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Both of them
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,225
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So far, so Super for Jets' Jones
So far, so Super for Jets' Jones
Quote:
One year ago, the Jets' backfield was in chaos. Their fullback (B.J. Askew) longed to be a running back and their prized running back (Curtis Martin) was trying to rehab a knee injury that would eventually end his career. They went into the season with Kevan Barlow, Derrick Blaylock, Cedric Houston and Leon Washington, not exactly the Four Horsemen.
Tonight, that mess becomes a distant memory.
The Jets open the preseason at the Meadowlands and will unveil their Thomas Jones-Darian Barnes backfield against the Falcons, who will stage their own unveiling - Joey Harrington at quarterback for the exiled Michael Vick.
For the Jets, Jones and Barnes provide hope of stability and new possibilities in Brian Schottenheimer's offense. Jones, who rushed for 2,545 yards over the last two seasons with the Bears, has nothing to prove. For him, the preseason is all about getting comfortable in the Jets' system. At the same time, it's a chance for the coaches to find out what he does best, figuring out a balance between Jones and Washington, the only holdover from last year's motley crew of runners.
Eric Mangini has raved about Jones' intangibles, calling him "a guy you really want in your locker room," but the Jets didn't give him a four-year, $20 million contract to win personality contests. They made the trade with Chicago because they needed an experienced every-down, every-game back to fill the Martin void and reduce the pressure on Chad Pennington.
As the Jets' biggest offseason acquisition, Jones is being hailed as the missing ingredient, the answer to their rushing woes. Finally, after two weeks of training camp, he will make his Broadway debut, although the unassuming Jones doesn't want to be known as a savior.
"The Jets are a great organization - they won last year and made the playoffs - and I'm just trying to add to that," said Jones, the first 1,000-yard rusher to go from a Super Bowl team to a new club the next year.
As much as he likes Jones, Mangini was quick to note that the running game won't be a solo act, claiming that Washington will share the load. As a rookie, Washington led the Jets with 650 yards, offering glimpses of big play potential.
"That will evolve because there will be some weeks where Leon will get more carries and that will fluctuate, week-in and week-out," Mangini said. "What you want to be able to do is have the flexibility to adjust to whatever you're seeing."
The Jets have big plans for Jones, whom they believe will flourish in their multi-dimensional scheme. They would like to utilize him as a receiver and they are curious to see how he runs from the spread formation. In Chicago, only 19% of his rushes last season came with three or more receivers on the field, but he averaged 5.7 yards on those attempts, according to Stats, LLC. It's an intriguing option for Schottenheimer.
"I think he's going to do well, with the way the Jets run their schemes," Bears GM Jerry Angelo said. "They do so much with formations. He's a good receiver and a real bright kid. They can do a lot of things from a scheme standpoint."
When they go to a traditional two-back set, the Jets finally may have a legitimate blocking back. Barnes, a blocker the last two seasons with the Dolphins, is a 240-pound hammer. He will alternate with Stacy Tutt, but when the Jets need tough yards on the ground, Barnes will act as a personal escort for Jones and Washington.
"He really does add a tempo-changing element to the offense," Mangini said of Barnes.
A year ago, it was too much changing, and not enough tempo.
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