Has Brad Smith Played His Last Game with the New York Jets?
With the 153rd pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the New York Jets drafted TCU wide receiver Jeremy Kerley.
Kerley was one of the nation’s most versatile players in 2010, with 10 receiving touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and a touchdown pass. The year before that, he was the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year.
He was also second in the nation in punt returns and third in kickoff returns last season, and was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, which honors the most versatile player in the country.
I’ve written before about how Brad Smith is a unique weapon, and I love what he does for the Jets. But they have other priorities as far as free agency goes and Smith may be too much of a luxury to keep. I think there’s a real chance the Jets and Brad Smith part ways and Kerley takes over his role.
Smith is a Pro Bowl-caliber special teamer, and it might seem crazy that the Jets would let him walk for a rookie 5th-round draft pick. But the NFL’s rule changes on kickoff returns may devalue Smith to the point that the Jets don’t feel they need to invest what Smith could command on the free agent market.
With the new rules in place, teams will kick off from the 35-yard line instead of the 30, which means an increase of touchbacks and likely a decrease in the value of a kick return specialist.
I know guys like Devin Hester and Joshua Cribbs had to be fuming after that rule change got approved, and so were their teams. It just so happens that the Jets’ return specialist is a free agent to be, which gives the Jets flexibility if they choose to go younger with Jeremy Kerley.
I’ll admit, before the draft I didn’t know much about Kerley. But I did find this:
So that pretty much speaks for itself. Teams love rookies who can make the team and play good special teams, and Kerley seems like he can certainly do that.
“I’m definitely a special-teams guy,” Kerley said. “I know what makes me, and my special teams ability is what makes me the player that I am.
Clearly the kid can return kicks and punts, but what about the other duties that Smith is in charge of, such as the Jets version of the Wildcat formation?
Well as it turns out, Kerley played quarterback in high school, leading his team to it’s first state championship in school history as a junior. He was actually a prep baseball star as well, playing center field and pitcher.
Talk about versatile.
At the very least, it seems like Jeremy Kerley is insurance for Brad Smith, who himself was a project pick in the 4th round of 2006 out of Missouri. We don’t know what’s going to happen with Smith in free agency, and whether or not he would take a discount to stay with the Jets.
Until the NFL lockout ends and free agency begins, all we can do is speculate. The Jets are prepared either way. They did not want to go into the 2011 season without assurances that they’d have a
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New York Jets Fortify Their Offense on Day Three of the 2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft is now officially over, and in a way it’s bittersweet. The NFL Draft is always one of the most fun events on the NFL calendar each year, and yet it may be the only football we see in 2011 for a long time.
All of the incoming rookies are now locked out by the NFL, and the biggest causalities are the undrafted players who are barred from signing with any teams now, which is a customary tradition in the hours following the draft each year.
The Jets took two big defensive lineman with their first two picks, big Muhammad Wilkerson in the 1st round, and Kenrick Ellis in round 3. Wilkerson is a versatile weapon, capable of playing the 3-4 DE spot but also inside in certain packages, while Ellis is a true nose tackle and could be a steal at 94 overall. The Jets had him ranked as their 36th-best player overall.
Then on Saturday in rounds four through seven, the Jets turned their attention to the offense, drafting Louisville running back Bilal Powell with their 4th round pick, 126th overall. Powell adds even more depth to a backfield that’s already home to Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Joe McKnight. Scouts say he has good vision and should fit in nicely with the Jets’ zone-blocking scheme.
The Jets then traded up a few picks in the 5th round to select TCU wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, a polished route-runner who may be insurance, or a replacement, for Brad Smith. Kerley is a good kick returner who should contribute right away on special teams.
Finally, in the seventh round, the Jets made two very intriguing selections that I really like, taking Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy and Colorado wide receiver Scotty McKnight, a childhood friend of Mark Sanchez who is already confirmed to join Sanchez and company at Jets West 2.0 next week.
New York Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez Will Hold “Jets West 2.0″ Next Week
With the NFL lockout apparently back in effect, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has taken it upon himself to set up his own “Jets West” camp again this year, inviting some of his teammates to work out with him at his old stomping grounds of Mission Viejo High School in SoCal.
Last year Sanchez held his inaugural Jets West camp, where he trained with his receivers to improve their chemistry going into his second season in the NFL.
ESPN’s Rachel Nichols did a story about it on E:60 last year.
Manish Mehta of The Daily News reports that Sanchez will hold Jets West 2.0 this upcoming week from May 2 to May 8, with seven Jets players confirmed to attend so far. Those players are running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Joe McKnight, fullback John Conner, wide receiver Braylon Edwards, tight ends Dustin Keller and Jeff Cumberland, and quarterback Kevin O’Connell.
(Update: Sanchez’s best friend and Jets 7th round selection Scotty McKnight will also be in attendance.)
Unlike last year, when Sanchez held the camp simply to build chemistry with his teammates, it appears the Jets players in attendance are simply working out together this time in lieu of being locked out from team facilities. Sanchez may have cancelled the camp had the NFL lockout ended and players were allowed to work out in New Jersey with the coaches.
At any rate, I love hearing that the young Sanchez has taken it upon himself to lead this team by example once again. He has really stepped up his leadership over his second season and into his third, and it’s great to see that he’s not letting the success go to his head. He continues to push himself and his teammates to get better every day, and that’s what the Jets love about him.
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Listen to New York Jets First Round Pick Muhammad Wilkerson’s First Interview
With the 30th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select Muhammad Wilkerson of Temple University.
I am a big fan of the move. I really didn’t think he’d be available at 30, but I couldn’t be happier that he was.
I’ve had the opportunity to see Wilkerson up close a few times, as Temple plays in the same football conference as my alma mater, the University at Buffalo. Wilkerson dominated in college and the Jets believe he can raise his game to a new level in the NFL.
He has the unique ability to be an every-down lineman who can play any of the defensive line positions in Rex Ryan’s defense. He could excel in this defense and could be the centerpiece of the interior defense for a long time.
Friends of the site Nick and Frankie from Flopping Out interviewed Wilkerson just hours before he was drafted by the Jets, and you can check out their six-minute interview with big Mo over on FloppingOut.com.
The Jets talked with many teams about possibly trading down, but they believed that the Linden, New Jersey native was the best player available and pulled the trigger on him at 30.
The Jets do not have a second round draft pick at the moment, and the next time they are scheduled to be on the clock is at 94th overall in the third round. Rest assured, if there is a player the Jets feel is worth it, they’ll trade up to get him on Saturday. It’ll be fun to watch.
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On Draft Day, Some Guys I’d Like to See in a New York Jets Uniform
With the 2011 NFL Draft just hours away, I want to quickly go through some of my favorite draft prospects that could be Jets targets in round 1 Thursday night.
The man pictured above is the guy I believe, and I hope, will be the Jets’ first round draft choice, UCLA LB Akeem Ayers. I expect he will be available at 30 (fingers crossed) and if so, I think the Jets should pull the trigger.
Ayers isn’t my favorite prospect in this draft, but he’s certainly at the top of my list among players I think could be around when the Jets are on the clock. I love Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue, Cameron Jordan of Cal, Corey Liuget of Illinois and J.J. Watt of Wisconsin, but I believe all of those guys will be long gone by then.
I also like Temple’s Muhammad Wilkerson, Arizona’s Brooks Reed, Adrian Clayborn of Iowa, and Justin Houston of Georgia. I expect Reed and Houston to be available at 30, Wilkerson and Clayborn, maybe not. I would seriously consider Wilkerson over Ayers if both are available.
Two other guys who have been linked to the Jets are Ohio State’s Cameron Heyward and Baylor’s Phil Taylor. I’d pass on both these guys. Not my cup of tea.
One interesting thing about the Jets is that they may not be drafting 30th overall at all. It would not surprise me to see “Trader Mike” Tannenbaum move up in the draft to get someone he likes, or trade down out of the first round entirely to acquire more draft picks.
I can’t wait to find out. The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft begins at 8:00 pm on ESPN and the NFL Network.
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