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In this edition of “Behind the Jets,” we get into a few items, including the media’s insistence that Rex Ryan is in trouble and we also look at running back Chris Ivory . . .
Gary Myers wrote a story that got a lot of play all over the internet today about what a bad spot Rex is in this year.
He quoted an NFL source.
“Rex provides cover for one year,” the source said. “It’s almost like having a shield. You can do what you need to do, and the guy who is going to get the arrows is Rex. He is an easy target. John can stay behind the scenes like the Wizard of Oz.”
First of all, what does an NFL source mean? Is it a coach, GM, agent? Who knows? I wish writers would be more specific. I’m not asking for a name, but how about a better job description?
But whoever Myers quoted, it’s casting John Idzik in a bad light, and an inaccurate one in my opinion.
To imply that Idzik is going to let Rex be the straw man this year, and he will use Rex for cover if the team falters, is just flat out unfair, and impugns the character of the Jets’ new GM.
He took the job with the intent of making it work with Rex, not to use the coach as a bogeyman.
The media is obsessed with this angle that Rex is a lame duck, when he’s not.
I’m sorry, I know they love this angle because it’s an easy one to write, but a coach with two years, and $6 million left on his contract, isn’t a lame duck.
In fact, compared to most other jobs, that is a pretty darn good position and salary . . .
It should come as no surprise that Idzik is interested in free agent running back Chris Ivory (New Orleans Saints).
One of Ivory’s best performances came against the Seattle Seahawks when Idzik was in the front office.
In Week 11 of 2010, Ivory, filling in at tailback for the Saints due to injuries to Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, rushed 23 times for 99 yards against Seattle, and after the game, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Ivory was “a freaking stud out there.”
Also, that same season, he rushed for 158 yards on 15 carries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This is an undervalued player, who has been buried on a deep running back depth chart in New Orleans. He’s also had a few injuries that have sidetracked him, on occasion.
He is a restricted free agent with a second-round tender. If the Jets sign him, they wouldn’t want to give up a second rounder for him, but a lower pick.
From a talent standpoint, he’s probably worth a second round pick, but considering his injury issues at Washington State, and then with the Saints, it’s hard to justify a pick of that magnitude.
Also, he was thrown off the team at Washington State (violation of team rules), so there is a little bit of a character concern. He played his final season at tiny Tiffin College in Ohio.
But I will tell you what, this guy is very talented, so if the Jets can land him for a fifth or sixth round pick, it would be worth the gamble.
He’s got a similar NFL resume to Mike Goodson, who the Jets signed early in free agency. Ivory and Goodson played on a limited basis early in their NFL careers, but it seemed whenever each got a chance, they made good things happen . . .
April 14, 2013
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