Here a few things we can observe from the first few days of camp.

1. Sanchez looks to be in the best shape of his career.  When Sanchez drove into Cortland, wearing asleeveless shirt, it was pretty obvious that he had bulked up and was raring to go.
2. Day in and day out every pass that Sanchez and Tebow made was scrutinized and it became obvious from the start who was playing the best.  Sanchez’s throws to Holmes were amazing and showed the confidence he lacked last year.
3.  Judging from the interviews that Sanchez gave to NFL and ESPN show us that he may have finally matured to the QB  that he was drafted to be.
4. A lot has been talked about the “Cro-Package” and suffice to say I am really looking forward to it.  Cromartie is an amazing specimen with the athleticism that will help him thrive as a part time WR.  I am really glad that Rex and Co. are trying to use their players in the best possible  way.
5. Holmes has put in a lot of work in camp and it could be clearly seen when he caught some nice passes from Sanchez on Monday.  If Holmes and Sanchez and keep on working to improve their chemistry then Jet fans can expect a lot of fireworks to go off in the field.
6. Rookie Stephen Hill has been getting a lot of praises from Rex and this is great news.  It looks like that he is coming along faster then expected and I believe the Jets won’t sign another veteran receiver.
7. It is important that Chaz Schilens can stay healthy and make the most of the training camp to get in sync with Sanchez.
8. The low point on the offense has been Kerely and Rex has been very vocal about his disappointment with his work ethic.  This is an issue that is of concern and I am hoping that Kerely is able to get healthy quickly.  The Jets really need all their receivers prepared for this season, otherwise things will become much harder for the offense.
9. The RB situation for the Jets seems to be getting much better from the reports coming out of camp .  Powell seems to be coming out his shell and backing up Rex’s faith in drafting him last year. Also, McKnight has shown some flashes of being a true 2nd back, and if he can continue to play like this in the season the Jets backfield looks really strong.
10. Todays practice in the red zone did not go really well for the offense. Sanchez went for 7-for-19, 1 INT and 1 dropped INT. The stats are pretty alarming but we need to keep in mind that most of the first string WRs were not practicing and there will be some growing pains with the new offense system.  Plus, the Jets offense is going up against one of the best defense in NFL in practice.

Before we sound the alarm bells, it is important that we need to give the offense s a few more weeks to work out the kinks.  I believe if Jets offense can perform at an acceptable level against their top ranked defense in practice, then things should be good for them in the up-coming season.

My first weekly column for The Jets Blog debuted this morning, and I would love to continue to discuss the subject of the column over here on The Green Room.

In the column, I talk about the likelihood of the Jets adding a veteran wideout not named Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens to the roster, and I also vent my frustration with football fans and the media alike throwing the same old names into the rumor mill.

I have not made any attempt to hide my displeasure with the mainstream media as of late. I think we can all agree it’s a bit out of control right now.

But that’s not all. I am also a little bit concerned that a portion of the fan base genuinely wants the Jets to consider adding a player that I do not believe can hep us get to our ultimate goal, either because they are past their prime or have a crappy attitude.

I am all for adding a veteran that can provide leadership and depth on a roster filled with younger, less experienced players, but I think the situation has to be handled delicately. Outside of Santonio Holmes (I know many of you will hate me for saying that), I get the sense that this young group of position players has the right kind of Jetitude (Suck on that, Natitude) for the present and future of this team.

Of course, this is just my opinion. Time to hear yours.

I’m interested  to hear what you think about the T.O. and Ochocinco rumors, but more importantly, I’d love for you to weigh in on the possibility of the Jets adding Braylon Edwards, provided he is healthy enough to contribute.

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FWIW, I think Ocho can still play in the league on a team that is need of receiver depth and runs a different style off offense than the Jets did. I think Minnesota is an excellent fit.

A few notes of significance from Jets land this week (I only mention Tebow once!):

Santonio Holmes to Attend Jets West >> WR Santonio Holmes will attend “Jets West” this summer, per his Twitter. Obviously, this is a far bigger deal than Tebow attending, as Holmes and Mark need to continue to build their on and off the field chemistry.

Holmes did return to OTA’s earlier this week after spending time abroad visiting the troops and attending to service efforts. Holmes did sit out of the end of practice today, saying he did not want to take too many snaps after sitting out for two weeks.

As for the other positions players participating in “Jets West”? Manish Mehta Suila’d that Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy, Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight, John Conner, Jeremy Kerley, Patrick Turner, Scotty McKnight, Dustin Keller, Jeff Cumberland and Josh Baker all plan to attend.

WR Stephen Hill and RB Bilal Powell haven’t confirmed their attendance due to possible scheduling conflicts and RB Terrance Ganaway declined the invite to spend time with wife. It’s important to note that “Jets West” is voluntary, so let’s not judge anyone too harshly.

Aaron Glenn in as Pro Personnel Scout >> Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, former Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn is returning to the team  as a personnel scout. Glenn was the Jets #1 pick in 1994 our of Texas A&M. He played 8 of his 15 NFL seasons in New York and was selected for the Pro Bowl three times.

Cimini tweeted that Glenn’s title was Pro Personnel Scout. Prior to joining the Jets front office, he was the general manager of the AFL’s Houston Stallions.

I like seeing the team shake-up the a scouting department that, in my opinion, was in of some new blood. Technically, Glenn is not a new face for the organization, but he is for the department. I am also hopeful that bringing a former player like Glenn into a FO role will ultimately pave the way for Chad Pennington to finally find his way onto the coaching staff.

Braylon Cleared by Doctor >> Good news: According to his Twitter, Braylon Edwards has been given the thumbs up to participate in football activities.

» Continue reading “Jets Headlines: Holmes to Attend Jets West, Braylon Given Thumbs Up and Nuggets from OTAs”

Lots of little Jets rumors floating around the internet. Here are a few worth talking about:

Jets Had Draft Deal With Steelers - Jason LaCanfora reported via his Twitter yesterday that the Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers “had a draft-deal essentially done for NY to drop back.” According to LaCanfora, the Steelers intended to select OG David DeCastro, who was projected to go in the middle of the first round, and the Jets, in theory, would have selected either DE/OLB Bruce Irvin or DE Quinton Coples.

This report might explain why the Jets took almost all of their allotted ten minutes to select Coples. It seems likely they were on the phone with Pittsburgh debating on whether or not to make the trade and risk waiting on Coples, and ultimately they decided they would have to strike if they wanted to guarantee they got him.

The Jets mentioned over the weekend that they would have considered selecting Stephen Hill at #16, but little tidbits of info like this give us a better idea of what their borad looked like. Not that it matters now.

Bengals and Jets Interested in Braylon Edwards: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last night on NFL Live that both the Bengals and the Jets are interested in WR Braylon Edwards. We have known about the Jets interest in Braylon for some time, though it seems less likely that Braylon would be joining the team now that the Jets selected both Hill and White in the draft and signed Chaz Schilens in free agency. Edwards will also need to demonstrate that he is healthy enough to play, as he is rehabbing from a knee injury he suffered last season.

The Jets found a potential No.2 wide receiver today, signing former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Chaz Schilens to a one-year deal.

According to Manish Mehta of the Daily News, Schilens’ deal includes a $765K salary with a $500K guarantee. This is an excellent deal for the Jets, especially considering the injury risk associated with Schilens. It’s also, obviously, extremely cap friendly ($200k against).

At 6’4″ with speed to boot, Schilens offers a ton of upside (check out his numbers from the combine, where he ran an impressive 4.33). With his physical gifts and athleticism, Schilens, should he earn the job full time, could really help the Jets stretch the field with his breakaway speed in addition to serving as a goal-line target.

Comparisons have already been made to Laurent Robinson, as they both seem to have similiar physical tools, though Schilens is bigger. The comparions don’t end there, as Robinson delivered a breakout season in Dallas after years of bouncing from team to team due to injury concerns.

As to the injury issue..

I did speak with a few talent evaluators (as I indicated in a post earlier this week) about Schilens. The overwhelming opinion was that he is, indeed, always injured. However, the critique was always qualified with comments about his enormous potential, should he stay healthy.

Schilens broke his foot in 2009 and was plagued with injuries the next year. In 2011, he was also not used well by the Raiders and was pushed back on the depth chart as other receivers emerged.

One more note on Schilens: The wideout has a connection to the Jets through new receivers coach Sanjay Lal. The two worked together in Oakland, which no doubt had a significant impact on the signing. Lal could vouch for Schilens’ talent and potential, and may very well have helped them team find a diamond in the rough.

Lastly, don’t rule out the possibility of the Jets adding a wide receiver through the draft, likely in a mid to late round, or even pursuing Braylon Edwards, should his health check out. The Jets believe in Schilens’ talent, but he will have to earn the job.

According to the New York Daily News, the Jets may be interested in bringing back free agent wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

The Daily News has learned that the Jets are interested in bringing back free agent wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who was an integral piece in Gang Green’s success in 2009 and 2010. 

Edwards, 29, battled knee and shoulder injuries before San Francisco cut him loose. The Jets would like to bring Edwards back if he’s healthy and the price is right, according to a source. It’s uncertain whether Edwards would like to play for the Jets again.

So, just to clarify, Manish is essentially claiming that Braylon is on the list of people the team is interested in. This does not mean it is happening. This does not mean he has signed on the dotted line. It just means they are interested if he is healthy and the price is right. And he is interested.

Here’s the facts: Despite speculation over what the team may eventually end up with, the Jets currently are about $7-9 million under the cap, which means they can’t afford Mike Wallace or Vincent Jackson (sorry — didn’t mean to crush any dreams there). Braylon was a productive member of the team for two years, he didn’t cause a lot of problems, he had an excellent repor with Sanchez and he would probably only cost them $1.5 mill or so. It kind-of make sense, which is why I have been discussing the possibility of Braylon’s return for the past few weeks.

Of course, this is all provided that his health checks out (the same thing I have been saying about Peyton Manning), which is not known at the moment.

And adding another player to the roster that is at the end of this career does seem counter productive, as this team needs to get younger and faster. That we all agree on.

There are plenty of other free agent wide receivers I’d like to see the team look at and there are several young draft prospects that I think would be an excellent addition to the team. But I don’t write the checks or run the organization, and the people that do think Braylon might be a good addition.

So, in conclusion, no — It’s not crazy to say that the team can do A LOT better than Braylon Edwards. But it’s also not crazy to imagine this happening.

(Also, just to clarify, none of the above applies to any hypothetical acquisition of Randy Moss. That’s just not okay under any circumstances. Call my a hypocrite).

There is still one game – at minimum – left on the schedule for the Jets, yet the general focus for the media and fans the past 4 days has been on dramatic changes that will have to be made in the off-season. I suppose this should serve as a litmus test for the feelings of the general public on the Jets playoff hopes. In other words, the hope is gone.

It’s understandable, as the following things need to happen in order for the Jets to make the post-season : The Jets have to win, the Bengals and Titans have to lose and either the Broncos or the Raiders have to lose.

Never say never but now might be a good time to seriously manage expectations.

At the same time, I still believe there will be plenty of time to discuss how the Jets should and will adress their long list of needs this off-season. Once the off-season starts. Officially.

As for the Jets current state of affairs, the story line of the week has been the relentless finger-pointing by analysts, media and fans alike over the failures of the 2011 season. Here is an update on what’s going on with the blame game.

Sanchez

As I discussed ad nauseum in my Monday column, the criticism on Mark has been unyielding. This is not a new development as it really has been the topic of the season. Unfortunately, his performance in the loss on Saturday did little to help his case.

Mark has acknowledged he is aware there is speculation surrounding his future as the quarterback in New York and I quite liked his response:

“You win, and you’re the best in the world. You lose, and the sky is falling. That’s the way it goes. It’s important to understand that that’s what’s going to happen and two, don’t let it affect you. Keep working through it. You’ve got to work through wins and losses. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

This story will continue to develop but the fact remains that Mark will be the quarterback on Sunday, a game which I would like to see the Jets win. So let’s just settle down for a few days and let it play out before we sign Peyton Manning to the roster.

Schotty

The Schottenheimer blame and speculation has also been relentless and likely won’t let up until the coordinator either steps down, moves on or gets the can.

That said, Rex has continued to support Schottenheimer publicly, though he hasn’t exactly defended Shottenheimer’s play-calling specifically. Rather, Rex has gone the route of touting his “work ethic” and putting responsibility for some of the poor decisions in last week’s game and throughout the season on himself. In fact, in this afternoon’s press conference, Rex said. “The criticism should be on me. And trust me, I know a bunch of it is and rightfully so.”

On this week’s game play, he said, “There’s no way we’re throwing it 60 times.” According to Jenny Vrentas’ twitter, Rex said they are never throwing it 60 times ever again.

Rex can say whatever he wants to say and frankly, it doesn’t really matter who’s to blame for the team’s offensive struggles; Schotty’s seat continues to heat up.

Rex Ryan

How much blame should be placed on Rex Ryan ? Jeff Cappellini of CBS New York/WFAN wrote an interesting column on this subject and also the growing opinion that Rex should start thinking about a slight attitude adjustment.

GM

Jane McManus of ESPN New York wrote a fantastic piece today about Mike Tannenbaum’s role in the Jets disappointing season. Jane writes that Tanny should share some of the blame after the organization fought to hard to sign Nnamdi Asomugha and failed to address needs at OLB, Safety and O-Line, among other things. It’s an excellent take on the situation and a stance that has been discussed among fans but not as much among the media. At least not yet.

In other news:

Amid questions about Braylon Edwards and what his release from the Jets may mean for the Jets going forward, Rex Ryan told the media he won’t address the issue because he is under contract until 4 pm. Adam Schefter is now reporting that Edwards has cleared waivers and is officially a free agent. Could be interesting to see what, if anything, happens with Braylon.

The Jets have released WR Eron Riley and informed the media today that Ricky Sapp will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

Brodney Pool passed all the concussion tests and should be good to go for Sunday.

OLB Garrett McIntyre has a grade 2 sprain of his MCL and did not practice today. Obviously.

Marquice Cole, Mike DeVito, Brandon Moore, Eric Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson and Muhammed Wilkerson were all limited today.

The San Francisco 49ers have released former Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards. The initial report was posted on Aerys Offsides this morning.

Via his website and Twitter, we can ascertain that Edwards was released due to his health, though head coach Jim Harbaugh also added hs performance on the field was related to his release.

Edwards had surgery on his right knee earlier in the season and also revealed in November that he was fighting through a shoulder injury suffered mid-season. He struggled to get back on the field and be productive as a result. Even after returning to the field, he was basically non-productive and earned more penalty yards than receiving yards in his final two games with the team. Edwards was a healthy scratch for week 14 against St.Louis and the Monday night game in San Fran, despite the fact that the 49ers have a rather thin and unimpressive receiving core that was already banged up.

There were a host of other issues, including a general lack of chemistry between Edwards and quarterback Alex Smith but the official reason seems to be the most obvious. Regardless, Edwards career as a 49er is over and he is free to sign with any team next season, provided he is healthy. This new development inevitably leads many Jets fans, still somewhat bitter over the loss of Edwards in the off-season, to talk about his possible return to New York.

I was very adement in the pre-season in saying the Jets should keep Braylon around. This is not an indictment of Burress; in fact, I like what he brings to the team and I think he should remain in New York another year. But the relationship between Braylon and Mark was significant and I think it would have been a great value to him in this season, given the difficulties they have had in the passing game.

There will be plenty of time for talk about the Jets off-season moves in the well, off-season, but perhaps Braylon can return to New York, provided he is healthy. If it were to happen, I cannot imagine Braylon returns in a primary role, despite being very productive for the Jets in season’s past.

For now, let’s just let this, and his health, progress before we go ahead and add him to our wish list.

———

I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Would you like to see Braylon back in green?

The Ryan Brothers Prepare to Face Off: Rex Ryan will match-up against his twin brother Rob in the Jets first game of the regular season, when the Jets host the Dallas Cowboys at Metlife Stadium.  If you thought one Ryan was too much for the league, then I suggest you buckle up, because brother Rob, defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, is not the shy type either.

Rex and Rob have had their fair share of sound bytes the past few days  and Rob raised the stakes when he commented on Rex’s foot fetish.

In this episode of TMI…

“Aw hell who cares,” Rob Ryan said of Rex.  “Believe me, everybody has whatever screwed up thing going on.  I don’t care.  I’m sure you do, and everybody else that points fingers.  Who cares?  Everybody has a life off the field.  Who gives a crap?  I’m sure I’m worse than he is.  So big deal.”

“Naw, I mean hell, he is a little freaky I guess. Hell, I don’t know.  I like everything about my wife.  She got great feet, too.  She got everything nice.  What the hell.”

Today’s New York Jets headlines and notes from Day 3 of training camp:

Jerricho Cotchery. Photo c/o big lead sports.

Jets Puts Cotchery and Moore on the PUP List; Cotchery on the Trading Block?:  Wide Receiver Jerricho Cotchery and Right Guard Brandon Moore have both been placed on the physically unable to perform list.

Cotchery had surgery to correct a herniated disk in February and Moore had surgery on his hip in February.  Both players can come off the PUP list as soon as they are ready.  Cotchery says he will be ready by the team’s opener.

A league source confirmed to ESPN New York that the Jets were interested in trading Cotchery, who is currently their No.3 receiver and slot guy.  When asked about the possibility of trading Cotchery, Mike Tannenbaum declined to comment.  Who knows how this situation will shake out.  It’s possible Cotchery’s injury may have the Jets anxious about assuring themselves a No.3 guy.  Either way, the role that Cotchery plays is very important and will hopefully be treated as such (I have no doubt it will).

Cotchery has played his entire NFL career with the Jets.

Rex Ryan Sports a New Tattoo at Jets Open Camp: Ryan got a new tattoo on his right calf while away on vacation in Hawaii last month.  The new tatoo means “believe in yourself”.  You can check out Ryan’s tattoo on the New York Jets Facebook page.

Jason Taylor returns to the Dolphins: Former Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor is returning to the Miami Dolphins where he played for 12 seasons.  Taylor is entering his 15th NFL season and currently leads the league in career sacks.

The Dolphins dealt Taylor to the Redskins in 2008.  He then returned to Miami in 2009 and played for the Jets in 2010.  The Jets released him in February.

Braylon Edwards Has Another Brush with the Law: According to Fox 2 in Detroit, 2 people in Edwards’ entourage were arrested at a Birmingham bar for allegedly assaulting employees.  Pro Football Talk describes the altercation, which allegedly involved a knife and a fork.  At around the same time the incident occurred, a strange tweet was sent from Edwards’ account.

Fox 2 says that Edwards had nothing to do directly with the fight and that police officers had no interaction with him.  Edwards later tweeted, “Lost my phone last night someone sent tweets.   Deleted them and changed my password.  Sorry for the mishap hopefully never happens again!”  So we can only assume, based on his later tweet, that it was not Edwards who was inciting a knife and fork fight.  Not really sure what happened at that bar in Birmingham but it can’t be good for Edwards, who recently plead guilty to a DUI and is still waiting to be signed to a team.  Rumors have linked Edwards to the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals.

UPDATE: Jets Sign David Harris to a 4-year, $36 million deal: The Jets signed inside LB David Harris to a long term contract today, singing him to a 4-year, $36 million deal ($29.5 million guarantee).  It is the largest guaranteed deal for an inside linebacker in league history.

Here’s what is interesting: The Jets took 60% off of Harris’ cap number from $10.4 mill and got it down to $4 mill by basically throwing his franchise tender out the window.  This was a huge move for the Jets as it leaves them $6 million to now spend in free-agency.

A few notes from Day 3 of training camp:

• The Jets have signed free-agent Safety DaJuan Morgan to add depth.  The team has not officially announced the move.
• Today’s practice, which was the first practice open to fans, drew 2, 775 people.
• Rookie Muhammed Wilkerson has been practicing the past two days as the Jets starting DE and Rex Ryan announced today that Wilkerson will start for the team at DE immediately.  With Shaun Ellis still unsigned, the Jets may not only want to, they may have to go with Wilkerson.  Rich Cimini of  ESPN adds that even if Ellis does sign, he will see a reduced role.
• Ryan is calling 3rd year linebacker Jamaal Westerman the DPR, or “designated pash rusher”
• Joe McKnight, Jeremy Kerley and Kyle Wilson are all candidates to take over on special teams for Brad Smith (who, as you know, will be playing for Buffalo this year).