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BY RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, December 19th 2007, 4:00 AM
Benc/Getty
The Jets could use a stud running back, and if Darren McFadden comes out in the draft, he could be ripe for the picking.
Save for an occasional spasm of success, the Jets' running game has been a major disappointment. With their current personnel, you'd sooner see a flying pig than a consistent, high-powered ground game. To fix it, they need ... well, a pig that flies.
Running back Darren McFadden of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Scouts say the two-time Heisman runner-up is an Adrian Peterson clone, easily the most electrifying offensive player in the 2008 draft (assuming he decides to turn pro) - and he could be there for the Jets' taking. The early word is they like him a lot.
All they have to do is lose the last two games and catch a break or two.
Many assume the Dolphins (1-13), a virtual lock for the No. 1 pick, will select LSU DT Glenn Dorsey. If Ronnie Brown's knee rehab continues to go well, the Dolphins won't have a crying need for a running back, especially with so many other holes.
The Jets, Rams and Falcons - all 3-11 - are battling for the No. 2 spot. Currently, the Rams, who appear set at running back with Steven Jackson, have the inside position because they've played the easiest schedule. A strength-of-schedule breakdown, with the combined record of their opponents:
2. Rams, 114-110.
3. Jets, 117-107.
4. Falcons, 120-104.
Of the three "contenders," the Jets have the easiest remaining schedule, with a winnable game against the Chiefs (4-10). Imagine if they beat Herm Edwards, and it costs them a shot at McFadden. That would have to be some sort of cruel coincidence, right?
Obviously, there are a ton of variables (potential trades, postseason workouts, etc.), but it could fall into place for the Jets - barring a win, of course. For a team whose draft history is defined by the ones that got away, this could be the break of the decade for the Jets, who haven't picked a skill-position player in the top 15 since WR Keyshawn Johnson in 1996 (No.1 overall).
They gave Thomas Jones a four-year contract with $11 million guaranteed, but that wouldn't preclude them from taking McFadden. Eric Mangini's lack of confidence in the running game was evident in Sunday's loss to the Patriots. He felt he needed a tricked-up approach, using Brad Smith as an option quarterback for eight plays, to attack a defense that had been vulnerable against the run in recent weeks.
Naturally, Mangini didn't explain it that way. He said he liked the idea of a three-pronged running attack, with Smith, Jones and Leon Washington.
"(Smith) broke 68 NCAA, conference and school records running that series of plays. Leon is not bad when he gets a pitch and Thomas isn't bad in terms of an inside runner," Mangini said.
Get McFadden, who, by the way, has seven TD passes in his career, and they will have all three in one.
link:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...jets_high_on_arkansas_running_back_darre.html
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, December 19th 2007, 4:00 AM
Benc/Getty
The Jets could use a stud running back, and if Darren McFadden comes out in the draft, he could be ripe for the picking.
Save for an occasional spasm of success, the Jets' running game has been a major disappointment. With their current personnel, you'd sooner see a flying pig than a consistent, high-powered ground game. To fix it, they need ... well, a pig that flies.
Running back Darren McFadden of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Scouts say the two-time Heisman runner-up is an Adrian Peterson clone, easily the most electrifying offensive player in the 2008 draft (assuming he decides to turn pro) - and he could be there for the Jets' taking. The early word is they like him a lot.
All they have to do is lose the last two games and catch a break or two.
Many assume the Dolphins (1-13), a virtual lock for the No. 1 pick, will select LSU DT Glenn Dorsey. If Ronnie Brown's knee rehab continues to go well, the Dolphins won't have a crying need for a running back, especially with so many other holes.
The Jets, Rams and Falcons - all 3-11 - are battling for the No. 2 spot. Currently, the Rams, who appear set at running back with Steven Jackson, have the inside position because they've played the easiest schedule. A strength-of-schedule breakdown, with the combined record of their opponents:
2. Rams, 114-110.
3. Jets, 117-107.
4. Falcons, 120-104.
Of the three "contenders," the Jets have the easiest remaining schedule, with a winnable game against the Chiefs (4-10). Imagine if they beat Herm Edwards, and it costs them a shot at McFadden. That would have to be some sort of cruel coincidence, right?
Obviously, there are a ton of variables (potential trades, postseason workouts, etc.), but it could fall into place for the Jets - barring a win, of course. For a team whose draft history is defined by the ones that got away, this could be the break of the decade for the Jets, who haven't picked a skill-position player in the top 15 since WR Keyshawn Johnson in 1996 (No.1 overall).
They gave Thomas Jones a four-year contract with $11 million guaranteed, but that wouldn't preclude them from taking McFadden. Eric Mangini's lack of confidence in the running game was evident in Sunday's loss to the Patriots. He felt he needed a tricked-up approach, using Brad Smith as an option quarterback for eight plays, to attack a defense that had been vulnerable against the run in recent weeks.
Naturally, Mangini didn't explain it that way. He said he liked the idea of a three-pronged running attack, with Smith, Jones and Leon Washington.
"(Smith) broke 68 NCAA, conference and school records running that series of plays. Leon is not bad when he gets a pitch and Thomas isn't bad in terms of an inside runner," Mangini said.
Get McFadden, who, by the way, has seven TD passes in his career, and they will have all three in one.
link:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...jets_high_on_arkansas_running_back_darre.html
