Top Gun

We interrupt this broadcast with news that the New York Jets have acquired Santonio “It Wasn’t Me” Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth round draft pick. Holmes, a former first round pick out of the Ohio State University, is a 26-year-old Super Bowl MVP fresh off a career best 79-catch, 1,248-yard season.

Like every Jets move this offseason, the Holmes acquisition is not without controversy. Holmes is a troubled talent, to say the least. In May 2006, he was arrested for disorderly conduct. A month later, he was changed with domestic violence and assault. Both misdemeanors were later dismissed. He was picked up again in 2008, this time for possession of marijuana. Because of this, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin benched Holmes for one game, although Holmes did bounce back in time to make one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history. Second only to this. 

Holmes, who is known to be a little too friendly with digital cameras, will also likely have to sit out the first four games of the 2010 season for violating the National Football League’s substance abuse policy. His pending suspension goes a long way in explaining how the Jets were able to steal him for a fifth round pick. 

Holmes joins a roster of, umm, interesting characters. Fellow receiver Braylon Edwards is still dealing with some lingering legal issues, while Antonio Cromartie, the Jets’ recently acquired defensive back, has a O-line's worth of paternity suits pending against him and roughly seven times as many illegitimate kids as Tom Brady. 

Still, the addition of Holmes unquestionably makes the Jets a very dangerous team, like a barrel of gasoline. As ESPN points out, in a span of six months, the Jets receiving core has gone from Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey and David Clowney to Edwards, Holmes and Cotchery. That’s quite an upgrade. Add to that the late-season emergence of Shonn Greene as the team’s No. 1 back, the promise of tight end Dustin Keller, the eventual return of Leon Washington, the ghost of LaDainian Tomlinson and a formidable offensive line, and you get a Jets offense more or less on par with the league’s best. The rehabilitating Mark Sanchez, a few months removed from an impressive playoff performance, must be eager to play with his new shiny toys.  

And then there’s that Jets defense. If the Jets can add a bona fide pass rusher, either through free agency or the draft, I very much like the team's chances of reaching the Super Bowl. As SI's Peter King notes:

the Jets are amazing. They've become a little like the old Raiders (we're afraid of taking no one on our team), a little like the Yankees (we'll sign anyone to win), and a little like the Dan Snyder Redskins (we love headlines!) in the last year. With any luck, they'll sign all-decade player Jason Taylor to be a designated pass-rusher by Wednesday. And with all the additions, they've retained their first- and second-round picks, 29th and 61st overall. If they don't implode, they're going to a damn good team.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.