Five Combine 'Winners' That Could Become New York Jets

Photo credit: Journal Star

The Jets are sitting in good position heading into the 2015 NFL Draft. They have the sixth overall pick in the first round, which could net them a quarterback like Marcus Mariota. That pick also gives them a shot at one of the draft's top wide receivers or an elite pass rusher as well.

Depending how new general manager Mike Maccagnan feels about the top of this year's class, the Jets also are in prime position to trade down, particularly if Mariota falls and they decide not to draft him. New York needs depth badly, and getting a windfall of picks for their top-six pick could pay dividends down the line.

With the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine wrapping up, many players used the workouts to boost their draft stock. Which of these players could wind up wearing Jets colors heading into the 2015 season?

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska

At first glance to some, Abdullah may not have had an impressive combine workout. Those people would be looking directly at his 4.6 40-yard dash, which is probably THE most overrated workout for a running back. It's not very often runners get to run 40 yards in a straight line in college, let alone the NFL.

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

Should the New York Jets Draft Eli Harold in the Second Round?

Photo credit: 247sports

For years, the Jets have masked their lack of elite edge-rushing talent with Rex Ryan's exotic blitz packages. When the team had cornerbacks like Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie locking down receivers on the outside, that was an easy task. Even with New York's issues at cornerback last season, the Jets still finished sixth in the league with 45 sacks. Defensive end Sheldon Richardson was the lone Jets defender to eclipse the seven-sack plateau. However, five Jets had at least five sacks on the season.

Those numbers imply that the Jets successfully pressured opposing quarterbacks with schemed blitzes rather than supremely talented edge rushers, and the 11.5 combined sacks from starting outside linebackers Quinton Coples (6.5) and Calvin Pace (5.0) confirms that fact.
The Jets' need for a legitimate edge rusher is real, and this year's draft is especially deep at the position. As a result, the Jets have a good chance at grabbing an impact player at the position with the 38th overall pick. One intriguing name in this year's edge class is Virginia's Eli Harold. A 6-4, 250-pound junior who declared for the draft after just three seasons with the Cavaliers, Harold has the potential to become a complete pass rusher at the NFL level.

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

Florida State's P.J. Williams Can Help the Jets' Secondary

Photo credit: Miami Herald

Rex Ryan may no longer be the head coach of the New York Jets, but Gang Green's new coach shares some of his predecessor's defensive principles. Todd Bowles surely wants to upgrade his team's cornerback situation, and the team's first-round pick falls too early in the draft to think about taking a corner in this year's class.

Even as a reunion with Antonio Cromartie becomes almost a foregone conclusion, the Jets could still use another physical cornerback who excels in press coverage. Enter Florida State's P.J. Williams.

Since declaring for the NFL Draft at the end of his junior season, Williams has been slotted anywhere from the late first round into the second round in mock drafts. The Jets may be in position to draft the 6-0, 196-pounder, who would give the Jets two corners above six feet tall if Cromartie indeed returns.

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

Could the Jets Reunite Revis and Cromartie at Cornerback?

Photo courtesy: NY Daily News

Money talks. At least Jets fans know it does to Patriots cornerback and recently crowned Super Bowl champion Darrelle Revis, who was originally drafted by the Jets in 2007 and subsequently traded in 2013 when the two sides couldn't agree on a long-term contract extension after Revis' torn ACL.

The Jets have plenty of green available this offseason, as they are projected to have almost $50 million in cap space thanks to John Idzik's frugality, a few expiring contracts and an expected increase in the salary cap. Revis, while not technically a free agent, has a $20 million option to return to New England that may end up being declined depending on the Patriots' cap situation.

Another former Jet, unrestricted free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie, has already gone on record about his willingness to return to New York and reunite with Todd Bowles, who coordinated the Cardinals defense last season before becoming Jets head coach in January.

With copious cap space and a desperate need for multiple starting-caliber cornerbacks, is a reunion between the Jets and their two former lockdown stars realistic?

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

Does Mike Maccagnan's Draft History Bode Well for Him as Jets GM?

The firing of general manager John Idzik after the end of season become more formality than speculation as the Jets' season spiraled out of control after a Week 1 win over the Raiders. While many, including myself, argued that two years was not enough time to evaluate a GM saddled with an overpaid roster and issues at quarterback, Idzik did little in two seasons to prove he deserved a third season. 

Idzik succeeded "cap expert" Mike Tannenbaum, who spent seven years in New York and created a monster that Idzik had to clean up. After nine straight years of cap specialists parading as general managers for the Jets, owner Woody Johnson decided to hire somebody with experience in personnel to oversee the organization. Enter Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan. 

Maccagnan has been involved in scouting since the 1990s, and joined the Texans as a scout in 2000 before finally becoming director of college scouting in July 2011, shortly after the team drafted J.J. Watt with the 11th pick. Maccagnan came highly recommended by Jets consultant Charley Casserly, who hired Maccagnan while working as Redskins GM in 1995 and brought Maccagnan with him to Houston in 2000. 

After his hiring, Maccagnan oversaw the Texans' draft for three seasons from 2012 to 2014. With the overwhelming consensus being that Idzik botched the Jets' last two drafts, which brought only Sheldon Richardson into the fold as a surefire long-term contributor, it seemed prudent to take a look at Houston's drafts with Maccagnan as their scouting director. 

While Maccagnan wasn't pulling the trigger on these picks as GM, his opinion certainly carried a lot of weight and it should be assumed that his thoughts and assertions were behind most, if not all, of the Texans' picks in the past three years. Unfortunately, this sample leaves out the 2011 draft that netted J.J. Watt and two other starters, second-rounder Brooks Reed and seventh-round right tackle Derek Newton.

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

2014 Rookie Wrap Up: Best First-Year Values

Every year, there are hidden gems that slide into the later rounds of the NFL Draft. This year was no different, with teams finding impact players after the top-75 picks once again. Chris Tripodi breaks down his top-10 value picks of the 2014 NFL Draft below, including two 49ers and two Jaguars, seven players drafted outside the top 140 and one undrafted gem.

1. Chris Borland (LB-SF, Round 3, Pick 77)

An afterthought on the San Francisco defense to begin the season, Borland started the year third behind Patrick Willis and Michael Wilhoite on the depth chart. When Willis went down in Week 6 with what turned into a season-ending injury, Borland got his chance to shine and never looked back.

While he struggled in coverage in his first start the following week against the Broncos – certainly nothing new for a rookie linebacker – Borland made at least 13 tackles in five of the 49ers’ next six games before succumbing to an injury of his own in Week 15, hurting his ankle against the Seahawks.

Read the rest at Draft Insider

What we learned from Jets' season finale

The Jets ended a dismal 2014 season in impressive fashion with a 37-24 comeback victory over the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately for head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik, their fates had already been decided by owner Woody Johnson, who fired the duo early Monday morning. After a 4-12 campaign that netted Gang Green the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the roster holds far more questions than answers heading into what will be the Jets' most interesting offseason in a long time, but their meaningless Week 17 win provided a few potential glimpses into the team's future.

Read the rest at YES Network