It appears that we’re literally days, maybe even 24-48 hours, away from resuming the 2011 NFL season!  Some teams (allegedly) are even telling their players to report to team facilities as soon as Saturday.

And the free agency frenzy will likely begin on Monday, July 25th.  At this time, teams will have a three-day window to re-sign free agents.  Then, beginning, Thursday, July 28th, unrestricted free agents will hit the open market.

Let the games begin!

As a NY Jets fan, I’m anxiously waiting to learn who will return a Jet.

However, no matter how you slice it, we’re going to have to chuck the deuces to a couple of our favorite players.  It’s a numbers game:  $120 million salary cap + 18 free agents =  0 chance of pleasing everyone.

With restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, rookie contract negotiations, and restructuring other contracts to clear more cap room, I do not envy NY Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and the sleepless nights that await him.

But, if I were in his shoes, here are some of the moves I’d make.

CUT THE CHECK!

Santonio Holmes, 27  (2010:  12 games, 746 yards, 6 TDs, 2 fumbles)

OK, this is a no-brainer.  The NY Jets have to get a deal done and quick.  Since we only have 3 days to re-sign Holmes before he starts to entertain offers from other teams, the Jets need to come correct out the gate.  Holmes came up with some huge game winning plays last season and was also one of Mark Sanchez’s favorite targets. Since Holmes and Sanchez have established chemistry, it would suck to have Sanchez work to recreate that with someone else.

Considering the other WRs that are also free agents, including Braylon Edwards, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, and Terrell Owens, I think Holmes should be a priority over all of them.

How I see it, Moss and Plaxico would be an upgrade from a height perspective, but even with that said, I’d still prefer Holmes.

I’ve read that the Redskins covet Holmes.  Really? Do they even have a quarterback?  A wide receiver is only as good as his quarterback allows. Playing for the Deadskins would be, well, a death sentence for Holmes’ career.  He just needs to stay put and sign on the dotted line once the Jets make him an offer.

Antonio Cromartie, 27 (2010:  15 games, 42 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery)

Excuse me while I daydream about what it would look like to have Darrelle Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha in the same secondary.

Sigh…

OK, but since that’s not a reality, I say we re-sign Cromartie.  Despite him saying he’s going to test the free agency market, and likely wait for Nnamdi to drive up the market (again!), we can’t allow Cromartie to walk.  He’s far from perfect and has a reputation for accumulating stupid penalties, but he’s still one of the top corners in the league.

Another major factor that we must consider is that it’s still unknown what type of impact Kyle Wilson will have.  Last season, Ryan and the coaching staff had high expectations for the rookie, but he struggled throughout the season.  And while he did train with Revis during the offseason, the lack of OTAs and shortened training camp will certainly hinder the development of his game.  So, if we lose Cromartie, that would be a huge setback to our defense.

David Harris, 27 (2010:  16 games, 99 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery)

Tannenbaum and the rest of the Jets staff already let their feelings known about Harris when they hit him with the franchise tag immediately following the 2010 season, and rightfully so. While Revis gets all the recognition, Harris’ deeds go unrecognized.   Hence, Harris’ many Pro Bowl snubs.  Regardless, the Jets are aware of the value he brings to the team and are prepared to reward him for it.  For a defensive minded head coach like Rex, Tannenbaum had no choice but to make sure we locked down Harris.

Braylon Edwards, 28 (2010:  16 games, 904 yards, 9 TDs, 1 fumble)

Going into last season, everyone talked about Edwards’ inability to hold onto the ball.  And while he did have some drops, he also made some big plays when we needed it most.  I definitely think we should consider re-signing him, as long as Harris, Holmes, and Cromartie are taken care of first.

If Edwards expects us to break the bank, then I think we should pursue Plaxico Burress or Randy Moss.  Again, we mos def could use the height.

Steve Weatherford, 28 (2010: 84 punts, 42.6 avg, 61 long, 42 in 20)

Of all the punters, Weatherford was the most solid at pinning teams within in the 20.  In fact, he led the league.  You gotta bring him back.

IT’S A TOSS UP.

Brodney Pool, 27 (2010:  15 games, 53 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception)

Eric Smith, 28 (2010:  13 games, 54 tackles, 1 sack)

James Ihedigbo, 27 (2010:  14 games, 22 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery)

These three safeties are currently free agents.  And, unfortunately, this is one of the weakest spots in the Jets D.  Since we traded Kerry Rhodes last year and Jim Leonhard went down with a broken leg, we learned just how vulnerable we were at this position.

While Pool, Smith, nor Ihedigbo are exceptional players they’ve all showed signs of “goodness”, not greatness, at some point during the season.

Eric Smith’s claim to fame is tackling.  He has power in his hitting game, but isn’t great at defending against the pass.

Pool, on the other hand, struggled early on and was subsequently benched for it, but then stepped it up when both Leonhard and Smith went down.  This additional playing time showed us just how much Pool had improved, especially in the one area that Smith struggles with, defending against the pass.  In my opinion, that’s reason enough to consider re-signing Pool over Smith.

When the Jets choose to blitz, they’re pretty effective at it, thanks to Ihedigbo. For this reason, I think he’ll be back.

Drew Coleman, 28 (2010:  16 games, 41 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 1 interception)

Last season, Coleman surprised many and surpassed Kyle Wilson on the depth chart. But, it would be a bad look if the Jets continued to under use Wilson.  After all, he was a first round draft pick!  With that said, if the Jets are able to retain Cromartie, I suspect we’ve seen the last of Coleman, but if Cromartie chases the money, Coleman could return for another season.

SEE YA WHEN I SEE YA!

Brad Smith, 27 (2010:  16 games, 44 rcvg yards, 299 rushing yds, 1 TD, 1 fumble)

I like Brad Smith and the versatility and depth he gives us. His ability to go from special teams, to running the wildcat, to a receiver, can’t be overlooked.  Yet, even with all that he brings, I don’t think our offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer runs enough plays for him to really let loose and breakout.  Plus, once you take into account those ridiculous new kickoff return rules, Smith’s special teams game is certainly going to suffer.  So, unless Schottenheimer is going to completely open up the playbook, it may not be worthwhile bringing him back.

Kellen Clemens, 28 (1-of-2, 6 yards, 1 rushing TD)

For the past five seasons, he’s patiently waited on the sidelines hoping he’d get a legit shot to compete for playing time, but his number was rarely called.  The time has finally arrived for him to test the market and see what else is out there.

Later Clemens.

Nick Folk, 26 (2010:  30-of-39 (76.9%), 56 long)

I wouldn’t be mad if we replaced him.  Overall, he had a good season and was consistent.  But, I don’t care how clutch he was for us against the Colts in the playoffs, or throughout the regular season, his terrible performance against the Steelers in the AFC Championship still irks the hell out of me.  His kickoff game was a complete joke. I’m not saying he’s the sole reason we lost that game, but he certainly deserves some of the blame.

I think that Paul Westhoff may have also seen enough from Folk because after the season, they immediately signed Nick Novak, the top kicker in the UFL.  During a normal offseason, the two Nicks would have a kicker’s duel and compete for the spot, but because of the lockout this is unlikely.  Will the Jets just hand the job to Novak?  Doubtful.   But I still have no problem watching Folk walk.

Trevor Pryce, 35 (2010:  10 games, 4 tackles, 1 sack)

Pryce joined the Jets in the middle of the season after playing four full seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.  The Jets probably picked him up because he was a sentimental favorite of Ryan’s when he coached the Ravens D.  But, Pryce’s stats prove that he didn’t have any major contributions during his 10-game run with the Jets.  I doubt he’ll return.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.

Tony Richardson, 39 2010:  16 games, 13 yards, 0 TDs

The NY Jets have tons of respect for Richardson.  We saw this on last year’s HBO series Hard Knocks.  However, the 16 year vet isn’t much of a factor on the field and if they were to bring him back, it would be because of the leadership and wisdom he brings to the team and locker room.  While there’s value in that, it’s not enough to keep him on the books, especially considering John Connor is ready to fill his role.

Personally, I think Richardson should retire and save himself the heartache of having the Jets close the door on his career.

Shaun Ellis, 34 (2010:  15 games, 36 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble)

From a sentimental perspective, I love Ellis.  He’s been a key part of our defense for the past 11 seasons.

During the 2010 offseason, Ellis asked the Jets to restructure his contract and they shut him down.  So, I think that sends a message that they’re really not checking for him like that anymore, especially after a mediocre numbers he put up.

And I think the Jets acknowledged this when they selected Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple DE/DT with the first pick of this draft. While it would be nice to have Ellis mentor Wilkerson, I doubt that’ll happen.

If he doesn’t return to the Jets, I’m sure there’s a team that could use his veteran presence and if not, retirement’s always an option!

WHO DAT?

And no, I’m not talking about the New Orleans Saints.  Robert Turner, Wayne Hunter, Lance Laury?  I probably should know who they are, but I’m not going to pretend that I do.  So, what I’m basically saying is that I don’t have an opinion on these dudes.  Whether they stay or go is all the same to me.  As long as re-signing them doesn’t prevent us from catching the big fish, it makes no difference to me.

P.S. If I’d known that writing this post would’ve forced me to relive the AFC Championship game, I wouldn’t have done it.  I’m still bitter.

 Photo via Kostroun/AP