The Running Theme With The Jets New Rookie Class

[YJF]

The day, Eric Mangini was hired and then eventually, Tannenbaum promoted to GM. I did a post stating how The Jets scouting practices would change.

The emphasis was going to be on football smarts, leadership and versatility and as you study all the players that The Jets drafted and are now signing as undrafted free agents. There's a running theme with all these players.

Even guys like Dontrell Moore and Darrell Adams. They are considered tough, smart, students of the game with great respect from their teammates and coaches. Every scouting report, You read on these players has the same lines. "Football is important to them".......

Fans need to get off this "character" stuff. It's not about players who are polite or who donate to charity. The character emphasis is really on football smarts period.

While I disagreed with where The Jets drafted MLB Anthony Schlegel. There's no denying that he's a technician. Whether or not, His athletic ability will permit him to compete on the next level remains to be seen but the player does know how to do his job and do it well.

Versatility is also a major sticking point with The Jets new regime.

One of thier best picks that is a combination of talent, football character and versatility is Brad Smith. That was a big time pick in my opinion. He has checkpoints in all areas and that's a flashy pick.

Here's the tagline on a scouting report on Brad Smith... "plays like a coach on the field, great character, outstanding worker and leader".

Brad Smith is going to be used at WR initially but Westhoff and Sam Gash scouted him and want to use him on special teams because of how dangerous he is with the ball in his hands. He's also a big kid. This player can play WR, run reverses, line up in the backfield, line up at QB and return kicks.

That's bang for your buck from a 5th WR. That's how you maximize roster value and depth.

Even The TE, The Jets took can play FB, H-Back and TE. His scouting report was that he never makes mistakes. That's his running theme.

It's versatilty, football smarts and leadership. That's the running theme for the new Jets regime.

[SouthernJet]

While I disagreed with where The Jets drafted MLB Anthony Schlegel. .

methinks that Eric knew patriots draft book and knew the Pats probably would get him in 4th/5th round or trade up in late 3rd,,,

didnt want to risk it,,,

[Gaffneycatch]

Fans need to get off this "character" stuff. It's not about players who are polite or who donate to charity. The character emphasis is really on football smarts period.

I've been thinking the same thing. When I hear "character", I usually think "clean cut," "good citizen," "stays out of trouble," "not flashy," "nice guy" -- cliches like that. But I'm gathering from what I read about the Jets draft choices that the real common thread is that they really care about and understand football. Hypothetically (and I'm not saying this is the case with any of the new guys, but just guessing that it COULD be the case under the Tangini philosophy) it wouldn't really matter if a guy spits on opponents, drives a tricked out lexus, beats his wife, or whatever...if he loves and understands football, he might still fit the Tangini mold.

Romanowski, for example, could be a Tangini type player, though he's hardly what anyone would call a "high character" guy.

[YJF]

I've been thinking the same thing. When I hear "character", I usually think "clean cut," "good citizen," "stays out of trouble," "not flashy," "nice guy" -- cliches like that. But I'm gathering from what I read about the Jets draft choices that the real common thread is that they really care about and understand football. Hypothetically (and I'm not saying this is the case with any of the new guys, but just guessing that it COULD be the case under the Tangini philosophy) it wouldn't really matter if a guy spits on opponents, drives a tricked out lexus, beats his wife, or whatever...if he loves and understands football, he might still fit the Tangini mold.

Romanowski, for example, could be a Tangini type player, though he's hardly what anyone would call a "high character" guy.

Rodney Harrison is not exactly the cleanest football player on the planet. He's really not a bad guy off the field from what I can gather but he's always been on the wrong side of the football law in this league.

But he fits all the chracter traits that this philosophy looks for. Harrison is passionate and dedicated. He is football.

That's the key. I laugh when people get this image of New England and their operation being some clean cut and wholesome group. The Pats will do whatever it takes to win games. They practice cheating tactics that they utilize in games and Charlie Weis brought that to Notre Dame. It's the old, If you ain't cheating, You ain't trying theme. They run illlegal picks on passing plays, Their players are good holders, Their defense knows how to "disrupt" pass patterns. They practice doing these things. Hell, Their head coach in an AFC Championship game, purposely stepped in front of Marvin Harrison to prevent him from making a tackle. Does this sound like clean cut?lol

It's all about football. It has nothing to do with helping old ladies across the street or going to church.

[Shadetree]

That was a 'quick read', YJF. What gives?

I agree....no choir boys...just smart players....and..ummm..uhh...NO HERM!

Sorry....didn't mean to go off track there. I'm looking forward to a well coached, well conditioned team.

The wins and losses? They'll take care of themselves. Hopefully, it'll be a tight race in the AFC East.

[L.I.MikeBleedsGreen]

Ricky Williams has "HIGH" Character issues "PUN INTENDED"

[raffyD]

I'm starting to understand this high character phrase a little better myself. It means "a football player/hard worker/student of the game . .. " which means that the picks will not seem flashy from the outset but that the players selected are the types to go out and run 10,000 stairs a day during the offseason, or do wind sprints up hills (ala one of the hardest workers ever, Payton) and that down the road they will in fact become superstars.

You can't just be very talented and let the stardom come to you w/o a great work ethic, you still have to bust your butt. Just ask any number of some of the greatest athletes, they will always tell you that hard work and dedication to the game is what makes you great.

[LionelRichie]

while the defensive players that the jets drafted may not have the athleticism of some of the "sexy" picks in the draft, the 1 common theme is that they all are high IQ players. what that means is that they will all be in the right position on each play. when you are always in the right position to make plays you don't need quite as much athleticism.

[serphnx]

Yeah, theyre not nice guys. Mangold is known to have a "mean streak" on the field, and that's what you want. Intelligent and nice off the field, but absolute beasts on the field. Herm's players played like wimps on the field, and were more concerned with never getting penalties than actually doing well. For instance, one of the things I've always felt is that if you as on offensive lineman completely miss your block and the defender has a CLEAR line to your QB, YOU JUST DRAG THE GUY DOWN AND HOLD HIM! You don't just let him go by you! Who cares if theres a penalty? You weren't going to get anything done on the play anyway, and you were probably going to have an injured QB out of it. Just take the 10 yard penalty and try again instead. I hope Mangini instills this into the O-line.

[joewilly]

Yeah, theyre not nice guys. Mangold is known to have a "mean streak" on the field, and that's what you want. Intelligent and nice off the field, but absolute beasts on the field. Herm's players played like wimps on the field, and were more concerned with never getting penalties than actually doing well. For instance, one of the things I've always felt is that if you as on offensive lineman completely miss your block and the defender has a CLEAR line to your QB, YOU JUST DRAG THE GUY DOWN AND HOLD HIM! You don't just let him go by you! Who cares if theres a penalty? You weren't going to get anything done on the play anyway, and you were probably going to have an injured QB out of it. Just take the 10 yard penalty and try again instead. I hope Mangini instills this into the O-line.

to say the team that took the field in the 2004 playoffs played like wimps is just not true. henderson had that d rabid.

in 2005, some blocking assignments were missed so badly they weren't even close enough for a cheap penalty to help preserve the qb