Jets News 8-23

[flgreen]

Jets' DE Vernon Gholston has already been tested by opponents, coaches -- and he's passing

Published: Monday, August 23, 2010, 5:30 AM

Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

Follow Share this story

Story tools

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerVernon Gholston has been tested -- by both opponents and his coach -- already this season. So far, he's passing.

Share Late in the second quarter of Saturday night’s preseason game, Carolina’s starters were still on the field, but the Jets’ reserve defenders had rotated in. That put Vernon Gholston — after two fruitless seasons at outside linebacker — lined up at right defensive end on second-and-10.

Gholston said he anticipated the blocking scheme and attacked the tight end. He shed him to the ground and promptly wrapped up running back Tyrell Sutton for a loss of a yard.

“The gap opened up,” Gholston explained afterward, “so it was right there for me to make the play.”

Making plays is what the 2008 first-round pick became known for not doing in two sackless seasons in the NFL. But the results were all over the field in the Jets’ 9-3 win over the Panthers, as Gholston led the team with five tackles and two tackles for a loss in the second preseason contest.

While Rex Ryan steadily let praise of Gholston slip out during training camp, including guaranteeing him a roster spot in one press conference, this was a chance for Gholston to prove Ryan wasn’t bluffing.

“I thought he did a lot of good things,” Ryan said. “And it’s been what we’ve been seeing. So, no surprises.”

Ryan recently tried an unorthodox method, as revealed on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” to bring the fire out of Gholston: He enlisted resident combatant Rob Turner to pick a fight with him during practice. Gholston threw Turner on the ground, and that same day, Ryan told the media he was “the most excited I’ve ever been about Vernon Gholston.”

Gholston didn’t know the fight was staged until watching Episode 2 last Wednesday but said he didn’t mind.

“They saw that I responded,” Gholston said. “I ain’t scared of no fight.”

The reality show also revealed that it was Gholston who approached the Jets about taking a pay cut. Gholston said Sunday he sat down with his agent before free agency and talked about his contract situation. When his agent mentioned restructuring his deal, Gholston said he would be up for it if it would give the Jets a better chance and “better leverage” for him to play more.

The Jets restructured his five-year rookie deal, which had $21 million guaranteed, in April. His base salary for this season was bumped up, to $2.25 million, but was dropped to $555,000 in 2011 and $650,000 in 2012.

The team has incentive to give him ample playing time to prove his role and value on the Jets this year. If it works out, he’s set up to recoup the rest of his money through roster bonuses and incentives; if it doesn’t, the team can let him go without huge losses.

“It’s all set up for me to come out this year and get in there and play,” Gholston said. “The future, I guess, will be determined on how well I do.”

Ryan moved Gholston back to his natural end position this spring, after the arrival of Jason Taylor. He will be part of the Jets’ defensive line rotation, which lost one piece Saturday when Ropati Pitoitua went down with an Achilles’ tendon tear.

Gholston spoke of being more comfortable, both at end and in the second year in Ryan’s defense. After Saturday’s game, he said he couldn’t recall any “glaring mistakes” but lamented letting a running back get outside him on one play.

The game was a good step forward for him, but he also recognized that it’s the preseason and that he needs to consistently make his presence felt.

“The biggest thing is trying to have a bigger impact, whether getting in on the pass rush more or getting to the quarterback,” Gholston said. “That’s a big deal, just getting in there and flying around.”

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

[flgreen]

Jets center Nick Mangold close to signing contract extension

Jets BlogBy MARK CANNIZZARO

Last Updated: 4:03 AM, August 23, 2010

Posted: 2:30 AM, August 23, 2010

Comments: 0 | More Print

The Jets are set to sign one of their "core four" players to a new, long-term contract extension.

No, not cornerback Darrelle Revis.

According to multiple league sources, the Jets and All-Pro center Nick Mangold have agreed in principle on a new contract that should be announced as soon as today or tomorrow.

In a switch from the team's recent tactics in these situations, a Jets spokesman would not confirm the deal when reached last night, saying, "We prefer to do it this way at this time."

It's possible the Jets are being mum on the issue because of the sensitive nature of the Revis negotiations. The Jets and Revis' agents called a truce on public comments, so the team may be trying to keep this deal low-key.

N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

NICK NACK: Jets center Nick Mangold, running drills during the team's June mini-camp, is close to signing a contract extension that likely will make him the highest-paid center in the NFL. Terms of the Mangold deal were not available last night, but the contract is believed to at least rival that of Rams center Jason Brown, who in 2009 signed a five-year, $37.5 million deal that included $20 million in guarantees.

The new Mangold deal had to comply with the "30 percent rule" in the collective bargaining agreement, which states that, in an uncapped year, a player's salary in an extension can't increase by more than 30 percent of his previous year's salary.

The new deal, which surely will make Mangold the highest-paid center in the league, likely consists of money guaranteed against injury and some signing bonus money.

Mangold, who was scheduled to make $3.3 million this season, the last year of his rookie contract, was mildly vocal during the offseason about his desire to have a new deal, and he even hinted that he might hold out of training camp.

Unlike Revis, however, Mangold reported to camp with the hope the Jets would negotiate in good faith, which they did.

He expressed his desire to be at camp to help Matt Slauson and rookie Vladimir Ducasse in their competition for the starting left guard job.

"They need all the help they can get," Mangold said early in camp. "As a team, we're only as good as our weakest link. There's no reason we should have a weak link at offensive line."

So now the Jets have locked up Mangold and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who signed a six-year, $60 million extension last month.

Aside from Revis, the other member of the "core four" who's seeking a new deal is linebacker Davis Harris. Like Mangold, Harris is in the final year of his original rookie contract. He has been virtually silent about his contract status or desires.

As for the state of the Revis negotiations, it's difficult to gauge where they are at the moment because both sides have been so silent since the truce was called. As of last week, the two sides were still "miles apart," according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Revis, who has three years remaining on his contract, which is scheduled to pay him $1 million this year, is on record in saying he wants to be the highest-paid cornerback in the league. That means he wants to average about $16 million per year, which is more than the Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million deal.

The most likely scenario to end the Revis holdout is a short-term solution, which would pay Revis around $10 or $12 million in 2010 and add a year to his existing contract.

mcannizzaro@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/striking_mangold_rvkMbSHjj6ROygH5I9xwmO?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=#ixzz0xQoQV8RL

[flgreen]

Jets set to put offensive effort behind them

Jets BlogBy MARK CANNIZZARO

Last Updated: 1:54 AM, August 23, 2010

Posted: 1:54 AM, August 23, 2010

Comments: 0 | More Print

When the three hours and eight minutes of utter ugliness was over Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., when Jets 9, Panthers 3 was mercifully in the books, Jets right tackle Damien Woody offered up the best idea of all.

"This is one of those games where offensively you just want to take the ball and bury it, bury the game tape with it and move on to the next one," Woody said. "Fortunately this one doesn't count."

Fortunately, Woody is right. It is only preseason.

But still, should there be alarm that Mark Sanchez was 5-of-12 for 12 yards and was sacked twice thanks to poor pass protection?

Should there be alarm that the Jets produced all of seven first downs and 112 yards in total offense?

The Jets say no, preferring to look at the performance as an aberration because they had a short turnaround from their preseason opener Monday against the Giants, they broke camp on Friday and they didn't game-plan for the Panthers.

"Nothing alarming; it wasn't our best night," Sanchez said.

"No excuses," receiver Braylon Edwards said. "We didn't play well, but I wouldn't take anything from this game. Put your judgment on next week. Watch that game. Don't take anything out of this game. We weren't trying to show anything. It was mostly just your basic stuff.

"This week coming up we'll probably try to get after the Redskins and treat it more like a regular-season game."

The Jets' next preseason game comes Friday against the Redskins at the New Meadowlands Stadium and figures to provide a much better test for the entire team because it's the third exhibition game, the one in which the starters play the most.

The Jets, too, likely will game-plan for the Redskins, so it will simulate a regular-season game to a degree.

"We'll come out next week and make a statement in the right direction," Woody said. "We definitely want to come up with a better outing."

Woody said the feeling on offense was like being "in quicksand" against Carolina.

"Things are just not going your way," he said. "You have to fight your way out of it."

Pass protection was an issue, with left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and tight end Ben Hartsock appearing to give up first-quarter sacks to Carolina's Everette Brown and head coach Rex Ryan calling out guard Matt Slauson for poor protection.

Sanchez seemed to lack timing with his receivers at several key moments. Afterward, he pointed to poor production on first downs leaving third-and-long situations as the problem, but it seemed like more than that. Sanchez wasn't sharp with check-down passes and led the Jets to only 33 yards of offense on four possessions.

Sanchez nearly threw an interception while trying to force a pass to Edwards on the first series. That came on a third-and-10 play.

In his third series, Sanchez overthrew Edwards on a deep route on first down. A short time later, he was high on an attempt to Santonio Holmes on third-and-9.

"We didn't get the chance to game-plan for the team like we will next week a bit," Sanchez said. "We'll be in a better rhythm and expect certain plays coming in. We'll know what [the Redskins] are doing or at least we'll have a better idea than [against the Panthers]."

Accentuating the offense's problems was its lack of killer instinct when the special teams forced turnovers and delivered great field position.

The Jets started drives on the Carolina 35 and 12 and were able to come away only with Nick Folk field goals on both possessions.

"When you get chances like that, those are gifts and you have to take advantage," Sanchez said.

Sanchez, trying to explain the Jets' struggles, lamented the "quick turnaround" off the Giants game and the breaking of training camp for the poor performance.

But he was quick to add: "We don't accept a performance like this. We need to focus on next week and take it seriously."

mcannizzaro@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_set_to_put_offensive_effort_3T7s7fxqo9CiBKXQ2slUwO?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=#ixzz0xQoqosYT

[flgreen]

Tomlinson running wild and loving preseason

Jets BlogBy MARK CANNIZZARO

Last Updated: 1:55 AM, August 23, 2010

Posted: 1:55 AM, August 23, 2010

Comments: 0 | More Print

Lost amidst the muck of the Jets' poor offensive performance against the Panthers on Saturday night was yet another handful of eye-opening plays by LaDainian Tomlinson.

The veteran running back, who most assumed would quietly settle into a role as third-down back and complement to Shonn Greene, has been perhaps the Jets' best player on offense through two preseason games.

This is an oddity, considering the fact that Tomlinson rarely played preseason games at all in San Diego, where the coaches preferred to rest him.

Tomlinson had a 20-yard run on a third-and-13 in the first quarter and finished with 26 yards on three carries. In two games, he has 43 rushing yards on 11 carries while Greene has 36 yards on 11 carries.

"I feel good," Tomlinson said. "I told you guys all along, when I'm healthy I can perform at a high level and you guys are seeing that I'm healthy."

Asked about playing in preseason for a change, Tomlinson said he relished it.

"As you can see, I'm having fun playing with these guys," he said. "I've always wanted to play in preseason. When my guys are out there I want to be out there with them.

"Unfortunately, the last few years, the coaches wouldn't let me play. Now I'm getting an opportunity to play. I think it helps for when the season starts, because it enables you to hit the ground running."

*

The Jets are suddenly inexperienced on the defensive line after backup DE Ropati Pitoitua was lost for the season when he ruptured his Achilles tendon Saturday night. His absence leaves Vernon Gholston, Jason Lamb, Martin Tevaseu and Matt Kroul as the main backups on the line.

Keep an eye on the Jets possibly reaching out to Adalius Thomas, who has played for head coach Rex Ryan before, can play linebacker or end and is unsigned.

*

Ryan put DE Mike DeVito back into the game in the final minutes. Asked why he reinserted DeVito, who had a sack in that series, Ryan said: "I'm trying to win. We wanted to get fresh rushers in there."

*

DT Kris Jenkins, who played his first seven NFL seasons with the Panthers, returned to North Carolina to play for the first time since being traded to the Jets three years ago and called it "emotional."

"I had a lot of fun [in Charlotte]," he said. "It was really up and down. I had enjoyable moments, some angry moments, some enraged moments. I have a lot of history here."

He said the crowd reaction was "mixed."

"Some people told me they missed me," he said, "some people told me they hate my guts."

*

The Jets special teams are in midseason form. They blocked a punt in the Giants game and forced turnovers against the Panthers that led to all nine points.

Kicker Nick Folk forged confidence with his 3-for-3 performance, hitting field goals from 36, 43, and 49 yards.

Punter Steve Weatherford punted 11 times for 481 yards and a 43.7-yard average.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/tomlinson_running_wild_and_loving_ZwPb9ICuN0WiEYS9DYmr6H?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=#ixzz0xQpINYiN

[flgreen]

Jets, Nick Mangold extension may be nearing

Monday, August 23, 2010

BY J.P. PELZMAN

The Record

STAFF WRITER

It appears that for Nick Mangold, silence may prove to be golden.

The Jets are closing in on a lucrative contract extension with the two-time Pro Bowl center, according to an NFL source, and the deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday.

While Mangold made his desire for a new contract very public during the Jets’ June minicamp, he has said very little about the subject since reporting to training camp on time earlier this month.

Contrast that with cornerback Darrelle Revis, whose holdout reached 22 days and two preseason games over the weekend. Revis is seeking a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The two sides are believed to be far apart.

The new contract is expected to make Mangold the highest-paid center in the league. St. Louis’ Jason Brown signed a five-year, $37.5 million deal with $20 million in guarantees last year. Mangold is in the final season of his rookie contract, a five-year deal.

He would be the second of the Jets’ so-called core four to be re-upped. Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson signed an extension last month that will keep him with the team through 2017. Inside linebacker David Harris also is seeking a contract extension, but has declined to negotiate through the media.

There was an Internet report Sunday that the Jets were close to a deal with Revis, but a league source said it is not true.

Jenkins’ homecoming

Carolina’s first snap set the tone, as Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins, playing for the first time at Carolina since being traded from the Panthers to the Jets in winter 2008, tracked down running back DeAngelo Williams from behind on a screen pass for no gain.

Jenkins admitted it was an “emotional” return for him, but he also was pleased with the physical aspect.

“I think this day helped my knee take that next step as far as the confidence and everything,” said Jenkins, recovering from surgery that sidelined him for most of 2009. “A lot of people didn’t really think I’d be moving that fast to be able to catch DeAngelo Williams. I played with him, and when you’re healthy it’s hard to catch him.”

Special teams also excelled as new kicker Nick Folk accounted for all of the Jets’ scoring with field goals of 43, 36 and 49 yards. He’s 6-for-7 in the 2010 preseason. Each of his kicks Saturday was set up by a Carolina misadventure on a punt return. Lance Laury and David Clowney each recovered a muffed punt, and Chauncey Washington jarred the ball loose from returner Kenny Moore in the third quarter, and Danny Woodhead recovered for the Jets.

But the most exciting special-teams play was rookie Joe McKnight’s 67-yard fourth-quarter punt return to the Carolina 9. Washington lost a fumble on a run on the next play. Still, McKnight flashed the form that showed why the Jets traded up in the fourth round to select him in April. McKnight also lost a fumble on a rushing attempt.

“The punt return was OK,” McKnight said. “The blocks were there at the right time. ... I was looking to score, but it didn’t work out that way. ... I’ve just got to move on to the next game [and] try to work on some different things.’’

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

It appears that for Nick Mangold, silence may prove to be golden.

CHRIS PEDOTA / STAFF FILE PHOTO

Jets center Nick Mangold spoke little about contract negotiations in camp and it appears a deal will get done. The Jets are closing in on a lucrative contract extension with the two-time Pro Bowl center, according to an NFL source, and the deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday.

While Mangold made his desire for a new contract very public during the Jets’ June minicamp, he has said very little about the subject since reporting to training camp on time earlier this month.

Contrast that with cornerback Darrelle Revis, whose holdout reached 22 days and two preseason games over the weekend. Revis is seeking a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The two sides are believed to be far apart.

The new contract is expected to make Mangold the highest-paid center in the league. St. Louis’ Jason Brown signed a five-year, $37.5 million deal with $20 million in guarantees last year. Mangold is in the final season of his rookie contract, a five-year deal.

He would be the second of the Jets’ so-called core four to be re-upped. Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson signed an extension last month that will keep him with the team through 2017. Inside linebacker David Harris also is seeking a contract extension, but has declined to negotiate through the media.

There was an Internet report Sunday that the Jets were close to a deal with Revis, but a league source said it is not true.

Jenkins’ homecoming

Carolina’s first snap set the tone, as Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins, playing for the first time at Carolina since being traded from the Panthers to the Jets in winter 2008, tracked down running back DeAngelo Williams from behind on a screen pass for no gain.

Jenkins admitted it was an “emotional” return for him, but he also was pleased with the physical aspect.

“I think this day helped my knee take that next step as far as the confidence and everything,” said Jenkins, recovering from surgery that sidelined him for most of 2009. “A lot of people didn’t really think I’d be moving that fast to be able to catch DeAngelo Williams. I played with him, and when you’re healthy it’s hard to catch him.”

Special teams also excelled as new kicker Nick Folk accounted for all of the Jets’ scoring with field goals of 43, 36 and 49 yards. He’s 6-for-7 in the 2010 preseason. Each of his kicks Saturday was set up by a Carolina misadventure on a punt return. Lance Laury and David Clowney each recovered a muffed punt, and Chauncey Washington jarred the ball loose from returner Kenny Moore in the third quarter, and Danny Woodhead recovered for the Jets.

But the most exciting special-teams play was rookie Joe McKnight’s 67-yard fourth-quarter punt return to the Carolina 9. Washington lost a fumble on a run on the next play. Still, McKnight flashed the form that showed why the Jets traded up in the fourth round to select him in April. McKnight also lost a fumble on a rushing attempt.

“The punt return was OK,” McKnight said. “The blocks were there at the right time. ... I was looking to score, but it didn’t work out that way. ... I’ve just got to move on to the next game [and] try to work on some different things.’’

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

[flgreen]

Mangold deal puts pressure on Revis

August, 22, 2010 Aug 2211:57PM ETEmail Print Comments By Rich CiminiMike Tannenbaum's "Things-to-do" list, created last Janaury:

Contract extension for D'Brickashaw Ferguson: Check.

Contract extension for Nick Mangold: Check.

New contract for Darrelle Revis: Checkmate?

The news Sunday that the New York Jets are close to a long-term extension for Mangold is a win for Mangold and a win for the Jets -- in more ways than one. Not only do they lock up one of their best players, but it bolsters the Jets' case against Revis. Now who's being unreasonable?

Obviously, the Jets are in a deal-making mode. I haven't seen the numbers on the Mangold deal, but this was a difficult contract to negotiate because of the 30 percent rule. (The rule states that, in an uncapped year, a player's salary in an extension can't increase by more than 30 percent of his previous year's pay.) If the Jets were able to clear that hurdle, satisfying Mangold, why can't it happen with Revis?

Chances are, Mangold accepted a deal with "rolling" guarantees, a la Ferguson. Revis wants no part of that kind of deal; he wants fully guaranteed money (i.e. a huge signing bonus). It's his right to ask for that, but his leverage is diminishing. Remember, he has three years left on his contract, so there's no sense of urgency for the Jets.

You know when there's a sense of urgency? If the defense gets torched by the Baltimore Ravens on opening night, that's when the leverage shifts to Revis. Is he willing to hold out that long? Is he willing to take that chance? He might have to because, barring an injury at cornerback, the Jets are showing no signs of buckling.

In the spring, the Jets were accused of being cheap, strapped for cash because of lagging PSL sales. That, some media types theorized, was holding up the deals for the "Core Four." (The fourth is David Harris, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.) At the time, the Jets were saying they had budgeted enough money to sign all four to new deals. Not many believed them, but now they've taken care of Ferguson and Mangold.

If it were just one, you could call it a fluke. But two? Those players were willing to take the Jets' money. Why not Revis?

[flgreen]

Jenkins has mixed feelings in first return since being traded by the Carolina Panthers

August 22nd, 2010 3:58 pm

.New York Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was excited to be back in Bank of America Stadium.

For his first seven years with the Carolina Panthers, he was a beast in the middle of the defense, making three Pro Bowls and helping the team to the Super Bowl in 2004.

That was a long time ago, though.

When he tackled Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams on the first play of the game and his name was announced the boos descended from the crowd.

However, that didn’t bother Jenkins at all in his first game back in Carolina since being traded in late February of 2008. To Jenkins, 31, the Carolinas are beautiful and full of fond memories, but he loves it in New York and hopes to have a bright future there.

“It was emotional,” he said. “I had a lot of fun. It was really up and down. I had some joyous moments, some angry moments, some enraged ones. I never experienced anything like this. That is something that brings a totally different dynamic to the NFL. You can go out there and one minute be playing for an organization then in the next breath you can be playing with somebody else.

“This was the first time I came back, and I have a lot of history here. Not only do I love the place, (but) I still plan on moving back here (after retirement), so I can be close to my kids. I still have responsibilities to take care of.”

Jenkins said it was good to get a reaction from the fans. He said there were mixed emotions with the fans too. He said some fans told me they loved him while they were opposed to his return. He said it even “got a little bit vulgar at times.”

However, he said the boos and bad language comes with returning, so it is something to expect. Jenkins enjoyed the halftime show when the Panthers organization honored former players such as Mike Minter, T.J. Washington and Muhsin Muhammad. Jenkins said it was good to see former teammates.

“It made me realize just how far I’ve come as an individual and a player,” Jenkins said. “It’s been 10 years for me now.”

Jenkins has grown due to his time in Charlotte, and he holds no hard feelings against the Panthers despite a turbulent relationship before leaving. By the 2007 season, Jenkins had fallen out of favor with Panthers coach John Fox for missing off-season workouts and being above his anticipated playing weight.

Jenkins, who has lost more than 33 pounds during the offseason and weights 359 pounds, said it was time to move on.

“You have to understand that some things were not in my power,” he said. “You have to understand a business situation. That is what the NFL is. It is not just a game. It is also a business.

“We didn’t see eye to eye. There is no bad blood. The direction they were trying to move in was not the same direction I was trying to move in as a man, and we had to part ways. It happens with some people.

There are no hard feelings. I saw coach Fox after the game and pleasantries were exchanged. I was just glad to see guys I played with. It’s all good in my book.”

More importantly, Jenkins said his move to the Jets was in his best interest because he needed a change of pace. Jenkins said he had to take care of his family and his departure had nothing to do with his play. He said he was handling his responsibilities as a man and football wasn’t the lone factor.

Through the years injuries have been a factor in keeping Jenkins off the field. He has had to overcome an injured right shoulder early in his career, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2005 and in October tearing the left ACL.

But when healthy, he is one of the best at his position. That is why the Panthers gave him a contract extension in 2003, and the Jets did the same two years ago when they traded for him. In addition, that is why Jets coach Rex Ryan helped talk Jenkins out of considering retirement.

“It’s great to get that presence in the middle,” Ryan said. “He’s obviously a monster in there. It’s great to have him.”

[flgreen]

.Tomlinson Shows Hints of His Old Form

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

LaDainian Tomlinson finished with 26 yards on three carries in about a quarter of work.

By VIV BERNSTEIN

Published: August 22, 2010

CHARLOTTE. N.C. — The second game of the rest of LaDainian Tomlinson’s career began with a 20-yard burst. The Jets were pinned deep, with a third-and-13 at their 5, when Tomlinson took a handoff from quarterback Mark Sanchez, sprinted up the middle and cut left for a first down at the 25.

Go to The Fifth Down Blog

It was only a preseason game. The results did not count. But they mattered because that run sent a message that there was something left in Tomlinson’s 31-year-old legs after nine mostly stellar seasons and 12,490 yards with the San Diego Chargers.

“I think every year, you have something to prove because it’s another year of playing football, you know?” Tomlinson said after the Jets beat the Carolina Panthers, 9-3, Saturday night in an otherwise ugly display of offense by both teams. “I know that what I’ve done in the past speaks for itself. I was just coming here to play football and have fun and jell with these guys and try to win the championship.”

A six-time All-Pro who won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2006 and has appeared in five Pro Bowls, Tomlinson ranks among the great running backs in N.F.L. history. He is eighth in career rushing yards and needs 250 to pass Tony Dorsett for seventh. He can pass Eric Dickerson for sixth if he manages to gain 770 yards.

That is not a given, considering he will share time in the backfield with the starter, Shonn Greene. And his recent past raises some doubt. Tomlinson’s numbers dipped drastically last season, when he rushed for 730 yards. It was the only time he failed to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. His average of 3.3 yards a carry was a career low, as were his 20 receptions for 154 yards.

Tomlinson was let go after he was held to 24 yards on 12 carries in the Chargers’ 17-14 upset loss to the Jets in the playoffs. The Jets signed him in March to give Sanchez an outlet and help Greene carry the load in the backfield.

Tomlinson has repeatedly said his production dropped last season because he was not healthy, having sprained an ankle at the start of the year.

He has been healthy this training camp, though.

“I feel good,” Tomlinson said. “I’m telling you guys all along, when I’m healthy, I can perform at a high level. You guys are seeing when I’m healthy.”

It is too early to know how much Tomlinson has left. But his speed was apparent against the Panthers. On a night when little went right for the Jets on offense, Tomlinson’s brief performance stood out.

“He looks great,” Sanchez said. “He hasn’t aged a bit. He looks as quick and as fast as ever. He’s smart. He did a great job underneath catching balls, too, so we’re going to be just fine. He’s going to be a big help for us. Great acquisition.”

Tomlinson finished with 26 yards on three carries in about a quarter of work — Coach Rex Ryan pulled his starters in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Still, with his opening run, Tomlinson topped his 17-yard total in the Jets’ opening preseason game. And it was enough to hint at what he could offer the Jets this season. He also had two receptions for 2 yards while being used as an option underneath for Sanchez. The short passing game struggled at times, though.

Tomlinson did not seem worried.

“It was just stuff we’ve got to work on, you know,” he said. “That stuff takes time as you rep it. We didn’t get a chance to practice that as much as we would like. It’s preseason; it’s something that we tried to work out and throw in at the last minute. We’ll get better at it.”

Asked if Tomlinson’s performance reaffirmed the team’s decision to sign him, Ryan said: “Yeah, no doubt. And the way he catches the football, the way he pass-protects, the kind of teammate he is, absolutely.”

As for Tomlinson, he was clearly happy for the work. He said the Chargers made a practice of keeping him out of preseason games in recent years, so playing time this early was a relatively new experience.

“I’m enjoying it,” he said. “As you see, I’m having fun. I’m playing with these guys. I’ve always wanted to play in preseason. When my guys are out there, I want to be out there with them. Unfortunately, the last few years, coaches wouldn’t let me play. But now, I’m getting the opportunity to play, and I think it helps when the season starts because you’re able to hit the ground running, so I’m looking forward to that.”

[flgreen]

Football: Ex-Husker Slauson bonds with rival over Jets starting job

« SportsRSS SHARE

DiggNewsvinedel.icio.usRedditFacebookTwitterPRINT EMAIL Related News

•Husker hammer Kunalic is pacing himself

•Senior Games: State event draws 331...

•Football: Potts gets QB nod for...

•Henry figuring out how to focus the fury

•Football: Spanier's experience, ties ...

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) — Matt Slauson and Vladimir Ducasse are The Odd Couple of the New York Jets' offensive line.

They're two big men from different parts of the world who have little in common, from their skin color to their paths to the NFL. Even communicating can be a challenge: The American-born Slauson speaks with a stutter, and English isn't the Haitian-born Ducasse's first language.

Still, their desire to be the Jets' starting left guard has bonded them more than they could have imagined.

“Matt's been great,” Ducasse said. “He's always helping me out. Whenever I need something, I'll go up to him and ask him. He's always there for me.”

And that's despite the fact they're going after the same job.

“I don't want to make this where I'm trying to keep him from being his best so I have the best shot at getting the job,” Slauson said. “I don't want that because we're all on the same page. We care about one thing: Super Bowl.”

Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is charged with the task of replacing perennial Pro Bowl pick Alan Faneca on a unit that helped pave the way last season for the league's top rushing attack.

“It's awfully competitive,” Callahan said. “It's been challenging for both of them.”

Ducasse is a 6-foot-5, 330-pound massive, but quiet, man who was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, moved to Stamford, Conn., at age 14, and speaks Creole, French and English.

“He's a real, real gentleman,” Callahan said, “but he competes and his nasty is growing.”

Ducasse learned how to play football in high school and was such a quick study, he ended up starting for three years at left tackle for the University of Massachusetts.

“Vlad's a stud,” Slauson said. “He's going to be nipping at my heels the whole entire way, pushing me. If I slip a little bit, he's going to come in and grab it.”

Slauson is certainly no slouch. He's also 6-5 but about 15 pounds lighter than Ducasse. He makes up for that with a tough-guy look that matches his intensity on the field with his scruffy chin hair and tattooed arms. Slauson, a sixth-round pick last year, was born in Oregon, went to high school in Colorado and then had a terrific career at the University of Nebraska.

“We're different, but we've developed a really good relationship,” Slauson said. “We hang out, talk about all kinds of stuff. I was actually just asking him the other day about what Haiti was like and what his parents did, and how his dad is an accountant for the Bank of Haiti. It's cool.”

While much of the focus in training camp has been on Darrelle Revis' holdout, coach Rex Ryan's mouth, quarterback Mark Sanchez's development and all of the new faces on the team, the competition between Ducasse and Slauson is just as important a story line.

The winner will step into a spot Faneca held down the past two seasons. While Faneca's run blocking ability is still considered outstanding, his age — he's 33 — and declining pass blocking skills made him expendable. So, the Jets cut him the night they drafted Ducasse.

“They're very hard decisions, tough decisions,” said Callahan, a former Nebraska coach. “When you get attached to someone like Alan Faneca, it's very hard.”

Now, both Ducasse and Slauson want to prove the team made the right call.

“You're missing a piece, but Vlad and Slauson are doing a great job of battling, asking questions, wanting to be the guy that we can count on,” center Nick Mangold said. “When you have two guys that are doing that, it's a great situation.”

Slauson started in the Jets' preseason opener against the Giants on Monday night. That doesn't mean that the competition is anywhere close to being over, though.

“I've just been reluctant to say anything relative to anybody being ahead or not ahead,” Callahan said. “I'm the type of guy that just wants to see it play out and see what happens. We've got a whole preseason to go. Let them go for it.”

The two have been alternating work with the first-team offense throughout camp.

“It's such a long season,” Callahan said, “I may need them both.”

Slauson filled in at guard and center last season as a rookie, playing in three regular-season games. Meanwhile, Ducasse is transitioning from tackle to guard — just as Slauson did at Nebraska.

“At the end of it all, I want to become the starter, but I still have a lot of hard work to do,” Ducasse said. “The season's long, 17 weeks, so it's not like this battle is going to be over even after camp.”

[flgreen]

23

Aug

Wherein Tim Cowlishaw Saves the Jets’ Season

Kicked off on August 23, 2010 at 2:40 AM by Max V.V.

Filed under: Churn Rumor Mill Churn | Foreverlink

Tags: Darrelle Revis, David Harris, Mike Tannenbaum, Nick Mangold, Rex Ryan, Woody Johnson

Weeks passed with little to no progress. What news did find its way into the papers prior to the media blackout was routinely negative. Woody was flummoxed. Tannenbaum wished he had another card to play. Revis’s agents would not be swayed. But all along Jets fans knew, or believed, rather, that a deal to return our best player to the field would get done. We knew someone would come along to save the day. Would you have guessed that man would be…

Tim Cowlishaw??

Boy, has Around the Horn ever been a vein of wonderful news this week. First Jay Mariotti, scourge of good-hearted, Ebert-loving people everywhere, is arrested on the very charges he spent years decrying (domestic violence; my sympathies, of course, to his girlfriend, for whom life with Jay was apparently not punishment enough), and now Cowlishaw, the weirdly folksy, be-goateed occupant of Kevin Blackistone’s cater-corner, has swooped in to rescue us all from certain doom. Now, I know Cowlishaw hasn’t actually done anything to resolve the Revis dispute. At best, he’s merely an opportunist with some fast tweeting thumbs, and at worst he’s led us all on a credibility-destroying goose chase. But give the man some credit! Cowlishaw took an otherwise newsless Sunday afternoon and infused it with the first good news we’ve heard about Darrelle Revis all summer.

For those inattentive few who have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s the story. Around 4pm yesterday afternoon, Cowlishaw shook the Jets world to attention by tweeting that a “new deal” between the team and Revis would be settled, “probably on Wednesday.” Most people’s initial thoughts were like mine. How does Tim Cowlishaw, a Dallas sportswriter presumably lacking in any serious access into the Jets organization, get hold of this kind of sensitive information? After all, within minutes Jets reporters Jenny Vrentas and Manish Mehta were flatly disputing his claims…yet Cowlishaw stood by them, and some of his peers in national sports media even chimed in to back him up. But, say it were a false lead? What then would he have to gain in its fabrication, or in reporting something so blatantly misinformed as gospel? This didn’t feel like Jared Dudley’s boneheaded declaration that LeBron was headed to New York (“WOW!!!“) or Stephen A. Smith’s eventually correct but nevertheless baseless estimation that the destination was Miami. This felt legitimate, if it were really coming from the man himself. The only conclusion that some Twitter users could come up with was that Cowlishaw’s account had been hijacked by a prankster.

The Great Furry Chin was all over that theory as well, proving his credentials by referring to Bob Glauber of Newsday as “Cubby,” a (now not so) secret nickname shared between the two. Glauber was convinced Cowlishaw was for real, and, all instincts to the contrary, so was I. It was inconceivable to me that a professional sports journalist with a nationally recognized name would jump so comfortably into such hot water with a 100% dependable source. Why then didn’t the Jets writers have this information? Hard to say, but most speculation seems to agree on two major points: 1) The moratorium on media chatter between the two negotiating parties has kept it out of their hands and 2) Cowlishaw’s source is likely from outside the major camps, with most pinpointing HBO as the likely culprit. Wait, HBO. Wednesday. An announcement on Wednesday!? HBO. Wednesday. OH GOD IT’S HAPPEN—

Chill out, bro. At 6:30 PM, just as the synapses started clicking in Jets fans’ minds, Mike Florio pissed all over Cowlishaw’s argument, writing with a “very high if not absolute degree of certainty” that it was Nick Mangold who would be getting re-upped, and not Darrelle Revis. If every Jets fan in New York could have been assembled in one room for that revelation, I suspect the groan-to-cheer ratio would be almost exactly 1. Everyone was elated, naturally, to see the consummate fan favorite rewarded for his team-first attitude and distinguished commitment to the Super Bowl dream. Word was that Nick would become the highest paid center in the league, money well, well deserved. It was impossible not to be happy for Nick for having avoided the fate outlined in my parable, and congratulatory tweets flooded in. Yet, Cowlishaw’s baffling mixup left many disappointed as well. Nick getting a new deal was big news, to be certain. He’s every bit as talented respective to his position as Revis is. Yet Mangold was going to play this year out anyway. From the perspective of the common fan, focused only on winning right now, this news was meaningless. It was Revis we needed!

Yet again, the discussion shifted course. Could they both sign this week? Seemed impossible just given how traumatizing getting one of them done has been. Yet–what do we know about the financial workings of a multi-billion dollar corporation? Who’s to say eliminating one wouldn’t make the other easier, or, that the two have been finalized as a package deal? Rumblings persisted, though most assumed Cowlishaw had crossed his wires, and that the story was Mangold all along.

Until the man started talking again.

Writing in response to Jets321, who berated the reporter numerous times for his perceived error, Cowlishaw threw the whole damn story up for grabs again by saying, “yeah I don’t know the difference between mangold and revis. Please…”

There you have it. Tim Cowlishaw just implied that Darrelle Revis and Nick Mangold are both getting contract extensions on the same week, in time to get Revis on the field for a home preseason game, and that Hard Knocks may well be intimately involved. Yup, I didn’t know it was possible to get a boner from offseason football business news either. But before the worry-warts flood me with reminders that none of this is confirmed, let’s get real. Cowlishaw couldn’t possibly take things this far without complete confidence in his source, which, again, probably comes from outside the conventional outlets. Will I be surprised if Revis announcement comes Wednesday without another media group breaking it first? Yes. Does the fact that no one has yet prove Cowlishaw is a liar? Hell no.

Unless it’s 2003 and the writer in question works for the New York Times, respected journalists don’t make up stories up out of thin air. Even ones who are mostly known for dicking around with this charming manchild on cable TV and for having stupid facial hair that makes me want to punch them for no real reason. They’re just not going to put their credibility on the line like that. Besides, there’s no rationale for doubting him. We don’t know how much or how little advancement has been made on Revis in the past two weeks, and I don’t believe things were ever as dire as Woody and Tanny claimed them to be at the time (although that didn’t prevent me from rocking violently in a corner for six hours after their radio interviews). This thing was always going to go down, and this team’s going to see to it happening while the cameras roll. I wouldn’t expect the final 10 minutes of HK to cut to a live press conference and contract signing, but it appears the answer to the Revis holdout lies in the 10pm premium cable timeslot. It’s must-see(er!) TV!

So what do you guys say? Let’s hear it for Mangold and Revis both getting signed in a matter of days!

Oh, poor David Harris.

- Manhole Out

[flgreen]

Today’s Practice Rained Out for Fans

Posted by Randy Lange on August 23, 2010 – 9:16 am

The rain continues to reign whenever the Jets schedule an open practice for the fans.

Due to the ongoing inclement weather, today’s training camp practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center has been moved indoors, into the fieldhouse, and as a result the practice has been closed to the public. Also, Jets Fest and Jets Shop will be closed today.

And with the North Jersey weather forecast gloomy all the way into Tuesday, tomorrow’s practice, originally scheduled to be open, is now up in the air. Fans who were thinking of attending that practice should check newyorkjets.com today and especially tomorrow morning for updates on the schedule.

The Jets’ Wednesday evening practice at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium on Long Island is still a go, subject to conditions.

[flgreen]

Tony Dungy on criticism of Jets coach Rex Ryan: 'It wasn't anything personal'

09:20 AMYahoo! BuzzShare

DiggNewsvineRedditE-mailSavePrintShare0 1

Comments

1

Recommend NBC analyst Tony Dungy clarified his critical remarks of Jets coach Rex Ryan, whom Dungy thought used too many expletives during the first episode of HBO's Hard Knocks.

"We talked on the telephone, and it was a good conversation," Dungy said during NBC's Vikings-49ers broadcast Sunday night. "And I told him it wasn't anything personal. I was saying they asked me about my feelings about profanity, and I'm not a big fan of it, whether it comes from Rex Ryan or anyone else.

"I think especially as a leader, leading a football team or anything, I just don't think it is necessary."

Dungy worried that Ryan's salty language reflected poorly on the NFL's closely guarded image.

"I had a lot of Jets fans -- who love Rex Ryan -- who said it was hard to watch, and especially with their kids. And I think that's something the league ought to be aware of," said Dungy, who refused to be mic'd up when he was the head coach for the Buccaneers and Colts for fear he'd say something he didn't want to be aired publicly.

And apparently it's a scenario Dungy will never have to cope with as he has no plans to return to the sideline.

"I really do not," said Dungy, who spoke to friends with the Vikings and 49ers prior to Sunday's contest. "I didn't have any buzz, any itch to be out there."

-- Nate Davis

[#27TheDominator]

Tony Dungy on criticism of Jets coach Rex Ryan: 'It wasn't anything personal'

09:20 AMYahoo! BuzzShare

DiggNewsvineRedditE-mailSavePrintShare0 1

Comments

-- Nate Davis

Is this the glove wearing QB from Ball State that Joe said was the class of the 2009 QB draft? I thought he was still with the Niners.

[Fifth Amendment]

Thx. Great post.

[flgreen]

New Meadowlands Stadium Bigger, Not Necessarily Better0

Comments

Say Something »

.8/23/2010 12:30 PM ET By Dave Goldberg

PrintAText Size

Dave Goldberg

Senior NFL Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The idea to charge fans just for the right to buy a ticket to an NFL game surfaced nearly two decades ago, when Carolina entered the league based on charging for "personal seat licenses,'' and other teams quickly followed.

Soon afterward, then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue was asked was if the PSLs were pricing the ordinary fan out of stadiums.

"Ordinary fans,'' he replied, "watch the games on television."

That's not quite the attitude of Tagliabue's successor, Roger Goodell. But the league's policies – with new or renovated stadiums in more than 20 locales since then -- seem to reflect it. The newest is the great gray edifice in the Meadowlands, called Giants/Jets Meadowlands Stadium -- or something like that. A new $1.6 billion "palace'' where the fees per ticket go as high as $20,000.

It's more than that in Dallas, but that's ... well, Texas.

Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney, now the ambassador to Ireland, flew in from Dublin Saturday night to watch his Steelers play the Giants at the new facility, then flew back from Newark Sunday -- 8,000 miles or so just to watch an exhibition game. That's one reason why he is so revered by his fans -- he cares. He also cares about the league, so he wanted to see the new stadium.

That's also why I went to game: I wanted to see the new place. Both from the press box and from the stands, where I savored the experience from a $120 seat that's "licensed'' for a "one-time only'' bargain price of $4,000.

My grade? Compared to the old Giants Stadium, which was charging $7 or so per ticket when it opened in 1976: D-minus.

My grade? Compared to the old Giants Stadium, which was charging $7 or so per ticket when it opened in 1976: D-minus.

So it's not surprising that neither the Giants nor Jets have been able to sell out the place -- the Jets are significantly behind, despite owner Woody Johnson's rant that his team now owns New York. His team still had close to 9,000 seats to sell last week, the Giants about 1,000.

Why the lack of enthusiasm?

Because it's just too costly.

It cost $1.6 billion for the Mara/Tisch families and Johnson to provide a place for their teams to share. Yet Giants Stadium, on the same site, had no bad seats except maybe in the press box, which they moved to the roof a decade or so ago in order to turn the old one into luxury suites.

"We're moving you closer to God,'' laughed the late Wellington Mara, who with Rooney was the last of the old-line "football only'' owners. His son John has continued the tradition.

The new place?

Obviously tickets cost too much. They are too much for regular-season games and way too much for exhibitions like the one Saturday night, where most of the time you're watching guys who will play in the UFL, nowhere or spend the season on practice squads.

Worse, the experience has gone from just watching football to "entertainment.'' Even for the Giants' first home game in the new building, only 55,000 folks showed up to sit in 82,000 seats and maybe a quarter of them were Steelers fans who wanted to watch their team and got their tickets in the generous online re-sale the Giants run. Probably half the Giants season ticket-holders are waiting for the regular season, when real players are participating and it matters who wins.

The Giants would be advised to work out a lot of things.

During timeouts, it's not enough to chat with your neighbor (can't hear because of the music) or go to the refreshment stands or restrooms -- the lines at the restrooms will be longer when more people are there.

Just as bad is the tone by what always has been the most professional of operations.

In a direct affront to the late Bob Sheppard, who was the PA announcer for the Giants as well as the Yankees, the Giants were introduced as YOURRRR New York Giants'' when they ran on to the field. And the Sheppard sound-alike calling each play was all over the place -- when Darian Hagan, No. 80, caught a pass for the Giants, he called him Sha'reff Rashad, a safety who wears No. 30 and had already left the game with an injury (learn your own players, please, and used a spotter or binoculars).

OK, it's preseason for the announcers, too. But there are plenty of things from the old Giants Stadium that are lacking in the new.

For example, in the old stadium, scores of other games were always there, posted on a scoreboard at each end to be perused at any time. So were Mets and Yankees scores when they were in season and so were stats, constantly updated.

In the new joint, you have to be looking at the right time to get them. And no baseball scores in sight.

You also have to figure out the football scores because the format makes it difficult to tell if they run horizontally or vertically.

That is, Baltimore was playing Washington and Tampa Bay was at Kansas City and the scores ran in pairs when they flashed them.

Were they left to right or top to bottom? Baltimore was listed with Washington to its left and Tampa Bay beneath it. Washington was listed with Baltimore to the right and Kansas City beneath it. So if you read left to right, Baltimore was playing Washington and the Bucs were at the Chiefs. That was correct. But if you read top to bottom (why not?) it was Baltimore-Tampa Bay and Tampa Bay-Kansas City.

Simple solution: Leave the scores up permanently, as they did at the old Giants Stadium, where, for the record, they were north to south. Well, it's a NEW STADIUM and let's show fans flashier computer graphics on our MUCH bigger screens.

Same thing with stats. They came and went. In the new era, the graphics just have to keep moving.

Again, that's not big stuff. Nor is the food, which has more variety than the old place (at outlandish prices, of course) but isn't much tastier. And it's just as crowded on the stairwells and when just trying to get around. And the looks? Drab.

But that really doesn't matter to the NFL because ...

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11,Tagliabue got it into his head that cold weather or not, the NFL needed a Super Bowl in New York and possibly Washington, the two cities targeted by the terrorists. Then he started to back off.

At a news conference announcing he was putting that on hold, he said "Giants Stadium isn't adequate for it.''

"What's wrong with Giants Stadium?'' he was asked.

"Not enough common areas; not enough suites; not enough room for all the fans,'' he replied.That's the theme. Unless the average fan wants to shell out far beyond his or her means -- and a lot of people do -- the Super Bowl is for the corporate types.

So now there's this multibillion-dollar facility in the Meadowlands (at least, like Jerry Jones' Dallas Palace, it doesn't have a scoreboard over the field within range of strong-legged punters). Building it got New York a Super Bowl in February of 2014, leaving someone in the league office to scan weather reports four years in advance and pray that it's a nice 40-degree day, as it was when the Giants and Vikings played the NFC title game in January of 2001.

The alternative is a not-so-nice 15 degrees with blizzard.

So one game seems to be the reason they tore down the old place, built the new one and charged Giants and Jets fans what many of them can't really afford to pay.

The NFL is the most popular league in America, by far.

Does it really have to tear down a perfectly good stadium?

[flgreen]

David Harris extension with Jets not expected until labor issues are resolved, says agent

Published: Monday, August 23, 2010, 11:06 AM Updated: Monday, August 23, 2010, 12:15 PM

Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

Follow Share this story

Story tools

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerDavid Harris, the Jets' leading tackler last season, is due for a raise but likely won't receive a contract extension until the NFL's labor issues are resolved.

0

0

0

Share D'Brickashaw Ferguson signed a long-term extension in July, and center Nick Mangold is on his way to doing so. The Jets have been locked in negotiations with cornerback Darrelle Revis for more than six months.

What about the fourth member of the so-called Core Four of young Jets starters, David Harris?

The linebacker's agent, Brian Mackler, said he and Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum have spoken more than a dozen times about Harris, including in recent weeks. But a deal is not expected to be done until after the uncertain labor situation lifts.

"Mike (Tannenbaum) and coach Rex Ryan have expressed their desire to make David a Jet for life," Mackler said this morning. "We understand the ramifications of an uncapped year and no CBA for a second-round pick. As we stand right now, we can't do a contract without doing a structure David and I are comfortable with."

Mackler did not comment on what that structure would be.

Harris, the Jets' leading tackler last season and a 2007 second-round pick, earned less than $1 million both this year and last. That means he is particularly affected by the 30 percent rule, which limits raises in extensions entered into this year based on the player's 2009 salary. One way to get around that rule would be to include a massive signing bonus, which teams are hesitant to dole out because the money is guaranteed.

Any extension or renegotiation by a Jets player this year would also be limited in the amount of future money that is fully guaranteed, for both skill and injury, because of the reallocation rule that stipulates future guarantees must fit under the team's 2009 salary cap. The Jets are believed to have about $300,000 remaining in 2009 cap space.

Ferguson's deal used rolling guarantees -- which lock in if he is on the Jets' roster at future dates stipulated in his contract -- for skill but not injury. It will be interesting to see how Mangold's deal will be structured, as he would also be impacted by the 30 percent rule, while Ferguson had a high jumping off point from his 2009 salary.

* * *

Cornerback Drew Coleman re-worked his contract last week, agent Alan Herman said today.

Coleman signed his one-year, restricted free agent tender worth $1.176 million in April. But last week, the team and his agent re-negotiated for him to earn $850,000 this year, all fully guaranteed, with a $220,000 signing bonus up front.

The move makes sense for both sides. For Coleman, the guaranteed salary ensures he will be on the team this season, and he doesn't have to worry about carrying too high of a salary for a reserve corner. The Jets, meanwhile, save money at the position, important because they are locked in negotiations with All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis.

[flgreen]

McKnight Adds New Element to His Story Arc

By Randy Lange

Posted 5 hours ago

aaJoe McKnight began the process of changing his storyline on Saturday night.

" 'Hard Knocks' got to me a little bit," McKnight, the fourth-round rookie, told newyorkjets.com right after the Saturday night game at Carolina. "I didn't watch the show that night [Wednesday], but I caught the rewind. I've got some more progress to make. I'll come in Monday, keep working hard. I don't want to be labeled as a scatback. I want to be labeled a running back."

Can he also be labeled the Jets' answer at punt returner? McKnight should get a good mention on this week's HBO episode after ripping off his 67-yard return — the second-longest by a Jet in any game since 2000 — in the fourth quarter against the Panthers. He showed his effortless athleticism as he ran through the Carolina coverage and flipped the Jets' field position, even if temporarily, from their 24 to the Panthers 9.

"I just got lucky," McKnight downplayed his part in the return. "All my blockers were in the right spot. All I had to do was run. They opened everything up for me."

One secret perhaps on that return and also on offense was an emphasis on being more aggressive. Although McKnight's second-half rushing totals (11 carries, 28 yards) didn't show it, he seemed to get a little more head of steam going as he honked it up in there between the tackles.

This may have been the result of consultations he had in the days leading up to the Panthers game. LaDainian Tomlinson told him "to attack the defense. You can't make a cut on everybody." And RBs coach Anthony Lynn offered similar advice wrapped up in different words.

"The main thing Coach Lynn told me is you've just got to commit to your cuts. If you do that, everything will be all right," McKnight said. "Just try to be a force, try to run hard and run strong."

It's all about NFL growth, and McKnight may be in the process of writing an uplifting story arc for one of the three remaining episodes of Hard Knocks and for the season beyond.

Here are the Jets' four punt returns of 60 or more yards in all 211 pre-, regular- and postseason games since 2000:

Season Returner Type Opp Yards

2004 Santana Moss PO @PIT 75t

2010 Joe McKnight Pre @CAR 67

2002 Santana Moss RS CLE 63t

2008 Dwight Lowery Pre @ CLE 62t