The Jets have a whopping 4 white starters to begin the 2008 season, which believe it or not is an increase and the most white starters on the team since 2004, when there was also 4. The Jets were two-thirds white as late as 1982 and played 5 and 6 white starters on defense well into the '80s, but the all-black mindset is now well established in New York, where "diversity" apparently only counts in everything but sports.
Gunslinging Brett Favre is of course the new starting quarterback, replacing the very capable but oft-hurt Chad Pennington. If the preseason games and the first game of the regular season mean anything, Favre still has something left in the tank and could be the rare QB who can play at a high level into his early 40s. Even if his tank turns out to be empty, Favre now owns just about every meaningful career passing mark (until Peyton Manning smashes them a few years down the road) to go along with three MVP awards and will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever.
Fully four of the Jets' contingent of white players are clustered at the quarterback position, with three young backups behind Favre -- third year man Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff out of Utah, and rookie Erik Ainge from Tennessee.
Only two whites start on the o-line but both are as good as can be -- center Nick Mangold out of Ohio State, and off-season free agent signee LG Alan Faneca, beginning his 11th season. Faneca has been selected to 7 Pro Bowls and is the best white offensive lineman of the past decade and a future Hall of Famer.
Will Montgomery is a backup guard.
On defense, Eric Smith, in his third NFL season out of Michigan State, is the Jets starter at strong safety. Smith has battled injuries the past two seasons.
Cody Spencer is a backup inside linebacker. Mike DeVito, in his second season out of Maine, is a backup end.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 4
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 15
GRADE: F
Gunslinging Brett Favre is of course the new starting quarterback, replacing the very capable but oft-hurt Chad Pennington. If the preseason games and the first game of the regular season mean anything, Favre still has something left in the tank and could be the rare QB who can play at a high level into his early 40s. Even if his tank turns out to be empty, Favre now owns just about every meaningful career passing mark (until Peyton Manning smashes them a few years down the road) to go along with three MVP awards and will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever.
Fully four of the Jets' contingent of white players are clustered at the quarterback position, with three young backups behind Favre -- third year man Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff out of Utah, and rookie Erik Ainge from Tennessee.
Only two whites start on the o-line but both are as good as can be -- center Nick Mangold out of Ohio State, and off-season free agent signee LG Alan Faneca, beginning his 11th season. Faneca has been selected to 7 Pro Bowls and is the best white offensive lineman of the past decade and a future Hall of Famer.
Will Montgomery is a backup guard.
On defense, Eric Smith, in his third NFL season out of Michigan State, is the Jets starter at strong safety. Smith has battled injuries the past two seasons.
Cody Spencer is a backup inside linebacker. Mike DeVito, in his second season out of Maine, is a backup end.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 4
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 15
GRADE: F