Jets (traded up) for RB, Joe McKnight

[GreenBeans]

Joe McKnight - USC (HT: 5-11⅜ - WT: 198 - 4.47)

Projection: 3rd Round

Positives: Ability to catch the ball, has the best hands of any running back in this class... Quickness, makes ankle breaking moves in the secondary... Instant acceleration, gets up field as fast as anyone when he turns it on... Versatile player who can specialize as a third down back, split out at wide receiver, and return kicks/punts... Displays a great blend of body control and balance to slip through tight spaces and get through tackles... Great overall athletic ability with quick feet, leaping ability, speed, etc... . Saw a more exclusive role for the Trojans this year and took advantage, averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns on the ground... Was the #1 rated player in the country coming out of high school, so you know he's got skills/upside.

Negatives: Always has been compared to Reggie Bush, which was supposed to be a good thing, but after what Bush has done in the NFL it could hurt his stock... Doesn’t have a ton of muscle, brings into question how much he’ll be able to carry the load at the next level... Not much of a north-south runner, would rather break a run outside or reverse field than pound it up the middle... If a defender gets a hold of him, he's not breaking tackles... Carries the ball away from his body which makes him fumble prone.

[Thai Jet]

I think, given our philosophy on offense, a 4th RB was a necessity.

Look @ the AFC Championship game.

Leon - OUT

Greene in the 2nd half - OUT

Thomas Jones - Ineffective

All we were left with was Woodhead and Brad Smith.

We lost that game because of a lack of depth at CB and RB.

Both areas nicely addressed in this draft.

[villain_the_foe]

If Greene is hurt we're in big trouble. LT can't carry the load anymore, and neither Leon nor McKnight are suited for a role as the primary back.

LT with this offensive line could carry the load much more effectively than he could in San Diego. By the time LT gets touched he already gained 4 yards so that would mean that he's being hit at worse by linebackers. No Linemen should be getting clean hits on LT his year.

[snow_monkey]

and he's offering his opinion. which is that he trusts the front offices opinions on a player more than random people on the internet who don't evaluate football players professionally for a living. i don't see why you are getting butt hurt over it just because he doesn't agree with what you are saying.

You might want to go back and see how this exhange started? He quoted my post and told me he didn't trust my opinion. So I answered. Maybe I overreacted a bit, but I took it as him telling me to agree with the team or be quiet. Never once did I say he or anyone else had to agree with me. We're disagreeing. No one has acted "butt hurt", imo.

LT with this offensive line could carry the load much more effectively than he could in San Diego. By the time LT gets touched he already gained 4 yards so that would mean that he's being hit at worse by linebackers. No Linemen should be getting clean hits on LT his year.

I agree. LT would probably do much better here. I'm not so sure he can still take the punishment of being the primary back, though.

[Smashmouth]

I hear you, but at what stage do you trade him then? Its not like we were going to get a 1st, 2nd or 3rd rounder for Leon. If we came away with a 4th or 5th with the talent still on the board and a RB in McKnight that if not for the enormous amount of talent this year could have easily been a 2nd rounder then I say that we really came out on top.

When you trade a player you want the best value in return. If the Jets are truly looking at moving Leon (which I dont think they are ) this is the worst time to do it because his value is not peak due to the injury. If they are dead set on moving him you might see something happen during the preseason when teams get a look at him on the field.

Either way I feel stronger the Jets want to keep 4 RB's. For the same exact reasons 128 suggested. Its not just so much about strategy as it is about staying healthy. The Saints kept all those guys and they lost Deuce and Bell to injury what would have happened to them if they decided to trade Bush or Thomas ? Possibly no SB.

If you look at the Jets right now they are building their offense with the same philosophy as N.O. and thats a very very good thing. Sean Peytons offense will have the same effect on the NFL as Bill Walshes back in the 80's hes that smart. Its only natural for teams to follow suit.

[Thai Jet]

Joe McKnight - USC (HT: 5-11⅜ - WT: 198 - 4.47)

Projection: 3rd Round

Positives: Ability to catch the ball, has the best hands of any running back in this class... Quickness, makes ankle breaking moves in the secondary... Instant acceleration, gets up field as fast as anyone when he turns it on... Versatile player who can specialize as a third down back, split out at wide receiver, and return kicks/punts... Displays a great blend of body control and balance to slip through tight spaces and get through tackles... Great overall athletic ability with quick feet, leaping ability, speed, etc... . Saw a more exclusive role for the Trojans this year and took advantage, averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns on the ground... Was the #1 rated player in the country coming out of high school, so you know he's got skills/upside.

Negatives: Always has been compared to Reggie Bush, which was supposed to be a good thing, but after what Bush has done in the NFL it could hurt his stock... Doesn

[villain_the_foe]

When you trade a player you want the best value in return. If the Jets are truly looking at moving Leon (which I dont think they are ) this is the worst time to do it because his value is not peak due to the injury. If they are dead set on moving him you might see something happen during the preseason when teams get a look at him on the field.

Either way I feel stronger the Jets want to keep 4 RB's. For the same exact reasons 128 suggested. Its not just so much about strategy as it is about staying healthy. The Saints kept all those guys and they lost Deuce and Bell to injury what would have happened to them if they decided to trade Bush or Thomas ? Possibly no SB.

If you look at the Jets right now they are building their offense with the same philosophy as N.O. and thats a very very good thing. Sean Peytons offense will have the same effect on the NFL as Bill Walshes back in the 80's hes that smart. Its only natural for teams to follow suit.

Im not disagreeing with you persay. What you're saying makes sense from that point of view. But when you have Chauncey Washington that people seem to have taken a liking two. LT, Shonn Green and Now Mcknight and LT coming off from a nasty injury and is 28 years old then I dont think that we're going to get too much more draft pick wise next year.

Not to mention that we just got Kyle Wilson that can return punts as well. Im not saying you are wrong, but to me it wouldnt be a surprise to get a pick during this draft when you know the talent still here. Next years draft may not be as talented and if you get a higher pick for Washington next year then you'll end up paying more for a player that you could have gotten talent wise this year in a later round.

[GreenBeans]

We watch nearly every USC game the last 3 years and McKnight didn't carry the load in college. He was used here and there. IMHO he'll be used just like Leon is now with the Jets. 3rd down situations etc. BTW , once he gets touched by a defender, he's pretty much down.

Pretty much Washington's replacement for 2011 - Leon will not be resigned after 2010. Right?

[snow_monkey]

Okay, now it makes more sense. Leon was traded, and we just picked up a FB. Still don't like McKnight as a player, but at least I see the point in drafting another RB.

[rillo]

Well be lucky if McKnight is half the player Leon was IMO.

[Smashmouth]

:shutit:Well we traded Leon to Pick up another RB so I was wrong about Leon But possibly still right about our philosophy ? LOL who the hell knows

[visajets]

Joe McKnight

http://www.joemcknight.org/

[Integrity28]

:shutit:Well we traded Leon to Pick up another RB so I was wrong about Leon But possibly still right about our philosophy ? LOL who the hell knows

I still think you were right, our backfield as of right now...

Shonn Greene

LT

Chauncey Washington

Joe McKnight

T Rich

John Connor

Thump! Thump!

[villain_the_foe]

:shutit:Well we traded Leon to Pick up another RB so I was wrong about Leon But possibly still right about our philosophy ? LOL who the hell knows

I think your point of wasnt too far off. It could have easily happened. But if Leon was 24-25 and not 28 years old we would have kept him. Bottomline is that there's more of a chance for Leons career to be going down hill from here on out.

When we drafted Kyle Wilson I have a strong feeling we were going to get rid of Washington. With the McKnight pick I just knew that it was definate. For the Jets to pick up a FB though kinda made me scratch my head. I really thought we were going to get a hard hitting safety given that Brodney Pool is a concussion waiting to happen I hear. I really thought we were going to get Major Wright.

Then again, this FB is a beast and maybe we an get some value with the undrafted players after the draft.

[Seahawkspatriotschick]

Welcome Leon to NW Territory!!!

[villain_the_foe]

Welcome Leon to NW Territory!!!

Congrats. You got a pretty good player.

[Seahawkspatriotschick]

Congrats. You got a pretty good player.

I told Jetman67, if there is one player on his team I liked, it was LEON!!! That little dude is a mover and shaker!!!

[bobbyjet69]

Im pretty sure that white was part of a bigger deal where the titans and Seahawks swapped 4ths and 7ths. So they didnt get a 4th for White.

there was another player involved, can't remember

[Smashmouth]

I still think you were right, our backfield as of right now...

Shonn Greene

LT

Chauncey Washington

Joe McKnight

T Rich

John Connor

Thump! Thump!

Thats a pretty nice backfield and McKnight is very good at catching passes out of the backfield along with LT so now we get to see how Shott works all of this out. Thats what scares me most.

[neckdemon]

We watch nearly every USC game the last 3 years and McKnight didn't carry the load in college. He was used here and there. IMHO he'll be used just like Leon is now with the Jets. 3rd down situations etc. BTW , once he gets touched by a defender, he's pretty much down.

sounds alot like thomas jones, lol

[neckdemon]

Well be lucky if McKnight is half the player Leon was IMO.

i loved leon. guy was a very good player here. i just think these moves were made with the future in mind as well. leon had a pretty ba dinjury and is getting older. we have alot of guys to pay coming up. this isn't just a one year shot and theen done....they are trying to build a consistent contender. i like what they're doing. they cut a drastically declining faneca and are infusing new blood into the team at various positions. the teams that are consistently good and contend perenially are the ones who, for the most part, are proactive and not reactive when it comes to the roster. of course with the additions of LT and tayloe we are also going for broke this year as well....but at least they aren't forgetting about setting up for the future as well. i know 40 years of futility can make a fanbase antsy...but let's give these guys the benefit of the doubt somewhat here. our Gm and scouting dept. has proven that they hit far more often than they miss on prospects....especially when they identify a player and then go and get them. rex has already proven that he can coach a team into success.....especially a defense. let's just sit back and see where this leads us. they led us to the afc championship last year......so i'd say they did something right. if by the end of the year it becomes obvious they whiffed then we can vilify the moves.