Shepherd Trade was very smart

[Stonehands]

I was just looking on ESPN at what each team still needs in free agency and in the draft. One of the biggest need positions is cornerback. By getting Shepherd via a trade we were able to pay him under his existing contract which equates to very reasonable numbers. Keep in mind that the renegotiated part of his contract kicks in after this year. So, we basically get a trial period before signing on for more. We hold all the options. Once Jabari Greer signs, I think we will see what a bargain it is to have Shepherd on his current contract. There are very average corners in this market that will get contracts that far exceed Shepherd's during the remainder of the free agent season. I think the Jets have made a great move in acquiring Shepherd...even if he only becomes a solid number 2 CB.

[will]

I was just looking on ESPN at what each team still needs in free agency and in the draft. One of the biggest need positions is cornerback. By getting Shepherd via a trade we were able to pay him under his existing contract which equates to very reasonable numbers. Keep in mind that the renegotiated part of his contract kicks in after this year. So, we basically get a trial period before signing on for more. We hold all the options. Once Jabari Greer signs, I think we will see what a bargain it is to have Shepherd on his current contract. There are very average corners in this market that will get contracts that far exceed Shepherd's during the remainder of the free agent season. I think the Jets have made a great move in acquiring Shepherd...even if he only becomes a solid number 2 CB.

We'll see. Best teams accumulate draft picks, develop and keep young talent. A fifth pick seems like not much but I'd like to see the Jets add picks in order to replenish depth across the board. They have quietly lost reserve players at DB (Barret, Poteat, Law), LB (Bowens, Kassell) and DL (Mosley). As mediocre as some of these guys were, they will need to be replaced.

[Scott Dierking]

We'll see. Best teams accumulate draft picks, develop and keep young talent. A fifth pick seems like not much but I'd like to see the Jets add picks in order to replenish depth across the board. They have quietly lost reserve players at DB (Barret, Poteat, Law), LB (Bowens, Kassell) and DL (Mosley). As mediocre as some of these guys were, they will need to be replaced.

Getting a proven, young player at a decent salary , to me is better than a draft pick.

People like to hold these draft picks up like they are a gold standard, when in reality, they are a crap shoot.

Jets made a good deal in getting a somewhat disgruntled player who was upset in his situation (ala Jenkins last year), give him incentive to earn a new salary and a new organization.

Good move, and if it doesn't pan out, they have an easy escape.

What's not too like? Philly was shopping him for a 1st just last season.

[neckdemon]

We'll see. Best teams accumulate draft picks, develop and keep young talent. A fifth pick seems like not much but I'd like to see the Jets add picks in order to replenish depth across the board. They have quietly lost reserve players at DB (Barret, Poteat, Law), LB (Bowens, Kassell) and DL (Mosley). As mediocre as some of these guys were, they will need to be replaced.

why do people value draft picks so much? if you could tell me that i can turn my 5th round pick into a player like lito sheppard....i'm making that pick every fu*king time. we basically drafted lito sheppard with our 5th rounder.....what's NOT to like about that? the draft is a crap shoot at best in the first round....never mind the 5th.

[Sperm Edwards]

Getting a proven, young player at a decent salary , to me is better than a draft pick.

People like to hold these draft picks up like they are a gold standard, when in reality, they are a crap shoot.

Jets made a good deal in getting a somewhat disgruntled player who was upset in his situation (ala Jenkins last year), give him incentive to earn a new salary and a new organization.

Good move, and if it doesn't pan out, they have an easy escape.

What's not too like? Philly was shopping him for a 1st just last season.

Draft picks are way over-valued. A 2nd round pick next year has the value of a 3rd this year (and so forth). So if we used our 5th & traded up a little in the 3rd round this year, and ended up with a veteran pro bowl player in his prime, wouldn't that be considered a good draft pick?

If he isn't, then it cost us a 5th this year. What that also buys us is the freedom to do more with our first round pick and not force us to reach or trade up for a CB. A 5th round pick. Do I even need to run down the list of our 5th round draft picks?

If we swap our 2nd for their 5th next year, it means he was worth it.

[will]

Getting a proven, young player at a decent salary , to me is better than a draft pick.

People like to hold these draft picks up like they are a gold standard, when in reality, they are a crap shoot.

Jets made a good deal in getting a somewhat disgruntled player who was upset in his situation (ala Jenkins last year), give him incentive to earn a new salary and a new organization.

Good move, and if it doesn't pan out, they have an easy escape.

What's not too like? Philly was shopping him for a 1st just last season.

What's not to like?:

He's not young in NFL years.

He's been repeatedly hurt.

He is either not the player he was in his pro bowl heyday or he's been dogging it recently for the Eagles.

I am a season ticket holder. I want the Jets to be as good as possible, as soon as possible. But more than that, i want them to be competitive every year. These trades (Jones, Favre, Jenkins, Shepard) are great in the short term but come at a price. You may not score with every fifth round pick but when its team policy to trade picks to get older players then you are necessarily trading your future in exchange for the present. So, the Jets have put undo pressure on the team to win immediately as the window for some of these recent acquisitions (Jenkins, Faneca, Jones, Sheppard) is smaller than you think.

I think its undeniable that the teams that have been successful in this most recent era have done so by drafting well.

[will]

Draft picks are way over-valued.

[Sperm Edwards]

What's not to like?:

He's not young in NFL years.

He's been repeatedly hurt.

He is either not the player he was in his pro bowl heyday or he's been dogging it recently for the Eagles.

I am a season ticket holder. I want the Jets to be as good as possible, as soon as possible. But more than that, i want them to be competitive every year. These trades (Jones, Favre, Jenkins, Shepard) are great in the short term but come at a price. You may not score with every fifth round pick but when its team policy to trade picks to get older players then you are necessarily trading your future in exchange for the present. So, the Jets have put undo pressure on the team to win immediately as the window for some of these recent acquisitions (Jenkins, Faneca, Jones, Sheppard) is smaller than you think.

I think its undeniable that the teams that have been successful in this most recent era have done so by drafting well.

God help us if we miss out on the next Windrell Hayes.

[will]

Getting a proven, young player at a decent salary , to me is better than a draft pick.

People like to hold these draft picks up like they are a gold standard, when in reality, they are a crap shoot.

Jets made a good deal in getting a somewhat disgruntled player who was upset in his situation (ala Jenkins last year), give him incentive to earn a new salary and a new organization.

Good move, and if it doesn't pan out, they have an easy escape.

What's not too like? Philly was shopping him for a 1st just last season.

As good as he was for the first half of last year, the jury is still out on the Jenkins move: They didnt make the playoffs last year though he played great until he got tired or hurt after the Tennessee game, so his reputation is in tact --- ie, he gets hurt. And the fact of the matter is his dimished play was as notable as Favre's and directly led to last year's collapse. He became invisible at the end. Further, the consistent trading of picks has hampered the Jets ability to accumulate and develop young talent behind the starters. The 2009 Jets defense, for all of its additions, is still at the mercy of Jenkins hamstrings or lower back or knees, though I give the Jets credit for contracting for him to maintain a decent playing weight.

[Sperm Edwards]

As good as he was for the first half of last year, the jury is still out on the Jenkins move: They didnt make the playoffs last year though he played great until he got tired or hurt after the Tennessee game, so his reputation is in tact --- ie, he gets hurt. And the fact of the matter is his dimished play was as notable as Favre's and directly led to last year's collapse. He became invisible at the end. Further, the consistent trading of picks has hampered the Jets ability to accumulate and develop young talent behind the starters. The 2009 Jets defense, for all of its additions, is still at the mercy of Jenkins hamstrings or lower back or knees, though I give the Jets credit for contracting for him to maintain a decent playing weight.

Means to an end. If we made the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 years, Mangini would be locked in here for at least 2-3 more years.

However it happens, it happens. I won't question the method if it does.

[will]

God help us if we miss out on the next Windrell Hayes.

Touche. I love your posts. You are as smart and informed as anyone here.

But in my opinion accumulating older players that have histories of injuries or disatisfaction exacerbates the boom-bust nature of the team. The Jets were very lucky last year, injury-wise, and still came up short in the end.

I hope that I am wrong and that the team is great this year and forever after.

[Irish Jet]

I think it was a very good trade. Add him to Leonhard as well and we now have a VERY solid starting secondary. Our front 7 is also going to be stronger and with Ryan and Pettine calling the shots we have a formidable group IMO.

I'm very excited to see this defense on the field.

[will]

Means to an end. If we made the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 years, Mangini would be locked in here for at least 2-3 more years.

However it happens, it happens. I won't question the method if it does.

I dont follow; please explain. Are you saying Mangini is gone so all's well that ends well?

[Sperm Edwards]

Touche. I love your posts. You are as smart and informed as anyone here.

But in my opinion accumulating older players that have histories of injuries or disatisfaction exacerbates the boom-bust nature of the team. The Jets were very lucky last year, injury-wise, and still came up short in the end.

I hope that I am wrong and that the team is great this year and forever after.

We all hope that. We also have Ivy and Lowery for depth and IMO will draft another CB this year in the first 3-4 rounds (should the value present itself). If the Jets were so confident in Sheppard they'd have given him more up front. They are not, so the contract is structured the way it is.

Also, if he's merely serviceable, they won't give him a $7M/yr extension or whatever it is. So he's either worth $7M/yr or the Jets are looking at a new CB in 2010. Therefore I believe they will draft one so the defense doesn't collapse next year, with the added bonus of the possibility the new draftee is better than Sheppard is anyway. Add to all that, Sheppard isn't exactly an iron-man.

Still an excellent move. It buys us flexibility and we don't have to worry about a draftee who only has college-level talent. The risk-reward is well in our favor.

[slats]

We'll see. Best teams accumulate draft picks, develop and keep young talent. A fifth pick seems like not much but I'd like to see the Jets add picks in order to replenish depth across the board. They have quietly lost reserve players at DB (Barret, Poteat, Law), LB (Bowens, Kassell) and DL (Mosley). As mediocre as some of these guys were, they will need to be replaced.

I hear you, but I think you'll find that the Jets resign some of these guys, and probably land some of the bottom of the Ravens roster, too, to fill out that depth.

In the meantime, they got a decent (with massive upside), cheap, starting CB for a fifth round pick. If they hand over a higher pick next year, they get that fifth back in 2010. It was a great trade. Fans and GMs of other teams have to wonder what they were thinking letting him go to the Jets so painlessly.

[Scott Dierking]

Touche. I love your posts. You are as smart and informed as anyone here.

But in my opinion accumulating older players that have histories of injuries or disatisfaction exacerbates the boom-bust nature of the team. The Jets were very lucky last year, injury-wise, and still came up short in the end.

I hope that I am wrong and that the team is great this year and forever after.

The risk is low with Shepard, and the upside is huge.

Shepard was upset last season because the Eagles refuseds to re-negotiate his salary, and then they went out in FA and brought in Asante Samuels.

It relegated Shepard to Nickle, and quite frankly, his interviews showed that his heart was not in it.

Is that a great sign? Of course not.

But the talent is there, and it is there at an NFL level. he has shown he can play in this league. With a 5th round rookie, what do you know you are getting? A big fat maybe.

Shepard is greater than that. And if he can't come back, the Jets tried and did not risk much.

I likee players that are still young and have something to prove, particularly when they are Shepard's pedigree.

[Sperm Edwards]

With a 5th round rookie, what do you know you are getting? A big fat maybe.

You get a big fat maybe with a day-one rookie. With a 5th round rookie you're getting a pretty unlikely.

[joewilly]

The risk is low with Shepard, and the upside is huge.

Shepard was upset last season because the Eagles refuseds to re-negotiate his salary, and then they went out in FA and brought in Asante Samuels.

It relegated Shepard to Nickle, and quite frankly, his interviews showed that his heart was not in it.

Is that a great sign? Of course not.

But the talent is there, and it is there at an NFL level. he has shown he can play in this league. With a 5th round rookie, what do you know you are getting? A big fat maybe.

Shepard is greater than that. And if he can't come back, the Jets tried and did not risk much.

I likee players that are still young and have something to prove, particularly when they are Shepard's pedigree.

agreed. philly is a very aggressive defense and lito is no stranger to playin back there when they send the house at the qb.