Waiting for Abraham - 8/4

[Smizzy]

Waiting for Abraham

Absent from camp and stung by criticism, DE John Abraham quietly awaits new deal

BY KEN BERGER

STAFF WRITER

August 4, 2005

As painful as it was for Shaun Ellis to watch his close friend and teammate, John Abraham, endure a season-ending knee injury last year, it was equally galling to hear wave after wave of criticism -- most of it uninformed, some of it vicious.

Abraham's only crime was succumbing to the harsh reality that confronts a player every time he steps onto the field. Abraham sprained his right knee in the Jets' victory over the Texans on Dec. 5 and missed the final four regular-season games and both playoff games.

Hearing fans and pundits label him a quitter, Abraham withdrew from the spotlight and hasn't been heard from since.

"I think he was hurt [by the criticism]," Ellis said yesterday after practice at Hofstra. "I guess he kind of felt people kind of turned their backs on him, but he's not a quitter at all. He's a competitor. He wanted to be out there."

The truth was that Abraham, a three-time Pro Bowler, could barely practice in the days leading up to the playoff game in Pittsburgh. It was strictly for strategic reasons that coach Herman Edwards had proclaimed Abraham ready to play against the Steelers.

"His game is speed, and he needed speed to be able to run fast, cut and do all the things that make him John Abraham," Ellis said. "He wasn't able to do that. He would have hurt us instead of helped us."

After the season, Abraham faced another awkward situation when the Jets slapped him with the dreaded franchise tag, thus restricting his ability to test his value on the open market.

Abraham wants a long-term commitment similar to the one Ellis received last season. He has refused to sign his franchise tender for $6.7 million -- his only leverage -- and has yet to report to training camp. Once again, the critics are out in full force, calling Abraham selfish and greedy.

"He's not that way," Ellis said. "It's just business ... He'll be here. He's working out. He's in shape. He wants to be here for the guys."

Ellis has been one of the returning defensive starters to speak openly about becoming the top-ranked defense in the NFL this season. The Jets will need both of their bookend pass-rushers to do that, but Ellis and Abraham haven't played 16 games together since 2002.

"You can't help injuries," Ellis said. "Injuries happen ... It's just sad to see it happen to one person over and over again. But he'll bounce back from it. He's a strong person. He's not going to let that get him down."

Notes & quotes: QB Chad Pennington (shoulder) could have practiced, but Edwards decided to rest him yesterday. "Five days in a row is a lot of throws, in my estimation," Edwards said. "I just wanted to give him a rest." Pennington will practice tonight at 7:15 p.m. ... With Pennington and C Kevin Mawae getting the afternoon off, the offense got smacked around by the defense -- and heard about it from Edwards in a 10-minute, post-practice lecture. "When you give them the morning off so that you can have a good practice, you anticipate that it's going to be a little bit better than it was today," Edwards said ... Former Jets DB Jamie Henderson, who nearly died in a motorcycle accident in April 2004, visited practice. "I don't know what God has planned for me, but I'll wait and see," said Henderson, who is finishing his degree at Georgia and talking with the Bulldogs about a possible coaching job ... CB Ray Mickens (sore knee) returned to practice and had an interception ... Ellis got the day off.

[joewilly]

great article. I am a jet optimist & look forward to seeing abe back on the field.

I'd rather hear donnie h & ellis talk about how confident they are abe will be ready to play & wants to be on the field than hear fellow jetfans who don't truly know the situation debate what a wuss he is .

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I'd love to see Jamie teamed up with Law, Barrett, Miller and Strait in 06 for our 5 CB's.