Last Guy on the Bench

I think he was absolutely convinced he had the Jets job (unless he got an even better offer from one of the other teams). He seems like a very ambitious guy - not likely to walk away from something just because he is unhappy. There are definitely people who would do that (I think that's what Mularkey did), but I don't think he's one of them. Marrone got burned by relying on inside info that Woody was ready to offer him the Jets job. That info was probably true at the time - but it was a non-binding intention and Woody changed his mind. I have to believe that Marrone is absolutely kicking himself. But he has to put on a good face in public.

Well once, actually. His first year, 2006, the Saints made the conference championship game before getting thwacked by the Bears. They missed the playoffs in the 2007 and 2008. Then he left for Syracuse.

Riddle me this: If Kraft is convinced that there was no tampering (which he has said), why were the two employees suspended without pay by the team, even prior to the NFL decision? What were the team's grounds for suspending them? Serious question, I don't remember reading anything about this, but the team must have had some grounds. Exposing the balls to germs in the restroom?

Damn you're quick, Yolo. Was just about to post this. Great article - everyone should read it. I love this pick. I remember O'Leary really jumped out at me when I was watching a lot of EJ video two years ago. I think he will be a great fit in Greg Roman's offense. He'll get some play.

Amazing article and video. Thanks! I was surprised by the gracious comments underneath from a Pats fan, a Fins fan, and Seahawks fan. I know that just because we appreciate who a person is and the vibe he brings to the the team doesn't necessarily translate to wins (hello, Ryan Fitzpatrick). But it sure makes the ride more fun anyway.

Sick block. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vmtEhSTCaI

I'm not really in favor of this trade, for most of the reasons other people have cited (age, Kiko's ability, value of RB, cap, etc.). BUT, I've been quite interested in the argument around how much running backs are actually worth. It got me thinking about what kind of an offensive bump we might see from upgrading to Shady. Is an improvement of 50 yards per game too much to expect? A few more big runs? A few more drives kept alive? A little more room for the receivers and QB to work with, as defenses key in on Shady? I'm not sure 50 yards per game is outrageous to expect. And that would be significant. Last year we ranked 26th in the league in total YPG with 318.5. If we were 50 better at 368.5, we would have ranked 10th, just in front of the Giants and behind the Seahawks. If Shady can move us from 26th in the league to 10th, then I might have to change my opinion. (Though I still don't know about the long-term implications of the trade.)

Interesting answers. Thanks, everyone. There's something about him that kind of intrigues me. But I am wary when fans of a QB's team aren't in love with him. I remember feeling really good about everything I was seeing and reading about EJ except that the people who had watched Florida State were so lukewarm about him. He had good stats, good athletic ability, smarts, character, etc. But fans who watch someone for a few years generally get a feel for when something is missing. Sims is interesting since he only has the one year. The fact that he converted from RB and ended up the starting QB for Alabama of all places, with so little experience, really impresses me. I wonder if he isn't anywhere near his ceiling. Don't see any way he is even a mid-high draft pick. But it would be fun to take a flyer on him or someone like him in rounds 5-7 and see if he continues to develop. Not to mention, if Bill from NYC actually likes a small, skill-position player, that goes a long way in my book. There must be something good about Sims.

I was curious to hear more from people who follow Alabama about their view on Blake Sims. On Murph's show, Greg Gabriel said that he throws the nicest, most pro-ready ball of the QBs at the Senior Bowl. I know he's short, but I like the way the ball comes out of his hand and he seems accurate from a variety of spots, body positions, when he's running, etc. Reminds me a little of Brees and Wilson. I know he threw some awful interceptions in the bowl game this year, though. But his interception total for the year was low, if I'm not mistaken. Would love to hear what people who have spent a lot of time watching him think.

I thought he also said somewhere they will over-inflate and see if the ref catches it - I assume they meant before the pre-game measurement. If that's the case (and I could be wrong), it is dodgy, but much less of a cheat than tampering with the balls after they have been measured and marked. The pre-measurement version is more like an OL holding and hoping the ref doesn't notice, in my opinion.

I'm not sure about coordinators' contracts, but I thought I read that Schwartz still had big money coming from Detroit this year.

I'm not sure he's the right fit for this team at this time, though it would be fun to find out, and I kind of doubt he'd want to come here anyway. Atlanta makes a lot more sense for him. BUT, I love that dude. Here's a long-former from Grantland - an entertaining review of his whole history with the Jets. A great read. (Sorry if posted elsewhere. I didn't see it.) http://grantland.com/features/rexs-last-stand/ Now let's go eat a goddamn snack!

That was interesting, thanks. I think John Harbaugh is one of the best two or three coaches in the game, but he seems to fly under the radar. The Ravens are always in it - they have a solid QB but not a HOFer. They come to play against the best teams. Between Harbaugh and Ozzie, the Ravens are always gonna be competitive. I hope the Pegulas can land a coach like that and I hope Whaley turns into that kind of consistent GM (or that that they find someone else who can do it). Also, that was very gracious of Belichick to support Harbaugh in that way.

Agreed. I didn't mean popular opinion on this board or among Bills fans. I think most of us are impressed with how consistent the D has been. The only time they really haven't looked like themselves to me, was the second half of the Pats game. Even in the San Diego game I thought they played pretty well. I meant more the fans of opposing teams who seem to like to attribute our D's performance to having played Geno Smith/Michael Vick twice.

Interesting. We are actually #1 in weighted defense which gives more weight to recent performances and less weight to early season performances, better capturing how a team is performing currently (while still giving some weight to how they performed over the whole season). We are also the sixth most consistent team in terms of variance. Meaning that contrary to popular opinion, we haven't built our whole rating on waxing the Jets twice. So overall, we have been a consistently strong defense that is getting slightly stronger as the season progresses. I'm so interested to see what happens when we take this D into Denver. I have no idea what to expect really. I would only be surprised if they really fell apart, as that has not been their MO.

I would say both Detroit and Miami are "legitimate" teams.

Fitzgerald came into the league three years before Johnson.

Yeah, I noticed that. At first, it seemed like the throw was a tad behind Woods, but when you realize he chucked it before Woods even made the break, you see it was a fantastic throw. The DB had no chance to get his head around to make a play - even though the ball was so close to him - because of how early Orton threw it.

Wow. And the Jets actually looked like they had a good chance in the game going into halftime. How angry at his own life does a person have to be to scream at someone else over and over again you're garbage or you're a disgrace just because they are getting beat in a GAME by another professional team? I'll admit my mood is slightly different on Mondays after wins than on Mondays after losses, but Good God, get some perspective on your life.

Interesting. I loved Moncrief before the draft. Nice to see him doing well. I wasn't at all sold on Benjamin. Looks like I was way wrong about that so far. What a draft class (potentially) for WRs. And yet, if he doesn't get too much blowback for the hotdogging missed TD, Sammy can make a good argument for offensive rookie of the week AGAIN. How does 52.3 yards per reception hit you?

I'm with you, Coach. I never get the Ryan disdain from some people. I think he's a terrific coach and also a very interesting personality. I like the dude. But more importantly, to my eye he has regularly overachieved with that Jets roster, present season temporarily excepted. I'm on the fence about Marrone right now. I'm not that optimistic about him, but he definitely needs a little more time to convince me one way or the other. If we do make a coaching switch, though, I would be very, very happy with Ryan.

Yep. You could also see that he got up WAY less gingerly from the hits he took this week. In previous games his whole body was wincing after even normal looking tackles. It's been amazing to see how good he's looked even when feeling like that. He looked like ROY material with bad ribs. I'm hoping he looks like Pro Bowl material with good ribs. (What am I saying? He already looked like Pro Bowl material last week. And let's not forget, he's only 15 years old.. Still lots of room to grow.) Supernatural Sammy. Can't wait to see what he turns into.

Perfect. He does look like he's wearing his dad's suit. Love it. Sure it's premature, but that is a legendary photo right there, you have to admit.

Don't love that either. He is a grabby, physical CB. Seems to work for him overall (when he is not wearing a cast), but it burns him pretty regularly. I'm not arguing he is an elite CB. But I think he is solid. Maybe he'll get better, I don't know. But solid CBs are hard enough to come by that I'm happy to have him for a long time, even if the level he is playing at right now is his peak (debatable).

Nope I would not agree. I don't think he's a pro bowler right now. But he is a solid player. Every game he disappears for huge stretches of time - which is a great thing for a DB. You don't hear anything about him play after play. Or how about what is happening on the back end of all of those sacks? Camera doesn't show it, but the DBs are doing something right. As for draft position, half of top-ten draftees are busts. Would I be happier if he played like Peterson or Sherman? Sure I would. But I don't think that every top-ten pick who isn't an obvious stud is a bust or even a wasted draft pick. I also think people overreact to the times they see DBs (on their own team) getting beat. Again, even the best defenses give up a couple of hundred yards passing per game. And all those catches ain't being defended by linebackers.