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Pursuing Plaxico: A Home Run For the New York Jets
Published: June 15, 2009
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The New York Jets need to heave the ultimate Hail Mary pass and find a way to get wide receiver Plaxico Burress, troubled or not, into a green uniform.
With the preseason schedule creeping up in year one of the Rex Ryan administration, the Jets continue to stand by their slim depth chart of wide receivers.
The truth, however, is that rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez doesn’t have a dynamic playmaker to lean on—if, and when, he earns the starting job over Kellen Clemens.
Laveranues Coles walked through the door not long after the conclusion of the deflating 2008-09 campaign, leaving Ryan and offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer with a career-long No. 2 option and a handful of young, unproven entities.
Jerricho Cotchery, who recorded 71 catches and 858 yards last season, may be ready to take over the reigns as New York’s anchor in the open field. But based on their draft-day moves and Ryan’s win-now attitude, the Jets don’t have time to wonder.
It may be controversial, it may lead to disaster, but the Jets need to make a convincing push for Burress, who ruined his legacy with the Giants by carrying a gun into a New York nightclub before firing off the bullet heard around the sports world in late November.
The highly magnified case involving the superstar receiver has been adjourned until September, leading his attorney, Benjamin Brafman, to believe his client will be available to play in the fall.
According to the Associated Press, Brafman on Monday said several teams were trying to sign Burress, and “Physically he’s in the best shape of his life. He’s ready to play.”
The Jets acknowledged publicly they had contacted Burress’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to inquire about him before the NFL draft in April.
Upon the Giants giving the 31-year-old his outright release, Burress became a free agent on April 3. The Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins also are interested in Burress’ services, according to multiple reports over the past few weeks.
For Gang Green, it’d be tempting to at least revisit talks while Burress remains in limbo. The Jets’ brain trust would be foolish not to, considering Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney, Brad Smith, and Wallace Wright have combined for 92 career catches.
Sure, Burress might drag the franchise into the muck of his legal troubles, but wouldn’t it be worth it to sign an athletic, towering target for Sanchez to connect with at a reasonable price for the time being?
Burress will be looking for rejuvenation and a clean slate if he is able to play. Would it be so bad if he called Giants Stadium home again, though?
The fragile Jets’ offense won’t find out unless it unleashes that Hail Mary pass.
Jerricho Cotchery’s Story Is One We Should Listen to
Published: May 29, 2009
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Though we’re subjected to many stories pertaining to sports stars these days, Jerricho Cotchery’s is one we should truly listen to.
Growing up as the second-youngest of 13 children in a poor family, the New York Jets wide receiver learned the hard way to work toward achieving his goals.
Things wouldn’t get any easier as he grew up. As a matter of fact, he suffered through the most trying time of his life in 1998, while he was in high school.
One night after competing in basketball practice, a 16-year-old Cotchery and his best friend, Brian Talley, got into an automobile accident. Talley was thrown from the car and died moments after the crash.
Cotchery lost a lot of blood through several cuts on his arms, hands, and head. To this day, he still has scars caused by the remnants of shattered glass.
Perhaps becoming the Jets’ top receiver for the upcoming season doesn’t seem so daunting after all.
If given the chance to learn more about Cotchery’s psyche and professional aspirations, no amount of questions would suffice. However, these came to mind:
1. Looking back on blossoming into a man who achieved his goals, did your difficult experiences as a child help you learn to deal with trials and tribulations on the football field?
2. Witnessing the tragic passing of a dear friend, did that event change your mindset regarding work ethic and the fact that just waking up everyday is a blessing in life?
3. On a similar note, do those experiences remind you that a bad game or dropped pass isn’t life-or-death as some prognosticators sometimes make them out to be?
4. As a former member of the North Carolina State Wolfpack, does it mean a lot to you to have broken several collegiate receiving records previously held by current NFL star Torry Holt?
5. Considering you were a prized star in college, was it humbling to be selected after 107 players in the 2004 NFL draft?
6. You recorded 311 yards and 25 receptions in your first two professional seasons combined. In your third campaign, you registered 961 yards and 82 catches. What helped you take the next step toward stardom?
7. For five seasons with the Jets, you’ve been labeled as a solid secondary receiver. With veteran Laveranues Coles out the picture, do you feel ready to become a top option in the NFL?
8. Having made the playoffs just twice in your five seasons with New York, do you feel you have a good grasp on what it takes to win at a high level in this league?
9. It’s been said a strong defense serves as the best offense. With that in mind, how will new head coach and defensive-whiz Rex Ryan help the Jets take a step in the right direction?
10. Sit back and think about this one for a second. What does Jerricho Cotchery look like as a No. 1 receiver?
Jets Need To Keep Up With Stacked AFC East
Published: May 28, 2009
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During their busy offseason, the New York Jets hired a new coach, bolstered their defense, and drafted a potential franchise quarterback. However, it’s a distinct possibility they still fell further behind in the division ranks.
Welcome to life in the AFC East.
It’s a fool’s game to predict next season’s Super Bowl champion or the destiny of each team at this time, but trying to decode the calculus of football’s most talented division is enticing nonetheless.
New York has done a sufficient job sweeping the shattered fragments of hope from its disappointing 2008-09 campaign under the carpet.
Shortly after the curtains closed on their 9-7 season, head coach Eric Mangini received a much-deserved pink slip, and the in-house cleaning continued as Brett Favre was given his outright release. In addition, the Jets’ brain trust did nothing short of hold the door open for an unhappy Laveranues Coles to walk through.
The high-profile additions turned out to be more magnified transactions, though. New York hired defensive-whiz and Baltimore Ravens defector Rex Ryan as the team’s fourth coach this decade. Linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard then decided to reunite with their former leader by signing free-agent contracts.
Finally, the Jets pulled the trigger on the gutsiest moves of all on draft day, trading three players along with the No. 17 pick to the Cleveland Browns for the fifth pick and, ultimately, a shot to acquire quarterback Mark Sanchez. They also dealt a fifth-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles for two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard.
With the new defensive signings set to join forces with Kerry Rhodes, David Harris, Darrelle Revis, and Calvin Pace in Ryan’s new scheme, New York could wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
If the Jets are planning to book a trip to the playoffs, however, they will need Sanchez to duplicate the sterling effort of Ryan’s former rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco.
Judging by questionable camp results and the inability to oust Kellen Clemens from the apparent open starting-quarterback competition, Sanchez isn’t ready to shine brightly yet.
With that in mind, it’s a bit sobering to think the New England Patriots will benefit from a healthy Tom Brady, the Buffalo Bills added Terrell Owens, and the surprising Miami Dolphins reportedly are the front-runners to land Plaxico Burress.
New York ranked third among AFC teams with 410 total points last season and still couldn’t find a way to survive a 1-4 slide after starting 8-3. As frustrating as Favre and Coles were at times, they were two key components of that potent offense.
Those departures will undoubtedly put more weight on the shoulders of Sanchez, top wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, and running back Thomas Jones, who ended his offseason boycott of voluntary team activities and showed up for Wednesday’s practice in Florham Park, N.J.
For the Jets, it’s comforting to know they aren’t the only team with several question marks.
By trading Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs, New England is forced into hoping Brady’s devastating knee injury is fully healed. The Patriots, who had claimed five consecutive division titles before the Dolphins ended that run last year, still have enough reinforcements to be labeled a Super Bowl contender whether Brady is 100 percent or not.
Meanwhile, Miami’s tepid offense—led by former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington—remains its Achilles’ heel, and Buffalo is left wondering if Owens’ arrival will be enough to avoid a fourth straight 7-9 finish.
Clearly, New York is far from being a sure-fire winning candidate in the AFC East. Therefore it is vital for Ryan’s loaded defense and new-look offense to keep up with the pace of this much-improved division.
In these rough waters, it could be the difference between treading water and drowning.
