| Ondre Baronette. 16th February, 2009 - 1:47 pm
 Even if you live under a rock, by now you have heard the state of the New York Jets. Brett Favre has done the unthinkable, and "retired."
Listening to the conference he held with the media on Wednesday, Favre admitted that his arm gave out, and that his body could not keep up with his desire to play. He now "ends" his career, throwing 22 touchdowns and the same amount of interceptions.
Favre and the Jets started the season well, only to back track, and have his tenure in New York, coincide with the firing of the coach Eric Mangini, who probably wouldn't have been fired if, Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens produced the same body of work this season.
Without picking on Favre -- something that defensive backs have done over 300 times -- I commend the first ballot Hall of Famer on making this decision. I must admit, I thought he would return for another season. He admittedly was surprised to be "traded to the Jets." Brett doesn't think their receiving core is a bad group, in fact, he thinks that they are "real good" and he said the "team will be better without me."
We can believe he believes that, as much as we do believe A-Rod and Tejada's tears. But, another factor that can be looked at in his decision making, is the offensive line, and its inability to protect him. The offensive line in part, is responsible for the state of his shoulder and arm. He was sacked 30 times last season, the most ever since 2000, when he was sacked 33 times.
Now that the Brett Favre experience is over, where do the Jets look to find a new signal caller, a new playmaker, for them and their new stadium?
Mike Tannenbaum is not sold on Kellen Clemens. Clemens will have to battle another Brett, and Brett Ratliff can get the ball down the field like Brett Favre could. Clemens couldn't beat out Pennington last season, and many people believe that he's simply not the franchise guy. All reports have Ratliff rated higher than Clemens within the organization.
Even Rex Ryan, as defensive coordinator for the Ravens, believed that Clemens's cage could be rattled, and prepared to do so when facing him in 2007.
Do they go with a free agent, and bring in Super Bowl winner Byron Leftwich, or trade with Cleveland for Derek Anderson?
Anderson is intriguing, because he was on the Ravens in 2005, and familiarity always builds connections within the NFL.
Do the Jets look in the draft? There are underclassmen quarterbacks aplenty this year, but none are rated in the same realm as Matt Ryan or even Joe Flacco were last season, thus none would be ready to play and make an impact on a team that is preparing to make the playoffs this coming season.
If I were working alongside Mr. Tannenbaum, I'd advocate a long look at Michael Vick, Jeff Garcia or Leftwich.
Anderson should command more than Vick, although Braylon Edwards had a hard time catching passes because everything fell out of his hands, and Vick gives you a chance to be competitive for a lower price. If Ratliff or Clemens do not take the leadership role, you have a guy ready to run the Wildcat. Vick needs a chance to redeem himself, and it will be a publicity tool that the Jets can use to fill the seats.
It will be a big reversal from Favre's Hall Of Fame credentials, and he may not wear the highest-selling jersey, but it's worth exploring. Garcia is a gamer, and a true battler. Let him battle against Clemens and Ratliff too. Leftwich is a safer option, besides his injury report, as he spent a season in Pittsburgh that led to a ring, and he'll only be in his seventh season. Marshall guys do well in New York, and who can forget the image of him being carried down field in college after breaking his shin. He would probably be cheaper than Garcia, who has asked for an extension with the Bucs, and new head coach, Hofstra Alum Raheem Morris.
Garcia is a safe option too, despite his age, and will not bring the negative attention to the Jets that a person like Vick would. But, I believe that the Jets enjoy the added media attention, although this past year was mostly positive. Michael Vick has served his debt to society, and he wants to prove that he can redeem himself. The amount of bills that he has to pay, the amount of time he had to reflect and work-out, he's hungry and humble, and he will get a chance. So, in the coming months it will be intriguing to see where the Jets go. Although, I think Vick is far off their radar.
How does Ratliff compare to the numbers of Clemens or Eric Ainge. Ainge is on the team, but was suspended for the season's last four games for testing positive for an NFL banned substance, so his numbers may be tainted. I refrain from putting his numbers up with an *, but I am tempted. But, although they all played in different conferences, I look at their final season stats, and see how they match. In the 13 games he played for Utah during 2006, Ratliff had 23 touchdown and nine interceptions averaging 215 yards and a 58% completion percentage. In eight games, Kellen Clemens went for 19 touchdowns and four interceptions at the University of Oregon, while averaging 300 yards.
Ratliff had a good showing against the Browns last preseason, a defense that ranked 26th in total yards, and 14th in passing.
The Jets will have be very careful with who gets to operate their offense. They expect their defense to get out to a fast start and even win some, or keep them in games. But, they will need someone on offense that won't feel inclined to go out there and win it on their own.
Ratliff might be the manager that they seek, but for insurance purposes and for depth, they need a viable replacement for Favre. They don't need the credentials, but they need that leadership. There are veterans available, and Garcia or Leftwich seem like cheap options at a low risk and commitment. |
