It’s been a busy few days in Jets Nation.
The biggest news by far is that sources are reporting the Jets and wide receiver Santonio Holmes came to terms on a five year, $50 million deal Wednesday afternoon. The deal includes $24 million in guaranteed money, and is one of the biggest deals ever given to a wide receiver, according to ESPN. The Redskins had supposedly also been interested in Holmes, which may explain the size of the deal. Holmes cannot legally sign a contract until Friday, as part of the new CBA.
Even though quarterback Mark Sanchez stated he was willing to renegotiate his contract to help the Jets win, the Jets are already pushing the cap limit. The size of this deal makes it unlikely that Braylon Edwards will be a Jet when the season gets under way. Edwards has said he wishes to remain a Jet. He tweeted, “I would love to be a Jet but the feeling doesn’t seem to be mutual with the management.”
While it is disappointing that the Edwards/Holmes duo most likely won’t be on the field next season, signing Holmes was probably the best move. After a four game suspension last year, Holmes rejoined the team for 12 games to contribute 746 reception yards (averaging 14.6 yards per reception) and 6 touchdowns. While these are not his best career numbers, the real beauty of Holmes’s game is his ability to gain yards after the reception. This kind of play making ability is a good fit with Mark Sanchez, who doesn’t usually throw particularly long passes for lots of yards.
Holmes’s first touchdown against the Texans in Week 11 last season is a prime example of his play-making ability. He stiff armed a Texan defender to make it to the end zone after a short catch on the slant. Most fans will probably better remember his second touchdown against the Texans, because won the game with ten seconds left, but it’s the first touchdown that shows one of the most valuable parts of his game.
Signing Holmes was the Jets top priority, but the Jets receiving core is far from shored up. Jericho Cotchery’s health is questionable, as he’s coming off back surgery. Brad Smith is a free agent who is attracting attention from other teams. Names like Randy Moss, and Plaxico Burress (yes, the former Giant who was just released from prison) are being thrown around as cheaper replacements for Edwards. While I already posted why I’m not in favor of the Jets picking up Moss, I always liked Burress. Hopefully, he doesn’t manage to accidentally shoot himself and get sent to prison again if the Jets pick him up.
Other news:
+ Rex Ryan announced that Mark Sanchez would be the team’s captain as of this season.
+ The Jets are interested in former Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, which Darelle Revis endorses. The Jets are reportedly willing to pay Asomugha $12 million per year. They would probably lose cornerback Antonio Cromartie to free agency, and while Cromartie has said he wants to stay with the organization, he says the Jets won’t get a hometown discount for his services (if you were paying child support for 10 or 12 kids, you probably wouldn’t take a discount either). Cornerbacks are instrumental in Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme, and if the Jets are going to pay, it might as well be for the best in Asomugha. Asomugha is supposedly interested in New York because he wants to break into acting after his football career is over.
So what do you think, Jets fans? Was Holmes over Edwards the right move? Should the Jets re-sign Edwards or look for a cheaper replacement? Cromartie or Asomugha? Sound off!
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