After months of trade talks and a guarantee from GM John Idzik to CB Darelle Revis that he would remain a Jet, it's finally happened. The Tampa Bay Bucs have traded the 13th pick in the 2013 draft and their 4th round pick in the 2014 draft in return for the all-star corner. The trade left a bitter taste in Revis mouth as he was assured he would remain with the team. When asked how it felt to be traded he expressed disappointment as he felt the Jets gave up on him at a time when he was injured. Revis has been the subject of numerous contract disputes or "hold outs" and speculation about how far the team and the player were apart on negotiations for a new deal were the catalyst in the move. The Jets managed the 2nd ranked pass defense in a season where Revis only played 2 games, perhaps giving them the comfort level to move the best pass defender in the league. But this does not bode well for defense first head coach Rex Ryan. Losing your best defender is never a good thing, for Rex it's just another brick in the wall he will have to break through to keep his job in the seasons to come. Now focus moves to Thursday when the Jets will use the 9th and 13th picks to better the future of the franchise. The pressure on Idzik to draft talent that is NFL ready is obvious, yet if they don't pan out Rex Ryan will likely pay the price. A few mock drafts have the jets taking OLB/DE Barkevious Mingo of LSU with the 9th and WR Tavon Austin of West Virginia with the 13th. Addressing 2 of the jets needs, a consistent pass rush on defense and big play ability on offense. Austin could be a god send for Mark Sanchez, allowing him to make some easy tosses on screens and out routes which the team severly missed last season. That said their may be clamor to add some pass defense at the safety position, Kenny Vaccaro of Texas is the top rated Safety projected in the top 15-20 in most mocks. The Jets will also look to solidify the offensive line as Sanchez subpar season was enamored with sacks and blown pass rush coverage. One can only hope the temptation to draft a QB does not formulate with management should the top rated QB fall to 9. This is not the year to be looking for a QB, adding another sub par thrower to compete with the Jets ragtag group of QB's is the last thing the lockeroom and coaches need.
All that said the Jets are in a rough spot this season. Owner Woody Johnson appears to be more concerned with how many times the team is mentioned by media daily. Someone should remind him media coverage does not translate well to wins. Putting anyone with a blog and press badge in your building and letting the rumor mill spew anything it can dream up is just one of the issues the Jets look to reign in. There will be alot of proving to do from top management all the way down through rookie draft picks, and any hopes of being competitive lye squarely on their shoulders. Sit back grab the popcorn and watch the show unfold, the draft starts Thursday night at 8 pm.
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