Revis' contract said to be in final stages as of last night

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS OPEN UP MINUS CURTIS

RB'S RETIREMENT OFFICIAL TODAY

By MARK CANNIZZARO

July 26, 2007 -- When the 2007 Jets convene at Weeb Ewbank Hall today for the opening of training camp, with two-a-day practices starting tomorrow, Curtis Martin will be in the team's midtown office delivering his goodbye to the NFL as a player.

Martin, the fourth leading rusher in NFL history and a likely Hall of Fame entrant the moment he's eligible, will make his retirement official, as reported by The Post on Tuesday.

Martin sat out the 2006 season when it was discovered he had a bone-on-bone condition in his right knee, which was injured in 2005. He spent some time with the team last year and during minicamp this spring but knew all along his playing days were over.

"Fortunately for us he lives (nearby) and he's welcome here any time," Eric Mangini said of Martin in retirement. "We look forward to him still coming around here and helping mentor some of our young players."

Today, while Martin bids his official farewell to the game he graced with incredible class, prowess and remarkably consistent production since 1995, the Jets will begin their second camp led by Mangini, who guided them to an improbable playoff berth in his first season.

The Jets return 21 of their 22 starters from a year ago, and they bring in key newcomers, including Martin's replacement, former Bears running back Thomas Jones, for whom they traded in the offseason.

The Jets expect to have all of their draft picks in camp, including first-round CB Darrelle Revis, whose contract details were said to be in the finalization process as of last night, and second-round LB David Harris, who signed a four-year deal yesterday.

As of yesterday, the Jets expected disgruntled LG Pete Kendall, who wants a raise and has been very public and vocal about it, to report to camp by today. Neither Kendall nor his agent returned several phone calls yesterday, but Mangini said he believes his veteran leader will report on time.

"We expect him to be here (today)," Mangini said. "Pete has always been very professional."

Asked what would occur if Kendall opts to hold out, Mangini said, "We'll deal with that if it comes up. My expectation is that he'll move forward (and report)."

The Jets could fine Kendall $14,000 for each day he's absent.

One of the major themes of this training camp is how to deal with lofty expectations that are sure to come based on the Jets' surprising 10-6 record and playoff berth in 2006.

Dating back to minicamps, Mangini told his players they cannot rely on anything they did a year ago to help them move forward this season.

"If you start focusing on where you finished or where you hope to be, it ends up being a huge detriment," Mangini said. "You see teams with huge expectations going into seasons that don't pan out. And focusing on those expectations or things in the past takes away from the things that are so important: Doing the little things day in and day out."

Jets fans don't need to look very far in history to understand what Mangini was talking about.

Remember the 1999 season, the year after the Jets nearly defeated Denver in the AFC Championship to get to the Super Bowl?

How about the 2005 season, the year after Herman Edwards led the team within a Doug Brien field goal of the AFC Championship game?

"Every year is its own entity," Mangini said. "You have to understand that you don't get to start at 10-6 and in the first round of the playoffs. You have to go through the whole process again. All the hard work you did to get to that point has to be done again."

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