Live Chat With Rod Boone, Good read

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11:49

Moderator: Hi all. We'll get the Jets chat started at 11 a.m. or so.

12:00

Howdy Jets Nation. Another historic chat for us today. By the time we're done, TV will have changed as we know it. Goodbye analog, hello digital! Ok, let's go.

12:00

[Comment From Andy]

How much have you seen Gholston playing snaps with his hand on the ground? (DE etc..)

12:03

Andy, should have known we would start off with a Vernon Gholston question. I can't profess to having seen his hand in the ground a lot, but the Jets plan to find a way to put him in the best position to succeed. I spoke with Gholston during the week and he said he's getting more comfortable with the scheme. But he's going to remain a work in progress until he finds that certain comfort level.

12:03

[Comment From are-tee]

Rod, saw you at mini-camp Wednesday but didn't get a chance to say hello. Which TC battle do think will be the Most heated? Clemens -Sanchez, Conley-Hodges, or every-WR-not named Cotchery against each other?

12:07

are-tee, you should have given me a shout while you were there. Always good to chat with blog regulars. I believe the most heated battle with take place among the wide receivers. Between Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith, David Clowney, Wallace Wright, Marcus Henry, etc., each wants to prove he can get the job done. There's going to be a lot of competition for those top three spots behind Jerricho.

12:07

[Comment From williamg]

How much is pressure is Rex throwing at Sanchez? Is he giving him vanilla looks on defense, is he bringing the heat or is there balance?

12:10

williamg, Rex is throwing the kitchen sink at Sanchez. That's one of the reasons why he's been so hot and cold at times. He's not getting any vanilla schemes. The staff wants him to go against complex defenses now because they only feel it's going to help him in his development. They feel if he can handle their blitzing, aggressive defense, then he can pretty much handle anything any other team will throw out at him.

12:10

[Comment From Bump]

Anything good on the TE front? or will we be seeking help after final training camp cuts?

12:13

bump, nothing imminent at the moment. Part of that probably depends on the development of Kareem Brown and J'Nathan Bullock. Jack Simmons has had his moments in practice. Bubba Franks said he will be ready to go in training camp. If none of those guys pan out, then the Jets will be in the market for another TE to compliment Dustin Keller.

12:14

[Comment From LamJones]

Rod - glad to have you on the team......hope you are a long time Jets fan. Anyways, how does the D-line look? It seems we do not have as much talent there with a lot of aging veterans. is this a concern for the Rex Ryan defensive gurus?

12:17

LamJones, thanks. Glad to be here for you guys. I don't think the D-line should be a concern. Are some of the guys getting up there in age? Sure. But Kris Jenkins is still a mountain and Rex Ryan talked the other day about how they've had to have him sit out on some series because he's too disruptive to the offense.

12:17

[Comment From sfmike]

Hi Rod. Last chat, I asked about Marques Murrell, & his chances to get his chance this year. What are your thoughts after watching the final practices. Also, being from illinois, any opinion on Britt Davis?

12:21

sfmike, ah, how did I know the Marques Murrell question was coming? You'll be pleased to know that, unsolicited, Ryan yesterday praised Murrell's play and talked him up quite a bit. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on because it looks like he will get his chance this year. As for Britt Davis, I remember him making a catch or two here or there but he's way down the depth chart. If anything, I have to believe he's playing for a spot on the practice squad.

12:21

[Comment From williamg]

Should we be worried about DE depth? Our starters aren't spring chickens, and there doesn't seem to be much depth....or is there?

12:25

williamg, I wouldn't say there's reason to worry about the depth at DE. Not every team can stack up defensive lineman like the other tenants of Giants Stadium. But I will say this: it was a little interesting to see the coaches have Jenkins play end for a few plays during minicamp.

12:25

[Comment From nameth12]

Rod, glad you're on board. Did any of the free agents, offense or defense, peek your interest? Thx

12:29

Probably J'Nathan Bullock. He's trying to go the Antonio Gates route as you know after playing basketball at Cleveland State. He made an athletic catch near the end of practice on Wednesday that drew rave reviews. It showed his potential, but he still has a long way to go in his development.

12:29

[Comment From Mark]

so what is your honest opinion on Woodhead,, I love the underdog,,want another Chrebet in the mix

12:32

Mark, I really believe the Jets are going to try to find a spot for Woodhead. If there was a silver lining when Thomas Jones and Leon Washington were boycotting the OTAs, it was that Woodhead was getting extra reps and a good long look. I think they like his toughness, pass catching ability and low center of gravity.

12:33

[Comment From Gary]

Hey Rod, How do you see Leon Washington's contract situation playing out? He is only the MOST important offensive player we have!

12:36

Gary, I think the situation with Leon will get worked out somehow. The two sides will eventually find some sort of middle ground. I can't see them alienating someone with Leon's credentials and with what he means to the organization. Will it happen beofore training camp? That I can't say for sure. But with Sanchez's contract already finalized, it's imperative for Washington to be happy and in training camp on time.

12:36

[Comment From Mark]

So Woodhead is RUDY like with talent?

12:38

Mark, lol. If you want to draw that conclusion, be my guest. Woodhead definitely has talent. He also has grit and heart, which are intangibles that you can't measure.

12:38

[Comment From Mackenzie]

This defense looks great on paper, but I still don't know if we have the edge rushers needed to do that. Can Murrell, Gholston, Thomas, Pace, and Westerman be that big sack guy for us?

12:43

Mackenzie, yes, the defense should be the least of the Jets problems and I do think they have enough on the edge to run their scheme effectively. In listing Murrell, Gholston, etc., you neglected to mention Marques Douglas, who played under Ryan in Baltimore and is familiar with the scheme.

12:43

[Comment From Mackenzie]

Enough Woodhead. What about Shonn Greene. I thought it was interesting that he was taking goalline reps. Do you think that will be primarily where we will see him in 2009?

12:46

Expect to see Greene in goal line situations, but I think we will primarily see Greene in the fourth quarter. His pounding style is perfect for getting the job done late in games after Thomas Jones has already softened the defense up.

12:46

[Comment From Mackenzie]

I think I like you better than Boland. I've gotten more questions answered in the last five minutes with you than I got with him in a year!

12:48

lol. I don't choose the questions Mackenzie, I just answer whatever the moderator selects. Erik is supposed to host a Live Chat soon, so make sure you drop on over when he does and see if you can pop in a punter question or two.

12:48

[Comment From MJC]

How has Pace and Brian Thomas looked in the new defense ?

12:52

To be perfectly honest with you MJC, it's not easy to evaluate how each defensive guys really looks in the minicamps and OTAs because the players aren't wearing pads. Without contact, how do we know how they look shedding off blocks, etc? But I specifically remember Thomas getting into the backfield a few times to disrupt plays during the week. Pace is vet and I wouldn't worry about him too much.

12:52

[Comment From Mike P]

Hey Rod, was at mini-camp yesterday and listened to Rex Ryan say that it's gonna be a dogfight for the starting QB job. If you had to guess, who's it gonna be and why? Sanchez looked good, but has been cold at times too.

12:56

Hey Mike P. If I had to guess, unless Kellen Clemens absolutely blows Mark Sanchez away in the preseason and it's obvious he's head and shoulders above him, I'd have to say Sanchez will be the starter. Because if they are relatively even in production, it makes more sense to me to go ahead and put Sanchez under center from Day One.

12:56

[Comment From Manginis Baby]

Is Coach Ryan going to turn Pace loose to get to the passer, or is he going to drop him into coverage like my silly dad did last season?

12:59

Manginis Baby, a hearty welcome to you. lol @ your dad. You can expect Pace and just about everyone on defense to get their chances to go after the passer. I'm telling you, this defense is going to be super aggressive. You're going to see CB blitzes, stunts, zone blitzes, you name it. This isn't going to be a drop back and let's read and react type of scheme.

1:00

[Comment From Mackenzie]

Hey, you can get punting questions, too. Conley outpunted Hodges the two practices I was there, and obviously the FO can't have too much confidence in Hodges if they only signed him back now. Does Conley get the job, and would he do a good job?

1:04

I'd have to believe Conley has the inside track at the moment. One of the early indicators is he's also been holding for Jay Feely on field goal attempts. That's one of the reasons they let Eric Wilbur go. They weren't confident in his hands and a punter has to have a good pair of mitts as you know.

1:04

Moderator: Hi all. Our hour is nearly gone. This will be our last question. Thanks for joining us today.

1:04

[Comment From Mike P]

Agree on Sanchez. Another question, you mentioned you think the big competition would be at WR. After Cotchery, who do you see winning the #2 job? I think Ryan seemed to have his eye on Stuckey. I like that combo and having Smith-Wright behind him. Clowney doesn't seem ready yet.

1:08

I'm with you Mike P. I think Stuckey has the No. 2 spot at the moment, but it depends on if they want to have him work on the outside rather than the slot. Brad Smith has been getting a lot of time in the three wide receiver sets, so those appear to be the top three guys right now. I think Wright has also thrown his name in there and probably has passed Clowney on the depth chart. His hands have betrayed him of late and he's stayed after practice catching extra balls.

1:08

Thanks to everyone who participated. Don't worry, training camp will be here before you know it. Almost like the switch to digital TV. Oh wait, that already happened! Have a great weekend everybody.