The reshaping of the Green and White has begun.
The Jets
axed three players on Tuesday: cornerback Andre Dyson, wide receiver Justin McCareins and guard Adrien Clarke.
All three players were huge disappointments for Gang Green in 2007. Dyson was a free agent pickup from the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 and was a solid contributor during the Jets 10-6 finish and wild card playoff berth. The Utah native finished his first season in the Gotham Green with 62 tackles, 8 passes defensed and 4 interceptions.
But Dyson saw less and less action as his second season in Green unfolded. Injuries and inconsistent play limited Dyson to only nine games in 2007 (zero starts) and the seven-year pro finished the season with 11 tackles, 4 passes defensed and one interception -- the lowest totals of his career.
McCareins was acquired in a trade from the Tennessee Titans after the 2003 season. The Jets gave up a second-round pick for the 6-2 wide out from Northern Illinois, but McCareins never lived up to expectations. After two lackluster seasons under head coach Herm Edwards, McCareins found himself in Eric Mangini's doghouse early on in 2006. He entered training camp out of shape and then continued his uneven play. McCareins had a tough 2007 -- his two drops against the Baltimore Ravens cost the Jets a chance at a victory and his failure to come down in bounds in the end zone against the New England Patriots contributed to another Jets loss. McCareins' best season in Green came in 2004 when he finished with 56 receptions for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Adrien Clarke was signed this past offseason to add depth on the offensive line, but was thrust into the starting lineup when Pete Kendall was shipped off to the Washington Redskins. The third-year pro was a disaster at left guard and was never able to fill Kendall's shoes. The Jets eventually rotated Clarke with rookie Will Montgomery for the final two games of the season. That didn't work out well, either.
By trimming the fat, the Jets are seemingly set up to make plays for free agent cornerback Asante Samuel and free agent guard Alan Faneca. Both are expected to generate great interest and hefty contracts from around the league.
In other news, the Daily News is reporting that the Jets are apparently shopping nose tackle
Dewayne Robertson. The former first-round pick in 2003 (and fourth pick overall) has had a bumpy tenure in the Green and White. D-Rob was expected to be a major force as a defensive tackle coming out of Kentucky, but was unable to consistently clog the middle or generate a pass rush. Matters were made worse once the Jets switched to the 3-4. Robertson was undersized to man the nose at 6-1 and 317 pounds and was pushed around on an almost weekly basis. The Jets began to slid Robertson to defensive end during the second half of 2007 (and D-Rob responded), but the writing was on the wall.
Robertson is also owed $9.8 million in 2008 -- $6.8 million in base pay, plus a $3 million roster bonus due in June. In five seasons with the Jets, Robertson has racked up 258 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 14.5 sacks.
The idea of trading Robertson shouldn't shock any Jet fans. Once linebacker Jonathan Vilma was given permission to seek a trade on Friday, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Both players are ill-suited for Mangini's defensive scheme and both players were unhappy and poorly utilized in it.
D-Rob and Vilma are still young (Robertson will turn 27 this season and Vilma will turn 26) and have the ability to be play-makers in the right system.
Too bad it won't be with the Jets.
Leave a comment
