When you’re sharing a backfield with Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson, you tend to play a lot closer to the box, and when your coach is Rex Ryan, you can usually expect to blitz. A lot. None of this information should be surprising, but it does apply another fold of pressure to already stressed passers, so athleticism is a must in this system, even at strong safety, where the 5’8″ 186lbs. Leonhard notched 3 sacks a year ago, including a gorgeous strip-sack of J.T. O’Sullivan in Week 17 (Rhodes failed to find even one in the regular season). On that condition, most of these players pass, though not without flaws. Leonhard is a bit rough when brought back to play man on tight ends, but he can be vicious once locked upon a target. Pool’s got the tools to cover the field, but he’s not an immensely physical guy. He’ll factor more into pass protection, where he could eventually share time with Donovan Warren, the much (relatively) hyped UDFA from Michigan whom nearly everyone expects will make the active roster, and may well become a starter in 2011. Warren, once thought to be a potential first round pick before some poor offseason performances sunk him, played CB in college, and has the skills in man coverage to become a lesser version of Darrelle Revis, lining up on either side of the field and getting his hands up precisely where they need be to score deflections. Eric Smith, who at this time a year ago was thought of by Rex Ryan as nothing more than trade bait, has proven himself to be a respectable backup at free safety, although it is doubtful that he will ever make the step up to NFL starter. The official Jets website touts Smith’s veteran leadership and communication skills, but it’s really his speed that aids him. He’ll be a far bigger contributor on special teams, I would think. Rex, for his part, seems to have changed his mind about Smith, and now compares him favorably to Ed Reed. I don’t know about that, but when it comes to the Ravens, I am looking forward to seeing him reconnect with his old buddy Anquan Boldin.

The position of running back, more than nearly any other on the field, has morphed entirely since Rex and Mike’s “Luggage Pact.” Few outside of the team’s front office have understood why the owners of the NFL’s top ranked running game would choose to gut it top to bottom, transitioning from Thomas Jones/Shonn Greene/Leon Washington to Shonn Greene/LaDainian Tomlinson/Joe McKnight almost overnight. The tinkering at offensive line, so key to our success on the ground, has only added to the sense of nervousness, and it doesn’t help that many still question openly quarterback Mark Sanchez’s ability to win through the passing game. “The Jets are playing with fire by messing with their run game,” writes Ross Tucker of Sports Illustratred. “The Jets moves,” he goes on to say, “…set them up for a boatload of criticism if they are anything less than the number one ranked unit in 2010. Why mess with the best?

Now that Sanchez has been with this team for a year, let’s take a moment to zoom in on the quarterback depth chart and see what further changes can be made to beef ourselves up at the game’s most important position. Do not take for granted that the identity of our starter is obvious; this is the first year since 2007 that this has been so, and that was the year Clemens got the majority of his career starts once action got underway, so it’s actually a departure from our previously sad norm. Sanchez is, of course, still healing up after a surgical procedure to repair a ligament in his left knee which stemmed from an injury suffered before the start of his junior year at USC (I remember hearing about this on the radio in the Bronx on the way to Yankee Stadium and saying, “Good, screw that guy.” Ha.). Trainers say he’ll miss all of the pre-training camp workouts as a result. That’s a steep price, but none is too hefty to outweigh the benefits of mobility and good health. My expectation is that Mark is in for a very productive season, and his new “Christmas presents” can only help him out.

With the census now concluded, we return our attention to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament the NFL offseason and the varying changes and non-changes in the Jets’ roster. Today, as part of our Position Perspectives series, we will examine what may be the two least sexy roles on the offensive side of the game: blocking TE and fullback. In spite of our preponderance as fans to overlook these positions, they are as vital to our Ground and Pound mentality as the offensive line, and I would be skeptical of our ability to run the ball as effectively as we did last year were either of these positions to weaken significantly. Jets brass, recognizing this, have returned both Tony Richardson and Ben Hartsock for the 2010 season.

The New York Jets have signed ex-Dallas Cowboy kicker Nick Folk to a one-year deal. Jets fans should know that Folk’s kicking in 2009 was abysmal, and that during the season was a terrible 18 of 28 attempts, but was perfect in extra points before being cut by the team after missing a 22-yarder Week 15. Despite his recent blunders, he was had previously put up above average numbers with the Cowboys, with his best campaign coming in 2008, when he went 20 for 22 and made the Pro Bowl. He is five for nine in his career for 50 plus yards so there are some upsides for the Jets. Also his strong leg will help the Jets on kickoffs, which were lacking this past year.