3. Kellen Clemens: Kellen entered the preseason quarterback competition at a distinct disadvantage. The Jets wanted Mark Sanchez to win the starting job. They traded up for Mark. They gave him a big contract. He became the new face of the franchise. The team would not have done any of this had it believed Kellen was a potential answer at quarterback. Even so, Sanchez never should have won the job by default the way he did. Clemens self-destructed in camp and make it a walk over. You'd expect a veteran with 3 years in the system and half a season of starting experience under his belt to put up a fight. It didn't happen. When he saw big action in two games, he looked totally lost. Anybody who thought Kellen could turn into a quality NFL quarterback is probably seriously reconsidering their position.
2. David Clowney: Clowney had another huge preseason. It looked like he might emerge as a breakout player, the vertical threat this team had lacked. It didn't happen. Clowney had a big game at Miami in Week 5. He played decently at Oakland a couple of weeks later. Aside from that, he was invisible. He's yet another example of why we shouldn't take preseason too seriously. Clowney has one attribute, speed. He can dominate inferior competition. He just doesn't look like a legitimate threat at receiver in the NFL.
1. Vernon Gholston: Gholston had some legitimate excuses for not producing as a rookie. He has none for his second year. He wasn't learning a new position. He had a year under his belt in the league. He had a coach with a reputation for getting the most out of his players. Vernon was a bit better this year. He held his own early the year against the run starting for suspended Calvin Pace. He played within himself and held his assignments. When the Jets lined him up on the nose in passing downs a few weeks later, he got a decent push. Then he couldn't even get onto the field during the second half of the season and made no impact when he did. The Jets took him in the top ten to add to the pass rush. He has no sacks in two NFL seasons. Worse, he hasn't shown any sign he has untapped potential. There are no plays where you think, "If he just can put it all together like that consistently, he'll be a heck of a player." Some people were expecting a big improvement in year two. It wasn't unfair to at least expect him to be something more than a marginal rotational player.