In case you've been under a rock for the past 12+ hours, late last night the New York jets found their most-recent compliment to shutdown All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Island. Aka "Revis Island". Aka my man crush. His name is Antonio Cromartie.

Apparently 8 teams had Cromartie on their offseason docket.
Did the Jets score a major coup?
Credit: SameIntensity.com

Now there's been plenty of reaction to this deal - with both sides of the perspective well represented - and several key facts surfacing about Cromartie and his (increasingly notorious) background. The word paternity has been mentioned a time or two. Or seven!!!

My personal favorite comes from a select few San Diego beat writers printing "saved" stories of Cromartie's checkered past. Also known as stories posted once the team dumped Cromartie. I have no problem with such reports being printed (some of which are downright shameful), although the timing suggests a truly egotistical perspective: "Good riddance to this lowlife."

Of course, these articles could've been printed months earlier and would be swept under the rug if Cromartie failed his physical (which he won't, so no rumors have started here at PHSports).

Here's 5 key points/questions/comments/concerns I have about the deal:
1) Cromartie was an All Pro in 2007, with a league-leading 10 interceptions. But is it fair to still call him an All Pro corner though? Courtland Finnegan is curious about your response.
2) Anyone opposite Revis Island has their work cut out. Question is: who moves into the slot to cover Wes Welker? Or does Dwight Lowery/Drew Coleman slide into there?
3) Armin, how does this affect the Jet draft plans? Does wideout, the interrior line (both sides), or a stand-up pass rusher move up in priority?
4) How does Kherry Rhodes fit into this secondary, assuming he remains a Jet by opening week next season (which I predict he will)?
5) What will it take, in Year 3, for Vernon Gholston to realize some potential (if he truly has ANY) and turn this defense from dominant into legendary?

Check out TheJetsBlog (a mecca for any true Jet fan or NFL savant) for several mash-ups and highlights of articles that have hit the web in the past 12+-hours over the acquisition by the Jets.

As for my overall perspective (as a diehard fan), let me make three brief statements:
1) If I rooted for guys based on their morals, would there be 10 athletes worth rooting for?
2) He's very very young and this seems a lot like the Braylon Edwards-deal. One I highly supported and still do. (Especially for Cromartie's sake with Rex Ryan calling the shots.)
3) It can't be worse than Lito Sheppard. Seriously, it can't. It can't!!!

By the way, I love the aggressiveness of our GM, Mike Tenenbaum. I love it. And I don't want comparisons to Snyder/Cerrato either. Don't make that all too simplistic analogy (which is extremely incorrect by the way). And for once, Eric Mangini wasn't involved in a deal with the Jets fleecing their opponents! Although that clearly remains to be seen...

Afterthoughts: MMQB

Straight from the horse's mouth. Of course, that horse is really a jackass. Except today, for some reason.

More "escaped inmates" on Revis Island this weekend.
Credit: Profootball.scout.com

A cornerback can’t play much better than Darrelle Revis did Sunday.
“We’ve got a ton of respect for Revis,” Philip Rivers told me Friday at the Chargers’ training facility, “but we’re not going to avoid him. We’ll take some shots at him.”

Oh really? Rivers went back to pass 45 times (40 passes, two sacks, three runs after being chased from the pocket), and I charted Revis’ coverage pattern on every one of Rivers’ pass-drops. By my count, Rivers threw four passes into the zone where Revis had primary coverage, or to the man Revis was playing man-to-man. One was complete, to LaDainian Tomlinson, for a loss of four yards. One, to Legadu Naanee, was batted down by a diving Revis on a cross route. One, to Vincent Jackson, a deep pass up the left seam, was overthrown, with Revis and Jackson running stride for stride. And the fourth, to Jackson, was up for grabs between the two, with Revis coming down with a juggled ball for an interception in a spectacular play.

Four times Rivers went at Revis in 45 pass calls. One completion, for minus-four. One interception. You cannot play the position better than Revis played it Sunday. I don’t care if you’re Deion Sanders or Night Train Lane. Revis put on a clinic, a masterful display of clinging coverage and bump-and-run when the situation called for it.
“We were playing a lot of man coverage on his side regardless who the receiver was,”Rex Ryan said, “and on the other side we were running some loaded zones and mixes and things like that. He had the tough guy most of the time.”

I told Revis the numbers in the tunnel after the game, just before he boarded the team buses for the airport. “I guess they gave me a lot of respect. It’s my job, to cover guys, and I hope I do it pretty well.”

More than pretty well.