NYJ Projections  •  NYJ Depth Chart  •  NYJ Stats  •  Latest NYJ News

All team reports
AFC	BAL	BUF	CIN	CLE	DEN	HOU	IND	JAX	KC	MIA	NE	NYJ	OAK	PIT	SD	TEN
NFC	ARI	ATL	CAR	CHI	DAL	DET	GB	MIN	NO	NYG	PHI	SEA	SF	STL	TB	WAS

2008 Team Report: New York Jets

Quarterbacks

Starter:
Backup(s):

Starting QB:

Backup QB:

Running Backs

Starter:
Backup(s):
Fullback(s):

Starting RB:

Backup RBs:

Fullback:

Wide Receivers

Starters:
Backups:

Starting WRs:

Backup WRs:

Tight Ends

Starters:
Backups:

Place Kicker

Mike Nugent : After the Jets traded to draft Nugent in the second round in 2005; he had an uneventful rookie year. He started off 2006 very poorly, missing two FGs and one PAT on opening day. Afterwards he was almost perfect. His only other miss the remainder of the year was from 52 yards, and he finished 24 of 27 (88.9%). He made 34 PATs. Last year Nugent's accuracy and PATs decline, however his field goal opportunities increased. He made 29 of 36 (80.6%). His 110 points put the Jets near the middle of the pack in kicker scoring, a place they've been eight of the last nine years. Last year Nugent had his best year on kickoffs since joining the NFL, averaging 61.1 yards with nine touchbacks.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners:

Punt Returners:

Offensive Line

Projected Starters:
Key Backups:

Team Defense

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Shaun Ellis, DE Kenyon Coleman, NT Kris Jenkins
Backups: DE David Bowens, DT Sione Pouha, DE CJ Mosley, DE Kareem Brown, DE Mike DeVito

Starting DL: Shaun Ellis has been a valuable part of the Jets defensive line for 9 years. He's a solid 2-way DE who would probably be more productive playing in a different system. Kenyon Coleman spent most of his career as a backup with the Cowboys before signing with the Jets last year. He proved to a good fit in the Jets defense and a surprising fantasy option thanks to his 56 solo tackles, which led all defensive linemen last year. One of the biggest weaknesses for the Jets in trying to run the 3-4 defense was a lack of a prototypical NT. They appear to have addressed that need by acquiring Kris Jenkins from the Panthers for a 3rd and 5th round pick. Jenkins is a former All Pro tackle who has enough size and strength to anchor the line, but his fantasy value is minimal.

Backup DL: David Bowens was a productive pass rush specialist for the Dolphins, but he didn't make much of an impact in his first year with the Jets. Sione Pouha is a big strong player who saw his first extensive playing time last season and should provide solid depth at NT. CJ Mosley provides youth and depth on the line but is probably a better fit as a 4-3 DT. Kareem Brown is a promising player who was a 4th round pick of the Patriots last year that the Jets picked up on waivers. Mike DeVito is a converted college NT who signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Maine last year.

Linebackers

Starters: OLB Calvin Pace, ILB David Harris, ILB Eric Barton, OLB Vernon Gholston (R)
Backups: OLB Bryan Thomas, ILB Brad Kassell, OLB Matt Chatham

Starting LBs: Calvin Pace is a former 1st round pick at DE who was looking like a bust before his breakout season at SLB last year. The Jets signed him to a huge contract and hope that he'll provide a big upgrade to their anemic pass rush. The Jets traded up to select David Harris in round 2 last year and he wound up as one of the year's biggest IDP surprises. After beginning the year as a backup, he took over for an injured Jonathan Vilma in week 8 and finished with an amazing 75 solo tackles and 5 sacks in his last 9 games. Eric Barton has been very productive in the past and is a capable starter who can do a lot of things well. However, his fantasy production took a big hit last year with the emergence of Harris and it will probably stay that way as long as Harris is healthy. The Jets figure to begin the year with 2 new starters at OLB as they used the #6 overall pick to draft one of the best pass rushers available in Vernon Gholston. While he could require some time to adjust to playing as an OLB, he's a very strong and athletic player who should make an immediate impact as a pass rusher.

Backup LBs: Bryan Thomas is another former 1st round pick at DE who made a successful transition to OLB. After earning a big contract with an 8.5 sack season in 2006, his play tailed off dramatically last year and now he'll have to compete with Gholston for playing time. Brad Kassell has starting experience from his time with the Titans and provides quality depth inside. Matt Chatham came over from the Patriots a couple years ago so he knows the Jets defense well and is one of their best special teams players.

Defensive Backs

Starters: SS Kerry Rhodes, FS Abram Elam, CB Darrelle Revis, CB David Barrett
Backups: S Eric Smith, S Artrell Hawkins, CB Justin Miller, CB Drew Coleman

Starting DBs: Kerry Rhodes has emerged as one of the best playmakers from the safety position, and the Jets rewarded him with a 5 year contract extension. His tackle numbers seemed to take a hit once David Harris entered the lineup but he made up for it with a big boost in interceptions. Abram Elam is a good special teams player who got a chance to start midway through last season and played well enough to hold onto the job. He's not much of a playmaker but is a good tackler who could have some value in deeper leagues. The Jets traded up to draft Darrelle Revis with the 14th overall pick last year and he wound up starting all 16 games as a rookie and leading the secondary with 74 solo tackles. He is already very good but has the potential to be an elite corner in this league. David Barrett is the type of player who the team is always looking to upgrade but somehow manages to hold onto a starting job. At 30 years old, he's very experienced and plays well in zone coverage but can struggle when matched up man to man.

Backup DBs: Eric Smith was a 3rd round pick in 2006 who has played mostly on special teams thus far but is expected to challenge Elam for a starting spot. Artrell Hawkins spent most of his 9-year career as a cornerback but made a successful conversion to safety with the Patriots before spending 2007 out of football. Justin Miller is a talented player and Pro Bowl kick returner who has been a disappointment at CB and is coming back from major knee surgery. Drew Coleman was a 6th round pick in 2006 who started 4 games as a rookie but then failed to make an impact last year.

Last modified: 2008-05-12 00:36:39