A Look Back: The Jets Are Better Off Without Reggie Bush

by John B on Oct 2, 2009 10:15 AM EDT Comment 9 comments

Those of us who rooted for the Jets back then remember how brutal the 2005 season was. Injuries derailed a promising season. Some had the Jets in the Super Bowl. It didn't work out that way. 11 Week 1 starters were out of the lineup hurt by Week 17. The one thing that could have made that season bearable was the team getting a high enough Draft pick to land Reggie Bush, USC's superstar running back. Bush was an athletic freak, drawing legitimate comparisons to Gale Sayers. When the Jets ended up with the fourth pick, many argued the team should sell the ranch, give up whatever it took to land Bush. These calls got even louder the Friday before the Draft when word broke the Texans were passing on Bush in favor of Mario Williams.

The Jets did not make a bold move for Bush. They also passed on the other sexy USC skill player, Matt Leinart, to build the line. D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the selection. Looking back, it was the right move. Bush hasn't been a total bust. He's got a unique skill set. He's a threat to score everytime he touches the football. He's a great decoy and has wideout skills as a pass catcher. He's also a very unrefined back. He tries to turn the corner on every play instead of reading his blocks and taking a 4-5 yard gain. He's never averaged even 4 yards per rush.

Let's think of what Bush would have cost the Jets. No question a player of his hype would have cost the Jets their 2 first rounders and their second rounder. It's also possible it would have cost them their 2007 first rounder. Three first round picks sounds like too much? Remember the grades Bush was getting. Had the Jets made that trade, they might have lost out on Ferguson, Nick Mangold, and Darrelle Revis the next year. The Jets turned those 3 first rounders into those 3 players. Also remember the Jets took Leon Washington, a better back, in the fourth round that season.

What makes a megatrade worth it then? I know football is a team game, and big trades for one player usually backfire. Consider Mark Sanchez, though. Moving up landed the Jets a franchise quarterback. I know they didn't give up a ton, but wouldn't it have been worth it even if they had to?

Maybe that's too easy. Quarterback is the most important position on the field. How about Darrelle Revis, though? The Jets traded up to land him. Wasn't that worth it?

What makes a big trade worth it in football? Is it position? What positions are worth it? Would making the trade for Bush have been more worth it had he turned out more like Washington?

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Besides K/P

I don’t think there is a set rule for what makes a big draft day trade worth it. I think the worth of the trade has to take into account how close the team is to a championship run, current personnel on the team, and talent level of the player selected.

Regarding Bush, he just hasn’t been as good as he was billed so yeah the Jets are better off not getting him. But if he did turn out to be the next Barry Sanders we would bemoaning the loss of him. Superstar players at CB, DT, WR, OT, QB, whatever are worth it given the right circumstances, Bush is just not a superstar.

by Sokojoe on Oct 2, 2009 10:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

let me get this straight

your saying that the jets might have given up three first rounders (including the no 4 overall) and a second rounder to move up two spots and get bush? there is no way on earth that the saints would have passed up that deal. when has any pick been worth that much? when has anyone moved up and given away the farm for somebody who actually worked out and became a superstar?

saints fans can tell you from experience that we learned a lesson from the ridiculous amount that we gave up for ricky williams (all of that years draft picks and a 1st and 3rd the next year). and i think the rest of the league did too.

by DrewBreesManCrush on Oct 2, 2009 10:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No, the Jets didn’t make that offer, but I think that’s what it might have required. The question I’m posing is whether they made the right call by not making it.

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by John B on Oct 2, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly DBMC.

That is totally ridiculous. We would have given up more then we did by far to move up and get Sanchez from way further down in the draft? If everything played out like you assumed it would, then they are better without him, but that is almost completely assuming on your part. I would love to have Reggie Bush on the Jets right now. Guy is a sick weapon, he is a better pass catcher then Leon, better lining up at receiver then Leon, better in the open field then Leon. Leon is a better rusher and blocker, but they could both be used. Reggie Bush is a sick talent, just because he doesn’t get his yards all the typical way on the ground doesn’t mean he isn’t good. Only issue with him is staying on the field.

"It's like the old phrase goes.....The balls in your court now Mr.Church, so you take that ball, you dribble it up the court and....................................... get a layup"
- Keith Hernandez

by nrmax88 on Oct 2, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

its easy to say whos worth trading up for in hindsight. theres no formulas for what positions and what players are worth the extra picks/players. this is why i love mike tannenbaum as the GM. the times he decides its worth it to trade up for a player in the draft hes been dead on. revis, keller, and sanchez have all been big time players for us and theyve shown that mike knew exactly what he was getting when he dished out the pieces to get them. sure when they traded up for revis i wanted brady quinn. and sure i wanted them to give whatever they could to move up to take bush. this is why im not the GM.

by joey d on Oct 2, 2009 11:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Totally agree about the hindsight.

Also, don’t forget that Tennenbaum traded up to get David Harris as well although he also traded up for Kellen Clemens, who I still feel was a good pick at the time, it’s too bad it hasn’t worked out.

by Sokojoe on Oct 2, 2009 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wasn’t this the year that the Jets were tied with 3 other teams for the 2nd overall pick, the Jets played a night game. The other 3 teams all won, and if the Jets had loss that night they would have locked up the 2nd overall pick?

by WebBard on Oct 2, 2009 12:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

reggie

is a bust he cant catch a screen pass he refuses to run straight all he wants to do is run around the only time he ever did hit the hole is when sean peyton grabbed him on the sidelines and told him to start hitting the damn holes last year thats why we have pierre thomas and mike bell the only time bush is effective is when he is lining up in the slot as a reciever and we have plenty of those we should trade him to someone that needs him for a linebacker

by simone219 on Oct 2, 2009 2:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bush is lost in the sauce now, The Saints dont even know what to do with him he belongs in a slash and dash type offense if we didnt have Washington he would have been perfect, matter of fact I would even say we wouldnt even need a #1 or #2 reciever, but Bush has lost his confidence, thats my personal opinion

by bllackkman on Oct 2, 2009 10:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs