Mets and Jets Notes1. Guillermo Mota? What is it about washed up relievers that so excites Mets GM Omar Minaya? Mota has an ERA of 6.21 and has not pitched for a month. How is picking Mota up and sending Heath Bell down yet again going to help the Mets?
2. If Tom Glavine is out for the season, the Mets should - but won't - again consider placing Aaron Heilman into the starting rotation.
3. The only running back I was hoping the Jets would trade for was Atlanta's TJ Duckett. Instead, the Jets traded a 2007 draft pick (believed to be a 4th rounder, and possibly higher based on performance) for Kevan Barlow.
I don't think I like this move. Barlow is not likely the Jets running back of the future, so why trade a pick in what looks like a rebuilding season? The Jets will need their 2007 picks for help at wide receiver and defensive line, among other positions.
Then again, I'm of the view that in almost any season, with some breaks the vast majority of teams can contend for the wildcard. Who knows, maybe Barlow will run for 1200 yards, Chad Pennington will stay healthy, and the Jets offensive line will come together more quickly than expected.
With the acquisition of Barlow and Derrick Blaylock's solid performance in Saturday night's game, I now wouldn't be surprised to see Cedric Houston be cut.
4. The media compares Jets head coach Eric Mangini to his mentors, Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells. In some ways, Mangini is similar to those coaches, but he is showing a much softer side now in excusing Jets QB Chad Pennington so that Pennington can spend time with his hospitalized father.
Pennington will almost certainly be the Jets starting quarterback, and he needs to practice and play in the pre-season to get back into playing condition, so it's interesting to see Mangini allow football to take a backseat.
5. Everyone has assumed that the Jets will run a 3-4 defense this season, but on Saturday night, they actually used the 4-3 quite a bit. Overall, this team is still better suited to the 4-3, so hopefully the Jets will, at least in 2006, employ a hybrid defense.
6. Cornerback Justin Miller was awful. If he keeps playing like this, Miller not only won't start, he will at best be the Jets' dime back.
posted on 8/21/2006
