‏@BrianCoz  20m

Jets waived S Brandon Hardin with an injury settlement. #nyj

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AFJF

AFJF

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Posted

It's not track so the 40 time is useless.

Who's the best nfl players with the fastest 40 time?

Only one that comes to mind is Sanders.

I get what you're saying, but there are some good players in the NFL who are fast....found a short list online..

Randy Moss 4.25

CJ 4.24

AP 4.4

Julio Jones 4.39

Calvin Johnson 4.35

Jamal Charles 4.36

Marshawn Lynch 4.46

Matt Forte 4.46

To name a few....it does help to be fast.

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AFJF

AFJF

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Braylon Edwards was plenty fast in his first few seasons here.

I think Braylon came in at just under 4.5...definitely played faster than that though. Fair point.

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New York Mick

New York Mick

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I get what you're saying, but there are some good players in the NFL who are fast....found a short list online..

Randy Moss 4.25

CJ 4.24

AP 4.4

Julio Jones 4.39

Calvin Johnson 4.35

Jamal Charles 4.36

Marshawn Lynch 4.46

Matt Forte 4.46

To name a few....it does help to be fast.

4.4< is elite speed. Randy Moss was that fast???

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AFJF

AFJF

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4.4< is elite speed. Randy Moss was that fast???

While "elite" speed would be nice, I'm happy to know that the Jets are focusing not only on some players that fall in to that category, but players who have enough speed to pose a challenge to a defense. Over the past several seasons, they've had too many players who could easily be caught from behind or prevented from breaking off a long score. Several players in the 4.4 range and under us a good start. Kerley, Nelson, Salas, etc... Are nice players, but there possession guys who move the chains, but they don't blow the top off of a defense. Some if these newcomers might be able to do just that.

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Integrity28

Integrity28

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It's not track so the 40 time is useless.

Who's the best nfl players with the fastest 40 time?

Only one that comes to mind is Sanders.

 

I think the author is using 40 times as a metric to demonstrate the amount of explosive playmakers being given a shot at making this team.

 

The bigger point is that there's been a clear-cut investment in adding faster, more athletic players all over the roster, but specifically at offensive skill positions. The ideal end-result is having more guys capable of taking a simple pass and turning it into more than a 9-yard reception on 3rd and 10, which is something that has afflicted the Jets offense going as far back as Pennington.

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AFJF

AFJF

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4.4< is elite speed. Randy Moss was that fast???

I'm not gonna' say I was there holding a stopwatch, but searched past 40 times and that was the number they gav for Moss. Biggest surprise to me as well.

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Integrity28

Integrity28

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At the end of the day, the old cliché applies... "you can't coach speed"

 

I don't think anyone is implying "let's go add guys with fast 40 times", I think fast 40 times just happen to be a common-thread amongst explosive players. Hopefully the ones that stick can play football AND run fast and stuff. ;)

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Clementi49

Clementi49

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Now Thomas Jones was awful? I'm pretty I don't agree with you on the basis of being disappointed at all for those two seasons. Pretty sure the first season was a blow up the roster type year and rookie qb and we played great. Pretty sure the second year we had more hype and went 11-5. And then almost still made it. Beat Peyton and Tom in the postseason. By no stretch of the imagination did I for once think any different about those seasons. But yes it looks like they added more speed this year

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Larz

Larz

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thanks for taking the time, I enjoyed reading it

 

I think outside of purging the jets roster of stoopid contracts and diva players, Idziks' #1 goal has been to add speed to the roster

 

I think that is why he held onto the thug turd after he puked in his own lap weeks after signing

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AFJF

AFJF

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Now Thomas Jones was awful? I'm pretty I don't agree with you on the basis of being disappointed at all for those two seasons. Pretty sure the first season was a blow up the roster type year and rookie qb and we played great. Pretty sure the second year we had more hype and went 11-5. And then almost still made it. Beat Peyton and Tom in the postseason. By no stretch of the imagination did I for once think any different about those seasons. But yes it looks like they added more speed this year

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Jetscode1

Jetscode1

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By Glenn Naughton - Air Force Jet Fan

 

Ask any Oakland Raiders fan about the importance of speed, and they’d probably bemoan the obsession that the late Al Davis had for one dimensional track stars.

 

Ask any New York Jets fan about the importance of speed, and they’ll bemoan their front office for neglecting it for so many years.

 

With John Idzik heading up the Jets front office, it looks like the Jets are trying to strike a balance between the two.

 

Even when the Jets were making deep playoff runs during the first two years of Rex Ryan’s tenure, Jets fans were frustrated by their inability to get a quick score. While it made sense to use up as much clock as possible with a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez, and one of the top defenses in the league, every team should have their own “home run” threat that has to be accounted for by the opponents defense.

 

Sure, the Jets boasted one of NFL’s top rushing attacks when Thomas Jones rumbled for over 2,700 yards and 27 TD’s during the 2008/09 seasons, but many Jet fans feel like there were a lot of yards left on the field. Too many times we saw Thomas Jones burst through a gaping hole with plenty of open field in front of him, only to get caught from behind or knocked out of bounds. Jets fans were forced to wonder how prolific their offense could have been if GM Mike Tannenbaum had acquire a speed back.

 

At the wide receiver position, Tannenbaums biggest acquisitions were Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. Holmes, the faster of the two, showed glimpses of what could be done with game-breaking speed, but seeing Holmes play at a high level for the Jets was short lived. Whether it was a suspension, an injury, or poor attitude and lack of effort, Holmes was never able to provide the Jets with that consistent deep threat. While Edwards, still a fan favorite for many of the Jets faithful, played well on the other side never had elite speed. If you were to compile a list of players who even possessed the ability to stretch the field over the past several seasons, it would strongly resemble a midget in the NBA. Very short, and wildly ineffective:

 

WR Stephen Hill- We all know the story with Stephen Hill. He has great height, great speed, questionable hands and poor durability. This is a make or break season for Hill, who will have to show significant improvement in year three if he ever hopes to make an impact with the Jets.

 

WR Clyde Gates- Gates is a holdover from the Tannenbaum regime that Idzik seems willing to give another shot. Plenty of glowing reports about his pre-season performance last year didn’t add up to much when he suffered an early season-ending injury. News of his output in camp has been strong again this season, so time will tell if it translates to game day.

 

WR David Clowney- Rex Ryan was said to have asked several times in training camp “who can cover the clown”? Apparently, the answer to that was “anyone who feels like it”.

 

RB Joe McKnight- A bust in college, and the NFL. McKnight is barely hanging on as an NFL player, currently injured in camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.

If we want to dig really deep, we can include WR Eron Riley out of Duke (Currently playing in Canda with the aforementioned Clowney) who played all of two games and recorded zero catches for the Jets.

 

With most players being nothing more than a distant memory, we fast-forward to the Jets roster as it stands today.

 

Veteran speedster Chris Johnson leads the way despite having added a few years and a lot of miles since his CJ2K days. Johnson was a guy that could afford to lose a half step, and still be faster than most guys on the field. Johnson could end up being a brilliant signing by Idzik.

 

Chris Ivory expects to get the starting nod at RB and Jets fans should be fine with that. After being acquired in a draft day trade from New Orleans last year, Ivory paced the Jets with 833 yds on the ground that included a career-long 69 yard run. With the additions made the to the WR position, Ivory should see more running room even if 2nd year QB Geno Smith shows only modest gains.

 

Daryl Richardson, a surprise cut by the St. Louis Rams has already become somewhat of a forgotten man in a crowded Jets backfield, but multiple sources list Richardson as having sub 4.4 speed. Richardson flashed some of that speed as a rookie with the Rams two seasons ago when he rushed for 475 yds on just 98 carries, a hefty 4.8 ypc average. The brother of Ravens RB Bernard Scott, Richardson should get a shot in the pre-season to add another burner to the RB rotation.

 

WR Jacoby Ford was one of the fastest WR’s in college when he was drafted by, who else, but the Oakland Raiders. Ford showed flashes as a rookie when he hauled in 25 passes for 470 yds (18.8 avg) and amassed over 1,200 yards as a kick returner. Since then his production has regressed each year, but again, that was in Oakland. Ford will be given every opportunity to make an impact with his game-breaking speed for the green and white.

 

Adding veterans wasn’t Idzik’s only plan. He used three of his picks on WR’s and all of them boasted impressive 40-times at the scouting combine. Jalen

Saunders (4.41), Quincy Enunwa (4.40), and Shaq Evans (4.47) give the Jets three rookies to work with and hopefully cultivate in to impact NFL players.

Nobody knows how any of these moves will pan out, but Jets fans should be encouraged knowing that they now have a front-office in place that recognizes the importance of having game-breaking speed at the skill positions.

 

Great read.  Thanks

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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51 inch vertical at the combine. I dont know how true that is....but jesus christ.

 

Can't say I believe it, but whoa!  Strange thing is that I've seen the 51" figure thrown around, but wikipedia which usually has all those rumors, (like Seabiscuit starring Sarah Jessica Parker) has 39" which is still fairly great.  

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AFJF

AFJF

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Successful yes, elite no. Take away 2009 and he's just an average RB.

I'd say that producing between 1,400-1,600 yards on average is better than just successful when your QB play is suspect at best.  To each his own.

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BP

BP

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Posted

I get what you're saying, but there are some good players in the NFL who are fast....found a short list online..

Randy Moss 4.25

CJ 4.24

AP 4.4

Julio Jones 4.39

Calvin Johnson 4.35

Jamal Charles 4.36

Marshawn Lynch 4.46

Matt Forte 4.46

To name a few....it does help to be fast.

Jerry Rice ran a 4.6 40 and nobody could ever run him down from behind. I think Mick meant you cant just judge it on 40 times alone. some players play faster (a lot faster) than their 40 times.

 

Good article btw :)

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