Sperm Edwards Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Curtis out on wounded knee Not ready 7 months after surgery BY RICH CIMINI DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Curtis Martin will start camp as he ended last season - in street clothes. One day after season-ending knee surgery last December, a confident Curtis Martin predicted, "I feel like I can come back even stronger than I was." He was wrong. The Jets' future Hall of Famer, seven months removed from the supposedly minor operation, still isn't healthy enough to practice, according to the team's medical staff. As a result, Martin, 33, was placed yesterday on the physically-unable-to-perform list, fueling speculation about his future. That Martin isn't answering the bell for training camp, which begins today at Hofstra, is an ominous sign. The NFL's fourth all-time leading rusher told friends recently that he can play another year, although some seem troubled that his knee still is an issue. Coach Eric Mangini didn't make himself available to the media on the eve of his first camp, choosing to announce Martin's status in a press release. Wide receiver Justin McCareins (foot) and center Trey Teague (broken ankle), both of whom were injured in offseason workouts, also were placed on the PUP list. It's common for injured players to be placed on the PUP list at the start of camp. All it means is that the player can't practice with the team; he can rehab and attend meetings. The player can be removed from the list at any time in training camp. If he isn't added to the 53-man roster on the final cutdown, he must remain on the PUP list for the first six weeks of the regular season. In Martin's case, it was widely assumed that he'd be ready to go for camp, considering his celebrated work ethic. He was limited in last month's minicamp, but remarked that his legs "feel springy again." Martin played most of last season with severe pain in his right knee before succumbing to the injury in the final month. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a joint that included cartilage damage, bone chips and bone bruises. He finished with a career-low 735 yards. Martin's heir apparent isn't so apparent. Derrick Blaylock, Cedric Houston and rookie Leon Washington figure to split the work until Martin returns. Blaylock, who missed most of last season with a broken foot after being signed to serve as Martin's understudy, was cryptic yesterday when asked about the possibility of growing into a bigger role. "We'll see," he said, smiling - three hours before Martin's PUP status was announced. The Martin Watch is one of several storylines in camp, including a four-way quarterback competition. But one thing is missing: Postseason talk. The Jets haven't been this lightly regarded since 1996, Rich Kotite's final season. "I guess you could look at it as motivation, that (people) don't respect us," safety Erik Coleman said at Hofstra, where camp began with physicals, a conditioning test, an air of tension and very few smiles. The feel-good atmosphere of the Herm Edwards era is gone. As Coleman said, "(Mangini) is a very strict coach. It's a whole other vibe." ALL IN: Top pick D'Brickashaw Ferguson signed the second-largest contract in team history, a five-year, $27.5 million deal that could increase to six years, $37.5 million if the team picks up a $10 million option in 2011. Ferguson will receive more than $17.5 million in guarantees, approaching the $18 million that went to QB Chad Pennington in 2004. . . . The Jets' other first-round pick, C Nick Mangold, signed a five-year, $7.4 million pact. Second-round QB Kellen Clemens, who agreed to terms late Wednesday night, reported yesterday, meaning every player is under contract. Originally published on July 28, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanTX Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Curtis out on wounded knee Did Savage take a baseball bat to his knee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 If Savage changed his nickname to "Father Time" then yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbn007 Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 My take is that Blaylock gets every opportunity here. Houston and Washington will see spot duty. Maybe Askew gets some daylight here, but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L.I.MikeBleedsGreen Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Man, I feel Bad for Cmart! He should just Retire.He has done alot of great things here for our team,but to further injure himself would be just plain Stupid! He can walk away with no regrets, he was a great Player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I think you guys are reading too many things into something that may not even be there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I think you guys are reading too many things into something that may not even be there Agreed. He can be removed from the PUP at any time. Mangini is just sending a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 THe one thing I don't think that's totally necessary from Martin is his participation in two-a-days in July. Once the season starts I'd be ok with Curtis as our 3rd-down back strictly based on experience at seeing various defensive fronts & therefore better ability to pick up the blitz than the younger guys. On first & second down he should only see the field from the sideline except for garbage time or a breather from someone who can either break a tackle or run the 40 faster than our O-linemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 THe one thing I don't think that's totally necessary from Martin is his participation in two-a-days in July. Once the season starts I'd be ok with Curtis as our 3rd-down back strictly based on experience at seeing various defensive fronts & therefore better ability to pick up the blitz than the younger guys. On first & second down he should only see the field from the sideline except for garbage time or a breather from someone who can either break a tackle or run the 40 faster than our O-linemen. SE-if Curtis plays, he will get 700 yards with ease. There is no other back on this roster who is a full time guy and fits packages as well as Curtis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 SE-if Curtis plays, he will get 700 yards with ease. There is no other back on this roster who is a full time guy and fits packages as well as Curtis Don't make me cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Don't make me cry. Blaylock-A guy that will not put his nose into the line and wants to bump everything on the edge Houston-A guy that runs with no vision and will run into his own blockers before a hole is there. Washington-Who knows. What did I miss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Look - I want the best guy out there. If it's Martin then so be it. But once the season's officially over (mathematically) I want to see as little of Martin as possible. He will not be part of the next Jets SB run unless he's on the coaching staff, so play the guy(s) who actually might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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