I was going to BOLD some of the stuff in this article, but it all got bolded :jets: SOOO Pumped , great article.
Also posted in the Jets West Camp thread by JE, but I had almost posted it as a separate thread anyway. Loved the impression he came away with of Kerley. We haven't had a true, full time slot receiver who was utilized properly in a long time.
I just read this when he linked it up on twitter.. excellent article. It's hard not to be excited about this team with Sanchez leading it heading into the future.
thanks for posting, it was a good read. It's pretty amazing how quickly Mark is seizing the leadership role. The Jeremy Kerley review sounds good. Loved Brad Smith but I'm not seeing him with the team next season.
great read, thanks. about mark: totally love the role he's taking in this. we have a leader at QB, which is flippin' awesome. maybe its just the brief video i saw but he even looks more authoritative. didn't see that goofball stuff you saw on hard knocks. i'm sure he's still a goof, but its good to see him all bidness runnin' OTAs (basically) out there.
10 things Manish Mehta learned at Jets West camp May 5, 2011 .Ten Things I learned at Jets West camp in Southern California BY Manish Mehta Photos and videos of the Jets West passing camp are available on www.facebook.com/OfficialMarkSanchez 10. The Sanchez family, including Mark’s father, Nick Sr. and brothers Nick and Brandon, deserve plenty of credit for helping pull off the week-long operation. From securing sponsorships to printing up playbooks for the players, the people that don’t wear No. 6 for the Jets were also instrumental in this de facto OTA for the Jets. They had every detail covered. Special thanks to Nick Sr., who could see that I didn’t properly prepare myself for the elements: No sunscreen. So he passed along some SPF 30 to help fight those harmful UV rays. 9. Jets fans are going to love fifth-round pick Jeremy Kerley. Upon first glance, the diminutive Kerley looks like a high school kid that skipped biology lab to be out there with the big boys, but he’s quick. Real quick. I was extremely impressed with his route running. Great change of direction. Sure, he’s running patterns against air, but I like his potential. I’ve maintained that Kerley will fill part of the role that Brad Smith occupied if/when Smith signs elsewhere. Kerley’s versatility as a slot receiver and wildcat option -- he threw a TD to Andy Dalton at TCU out of the Wildcat -- will be a nice addition to the offense. 8. Speaking of Brad Smith, I believe he’s going to sign elsewhere for a more lucrative contract for a team that will give him more playing time. Make no mistake: Rex Ryan & Co. absolutely love what Smith brings to the table, but I’d be surprised if another team (s) doesn’t give him 1) more money than the Jets, and 2) a larger role in the offense. Smith has never complained about his playing time during his career, but it was obvious to me this week that he wants more PT. He’ll surely get that opportunity with another team. 7. Rex Ryan has been working overtime on his book tour this week, but I guarantee that he heard about Joe McKnight’s reaction to the Jets’ decision to draft Louisville RB Bilal Powell in the fourth round. And I guarantee that Ryan was smiling ear-to-ear. “I was pissed and motivated,” McKnight said. “It’s more fuel to the fire.” It’s that fire that Ryan tried to get out of McKnight last season. It looks like Powell’s presence will ignite a pretty healthy competition in the backfield. 6. The Terminator has very good hands. Fullback John Conner’s bone-crunching blocks may be his forte, but he can catch the football too. He looked smooth receiving passes from the four quarterbacks this week. Don’t be surprised if Conner, the starting fullback from Day One, gets a few carries and even catches passes in this offense. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer loves keeping teams off balance with his ever-changing personnel groupings. Conner’s versatility is just another piece to that puzzle. 5. Mark Brunell has been a bigger influence on Mark Sanchez than probably any of us truly know. Brian Schottenheimer knew exactly what he was doing by recommending that the Jets sign Brunell to mentor Sanchez. Schottenheimer consulted Drew Brees, who reaped the benefits of Brunell’s mentorship during the Saints’ Super Bowl season two years ago, before bringing him aboard. I noticed subtle things this week that make me believe that it was absolutely the right choice to sign Brunell last year and bring him back again. 4. Dustin Keller has bulked up to 255 pounds of muscle. (He finished last season at 247 pounds). 3. LaDainian Tomlinson’s work ethic is sick. After Tuesday’s passing drills, most of the players found some shade to cool down. Tomlinson? He was still baking under the sun working with trainer Todd Norman, ripping off countless crunches. Tomlinson’s presence at this camp speaks volumes. He’s a former league MVP. He’ll go down as the best running back of this generation. He’s a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Yet he decided to attend Jets West anyway. He’s also embraced the idea of trying to become "the best third-down back in the league.” In the twilight of his career, Tomlinson can still be a valuable pass-catching threat out of the backfield for Sanchez. That’ll be his niche in 2011. 2. Braylon Edwards is willing to give the Jets a discount. Edwards, who is an unrestricted free agent no matter which rules are in place after the lockout, made it clear that he wants to continue what he’s started with the Jets. He’s even willing to give Gang Green somewhat of a financial break as long as the Jets' offer is comparable to what other teams are willing to give. If the 2010 rules return, Edwards will command huge dollars as the No. 1 receiver on the free agent market. Edwards admitted that both Santonio Holmes, who appears to be the Jets’ top priority, and he have to “give a little” if they both want to stay with the Jets. Both players would have to make financial concessions to stay. Holmes has already stated that he won’t play for the Jets’ one-year restricted free agent tender if the 2010 rules return. 1. Mark Sanchez’s growth and maturation as the unquestioned leader of the offense during the past two years has been remarkable. It wasn’t long ago when he was sitting on a Gatorade cooler on the sidelines with a lost look in his eyes after a six-turnover nightmare against the Bills early in his rookie season. Now, he’s running a de facto OTA without coaches, holding meetings, breaking down film and taking command of the team during the labor impasse. “In meetings, he even sounds like a coach,” Tomlinson said. Braylon Edwards thinks that Sanchez is ready to “break that barrier” into the league’s elite. He believes in Sanchez so much that he’s willing to play for a little less to stay with the Jets. When I walked into the NFL Network studios Wednesday to do a spot on Jets West, one of the producers summed up the evolution of Sanchez’s leadership the best. “I can’t believe he put this all together,” the producer said, shaking his head. “He’s come a long way in a short time.”
This article passes me off and only for one reason, the fact that this man writes such great atricles and has in-depth coverage and knows what he's talking about but Rich cocky sucker Cimini is known as the main Jets writer (outside of our fanbase) yet, knows nothing about the team, never has any personal relationship with players and coaches like Mehta does, and secretly is in love with the Pats. ESPN sign Manish to represent the Jets correctly!
Couldn't agree more. Cimini bashes the Jets a billion times more than he praises them. He said the Jets had no chance in hell to beat the Patriots in the playoffs, and Brandon Moore, I think, gave him shit for it. Fuck him, Go Jets.
Iknow and he represents us horribly, I remember in early draft coverage he wanted us to take Mikel Leshoure because RB was our biggest need? He has no idea what he's talking about and since the masses watch ESPN we need the best writer we have to rep us.
Brad Smith was exciting and all but I'll be glad to see him go. Hopefully his departure will mean the end of the "wild cat derp".
