Gang Green Nation

Jets & Antonio Allen Come To Agreement On 4 Year Contact

2012-05-17T18:37:42Z

I had Antonio Allen rated as a 3rd or 4th round safety prospect, when we snagged him in the 7th I was delighted about it. He has agreed to terms on a four year deal with the rumoured signing bonus of $46,000.

I wrote a little player in focus piece of Antonio back in April that you can view here

When you read about Antonio Allen, one thing that will come up continuously is that Antonio played the SPUR position in college with South Carolina. This is basically a hybrid linebacker/safety, which is why he played a lot in the box and why Rex believed he droppd in the draft. A lot of colleges are now moving to the 4-2-5 defence to stop the spread offence, in this defence the SPUR player is the cog that makes it work. He needs to have excellent decision making ability and a lot of athleticism, shifting up into a traditional linebacker position in runs upport or dropping into nickel in passing situations. It's important for this position to read the defence accurately.

At 6'1 and 210lb's, Antonio has excellent size and although he hasn't played the traditional role as a safety, as Rex said, he'll be able to learn that position while contributing on defence. Any defensive player who is productive in the SEC deserves your recognition. He is excellent against the run as you would expect and tackles well in space, he will need to work on his coverage but for a 7th round selection, this is ultimate value. I can't wait to see him develop.

Dustin Keller Thinks Tony Sparano Is a Good Fit

2012-05-17T00:07:11Z

Dustin Keller has good things to say about Tony Sparano so far.

"He definitely runs a tighter ship than I've seen from anyone before, and he’s not going to let anyone slip up," Keller said last night at the United Way of NYC's Gridiron Gala, where Jets right guard Brandon Moore and Giants right guard Chris Snee were honored for their community service. "I think that’s when problems do arise. It’s going to continue. You can tell it’s not just a one day or an OTA thing, this thing is going to keep on going and going, and I think we need it."

It is a time honored tradition in the NFL for players to praise a new coach as an improvement over a fired coach before the games actually start. Dustin is absolutely right about one thing, though. The Jets did not seem to have a ton of accountability on offense last year. Everybody knows about Santonio Holmes, but plenty of players underperformed with no consequences.

Time will tell whether Sparano is truly the right guy for the offense, but his gruff exterior might be what the offense needs.

Dave DeGuglielmo Has Faith In Hunter

2012-05-16T21:59:17Z

I really don't know what to say in relation to these quotes from our new offensive line coach that Manish has just tweeted. First lets read them:

DeGuglielmo on Hunter: "Until they ship him out of this building or until they shoot me dead in my office, (he's) going to be starting RT"

DeGuglielmo on Wayne Hunter: "This guy has skills. If you find one out there better than that at that position, bring him to me."

More Dave DeGuglielmo on Wayne Hunter: "This is his year. He’s poised to be the man that he believes he can be & I believe he can be"

It reminds me of a situation where you just keep going and going and going on about something, in an effort to convince yourself that what you are saying is true. Apparently the career backup has skills and that all of a sudden in 2012 we are going to see the skills that have been hidden for the best part of a decade.

I'm sorry I just can't buy it. I'll be completely honest, I'm not very good at evaluating offensive line talent, but when it comes to Wayne Hunter, I don't think you need to be. He was the weak link last year, he said as much himself. That was his year to shine, and he failed.

Are we hearing such positive comments from DeGuglielmo because he simply does not have an alternative, but if he asks for the better RT's to be brought to him, I hope he is providing refreshments as that is going to be one very long line.

Vlad Ducasse and the 22

2012-05-16T14:44:34Z

A lot of folks hear the name Ducasse and think of assignments being blown in spectacular fashion, with QBs getting creamed and linemates getting their legs snapped. The disdain for Ducasse is justified. I was one of the few that wanted Ducasse when we drafted him 2 years ago, so I'm also one of the few that keeps an eye on him when he steps on the field. Its unfortunate that TV directors usually only show o-lineman when they're getting beaten. And this has negatively skewed the perception of Vlad. Yes, he's been beaten badly quite a few times. But there are plenty of other occassions where he's manhandling people and it goes unnoticed. There were times where he came in as a blocking TE and was moving DLs 3, 4, 5 yards off scrimmage, creating huge creases in his wake. I still believe in Vlad Ducasse. But he needs to put it together this off-season.

There's been talk bubbling to the surface that some of Ducasse's short-comings are due in part to his not having a full off-season to help him develop. I think there's some legitimacy to this notion. Vlad came from a small school with a low level of competition, and he was moved all over the line in his first season. In his second season, he had no off-season with individual coaching due to the lock-out to help him get ready. Then you have to factor in all the nonsensical complexities of a Schotty-schemed offense and a quasi zone-blocking scheme. Word seems to be that Ducasse has been working out at RT, and only RT this off-season. That Sparano's system is far less complicated in both verbiage and in assignment, and that it also offers a lot more help and double-team opportunities. I think the simplification of assignment and the extra help will bode well for Ducasse. I think we'll see him in favorable positions a lot more, with our expected renewed commitment to the running game. I think he'll be able to hone in on some weaknesses and improve a bunch with a real off-season and some extended one-on-one coaching. I'm expecting him to take a big jump this season.

Keller also echoed what coach Rex Ryan recently hinted, that Sparano's system allows players to help each other more, instead of for instance leaving a tackle out on an island. Keller said there are more calls designated for specific situations, rather than catch-all calls, taking the gray area out. The additional calls also give the Jets more chances to use double teams, he said.

I also like the talk I'm hearing about this 22 personnel stuff:

Keller said the Jets are still focusing on the base offense but they have been mixing in some "22 personnel" sets, in which there are two tight ends and two backs. In those sets, he said Jeff Cumberland, who is coming off a season-ending Achilles tear, is the second tight end.

I love it. I would also go so far as to say I hope that Josh Baker is used as the FB in these sets. You can put Keller, Cumberland and Baker all off Vlad's flank. This would put the defense in a tough spot. Its a heavy personnel set, but the players that make it heavy are all also dangerous and capable pass catchers. I would leave the corner free every time, and invite him to dive at the line of scrimmage to take on Greene. The SS and the SLB are in a bit of a spot. If they bite hard at the run-action, both Keller and Cumberland have the speed to hurt them. But if they lean back on their heels, one TE can double down on the DE while the other two press the LB and Greene can hit it downhill for a quick 4 to 5 yards, and more if he shakes off a tackle. And the possiblities get even more enticing when you add McKnight and Ganaway to the potential RB combos.

All in all. I'm liking that our OC seems to at least recognize the strengths of our personnel and seems to be trying to use those strengths to the benefit of the team. I've said it many times but it bears repeating: its all bout imposing your will. The team that can dictate the terms of the game, the one that can do what it wants when it wants, is the team thats more likely to win. The beef I always had with Schotty was that he seemed to always be about TAKING the opportunity that presented itself. He wanted to balance out the formation and distribution, and see what you're giving him and try to take it. That approach is flawed, imo. That allows the opponent to dictate the terms. With that philospohy, the opponent has control of what you're doing and where you're going and when you're going there. It allows them to disguise and shift and make you react to THEM. I always admired the way the Pats approach offense. They DICTATE with pace and personnel. They don't wait to see which match-up presents itslef. They hurry personnel packages onto the field and MAKE match-ups. They don't react, they make YOU react. It seems that we finally have an OC that adopts more of that philosophy. Hopefully we see that play out on the field this season.

Quotes are from nj.com's Jenny Vrentas artical.

Tebow Winning Over Coaches With Improvement & Work Ethic

2012-05-15T18:57:08Z

Now that he had to come in and win any one over really, but the Daily News have a few snippets from coaches on Tebows continued improvement as an NFL Quarterback and his tireless work ethic that I hope rubs off on certain other players on this football team:

think he can be very good," Cavanaugh told the Daily News. "I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him over an extended period of time . . . not just watching him play on film. I think he’s certainly got the arm strength. He has good mechanics. They’re getting better every day."

"I think with Tim, he’s more focused right now in the offseason on just working on the fundamentals of trying to be rhythmic in the pocket," Cavanaugh said. "So (he) can be using the mechanics that (he) wants to be using. We started to toy a little bit with some of the other things that will happen to you . . . And he’s shown great progress. I’m real pleased with him."

I've always been a fan of this move and make no apologies for it, I honestly think that he can really help us win some football games and his attitude around the locker room in relation to team work, work ethic and just doing the right thing on and off the field will really help this group of players. We do have to worry about Tebowmania and everything that brings to an already media centered spotlight in New York, but the one thing we didn't have to worry about was Tebow not giving 100% every single second he is in the facility:

"He doesn’t let a day go by when he’s not focused on trying to get better at something," Cavanaugh said. "When you’re in that role as a backup, you take every rep, every drill, every offseason practice or meeting to get better. . . . The playing time? Nobody knows how much it’s going to be. So I don’t think we worry about that."

"The perfect scenario is that... we win enough games to get into the playoffs, go deep into the playoffs and have a chance to win a Super Bowl," Cavanaugh added. "I want our quarterbacks to be a part of it... I’m not concerned at all about playing time."

Kenrick Ellis Will Battle Courts Before Opponents

2012-05-15T18:45:58Z

A criminal trial that is long overdue is set to get underway this Thursday in Hampton Virginia with a pre-trial hearing:

The Jets were aware of the pending charges when they selected Ellis in the third round of the 2011 draft. A potential complication is that Ellis is not a U.S. citizen. Ellis, a native of Jamaica who moved to Florida at the age of 11, has "permanent resident" status. A permanent resident convicted of an aggravated felony is deportable, according to immigration law. People close to Ellis have said the alleged victim harassed his girlfriend and came after him with a baseball bat, prompting the lineman to act in self-defense.

Ellis also is facing a civil suit. It was filed last April by Dennis Eley, who is seeking $3 million in damages. In his complaint, obtained by ESPNNewYork.com, he accused Ellis of beating him unconcious and breaking his nose and jaw, requiring two surgeries.

It is extrmely concerning for the Jets, who were well aware of the legal issues when selecting Ellis. I didn't like the selection, especially with pending legal issues. I still don't like it after a slow rookie year and depending on how this trial plays out, it could well be one of the most wasted draft picks in recent memory.

If the Jets did know about the legal issues as Cimini suggests, they must believe it to be frivolous. We don't know the full story, if a guy comes at me with a baseball bat when I'm with my girlfriend, then I'm probably going to defend myself and her and if that means the attacker gets hurt, then so be it.

It's going to be an interesting case, we'll keep you up to date with the proceedings.

"Jets have come to terms on a 4-year deal with OL Robert T. Griffin, per source." Four down, four...

2012-05-15T18:02:27Z

"Jets have come to terms on a 4-year deal with OL Robert T. Griffin, per source."

Four down, four to go.

Per Manish Mehta, via Twitter

Jets have come to terms on a 4-year deal with RB Terrance Ganaway, per source. #nyj

2012-05-14T19:46:57Z

Jets have come to terms on a 4-year deal with RB Terrance Ganaway, per source. #nyj

Manish Mehta via Twitter