New York Jets News and Notes

1) Curtis Martin amongst 17 finalists for HOF– On Sunday the NFL announced that former Jets running back Curtis Martin will be amongst 17 finalists considered for election to the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

From the NFL:

“The selection committee will meet in North Texas the day before Super Bowl XLV to elect the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011. The election results will be announced at 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 5 during a one-hour NFL Network special, live from the Super Bowl media headquarters.

Although there isn’t a set number of enshrinees for any class, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s current ground rules stipulate that between four and seven new members will be selected each year. No more than five modern-era nominees can be elected in a given year, and a class of six or seven can only be achieved if one or both senior nominees are elected.”

Congrats to Curtis as he was one of the hardest working players on the field as well as one of the classiest athletes off of it.

2) Jets to give up second round pick- The Jets trade for Antonio Cromartie will now cost them a second round pick as the condition of making the divisional round of the playoffs has been met.  I still believe that this is a solid trade for the Jets, but it remains to be seen if the organization can get Cromartie signed to a new  deal once the season is over.  The NFL has clearly become a passing league so the more quality defensive backs you have, the better off you will be.

3) Keep an eye on Brad Smith- Brad Smith injured his quadricep early in the game on Saturday and his status for this Sunday has not yet been identified.  Smith did return to play against the Colts, but was clearly not 100%.  If Smith is unable to go I would like  to see the Jets activate Joe McKnight as he has done an excellent job in kick coverage, can return kicks, and he also provides some insurance if one of the running backs get hurt.  Early in the game against the Colts running back Shonn Greene appeared dinged up, which could have put the Jets in a precarious situation as McKnight was inactive.  Granted Gang Green could have used Tony Richardson to fill in but in terms of roster management going forward McKnight seems to be the wise decision.

4) Bring Braylon back? Lost in all of the hype that Santonio Holmes generates is the fact that wide receiver Braylon Edwards has had an excellent year for the New York Jets.  Braylon has been very consistent in the passing game, while remaining solid in terms of blocking for the rushing attack.  Edwards is slated to become a free agent and it will be interesting to see how the Jets handle his situation.  Even though Braylon had the over-publicized DWI incident an argument can be made that it should be a priority to get the playmaker re-signed this offseason.

This just in from Braylon’s twitter account: “I love the jets and will do anything to stay here. I need the jet nation to speak on my behalf.”

5) C’mon Santonio! Is it me or does it seem like every week wide receiver Santonio Holmes can be featured on ESPN’s “C’mon Man!” segment.  Whether it is a dropped pass, a fumble, an unnecessary taunt, or this week letting a kick roll between his legs, it always seems like Holmes is involved in something.  I understand and respect the playmaking abilities that Santonio brings to the field but at some point the Jets need to hold him more accountable.

Tyson Rauch

See Full Bio