1. Congrats to the Lakers on repeating as NBA Champions. I thoroughly enjoyed the Celtics choking and blowing a 13 point second half lead. Don’t compare LeBron to Kobe. Kobe has five championships. However, please still come to New York, LeBron.
New TOJ TV: Live Footage From Jets Minicamp
Enjoy our new episode of TOJ TV, featuring a terrific new intro, footage of the new stadium, minicamp practice, interviews with numerous Jets fans, and much more. Special thanks to Damien Woody’s entire family for shouting out Turn On The Jets at the end of the video:
1. Follow Turn On The Jets on Facebook and Twitter (TurnOnTheJets)…There is no logical reason for you not to do it.
2. Game 7 here we come…should be fun. I was little surprised at the extent Boston just laid down and died last night.
3. Another thank you to David Clowney and Donovan Warren for taking the time to do interviews with Turn On The Jets. We are working on future interviews with Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, and James Ihedigbo.
Wednesday Minicamp Review: A Day At The New Stadium
Our video producer, James Corbett and myself made the trip out to the New Meadowlands Stadium today for minicamp. We arrived about 15 minutes late for the 11:30 practice, and the first thing I noticed was how many people had turned out for a Wednesday morning. There were people in full tailgate mode and I can’t argue with finding an excuse to play beer pong in a parking lot on a Wednesday morning in June. As usual, there was plenty of energy from the fans. The new stadium is enormous compared to the old one.
I doubt it will be like this on game days, but they had it set up that you could basically walk right up behind the sideline at the ground level and watch behind a small fence. You could literally stand about 10 yards from the field. We pushed to the front and got a spot right in front of the defensive back drills, where Darrelle Revis was receiving plenty of support. There were constant “Please Pay Revis” chants and a bunch of signs saying “Pay Revis.” Antonio Cromartie is huge in person. He either bulked up or the television makes him look skinnier than he really is. He was getting a ton of love from the fans and turned about five times to wave to everybody.
We then relocated to seats on the 50 yard line for 11 on 11 drills. Sanchez hit Braylon on dig route but then had to run a penalty lap because half of the offensive line jumped offsides. Kellen Clemens came in and promptly threw an interception on a deep ball to Antonio Cromartie who had a long run back and looks scary elusive in the open field. Later in the 11 on 11s, Sanchez hit Cotchery on a nice deep crossing route, where he beat Kyle Wilson.
A few other observations, from that period: Brad Smith is getting a ton of work at quarterback and he isn’t just running Wildcat stuff. He was basically the number two today and received more reps than Clemens, Kevin O’Connell, and Erik Ainge (who barely played and appears to be falling behind O’Connell). Smith actually had a few nice throws, including hitting a deep in route to Marcus Henry. He also ran a few options with Danny Woodhead. Another guy who impressed me was receiver Larry Taylor. He is a small, shifty guy who looked very good out of the slot.
The Jets then moved to 7 on 7s. The first thing to notice is how many different looks the Jets can run with their personnel. Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Jerricho Cotchery were being moved all over the place. When the Jets go to three wide, Cotchery primarily works out of the slot. However, Braylon was being sent in motion frequently. The Jets were also showing plenty of looks with Keller split out, and Joe McKnight or LaDainian Tomlinson in the slot.
During this period, Brodney Pool and Darrelle Revis had nice pass breakups. Dustin Keller just beat Bart Scott for a short touchdown. LaDainian Tomlinson had a pretty grab out of the backfield that he took in for a 20 yard touchdown. When the backups were in, James Ihedigbo broke up a corner route to rookie tight end Jeff Cumberland, who looked pretty good out there, right in front of us.
In the last 11 on 11 drills, Cotchery had a rare drop but was consoled by Sanchez right as a plane flew over, which said “Happy Birthday Jerricho.” All of the fans sang a few verses of Happy Birthday to J-Co, who turned and waved. The Jets also ran their patented sideline comeback to Cotchery but Revis was all over him and broke it up, which was followed by another “Please Pay Revis” chant.
At the end of the practice, the entire team took a lap to high five the fans. We got some great footage of this as the new episode of TOJ TV will show. On the way out, we got some interviews with fans and funny enough got an interview with Damien Woody’s whole family by accident. We were simply approaching fans asking what they thought the team’s record would be, so we approached Woody’s wife and kids (unknown to us). They answered our questions and shouted out the site, when I complimented his son’s jersey (a Titans white Woody jersey), she said “well we better be Woody fans, I am his wife.” So that was interesting.
Finally, we drove by the player exit and caught Jason Taylor walking out. Nobody has hated on Taylor more than me, but I give him credit for taking his time and signing every single person’s autograph and taking about 35 pictures. Good work JT. (And no I didn’t ask for an autograph, but Corbett did get good footage of him).
Some other loose-end observations: Dwight Lowery was particularly active and had some nice pass break-ups…John Conner is quicker than I expected…Joe McKnight looked like he is going to be a serious weapon out of the slot…Brian Schottenheimer is loud…Nick Mangold got some reps at safety against the second offense and had a few nice blitzes off the edge…Braylon Edwards beard is nasty looking but Edwards was the most impressive offensive player on the field by a good margin.
Anyway, that was it. Keep an eye for new TOJ TV, which will have great footage of the new stadium, practice, and plenty more.
1. Follow Turn On The Jets on Facebook and Twitter (TurnOnTheJets)…And if you happen to be at minicamp on Wednesday at the new stadium keep an eye out for TOJ TV, we will be interviewing the crowd and building up some street credit for the site as part of my case for a press pass.
2. Big win for America’s favorite touch football team in the wild-card round of the ACFL playoffs today…look at that huddle. We are just like Sanchez, J-Co and Braylon out there.
Sunday Night Pre Minicamp Jets Thoughts
Some thoughts before the three day avalanche of updates on Sanchez’s 7 on 7 numbers, contract problems, and Rex Ryan press conference quotes…get pumped about minicamp in June:
- You never want to get crazy about non contact practices in June but this an important three days for Mark Sanchez. He finally will be out there at 100 percent leading the first offense through all the sessions. It would be nice to see him put together three solid practices, where he is protecting the football and improving his rhythm with Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. Sanchez and Cotchery already seemed to be relatively locked in, but this is Edwards full off-season with the team and Holmes is obviously a new addition.
- Speaking of Santonio, good quote about him from Sanchez pulled from Rich Cimini on his blog over at ESPN New York.
“When you get a new receiver as a quarterback, it’s like a new toy,” he said. “Let’s say it’s a race car. What’s the first thing you do? You floor it. Pedal to the metal, let’s go. Let’s see what he’s got. I want to see what my race care has, I want to see what Santonio has.
“When we first started throwing, when we had a ‘9’ route, I launched it about as far as I could … He’s running, looking up at the ball, takes his eyes off the ball, gets into another gear, looks back up, late hands, tracks the ball … (Completion). He just knew. I mean, you don’t coach that. He’s unbelievable.”
When is the last time a quarterback could say that about a Jets receiver? Sanchez throws a nice deep ball and you can already see that some time on the Jets first possession in week five, Brian Schottenheimer is going to be dialing up a “go” route for Holmes. Points didn’t come easy for the Jets last season, so it would be nice to grab some touchdowns on a 60 yard bomb here or there.
- Can we not rush Kris Jenkins back for minicamp? Let the man keep dieting and working himself back into shape for training camp. All North Jersey fast food establishments should not be allowed to serve Jenkins until after the season…that goes for Damien Woody and Rex Ryan too.
We really haven’t heard much about Shonn Greene so far this off-season. Does everybody remember he is the starting running back on a team that runs the ball more than anybody in the NFL? Beat writers, I need some Monday and Tuesday updates on how #23 is looking and then I will see for myself on Wednesday. Hopefully, he spent some time on the jugs machine this off-season to work on those pan-hands.
- Speaking of running backs catching passes, I hope to see the return of the Jets screen game this season. They were terrific from 2006-2008 in that area but didn’t do anything with it last season. Obviously, LaDainian Tonlinson will be a big help but hopefully Joe McKnight can also get going early in the year.
- What am I looking forward to the most from these next three days? I want to see if Nick Folk can keep up his momentum of making field goals. I want some quality Rex Ryan quotes. I want everybody to stay healthy. I want Kyle Wilson to make progress in the nickel role and I want the contract rhetoric to get a little less combative from Revis and Mangold, which hopefully means there has been some progress in negotiations.
1. Follow Turn On The Jets on Facebook and Twitter (TurnOnTheJets)…It will be the smartest thing you have ever decided to do about anything.
2. Another Spirits Win…yes your favorite North Jersey touch B football team is now 4-1.
3. NBA Playoffs quick thoughts? I am thinking the Cavs are rolling in five games over the Celtics. Utah will take a couple of games from LA but ultimately lose in six. The Magic are going to roll over the Hawks in four or five. The Suns and Spurs are going to seven games…I don’t know who to pick.
4. Will the Turn On The Jets Podcast ever come? Yes, it is on the way…just give me a few weeks. During May we are getting two podcasts and a new TOJ TV and there are plenty of other major things coming on the way because graduate school is finishing up and I am still unemployed.
Rookie Camp Wrap-Up
- The two primary stories coming out of this past weekend are Joe McKnight’s rough start to his NFL career and the non-story on the Santonio Holmes Ipod issue. In terms of McKnight, there is no reason to overreact to three days of practice without equipment on. The guy has tons of natural talent…he will adjust to the NFL and get himself into the proper shape. Don’t forget how Leon Washington started out his career by dropping everything thrown and kicked to him. He was running more Mangini penalty laps than anybody on the team and he turned out fine. Also Shonn Greene struggled in his early practices last year and eventually got it together. It takes some time, it is only May so let’s not go crazy about McKnight’s early problems.
With Holmes, the story was clearly overblown. The released police report says Holmes complied with the request to turn off his IPod. There isn’t really anything left to say about it, unless you are a Patriots or Dolphins fan looking to talk yourself into some random reasons why the Jets could struggle with Holmes now on their roster.
- The players who stood out were clearly Alabama outside linebacker Cory Reamer, who impressed Ryan with his knowledge of the defense and his hustle/instincts, Donovan Warren who I think has a very good chance to stick on the roster and contribute on defense right away, Brian Jackson a corner from Oklahoma (you know Rex loves those corners), and Kevin Basped and a linebacker from Nevada.
- It sounds like Kyle Wilson made a strong impression in his first few days in a Jets uniform.
- Rex Ryan was on point in his post practice press conferences. I am not sure the guy could any more confident or funny for a NFL Coach. There will be no shortage of soundbites this season.
- It sounds like there is a good chance Mark Brunell will end up on the Jets, even if they wait until July 22nd after the final eight rules stop being in effect. There is no stopping the Jets from making a “gentleman’s agreement” with Brunell and having him end up with a copy of the playbook to study before joining the team. You don’t get the impression the team wants Kellen Clemens to be the backup this season.
- Is there any way the Jets don’t end up with Adalius Thomas at some point this off-season?
- The Jets will next have OTAs on from May 25th to May 27th.
- A quick complaint about ESPN’s recently released NFL Power Rankings, which has the Jets at #8 behind the following teams:
Saints
Colts
Vikings
Chargers
Cowboys
Packers
Ravens
I will give you the Saints, Colts, Vikings, and even maybe..maybe the Cowboys, however no to the Chargers…we beat them in the playoffs last year and had a better off-season than them. Green Bay and Baltimore are also two other teams who didn’t get as far as us in the playoffs and we had a better off-season than both those teams.
1. Daily running back contract updates – It is apparently now 50-50 that Leon Washington will have a new deal in place before training camp starts on Friday. Washington’s agent is meeting face to face with Mike Tannenbaum tomorrow, hopefully to iron out the final details of the contract. The Jets aren’t planning on making any new offers to Thomas Jones and there hasn’t been any news about him planning to hold out, so I guess we’ll just have to see what happens on Friday.
2. TV Discussion of the Day – I was a big fan of the third episode of Entourage, much better than the first two. Funny cameo by 50 Cent and some progress in the plot line.
Jets Training Camp: Five Under the Radar Players to Watch
Anybody can watch out for Mark Sanchez and other high profile players, but here are some lesser known players to keep an eye on during Jets training camp.
1. Jamaal Westerman – Linebacker
The Jets signed the former Rutgers defensive end to a free agent contract immediately after the draft. Westerman stood out in both OTA’s and mini-camp impressing the coaching staff with his versatility and ability to learn both outside and inside linebacker. Rex Ryan said Westerman will begin camp at inside backer but he should still receive some work at outside, especially with Calvin Pace suspended. The backup positions at linebacker are wide open and from the way Ryan has praised Westerman’s early work, the UDFA should have a good shot at grabbing one of the Jets 53 spots.
2. Mario Urrutia – Wide Receiver
Urrutia has something no other Jets receiver has, height. He stands at 6’6 and weighs 232 pounds. The Jets receiver position is wide open after Jerricho Cotchery, giving a little known player like Urrutia a chance to battle for a roster spot. He had a huge freshman and sophomore year at Louisville before having a let down junior year and then becoming a 7th round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008. They cut him after the season and the Jets picked him up, hoping he could develop into a red-zone threat. You can’t teach height and Urrutia displayed a ton of talent in his first two seasons at Lousville, maybe the Jets found a diamond in the rough to help their thin receiver core.
3. Jack Simmons – Tight End
Simmons is the only Jets tight end on the roster except for Dustin Keller, who played the position last season giving him a potential edge in the battle for the #2 tight end spot. He was a three year starter at Minnesota and caught 34 passes for 331 yards and 2 TD’s last year. Simmons was impressive in mini-camp, showing good hands and an ability to block, something the Jets desperately need at the tight end position. After Keller, it is wide open for the #2 and #3 tight spot, giving Simmons a great chance to be on the active roster despite being a rookie UDFA.
4. Ropati Pitoitua – Defensive End
After spending last season on the practice squad, Pitoitua could have a chance to work himself into the defensive end rotation in 2009. He has great size at 6’8, 310 pounds and the Jets are thin at his position, with inexperienced players behind starters in Shaun Ellis and Marques Douglas. If Pitoitua has a strong pre-season, he could end up on the active roster and be a part of the Jets long term defensive line plans.
5. Ahmad Carroll – Cornerback/Safety
Carroll is a former first round pick who was just about out of the NFL until the Jets took a shot on him last season. He responded by becoming one of their better special teams players, providing speed on their coverage units. The word out of the OTA’s was that Carroll looked good in his defensive back drills and Rex Ryan’s aggressive man to man scheme plays to his athletic strengths that made him a first round pick. Carroll could be a surprise contender for the nickel-back role or a spot in the Jets dime packages. The Jets are also a little thin at safety after Rhodes, Leonhard, and Eric Smith and Carroll has the size to potentially move over and play both corner and safety.
Jets Highlight of the Day: Thomas Jones may not be getting a new contract, but he is getting a highlight today on TurnOnTheJets.com (Turn off the music, if you don’t want to hear explicit lyrics)
1. RIP to former Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, who was one of the brightest minds in the NFL.
2. Brett Favre has decided to stay retired…boohoo.
Jets Training Camp: Five Position Battles
1. Starting Quarterback: Mark Sanchez vs. Kellen Clemens vs. Erik Ainge (Just Kidding)
Why Sanchez Will Win: The Jets didn’t trade up to draft Sanchez and pay him 60 million dollars to have him sit on the bench. Rex Ryan watched Joe Flacco lead the Ravens to the AFC Championship game last year and will believe Sanchez can do the same. The rookie from USC only has to keep it close with Kellen Clemens this summer and the job will be his.
Why Clemens Will Win: He is more experienced in the offense and the Jets are built to win now. Sanchez only had 16 starts at USC and simply won’t be ready to lead a NFL offense by September. Similar to how Chad Pennington was out playing him last summer, Clemens will use his knowledge of Brian Schottenheimer’s offense to handily outplay the overwhelmed rookie this summer.
Prediction: The two quarterbacks will play relatively even this summer, which means Mark Sanchez will win the job.
2. Starting Wide Receiver: Chansi Stuckey vs. Brad Smith vs. David Clowney
Why Stuckey Will Win: He performed the best in mini-camp and OTA’s and is coming off the best season in 2008. He had more catches than Smith and Clowney combined last year, and is by far the most polished of the group at the position.
Why Clowney Will Win: Speed kills and the Jets desperately need it on offense. Clowney will get over his drops in the spring and be a big play machine all summer.
Why Smith Will Win: He has the best combination of size and speed and is the best overall athlete. He will finally put it all together this summer as a wide receiver.
Prediction: Stuckey will receive most of the reps as the #2, followed by Clowney, and then Smith.
3. Outside Linebacker (Week 1-4): Vernon Gholston vs. Marques Murrell
Why Gholston Will Win: The guy was the number 6 overall pick in the draft for a reason. Rex Ryan will push Gholston towards becoming the elite pass rusher the Jets drafted him to be.
Why Murrell Will Win: He is hungrier than Gholston and plays with more passion for the game. Gholston was simply a workout wonder and won’t be able to translate his talent to the NFL level.
Prediction: Gholston will start, but Murrell will still receive 25-30% of the reps.
4. Nickel-Back: Donald Strickland vs. Dwight Lowery
Why Strickland Will Win: The veteran has been a pretty good nickel back the previous few seasons and Ryan will feel comfortable with him in the game in key 3rd down situations.
Why Lowery Will Win: He showed plenty of talent in his rookie season and was a quality starter for the first few weeks of the year. Lowery will learn from his rookie mistakes and develop into a quality nickel-back.
Prediction: Even though most people expect Strickland to win the job, I like what I saw from Lowery last season and think he will be guy.
5. #2 Tight End: Kareem Brown vs. Richard Owens vs. Jack Simmons
Why Brown Will Win: After being moved from defensive end, Brown had a productive spring and impressed the coaching staff with the potential he has displayed. Somehow, he has the most experience in this offense despite only being on it since the 2008 season ended.
Why Owens Will Win: He is the only player among these three with NFL experience at tight end.
Why Simmons Will Win: The UDFA had a strong showing in the spring and will build on that in the summer. He was a productive player last season in college and is the only player of the three who played tight end at any level of football last year (Owens was out of the league and Brown was a DE).
Prediction: I think Brown and Simmons end up splitting the reps as the #2 tight end.
Jets Highlight of the Article: Who can forget this 2007 match-up between the Jets and Rex Ryan’s (as a D coordinator) Baltimore Ravens. Look at my boy Cotchery tearing it up, but more importantly look at $#%$% Justin McCariens dropping passes. I will never forget shattering a remote control on this day because of #81.
1. Rich Cimini is reporting that there has been substantial progress in Leon Washington’s contract talks, with hopes of finishing up a deal by Friday. If they are really that close to a deal, you would think Washington won’t bother skipping any days of training camp and accumulating daily fines.
2. Speaking of Leon Washington, here is an encouraging quote from Rex Ryan about #29 given to Peter King in his MMQB article, “He had six touchdowns on 73 carries last year. That number has to go up — drastically, and it will” Thank you, Rex.
3. How about those ESPN pre-training camp Power Rankings? The Jets came in at #23, despite going 9-7 last year and adding Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard, Lito Sheppard, Mark Sanchez, Shonn Greene, and Marques Douglas. Yes, they lost Brett Favre and his 23 interceptions but #23, c’mon now? Behind the Texans? Behind the 4-12 Seattle Seahawks? Behind the Bills? Behind the Redskins? Behind the 49ers?
4. The Yankees can tie for the best record in baseball tonight with a win and a Dodgers loss…who wants to bat against Burnett, CC, and Joba right now?
Jets Positional Analysis: Outside Linebackers
I am motivated to finish this before the Jets first practice on Friday morning, all I got left is the LB’s and special teams.
1. Calvin Pace #97, Starting Outside Linebacker (Suspended First Four Games), Last Season: 80 Tackles, 7 Sacks, 7 Tackles For Loss, 5 Forced Fumbles, 3 Passes Defensed
History: The Jets signed Pace to a monster contract before last season and he responded with a very good all around year. Despite some struggles in pass coverage, Pace was still one of the Jets top playmakers on defense. Rex Ryan’s scheme should allow Pace more chances to rush the quarterback, which plays to his strengths. Unfortunately, he has been suspended for the first four games of the 2009 season for using a banned substance, putting pressure on the younger Jets OLB’s to step up.
Chance of Making Roster: 100%
Best Case Scenario for 2009: Pace comes back in week 5 as a man on a mission and exceeds his sack total from last season despite only playing 12 games. Ryan’s scheme plays to his talents and he provides a huge boost to the Jets D in the middle of the year.
Worst Case Scenario for 2009: He struggles to adjust and make an impact after missing the first four games and isn’t the same player he was last year.
Prediction: Unless Bryan Thomas and Vernon Gholston/Marques Murrell are revelations in the first four weeks, Pace will return as a starter in week 5 and should be even better than he was last season. Obviously, his numbers will be down because of his shortened season but he should still be more of a threat rushing the QB in 2009.
2. Bryan Thomas #99, Starting Outside Linebacker, Last Season: 57 Tackles, 5.5 Sacks, 6 Tackles For Loss, 3 Forced Fumbles, 1 Pass Defensed
History: Thomas has had a disappointing roller coaster career since the Jets drafted him in the first round back in 2002. After 4 quiet years, he had a breakout year in 2006 under Eric Mangini and was awarded with a new contract. He admittedly slacked off in 2007 and then rebounded with a strong start in 2008 but was very quiet in the second half of the year. With Calvin Pace suspended 4 games, Thomas needs to step up in 2008 as the Jets only veteran outside linebacker.
Chance of Making Roster: 100%
Best Case Scenario for 2009: Thomas flourishes in Ryan’s system and starts the year off with a bang as the featured playmaker at OLB with Pace suspended. He matches his 2006 production level.
Worst Case Scenario for 2009: Thomas picks up where he left off when the 2008 season ended, leaving the Jets extremely weak at the OLB spot, especially in the first 4 weeks.
Prediction: Thomas will be a decent starter for the Jets in 2009, but hopefully begin to be rotated out towards the middle of the year with younger players like Vernon Gholston and Marques Murrell.
3. Vernon Gholston #50, Last Season: 13 Tackles (I just winced)
History: Gholston was the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft and showed nothing to merit that last year. He was basically invisible on defense and an average special teams player at best. The organization is hoping Rex Ryan can get the most out of Gholston’s immense talent and turn him into their version Terrell Suggs. Ryan has already proclaimed Gholston as the starter in Pace’s absence for the first four weeks, hopefully he can rise to the occasion.
Chance of Making Roster: 100%
Best Case Scenario for 2009: Gholston takes advantage of Pace’s absence and plays well enough to move over to the other starting OLB spot when Calvin returns. He begins to show signs of being a great pass rusher, finishing with 7-9 sacks after having zero last year.
Worst Case Scenario for 2009: Gholston is beat out by Marques Murrell or Jason Trusnik in training camp and isn’t a factor on the defense.
Prediction: I think Gholston will be adequate filling in for Pace but won’t play well enough to be a full time starter when he returns. I can see Gholston ending up with 5-6 sacks this year.
History: Murrell has been a practice squad/special team player for the Jets the past couple of seasons and shown some decent potential. Rex Ryan praised him effusively during mini-camp, leading many to think he could end up being a factor on the defense this year. He will have a shot to carve out some playing time with Calvin Pace suspended for four games.
Chance of Making Roster: 90%
Best Case Scenario for 2009: Murrell develops into a valuable pass rushing weapon and pushes Vernon Gholston for playing time at outside linebacker.
Worst Case Scenario for 2009: Murrell doesn’t rise to the occasion in pre-season and remains a special teams player.
Prediction: He will see some quality reps in the first four weeks of the year and then continue to have a role, though somewhat smaller, on the defense for the rest of the year.
5. Jason Trusnik #96, Last Season: 10 Tackles
History: Another young linebacker who showed some potential last season and could compete for extended playing time in 2009.
Chance of Making Roster: 85%
Best Case Scenario for 2009: He develops into a valuable role player on defense and remains a good special teams player.
Worst Case Scenario for 2009: He struggles in training camp and doesn’t end up making the active roster.
Prediction: Trusnik will be a role/depth player on defense and remain on the active roster.
Overall Position Analysis: All eyes will be on Vernon Gholston to step up and fill the void left by Calvin Pace. However, Bryan Thomas and Marques Murrell also need to step up their play to help fill the void for the first four weeks.
Jets Highlight of the Day: An entertaining highlight film of Vernon Gholston at Ohio State…the talent is there.
1. Yankees are up a healthy 2.5 games on Boston after taking 3 out 4 from the A’s, and 9 out of 10 on their home stand. Big week coming up with road trips to Tampa and Chicago though, I am saying they take 2 out 3 against the Rays to start the week off. How about those Mets, though? They won 2 out of 3 this weekend…shocking.
2. Big day tomorrow, we have our playoffs in my YMCA basketball league. The whole tournament is tomorrow, and we are entering as the #2 seed, despite our sub-par 3-3 regular season record. You heard it here first, the green team is taking home the trophy….well we don’t have a trophy, but we are taking the title anyway.
New York Jets Training Camp Preview 2009
The Jets are heading up to Cortland, New York at the end of this week to begin their 2009 season. It will be Rex Ryan’s first camp as a head coach in the NFL and all ears will be up for the boisterous former defensive coordinator of the Ravens, while all eyes will be on prized rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. What should you look for over the next 6 weeks of non-regular season football? Here’s a guide…
- The primary storyline will be the quarterback competition between rookie Mark Sanchez and 4th year veteran Kellen Clemens. Expect daily tallies of their statistics in 7 on 7′s and team drills and a daily winner of the practice proclaimed by all the beat writers. August 14th is the date of the Jets first pre-season game, and it will be interesting to see if Mark Sanchez can unseat Kellen Clemens by that day, and if he doesn’t, if he can outplay him on that night. Clemens will take the first snap with the first offense this week, but Sanchez will be given every shot to win the job. Unless Clemens turns into Peyton Manning this summer or Sanchez turns into Brooks Bollinger, you can bet on #6 being under center for week 1.
- Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are both currently in contract disputes and it remains to be seen if they will skip training camp and accept the daily fines. Apparently, there has been minor progress in Washington’s talks but no movement on Thomas Jones. I am going to be an optimist and say that Washington shows up to camp and a deal is done within the first week. Jones will show up but won’t talk to the media. Eventually, the Jets will reach some compromise with him, as they did with Laveranues Coles and Chris Baker last year to appease Jones for this season before letting him go at the end of the year. In other running back news, keep an eye on rookie Shonn Greene and how many carries he is getting in goal-line/short yardage situations. The coaching staff loves him and believes he is the heir apparent to Jones. Danny Woodhead will make for some nice training camp stories but won’t make the roster, the fifth running back will be Jehuu Caulcrick, who has the ability to play both FB and RB and will remind Rex Ryan of Le’Ron McClain.
- Chansi Stuckey will start out as the Jets #2 receiver and probably won’t relinquish the job. David Clowney is probably the fastest guy on the team but needs to get over the case of the drops he had in the spring. Brad Smith will get everybody excited, like he does every August, but then likely settle in his #4 receiver role. Watch for Mario Urrutia and Huey Whittaker, two little known guys who have good combinations of size and speed. Urrutia is 6’6 and could provide the Jets with a much needed red-zone target.
- The battle for the Jets #2 tight end spot will be between converted defensive lineman Kareem Brown, journeyman backup Richard Owens, and two UDFA’s J’Nathan Bullock and Jack Simmons. The coaching staff must think Brown can handle the transition or else they would have signed somebody else, right? I am still skeptical but as of now, look for Brown and Simmons to rise to the top of this weak group behind Dustin Keller. Speaking of #81, it will be interesting to see all the different places Brian Schottenheimer has him lined up on in the offense.
- Watch the offensive lineman if you want, but just pray that none of the them get hurt. The coaching staff will be hoping to see 6th round draft pick Matt Slauson show long term potential and also that Robert Turner and Wayne Hunter can handle extended playing time if one of the front five go down. Expect to see Turner also used as an extra tight end in some short yardage sets.
- On defense, listen for Bart Scott’s incessant trash talking and enjoy the the thought of him and David Harris making all the tackles they want because of the protection provided by Kris Jenkins, who should have a light work load this August. Backups Sione Pouha and Howard Green need the reps. Also, watch out for Ropati Pitoitua who spent last season on the practice squad, but could be a factor on the defensive line rotation. Mike DeVito and Marques Douglas will be out to prove they can handle splitting the one starting defensive end spot this pre-season.
- Vernon Gholston will be facing tons of pressure and daily scrutiny to live up to his lofty draft status. It is on him to lead the way in filling the hole left by Calvin Pace for the first four weeks of the regular season. Marques Murrell and Jason Trunsick will also be seeing increased reps at the outside linebacker position. Another guy to watch for is UDFA Jamaal Westerman from Rutgers, who Rex Ryan has done nothing but rave about since the second he stepped on the field this past spring. Westerman was a defensive end in college but has been working at both inside and outside linebacker for the Jets.
- In the secondary, look for a more active Kerry Rhodes and and a battle for reps alongside Darrelle Revis at cornerback. Lito Sheppard should be the starter opposite him, but beyond him Dwight Lowery, Donald Strickland, Drew Coleman, and Ahmad Carroll will be battling for playing time.
- By the way, who is the Jets punter? Reggie Hodges? I hope not. Hopefully, rookie TJ Conley can seize the job.
Enjoy the practices, and let’s all look forward to:
1. The meticulously put together daily passing statistics of Mark Sanchez, with every pass dissected and analyzed.
2. The stories about how versatile Brad Smith is.
3. The stories about how Danny Woodhead is fighting against the odds, because he played Division II football and because he is really small.
4. The stories about Leon Washington getting the ball more.
5. Rex Ryan’s daily press conferences, filled with jokes, trash-talk, and amusing stories.
6. The discussion of how much more “fun” Ryan is than Eric Mangini and how he has brought a new attitude to the team.
7. The stories about Bart Scott yelling at the offense after every play.
8. The stories about how fast David Clowney is.
9. The inevitable player on offense and defense who comes out of nowhere to have a great camp, but then still gets cut after the last pre-season game.
10. The 17 articles that will be written if Vernon Gholston misses a tackle at practice.
Jets Highlight of the Day: Season highlights from 2006…the last time the Jets made the playoffs.
1. A little two-a-day action today in honor of training camp being only 9 days away. I just recorded the podcast with Marty Schupak over (www.greenrewind.com), go check it out.
2. TV Discussion of the Day – Episode 2 of Entourage? Better than the first I thought, the whole Turtle/Seth Rogan thing was hilarious and TurnOnTheJets.com can never get enough of Sloan or Meadow Soprano for that manner. I am not a big fan of this new girl E is hooking up with however, he can do better. Also, I am embarrassed to admit I am excited about Comic-Con being this weekend…why? We may finally get some information about LOST’s final season…very exciting stuff. You can hate all you want, but go watch the show and then come talk to me.
3. Boston is currently losing 3-1 in the 6th inning…2 game lead for the Yanks, anyone? Did I just jinx them?
5 Questions About the Jets Receivers Answered
Mark Bungaard runs a Danish Jets Blog over at (www.newyorkjets.dk), which will be now be linked up on the side of the site. I actually won their website’s 2008 prediction challenge, which required me to guess a bunch of stats about the team and yes I expect to defend my title this year. Anyway, Mark has noticed my extensive writing on the Jets WR’s and e-mailed me 5 questions about them, here are my responses and make sure to check out his site over at (www.newyorkjets.dk).
1. The Jets enter the 2009 season with Jerricho Cotchery as the number one receiver. Now you could argue that he was number one last year, but back then he had Laveranues Coles to take some of the pressure off of him. Do you think Cotchery is capable of being a productive number one this year?
- It depends on how you define productive, he won’t produce like the top flight number one receivers in the game and won’t have pro-bowl caliber numbers but he will be a consistent, tough player week in and week out. Cotchery should be in the 80-85 catch, 1100-1200 yard range, similar to how he was in 2007 except hopefully he will score more touchdowns. The Jets need #89 to find the end-zone and create a few big plays with his exceptional run after the catch ability to help out their young quarterbacks.
2. A lot of people have Chansi Stuckey pencilled in as the starter opposite Cotchery, but is he really suited for this role or would his skillset be better utilized in the slot?
- Stuckey’s skill set is a much better fit for the slot than as the split end opposite Cotchery. However, as of right now he is the Jets second best overall receiver, which means he deserves the spot and the second most reps. Expect the Jets to get creative to find ways to flip him and Cotchery around in different formations to play better to Stuckey’s skill set and Cotchery’s versatility to play both outside and in the slot.
3. There is no doubt that Brad Smith has the physical tools to become a good WR but he is still learning the position. Do you think he will ever develop into a valuable player for the Jets or is he a lost cause?
- I don’t want to say he is a lost cause because I think he has value as a gadget player/red-zone target/and special teams player but don’t expect him to go out and have 50 catches this season. Smith has the size and versatility to be a valuable role player on the Jets offense. They can use him in the wildcat, use him on reverses, throw the fade ball to him but I don’t think he will ever develop into a full time starter.
4. Wallace Wright reportedly looked good in mini camp and OTAs. Do you think he’ll emerge as a receiver or is he strickly a special teamer?
- Wright is a guy to keep an eye on. He had a chance to play a little receiver in 2007 and did pretty good with it. He is obviously athletically gifted because of how he excels on special teams and apparently lit it up during OTAs, catching Rex Ryan’s attention. If there is a season where Wright can battle for some WR reps, this is it.
5. David Clowney looked really interesting last preseason. How do you think Shottenheimer plans to use him this year?
- Hopefully Schottenheimer will use him as the Jets primary deep threat but also allow him to run some other routes so teams don’t know the long ball is coming whenever he is in the game. Defenses will respect Clowney’s speed, which will open up the deep curl and comeback for him, making him a potentially valuable weapon for the Jets offense.
Jets Highlight of this Article: Jerricho Cotchery makes an amazing one-handed catch against the Pats last season.
1. Rex Ryan spoke today at a summer camp he was working and as usual had a few interesting things to say. First off, he stated that Vernon Gholston is his starter in place of Calvin Pace. I think this may be more of a PR move to boost the kid’s confidence and quell some questions about how he performed in OTAs. If Gholston struggles in pre-season, he could start the first series week one and then be subbed out for the rest of the game for Marques Murrell, Jason Trunsick, or somebody else. He still has to earn his reps. Ryan also commented about how confident he was in his group of receivers, and mentioned one unnamed player who he believed was going to turn some heads this year (I am thinking Chansi Stuckey, since he had such a strong mini-camp).
2. I advise everybody to check out (www.GreenRewind.com) Marty Schupak runs a great podcast over there and I actually will be on the program tonight, so if you want to hear my voice, go check out the web site and check out all of Marty’s past shows…all quality Jets material. I also added his link over on the side of the home page.
3. No news on Thomas Jones or Leon Washington….although Rex Ryan stated he expects both to be at the beginning of training camp (only 9 days away)…we’ll just have to see.
4. Another day…another Yankees win and hopefully another Boston loss tonight.
Jets Fantasy Football Preview
Who doesn’t play fantasy football these days? The Jets haven’t been a popular team in the fantasy world the past few years and that doesn’t look to change this season. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t value on their roster. Let’s take a look:
Best Bets:
1. Jets Defense/Special Teams – The Jets are generally ranked as a top 7-10 defense in most fantasy outlooks. They were very good last year, creating a high amount of turnovers and scoring a handful of defensive touchdowns, and that shouldn’t change under Rex Ryan who will be more aggressive than Eric Mangini. Also, Leon Washington is a constant threat to return a kick for a touchdown which increases their value. They don’t have a dominant pass rusher but have playmakers in the secondary with Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes, and Lito Sheppard, a dominant defensive lineman in Kris Jenkins and a deep, solid group of linebackers.
2. Dustin Keller – Since the Jets are thin at receiver and will be starting a young quarterback, Dustin Keller should be receiving plenty of looks this season. Keller already had 48 catches his rookie season, despite splitting playing time with Chris Baker and Bubba Franks, both of whom are now gone. He should also be their primary red-zone target because of his size and the difficulty he creates in terms of match-ups. Keller is a very good option as a starting tight end for your fantasy team, and should be good for 60-65 catches with 6-7 touchdowns.
Quality Starters:
1. Thomas Jones – It is unfair to expect Jones to match his monster 2008 season, which saw him rack up 1519 total yards with 15 touchdowns. However, he should still remain the 1,100+ yard back that he has been the past four seasons. Leon Washington and Shonn Greene will cut into his touches and maybe a few of his goal-line looks (especially in Greene’s case) but Jones will be the Jets primary ball carrier and they are going to be running the football alot, making him a solid #2 option at RB in most fantasy leagues.
2. Jerricho Cotchery – Cotchery has been a fantasy disappointment that last two seasons after breaking on the scene in 2006. Yet, he is the Jets unquestioned number one receiver in 2009 and should have more looks than he has ever seen in his career. Cotchery is probably out of place as a #1 but he will still be a productive player this season. You shouldn’t be concerned about his catches or yards, since he probably will be in the 80-85 catch/1100-1200 yard range, the real question is how many touchdowns will he score? His career high for a season is 6, which was 3 years ago. I am not sure he will top that this season, making him a #3 WR in most fantasy leagues.
Sleepers:
1. Leon Washington – It is hard to consider #29 a sleeper since has was a pro-bowler last season and is a big time playmaker, yet he doesn’t receive enough touches to be a fantasy starter. Hopefully, Brian Schottenheimer will include him more in the offense in 2009, making it worth having him as a spot starter/backup. Last year he had 783 offensive yards and 9 total touchdowns, you should expect a bump in those numbers this season.
2. David Clowney – While I think Chansi Stuckey will start opposite Jerricho Cotchery, Clowney has a better chance to provide more big plays and touchdowns. I am hoping Clowney can turn into Dedric Ward on the 1998 Jets, with his key long TD receptions and huge yards per catch average. Clowney is hit or miss this year but should be the Jets primary deep threat and could be worth a late round draft pick and a spot start if you are desperate.
Super-Sleepers:
1. Shonn Greene – The Jets #3 running back entering training camp but if Thomas Jones/Leon Washington have any type of extended holdouts, he could quickly see his reps climb up. Even if both players are around all summer, Greene should see some short yardage/goal-line/4th quarter touches. It remains to be seen exactly how many goal-line carries he will get, which will ultimately determine his fantasy value this season.
2. Brad Smith – Maybe the versatile Smith can put it all together in his fourth year at wide receiver. He has the size to be a weapon in the red-zone and also should see some carries on reverses and in the wildcat formation. I wouldn’t bank on him doing anything of fantasy value in 2009, but you never know.
Jets Highlight of the Day: Highlights from Dustin Keller’s rookie season in Green and White…great fantasy option at tight end in 2009.
