FanPost

Top Ten Jets We Wanted to See More: #8

Honorable Mention: Several players were one-and-done with the Jets having played their best football with other teams or simply moving on to other teams when they were offered more money in free agency. LaRon Landry made the Pro Bowl in his sole season with the Jets in 2012, as did QB Brett Favre before his 2nd retirement in 2008. Marques Dogulas, Trevor Pryce and Jason Taylor all made an impact in their one seasons with the Jets under Rex Ryan. Though speaking of the bombastic coach of the Jets: the next player on this list might have been a star in his blitz-happy 3-4 defense.

The Number Eight Jet We Wanted to See More:

Jonathan Vilma

In 2004 the Jets drafted Miami MLB Jonathan Vilma 12th overall. In his first season with the Jets he recorded over 100 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 INTs - one of which was returned for a TD. For his efforts Vilma was named Defensive Rookie of the Year - the 3rd Jet to ever receive such an honor.

The following season Vilma made his first Pro Bowl with the Jets after recording over 150 tackles and 4 forced fumbles.

After a successful 2006 where he once again recorded over 100 tackles, Vilma suffered a season ending knee injury in 2007 and missed 9 games. With rookie David Harris hardly missing a beat in terms of production in 2007 and 30-year old Eric Barton playing well, Vilma was seen as a luxury and GM Mike Tannenbaum traded Vilma to the Saints for a pair of mid-round draft picks.

The Jets trade proved to be very regrettable: the Jets missed the playoffs in 2008 and HC Eric Mangini was fired, bringing Barton with him to Cleveland in 2009 - forcing the Jets to overpay for 29-year-old Bart Scott to replace him.

Vilma, in the meantime, returned to full form in 2008 and by 2009 he was in the Pro Bowl again, helping the Saints reach a 13-3 record and their first Superbowl win in franchise history. In 2010 Vilma made the Pro Bowl again and helped the Saints to another playoff berth.

While his last three seasons with the Saints were filled with injuries and the infamous Bounty Scandal, one can only imagine how effective the Jets' 3-4 LB corps would have been with David Harris and the younger, faster, more explosive Jonathan Vilma in the middle instead of Bart Scott. The Jets were a Top 5 defense from 2009 to 2011 and it is frustrating to think about how effective the Jets LBs would have been if it were Vilma instead of Scott chasing down backs in those games where the Jets were beaten on one big play.

The key questions as to how good the Jets D with Rex Ryan could have been in the early years and how many games would have been changed if they just had someone with a skillset more like Vilma's is what makes him #8.

Coming Up: A franchise record breaking pass-rusher who flew the coop after only three years.

This is a FanPost written by a registered member of this site. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and not those of anybody affiliated with Gang Green Nation or SB Nation.