With the 4th Pick of the 2006 NFL Draft the New York Jets Select...Does it Really Matter?

by user The Jerz

Let me preface this commentary by stating I am a huge New York Jets fan. I have been a fan of the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets Jets for about 20 years now since I was around ten years old. I'm too young to appreciate or even take joy in the fact that the Jets did win Super Bowl III back in 1968. The fact is, that Super Bowl win was almost 40 years ago and it seems to me the team is back to square one for the 06 season. I know this is no 86 year "Curse of the Bambino" that the Boston Red Sox fans had to suffer through. One has to wonder the way things have gone for us Jet fans over the years, we may suffer another 40 years of ungreatness. Maybe there is a curse on the New York Jets. Maybe Namath sold his sole to the devil for the Jets only Super Bowl win in 68', a lifetime supply of fur coats and the opportunity to tell Suzie Kolber how he wanted to kiss her on live network TV. The "Curse of Joe Willie"?

The Jets have the 4th pick in this years draft and there is no doubt in my mind that they will undoubtedly find a way to screw the pooch. I have no idea what the Jets brainstrust has planned, but I'm sure whatever the gameplan is, it will surely be the wrong one. The franchise QB, Chad Pennington is recovering from his second rotator cuff injury so the Jets go out and trade for Patrick Ramsey? What a great move. I hope the newly crowned GM Tannenbaum gets paid well for the great work he does. The move to acquire Ramsey makes me think the Jets will trade away their #4 pick and not try to select a QB. The Jets need a real QB. I'm a big Chad fan and I hope he can come back, but it's not looking so good. If Chad cannot play the answer is not a starting QB that stunk it up on the Redskins and got benched for the season. The Jets need to draft a QB of the future with their #1 pick. Trade up and select Leinart or Cutler.

Let's take a look at some draft history here - First round draft picks of New York Jets 1983-2006

2006 ??????? 2005 No Pick (at least they couldn't mess this one up) 2004 Jonathan Vilma LB (great pick, Defensive Rookie of the Year) 2003 Dewayne Robertson DT (starting to come around, but underachiever so far) 2002 Bryan Thomas DE (not even a starter) 2001 Santana Moss WR (great pick and impact player so the Jets trade him to the Redskins and he makes the Pro Bowl) 2000 Shaun Ellis DE (good player, but inconsistent) John Abraham LB (great pick Pro Bowl player, injury prone so the Jets trade him away to Atlanta for late first round pick in 06 draft) Chad Pennington QB (great pick who was the future of the Jets, but not looking so good anymore) Anthony Becht TE (I know a one armed man who can catch better than Becht. Thank God they let him go) 1999 No Pick (see 2005 comments) 1998 No Pick (see 2005 comments) 1997 James Farrior LB (great pick, Pro Bowl player that the Jets let get away to Pittsburgh and now he has a Super Bowl ring) 1996 Keyshawn Johnson WR (#1 overall pick in the draft. Bigger mouth than skills, but the Jets traded away for their 4 first round picks in 2000) 1995 Kyle Brady TE (They took this guy over Warren Sapp. What is it with the Jets drafting crappy tight ends?  Bring back Mickey Shuler!) Hugh Douglas DE (great pick and player the Jets let get away to the Philadelphia Eagles) 1994 Aaron Glenn CB (great pick and player) 1993 Marvin Jones LB (good player, but injury prone) 1992 Johnny Mitchell TE (was supposed to be big impact player, but only played a couple seasons in NY before the Jets drafted Kyle Brady) 1991 No Pick (see 2005 comments) 1990 Blair Thomas RB (#2 overall pick in the draft. Probably one of the biggest busts for the Jets I can remember) 1989 Jeff Lageman LB (good player the Jets let get away to Carolina) 1988 Dave Cadigan T-G (don't remember him) 1987 Roger Vick FB (don't remember him) 1986 Mike Haight T-G (don't remember him) 1985 Al Toon WR (career was cut short by concussions. great player but not as great as the greatest receiver of all time - Jerry Rice who the Jets passed on in favor of Toon) 1984 Russell Carter CB-S (don't remember him) Ron Faurot DE-DT (don't remember him) 1983 Ken O'Brien QB (the Jets took Kenny instead of Dan Marino. Marino did not win any Super Bowls either, but as a fan I always wonder - What If?)

Twenty years of first round draft picks and nothing to show for it except let down after let down. 2004 Divisionals against Pittsburgh - missed field goals, 2002 Divisionals against Oakland - team doesn't show up, 1998 AFC Championship against Denver - they beat themselves. I'll never forget when Keith Byars fumbled the ball in the first half inside the 20 yard line. He was right on the sideline, got popped and the ball shot out and just froze inside the playing field. It was like a magnet was in the ground sucking the ball so it wouldn't go out of bounds. Instead of being up 17-0 in the third quater they were up 10-0 and then imploaded. Damn your curse Joe Namath. Why couldn't you just keep your feelings for Suzie Kolber to yourself?

Date
Tue 03/28/06, 2:25 pm EST