http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/ Mangini's message: If no one's open, throw it away! It seemed like open season on sports writers today during the Jets? morning practice at Hofstra. At least four passes came whistling into the sideline area, where the beat writers usually watch the proceedings. Are the quarterbacks that bad? Were they deliberately trying to pick off a couple of scribes? (Boland, the rookie from Newsday, made a nice grab on a one-hopper.) Turns out Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens were just following orders. The coaches made it a point of emphasis, according to Eric Mangini: If no one is open, throw it away. That teaching point may have been directed mostly at Clemens, who was intercepted yesterday after trying to force a ball into coverage. ?I think Peyton Manning is great at that,? said Mangini, referring to the art of the throwaway. ?If it?s not there, throw it away and live to fight another day.? Unfortunately for Clemens, he?s had a hard time finding any receivers. He struggled through another practice. This time, the low point was a fumbled snap on a two-point conversion. It was recovered by LB Eric Barton, who is turning into Clemens? personal nemesis in this camp. Result: A penalty lap around the field. ?You have to protect the football,? Mangini told reporters, sounding mildly annoyed. Some other rough moments for Clemens: He missed RB Leon Washington on a slant, a ball that should?ve been intercepted by S Kerry Rhodes. He went 3-for-10 in a two-minute drill at the end of practice, starting out with four straight incompletions. In fairness to Clemens, he was victimized by some bad hands, as Chansi Stuckey and Laveranues Coles dropped passes. The ball to Coles went off his hands and right to CB David Barrett for an interception. Pennington, working with the second teamers, didn?t get nearly as many reps. His finest moment was a 68-yard TD pass to Brad Smith, who beat single coverage underneath with a safety over the top. Pennington threaded it between three players, putting it up a little high because he knew Smith would go up to get it. Nice way to end practice. Other notes: ? Poor Danny Woodhead. The fireplug from Division II Chadron (Neb.) State suffered a severe knee injury in yesterday?s practice and was waived/injured. ?It?s not looking good for him,? Mangini said two hours before Woodhead was waived. ?He?s not going to be back anytime soon.? Too bad; he showed a lot of heart and some decent speed. ? WR Wallace Wright had a real strong practice, making several nice catches. On an 18-yard catch from Brett Ratliff, he got blasted by Rhodes and walked off slowly. He seemed to be okay. It?ll be an interesting competition for the third, fourth and fifth receiver spots. After Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, they have Smith, Stuckey, Wright, David Clowney and rookie Marcus Henry. Methinks they need another veteran in the mix. Terry Glenn, anyone? ? Jillionaire rookie Vernon Gholston had to run a penalty lap for jumping offsides. Welcome to Camp Mangini, kid. I?d like to tell you about an amazing, athletic play by Gholston, like some super-freakish burst to the quarterback, but that hasn?t happened yet. ? Injured TE Chris Baker told me he?s ?real close? to getting back on the field. His agent and the Jets continue to discuss his contract situation. Next practice: 5:45. P.S.: I got through an entire post without mention Brett What?s-His-Name. Like I wrote last night, and the day before that, don?t get your hopes up.
Gholston is on practice #2 going into 3 after not playing for 6 months. How about we give the kid a week before he overpowers someone off the end and gets to the QB.
