Jets GM said team was planning to draft a cornerback in first round before trade Aaron Wilson
The New York Jets had no intention of not addressing the cornerback position this offseason.
They wound up acquiring Antonio Cromartie via a trade from the San Diego Chargers.
If they hadn't been able to execute that transaction, their plan was to draft a cornerback with the 29th overall pick of the NFL draft, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum told ESPN New York.
That player could have been Rutgers' Devin McCourty, Boise State's Kyle Wilson, Florida State's Patrick Robinson or Alabama's Kareem Jackson, based on most first-round projections by draft analysts.
"We thought corner was an absolute must," Tannenbaum said. "We felt that we had to improve that position. So Cromartie was the key to the offseason because, looking at our options, it was the Cromartie trade – or it was the 29th pick in the draft.
"To get that out of the way, we really enhanced our draft because now we can say that whatever happens in the draft we can take whoever we want. Move up, move down we can get what we want. Without Cromartie, at the 29th pick in the draft, we would have taken a corner."
Meanwhile, Tannenbaum weighed in on the coin flip controversy surrounding owner Woody Johnson.
Naturally, he backed up his boss' statement.
“Woody’s statement speaks for how we feel," Tannenbaum said. "He was passionate about it for our fans. The way I look at it is, Brandon, that it is up to me and our staff to put the best team together to go win that Monday Night game on opening day. We are really excited about the stadium.
"Obviously, we are really disappointed with how that occurred, but now we are moving forward and really looking forward to opening up with a win on that Monday night.”
Tannenbaum also commented on a few other interesting topics.
The Jets' decision to cut Thomas Jones hasn't been popular in the locker room. The Jets wound up signing LaDainian Tomlinson, though.
“I’m a big Thomas Jones fan too," Tannenbaum said. "I was fortunate enough to be a part of the people here that acquired him. It was a very difficult decision to let him go. He did a lot of things for this organization not only on the field with 1400 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He was a great leader on the field and in the locker room.”
As for struggling outside linebacker Vernon Gholston, Tannenbaum affirmed that he foresees Gholston having a future with the team beyond this season.
“Yes I do," Tannenbaum said. "I am excited about this offseason for Vernon. It’s really important to him.
"We have had a lot of talks with him over the last few weeks about how important this year is for him and where this offseason is. It took him a couple years of Ohio State to get to where he was. I believe in Vernon and I believe in our defensive coaching staff."
Follow me on Twitter: RavensInsider
Mar 22, 2010
02:39 AM
I want to believe that Vernon Gholston will turn heads this year, but that remains to be seen of course. As physically gifted as he is, its like not all the clocks in his head work or something. Like he has a lack of instincts for the game. And its not like they've had really talented outside linebackers for him to feed off of; for him to be a student of the game. They need to bring in a highly energetic veteran to teach him to be a rough player in this league. He has all the intangibles for it, and I'm afraid if he doesn't get that here, some other team will jump on him and give him what he needs to be successful in this league. He's like a Bart Scott just waiting for an opportunity to seize, but he needs an Adalius Thomas or a Shawne Merriman to mentor him. They gave him playing time last year, but while Calvin Pace was suspended... so he was literally expected to replace him, and not be mentored the in-game experiences of being an NFL Outside Linebacker. I'd like to see him on the field more with Calvin Pace, & hopefully a veteran free-agent OLB that's ferocious, but has the experience and can be a teacher to him. Otherwise, a team like the Patriots/Bills/Dolphins will give him that chance and make him successful.