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Tue., June 25
When will the Jets give Chad Pennington a chance to win the QB job from Vinny Testaverde? In the master plan schemed up by former coach Bill Parcells during the 2000 draft, this likely would have been the season in which Pennington inherited the starting job as the Jets began to seriously rebuild for the future. Truth is, Pennington is no closer to taking over the No. 1 job now than he was as a rookie. About the only chance he has of being elevated to the starter's spot is if Testaverde isn't totally rehabilitated from spring surgery to remove a benign tumor from his right foot.
Optimistic reports aside, Testaverde isn't running yet. Until recently, he walked with a limp. But if he's healthy, Testaverde remains the guy, and his recently restructured contract will allow him to be the starter several more years if that's what the Jets want. Pennington is a bright guy, and Jets officials will tell you that no one works harder. The problem is that he still thinks too much on the field, rather than reacting to what he sees. Coach Herman Edwards and coordinator Paul Hackett are to the point now where they would prefer to see Pennington challenge defenses, even if he makes aggressive mistakes.
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Depending on your point of view, the Jets were either hit hard or given a huge salary-cap break by the expansion draft. New York lost three starters -- cornerbacks Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman and left tackle Ryan Young -- to the Texans. However, the loss of Glenn and Coleman saved the Jets more than $13 million in cap space.
Of the three, the loss of Young is the largest. Talented, young and relatively cheap, he had started all 32 games for the Jets the past two seasons. However, there was speculation the Jets and Texans agreed the Jets would keep Young unprotected if the Texans would take Glenn and Coleman.
The Jets made a big splash defensively in free agency, rolling the dice by signing linebacker Sam Cowart (Bills). One of the best linebackers in the NFL when healthy, Cowart missed 15 games last season with an Achilles' tendon injury. While certainly a risk, Cowart is still young (27) and will upgrade the defense if he's healthy. Defensive tackle Larry Webster was signed to help plug the middle of the line.
The Jets almost totally rebuilt their defensive backfield, signing free agent cornerbacks Aaron Beasley (Jaguars) and Donnie Abraham (Bucs) and strong safety Sam Garnes, who replaces Victor Green (released). It remains to be seen if Beasley and Abraham are upgrades at cornerback. But the Jets are moving almost exclusively to a cover-2 scheme this year, something that Glenn and Coleman weren't as well suited for.
One year after taking over as head coach, Herman Edwards had a big role in remaking the defense over the offseason. Almost all of the moves on that side of the ball were made with the schemes Edwards wants to run in mind.
Offensively, the biggest news was Vinny Testaverde's surgery to remove a benign bone tumor from his right foot. While the surgery certainly raised concerns in New York, all signs indicate he is on track in his rehab and will be ready for training camp. Testaverde even participated in some passing drills during a recent minicamp. And while he wasn't yet at full strength, his participation had Jets fans breathing sighs of relief.
Testaverde's injury did allow backup Chad Pennington to get extra reps over the offseason. While Testaverde is clearly the No. 1 quarterback, Pennington needs more experience if the Jets are ever going to find out if he can be a legitimate starter in the NFL.
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JETS AT A GLANCE
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Curtis Martin rushed for
1,513 yards last season. |
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2001 record: 10-6
Team rank: Defense (19th); offense (24th)
Jets team news |
The offensive line is in a bit of flux. The unit received a big blow when right guard Dave Szott suffered what appears to be a season-ending knee injury. Szott, signed as a free agent, had been penciled in as a starter. He will be replaced by J.P. Machado or rookie Hunter Goodwin. After experimenting with Jason Fabini at right tackle and Kareem McKenzie at left, the Jets have switched Fabini back to his normal left tackle spot. That means McKenzie, entering his second season, is penciled in to replace Young at right tackle. The Jets are very high on McKenzie, who is an impressive athlete, but there will be a lot of pressure on him to fill Young's shoes.
For a complete list of all the players the New York Jets have signed and lost so far this offseason, click here.
How they drafted
The Jets surprised some draft pundits in the first round by selecting defensive end Bryan Thomas. The prevailing thought was that they would use their first-round pick on a cornerback, such as Lito Sheppard or Mike Rumph. However, the Jets decided to try to boost a pass rush that saw only John Abraham record more than five sacks last season. One added bonus is that Thomas has already signed a contract, becoming only the second first-rounder (David Carr was the other) to agree to terms. The early signing will be a boost for Thomas, who is generally considered raw and has a lot to learn. In the second round the Jets grabbed safety Jon McGraw, who could eventually win the starting spot at free safety.
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Fantasy Focus
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Curtis Martin is one of the NFL's most durable running backs, having played all 16 games in the last three seasons. He's surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his first seven seasons, making him worthy of a top five runner in fantasy drafts. He's showing no signs of slowing down. Last season, he posted his highest yards per carry, gaining 4.5 yards. On the down side, he only scored in one of the final 11 games. However, some of that could be attributed to an ineffective pass offense. If the passing game improves, that will open up running lanes inside the red zone. Make sure to insure yourself by drafting second-stringer LaMont Jordan. He's one of the league's most talented backup runners.
-- Roger Rotter, Fantasy editor
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For a complete list of the Jets' draft picks, click here.
Unfinished business
Testaverde's health will be the center of attention for Jets fans between now and training camp. While all signs point to him being ready to go when the Jets open camp, it remains to be seen what kind of physical shape he'll be in. One player who will have plenty of eyes on him during training camp is Santana Moss. The Jets' first-round pick last year is being counted on for big things after missing almost all of his rookie season due to knee and hamstring injuries. Moss has been limited this offseason due to more surgery on his right knee in February. The Jets need Moss to provide big plays in the passing game and on special teams.
Outlook for 2002
For a team that went to the playoffs last season, the Jets underwent a tremendous amount of change over the offseason, especially on defense. What remains to be seen is if those changes will make the team better in 2002. Much of the Jets' success could depend on the health of Testaverde. With Testaverde in the lineup, and star running back Curtis Martin still going strong, the Jets should be right in the thick of the playoff race. However, if Testaverde gets hurt and Pennington takes over, the focus could switch to more of a rebuilding mode.
Peter Lawrence-Riddell is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.
