Will the Jets have Issues outside the X’s and O’s?
On paper, the New York Jets look like one of the best teams in the NFL right now. Perhaps no team had a busier offseason regarding contracts, trades, free agency, etc…
Many are now expecting the Jets to go to the Super Bowl and unseat the Colts as the top team in the AFC.
Jets fans though are sitting on their hands demanding that Jets management sign the players searching new contracts.
Jets owner Woody Johnson is pleading with fans to be patient regarding the team’s contract disputes involving some of its core players.
The team has only re-signed one of its "Core Four" -- left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson -- to a long-term deal. There are also other star players looking for new tong-term deals, including cornerback Darrelle Revis, center Nick Mangold and linebacker David Harris.
"I think the fans know that we have to run the team... and we have to run it within the rules," Johnson said Monday. "The fans know that we are trying to win. We are using our best judgment -- (general manager) Mike Tannenbaum, all of the coaches and me as well."
The Jets signed Ferguson to a six-year, $60 million extension earlier this month.
Revis is searching a contract that would make him the highest paid corner in the league. He is due to make $1 million this season. He has shown that he’s the best at his position and wants to be paid as such. It didn’t help that management mentioned to him following last season that the team would try to offer him a new long-term contract. Obviously, Revis took that as a promise and is on the fence about sitting out training camp.
"We're trying to put the best team on the field within the rules to win the Super Bowl," Johnson said. "I guess the fans are going to have to have a little confidence in our ability to make that happen."
What some people fail to forget is that the Jets did go to the AFC Championship last year, and that their defence was spectacular on route to their deep playoff run and got timely plays from the offense on the path to the playoffs. You must not forget that the Jets squeaked into the playoffs at 9-7 and that was only after the Colts rested Peyton Manning and the Bengals rested pretty much all of their starters in the final two weeks of the season.
Last season may have just been a case of the Jets overachieving, or the Bengals and Chargers underperforming in the playoffs.
The Jets did make some big moves this offseason when they acquired Santonio Holmes, Ladainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie. However, they also lost Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Alex Faneca and Kerry Rhodes.
However, their gains may be overrated as Tomlinson is past his prime and will likely share the load with RB Shonn Greene. Cromartie has underperformed in the last two seasons, and Santonio Holmes is suspended for the first four games of the season.
We also don’t know if sophomore QB Mark Sanchez will be able to follow up his playoff performance and even then, he mostly played a caretaking role on offence in the playoffs. He threw 20 interceptions last season, and in the playoffs he cut down on turnovers because he simply did not throw as often.
The Jets also have to worry about Revis, Mangold and Harris not being satisfied with their contracts, and you may wonder if that would affect their performance. If they’re not happy, they may not be as productive.
Sometimes, teams have issues that the eyes may not see, but they lie on the surface and may be a concern for the Jets heading into the season.
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