Does Anyone in the NFL Respect Rex Anymore?

[ZachEY]

Giving enormous contracts to so many slow LBers has been a huge downfall. Individually you can have a solid tackler who's no speed demon, but we've got 3 slowpokes. The David Harris contract was abominably stupid on its face. It only makes it worse that the other 3 starters at the time were Pace-Scott-Thomas. Yeah he's a solid player but, like Scott 2 years earlier, the Jets gave him a contract commensurate with one worthy of the best ILB in NFL history.

It's not just Harris, who personally has done nothing wrong of course. But for the next 2 years (which are both 100% guaranteed) he'll have the cap charge of a franchise QB. Franchise QB money for a generally good, but far from great, ILB. He's a solid tackler who, sadly, would probably have a world of difficulty covering a practice-squad TE. An example of how slow he is: against NE in the playoffs last year, he did get the interception, we won the game anyway, and it's hardly his fault Folk missed a chip-shot. But how does a healthy, 26 year-old, 240-lb LBer in his prime, with a running head start, get chased down by a 33 year-old TE who (at only 6'2" tall) was probably pushing 280-290 lbs at the time?

2008 Calvin Pace

after 5 years in the league, most of it being labeled a bust (following his being referred to as a major reach in round 1 to begin with), and without a single great season under his belt, the Jets made Pace the highest-paid OLB in NFL history at the time with over $20M guaranteed.

2009 Bart Scott

a solid borderline-pro-bowl type, knew Rex's defense cold, and brought in the attitude Rex loved. But still, he was in no way worthy of becoming the highest-paid ILB in NFL history. Became a FA at 28, turning 29 right before the 2009 season, and was awarded an $8M/year deal also with over $20M guaranteed. Has aged rapidly since then, which just happens sometimes when players get over 30. It's a rough sport and not many can play like they're still in their primes 8-10 years into their careers. Well his contract for next year is guaranteed and this year he's already needed to come off the field on obvious passing downs.

2011 David Harris

said enough above. A generally solid tackler and very good overall player. Has good instincts, which allows him to play a little faster than his pure on-paper speed, and gets to the QB once every 5 games on blitzes when he's unblocked. But he can't cover for sh*t, can't really chase anyone down, and is out of place on a defense that already boasts multiple slow LBers who cannot be cut themselves for cap reasons. $9M/year for 4 years, with the first 3 years guaranteed. But hey, Rex loves him so much that, like Bart Scott, personal affections end up trumping a player's true value. Was not in the same class of player as Willis, Beason, Urlacher, Lewis types but was awarded a contract that outpays them all.

This doesn't take into account Bryan Thomas, who was given a $5M/year deal after one half of one very good season in '06. Then he regresses so much in '07 the Jets jump all over the chance to draft one Vernon Gholston 6th in the country. Thomas got his act together while Gholston stunk up the joint, but certainly has never displayed the speed that made him a high pick in the first place. Sucks that he missed this season, but he's in the last year of his contract and is slow also despite being the only 1 of the 4 who can cover a TE at all (at least as of 2 seasons ago).

The only real speed we have at the position is Maybin. The kid runs like the wind but can only do one thing: rush the passer. That's fine, but he'd be a lot more use if we had a high-scoring first-half offense that keeps the other team in must-pass mode for the second half of a game.

Whatever. I do like our DL (both starters and depth). Revis is the best CB of all time. Cromartie is fine overall, but is overpaid for a team that's already paying through the nose for Revis and is probably our best trade bait after the season. Our safeties are awful. Best I could say is Leonhard would be fine if he had someone far better sharing safety duties with him, who could man up on a TE a little. But however much Rex loves him, he simply has no business being our team's best safety.

Our defense would be fine - if not very, very good - with a truly good safety who can keep up with an NFL TE and if we hit paydirt on an OLB draft prospect who can start right away. It also may require Wilson to step it up and become a starter if we get a good enough offer for Cromartie. All far easier said than done, but contracts dictate the rest of the defense returns in 2012.

Ummm... You forgot to blame Schotty.

[CTM]

Thats all good and gravy but the Ravens suck really really bad on the road.

they beat the steelers on the road, probably the most complete team in the AFC

[Sperm Edwards]

Ummm... You forgot to blame Schotty.

I wanted to keep my post brief.

[THE ILK]

Rex is a hype man.

He's already at it again, talking about "extra incentive for the WAR in NY".

One... its a game. Not a war. Don't disrespect what our troops risk every day by comparing it to a game.

Two... was there NOT incentive going against Philly? Jets/Eagles was the battle of the most over-hyped teams of the pre-season, and we didn't even show up.

I like Rex. I want him here, but he's got a long way to go to be one of the best, imo. A long way.

FLAVA FLAV!

[JustInFudge]

they beat the steelers on the road, probably the most complete team in the AFC

The lost to Tenn, Jax, Seattle and SD on the road. They are 1 and 4 on the road. Color me not impressed.

[CTM]

The lost to Tenn, Jax, Seattle and SD on the road. They are 1 and 4 on the road. Color me not impressed.

CN is not a good team, and now green is hurt... just shut it you nitwit

[JustInFudge]

CN is not a good team, and now green is hurt... just shut it you nitwit

Neither is Tenn, Jax, Seattle or SD...and they lost...in their house.

[Smashmouth]

It is very apparent...that the majority of NFL talking head media types think that Rex is just a side show...The Jets post game (Klecko) said that the Coaching and said Rex needs to do a better job in preparing the team....Is that not what Joe Namath said? Granted its not all on Rex...but he needs to do a better job...

jet27 when your a headcoach and your team appears flat and disorganized it is pretty much all on you. When you start to see former players that probably have contact with the organization saying it, it makes it that much worse. Rex needs to stop the stand up comedy act and start laying down the law.

[Jet27]

jet27 when your a headcoach and your team appears flat and disorganized it is pretty much all on you. When you start to see former players that probably have contact with the organization saying it, it makes it that much worse. Rex needs to stop the stand up comedy act and start laying down the law.

Smash...I couldn't have said it better.....

[jason423]

jet27 when your a headcoach and your team appears flat and disorganized it is pretty much all on you. When you start to see former players that probably have contact with the organization saying it, it makes it that much worse. Rex needs to stop the stand up comedy act and start laying down the law.

The only thing I would disagree with here is relying sometimes on those former players. It depends on who the players are. Guys working in the media are trying to fit into media roles. Im not saying they dont speak their own mind from time to time(Rodney Harrison would be a good example), but most of the time they are just echoing whatever the company sentiment/storyline of the day is. Its why listening to Antonio Pierce on ESPN is tough since hes just a mouthpiece for their talking points of the day or why Michael Strahan picking the Cowboys to win in all in his first year on Fox was a joke. These are guys trying to fit in and I dont take them serious most of the time. Some of these guys are also all guilty of the same things that are going on with the Jets and Giants players right now. A guy like Damien Woody, who is barely a media presence I do take seriously and when he is saying stuff during games on Twitter I think it should be taken as a very fair assessment of the teams. But some of these other guys I think just say what they think they are supposed to be saying.

[THE ILK]

[SMC]

Mark Sanchez, Wayne Hunter, and Eric Smith.

If these 3 players played better this season, the Jets would be 11-3 rather than 8-6.

[Bleedin Green]

Mark Sanchez, Wayne Hunter, and Eric Smith.

If these 3 players played better this season, the Jets would be 11-3 rather than 8-6.

To being lumped in with those two Mark Sanchez says, "Hey, at least I'm not the single worst player in the entire league at my position!"

But yeah, you're right.

[SMC]

To being lumped in with those two Mark Sanchez says, "Hey, at least I'm not the single worst player in the entire league at my position!"

But yeah, you're right.

EY and Rutgers would strongly disagree.

But seriously, it is tough to be lumped with Hunter and Smith, but those 3 have sabotaged the season. If Sanchez had been an elite QB he could cover up for Hunter & Smith's attrocious play, but he's simply not good enough right now to do that.

The Jets' only hope is to dump or demote Smith & Hunter and Sanchez to have a more significant improvement next year.

[Smashmouth]

EY and Rutgers would strongly disagree.

But seriously, it is tough to be lumped with Hunter and Smith, but those 3 have sabotaged the season. If Sanchez had been an elite QB he could cover up for Hunter & Smith's attrocious play, but he's simply not good enough right now to do that.

The Jets' only hope is to dump or demote Smith & Hunter and Sanchez to have a more significant improvement next year.

How does an elite QB compensate for a turnstile at RT, a below average LG who still misses assignments, and an Injured center in the beginning of the season replaced by a rookie who did not have a clue ?

Elite QB's need the entire offense to be in sync to be effective and when your front line gives you 2 seconds to throw you get one maybe 2 progressions before your looking to get crushed. In that scenario NO QB does well. Sorry but this season is a total team effort of trash with flashes that get us excited.

Bottom line is when Rex came in here he developed our current defense into a championship caliber defense, we all knew the offense was a work in progress but the sad fact is this teams talent level has decreased each of the last 3 years. The personnel moves have been so bad its borderline comical. The most important part of any offense is the O-Line and ours was in trouble in the preseason yet we did nothing and had money available thats nothing short of criminal to the fans who paid good money to watch this team.

I Happen to think our skill players on offense have the physical skill but lack the mental toughness to be consistent. So the occasional great play gets Jets fans excited but those great plays are few and far between and thats the big difference between great players and the inconsistent ones we have.

So if we want to talk about respect or lack thereof we should look not only at Rex but at the horrible Job Tannenbaum has done here as well the past 3 years. Sure he and Mangini built a nice core for this team but once you get that done and become a contender, its the small moves to fill holes that wins championships and in that respect Tanny has failed in a big time way.

[jetsjetsjetss]

i blame sanchez for the lack of discipline really. A good qb should be able to get in a players face if he is rly a leader. Sanchez probably gets shrugged off like a girl when he goes to talk to like tone

[SMC]

How does an elite QB compensate for a turnstile at RT, a below average LG who still misses assignments, and an Injured center in the beginning of the season replaced by a rookie who did not have a clue ?

Below average LG? What are you talking about? Slauson has been the Jets most consistent OLineman this year. Slauson is the least of the Jets Oline worries.

And, yes, an elite QB can compensate for poor oline play because an elite QB can read defenses better, conduct quicker reads, release the ball quicker, and recognize the blitz.

[Integrity28]

i blame sanchez for the lack of discipline really. A good qb should be able to get in a players face if he is rly a leader. Sanchez probably gets shrugged off like a girl when he goes to talk to like tone

So the QB, not the coaches, should be held responsible for a lack of discipline amongst teh entire team. Got it.

[Smashmouth]

Below average LG? What are you talking about? Slauson has been the Jets most consistent OLineman this year. Slauson is the least of the Jets Oline worries.

And, yes, an elite QB can compensate for poor oline play because an elite QB can read defenses better, conduct quicker reads, release the ball quicker, and recognize the blitz.

Im not sure what makes you think Slauson has been the most consistent but I have not seen it. And recognizing the blitz goes 2 ways the WR must do his part as well. Ive seen some plays this year where Sanchez was getting blitzed to hell and all the Receivers were still running up field with their backs to the QB. Not sure how you react to that but its something Ive noticed numerous times, wish I had some film to actully see more of this but I dont none of us do but when you see it happen at various times during the season and also hear the announcers say hes got no one open kind of makes ya think a little, no ?. Certainly the OC coordinator is not noticing it because with every play that comes in it also comes in with a 3 5 or 7 step drop depending on how long a play takes to develop. We saw Sanchez on numerous 5 and 7 step drops yesterday so when those plays come in does he call time out or check to a running play ? Deos he say in the huddle Shottys an Idiot lets run this ?

Its simple SMC this team has issues on offense at every single level. Im not willing to pass blame to the QB as easily as others are until I see a change from this fool that currently calls the shots for this offense. I can see the Jets doing something stupid like Firing shotty then losing Plax to retirement or another team and then not fill the hole and claim Kerley and Turner could fill the void just fine, just like we did from 03 -08. It would not be too far fetched since we have so many holes to fill. I have a feeling this offseason will bring us to the next level of stupid.

This team needs a real GM like Casserly to run the show not an accountant

[T0mShane]

So the QB, not the coaches, should be held responsible for a lack of discipline amongst teh entire team. Got it.

I think it's pretty clear that his own players have no great love for Sanchez. You really have to wonder if there's more truth to those 9-to-5'ER rep that he's gotten than we think. Gannon hinted around about Sanchez getting better at "preparing" for the game. It could be that he's lost the team.

[Jet27]

I think it's pretty clear that his own players have no great love for Sanchez. You really have to wonder if there's more truth to those 9-to-5'ER rep that he's gotten than we think. Gannon hinted around about Sanchez getting better at "preparing" for the game. It could be that he's lost the team.

I think its a combination of OLINE - SANCHEZ - REX - TANNY........if Sanchez is NOT preparing more...then that will come out. But that might not be the case. Is this team simply a product of Rex's mouth?

[bitonti]

2011 David Harris

said enough above. A generally solid tackler and very good overall player. Has good instincts, which allows him to play a little faster than his pure on-paper speed, and gets to the QB once every 5 games on blitzes when he's unblocked. But he can't cover for sh*t, can't really chase anyone down, and is out of place on a defense that already boasts multiple slow LBers who cannot be cut themselves for cap reasons.

Harris chased down Vick a couple times yesterday. Think you're being hard on David Harris. He's one of the best linebackers in the entire league.

[bitonti]

Elite QB's need the entire offense to be in sync to be effective and when your front line gives you 2 seconds to throw you get one maybe 2 progressions before your looking to get crushed. In that scenario NO QB does well.

that's not true by the way. Elite QBs make a decision in 1.5 seconds if they only have 2.

[Sperm Edwards]

Harris chased down Vick a couple times yesterday. Think you're being hard on David Harris. He's one of the best linebackers in the entire league.

You're high. He did nothing of the sort.

Harris is running forward full speed and Vick is backpedaling and sidestepping and he still couldn't close the deal. David Harris cannot, did not, and will not ever be able to run down Michael Vick of all people. Get real.

I think Harris is a damn solid player but is severely overrated and grossly overpaid. He's slow and can't cover.

[jason423]

I think it's pretty clear that his own players have no great love for Sanchez. You really have to wonder if there's more truth to those 9-to-5'ER rep that he's gotten than we think. Gannon hinted around about Sanchez getting better at "preparing" for the game. It could be that he's lost the team.

The strange thing is I never heard that rep about him until recently. I still remember how he showed up after the playoff loss last year and the staff all asked him why he was even there and his response was something like "I dont know. this is what I do.". But Gannon has said it a few times now. Simms I think mentioned it. Others have mentioned it based on watching him play (Boomer Esiason for example). I know Esiason wondered if Sanchez just isnt comfortable in the offense rather than not putting in the work, but he has said on numerous occasions that something doesnt mesh. Could be a problem though if its true. You have hired guns that came from other systems in Holmes and Burress that were far more structured than the Jets. Those guys may not like to put in work but you can bet that Roethlisberger and Manning were putting in tons of work with their head coaches and coordinators. So when Sanchez just misses them and is throwing to an entirely different space, well lets just say they are not pointing the fingers at themselves. "Mark needs to figure out what he is doing" is the more likely response.

[Matt39]

I think it's pretty clear that his own players have no great love for Sanchez. You really have to wonder if there's more truth to those 9-to-5'ER rep that he's gotten than we think. Gannon hinted around about Sanchez getting better at "preparing" for the game. It could be that he's lost the team.

Dude, to be honest I don't even get the sense Sanchez really likes football...or maybe just football in NY. The Hasslebeck comments I doubt he would just make up.

Recently Sanchez was asked about USC vs NY...and he basically said they cheered you no matter what in college and in NY you get booed if you hand the ball off.

What did Gannon say yesterday? I had to listen to the radio...

[JustInFudge]

I think it's pretty clear that his own players have no great love for Sanchez. You really have to wonder if there's more truth to those 9-to-5'ER rep that he's gotten than we think. Gannon hinted around about Sanchez getting better at "preparing" for the game. It could be that he's lost the team.

Obviously.

This board has no clue what leadership in QB does for a team. No clue.

[Smashmouth]

that's not true by the way. Elite QBs make a decision in 1.5 seconds if they only have 2.

Uh no they dont Bit . When Manning gets pressured he gets happy feet. When Brady gets pressured he gets extremely frustrated we showed that last year in the playoffs. Even yesterday Rodgers was pretty frustrated and taking a lot of hits at one point he got hit 3 times in a row and I was kind of surprised they didnt just hand the ball off couple of times he got hammered. It makes a big difference for any QB weather you want to believe that or not.

[Smashmouth]

Obviously.

This board has no clue what leadership in QB does for a team. No clue.

What makes you say that ? Its one of the most important traits a QB can have. I think if there was a leadership issue we would have heard something by now from a former player . Sanchez in his third year should be right at the beginning of where he starts showing Leadership abilities and NO ONE really knows that but the people around him for us to take guesses at it would be stupid.

[CTM]

wait a minute, when did sanchez become disliked by the team, lazy and not evening enjoying football?

after the chiefs game the tune was completely different

[CTM]

Uh no they dont Bit . When Manning gets pressured he gets happy feet. When Brady gets pressured he gets extremely frustrated we showed that last year in the playoffs. Even yesterday Rodgers was pretty frustrated and taking a lot of hits at one point he got hit 3 times in a row and I was kind of surprised they didnt just hand the ball off couple of times he got hammered. It makes a big difference for any QB weather you want to believe that or not.

he's ref tebow

[Smashmouth]

wait a minute, when did sanchez become disliked by the team, lazy and not evening enjoying football?

after the chiefs game the tune was completely different

when the haters decided it was time to play that card.

[CTM]

when the haters decided it was time to play that card.

Matt39 isn't a hater

[Smashmouth]

Matt39 isn't a hater

Maybe Matts in the closet .

[SMC]

wait a minute, when did sanchez become disliked by the team, lazy and not evening enjoying football?

after the chiefs game the tune was completely different

That's the postloss narrative.