The Answer to the Offseason AS IT STAND TODAY!

[Warfish]

Posted elsewhere, but worth it's own thread I think (for those currently crying into their scotch....)

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Ok, here goes.....

Jets "bite the bullet" and pay McKenzie what he wants to stay.

Jets sign FA's Fred Smoot (CB) and Plaxico Burress (WR), basically using up the last of our cap space.

Jets Draft...

...a DT in Round #1 (Starter in 2005)

...a TE in Round #2 (Split Time With Baker)

...a Safety in Round #3 (Behind McGraw and Tongue in 2005)

...a RB in Round #4 (Change of Pace to take heat of Martin)

...a OT in Round #5 (Depth)

...a CB in Round #6 (Depth)

and a O-lineman in Round #7 (Depth)

There, covered OT, DT, CB, Safety, TE, #2 RB and Depth.

[RichardSeymour]

Here's how I'd do it, and this would only involve ONE major sign.

-- Sign one of the "big" FA CBs: Smoot, Rolle, Lucas, Baxter, Law. Smoot or Rolle preferrably (there's a case for Lucas or Baxter over Rolle based on age I suppose, but no sense in being excessively agephobic. Rolle's a heck of a corner).

-- Add Buckhalter or Blaylock as an affordable backup RB and decent #2 guy. Go for a potential Back of the future in the 1st to 4th round of the draft.

-- Put in an offer on DT Leonardo Carson. You can plug him into the hole Ferguson left and he'll be passable. Or another similar low-profile-but-servicable DT. Draft a run stuffer in the 2nd-5th round.

-- Sign RT Oliver Ross of Pittsburgh. Won't be a star but he got the job done decently well for Pitt.

-- Put in an offer to David Patten with lowish guaranteed money but decent escalators. Plug him right into the #3 WR role. Draft a WR in the 1st-4th round.

-- Put in a similar offer to Marcus Pollard. Draft a TE in the 1st-3rd round.

-- Draft a safety in the 2nd-5th round.

-- With 1st round draft pick take best available LT, CB, WR, TE, or RB. Otherwise draft as indicated.

You make a big splash with that CB signing, let everyone know you're serious. It upgrades one of the weaker areas of the team right away and provides a morale boost to fans and organization alike.

Then you fill the remaining holes with mid-tier FAs who should be affordable and compitent. You go into the draft with a plan BUT not NEEDING to fix a particular hole: you are looking at a couple of positions and you can select BPA within that field during the first few rounds before specifically slotting positions a bit in the mid rounds.

That's how I'd do it. FWIW.

[RSJ]

Here's how I'd do it, and this would only involve ONE major sign.

-- Sign one of the "big" FA CBs: Smoot, Rolle, Lucas, Baxter, Law. Smoot or Rolle preferrably.

-- Add Buckhalter or Blaylock as an affordable backup RB and decent #2 guy. Go for a potential Back of the future in the 1st to 4th round of the draft.

-- Put in an offer on DT Leonardo Carson. You can plug him into the hole Ferguson left and he'll be passable. Or another similar low-profile-but-servicable DT. Draft a run stuffer in the 2nd-5th round.

-- Sign RT Oliver Ross of Pittsburgh. Won't be a star but he got the job done decently well for Pitt.

-- Put in an offer to David Patten with lowish guaranteed money but decent escalators. Plug him right into the #3 CB role. Draft a WR in the 1st-4th round.

-- Put in a similar offer to Marcus Pollard. Draft a TE in the 1st-3rd round.

-- With 1st round draft pick take best available LT, CB, WR, TE, or RB. Otherwise draft as indicated.

Pure genius RS. Where do I sign?

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

Careful putting Genius and RS in the same sentance

[RichardSeymour]

I might actually do the TE differently. Pollard's awfully old and there are a fair number of servicable TEs on the market.... Heck there's one who had a 700 yard season last year and has hands softer than velvet.

A couple of the names might change a little as I do more research, but the theme is a good one IMO: sign one big CB (a big need, and an area where there are some options to choose from), a few mid tier guys like Ross, and some lower tier guys who are proven capable of holding their own as starters and mostly fairly young.

Then use the draft for long term and major improvement.

[The Troll]

I'm not liking the idea of Derrick Blaylock.

As Ham says, running backs are born, not made. If we're looking to draft our running back of the future, we don't need him buried behind Blaylock on the depth chart. There is no learning curve in the NFL with running backs. If they're gonna be a good back, then they'll show it from day one.

[RichardSeymour]

I'm not liking the idea of Derrick Blaylock.

As Ham says, running backs are born, not made. If we're looking to draft our running back of the future, we don't need him buried behind Blaylock on the depth chart. There is no learning curve in the NFL with running backs. If they're gonna be a good back, then they'll show it from day one.

You need two RBs, not one. A reasonably cheap backup where you know what you're getting and a draftee.

Unless Josh Davis is a lot better than I think he is.

[The Troll]

Why would we need two running backs?

The Jets have shown already that they'd rather carry two fullbacks than three running backs. :-#

Askew is somewhat of a fullback/running back hybrid. I'm curious to see whether Heimerdinger can do something with him. If anyone not named Belichick can get something out of that waste of a first-day pick, it's the Dinger.