Jets article in today's paper from Rich Cimini

[faba]

Pennington yet to throw

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Chad Pennington

Chad Pennington still is on schedule to test his surgically repaired shoulder by the end of the month, but the Jets' quarterback missed his last chance yesterday to throw in an official practice before training camp.

The Jets wrapped up their offseason program, which included three weeks of practices, and Pennington didn't participate in any of the sessions, according to a team spokesman. The practices were closed to the media.

That Pennington didn't throw isn't necessarily a setback. Even though Herm Edwards indicated at the post-draft minicamp in late April that there was a possibility of Pennington throwing in the June OTAs (organized team activities), the coach never gave a specific return date, saying it would be "some time in June."

Edwards still has three weeks to be proved right. Through a team spokesman, he confirmed that he expects his $64million quarterback to start throwing before July 1. With the team scattered until training camp, which opens July 29, Pennington will have to resume throwing in informal workouts at Hofstra, not organized drills.

Pennington, four months removed from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder, said at the last minicamp that he expects to have a "normal" training camp. Chances are, his workload will be scaled back. He also said there's "no doubt" he will be ready for the opener, Sept. 11 in Kansas City.

At the time of the surgery, doctors said it would be three to four months before Pennington could resume throwing.

DONNIE ON THE SPOT: CB Donnie Abraham, once thought to be leaning toward retirement, participated in the three-week session. The club expects Abraham to play in 2005, but it's still not a guarantee.... Jets have expressed interest in veteran RT Scott Gragg, cut recently by the 49ers, but they're in no rush to make a move. They're still hopeful that Adrian Jones can nail down the starting job in training camp. ...The Jets finalized a deal yesterday with former Tennessee RB Cedric Houston, a sixth-round pick....QB Bill Whittemore was waived.

[aec4]

Randy Lange, who is the best Jets beat writer (why does anyone believe what Cimini writes? He's a moron), claims Pennington HAS thrown, quietly, for the last 2 weeks.

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY3MDU2NjMmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Chad Pennington is throwing again.

That is the word from player and agent sources involved with the Jets. Pennington, the quarterback who tore his right rotator cuff in October and had his shoulder surgically repaired in February, has been quietly soft-tossing at the end of Organized Team Activity practices for about two weeks, one teammate said.

That's the word the Jets and their fans have been waiting to hear. Coach Herman Edwards said at the full-squad minicamp five weeks ago that the end of the OTA sessions the second week of June was a possible target for Pennington to begin throwing.

"One thing about Chad, he's always been a quick healer," Edwards said then. "He's really champing at the bit. We'll wait till June and see what happens."

Initial reports were that with a full rather than a partial tear in the rotator cuff, Pennington might need more time, perhaps into training camp, to begin throwing. But apparently he has pushed the envelope, beginning his throwing in late May, in much the same way he did in coming back from his left hand fracture/dislocation in 2003.

The last OTA session was held Wednesday and players aren't scheduled to report back to the complex until the July 29 start of camp. The Jets have made no public statements about Pennington's condition.

But the franchise QB is likely to continue rehabbing his arm and throwing under observation of team doctors and trainers and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger the rest of this month and the early part of July.

E-mail: lange@northjersey.com

[faba]

I will not get into the semantics of soft tossing on the sidelines and actually participating in organized drills- we need Chad healthy and on the field ready for the season is what I am concerned about

[aec4]

I will not get into the semantics of soft tossing on the sidelines and actually participating in organized drills- we need Chad healthy and on the field ready for the season is what I am concerned about

I agree, but tossing on the side = throwing. If Cimini thought that Chad was going to be under center throwing routes in the early part of June, he's more of a moron that I first thought.

The goal was for Chad to throw the ball by the end of June. He's a month early. There are no semantics about it. He picked the ball up and projected it from his hand, overhand. Whether that was done 10 yards down the field after practice in the bubble or done under center, the fact is it's a starting point and he has started throwing.

[gg]

he didnt write about the chat??? a mention would have been nice

[spjets]

he didnt write about the chat??? a mention would have been nice

he's still a douche....

[GreenBeans]

I agree, but tossing on the side = throwing. If Cimini thought that Chad was going to be under center throwing routes in the early part of June, he's more of a moron that I first thought.

The goal was for Chad to throw the ball by the end of June. He's a month early. There are no semantics about it. He picked the ball up and projected it from his hand, overhand. Whether that was done 10 yards down the field after practice in the bubble or done under center, the fact is it's a starting point and he has started throwing.

Chad Pennington still is on schedule to test his surgically repaired shoulder by the end of the month, but the Jets' quarterback missed his last chance yesterday to throw in an official practice before training camp.

Technically he did not throw in an official practice, so Cimini is not wrong. He should, however, have mentioned/known about the soft toss stuff. More importantly, though, this is good news!

[faba]

Technically he did not throw in an official practice, so Cimini is not wrong. He should, however, have mentioned/known about the soft toss stuff. More importantly, though, this is good news!

Agreed Greenbeans- he should have mentioned Chad was soft tossing- sometimes what you do not say can be as misleading as well as what you actually do say to people

[Green DNA]

You notice though that Randy Lange got his info from player and agent sources. If the players do not like Cimini (as has been mentioned) enough to give him a tip, it's possible that he didn't know. Lange always has a lot of good inside info in his column that you don't see anywhere else.

[aec4]

You notice though that Randy Lange got his info from player and agent sources. If the players do not like Cimini (as has been mentioned) enough to give him a tip, it's possible that he didn't know. Lange always has a lot of good inside info in his column that you don't see anywhere else.

I think it's because Lange's journalism degree didn't come from a cracker jack box. (although I must admit, I think Cimini went to Syracuse which is #1 for journalism.... )

If Cimini thought Chad was going to throw in an OFFICIAL practice in June, he's just not very bright. He was just looking for a negative spin on the last couple of weeks and he found it.