Thoughts, observations and notes on the New York Jets:
1. Quarterback rumors: Let's start with the elephant in the room -- Colin Kaepernick. From what I understand, the Jets aren't interested in the reportedly disgruntled San Francisco 49ers quarterback. There's a lot of speculation about the Jets and Kaepernick -- shocker! -- but I get a strong sense their plan is to proceed with the Ryan Fitzpatrick negotiations.
Should they be interested in Kaepernick? In my opinion, no. Too risky, too expensive. Frankly, he hasn't been much better than Geno Smith. Check out the numbers for each quarterback in his past 16 starts.
2. Shining a light on Wilkerson's sack total: I'm on record as saying the Jets should give Muhammad Wilkerson a long-term contract extension, but I spoke to one league source who believes Wilkerson isn't an elite player. Take a closer look at his sacks, this person said, claiming the Pro Bowl defensive end benefited from an inordinate number of "cheap" sacks.
So I went back and studied the tape of his team-high 12 sacks last season, and this is what I found: Four sacks occurred when he was unblocked. Two others probably shouldn't have counted as sacks because the quarterback was beyond the line of scrimmage on one scramble and another should've been ruled an incomplete pass. So, yeah, Wilkerson caught some breaks.
But let's be fair. On two of the unblocked sacks, Wilkerson managed to corral the elusive Tyrod Taylor in the open field, probably a tougher feat than beating a block at the point of attack. So perspective is important.
Wilkerson still is a very good player, but I wonder if the organization values him as much as, say, the Philadelphia Eagles value defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. At the scouting combine, Eagles executive Howie Roseman said of Cox, "He's a great player. He's going to get great-player money. We're not shy about saying that." When discussing Wilkerson in public, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan is complimentary, if not effusive. Maybe it's posturing. Maybe not.
3. Cornering the market: Even with Antonio Cromartie off the books, the Jets still lead the league in cornerback payroll -- a total cap charge of $30.1 million. Gee, I wonder why.
4. Hand it to the QBs: There was a lot of chatter at the combine about Cal quarterback Jared Goff and his small hands -- only nine inches. Some scouts consider hand size one of the most important measureables for a quarterback, especially for a cold-weather team. Goff played in warm weather, yet he still had 23 fumbles in college -- perhaps a cause for concern.
In case you're wondering, a 10-inch hand is considered average for a quarterback. Looking at the Jets' quarterbacks, Smith measured 9.25 inches at the 2013 combine. (He, too, had a lot of fumbles in college.) Bryce Petty hit the 10-inch mark at last year's event. Fitzpatrick? His measurement from the 2005 combine was unavailable.
5. Meet & Greet: The Jets interviewed most of the top quarterback prospects at the combine, including Goff, Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch and Dak Prescott. This doesn't mean they're going to draft a quarterback; it's simply due diligence. The Jets have picked a quarterback in three straight drafts -- Smith (second round), Tajh Boyd (sixth) and Petty (fourth). Will they extend the streak? I wouldn't rule it out, but I'd be surprised if they took one in the first or second round.
6. Cat Man do: Discussing his options at outside linebacker, coach Todd Bowles mentioned three players -- Lorenzo Mauldin, the recently signed Freddie Bishop (formerly of the CFL) and Mike Catapano. Interesting player, Catapano. He was a 3-technique for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he dropped weight (down to 270 pounds) and played rush linebacker last season for the Jets. He played only 53 snaps before a season-ending foot injury, but he recorded a sack and showed some burst on the edge.
"We're going to put them in the pot and see if they can play," Bowles said of the trio.
That said, look for them to add another outside 'backer, probably two.
7. Soul man: Love this quote from Stanford guard Josh Garrett, who was discussing his philosophy on blocking in the running game: "You've got to run through them, just run through their soul." That's the kind of guy you want on your offensive line.
8. Mr. Coffee: Maccagnan was asked what he learned about himself after self-scouting his first year on the job. He laughed, saying, "Well, I'm trying to drink less coffee." The man has been known to drink up to 12 cups a day.
Turning serious, Maccagnan noted the different challenges he faces in Year 2, noting there isn't nearly as much cap space as last season. He believes it will create a fluid free-agency period, one built on contingency plans. With several key free agents headed to market, he needs to have fallback options in the event they lose one of their own players. Example: If he loses Chris Ivory, he must quickly identify the next running back target. In a way, it's a read-and-react approach, where last year was an all-out blitz.
9. Double-R: Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, linked to the Jets in some mock drafts, weighed 247 pounds at the combine. He dropped 12 pounds over a few weeks, which could convince teams he can be a three-down linebacker. For what it's worth, he said he'd be a natural in the Jets' aggressive defense.
"That's what we did at Alabama," he said. "We had aggressive front style and a lot of different type of packages. I'll fit in well if they end up drafting me."
10. The inexact science: A couple of thousand NFL types (coaches, scouts, doctors, et al) are spending a week in Indianapolis to evaluate 300-plus college prospects, analyzing everything from 40-yard dashes to X-rays. And you know what? They still make mistakes. Every so often a player like Damon Harrison comes along, someone who defies the system. A few days ago, he tweeted his thoughts on the combine, perfectly capturing the scouting business:
Time my heart, not my 40. Measure my passion, not my height. Weigh my desire to be great, not my body. Can't measure what not many have.
— Damon Harrison (@BigDame900) February 25, 2016
Harrison played at William Penn University, an NAIA school in Iowa, and wasn't invited to the combine. Now the defensive tackle is about to hit the jackpot in free agency.
