The Jets finally unburdened themselves of NT Dewayne Robertson's contract today, sending him to Denver for a conditional pick in next year's draft. Depending upon his playing time for the Broncos, it could be as high as a third or a second-rounder. Of course, that's a far cry from the fourth- and fifth-round selections the Jets would've gotten in this year's drat had a trade with Cincinnati not fallen apart last month.
Some might call D-Rob a bust--that's not fair. But it is true that his Jets' career wasn't what it could've been.
He was taken with the fourth overall selection in 2003, as the Jets traded the 13th and 22nd overall picks to move up. Remember, this was right after the Redskins' free-agent raid of the Jets, and then-GM Terry Bradway was looking to make a splash. He also needed a 3-technique tackle because Josh Evans was about to be suspended by the NFL for a substance-abuse violation.
But Robertson never quite lived up to his potential, and a bone-on-bone condition in his knee didn't help. Worse yet was the Jets' switch to the 3-4 when Eric Mangini took over in 2006.
3-4 nose tackles are bulky guys who occupy multiple blockers, but that wasn't Robertson's game, and his play suffered. Really, the Jets probably should've dealt him last off-season, when he was value would've been higher.
Robertson was well-liked by his teammates, and I wish I could tell some funny stories about him in the locker room, but he wasn't very forthcoming with most members of the media. I think he felt he had been unfairly criticized over the years. The change of scenery and going back to a 4-3 scheme should help his career.
Comments