Reason to Celebrate: The Young Guns

My original idea was to write this about Isaiah Trufant, but Smackdad did an excellent job doing that here. I then remembered that there is a youth movement sweeping the New York Jets, and so it's time to celebrate our young players stepping up and taking an increased role in the team.

Slowly, the Jets are transitioning to their "young guns," or younger, faster, more lethal players and playmakers. From the recent draft class, you have guys like Quinton Coples (90% of defensive snaps against the New England Patriots), Stephen Hill (four catches on seven targets), Demario Davis (90% of defensive snaps), and Antonio Allen (two tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery the last two weeks). That's not even including guys like Josh Bush or Marcus Dowtin that are getting playing time, but not as frequently.

We also have starters and potential studs in young guys like Jeremy Kerley, Joe McKnight, and Muhammad Wilkerson. Vladimir Ducasse is on the cusp of starting at left guard.

A few weeks ago, when Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes went down, a lot of people (myself included) questioned whether or not our young guns would step up, and if we even had enough talent to compete. The games against the Patriots and the Houston Texans, two of the better AFC teams, have convinced me that we do in fact have enough talent. All the credit to those who saw it even when all seemed loss. You all know who you are.

The more playing time and experience these guys get, the better they're going to get. Maybe our criticisms of Mike Tannenbaum and especially our recent drafts were a little too quick to the trigger. But I really like the infusion of youth and speed onto our team. With more experience, these guys can be a force for years to come. But for now, let's celebrate the young guns.

RUMBLE, YOUNG MAN, RUMBLE!