{"id":26034,"date":"2014-08-22T00:02:46","date_gmt":"2014-08-22T04:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jetnation.com\/?p=26034"},"modified":"2022-04-01T03:39:03","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T07:39:03","slug":"new-york-jets-roster-comparison-2012-vs-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/2014\/08\/22\/new-york-jets-roster-comparison-2012-vs-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Jets Roster Comparison 2012 vs 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This was written by <a href=\"http:\/\/forums.jetnation.com\/user\/5406-jetsfan80\/\">JetsFan80<\/a> and posted in our <a href=\"http:\/\/forums.jetnation.com\/topic\/116421-roster-building-jets-roster-2014-vs-2012\/\">New York Jets forum<\/a>. It was definitely worth sharing, so the content of the thread appears below:<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">This has been touched on in other topics but I think it&#8217;s worthy of it&#8217;s own thread.\u00a0 As we head into the most important preseason game, let&#8217;s go position-by-position and see if John Idzik actually has made improvements to the roster he was left with.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/sanchez-ground.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-19443\" src=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/sanchez-ground-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"mark sanchez ground\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/sanchez-ground-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/sanchez-ground-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/sanchez-ground-55x55.jpg 55w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/sanchez-ground-70x70.jpg 70w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Quarterback<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 QB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Mark Sanchez\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Tim Tebow\u00a0\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Greg McElroy<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 QB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Geno Smith\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Michael Vick\u00a0\u00a0 3a\/3b.\u00a0 Tajh Boyd\/Matt Simms<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Wholesale changes were required at the QB position, and Idzik has made some significant improvements.\u00a0 Sanchez was ranked alongside Joey Harrington as the NFL&#8217;s worst 4-year starter in recent history.\u00a0 Tim Tebow&#8217;s role was confusing on the 2012 roster, as his poor accuracy rendered him unable to actually play the position.\u00a0 Greg McElroy turned out to be the real &#8220;# 2&#8221; on the roster and is currently without a home in the NFL alongside Tebow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">The current crop of QB&#8217;s shows some promise at each spot on the depth chart.\u00a0 Geno Smith took home an AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in Week 5 of the 2013 season even with Peyton Manning playing out of his mind.\u00a0 He then reverted to looking exactly like a rookie before finishing the season strong.\u00a0 Vick is what he is at 34; a backup still capable of making plays with his feet and running some semblance of an offense if needed.\u00a0 Boyd and Simms are competing for the # 3 job and are both better prospects than McElroy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/USATSI_7957287_158813650_lowres.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-25329 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/USATSI_7957287_158813650_lowres-219x300.jpg\" alt=\"Chris Johnson\" width=\"219\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/USATSI_7957287_158813650_lowres-219x300.jpg 219w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/USATSI_7957287_158813650_lowres-600x821.jpg 600w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/USATSI_7957287_158813650_lowres.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px\" \/><\/a>Running Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 RB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Shonn Greene\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Bilal Powell\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Joe McKnight\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Lex Hilliard (FB)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 RB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1a\/1b.\u00a0 Chris Johnson\/Chris Ivory\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Bilal Powell\u00a0 3a\/3b.\u00a0 Daryl Richardson\/Alex Green\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Tommy Bohanon (FB)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Shonn Greene is in Tennessee as Bishop Sankey&#8217;s backup.\u00a0 Chris Johnson, the previous back Greene spelled, is now a Jet.\u00a0 If this were a player for player trade, Jets fans would have taken this in a heartbeat.\u00a0 Greene never lived up to the &#8220;1st round grade&#8221; he was given by Tannenbaum.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Chris Ivory, who had 4.6 ypc behind a suspect line in &#8217;13, pushes the pile better than Greene ever did, and is a fine compliment to the exciting speed back Johnson.\u00a0 The 4th round pick dealt for him seems well worth it, especially when you consider that Joe McKnight once cost the same price.\u00a0 Powell remains in Jet green as the trusted holdover from the Tannenbaum era.\u00a0 A jack-of-all-trades who has largely stayed healthy when other backs have not, he remains an ideal backup option.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Wide Receiver<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 WR&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Jeremy Kerley\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Braylon Edwards\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Stephen Hill\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Chaz Schilens\u00a0\u00a0 5.\u00a0 Clyde Gates\u00a0\u00a0 6.\u00a0 Jordan White<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 * Santonio Holmes (IR)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 WR&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Eric Decker\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Jeremy Kerley\u00a0\u00a0 3a\/3b.\u00a0 Stephen Hill\/David Nelson\u00a0\u00a0 4a\/4b.\u00a0 Greg Salas\/Jacoby Ford\/Clyde Gates \u00a0 5a\/5b\/5c.\u00a0 Saalim Hakim\/Quincy Enunwa\/Michael Campbell \u00a0 6.\u00a0 Jalen Saunders (KR)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 * Shaq Evans (IR)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Braylon Edwards, Chaz Schilens and Jordan White are all out of the league.\u00a0 Ouch.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Eric Decker has the look a low-end WR1, something the Jets have craved since the &#8220;Fly Boys&#8221; era.\u00a0 He produced with HOFer Peyton Manning and also with Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, so there is hope that he can help transform Geno&#8217;s game.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">The rest of the 2014 depth chart has competition at every spot.\u00a0 Shaq Evans ending up on IR could be a blessing in disguise, as it opens a spot for another receiver to stick on the 53-man roster.\u00a0 Hill is a bust and while Nelson has good hands, his route-running might be an issue.\u00a0 What the Jets do with their bottom 3 or 4 spots on the depth chart will be interesting, but clearly Decker and Kerley will be the top dogs in terms of targets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Tight End<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 TE&#8217;s: 1.\u00a0 Dustin Keller\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Jeff Cumberland\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Konrad Reuland (FB)\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Hayden Smith<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 * Josh Baker (IR)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 TE&#8217;s:\u00a0 1a\/1b.\u00a0 Jace Amaro\/Jeff Cumberland\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Zach Sudfeld\u00a0\u00a0 3a\/3b.\u00a0 Colin Anderson\/Chris Pantale<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">It would be easy to say that 2nd round pick Jace Amaro is better than Dustin Keller purely by potential, but for now, it&#8217;s a &#8220;jury&#8217;s still out&#8221; situation.\u00a0 Certainly Keller was a disappointment in a long line of TE disappointments for the Jets.\u00a0 He couldn&#8217;t block and he lacked the toughness to go over the middle.\u00a0 But he was big, fast, and had his moments.\u00a0 Amaro caught everything thrown to him in college and if that translates it&#8217;ll be a clear upgrade for the Jets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Sudfeld&#8217;s size\/speed combo is intriguing, but he couldn&#8217;t make a mark for the Patriots even when Gronkowski was hurt.\u00a0 It&#8217;ll be interesting to see how many appearances he makes when the Jets run 2-TE sets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 Inconclusive<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Offensive Tackle<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Giacomini.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-24332\" src=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Giacomini-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"NFL: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers\" width=\"300\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Giacomini-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Giacomini-scaled-600x396.jpg 600w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Giacomini-1024x675.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>2012 OT&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 D&#8217;Brickashaw Ferguson\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Austin Howard\u00a0\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Jason Smith<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 OT&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 D&#8217;Brickashaw Ferguson\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Breno Giacomini\u00a0 3a\/3b\/3c\/3d.\u00a0 Ben Ijalana\/Bruce Campbell\/Markus Zusevics\/Dakota Dozier (G)\u00a0 4a\/4b.\u00a0 Brent Qvale\/Patrick Ford (G)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Did the Jets actually IMPROVE at RT by replacing Austin Howard with Breno Giacomini?\u00a0 It&#8217;s difficult to say.\u00a0 Howard was stout in the pass-blocking department but the Jets had major difficulties running his direction.\u00a0 In Seattle, Breno was part of an OL that was ranked dead last in the NFL in pass-blocking, but Marshawn Lynch had a lot of success running his way.\u00a0 The Jets severely needed a road grader on the right side ever since Damien Woody retired, so hopefully Breno can be that guy while not getting Geno killed.\u00a0 He also needs to rid himself of the reputation for accumulating a lot of penalties.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Jason Smith, a former 2nd overall pick and bust for the Rams, perhaps was a swing tackle that could be trusted more than what the Jets currently have at the position, and with Dakota Dozier&#8217;s role unknown at this time, it&#8217;s easy to say that depth is a question mark.\u00a0 Therefore, the 2012 unit gets the slight nod.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>(slight) EDGE:\u00a0 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Guard<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 OG&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Brandon Moore\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Matt Slauson\u00a0\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Vlad Ducasse\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Caleb Schlauderaff \u00a9<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 OG&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Willie Colon\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Brian Winters\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Oday Aboushi\u00a0 4a\/4b\/4c.\u00a0 Caleb Schlauderaff \u00a9\/William Campbell\/Dakota Dozier (T)\u00a0 5.\u00a0 Patrick Ford (T)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Brandon Moore retired following the 2012 season after spending his entire 10-year career with the Jets.\u00a0 He was as solid as they come.\u00a0 While his departure hurt, Matt Slauson&#8217;s stings a bit more, as the Jets had the chance to retain his services.\u00a0 Instead they opted for rookie Brian Winters in his LG spot and free agent Willie Colon in the departed Moore&#8217;s RG slot.\u00a0 Winters had a suspect rookie campaign, finished strong, but has looked shaky in preseason.\u00a0 Colon is working out like a madman in the offseason but his inability to avoid costly penalties compared to the quiet but dependable Moore has its consequences.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">The Jets are hoping that projects Aboushi and William Campbell work out but it&#8217;s certainly a &#8220;believe it when we see it&#8221; situation with the 2 commodities.\u00a0 The Jets had been down this path before with 2nd round &#8220;project&#8221; Vlad Ducasse ending up a massive bust.\u00a0 Fortunately, Aboushi and Campbell didn&#8217;t cost high draft choices.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Overall, G probably isn&#8217;t as bad as it seems, but with so many question marks compared to the 2012 unit, it&#8217;s impossible to give it the edge at this time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/USATSI_8033797_158813650_lowres.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-25973 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/USATSI_8033797_158813650_lowres-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Geno Smith, Nick Mangold\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/USATSI_8033797_158813650_lowres-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/USATSI_8033797_158813650_lowres-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/USATSI_8033797_158813650_lowres-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/USATSI_8033797_158813650_lowres-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Center<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 C&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Nick Mangold\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Caleb Schaluderaff (G)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 C&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Nick Mangold\u00a0 2a\/2b:\u00a0 Caleb Schaluderaff (G)\/Dalton Freeman<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">While there has been much talk about the decline of Nick Mangold, it&#8217;s hard to tell if he really is losing his effectiveness or if he&#8217;s been impacted by weak G play from Ducasse and Winters in 2013.\u00a0 For now we&#8217;ll give him the benefit of the doubt.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 Even<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>3-4 Defensive End<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 DE&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Muhammad Wilkerson\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Quinton Coples\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Mike DeVito<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 DE&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Muhammad Wilkerson\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Sheldon Richardson\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Leger Douzable\u00a0\u00a0 4a\/4b\/4c.\u00a0 Tevita Finau\/TJ Barnes\/Anthony Grady\u00a0 5a\/5b.\u00a0 Kerry Hyder\/Zach Thompson<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">The Jets added the 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year to an already strong unit.\u00a0 There isn&#8217;t much more to say.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-14820\" src=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Sione Pouha\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha-55x55.jpg 55w, https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sione-Pouha-70x70.jpg 70w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Nose Tackle<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 NT:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Sione Pouha\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Kenrick Ellis\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Damon Harrison<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 NT:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Damon Harrison\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Kenrick Ellis<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">The Jets lost Pouha to free agency following 2012 and Damon &#8220;Big Snacks&#8221; Harrison was named the 2013 starter.\u00a0 And oh what an upgrade he was.\u00a0 However, since he was signed by Tannenbaum as a UDFA before the 2012 campaign, The NT spot ends up a wash.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 Even<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>3-4 Defensive End\/OutsideLinebacker<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 DE\/OLB&#8217;s:\u00a0 Calvin Pace\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Bryan Thomas\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Garrett McIntyre\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Ricky Sapp<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 DE\/OLB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Calvin Pace\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Quinton Coples\u00a0 3a\/3b.\u00a0 Jason Babin\/Garret McIntrye\u00a0 4a\/4b.\u00a0 IK Enemkpali\/Troy Davis\u00a0 5.\u00a0 Trevor Reilly<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0 * Antwan Barnes (PUP List)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">The dearth of options at the pass-rushing DE\/OLB slots in 2014 are intriguing.\u00a0 Pace remains on board despite being long in the tooth because he is still capable of winning battles at the point of attack, but it&#8217;s easy to imagine him being supplanted from a starting spot.\u00a0 Quinton Coples (10 career sacks) and IK Enemkpali have high ceilings and late free agent acquisition Jason Babin has been there before.\u00a0 And no one should forget about Antwan Barnes, who when healthy was arguably the best in the group at applying pressure to the QB.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">However it shakes out the unit will be better than in 2012.\u00a0 Bryan Thomas, while solid even late in his career, simply could not do what several of these players are capable of doing.\u00a0 The unit is faster and more athletic than its ever been in the Rex Ryan era.\u00a0 It&#8217;ll be up to him to figure it all out.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Inside Linebacker<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 ILB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 David Harris\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Bart Scott\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Demario Davis\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Nick Bellore<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 * Josh Mauga (IR)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 ILB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Demario Davis\u00a0 2.\u00a0 David Harris\u00a0 3a\/3b:\u00a0 AJ Edds\/Nick Bellore\u00a0 4a\/4b.\u00a0 Jeremiah George\/Steele Divitto<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Demario Davis, not Harris, has ascended to the role of leader on defense.\u00a0 Strong against the run but a liability in coverage, Harris&#8217;s contract expires after 2014 and the Jets will perhaps look to upgrade the position this offseason with a more athletic ILB.\u00a0 For now, unless AJ Edds becomes an overnight sensation, Harris&#8217;s starting job is well secured this season.\u00a0 And much like NT, since Davis was a Tannenbaum pick, ILB is another wash.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 Even<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Cornerback<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 CB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Antonio Cromartie\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Kyle Wilson\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Darrin Walls\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Ellis Lankster\u00a0 5.\u00a0 Donnie Fletcher<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 * Darelle Revis (IR), Aaron Berry (IR), Isaiah Trufant (IR)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 CB&#8217;s:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Dee Milliner\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Dimitri Patterson\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Kyle Wilson\u00a0 4a\/4b.\u00a0 Darrin Walls\/Ellis Lankster\u00a0 5.\u00a0 Ras-I Dowling\u00a0 6.\u00a0 Johnny Patrick\u00a0 7a\/7b\/7c.\u00a0 Brandon Dixon\/Jeremy Reeves\/LeQuan Lewis\u00a0\u00a0 8.\u00a0 Antonio Allen &#8211; experimental CB (S)<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 * Dexter McDougle (IR),<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Much like the 2012 campaign, it seems the 2014 Jets have been snake-bitten with injuries.\u00a0 Darrelle Revis tore his ACL in &#8217;12, and promising rookie Dexter McDougle tore his this offseason.\u00a0 Idzik has been oft-criticized for failing to bring in a quality free agent corner to start opposite the rookie Milliner, instead opting for a 1-year, $3M stopgap in Dimitri Patterson and otherwise building via the draft.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Whether or not this was the correct approach to the position, the topic has been discussed ad nauseum.\u00a0 Factors such as Antonio Cromartie&#8217;s precipitous decline in 2013 aren&#8217;t relevant to the discussion here, other than the fact that he is not on the 2014 roster.\u00a0 The 2012 unit, even if an injured Revis is factored out, was stronger until proven otherwise.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 Safeties:\u00a0 1.\u00a0 LaRon Landry\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Yeremiah Bell\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Eric Smith\u00a0 4.\u00a0 Antonio Allen\u00a0 5.\u00a0 Josh Bush<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 Safeties:\u00a0 1a1b\/1c.\u00a0 Calvin Pryor\/Dawan Landry\/Antonio Allen (CB?)\u00a0 2a\/2b.\u00a0 Jaiquawn Jarrett\/Josh Bush\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Rontez Miles<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">LaRon Landry, a thumper, was signed to a 4-year, $24M deal with the Colts, and the Jets were clearly missing an impact safety from the roster.\u00a0 They may have found one in Calvin Pryor out of Louisville.\u00a0 He perhaps fits the mold of the new NFL better, where ball-hawking safeties are valued higher than big hitters.\u00a0 Early returns are good, but that&#8217;s just it&#8230;..its early.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">Assuming Pryor is an immediate starter, and with Antonio Allen being used experimentally at corner, the other safety spot could be up in the air.\u00a0 Allen, with a pick-6 of Tom Brady under his belt in 2013, is certainly the better option at SS than Dawan Landry.\u00a0 It&#8217;s hard to imagine the Jets would weaken one position simply to stop the bleeding at CB.\u00a0 In any case, Allen was a Tannenbaum find, so ultimately the question is are the Jets better off with Pryor and co. than Landry and co.?\u00a0 Eventually I believe the answer will be yes, but for now it is an unknown.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 Inconclusive<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Special Teams<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2012 ST&#8217;s:\u00a0 K Nick Folk, P Robert Malone, KR Joe McKnight, PR Jeremy Kerley, LS Tanner Purdum<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">2014 ST&#8217;s:\u00a0 K Nick Folk, P Ryan Quigley, KR Clyde Gates\/Jalen Saunders, PR Jeremy Kerley, LS Tanner Purdum<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">There hasn&#8217;t been much change to this unit.\u00a0 KR has largely become irrelevant in today&#8217;s NFL so the Gates\/Saunders battle is only intriguing in that a Saunders victory could mean Clyde Gates being cut.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>EDGE:\u00a0 Even<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #282828;\"><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">So there you have it.\u00a0 The Jets have improved at QB, RB, WR and the Front 7.\u00a0 They appear to have improved the talent level at TE and S by virtue of their top draft picks, though it is far too early to tell.\u00a0 They&#8217;ve maintained a steady level of talent at C, NT, ILB and on Special Teams.\u00a0 T, G, and CB are the spots where they have gotten weaker, though the deficiencies they&#8217;ve suffered may be overstated.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #282828;\">In just two offseasons, the Jets are looking a lot better than they did at the conclusion of 2012 in terms of talent.\u00a0 They improved from 6-10 to 8-8 in 2013 to display a tangible improvement.\u00a0 It remains to be seen if Rex Ryan can bring it all together, which will above all else require a step up in play from Geno Smith.\u00a0 The improved talent around him on offense certainly limits his excuses should he fail to so.\u00a0 Failure would also likely result in a new Head Coach\/QB combo being brought in.\u00a0 But given what Idzik has accomplished thus far, his job should be viewed as being quite safe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This was written by JetsFan80 and posted in our New York Jets forum. It was definitely worth sharing, so the content of the thread appears below: This has been touched on in other topics but I think it&#8217;s worthy of it&#8217;s own thread.\u00a0 As we head into the most important preseason game, let&#8217;s go position-by-position [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":14783,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,1337],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-26034","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured-editorials","8":"category-home-slider"},"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/mike-tannenbaum-jets-226jpg-871dbbd0a78153fb_large2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peLffi-6LU","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26034"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26039,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26034\/revisions\/26039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}