By Tom Rock
Doug Jolley, who just 16 months ago was introduced as the answer to all of the Jets tight end problems, was traded to Tampa Bay in a deal that gained momentum on Wednesday night and was finalized this morning. It represents the end to a disappointing chapter in Jets tight end lore and a reversal of the most debated if not the most egregious personnel decision made by the Jets’ previous regime.
Jolley’s stats were not terrible in his one season with the Jets – he caught 29 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown – but they hardly lived up to his tout and certainly not to the perceived pricetag of a No. 1 pick which the Jets dealt for him just before the 2005 draft. His inconsistency did not help endear him to fans – he had catches in 11 of 16 games and accumulated 102 of his season’s yards in the Dec. 18 game at Miami.
Jolley scored a perfect 800 on the math section of his SAT, so he must have been bright enough to see this coming. After he lost his cool and head-butted Giants cornerback Sam Madison in last week’s preseason game, he drew the ire of Eric Mangini. While Jolley’s stock fell, Chris Baker’s rose with solid play. The Jets brought in veteran Walter Rasby last week to plump out the position. They also drafted TE Jason Pociask in the sixth round this spring, though a shoulder injury will keep him out of action this season.
There was a chance the Jets would have cut Jolley on Saturday when they trim to 53 players.
Comments (1)
1. The Jets did not give up a 1st round pick for Jolley. They traded their 1 for Jolley and the Raiders 2nd and 6th.
2. Jason Pociask was drafted in the 5th round.