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Jets statement on George Steinbrenner

July 13, 2010 , ι From the Jets

Jets owner Woody Johnson released a statement on today's passing of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner:“George Steinbrenner is an American icon and was one of the preeminent owners in all of sports. A... Read on

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Jets' Jenkins pleased with return to practice

June 14, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

While various contract squabbles swirled around them, the Jets were buoyed by nose tackle Kris Jenkins’ return to the practice field.Jenkins, sidelined since last October by a torn ACL in his left... Read on

While various contract squabbles swirled around them, the Jets were buoyed by nose tackle Kris Jenkins’ return to the practice field.
	 
Jenkins, sidelined since last October by a torn ACL in his left knee, participated fully in on-field workouts for the first time since the surgery and pronounced himself none the worse for wear.
	 
“It’s almost like a reward for everything that I’ve done so far and all the work I’ve put in,” Jenkins said of participating in the first day of a three-day minicamp. “Now, I know I’m on the right track and should be ready to go when training camp rolls around.”
	 
Jenkins, who is competing in a weight-loss competition with Rex Ryan and offensive lineman Damien Woody, also has gotten noticeably thinner but wouldn’t reveal exactly how much. The team continues to list Jenkins at 360 pounds.
	 
Ryan said the Jets would proceed cautiously with Jenkins, who got some breathers in the morning practice and didn’t take part in 11-on-11 drills during the afternoon session.
	 
“We’re just kind of breaking him in slowly,” Ryan said.
	 
Ryan added that he currently is second in the weight-loss competition after lap-band surgery this offseason but wouldn’t say who is leading.
	 
*
	 
Mark Sanchez bemoaned the NCAA’s recent slapdown of his USC Trojans, who were banned from bowl appearances for two years and docked a whopping 30 scholarships for various infractions.
	 
“That’s just tough,” he said. “It’s really hard for the guys there now. You just feel really bad for them. A lot of allegations happened before I got there as a freshman. You wish them the best.”
	 
Asked if the sanctions were overly harsh, Sanchez said: “That’s not for me to judge. All I can do is support the program. That happened to Alabama a few years ago, and they bounced back.”

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VIDEO: Jets coach compares motion to Strasburg's

June 10, 2010 , ι By MARK CANNIZZARO

Rex Ryan, who threw out the first pitch before Tuesday night’s Mets game, was hysterical today when putting up a split-screen view on the TV monitor of him and Washington Nationals rookie pitcher... Read on

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Revis won't skip Jets minicamp; Mangold unsure

June 10, 2010 , ι By MARK CANNIZZARO

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who skipped the last week’s Thursday practice session because he’s discouraged by the slow pace of his contract negotiations, told me today that he has no plans to hold out of next week’s mandatory minicamp.
	 
“I don’t feel like I have to hold out; I don’t want to do that,’’ Revis said. “Right now I’m just being patient. I’m not mad about anything. I want to be here. They know that. I’ve played my best football. The season I had last year was crazy. This is a lot of the leverage I do have to get that money (I) deserve.’’
	 
Revis told me that it is “important’’ to him to be paid more than Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million contract before last season with more than $28 million guaranteed.
	 
The Jets and Revis’ agents are not close in their negotiations.
	 
“I got two proposals (from the Jets) and in the second one the number has gone up, but it’s still where we want it. We’re going to keep on working on it.’’
	 
Asked whether he plans to be at training camp if a deal is not done by then, Revis said, “I don’t know. I’ll be at minicamp. No comment on training camp. We’ll see when that day comes.’’
	 
The reality, however, is Revis is not going to hold out of training camp because of a clause in his contract that would nullify the $20 million guarantee on the final two years of his existing contract. For him to play hardball and hold out would be too risky.
	 
It’s not likely the Jets will let this get to that point.
	 
Revis insisted today that “there are no hard feelings.’’
	 
“I a had conversation with Rex (Ryan) on field before practice today,’’ he said. “I talked to (GM Mike) Tannenbaum yesterday about the NBA Finals. This is not being enemies or warring against each other.’’
	 
Revis did, however, call out the Jets on their slow progress on new contracts with center Nick Mangold, linebacker David Harris and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, saying they’ve “all outperformed their contracts.’’
	 
Rex Ryan said Revis “will be a Jet forever.’’
	 
****
	 
Mandold said he’s going to decide over the weekend whether to participate in next week’s mandatory minicamp. The Jets center, who’s in the final year of his rookie contract, said he’s “50-50’’ about whether he’ll show up.
	 
Mangold said there have been “talks’’ between his agent and the Jets “but no negotiations.’’
	 
He said there have been “pleasantries like, ‘We love you, we want you here,’’ but no “nitty gritty talk like years and numbers.’’
	 
Asked if Rams center Jason Brown, who got a five-year, $37.5 million contract with $20 million guaranteed, has been brought up by his agents, Mangold said, “I’m sure he’s been mentioned a couple of times. That (Brown’s salary) is nice little bar.’’
	 
Mangold said his contract status has “been weighing on me since March when we said, ‘Hey, we want to do an extension and the Jets said they want to do an extension. You want to get it done, not have to worry about it and get back to the business of playing football.’’
	 
****
	 
There was a Nick Folk sighting today and it wasn’t an ugly one. The Jets kicker, who’s had his struggles in the offseason OTA sessions, made seven consecutive field goals at the end of today’s final OTA session of the offseason.
	 
“That made me feel a little bit better,’’ Rex Ryan said. “It made the whole Jets fan base feel better. He was impressive. He put on an impressive show today.’’
	 
Folk connected on consecutive field goals of 53 yards, 52, 48, 33, 35, 38 and 41 yards.
	 
Ryan said the 53 and 52-yarders “looked like extra points the way he hit them.’’
	 
****
	 
Ryan, who threw out the first pitch before Tuesday night’s Mets game, was hysterical today when putting up a split-screen view on the TV monitor of him and Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who struck out 14 in his major league debut that same night.
	 
“Two great ones,’’ Ryan joked. “Two of the best. My movement (on the pitch) surprised everyone. That movement it filthy. Obviously, the difference is look who’s catching for me.’’
	 
Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum was Ryan’s catcher and he failed to corral Ryan’s pitch, which tailed away to the right.
	 
****
	 
Ryan was so juiced today he said his team is ready to play thus Sunday if there was a game.
	 
“We’re ready to play,’’ he said. “We can go play. Last year (at this time) we would have gotten smoked. We are so much further along than alst year.’’
	 
****
	 
Mark Sanchez, who today worked with no restrictions in the OTA for the second time this week, is all systems go to participate fully in the mandatory minicamp next week (Monday through Wednesday). It’s the last team workouts before training camp.
	 
Sanchez said the most important day this week was Wednesday, which was the day after he first worked full in practice and he “felt awesome.’’
	 
He said working in full team drills Tuesday and today “felt a lot like a game.’’

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Revis returns to Jets practice

June 08, 2010 , ι By MARK CANNIZZARO

Five days after a statement no-show from the Jets' Thursday organized team activity (OTA), cornerback Darrelle Revis is at the team facility today to take part in meetings and on-field work.
	 
Revis, who’s unhappy with the slow pace of negotiations on a new contract, skipped last Thursday’s session to make a public statement about how disappointed he is that the Jets are seemingly making no legitimate moves toward signing him to a new contract.
	 
Revis is due to make $1 million this year but is seeking a new deal that will make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, which means at least as much as the three-year $43.5 million deal the Raiders gave to Nnamdi Asomugha which included more than $28 million in guaranteed money.
	 
The Jets, who Revis said “promised’’ him a new contract before the start of training camp (Aug. 1), have according to sources in the know, not come close to making an offer to Revis that would make him the highest-paid player at his position.
	 
And, to make matters worse, it’s believed the latest Jets counter-proposal didn’t even include any guaranteed money, something that insulted Revis so much that’s what triggered his one-day holdout last week.
	 
Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum told the Post last night he was confident an extension would get done, but admitted there was no progress on a deal.
	 
"The same energy and tenacity we used to find these players is the same amount of passion we're going to put into getting these players extended," Tannenbaum said.
	 
With Bart Hubbuch

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Jets' Sanchez continues to improve

June 03, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

Mark Sanchez is so eager to get back on the field for the Jets he sneaked into practice last week.The second-year quarterback continued his impressive comeback from knee surgery February months ago... Read on

Mark Sanchez is so eager to get back on the field for the Jets he sneaked into practice last week.
	 
The second-year quarterback continued his impressive comeback from knee surgery February months ago Thursday, showing virtually no effects while taking part in some passing drills during the Jets’ organized team activity (OTA).
	 
The Jets are holding Sanchez out of 11-on-11 drills as a precaution, but Sanchez admitted he sneaked into an 11-on-11 play last week.
	 
Rex Ryan did not approve but let Sanchez off with a warning.
	 
“Rex just said to make sure [Jets owner Woody] Johnson wasn’t out there the next time I did that,” Sanchez said. “He said heads would roll if that happened.”
	 
The Jets still haven’t committed to let Sanchez participate fully in their June 14-16 minicamp, but Sanchez made it clear his knee would be up to the task.
	 
“Every day, it feels better,” said Sanchez, who expects to be 100 percent for the start of training camp. “I’m not coming back the next day swollen or achy or hurting. It’s been great.”

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Revis skips Jets practice angry over contract

June 03, 2010 , ι By BART HUBBUCH

Furious at the Jets’ most recent contract offer, cornerback Darrelle Revis was conspicuously absent from the team’s voluntary on-field workout this morning in Florham Park.The All-Pro cornerback’s... Read on

Furious at the Jets’ most recent contract offer, cornerback Darrelle Revis was conspicuously absent from the team’s voluntary on-field workout this morning in Florham Park.
	 
The All-Pro cornerback’s absence could be a sign of more to come, starting with the Jets’ June 14-16 minicamp.
	 
Revis, the most prominent of the Jets’ young stars lining up for contract extensions this offseason, told friends he feels the club insulted him with its offer late last month.
	 
Revis is looking for slightly more than the Raiders’ Nnamdi Asomugha, who is the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback at an average of $16.2 million per year. According to a source, the Jets’ offer was nowhere near that amount and believed to be in the range of $10 million per year.
	 
Revis, who has three years and $21 million left on his rookie contract, told friends he won’t commit to attending any more of the Jets’ organized team activities (OTAs) or the mandatory minicamp. A training-camp holdout is possible. Revis can't be fined for skipping OTAs but can be docked for missing minicamp and training camp.
	 
Rex Ryan didn't appear worried today by Revis' absence, which was timed for maximum effect because it is the one day this week that the media is allowed to watch practice.
	 
"We'll see what happens," Ryan said. "He's been here every day up until this. These are voluntary camps."
	 
People close to Revis said he feels betrayed because the Jets have vowed repeatedly to “take care of him,” but followed that with their relatively meager offer.
	 
"All I can say is that Darrelle is everything we believe in, on and off the field," Mike Tannenbaum said, according to The Associated Press. "We told him that shortly after the season. We remain committed to that. He’s a foundation for this organization."
	 
In talks with friends, Revis is comparing this to the Jets’ recent contract standoffs with Pete Kendall, Chris Baker, Leon Washington and Laveranues Coles in terms of the club breaking promises to its players.
	 
"We remain committed to trying to get something done within reason that’s good for Darrelle and good for the team," Tannenbaum said. "Hopefully he’ll be here not only for the short-term, but the long-term".
	 
The situation is getting ugly fast for the Jets, and it might not be limited to Revis.
	 
Several of the team’s young cornerstones, including center Nick Mangold, offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and linebacker David Harris, also are seeking lucrative contract extensions -- so far, without success.
	 
Mangold told The Post today he considered boycotting the OTAs to protest the fact that, in contrast to the Revis situation, the Jets have yet to even make Mangold an offer.
	 
"He remains a priority, too," Tannenbaum said of Mangold. "A top priority."
	 
Mangold said he might skip the mandatory minicamp this month and refused to rule out a training-camp holdout because of the Jets’ inactivity with regard to an extension.
	 
"I have a good faith that the organization will do the right thing when it’s my time," Mangold told The Post. "All the right things have been said [by the Jets] -- `We love you' and `We want you here.' But it until you see the signature on the line, it’s all just talking points.
	 
"Going through training camp into the final year of my contract is not something I want to happen. I mean, Leon got hurt last year [in the final year of his deal], and now he’s not here anymore. What does that tell you?"
	 
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With AP

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Sanchez sneaks into Jets' 11-on-11 drill

May 27, 2010 , ι By MARK CANNIZZARO

What appeared to be a big step in Mark Sanchez's rehab return from knee surgery, the Jets quarterback appeared behind center today in an 11-on-11 full team drill, something he’d been held out of in previous offseason practices.
	 
It was, however, an unauthorized visit by Sanchez, who snuck in there and handed the ball off. It was Sanchez’s first snap in 11-on-11s since he had knee surgery in February.
	 
Rex Ryan immediately walked over to him for a chat, which was light-hearted.
	 
“I was like, ‘Oh, what were you doing?’ ’’ Ryan said. “He said it was only a running play.’ I said, ‘Hand the ball off and run away.’ ’’
	 
Ryan said Sanchez is “probably ahead of where he thought he’d be,’’ but the coach still wants to be cautious with him since he has not scrambled in the pocket or done any change-of-direction cutting.
	 
“He feels right,’’ Ryan said. “He’s pushing us all the time.’’
	 
****
	 
Rrookie kicker Clint Stitser was waived after another shaky performance in today’s OTA session.
	 
Working the two-minute drill, Sitser missed a 48-yard field goal attempt some 30 yards wide left and well short. Moments later, he pulled a 30-yard attempt wide left.
	 
“That young man I don’t think is ready,’’ Ryan said after practice. “We’ll probably move on.’’
	 
It leaves Nick Folk as the only kicker on the roster until they sign someone else.
	 
Ryan last week was exasperated by the kicking situation when both Sitser and Folk faltered. Folk made all his kicks today.
	 
“I feel a little better today (about Folk) than I did the other day,’’ Ryan said.
	 
****
	 
Tough day for backup long snapper and tight end Matthew Mulligan, who skipped one snap to punter Steve Weatherford then sent one sailing over Weatherford’s head. Mulligan also dropped a pass in 11-on-11s.
	 
Ryan defended Mulligan, noting that he’s being trained as the “emergency’’ long snapper.
	 
Ryan praised Tanner Purdum, who was signed to replace incumbent James Dearth, saying, “He’s doing a real nice job. He throws a bullet back there.’’
	 
No one, however, is ruling out a Dearth signing before training camp.
	 
“We know where James is,’’ Ryan said.
	 
****
	 
Darrelle Revis is in midseason form, locking down his side.
	 
Ryan recalled a play in Tuesday’s OTA when Kellen Clemens threw a long pass on Revis’ side.
	 
“We were like, ‘Oh no, that’s going to be intercepted. Why would you throw it over to Revis? You know he’s going to come down with it.’ Which he did.
	 
“We have a ‘Revis Rule.’ If you’re looking in his direction there’s probably a better option,’’ Ryan said.
	 
****
	 
Rookie draft pick Vladimir Ducasse continues to work with the starting group at left guard ahead of Matt Slauson as the Jets try to groom him as Alan Faneca’s replacement.
	 
“The competition is still open, but it means something (that Ducasse is working with the starters) because he’s showing he deserves running with the first team,’’ Ryan said.
	 
****
	 
Ryan said he doesn’t want to “cat’’ Vernon Gholston, meaning jinx him, by talking him up too much like he did a year ago, but he praised his work since changing from linebacker to defensive end.
	 
“In the first team drill, he split two guys and would have had a sack,’’ Ryan said of Gholston. “That’s three practices in a row that he would have had a sack.’’
	 
The reason Gholston, who stil doesn’t have an NFL sack, can’t sack the quarterback not is that, by rule, there is no contact in the OTA sessions.
	 
****
	 
Asked who’s impressed him the most in the OTA, Ryan praised receiver Braylon Edwards, who made an acrobatic TD catch today but was called for offensive pass interference by the ref.
	 
“I love the way he’s competing; it’s great to watch,’’ Ryan said.
	 
Ryan also singled out linebacker Kenwin Cummings, saying, “He put on weight but he looks quicker and faster. He looks like a different guy to me this year with the way he’s moving in the open field.’’
	 
****
	 
Kris Jenkins is running slightly ahead of Damien Woody and Ryan in the great weight loss contest. Jenkins has embarked on some minor trash talking, but hasn’t laid it on too thick yet.
	 
***
	 
Ryan, along with team owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum, took in a dinner with Magic Johnson recently at swishy Manhattan Italian restaurant, Il Postino, where they picked his brain on numerous topics related to winning.
	 
It started when they met Johnson at the Mayweather-Mosley fight in Las Vegas last month and made a tentative date to have dinner when Johnson was in New York.
	 
Ryan said he asked Johnson what the “Dream Team’’ practices were like and Johnson told him they were as intense as any he’d been a part of because there was such a collection of great players.
	 
“It was an opportunity,’’ Ryan said of the Johnson dinner. “He was tremendous. This guy was not only a champion, but he was one of the best teammates.’’
	 
Ryan said Johnson talked about “doing things the Laker way’’ when he played, which means buying into the team concept. This is something Ryan is always trying to instill with the Jets.

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Jets coach: 'I have to play in' New York Super Bowl

May 26, 2010 , ι By MARK CANNIZZARO

Today’s affair inside the New Meadowlands Stadium was not so much a press conference as it was a touchdown celebration with the Giants, Jets and New York and New Jersey governors taking turns dancing in the end zone --
	 their end zone.
	 
The get together took place some 19 hours after the NFL owners voted the new stadium in as host of Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.
	 
The guests of honor included Giants owners John Mara and the Tisch family, Giants coach Tom Coughlin, Jets owner Woody Johnson, and Jets coach Rex Ryan as well as New York Gov. David Paterson and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
	 
All took turns spiking the proverbial football in celebration of their historic victory.
	 
Johnson went first.
	 
“Well, it worked,’’ Johnson said with a sigh, referring to the bid. “We went to the fourth round (with the owners voting); that was nerve-wracking, but … the bid committee has turned into the host committee. We have three-and-a-half years to prepare for an incredible Super Bowl. We’re going to give the fans the ultimate experience.’’
	 
Next up was Mara, who apologized for “almost completely losing my voice,’’ something that likely happened from celebrating.
	 
“This region has a rich and deep connection to football going back to 1925 in the Polo Grounds,’’ Mara said. “To bring the biggest game here … I think it’s about time. We’re going to make it a memorable experience for everybody.’’
	 
Steve Tisch, Giants president and CEO, recalled a stadium design meeting he had with Johnson five years ago when "Woody leaned into me and said, ‘This is going to be the home of a Super Bowl.’ He said, ‘Everyone is going to ask why and our answer will be, Why not?’
	 
“We made history yesterday (in Dallas at the NFL spring meeting) and we’ll continue to make history right through that 2014 Super Bowl Sunday.’’
	 
Following the team owners, Paterson worked the room like a banquet speaker, starting his speech off with this quip: “Well, another good fourth-round pick,’’ referring to the number of votes it took to secure the game.
	 
Paterson and Christie fielded a litany of questions about the potential poor winter weather that could be present on that February 2014 day, and they deftly handled them with humor.
	 
Paterson’s argument that the weather won’t take away from the quality of play centered around the point that it’s the “unanticipated moments’’ that make Super Bowls memorable.
	 
As for potential logistics issues based on poor weather, Christie said, “For all the ‘what ifs’ there will be answers.’’
	 
“There is a misconception that people from New Jersey and New York are not used to winter,’’ Christie said. “We have winter here every year and we’ll have it in 2014.’’
	 
Coughlin, ready for the weather questions, said, “One of the fondest days in my memory was 24-below, thank you for asking,’’ referring to the Giants’ 2008 NFC Championship game win in frigid Green Bay.
	 
“I don’t even remember that it was cold in the second half of that game,’’ he said.
	 
Sending a clear message, Ryan’s right ring finger was almost entirely covered by the Super Bowl ring he won with the Ravens over the Giants in 2000. Asked how often he sports that piece of jewelry in public, he said, “Not very often.’’
	 
Ryan, referring to himself and Coughlin, said, “You have two guys here who’ll sign up for this game right now. Our teams are built to win in December and January.’
	 
“Growing up a coach’s son, 30 years in the league, there was an old saying that holds true now more than ever: ‘You have to win when the snow flies,’ ’’ Ryan said. “Maybe some indoor teams wish for perfect weather conditions. Well, that’s too bad if they get there. I know one thing: These two teams (Jets and Giants) are built to win in any conditions.’’
	 
Ryan admitted that, since the announcement was made yesterday, he’s found himself daydreaming about coaching in that game
	 
“I
	 haveto be in this game,’’ Ryan said. “I would think regardless of who we’re playing we’re the favorites. You think, ‘Man, I want to be there for that.’ I want to be coaching the team in that game. Deep down you want to be a part of this game. It’s certainly something to shoot for.’’
	 
When the possibility of not being involved in that game in his home stadium was brought up, Ryan cringed, saying, “Oh, that would be impossible. To have your facilities taken over by another AFC team … oh my goodness, that would be hard to take. If my brother (Rob, who coaches with the Browns) makes it then maybe I can live with it. But that would be almost impossible to take.’’
	 
Mara conceded that “playing a Super Bowl in your home stadium would be pretty special,’’ but added, “But I’m not focused on that; I’m focused on this season right now.’’
	 
The public relations theme attached to this massive project talked about “making history.’’
	 
Mark Lampling, president and CEO of the New Meadowlands Stadium Co., said, “We’re no longer talking about making history, thanks to the owners of the Jets and Giants they made history yesterday.’’
	 
The group showed the two-part video that was shown to the NFL owners prior to yesterday’s vote. It asked the question: “Who’s better? Then or now?’’
	 
The narrator of the piece made this point: “Games are played in the elements all season long, but for the biggest game it isn’t.’’
	 
The narrator said called the owners’ vote “a decision guaranteed to go down in football history,’’ invoking the 1869 college game between Rutgers-Princeton, the first-ever football game.
	 
“We have a chance to do something historic in 2014,’’ the narrator stated. “Another chapter in football history is waiting to be written.’’
	 
A short time before the press conference began then after it was over, there was a sound check taking place outside on the field for tonight’s Bon Jovi concert.
	 
For Johnson, who planned to be in the house for the show, and the Maras and Tisches, the concert would serve as a fitting celebration for their accomplishments.

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Report: Jets ask about Australian rugby player

May 24, 2010 , ι NYPOST.COM STAFF

The Jets don’t lack for creativity. A senior official from the Jets sent an e-mail to OzPunt, an Australian-based NFL scouting agency, to ask about rugby star Greg Inglis, the Sun Herald in Melbourne... Read on

The Jets don’t lack for creativity.
	 
A senior official from the Jets sent an e-mail to OzPunt, an Australian-based NFL scouting agency, to ask about rugby star Greg Inglis,
	 the Sun Herald in Melbourne reports.
	 
“The official, from the club's player personnel department, became interested after word of Inglis' athletic ability filtered through to the US football ranks,” the report states.
	 
OzPunt representative Paul Shepherd said he believes Inglis would excel as a punt returner or outside linebacker.
	 
''He would be absolutely sensational at the back,'' Shepherd said. ''Imagine him returning the ball with three or four blokes blocking for him. But from our perspective, we've been burnt by NRL players before and are cautious about being used.”
	 
At the listed 6-5 and 238 pounds, 23-year-old Inglis may not make it as a punt returner, but that is about right for an outside linebacker.
	 
''The Jets contacted us about Greg -- it wasn't the other way around,” Shepherd said. “If he's serious, we can organize trials but we wouldn't be doing another thing until we heard from Greg or his manager.
	 
"There is an opportunity for NRL players [to play NFL] but to date they haven't been taking it seriously. It's a matter of who wants to be the first to crack the door down.''
	 
The Jets signed Australian Rules football player Ben Graham in 2005 and he was their punter for three seasons before getting cut early in the 2008 season.

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About the Author

MARK CANNIZZARO Mark Cannizzaro has covered the Jets and golf since joining the Post in 1993. The Fairfield, Conn., native has covered NCAA tournament basketball, the NBA, NHL, boxing and tennis.