Jets Team report

GreenMachine · Aug 4, 2008

From Yahoo:

Jets Team Report

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In his rookie season of 2006, D?Brickashaw Ferguson lost weight as the year went on, which hindered his performance late in the season. So it could be significant that the third-year left tackle won the team?s award for strength and conditioning in the offseason leading up to training camp.

?He was the big winner of the offseason awards,? Mangini said. ?I think he?s having a very good camp as well. So it definitely carries over into the next phase, and that?s why it?s so important to Mike (Tannenbaum, the general manager), me and the organization.?

Ferguson does appear stronger than he has been in previous years, particularly his rookie season of 2006, when his weight dipped to around 290 pounds late in the season.
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?I just wanted to work out and make strides (in the offseason),? the 6-foot-6, 312-pound Ferguson said. ?I?m really happy with the strides that I made. ? Experience plays a big role, so you don?t make the same mistakes that you did in years prior.?

Now the Jets hope that strength and knowledge lead to a breakout 2008 season for Ferguson. When the Jets drafted him with the fourth overall pick in 2006, they hoped he would be a shutdown left tackle. While he has shown glimpses of that ability, his first two seasons have been marred by inconsistency.

?Brick?s a good player,? said left guard Alan Faneca, a seven-time Pro Bowler whom the Jets hope can tutor Ferguson. ?Brick can take it to another level. He?s very aggressive. He?s very smart and he?s really good at his technique. It takes a little time. You start putting things together and all of a sudden you just take off.?

The Jets thought 2007 would perhaps be Ferguson?s breakout season, after he studied under former NFL standout Lomas Brown, brought in as a consultant by the Jets during the preseason. But in the season opener, New England?s Jarvis Green got past Ferguson to deliver the sack on Chad Pennington that resulted in two torn ligaments in the quarterback?s right ankle.

That set the tone for an up-and-down season for Ferguson. But the Jets expect a better 2008 from him, and Ferguson and Faneca seem to work well together. In a recent chalk talk Mangini gave to beat reporters, he showed footage of a play from a spring practice in which Ferguson and Faneca worked in perfect sync to foil an attempted stunt by the opposing defensive linemen.

Ferguson seemed to suffer last season without the veteran Pete Kendall next to him, but the signing of Faneca gives him someone to lean on.

As if Ferguson needs to, considering his obvious and burgeoning strength.

?He looks different,? Mangini said. ?He came in the office the other day and he?s swelled up. He looks like he?s been spending time with (well-developed) Thomas Jones, which is great. That fullness that he has in his upper body now is translating into a much more powerful (hand) punch. I?ve been really happy with that.?

?I always set goals for myself of things I want to attain,? Ferguson said, although he didn?t describe them. ?Expectations are always going to be there. If there were no expectations, we wouldn?t bring in guys, we wouldn?t try to recruit the players we do and we wouldn?t make the moves that we did. Expectations are always going to be there, it?s just (a matter of) rising to that challenge.?

The Jets need Ferguson to do that in 2008.

Camp Calendar: Camp closes: TBA, most likely Aug. 20 or 21.

Notes, Quotes

Now that the rumors of Brett Favre to the Jets finally have receded, it soon will be time for coach Eric Mangini to choose a quarterback from among ones actually on the roster.

The two-man duel between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens has heated up, with Clemens apparently closing the gap after a very shaky first six days of practice.

Consider, for instance, that Pennington was angry with himself for misfiring on his final pass of the Jets? intrasquad scrimmage, which was held on the 10th day of training camp. Pennington wasn?t so angry much because of the quarterback competition, but because it would have sealed a victory, albeit for the Green team in the intrasquad affair.

?That would have iced the game,? Pennington said, referring to a slightly underthrown third-down pass to tight end Bubba Franks that was broken up by cornerback Darrelle Revis. ?Those are things that I want to get better at. ? I tried to stick it on (Franks). He ran such a great route. I can?t have that back, but I wish I could. Those are things that ice the game and you don?t give the opponent a second chance.?

As it turned out, the Jets? White team, led by Clemens, couldn?t capitalize on its final possession either and the Green held on for a 10-7 victory. But the real numbers of interest were these: Pennington was 8-for-14 for 115 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown to Jerricho Cotchery. Clemens went 8-for-22 for 137 yards, including a 55-yard score to rookie tight end Dustin Keller. Neither quarterback was intercepted, but as Mangini noted, Clemens was victimized by several dropped passes.

?I would say that I?m progressing towards where I want to be,? said Clemens, who has been interception-free the last three days of practice after throwing one on each of the first six days the Jets worked. ?It?s still a work in progress, but I?m definitely headed in the right direction.

?Obviously, it?s a step up from practice,? Clemens added, ?coming out here in a scrimmage situation. It?s not scripted. You go out there and play the situations out as they come. It?s a little bit different. It?s a good stepping stone for us to get ready for Cleveland this Thursday? in the preseason opener.

? Quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens have done their best not to get distracted by the seemingly never-ending Brett Favre saga, and the Jets? interest in the legendary signal-caller. Pennington did say on two occasions, however, that he wished the Jets would make up their minds.

?The bottom line is this,? Pennington said, ?Sooner or later the organization has to make a decision one way or the other. And I hope it?s sooner (rather) than later. I think for our team to be able to move on and accomplish the things we want to get accomplished, the things coach (Eric) Mangini and Mike (Tannenbaum) want to get accomplished, we?ve got to make a decision.?

According to sources, Favre made that decision for the Jets, as he simply is not interested in playing for them.

Clemens told the media at one point, ?You guys are where I get all my Favre gossip.?

? Jerry Mackey was back with the Jets for the fifth time. But only for one day, as the free-agent linebacker was again waived.

Fortunately for Mackey, a high-school teammate of D?Brickashaw Ferguson, he lives in Freeport, N.Y., which is about a Kellen Clemens deep out from the Jets? current Hofstra University training complex in Hempstead. So it?s not as if he needed to get a flight home after being released again.

? Coach Eric Mangini was unhappy with his team?s performance during its 10th practice of training camp, and he let them know by extending the session to two hours and nine minutes, the Jets? longest practice this summer.

After the morning practice, Mangini noted the players ?were just trying to get through practice rather than practice with a purpose.? He added that while the weather was hot, it also will be hot in Miami on opening day.

?You?ve got to be able to deal with those things and still get done what we have to get done,? the coach said. ?Everyone has to uphold their end of the bargain. ? I think there was effort. There just weren?t any results.?

The practice was quite sloppy, featuring several dropped passes and some mental mistakes. The evening practice focused mostly on special teams, but it also went over two hours, clocking in at 2:03. However, Mangini said the next day he thought it was better than the practice that preceded it.

? In a lunch meeting with the team?s beat reporters, owner Woody Johnson said the team will charge season-ticket holders for personal seat licenses in the new stadium that the Jets will share with the Giants, beginning in 2010.

?We will have seat licenses,? Johnson said during a lunch meeting with reporters covering the team at Wayne Chrebet?s restaurant, near the Hofstra University campus. ?We understand the feelings of the fans. I think we will understand more next week when the actual surveys come back. We?re going to look at the fans? response to the questionnaires we sent out. We?re going to try to incorporate as many of those ideas into the way we package the PSL program.?

The Giants announced in June they would charge for PSLs for all the seats, on a scale of from $1,000 to $20,000 depending on where the seats are located. Johnson indicated the Jets will have a PSL plan in place before the end of August. He didn?t say if it would involve all of the seats.

He also said the Jets will move from Long Island to Florham Park on Sept. 2, five days before the regular-season opener at Miami, which could be challenging from a competitive standpoint. The Jets have trained at Hofstra since 1968.
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GreenMachine · Aug 4, 2008

Continued:

?This is very, very critical for us to get this right,? he said. ?It?s not going to be perfect? at first. But Johnson indicated that as long as the electronics, computers and video equipment are ready to go, the transition shouldn?t be too disruptive to the team?s preparations.

?I think Florham Park gives us a tremendous competitive advantage,? Johnson said, ?compared to where we are now.?

? Eleven days into training camp, tight end Chris Baker still hasn?t been on the field. He says he?s ready, yet hasn?t gotten the green light yet.

?I?m ready to go,? Baker said on the seventh day of camp. ?Once I get back on the field, I?ll be fine. I?m not getting behind or anything, the offense is the same.?

Baker, who is on the physically-unable-to-perform list because of back and conditioning issues, is seeking more money this season, in which he is scheduled to make $683,500. The Jets don?t appear willing to pony up.

?I think we?re making progress (with Baker),? coach Eric Mangini said, ?but you don?t want to rush it.?

When Baker was asked if he has told the coaches that he?s ready, he responded, ?I have to let the medical staff handle that. I?ve told the strength coach that I feel great (and) I?m ready to go.?

Baker isn?t worried about the depth the Jets are building at his position with veteran Bubba Franks and rookie Dustin Keller.

?I?m very confident in myself and my abilities,? he said. ?I know when I get back that I?m going to be on the field.?

Quote To Note: ?There?s no mandate (to win now). Based on what we look like on paper, I?m very optimistic.??Owner Woody Johnson, on Eric Mangini?s job security and the upcoming season.

Strategy And Personnel

The Jets haven?t signed any players of note recently, although they did lose one familiar NFL name when S Artrell Hawkins, who played nine seasons in the NFL with Cincinnati and New England, decided to hang up his cleats. The Jets placed him on the reserve/retired list, and chances are they won?t be offering him money to stay retired as Green Bay has with Brett Favre.

? RB Danny Woodhead, who was waived-injured after suffering a season-ending knee injury on the second day of practice, cleared waivers and was placed on injured reserve by the Jets. The rookie free agent, who was the all-time NCAA career-leading rusher at Division II Chadron (Neb.) State with 7,962 yards, had impressed the coaching staff and certainly had a chance to be on the practice squad. The positive for Woodhead is that he will draw a salary and be able to participate in meetings and thus learn the pro game.

? CB Ahmad Carroll, a first-round selection by Green Bay in 2004 who was signed by the Jets two days before training camp, has been impressive with the reserve defensive units and could play his way onto the roster. He intercepted third-string QB Brett Ratliff for a ?touchdown? in practice.

? S Artrell Hawkins, who had a nine-year NFL career with Cincinnati and New England, was placed on the reserve/retired list by the Jets. Hawkins, 31, who was out of the NFL last season, was slowed by knee injuries during the spring and summer and had trouble getting on the field.

? CB Darrelle Revis has been returning punts and kickoffs in camp. Revis was an outstanding punt returner in college, but the Jets chose not to use him on returns last season as a rookie, perhaps figuring he had enough on his plate with the transition to being an NFL corner. Coach Eric Mangini still seems reluctant to do so in games, however, although Revis did return punts during the Jets? intrasquad scrimmage.

? FB Tony Richardson is expected not only to open holes for featured back Thomas Jones, but the Jets believe the veteran still can help as an occasional receiver out of the backfield. The coaching staff felt that Darian Barnes, who began last season as the fullback, was too inflexible in his upper body and thus wasn?t a viable receiver.

Battle Of The Week: Chad Pennington vs. Kellen Clemens for starting QB?While the Brett Favre rumors have provided some distraction, this competition has drawn most of the attention from fans and media. Pennington took the early lead as Clemens threw one interception each of the first six days of practice, but he was turnover-free the next four workouts while Pennington finally threw two picks in a walkthrough practice the day before the Jets? intrasquad scrimmage. Coach Eric Mangini hasn?t yet said who will start the preseason opener against Cleveland, but Pennington seems the likely choice.

Other Battle Fronts: Justin Miller still is in the lead at RCB ahead of David Barrett, but former Green Bay first-round draft pick Ahmad Carroll could work his way into the conversation. ? There is a crowded field for the third, fourth and fifth wide receiver spots behind starters Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. That field includes former quarterback Brad Smith, Chansi Stuckey, special-teams ace Wallace Wright, speedster David Clowney and 6-foot-4 rookie Marcus Henry. Mangini indicated that Clowney, in particular, has caught the eyes of the coaching staff. ? Eric Smith seems to have taken the lead over incumbent Abram Elam at free safety.

Player Of The Week: RB-KR Leon Washington?Washington has looked even more explosive than he has in the past, and the third-year speedster admits he did a lot of extra conditioning work in the offseason. ?Leon had an excellent offseason,? coach Eric Mangini said, noting that he was the team?s overall offseason award winner. The Jets must get this versatile back more touches on offense.

Rookie Report: LB Vernon Gholston was ?swimming? early in camp, according to coach Eric Mangini, and ?drowning,? according to Gholston. But he has shown flashes of his outstanding pass-rushing ability against the Jets? backup offensive linemen. ? TE Dustin Keller has impressed with his ability to get deep on the outside and over the middle on seam routes, and caught a 55-yard TD pass in the Jets? intrasquad scrimmage on a seam route. ? CB Dwight Lowery is working with the subs and in extra-DB packages. ? QB Erik Ainge is getting some reps with the reserves, but has gotten fewer reps than Brett Ratliff, who spent last season on the practice squad. ? WR Marcus Henry looks to be a good target in the red zone, thanks to his 6-4 frame. ? T Nate Garner is working with the reserves, and has had trouble handling Gholston when matched one-on-one.

Injury Report: RT Damien Woody (eye) missed some action but has returned to practice and played in the scrimmage. Late in that scrimmage, TE Dustin Keller pulled up after an incomplete pass and was seen afterward with a wrap on his lower left leg for what appeared to be an ankle injury.

Injured players who didn?t participate in the game were WR Laveranues Coles (leg), LB David Harris (leg), RB Jesse Chatman (undisclosed) and TE Chris Baker (back), who is still on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
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WhiteShoeWillis · Aug 4, 2008

I really don't like the idea of Revis doing PR and KR.

brothermoose · Aug 4, 2008

Should have posted this in that dude's catchup thread...nothing new...just a summary of the last few months. Good synopsis though.

KOZ · Aug 4, 2008

WhiteShoeWillie said: ↑

I really don't like the idea of Revis doing PR and KR.
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Me either. Makes the guy a sitting duck and it's not like we don't have other competent KR or PR guys.

Does anyone know what's wrong with Harris' leg? When did he tweak it?

boogerstyles · Aug 4, 2008

Nice read, appreciate the post.

abyzmul · Aug 4, 2008

WhiteShoeWillie said: ↑

I really don't like the idea of Revis doing PR and KR.
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I doubt they use him a lot, but the benefit of having multiple players at PR/KR is that opposing teams will prep their STs coverage for certain players' skillsets, if they are prepping for Miller and Washington, it throws their STs prep out of whack to see Revis or Cotch back there because they attack the coverage differently with different speed and quickness and agility.

The angles the opposing STs coach preps them to take to intercept the return man are likely to be incorrect.

Dierking · Aug 4, 2008

Great to see Chad in mid season form on the underthrown passes that would've iced the game department.

Mr Electric · Aug 4, 2008

I'd like to see Batman Carroll resurrect his career here. He's got a ton of talent and athleticism...he's just never been able to put it all together.

brothermoose · Aug 4, 2008

MrElectric29 said: ↑

I'd like to see Batman Carroll resurrect his career here. He's got a ton of talent and athleticism...he's just never been able to put it all together.
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Too bad Artrell Hawkins retired...

GreenMachine · Aug 4, 2008

brothermoose said: ↑

Too bad he retired...
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No. Carroll is still a Jet. You are thinking of Artrell Hawkins

MBGreen · Aug 4, 2008

i'm a little concerned over Harris' leg as well.....any news on what happened to him?

brothermoose · Aug 4, 2008

GreenMachine said: ↑

No. Carroll is still a Jet. You are thinking of Artrell Hawkins
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My bad...thanks for the correction...I knew one of our DBs retired last week.

slimjasi · Aug 4, 2008

Dierking said: ↑

Great to see Chad in mid season form on the underthrown passes that would've iced the game department.
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Haha. So true.

tomdeb · Aug 4, 2008

WhiteShoeWillie said: ↑

I really don't like the idea of Revis doing PR and KR.
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agreed. sehorn was never the same CB after racking up his leg returning a kick against the jets in the preseason.

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