Official Offseason Thread

[treiz]

LT has the perfect attitude for success with this team and fanbase. He'll be a great mentor for Green and Mcknight. Any more word on Ducasse and the battle to start. A friend of mine helped move Faneca out of his home and Faneca autographed an old Steelers brace he had for another friend of ours who's birthday is this week (he's a Pittsburgh fan).

Does he live in Pittsburgh?

Apparently DuCasse is learning, that's a pretty cool story though.

Jersey guys actually. Funny thing is the Pittsburgh fan is probably the coolest fan I've seen. He's so used to being surrounded by Jets and Giants fans that he supports the teams unless they're playing the Steelers. When we got Faneca he called me up pissed to tell me that we just robbed his squad and then did the same with the Holmes trade (I didn't know about it until he told me to check out ESPN). When Faneca signed with Zona he texted me to say that dude was gonna make a come back and tell me that our friend might be helping him move out...couple of days later that's a picture text and facebook mobile upload of this...

What a cool dude, awesome story. This also includes your other post.

[zilby]

1. The Jets – and their fans – should have considerable interest in the StarCaps case, which involves the Vikings’ Pat and Kevin Williams. The Jets face the Vikings in Week 5, so if the two stud defensive tackles are slapped with four-game suspensions and the suspensions run consecutively, they’d face Minnesota without a Williams in the middle of the defense. That’s big.

2. In case you’re wondering, the Jets have no interest in former Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell.

3. During my chat session the other day, a reader asked about Wallace Wright and how the Jets planned to fill his role on special teams. First of all, I was surprised the Jets let him go. Wright finished third on the team in special-teams tackles (22), but the Jets decided not to tender him an offer as a restricted free agent. He quickly signed with the Panthers, his hometown team. I did some checking and found out that … well, the Jets aren’t quite sure how they’ll replace Wright. Two candidates are WR David Clowney and CB Kyle Wilson, although they may end up taking a committee approach to fill his various roles.

4. Former Hawaii LT Aaron Kia told the Honolulu Advertiser that he will join the Jets May 15 as a non-roster player, trying to earn a contract during OTA practices. He was in the 49ers’ camp last week as a tryout player and didn’t receive a callback. Kia is friends with LB Brashton Satele, who earned a free-agent contract with the Jets after impressing in the rookie minicamp.

5. Vladimir Ducasse’s former high-school coach, Kevin Jones, is leaving his job as the Stamford (Conn.) coach to become a scout for agent Joe Linta, who happens to represent Ducasse.

6. The suitors aren’t exactly lining up for former Patriots OLB Adalius Thomas, whom many assumed would reunite with Rex Ryan, his former Ravens coordinator. I still think there’s a chance he could sign with the Jets, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon. There’s a reason why Thomas, a two-time Pro Bowler in Baltimore, isn’t generating a ton of interest. His performance last season was … well, not good. According to ProFootballFocus.com, he played in 601 defensive snaps and recorded only five QB pressures. That’s Gholston-like.

7. Let’s compare those numbers to Jason Taylor. According to PFF, the dancing linebacker registered 20 QB pressures in 828 snaps – a respectable performance.

8. Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant pulled a Joe McKnight at his minicamp practice, vomiting on the practice field. Technically, it was the dry heaves, according to accounts out of Dallas, but that’s probably more than you need to know. Nevertheless, the Cowboys positively raved about his performance. They did so much gushing that, if there were a way to sign a player to a contract extension before he actually signs his first rookie deal, Jerry Jones would do it. Relax, people.

9. This is a bit weird: Former QBs Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer, the first and second overall picks, respectively in the 1993 draft, are both in the wine-making business, separately. Mirer, an incompetent Jets backup in 1999, apparently is intoxicated (pun intended) by the whole wine thing. Explaining why he decided to get involved in wine making, Mirer writes on his web site: “The explosive richness of a well-made Napa cabernet unleashed something within me.” Now I’m going to pull a McKnight.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/p ... le-of-that


Also...

The Jets are being featured this summer in HBO's "Hard Knocks." They appear to be angling for another show, NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

Rex Ryan has challenged NT Kris Jenkins and RT Damien Woody to a weight-loss contest. It starts Tuesday and runs through July 30, before the Jets leave for training camp in Cortland, N.Y. The premise is simple: The person who drops the most pounds wins a "nice little financial package," according to Ryan. But the money goes to the winner's charity of choice, lest anyone get the impression the Jets are trying to circumvent any salary rules.

Ryan, who underwent lap-band surgery in March, already has dropped close to 40 pounds. He's hovering around the 310 mark, and he'd like to get down to 275.

"I just want to lose one more pound than those two," Ryan told Michael Kay on 1050 ESPN Radio, where the coach announced the "Biggest Loser" challenge.

This whole "Biggest Loser" thing is classic Ryan. Instead of coming down hard on the two players, who must be significantly overweight, he has turned it into a contest -- a great PR move.

"These guys loves challenges," Ryan said. "If they somehow find a way to beat me, that's going to be big to them."

Jenkins, listed at 360 pounds on last season's roster, is coming back from major knee surgery. Obviously, it has affected his conditioning, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he's flirting with the 400 mark. Jenkins has financial incentives to stay in shape -- a $250,000 weight clause and a $500,000 workout bonus. Evidently, it's going to take a little more.

“Kris is a tremendous player,” Ryan said. “This is a big man. He’s just a big person. He’s got lean muscle mass, but we’re trying to trim off some of the other. Coming off his knee surgery, obviously he’s going to be more productive if he can lose some weight.... We want guys to be healthy the whole season and help us out.”

Woody, too, has a weight clause -- $200,000. He played last season at 327 pounds. The Jets insisted on weight/workout clauses when both players signed in 2008.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/p ... ose-weight


Rex is turning this into a pretty fun summer.

[j4remi]

Revis wants his new contract...they better lock him up for a long time!

[zilby]

Revis wants his new contract...they better lock him up for a long time!

Yep. I can see this happening very very soon though, actually.

[zilby]

Revis is looking for $20M annually, according to reports.

[zilby]

Mark Sanchez is back -- well, sort of.

The Jets returned to the field Monday for the first time since the AFC Championship Game, and their franchise quarterback -- he of the surgically repaired left knee -- participated in practice on a "limited" basis, according to the team.

Sanchez, who began outdoor running only last week, soft-tossed to receivers in a "pat-and-go" drill. He also took part in light quarterback drills and was "very limited" in a 7-on-7 session, the team said. There were no hard drop-backs and no all-out throws. It was pretty tame, but it was another small step in his recovery.

"Mark looked good throwing the ball today," cornerback Antonio Cromartie told The Associated Press.

The practice, the Jets' first organized team activity of the offseason, was closed to the media.

Sanchez said last week his goal is to be a full go for the mandatory minicamp, June 14. From the moment he underwent surgery on Feb. 17, he vowed to be 100 percent by the start of training camp. He will be evaluated by the medical staff on a day-to-day basis.

Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens handled the bulk of first-team snaps in team drills Monday.

Two high-profile defensive players didn't practice Monday. Recently signed pass-rusher Jason Taylor was excused because of a previously scheduled charity event in Florida. Taylor is expected back for Tuesday's practice. As expected, nose tackle Kris Jenkins, coming off major knee surgery, was held out as a precaution.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/ ... id=5196091

[j4remi]

They're denying th 20 million dollar request...thank god...that's a LOT.

[zilby]

They're denying th 20 million dollar request...thank god...that's a LOT.

Yep, just adding a link:

A story from the National Football Post's Mike Lombardi reported that Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is seeking a new contract that will pay him an average of $20 million per year.
Contacted by The Post yesterday, Revis' agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, vehemently shot the report down as preposterous, wondering aloud where that information could have come from.
"We have never spoken to Mike Lombardi -- ever, not even when he worked for the Raiders," Feinsod told The Post. "Where he's getting his information I don't know, but it's not coming from our side."
It certainly isn't coming from the Jets' side, either. After all, why would someone from the Jets leak that Revis was seeking such big money?
Revis, scheduled to make $1 million this season, the fourth year of his original contract, is seeking a new deal and he is on record as saying that Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum promised him a new one before the 2010 season begins.
Revis' contract is a complicated one that can be voided after this season if the Jets opt to pay a $21 million buyout. The Jets could keep Revis under his existing contract and pay him $21 million over the next three years, but it'll be better business for them to tear it up and start over.
Revis, who finished second in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting to Packers cornerback Charles Woodson and started in the Pro Bowl, is likely seeking at least similar money to the $15.1 million Raiders' cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha is making.
Asomugha signed a three-year, $45.3 million deal last offseason, a contract that makes him, based on average salary per year, the fourth-highest-paid player in the NFL.
The three players above him are Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers ($16.7 million), Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer ($16.2 million) and Giants quarterback Eli Manning ($15.3 million). Peyton Manning, considered by many as the most valuable player in the league, makes an average of $14 million.
Only three players last season -- the Giants' Eli Manning, Chargers QB Philip Rivers and Bears QB Jay Cutler -- made more than $20 million last season.
Revis, who hasn't talked about what his contract goals are, said last week that his agents had begun contract negotiations with the Jets, and Tannenbaum has said he's committed to keeping Revis in a Jets uniform for the rest of his career.
Revis last week hinted that, should he believe that the Jets are not backing up their promise to ink him to a new deal before the season, holding out of training camp, which begins Aug. 1, is not out of the question.
The Jets, by policy, do not comment on contract negotiations.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rev ... z0oJOeSJh1

[j4remi]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2 ... e-jet.html

Jets biggest acquisitions are in the secondary...

Ryan's defense is a schematic anomaly - built in reverse - that puts a premium on cornerbacks. While the blueprint for most teams is to build from the front seven and back, Ryan has altered that long-standing approach by fortifying the back end first. While off-season acquisitions like LaDainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor and Santonio Holmes grab the headlines, Cromartie - who will replace Lito Sheppard as the No. 2 corner opposite Darrelle Revis - will make the biggest impact.

Here's why: The Jets put a premium on man-to-man, bump-and-run corners to help facilitate the disguised blitz packages that Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine like to call. Look no further than the Jets' draft strategy to understand that they value corners over defensive lineman. Sure, the Jets will have to address an aging defensive line that includes 30-somethings Kris Jenkins, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury, and Shaun Ellis. But there's a reason why the braintrust selected CB Kyle Wilson in the first round.

Great article, ends with a breakdown of the 80 yard drive that basically ended our postseason.

[zilby]

His trademark No. 99 already taken with the Jets, Jason Taylor decided to honor one of his former Miami Dolphins teammates when he picked his new number for his new team.

Taylor will wear No. 95 this season in honor of former Dolphins defensive tackle Tim Bowens.

Linebacker Bryan Thomas wears No. 99 for the Jets.

Taylor, who signed with the Jets this offseason after 12 seasons with the Dolphins, took part in his first practice with the Jets on Tuesday. The star linebacker, who is the NFL's active leader in sacks, has been named to six Pro Bowls in his 13-year career, which included one year with the Washington Redskins.

"Timbo was one of my all-time favorites," Taylor said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "He's the most unselfish, underrated teammate I've ever had."

Bowens, a two-time Pro Bowler who played 11 seasons with the Dolphins and retired after the 2004 season, was honored when he was told of Taylor's decision.

"Wow, that's amazing, man, coming from him," Bowens told the Sun-Sentinel. "It's an honor, man. A Hall of Fame guy like that, a former teammate. I didn't know the guys respected me like that. Wow. That's love."

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/ ... id=5200653

[zilby]

The Jets may have made the first move to try to lock up the most valuable piece to their intricate defensive puzzle, but there's still plenty of haggling on the horizon.

All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis admitted that the Jets sent his agents a proposal last week to restructure his contract.

"If the numbers are right and everything looks good, I'll sign on the dotted line," Revis said at the Jets' Organized Team Activities Thursday. "If not - if we have to negotiate more - that's something we have to do."

Don't expect Revis, who is scheduled to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, to agree to the terms of the Jets' initial offer. There will likely be further negotiations before an agreement is reached, according to a league source. The Jets, of course, could buy back the final two years of the contract for $20million.

Revis also denied rumors that he's seeking $20 million per season.

"I don't know where the $20million came from," Revis said. "I'm sure it's not going to be up in that area. That's insane. That'd be great. Who wouldn't want $20 million? That's a high price. I just want to make it as positive as I can. I don't want it to get messy. And just try to do it the right way."

Revis, 24, admittedly is looking to become the league's highest-paid cornerback ahead of the Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha, who will earn $15.2 million per season.

"This is nothing behind closed doors (like) I am fighting against the Jets and they are fighting against me," Revis said. "I have talked to Coach (Rex) Ryan and (general manager Mike) Tannenbaum himself. They believe I should be the highest-paid player at my position. They understand that and I understand that. It is something that is going to get done. The Jets are family to me."

The shutdown cornerback, however, doesn't plan on holding out if a new deal isn't reached soon.

"I told them I wasn't going to hold out at OTA," he said. "As of right now, I'm not even thinking about that."

PLAYING IT SAFE: Ryan isn't taking any chances with Mark Sanchez, who didn't participate in 11-on-11 team drills for the third consecutive OTA session.

"I don't want to risk that right now," Ryan said. "You've got bodies flying around. Just stay the course and in due time he'll be out there."

Sanchez's next step will be sprinting, moving around in the pocket and scrambling on his surgically repaired left knee.

"It's just not worth taking a chance," said Sanchez, who took part only in 7-on-7s. "What if I have to move too quick and I'm not ready for it yet? So we're just taking it slow."

SINGLED OUT? Santonio Holmes left little doubt that he felt an opportunistic flight attendant fanned the flames of iPod-gate last month. He was on a flight from New Jersey to Pittsburgh when the incident occurred.

Holmes, who was questioned by local police and wasn't charged, maintained that he was singled out because he was a former Steeler.

"I honestly think it was (because of that)," Holmes said. "She was definitely just trying to make a name for herself. Because she actually was the one who went to the media and reported it. Nobody else did."

FILM SESSION: Rookie RB Joe McKnight had an excused absence to attend the NFL rookie Premiere photo shoot. ... C Nick Mangold (bruised thigh) didn't take part in team drills. ... Jason Taylor (shoulder) was limited and said he'll wait until training camp to practice fully.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/footb ... z0oXThgVTx

[zilby]

Rex Ryan's Jets are as sexy as a runway super model right now in New York.

But the last time Brandon Jacobs checked, the Giants are the New York football team with the most recent bling.

The Jets may be the darlings of New York at the moment, but Jacobs scoffs at the notion that the Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII during the 2007 season, are now the "other" team in New York.

"We will never be the 'other team' for the simple reason that we have a Super Bowl ring," the running back said Friday after the Giants' offseason training activity session.

The Jets are red hot right now. They are coming off a season in which they made it to the AFC Championship Game. They have a head coach in Ryan who churns out headlines every time he opens his mouth. They have high-profile players from Mark Sanchez to Darrelle Revis, and they added more star power in the offseason with LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Cromartie, Santonio Holmes and Jason Taylor.

With so many high-profile names and magnetic, WWE-type personalities on one roster, the Jets are a virtual reality show. In fact, they will have HBO cameras following their every move this summer for "Hard Knocks."

But Jacobs reminded reporters that the Giants are the most recent Super Bowl winners in New York. And the Giants did it by beating the Jets' nemesis, then-undefeated New England, just two years ago.

"We didn't [stub] our toe when we got there," Jacobs said. "We got past people we needed to get past. We beat teams that nobody beat and got what we wanted. We are Super Bowl XLII champions. Last time I checked my watch, no one else has done that in New York. So we are that team in New York."

Defensive end Justin Tuck says he wishes the Jets all the success. Tuck only cares about what is going on with the Giants and rebounding from an 8-8 season.

"I'm sure you all have heard me say it before -- I don't care," Tuck said. "The Jets can have all the headlines that they want. All I worry about is what we do on Sundays. Rex and the Jets, or whoever, can say whatever they want to say. It doesn't bother me any.

"I don't play for the Jets and I don't necessarily worry about what they do. I wish them all the success in the world."

The Giants -- who have three Super Bowl titles to the Jets' one -- know all they need to do is get back to winning again.

"I think we have to win another championship and get the talking back to the Giants," Mathias Kiwanuka said in April. "Good for them [the Jets] but you are not winning championships in the offseason.

"They did have a great year and we respect them and a lot of people in the city are beginning to respect them. But we are a little selfish here at the Giants, and we want everybody in the city to be talking about us. I'm not worried about us being pushed to the background, because we can control that. We know that if we start winning a lot of games and a championship, then the attention will back on us."

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/ ... id=5208614

[zilby]

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets coach Rex Ryan thinks quarterback Mark Sanchez's recovery from offseason knee surgery might be a bit ahead of schedule.

Sanchez had the patella-stabilizing ligament in his left knee repaired in February, and he has participated in individual and passing drills since organized team activities began last Monday.

"He's doing fantastic," Ryan said Thursday. "He's probably ahead of where we thought he'd be."

Sanchez also surprised Ryan when he sneaked onto the field during 11-on-11 team drills for the first time this offseason, but it was only for one handoff.

"I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's he doing?'" said Ryan, who added it was unplanned. "It's a run. Oh, OK. ... Hand the ball off and get out of the way."

That's exactly what Sanchez did, as he stood behind the offense for most of the rest of the practice session.

"I'm waiting," Ryan said. "When our trainers say he's ready to roll and all that, that's when he'll go in there. He feels great. I think he's pushing us all the time to get in there and that's where you want him to be."

Sanchez was given the day off from speaking with the media, but he has said -- along with Ryan -- that he expects to be 100 percent in time for training camp, if not minicamp next month.

The second-year quarterback has said he understands the need for caution. Sanchez, who led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game as a rookie, began running on grass a few weeks ago after being limited to jogging in a pool and then on a treadmill.

Sanchez looked good in passing drills Thursday, throwing several sharp passes and moving around well without a brace on the knee.

Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens has run the first-team offense while Sanchez is unable to practice fully.

While Sanchez works his way back, LaDainian Tomlinson is becoming more comfortable with the Jets' offense and says he's feeling good physically.

The eighth-leading rusher in NFL history said Thursday that the toughest part for him since being signed by the Jets in March has been getting the terms and nuances of the offense down.

"You always kind of gauge how you're doing and I think with anything, you gain confidence as you go and you always have that belief," Tomlinson said. "When you do it, it always reaffirms that belief that you had. You gain the confidence to keep going and do more."

Tomlinson, 31 next month, says a big positive has been that the style of offense the Jets run is close to that which he was a part of for nine seasons in San Diego.

Ryan says Tomlinson has been impressive during practices this offseason.

"We had this little fold play and he just started boom, boom, boom, like this," Ryan said Thursday, zigzagging his hand. "Two or three different cuts. Clearly he would have made about 20 yards. I was like, 'Yeah, this is our guy.'"

When the Jets signed Tomlinson in March, many believed the aging star was way past his prime -- the years of heavy workloads and 12,490 yards finally taking their toll. And, it's hard to argue with the stats: He had a career-low 730 yards rushing and 3.3 yards per carry last season for San Diego and was a non-factor against the Jets in the playoffs when he had 24 yards on 12 carries.

"His last game, as everybody is quick to point out, he never had a big game against us, but that was our day, I think," Ryan said, referring to the Jets' 17-14 win. "I believe he's got a lot more left. When you watch him out here bouncing around doing a great job with protections, running the football, he's still got that wiggle."

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/ ... id=5226669

[j4remi]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2 ... re-ab.html

The man bouncing all over the field looked nothing like the guy you expected to see in the green-and-white No. 17 jersey.

In some ways, Braylon Edwards barely recognized himself too, joking with teammates and pleading with coaches to get a little more practice time in before he called it a day.

Edwards could be in for a huge pay day as an unrestricted free agent in 2011 if he returns to his former Pro Bowl form. But he insisted that he’s not concerned about a potential financial payoff down the road.

“I don’t care about a contract,” Edwards told me. “I just want to win a championship. That’s all I care about…. I just want to win a Super Bowl.”

Less than three months after Edwards didn’t get a long-term contract extension, the Jets’ wide receiver says he has found perspective.

“I’m having fun and I’m learning,” Edwards said. “It’s more fun when you really understand what it’s all about - and what this really is - which is a team game. Everybody has a role. Everybody has a part. Everybody contributes to a greater cause. Now, I’m 27. I’m more versed in football than when I was 22 as a rookie. I have a better appreciation now.”

Edwards, who signed a one-year, $6.1 million contract as a restricted free agent in March, has been a standout during the team’s offseason workouts, expanding his receiving portfolio. Rex Ryan went so far as to call the sixth-year pro one of the two most impressive players during Organized Team Activities.

Edwards, who has spent the better part of his career as the split end - or “X” receiver -- is learning the nuances of playing flanker (“Z” receiver) and in the slot (“Y” receiver).

It’s not completely foreign territory. Edwards, after all, played flanker in his first three years at Michigan in addition to working a little bit in the slot.

“I did all the motioning, I did slot work, I did outside work,” Edwards said of his college career. “So, it’s not anything new for me in terms of the history of me playing wideout. In the NFL, slightly, but I played a little bit of it my first two years with the Browns.”

The 6-3, 215-pound Edwards dismissed the notion that his skill set might not be suited for playing in the slot. He admitted that “it’s not a secret” that the Jets’ end game is to put him in favorable matchups against nickel corners from time to time.

“There’s going to be times when we’re going to use him inside to stretch the seams,” wide receivers coach Henry Ellard told me. “A big bodied guy with great leaping ability will be able to make plays down the seam. He can manhandle a lot of guys. That’s what we want to use to our advantage.”

To that end, Edwards has logged plenty of extra hours trying to perfect the nuances of playing in the slot. From a technical standpoint, Ellard has worked with Edwards to shorten his stride lengths from the slot to excel in tight quarters.

Edwards’ long strides serve him well outside the numbers by threatening cornerbacks on the deep route. But playing inside requires a subtle - yet critical - philosophical change.

The nature of routes from the slot calls for shorter stride lengths to help receivers better re-direct themselves if they get bumped off course.

“You’re learning on the run, but it comes through repetition,” Ellard said. “The more you see, the more comfortable you get, so you know exactly what you need to do in that situation the next time.”

Edwards has a straightforward mindset.

“Just take your playbook home and study,” Edwards said. “The good NFL players that move around, they study. That’s all it is - watching film and studying.”

“Whatever is needed, I can do,” he added. “I have versatility. So playing in the slot is not a problem for me. If playing in the slot was a problem, they wouldn’t put me in the slot…. When you put me in the slot, you create a mismatch.”

Edwards maintained that he’ll be able to co-exist with the Jets’ plethora of pass-catching options. He’s been able to do most of his damage during his career with limited catches, reaching the 80-catch plateau once (during his 2007 Pro Bowl season).

Edwards has averaged 54.6 catches per season during his five-year career. In his four full seasons (he played just 10 games as a rookie), he has averaged 60.3 catches. He averaged three receptions per game in 12 games with the Jets last season.

The goal is to maximize his opportunities, which means cutting down on dropped passes.

According to profootballfocus.com, Edwards had 70 balls thrown to him and four drops (one drop every 17.5 balls). Edwards’ four drops were tied for 46th among receivers.

His drop frequency was better than Mario Manningham (9.6), Dwayne Bowe (9.2), Marques Colston (10.2), Terrell Owens (10.5), Roy E. Williams (10.5) Santana Moss (12.6), Donald Driver (13.6), Davonne Bess (15.1), Santonio Holmes (15.9), Andre Johnson (16.9) and Randy Moss (17.0). (Ted Ginn had the biggest butterfingers of them all with one drop every 7.3 balls thrown his way).

But there’s certainly room for improvement. So, Ellard said that he has given Edwards specific drills to improve “discipline with his eyes,” to make sure the receiver is “tracking the ball all the way into his hands without taking anything for granted.”

“We’ll work on it until he’s comfortable with it - and not thinking about it,” Ellard said. “Once you have to start thinking about it, that’s when you’re going to get yourself in trouble.”

For now, Edwards is simply having fun.

He’s even pledged not to shave off his beard until he scores his first regular-season touchdown, which is at least three months away.

“I’m not going to get the ZZ Top,” said Edwards, who promised to trim the beard from time to time. “I’m going to keep it a nice length. I’m not going to just let it get wild man Santa Claus.”

[zilby]

Man, it's great to hear Braylon is really putting in the work.


He didn't look too good last season and I hope he improves tremendously.

[zilby]

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis held out of Thursday's offseason training activity because he is unhappy with the progress of talks to rework his contract, according to a league source.

The All-Pro cornerback, 24, was at Florham Park for workouts Wednesday after a five-day break for the Memorial Day holiday, but never arrived Thursday.

He is set to make $1 million in the fourth year of the six-year deal he signed as a rookie, but recently told ESPNNewYork.com that he expects to make more than $15.2 million a year, which is what Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha makes. Revis wants to be the highest-paid cornerback in the game.

"I think that is fair," Revis told ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk on May 21. "This is nothing behind closed doors [like] I am fighting against the Jets and they are fighting against me. I have talked to Coach [Rex] Ryan and [general manager Mike] Tannenbaum himself and they believe I should be the highest-paid player at my position. They understand that and I understand that. It is something that is going to get done. The Jets are family to me."

At that time, Revis said the Jets promised him he'd get a new deal before training camp.

"These are not my words," he said. "These are the Jets' words. They promised that it was going to get done before training camp. If it happens, it happens. If it don't, it don't and then there are other situations that have to come upon it."

Ryan said it was too early to draw conclusions about Revis' intentions. "That's part of the business," Ryan said. "We'll see what happens. When it's time to react or get frustrated, I'll react."

Tannenbaum declined to discuss the specifics of Revis' negotiations, but said the Jets were committed to getting a deal done, "within reason." He declined to put a timeline on its completion, however. "Timelines are always tough to estimate," Tannenbaum said.

Revis has a fairly complicated contract in place that would pay him $21 million in guaranteed money during the next three years. Ryan lobbied for Revis to be named NFL defensive player of the year last season, a designation that bolsters the cornerback's case.

Revis is one of several Jets looking to renegotiate their contracts. Offensive lineman Nick Mangold said he and his agent discussed sitting out of OTAs, but decided against it. Mangold said Revis is the team's priority, but others await.

"It should be very interesting to see how it pans out and how they manage it all," Mangold said, adding that he has not ruled out the possibility of holding out during training camp if his own deal is not reworked.

Revis' agent, Neil Schwartz, declined to comment. He is the same agent who represented offensive lineman Pete Kendall and tight end Chris Baker in their contract disputes with the Jets.

Schwartz's clients have not been shy about sitting out of voluntary workouts in the past, but Revis had attended all of the Jets' workouts until Thursday.

"It's a business," offensive lineman Damien Woody said. "Obviously you want everyone here, but there is a business side."

"He'll step right back in and won't miss a beat," linebacker Bart Scott said.

But it is unclear when Revis will return. Although this part of the training schedule is voluntary, the Jets have a mandatory minicamp starting June 14, and players will be fined if they miss a day.

Training camp begins Aug. 1.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/ ... id=5247627

Well, this can't be good.

[ZigZag]

I'm with Revis all the way. Look at what happen to Leon...messed him up and then had the nerve to trade him away too? Yea Revis...dont play one game for them until they pay you.

[zilby]

I'm with Revis all the way. Look at what happen to Leon...messed him up and then had the nerve to trade him away too? Yea Revis...dont play one game for them until they pay you.

Leon was good as gone anyway, so it didn't really matter what would happen because he was going one way or the other.

Leon held out too.

[zilby]

During each stage of the offseason, Nick Mangold and his agents have assessed his next move. The Pro Bowl center, who is looking for a long-term extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, decided it would "behoove" him to attend the voluntary offseason program and OTAs.
But on the day when teammate Darrelle Revis skipped an OTA session because he was unhappy with his contract talks, Mangold didn't make any promises beyond that.
"We make decisions based on whats going on, and when the time comes we’ll make another decision," Mangold said. "I'm not going to say right now rigidly, 'This is going to happen, that’s going to happen,' because things change, and I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth."
OTAs end next week, and the next stages are mandatory mini-camp starting June 14 and training camp in August. Missing either would incur a fine, something Mangold said does weigh into the decision-making.
"You've got to look at the pros and cons of dropping 16,000 dollars per day, and you've got to look, realistically, is it going to change anything?" Mangold said. "Is it going to light a fire under anybody? You've got to try to judge the best you can because you don’t really know, and you hope to make the best-informed decision that you can."
Mangold said there have been "zero" negotiations on his contract front, clarifying that there has been "talking" but no "hard-core negotiations." The team sent Revis a contract proposal two weeks ago, and Mangold recognizes that the cornerback is first on the long list of Jets whose contracts are up after this year.
"As of right now, it appears Revis is the priority on the list," Mangold said, "which I don’t care either way who is the priority and what not, as long as my timeline gets fulfilled."
Mangold's timeline is to have a new deal before the season. LB David Harris, also entering the final year of his rookie deal, would like to have a new deal before the 2010 season as well.
One complicating factor is the 30-percent rule, which in the uncapped year prevents a player's salary in 2010 being more than 30 percent greater what it was in 2009. Of course, there are loopholes, including signing bonuses.
"They do have a ton," Mangold said of the contracts the Jets have to tackle this year. "So it should be very interesting to see how everything pans out and how they manage to manage all of it. It should be interesting."

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/0 ... has_n.html

[zilby]

Here are some pictures that I found of the OTA's:

Cotchery and Edwards:



New Safety Brodney Poole:



Mark Sanchez:



New Receiver Santonio Holmes:



New Corner Antonio Cromartie:



Drew Coleman, Marquice Cole and Joe McKnight:



New DB Kyle Wilson (I loved this picture):



Braylon Edwards and Marcus Henry:



New Running Back LaDanian Tomlinson:



Coach Rex Ryan and his tan (he looks a lot better and skinnier now, I'm happy for him.):



Enjoy.