Jets News Articles September 5th 2011

[SoFlaJets]

Jets set to battle Cowboys

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 6:27 AM, September 5, 2011

Posted: 1:41 AM, September 5, 2011

Don't expect Rex Ryan to break out his wig this week.

The Jets coach will be facing his twin brother Rob, the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, in their season opener Sunday, but Ryan has downplayed the meeting with his brother because of the game falling on the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11.

Last year, Ryan had a memorable news conference, dressing as Rob, who was then Browns defensive coordinator, before the two teams met.

The Ryan bowl is just one of the storylines of this meeting that kicks off the Jets' quest for the Super Bowl. After four months of a lockout, four weeks of training camp and preseason, the Jets are ready to go.

AP

OPENING SOON: Darrelle Revis was a rookie the last time the Jets played the Cowboys, a 34-3 Gang Green loss. Revis is looking to make sure that doesn't happen again on Sept. 11 when the regular season begins.

"Getting prepared to play the Dallas Cowboys, obviously, that's what we've been doing," Ryan said. "Our focus has been getting ready for Dallas. Our coaching staff, we've been preparing for them for quite a while now, so we'll be ready to roll."

The Cowboys are an unfamiliar opponent for the Jets. Jerry Jones' crew, coached by Jason Garrett, is usually facing the Giants when it comes to New Jersey. The last time the Jets and Cowboys met was on Thanksgiving in 2007 when Dallas crushed Eric Mangini's team, 34-3.

These are two very different teams from that meeting. Mangini and Wade Phillips are both gone, and the Jets' quarterback that day was Kellen Clemens.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis was a rookie then. He said he expects the Cowboys to be much better than a year ago, when they went 6-10 with quarterback Tony Romo injured for most of the season.

"They have a good team," Revis said. "They struggled last year, but I think Jerry Jones, what he's trying to do, he's always trying to get a winning team down there. I'm sure he's going to have this team ready and prepared."

Even with Romo shelved last year, the Cowboys' offense was not their problem, finishing No. 7 in the league. The defense, however, was No. 23 in the league, leading to the hiring of Rob Ryan. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Cowboys defenders have adapted to Ryan's complex system. On offense, Romo has plenty of options around him.

"Big-play offense," line backer Calvin Pace said. "They've got some weapons in [receiv ers] Dez Bryant, Miles Austin. I've seen some tape on [run ning back] Felix Jones. He's a home- run hitter. They have the ability to put some points up. We're kind of going to have to do a little extra work because obviously they're not in our division. We don't necessarily know them too well."

The Jets got off to a terrible start last season, losing 10-9 to the Ravens in a sloppy Monday night affair. The offense managed just six first downs in that game.

Everyone knows the Jets' goal is to be playing in February in the Super Bowl. The Jets' road there has a tough start. After facing the Cowboys and Jaguars at home, the Jets have three road games with the Raiders, Ravens and Patriots.

"It's kind of rough," Pace said of the first two months. "We're just going to have to kind of correct the first one and just build on that."

[SoFlaJets]

Jets make four roster moves

Monday, September 5, 2011

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

The players at the back end of the Jets’ 53-man roster now can breathe a sigh of relief.

Maybe. At least for a few hours, anyway.

As is customary, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and assistant GM Scott Cohen studied the waiver wire more closely than first-year med students digest Gray’s Anatomy. They again used this information to perform their own brand of surgery on the Jets’ roster.

The Jets were awarded four players on waiver claims, after being awarded three apiece each of the last two years on the first Sunday in September. Those players are quarterback Kevin O’Connell, wide receiver Mardy Gilyard, center Colin Baxter and safety Andrew Sendejo.

To make room for those four, the Jets waived linebacker Aaron Maybin, nose tackle Martin Tevaseu and cornerback Isaiah Trufant and placed third-string rookie quarterback Greg McElroy (dislocated left wrist) on season-ending injured reserve.

Maybin, who was a first-round pick of Buffalo in 2009, had been a bust with the Bills, who waived him Aug. 15. The Jets signed him to a one-year deal and coach Rex Ryan had praised him for his play in the preseason finale against Philadelphia. He had 1 1/2 sacks in that game, but was playing against reserves. In several snaps against the Giants’ starters in the previous game Monday, he generated no sacks and little pressure.

McElroy was injured against the Eagles on Thursday and underwent surgery Friday. Ryan said Saturday the Jets had no plans "right now" to place McElroy on IR. So O’Connell, who spent the last two seasons with the Jets, takes over as the third quarterback. O’Connell, waived by Miami on Saturday, was on IR last season with a shoulder injury. The Jets had waived O’Connell on July 29.

Baxter, waived by San Diego, was a standout college center at Arizona. He was signed by the Chargers this summer as an undrafted free agent, but gives the Jets a true center to back up starter Nick Mangold. Rob Turner, the Jets’ top backup at center and guard, still is sidelined after undergoing surgery last month to repair a broken leg. The claiming of Baxter and the acquisition via trade of guard Caleb Schlauderaff from Green Bay on Saturday shows just how little the Jets trust struggling second-year offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse.

Gilyard, waived by St. Louis, was a fourth-round draft pick last year but had only six receptions for 63 yards in 2010. He currently is the Jets’ fifth receiver with Logan Payne sidelined after wrist surgery. The Jets also put in a claim on Brandon Tate, cut by New England, but Cincinnati got him.

Sendejo, an undrafted free agent from Rice, appears to make the least sense of any of the pickups, until one looks at his back story.

He was waived by Dallas, so has witnessed the installation of the system of new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Rex’s brother.

The Jets play Dallas on Sunday night to open the regular season and although Rex certainly is familiar with Rob’s philosophies, a little extra knowledge couldn’t hurt.

One lesser-known Jet who made it through unscathed, for now, is punter T.J. Conley, who beat Chris Bryan in a training-camp competition.

The Jets did not go after veterans Matt Dodge and Nick Harris, released by the Giants and Detroit, respectively, on Saturday.

"We feel good about [Conley],’’ Ryan said Saturday. "We’re excited about T.J. I think he has earned that right [to make the roster]. I did notice some other veteran punters [available], but we like the way T.J. punted."

[SoFlaJets]

Jets cut ties with ex-Bills bust Maybin

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 6:41 AM, September 5, 2011

Posted: 1:40 AM, September 5, 2011

The Jets pulled the plug on the Aaron Maybin experiment yesterday, waiving the outside linebacker.

Maybin made it through the initial cut of the Jets roster to 53 players Saturday, but the former first-round pick of the Bills could not stick.

The Jets signed Maybin last month after he was released from the Bills. He showed flashes, but coach Rex Ryan never seemed to be a fan.

Maybin's release was the most interesting of several minor moves the team made yesterday.

The Jets also claimed quarterback Kevin O'Connell off waivers from the Dolphins. O'Connell spent part of the last two seasons with the Jets and knows their system. The team needed a No. 3 quarterback after Greg McElroy dislocated his thumb in Thursday's preseason finale. The Jets put McElroy on the injured reserve list yesterday, ending his season.

The Jets added some depth at wide receiver, claiming Mardy Gilyard from the Rams. The former college star at Cincinnati gives the Jets a healthy fifth receiver. They kept Logan Payne on the roster, but he is expected to miss 1-2 months after wrist surgery.

Along with Maybin, the Jets waived nose tackle Martin Tevaseu and cornerback Isaiah Trufant. They claimed center Colin Baxter from the Chargers, giving them a true backup for Nick Mangold, and safety Andrew Sendejo from the Cowboys.

The Jets also announced seven practice squad signings: TE Josh Baker, OLB Matthias Berning, OL Trevor Canfield, DT Jarron Gilbert, OL Matt Kroul, CB Julian Posey and WR Patrick Turner.

In a surprise, they did not sign QB Drew Willy, of Randolph, N.J., to the practice squad.

[SoFlaJets]

Jets' road looks smoother than Giants'

Last Updated: 1:29 PM, September 4, 2011

Posted: 1:43 AM, September 4, 2011

Steve Serby

Here is the conclusion you reach after analyzing the virtual reality 53-man ros ters at the conclusion of yesterday's final cutdowns:

The Jets have a better chance of taking down the Patriots than the Giants have of taking down the Eagles.

The Jets will be fortified by the return to health of safety Jim Leonhard and linebacker Calvin Pace, who should supply a much-needed pass rush to a defense that can also disorient opponents with the schemes of coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. A defense Ryan wouldn't trade for any in the league. And, of course, the expected leap to a higher level from Mark Sanchez.

Getty Images

JIM CLASS: The Jets' Jim Leonhard has a hold on the Giants' Hakeem Nicks during their preseason game last Monday night. The Jets appear better equipped to reach their season goals than the Giants, says The Post's Steve Serby

.

Overlooked in their preseason of calamity is that the Giants have a chance to be more powerful in the trenches -- with the addition of center David Baas, the moving inside of David Diehl and the promotion to the starting lineup of strongman defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

But the well-documented loss for the season of cornerback Terrell Thomas (and No. 1 draft pick cornerback Prince Amukamara into October), combined with the escape from New York of tight end Kevin Boss and receiver Steve Smith, combined with the Eagles' well- documented free agent blitzkrieg, have lowered expectations considerably for Big Blue, as well they should. In the unlikely event there is yet a diamond in the rough for Giants general manager Jerry Reese to uncover on the waiver wire, Eli Manning's tight ends will be Bear Pascoe and Jake Ballard -- a far cry from the days of Mark Bavaro, from Jeremy Shockey, even from Boss. And Manning's third receiver is either Victor Cruz or Domenik Hixon -- a far cry from a healthy Smith.

Manning's burden will be magnified against the Eagles by having to throw into the teeth of their Bermuda Triangle secondary -- Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuels and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

For the Giants to survive and surprise, they desperately need Manning to prove convincingly he is nobody's 25-interception quarterback -- the quarterback is always the key in a quarterback-driven league. They will need a healthy and focused Osi Umenyiora to contribute to a hellish pass rush that can be a deodorant for a woefully thin secondary, and they need left tackle Will Beatty not to be the weak link that sabotages both Manning and the running backs -- Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.

The signings by Bill Belichick and the Patriots of defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and receiver Chad Ochocinco do not scare the Jets because of their Bermuda Triangle of D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Matt Slauson and Nick Mangold on the offensive line and Leonhard, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie in the secondary.

The VIPs for the Jets -- aside from the Sanchise, of course -- will be Plaxico Burress and Shonn Greene. To enable Mark Sanchez to engage Tom Brady in any prospective shootout, Burress, a 34-year-old who hasn't played in nearly three years, will need to endure the NFL rigors and show up in the red zone in those big moments that do not belong to Santonio Holmes.

To set up Sanchez for success and provide balance, Greene will need to tear a page out of the Curtis Martin book and stay on the field as The Man, through hell or high ankle sprain.

The key new Jet will be first-round draft pick Muhammad Wilkerson, who steps in and replaces Shaun Ellis (Patriots) at defensive end; third-round pick Kenrick Ellis, who must help Sione Pouha hold the nose tackle fort; fifth-round pick receiver Jeremy Kerley, who replaces Brad Smith in the return game as well as the Wildcat; and punter T.J. Conley, who replaces Steve Weatherford, who . . .

The key new Giants will be Amukamara, when he returns; third-round pick Jerrell Jernigan, who can be dangerous on punt returns both to the opposition and to coach Tom Coughlin; and Weatherford, who edged out punter/pariah Matt Dodge and will boot the ball to Hoboken before he boots it to DeSean Jackson.

Everyone -- even in Philadelphia -- should stand and cheer today for rookie free agent linebacker Mark Herzlich, who beat the odds first by beating cancer, then by returning to the game he loves, and finally, yesterday, when he officially became a Giant.

So with the start of their regular seasons a Sunday away, the immediate cry out of Florham Park is:

Bring on the Cowboys!

The immediate cry out of East Rutherford is:

Bring on the Redskins!

The louder, long-range cry out of Florham Park is:

Bring on the Patriots!

The much more subdued whisper out of East Rutherford is:

Bring on the Eagles.

[SoFlaJets]

Jets Continuing To Make Roster Moves; Announce Practice Squad

by Tyson Rauch on September 5, 2011

in Jet News

Over the past couple of days the New York Jets front office has been working at a frenetic pace to fill out the back end of their 53-man roster. On Sunday the team announced the following moves:

Claimed 4 players off of waivers

OL Colin Baxter (San Diego), WR Mardy Gilyard (St. Louis), QB Kevin O’Connell (Miami), and S Andrew Sendejo (Dallas).

Baxter will provide offensive line depth, Gilyard has some return ability, and O’Connell knows the Jets offensive system as he has been with the team the last couple of years. As for Sendejo, not exactly sure what he brings to the table. Is he an upgrade over the recently traded Dwight Lowery?

Waived 3 players

LB Aaron Maybin, DT Martin Tevaseu, and DB Isaiah Trufant.

While waiving Maybin is not a huge surprise, it would have been interesting to see what he could do in Rex’s system. In terms of a roster spot why not waive injured wide receiver Logan Payne? Is he really that valuable to the Jets?

Placed QB Greg McElroy on injured reserve with an injured right thumb.

Got to really feel bad for this kid as he was continuing to improve while filling in for Mark Brunell.

Signed the following players to the practice squad:

Josh Baker (TE/6-3/244/Northwest Missouri/Chesapeake, VA)

Matthias Berning (LB/6-0/236/Central Michigan/Duisberg, Germany)

Trevor Canfield (G/6-5/307/Cincinnati/Cincinnati, OH)

Jarron Gilbert (DT/6-5/285/San Jose St./New Orleans, LA)

Matt Kroul (OL/6-3/300/Iowa/Mount Vernon, IA)

Julian Posey (CB/5-11/187/Ohio/Cincinnati, OH)

Patrick Turner (WR/6-5/220/Southern California/Nashville, TN)

[Thor99]

Thanks, Jimmy. We all appreciated when you did this last year, keep up the good work.

[faba]

Yes three game road trip is going to be tough-putting more importance on these first two home games. Thanks Jimmy for suppling stories.

[SoFlaJets]

Sione

Jets defensive lineman Sione Pouha said today he will be ready for the season opener.

Jets nose tackle Sione Pouha said he will "100 percent" be ready to play in the regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, after a left knee injury held him out of the past two preseason games.

Pouha said he had a "very minor" MCL sprain but took an MRI and everything checks out OK.

"As of right now, everything is ready to roll," Pouha said at the Jets' annual kickoff luncheon, which raised more than $750,000 for the Alliance for Lupus Research and the New York Jets Foundation. "Just like the lockout, that's history, and I'm ready to move forward."

Pouha said he does not expect to wear a knee brace and was able to practice yesterday.

The injury happened when he got caught up in traffic defending a bootleg in the preseason opener at Houston.

Pouha had some swelling Monday night, so the team held him out of the preseason game vs. the Giants. But Pouha said his knee feels so good he doesn't remember which one was injured, and offered to do martial arts to prove it.

Martin Tevaseu and rookie Kenrick Ellis got extra preseason reps in Pouha's absence.

"As a football player, you always want to be out there, but at the same time, you've got to take care of yourself," Pouha said. "You try to help where you can. For me, that was being an extra eye, an extra voice, an extra ear in terms of trying to help the other defensive players or wherever I could help out to make an assessment of the game."

* * *

FB John Conner was not at the kickoff luncheon because he is receiving treatment on his sprained ankle. He is working hard to be ready for the Dallas opener and is committed to spending the next week-and-a-half in the training room.

* * *

Coach Rex Ryan addressed the attendees at the kickoff luncheon, held at Cipriani Wall Street, and restated his belief that this is the year the Jets will be champions

"We're going to win the Super Bowl, and we're going to do it right now, this year," Ryan said. He then called up his captains — Pouha, QB Mark Sanchez, WR Santonio Holmes, CB Darrelle Revis, and S Eric Smith -— as five reasons why this is the year.

Each spoke to the crowd about what makes his unit great. Sanchez, in naming his players, lightheartedly added about Plaxico Burress, "another baller, who looks a (heck) of a lot better in green than he did in blue."

The annual luncheon has raised more than $7 million for the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) and the New York Jets Foundation in its first 10 years. Each year's proceeds are split between the two organizations.

"To be at an event like this, it's something that truly defines what this organization is about, what Mr. Woody Johnson is all about," Pouha said. "That’s what keeps us grounded and well-rounded."

* * *

Members of the Jets visited the World Trade Center site after yesterday's luncheon.

"Very humbling experience just walked out to see Ground Zero. A really heart felt experience God Bless everyone," cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted.

[Lego My Lageman]

Sunday please hurry

[SoFlaJets]

Matchup: New York Jets Offensive Line Vs. Dallas Cowboys Front Seven

September 5th, 2011 at 8:00 AM

By Donald Lappe

As we prepare for the New York Jets season opener at MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys, we will be breaking down all the matchups throughout the week. The players and coaching staffs will be compared as we preview this week's game, a very important contest as the Jets are hoping to get off to a fast start this year before hitting the more difficult part of the regular season schedule.

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez © flips the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson ® against the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter during their AFC Wild Card NFL playoff football game in Indianapolis, January 8, 2011. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

JEFF HAYNES/Reuters/Fotoglif

We start our look at the two teams in the trenches, when the Jets have the ball. The starting offensive line is a major strength for the Jets, built around two former first round picks – center Nick Mangold and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson – and one of the most underrated guards in the NFL, right guard Brandon Moore. Matt Slauson returns as the starting left guard, with Wayne Hunter taking over for the retired Damien Woody.

For the Cowboys, there are some real threats in their defensive front seven. They may not be great across the board, but players like DeMarcus Ware and Bradie James could give the Jets some problems. Nose tackle Jay Ratliff is a bit undersized, but he has the ability to penetrate and disrupt plays in the backfield.

Overall, combined with fullback John Conner and the tight ends, the Jets offensive line should get the better of this matchup. While the Cowboys do have a ton of talent in some spots, there are weak points in their defensive front that can be exploited.

Here is a breakdown of the important individual matchups:

D'Brickashaw Ferguson/Wayne Hunter vs. DeMarcus Ware: Simply put, Ware is a beast. He has recorded double digit sacks every season except for his rookie year in 2005, when he still had eight. In 2008, Ware registered 20 sacks and he finished 2010 with 15.5. The Jets won't think twice about leaving Ferguson matched-up one-on-one with Ware, but Hunter is a different story. Hunter didn't perform well in the preseason against Justin Tuck, which likely has Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan salivating as he thinks about getting him isolated against Ware. the Jets will have to counter with some quick drops and by giving Hunter some help from running backs and tight ends. What helps the Jets here, other than having Ferguson on Mark Sanchez's blind side, is that no one else in the Cowboys front seven produced more than five sacks last season. This means the Jets should be able to focus their efforts on making Hunter's job as easy as possible.

EDGE: Push. I think Ferguson handles Ware, but I would be surprised if the Jets make it through the game without Hunter giving up a sack to No. 94.

Nick Mangold vs. Jay Ratliff: Ratliff is very underrated. He's small for an interior guy, but uses his quickness to knife into the backfield and wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Fortunately for the Jets, they counter with Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold. Of the nose tackles Mangold has squared off with, Ratliff's play is probably closest to Kyle Williams of the Buffalo Bills. Ratliff's sack totals dropped last season, but his career-high was 7.5 in 2008.

EDGE: Jets. Ratliff is good, but there are only two players in recent memory I would even give a "push" in a matchup with Mangold. One is the retired Kris Jenkins, the other is Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots.

Brandon Moore/Matt Slauson/John Conner vs. Bradie James/Keith Brooking: The guy you should really pay attention to is James. He's a legitimate stud in the middle of the defense, topping 100 tackles in each of the past five seasons. Brooking is not nearly the player he was when he played with the Atlanta Falcons – his bark is much worse than his bite. The Jets shouldn't have much trouble blocking Brooking, but I haven't seen enough of Brandon Moore post-hip injury to definitively say he's ready to push around Bradie James. A healthy Moore can do a ton of damage to the interior of a defense.

EDGE: I'm giving the edge to the Jets here. Bradie James is going to make his tackles, but I think they can abuse Brooking.

These are the guys that are going to decide how well the Jets do on the ground on Sunday night. I think the ability of Mangold to handle Jay Ratliff on his own allows the Jets to get their guards up to the second level, clearing the way for Shonn Greene to have a big night. In pass protection, I think Ware gets to Sanchez at least once, but the Jets give Hunter plenty of help and minimize Ware's impact on the passing game.

[SoFlaJets]

Cumberland Ready to Make a Leap in Year 2

By Andrew LeRay

Posted Sep 4, 2011

• The Jets have many marquee pass-catchers, and their leading receiver in the preseason was not one of them. Tight end Jeff Cumberland stepped out of the shadow and into the spotlight, opening the eyes of many in August.
  

“I’ve been in the system a whole year now,” said Cumberland. “Last year it was like a new language to me, and this year it’s second nature. I go out there, use my potential and play fast. I’m not thinking as much as I was last year.”

Cumberland came to the Jets in 2010 as an undrafted free agent from Illinois, where he totaled over 1,000 yards in his four-year college career. He was a highly touted TE recruit while he attended Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, but was moved to WR midway through his sophomore season in college.

He finished his collegiate career as a receiver — a 6’4”, 249-pound receiver.

“I was a tight end, but undersized for a college tight end,” said Cumberland. “Then I got my weight up. My natural position is tight end, but I’ve got great speed and can run routes as if I’m a receiver.”

Cumberland has resembled a pure wideout at times this summer. He led the team with 11 receptions and and 156 receiving yards. In fact, the yardage was second among NFL tight ends this preseason behind only the 178 of New England's Aaron Hernandez, and his 14.2-yard average per catch was the best in the league among the 13 TEs who had at least eight catches.

Working mostly with rookie QB Greg McElroy until McElroy dislocated his right thumb Thursday night, Cumberland has been in sync with his quarterback from day one.

“We practice every day together, three hours a day,” said Cumberland. “We’re both on point as far as where I’m supposed to be with my routes, as far as depth and timing. His timing is just there.”

It can help all the Jets QBs to have such a large, speedy target at TE.

At Illinois' 2010 pro day, Cumberland ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. His speed was obvious and his pass-catching ability above average, leaving one major hurdle for him to overcome to become a successful professional tight end.

“Blocking is something I’m always trying to improve,” he said. “I feel like I made strides from last year, being physical coming off the ball, using the right techniques. But I still have a lot more to do. Each day I come out here and try to get better and better.”

Over the course of the past month, Cumberland has improved his blocking skills, drawing notice from head coach Rex Ryan.

“He’s done a great job blocking,” said Ryan. “Right now I would put him in the average blocking category for NFL tight ends, but that’s pretty good considering he was a wide receiver in college. I think he has a chance to be a great one, I really do.”

Now that the roster has been shorn to 53 players and Cumberland remains a Jet, the second-year pro believes he can help the team while continuing to fulfill his potential.

“I’m ready,” he said. “Like I said before, there is still things I have to work on to get myself better, get myself ready to be a starter. I feel like I’m ready to be an NFL tight end right now.”

[SoFlaJets]

The New York Jets: 5 Players They Shouldn't Have Cut

Chris Leyden(

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

In one of the most interesting days of the offseason, cut day forces teams to downsize their roster to 53 players.

For the New York Jets that meant some tough decisions at positions that are important, such as quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

Of course, the coaches and general managers know more about the players than general fans do, but from the outside there were five cuts that I thought were a bit questionable.

The following slideshow highlights these five players and why I think they were mistakes.

As always, feel free to comment on why these players deserved to be cut, or who else should be on this list.

[SoFlaJets]

Drew Willy

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The reason I think the Jets should have kept Drew Willy is less because he had a stellar preseason (he didn't) and more because of the Jets situation at the position.

Right now the Jets obviously have Mark Sanchez as a starter, but after that it is Mark Brunell, who has not appeared in any preseason games because of injury, and Greg McElroy, who hurt his thumb in the Jets preseason finale and it out for an unspecified amount of time.

I imagine that either the Jets must have a plan on adding someone or they know more about these injuries than they are letting on, but from a strictly numbers standpoint it seems it would have made sense to keep Willy.

Update: The Jets have reportedly claimed Kevin O'Connell off waivers, which should solve this QB conundrum. To create space they placed McElroy on season ending IR

[SoFlaJets]

Chris Jennings

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

As opposed to the situation at quarterback, the Jets have plenty of healthy running backs, but in my opinion they didn't keep the right ones.

In many ways I think the Jets feel invested in both Joe McKnight and Bilal Powell because they used higher-round draft picks on them.

Powell looked less than spectacular this preseason, although he did have some good runs. He also is a rookie so it would almost be unfair to cut him without giving him a serious shot.

The bigger issue I have is with McKnight, who looks like a bust and has struggled to hold onto the ball in his appearances.

Jennings had arguably the best play of the Jets preseason, and the Jets could use a big play running back like him.

[SoFlaJets]

Robby Felix

Scott Boehm/Getty Images

Like quarterback the Jets are very thin at offensive line, and Robby Felix was on the field a lot for the team.

That didn't stop the Jets from cutting him, and then trading for Green Bay offensive lineman Caleb Schlauderaff.

I am no offensive line expert, but Felix seemed to do an alright job when he was forced to step in, and I figured the Jets would want to keep someone who is comfortable with the system.

This probably won't be the worst cut for the Jets, but if Nick Mangold were to go down with an injury it would definitely be a mistake.

[SoFlaJets]

Brashton Satele

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

I guess Satele proves the point that two good preseason games is not enough to make it as a backup on a good defense.

Satele was great in the Jets win over the Bengals, with an interception he returned for 32 yards. He also recorded eight tackles in the game against the Eagles, when he was given more time on the field to prove himself.

Unfortunately he was invisible in the Jets games against Houston and the Giants, and that may have cost him his job.

Satele may have been a victim of the lockout, because as an undrafted free agent it was very difficult to learn everything and make an NFL roster this season.

[SoFlaJets]

Scotty McKnight

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

To be honest, throughout the preseason I didn't think McKnight had much of a chance to make this roster, but deep down I was rooting for him because I could see his potential as a Wes Welker-like slot receiver.

McKnight literally had only a single catch all preseason, a touchdown in Drew Willy's first pass against the Eagles.

That being said, he was a superstar in college, and is not the type of receiver who would drop the ball if thrown to.

McKnight may come back to the Jets at some point, but for now that storyline of him and Mark Sanchez being lifelong friends will have to wait.

[SoFlaJets]

For openers, Pace is ready to go

by Rich Cimini

September, 5, 2011

Some players take opening day for granted, assuming it'll always be there. Not Calvin Pace.

For the first time since 2008, his first year with the Jets, Pace will be in the Week 1 lineup. That, of course, is Sunday night, when they kick off 2011 against the Cowboys.

Pace missed the '09 opener (at Houston) because he was suspended four games for violating the NFL's banned-substance policy. He sat out the '10 opener (Baltimore) because of a broken foot, suffered in the preseason. He watched the game from the press box, the last place a player wants to be on opening night -- or any night for that matter.

The foot injury also cost him four games.

"Last year was unfortunate, and the year before was dumb," Pace said. "It's finally how it's supposed to be. I'm ready to go."

A healthy Pace for 16 games would mean a lot to the defense, which has a short supply of edge pass rushers. Pace probably is the best pass rusher on the team, an outside linebacker with double-digit sack potential, according to Rex Ryan.

Thing is, the Jets' pass rush isn't built around one player, so you're probably not going to see anyone with 10 or 12 sacks, but Pace said he's talked with the coaches about the possibility of featuring him in certain schemes. On occasion, he asked the coaches last season to use a conventional, four-man rush, but that didn't happen too often. There's nothing conventional about the Jets' defense.

Pace will be an important player Sunday night because of the challenges presented by the Cowboys. QB Tony Romo can make plays outside the pocket, meaning edge players like Pace will have containment responsibilities. Pace also gets involved in tight-end coverage, which means he'll be part of the plan to defend Jason Whitten.

"Big-play offense," Pace said of the Cowboys. "They've got some weapons -- Dez Bryant, Miles Austin. Felix Jones, he's a home-run hitter. They have the ability to put points up."

[JetsFanInDenver]

Awesome job SJF!