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Vilma Traded to New Orleans
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Friday, February 29, 2008
11:59:00 PM EST
The Jets have traded inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma to the Saints. Contrary to earlier reports that had New Orleans sending only a conditional 2009 fourth round Draft pick, Gang Green will receive a 2008 fourth rounder and a conditional 2009 second or third rounder if Vilma meets certain performance standards. If the Jets do receive that conditional pick, they will send a fourth round selection back to the Saints. In this highly complicated transaction, only one thing is clear. The Jets got fleeced.
Vilma is a player with Pro Bowl talent. Coming off a serious knee injury, his value has never been lower. The Jets have never given him a proper chance to succeed in the 3-4. He never had a legitimate nose tackle occupying linemen in front of him. Somebody with Vilma's slight frame needs a big man to give him room to operate in the 3-4. A linebacker with a similar frame, Ray Lewis, struggled in a similar situation a few years back, which led him to implore Baltimore management to beef up its defensive line. Vilma's athleticism and tackling skills could translate to big things in this system if put in a position to thrive.
While any Draft pick is valuable, it seems doubtful that Gang Green will be able to find a player with Vilma's talent in the fourth round. He still has star potential in the system. Even if Jonathan struggled in 2008 and showed that he could not handle playing in the 3-4 even with all of the tools to succeed (a quality nose tackle), a 27 year old with a track record of success in a 4-3 system still could have brought back a similar return to the one the Jets got from the Saints. There was much to potentially be gained from holding onto him for another year. Vilma and David Harris could have formed one of the top linebacking tandems in football. The Jets simply gave up on him a year too soon.
It would have been one thing if the Jets traded Jon for Shaun Rogers or Kris Jenkins to fill a major hole. This team instead gave up one of the most gifted linebackers in the game for a scant return. This was a poor decision by Mike Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini. Eric Barton has much less ability than Vilma and has been an even worse fit for the 3-4. Gang Green now has another hole to fill next to David Harris.
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11:59:00 PM EST
Vilma Traded to New Orleans
Vilma is a player with Pro Bowl talent. Coming off a serious knee injury, his value has never been lower. The Jets have never given him a proper chance to succeed in the 3-4. He never had a legitimate nose tackle occupying linemen in front of him. Somebody with Vilma's slight frame needs a big man to give him room to operate in the 3-4. A linebacker with a similar frame, Ray Lewis, struggled in a similar situation a few years back, which led him to implore Baltimore management to beef up its defensive line. Vilma's athleticism and tackling skills could translate to big things in this system if put in a position to thrive.
While any Draft pick is valuable, it seems doubtful that Gang Green will be able to find a player with Vilma's talent in the fourth round. He still has star potential in the system. Even if Jonathan struggled in 2008 and showed that he could not handle playing in the 3-4 even with all of the tools to succeed (a quality nose tackle), a 27 year old with a track record of success in a 4-3 system still could have brought back a similar return to the one the Jets got from the Saints. There was much to potentially be gained from holding onto him for another year. Vilma and David Harris could have formed one of the top linebacking tandems in football. The Jets simply gave up on him a year too soon.
It would have been one thing if the Jets traded Jon for Shaun Rogers or Kris Jenkins to fill a major hole. This team instead gave up one of the most gifted linebackers in the game for a scant return. This was a poor decision by Mike Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini. Eric Barton has much less ability than Vilma and has been an even worse fit for the 3-4. Gang Green now has another hole to fill next to David Harris.
Written by georgecoztanza Blog about this entry |
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