Jets Gamble on Joe

It's not often that a team trades its most explosive player for an unproven, inconsistent rookie running back.

But that's essentially what happened today when the Jets traded Leon Washington to Seattle and drafted USC RB Joe McKnight. It's not a straight up trade, but it's close to the same thing.

And it's a head-scratcher.

Washington was electrifying in green. He seemed to be capable of scoring every time he touched the football, and he had become a fan favorite. Sure, he suffered a terrible injury last season, relegating him to the injured list as Shonn Greene became a star overnight in the playoffs. Yes, the Jets went out and signed LaDanian Tomlinson in the offseason.

But how sure can the Jets be that Greene wasn't a flash in the pan? Does LT have anything left in the tank? If the answer is "no" to either question, Washington will be sorely missed. He's had plenty of time to recover from that leg injury, and he'll be close to 100% when camp begins, if not at it.

Now, all eyes turn to McKnight.

Few players have more raw talent than him. If you've seen the YouTube videos of him in high school, you know what he's capable of. Some people - myself included - anointed him the next Reggie Bush upon his arrival at USC. He was that good.

But McKnight never put it all together in cardinal and gold.

There was the fourth quarter against Arizona in 2007, when he dazzled the Coliseum crowd with a 45-yard punt return and a 59-yard run to set up USC's final 10 points and give the Trojans a come-from-behind, 20-13 win. There was the final drive at Ohio State in 2009, when McKnight gained 54 of USC's 96 yards, setting up the game-winning score over the Buckeyes.

These are just two of the flashes of brilliance in McKnight's otherwise disappointing career. He scored just 15 touchdowns on offense in three seasons, and rushed for over 1,000 yards just once - amassing 1,014 in his junior season, his final year at USC. McKnight struggled to hold on to the football at times, especially in the return game. It became such an issue that he lost his spot as a punt returner.

It's a bit much to expect him to step up and fill Leon's shoes. He never came close to filling Reggie's.

Can he eventually be that type of player? He has the skill to do it. But it's going to take a lot of work to make it happen.

USC Pro Day Report

If you were expecting anything earth-shattering from USC's Pro Day today, you didn't get it. But what transpired at Cromwell Field should bode well for the Trojans expecting to hear their name called next month at the NFL Draft.

Safety Taylor Mays didn't help his stock tremendously, but he didn't hurt it, either. He arrived for the workouts looking a little slimmer than he has been, but he looked just as athletic on the field. Mays looked good in coverage drills and displayed good hands.

He chose not to run the 40-yard dash, letting his NFL Combine time stand. When asked why he didn't run today, he said: "Didn't need to." Easy enough. Mays also said he wasn't quite sure where he's going to be on draft day, adding that he hadn't ruled out the possibility of being in New York.

Another possible first round pick, DE Everson Griffen, turned in a solid Pro Day as well. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, showcasing the speed that makes him a viable threat as an edge rusher in the NFL. Griffen also looked good in the other agility drills. He showed great bursts of speed and strength off the blocks. He should hear his name called on Thursday night.

The offense:
- WR Damian Williams looked good as well. He runs solid routes and has sound hands, making him an ideal second-round pick.
- RB Stafon Johnson continues to impress, running a 4.62 40 time. Not exactly blazing speed, but considering where he's coming from, it's pretty good. Johnson also displayed some good hands catching passes.
- Fellow RB Joe McKnight did not have a great day. He stumbled a bit in the agility drills, but it was unclear how much of that had to do with the cleats he was wearing and the synthetic surface at Cromwell Field. Either way, he was not sharp.
- It was a mixed day for the offensive line. OT Charles Brown pulled up on his second 40, grabbing at his left hamstring. He sat out the rest of the day. Jeff Byers looked good, turning in a 5.09 40 time and solid runs in the agility drills.

The defense:
- CB Kevin Thomas had a phenomenal day. He ran a 4.43 40 time and looked smooth in coverage drills, displaying good hands as well. Thomas should be a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
- S Will Harris ran a 4.59 40 and certainly helped his stock, given that he wasn't invited to the NFL Combine.

Weekend Wrap-up for Week 1

Yes, there's still a handful of games to be played in the opening week, but with the bulk in the books, it's time for THE WEEKEND-WRAP-UP. The "Weekend Wrap-up" will be a regular feature during the college football season. It'll take a look at the draft-eligible players who had big days to bolster their draft stock and bad days to hurt it.

STARS
- USC RB Joe McKnight (Jr) turned in one of the finer performances of his college career, even if it was against San Jose State. McKnight, who came to USC with high expectations but has been largely inconsistent, carried 10 times for 145 yards and 2 scores. He fumbled on his third carry - something he has been prone to do at USC - but dazzled on his touchdown runs, one of them a 54-yard masterpiece in which he made a number of would-be tacklers miss. McKnight didn't open the season as a top-10 back in terms of April 2010 because of his inconsistency, but he opened the season as the #1 RB on the depth chart, and if he can consistently show this skill set, he'll be talked about when the draft rolls around.
- Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant (Jr) is arguably the top draft-eligible receiver in college football, and he wowed everyone with 3 catches for 77 yards and 2 TDs. His numbers weren't gaudy, but his athleticism was. He made a spectacular 46-yard touchdown grab late in the second quarter, blowing past the secondary and diving to make a remarkable catch. Bryant is a big-play receiver with remarkable skills and a knack for making spectacular grabs, which he showcased Saturday.
- Cal RB Javhid Best (Jr) made his case for the #1 RB slot, as did Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer (Jr). Best carried 10 times for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Dwyer had 7 carries for 95 yards and 2 scores - all in the first half - including a 74-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage. Both are among the nation's elite draft-eligible RBs, and it'll be interesting to see how this race develops as the season goes along.

STUMBLERS
- Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (Jr) suffered an injury to his throwing arm, forcing him to sit out the second half of Oklahoma's loss to BYU. More to come in the Week 1 QB Competition update.
- Clemson RB C.J. Spiller (Sr) opened up his season with a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD but was injured in the second quarter and did not return. The injury is not believed to be serious, according to the Clemson athletic department.