SoFlaJets Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 By RICH CIMINI DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Sunday, April 19th 2009, 4:00 AM The Jets have drafted 15 quarterbacks since the latter stage of the Joe Namath era, circa 1976, a seemingly perpetual search for The Next One. Of the 15, only one - one! - has produced a winning record as a full-time starter. Hint: He now plays for the Dolphins. Anybody want to draft another, hoping for a Sweet 16th? The NFL draft is next weekend and, once again, the Jets are wrapped up in a quarterback decision. In the wake of Brett Favre's one-and-done, they're left with no proven commodities at the position, fueling speculation that new coach Rex Ryan might take the plunge with the 17th pick. There are three top quartterback prospects in the draft - Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez and Josh Freeman - and there's a chance Freeman could be available for the Jets. He's 6-6, 248 pounds with deceptive mobility and a rifle for an arm, prompting comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. (By the way, Freeman agrees with the Big Ben talk.) He'd be mighty tempting for the Jets. "When you're sitting at 17, you've got to be flexible, but the quarterback thing is No. 1," said Mike Mayock, the draft analyst for the NFL Network. Publicly, the Jets are standing by their men, Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff and Erik Ainge, even if they have only three victories between them, all by Clemens. (By the way, Clemens and Ainge are quarterback picks 14 and 15, respectively, since Namath.) Clemens impressed in a just-completed minicamp, and some in the organization remain high on Ratliff. "We feel comfortable with the three players we have," GM Mike Tannenbaum said. "They've earned the right to compete for the job." Is that a smokescreen? The Jets have done a ton of homework on Sanchez and Freeman, doing the private workout/classroom session/dinner thing with both players. Freeman said offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer grilled him for three hours at the whiteboard, testing his knowledge of a small package of Jets plays that he had two days to study. "I think I did well," Freeman said in a phone interview, recalling the Jets' visit to his campus. Freeman, a three-year starter at Kansas State, is knocked for being inconsistent, but he managed to throw 20 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions last season on a mediocre team. That, he believes, should put him on the level of Stafford and Sanchez, who played on talented teams at Georgia and USC, respectively. "I didn't have the luxuries the other quarterbacks had, but my production was similar," Freeman said. "The film speaks for itself." Stafford could be the No. 1 overall pick by the Lions, so let's eliminate him from the conversation. In terms of Freeman and Sanchez, most scouts would agree that Freeman gets the edge on raw talent, but there's a boom-or-bust factor that concerns some teams. One GM, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Sanchez is "the best package right now, but Freeman has the highest ceiling. He could be a 'wow' guy, but he needs to mature a little as a person. He'd be a neophyte compared to the two other kids." Unbeknownst to many, Freeman has a history with Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan - and not a good history. As a celebrated high school junior in Kansas City, Freeman gave an oral commitment to Nebraska, coached by Callahan, but he changed his mind, making big headlines in Big 12 country. It prompted a stinging rebuke from Callahan, who told a newspaper in Nebraska that Freeman is a "prima donna" and a "drama queen." "I don't think he has any resentment toward me," Freeman said. "If I got drafted by the Jets, we'd be working toward a common goal - winning." Freeman has impressed the Jets with his physical ability, but there might be some concerns about how he would handle the pressure of being a No. 1 pick in the New York market. With Sanchez, there's no concern about that. "Sanchez is a fantastic leader and he played in Los Angeles, which is like the 33rd NFL team - and he's led that team," said Joey Clinkscales, the Jets' vice president of college scouting. "Freeman is physically gifted. He has a big arm. He hasn't had as much success as Sanchez, but he's a very talented, athletic quarterback." He didn't mention anything about Freeman's intangibles, and the Jets are big on intangibles, especially at the quarterback position. The biggest question about Sanchez is his lack of experience. He started only 16 games in college, but he decided to turn pro against the advice of his coach, Pete Carroll. There's a history of junior quarterbacks who have flopped in the NFL. "The 16 starts were in huge games, and the biggest games were my best games," Sanchez said. "I've been at the school four years and I practiced and played against the best competition. ... We don't do powder-puff scrimmages against the scout team all the time. You're playing against guys that are drafted on the first day every year." USC's last top QB prospect, Matt Leinart, has been a disappointment in the NFL, but that shouldn't hurt Sanchez, according to Mayock. Sanchez has done a "great job of presenting himself as the anti-Leinart," Mayock said. "He's gone out of his way to present himself as the son of a fireman with a blue-collar work ethic, and don't lump me into the Hollywood thing." Thing is, the Jets probably will have to trade up to get Sanchez, who could be chosen anywhere from fourth to 13th. Tannenbaum isn't shy about trading up, but you have to wonder if he'll part with extra picks if he really does believe in Clemens & Co. The smoke will clear in a week. 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SoFlaJets Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 On the Radar Matthew Stafford (6-2, 225) Georgia: Wishful thinking, Jets fans. The strong-armed junior probably will be picked by the Lions at the top of the draft. Mark Sanchez (6-2, 227) USC: One of the hottest prospects in the draft, could go as high as fourth (Seattle). Passed for 34 touchdowns, only 10 interceptions and completed 66% of his passes. Won MVP of the Rose Bowl. Intangibles galore, with a good, not great arm. Started only 16 games. Is he a one-year wonder? Josh Freeman (6-6, 248) Kansas State: Often compared to Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco because of his size and arm strength. Started 32 straight games. Struggled against superior competition. Questions about his ability to read defenses. The Bucs, picking 19th, could try to jump ahead of the Jets (17th). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoFlaJets Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 too bad Sanchez is going to be long gone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 too bad Sanchez is going to be long gone Thankfully Sanchez will be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Of Bavaria Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Freeman & Sanchez both suck. Jets will regret picking either one of these 2 dooshies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Josh Freeman is nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TampaBayJetsFan85 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I would LOVE for the Jets to draft Sanchez but I have a good feeling he wont last that long so when the Jets are on the board...I would LOVE for them to go after Percy Harvin...This kid is explosive and the Jets need more talent @ the WR position and Harvin will be the best WR on the board because Maclin and Crabtree will both be gone and the thing is...Harvin has the talent, ability and potential to be BETTER than Crabtree and if the Jets land Harvin...We land a serious playmaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Freeman & Sanchez both suck. Jets will regret picking either one of these 2 dooshies. Freeman would have to ride the pine for 2 seasons, many people say. I wouldn't understand that selection at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycdan Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I would LOVE for the Jets to draft Sanchez but I have a good feeling he wont last that long so when the Jets are on the board...I would LOVE for them to go after Percy Harvin...This kid is explosive and the Jets need more talent @ the WR position and Harvin will be the best WR on the board because Maclin and Crabtree will both be gone and the thing is...Harvin has the talent, ability and potential to be BETTER than Crabtree and if the Jets land Harvin...We land a serious playmaker Could not think of a pick I hate more than Harvin. Injury questions, character questions, reputed bad Wonderlic, reputed failed drug test (i know...just pot but reinforces that he's an idiot), comes from a school with a history of failed WR prospects. I read that the Cowboys (!) have taken him off their draft board. Next to the Raiders doing it, I can't think of a bigger 'oops' than that. He may turn out just fine, but way too much risk for me in the first round. For that kind of risk, I'd rather take a shot on Freeman so if it works out, we have a QB, not a WR/RB tweener that's similar to a player we already have in Leon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycdan Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Freeman would have to ride the pine for 2 seasons, many people say. I wouldn't understand that selection at all. Because good teams draft from the long term. Almost any QB prospect will benefit from at least one season on the bench. But if you never take one because of that, you'll never have a home-grown QB and it's really rare and expensive to get one as a FA or through trade. Not saying Freeman is 'the guy', but I'm okay with the investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Freeman would have to ride the pine for 2 seasons, many people say. I wouldn't understand that selection at all. I agree with that. I think Tannenbaum's definitely thinking about the immediate future, and that Ryan should be. Freeman would be a very risky pick. If they're in love with Sanchez, I could see them trading up for him, though. If that doesn't happen, they might trade down if Freeman's on the board at #17. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Because good teams draft from the long term. Almost any QB prospect will benefit from at least one season on the bench. But if you never take one because of that, you'll never have a home-grown QB and it's really rare and expensive to get one as a FA or through trade. Not saying Freeman is 'the guy', but I'm okay with the investment. I'm with ya It's amazing how football fans have become so impatient. If a guy isn't rookie of the year, they are a bust, and all draft picks must address an immediate need Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boynton Beach Jets Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Neither of these QB's are going to make the 2009 Jets better. Do we know if either one is better then any current Jets QB's on the roster. The best thing the Jets can do is to find out in 2009 if one of there current QB's can take the next step. If one of the current QB's are not ready to take the next step then 2010 will be the time to get the QB to take us to the next step. I do not think there is a special QB in the 2009 draft and to take one and force one could haunt us for many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Neither of these QB's are going to make the 2009 Jets better. Do we know if either one is better then any current Jets QB's on the roster. The best thing the Jets can do is to find out in 2009 if one of there current QB's can take the next step. If one of the current QB's are not ready to take the next step then 2010 will be the time to get the QB to take us to the next step. I do not think there is a special QB in the 2009 draft and to take one and force one could haunt us for many years. If the Jets really do like one of the two QBs a lot, then they absolutely should take them. I agree about finding out about our current players and they can still do that while giving the rookie a year to sit on the bench and learn. That way if a year from now there's still no proven QB on this roster, rather than having to draft one and start him as a rookie or wait another year before playing him, you've already got a guy you like with one year on the team ready to go. Whats the worst that could happen? Clemens or Ratliff turns out to be the real deal and it turns out you didn't really need the QB. Not really a bad situation to be in. The Chargers did it with Brees and Rivers, the Browns did it with Anderson and Quinn. I would have no problem with the Jets doing exactly the same if they truly believed in one of these two guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bachelors3 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Freeman would have to ride the pine for 2 seasons, many people say. I wouldn't understand that selection at all. The pick of Freeman is understandable. If Clemens fails or gets hurt, what then. Ratty is terribly unproven. If Clemens succeeds, you can trade Freeman in a couple of years for Jay Cutler type picks. Having too many QB's in this league is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boynton Beach Jets Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 If the Jets really do like one of the two QBs a lot, then they absolutely should take them. I agree about finding out about our current players and they can still do that while giving the rookie a year to sit on the bench and learn. That way if a year from now there's still no proven QB on this roster, rather than having to draft one and start him as a rookie or wait another year before playing him, you've already got a guy you like with one year on the team ready to go. Whats the worst that could happen? Clemens or Ratliff turns out to be the real deal and it turns out you didn't really need the QB. Not really a bad situation to be in. The Chargers did it with Brees and Rivers, the Browns did it with Anderson and Quinn. I would have no problem with the Jets doing exactly the same if they truly believed in one of these two guys. If the Jets believe Freeman or Sanchez are the real deal then they should take him. I just think either one is a bigger risk then normal draft risk, Sanchez is a one year starter who has an average arm and Freeman is a QB whom is climbing the ranks because of position scarcity in another year would be a mid-second pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbatesman Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Another classic by Cimini that contains absolutely no new information whatsoever. This POS article can be summed up in one sentence: "The Jets might draft a quarterback...then again, they might not!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boynton Beach Jets Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Another classic by Cimini that contains absolutely no new information whatsoever. This POS article can be summed up in one sentence: "The Jets might draft a quarterback...then again, they might not!" Sounds like the weather man, it might rain and it might not rain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycdan Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Sounds like the weather man, it might rain and it might not rain Except in Phoenix. They get to be right 99% of the time by just going with "hot and sunny today". Talk about a plum job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Jet Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 How does Cimini have a job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NFLs StepChild Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 How does Cimini have a job? Cause all you guys keep clicking on his blogs and articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatriotReign37 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Freeman & Sanchez both suck. Jets will regret picking either one of these 2 dooshies. There are no defenses in the Big 12. Freeman is the next Mike Bishop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatriotReign37 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 The Jets will pick a defensive player 1st. Ryan is a defensive HC and he knows that you have to stop the other guy from scoring before you can win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 The Jets will pick a defensive player 1st. Ryan is a defensive HC and he knows that you have to stop the other guy from scoring before you can win. Yeah, but he should know, too, that you can't outscore your opponent without scoring some points yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoFlaJets Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 we ain't getting the guy we want (Sanchez) so I predict the Jets trade out of the 17 position back into the late first round and get more pix. Look guys I notice how so many of you criticize these beat writers EVERY TIME I POST ONE and if you'd like I won't bother posting the articles anymore-let me know. IDK, but I figure it gives us something to talk about at this time of year. During the season articles get a little redundant but hey It's April...you want to continue talking about how much you love or hate Chad Pennington? Or perhaps why we should or shouldn't have drafted Gholston? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNJet Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 To bad this is all media hype, and their wishful thinking. Clemens better than anyone we could draft this year, will be our qb in 09. And soon, Rex will prove it when we dont draft a wasted pick of a young inexperienced qb, in any round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirlancemehlot Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I'm with ya It's amazing how football fans have become so impatient. If a guy isn't rookie of the year, they are a bust, and all draft picks must address an immediate need I agree with you on many levels, not just QB. Winning coaches are fired. QB's are rushed into bad situations where thay can't possibly succeed, DC's and OC's are thrown under the bus while entire administrations are waiting for pink slips after one down season. There are so few "regimes" anymore, just a revolving door of transitional parts hoping parity, luck and a weak schedule get them to the big show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 too bad Sanchez is going to be long gone Hopefully Sanchez will be long gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 There are no defenses in the Big 12. Freeman is the next Mike Bishop. Who ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I really can not see us drafting a QB at 17- I do expect one of our picks to be a QB though to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rillo Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Stay away from both of the guys please!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Stay away from both of the guys please!!! It looks like now Cleveland is looking at Sanchez as well. I think Freeman is the only one going to be abailable for us. I won't be upset if he was taken tho. DAUNTE CULPEPPERR!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemehl Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 ATTN: THIS IS NOT A PRO-RATLIFF/ ANTI-CLEMENS POST. THERE IS NO AGENDA. THE BEST QB WE HAVE IS THE BEST,PERIOD with that said, Josh Freeman sounds and awful lot like a guy we have on the roster, big size, big arm, small school. I haven't seen film on Josh Freeman,but i trust the thousands of "experts who did and have him falling to us, so I believe Freeman or Sanchez have as good a chance as Clemens or Ratliff, so I say you NEED to go WR at one, OR Beenie Wells if available and a WR at 2 or FA(it won't take a #1pick this year to get Boldin or Edwards,maybe next maybe neither, 2's and 3's can get these guys. Moss was had for a four alone, he was still pretty dammmm good.) Do we have an 85 on the team?would wesley walker mind?Ocho..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 You know, if this Crabtree or Sanchez thing is true (reports out of Cleveland say they have narrowed it down to those two) and they pick Sanchez, well then, what the hell do they do with Quinn and Anderson? You'd think they'd have to trade them both to make room for Sanchez's deal, or at the very least they'd have to move Quinn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemehl Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 You know, if this Crabtree or Sanchez thing is true (reports out of Cleveland say they have narrowed it down to those two) and they pick Sanchez, well then, what the hell do they do with Quinn and Anderson? You'd think they'd have to trade them both to make room for Sanchez's deal, or at the very least they'd have to move Quinn. Quinn will be out of football in 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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