At the time they let Jay Feely walk, I felt like the Jets were doing it to give themselves the space to sign an unrestricted free agent as a final eight squad. Although Jay was very good in his time with the team, perhaps Gang Green could upgrade in another area. They used the free spot to sign Jason Taylor.
I have been pretty upfront in stating I like the move. Taylor was very productive last year with Miami. He is no longer an elite pass rusher, but he still did a good job for Miami in 2009 with 7 sacks and 20 pressures. He also held his own against the run and in coverage. Rotating with Bryan Thomas to keep him fresh, I think he could be excellent. He will have in many instances a line with Kris Jenkins and Sione Pouha both out there tying up blockers and creating matchups for him on the outside.
Part of the trade off was a downgrade on paper at kicker. Nick Folk is surely a question mark for the Jets. The more I hear about him, the more I feel like he was a chance worth taking. He was almost automatic before last year, and he was coming off hip surgery. I think he could be a pleasant surprise.
No matter what, though, I won't question the move. Without Taylor, the Jets may not land Kyle Wilson. Perhaps Mike Tannenbaum would have felt the need to beef up his pass rushing corps and take Jerry Hughes instead.
The vibe I get is most people were against letting Feely go and for signing Taylor. The thing is these were mutually exclusive. Now I'm asking you. Which guy would you rather have?