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Jets Blog

As the end of the lockout nears, we take a look at some of the issues facing the Jets in 2011. Today, we look at how not being able to hold training camp in Cortland might affect the team. 
	 
One of first things Rex Ryan did when he took over as Jets coach in 2009 was telling owner Woody Johnson that he wanted to hold training camp away from the team facility in Florham Park.
	 
Ryan views training camp as a key bonding time for the team and he wants them to be away from any distractions that being at home brings.
	 
“It has nothing to do with our facilities or getting out of Florham Park, where I'm the most wanted guy in America or whatever," Ryan said in 2009. "I love it here. These facilities are better than anybody's in the league, but it's about getting away. Getting away from the comfort of this place, of the surrounding areas where their homes are and all that and putting them in a camp situation where all they've got is each other."
	 
The Jets spent the last two training camps in Cortland, and it’s hard to argue with the results. They’ve been to the AFC Championship in both years.
	 
Now, the NFL lockout has forced the Jets to stay home. Training camp will begin soon at the team’s headquarters in Florham Park.
	 
So how much will the Jets miss their time away in Cortland?
	 
It will be interesting to hear the Jets spin this because Ryan has been such a strong advocate of holding camp away from New Jersey. The argument is pretty simple for having camp away. Players spend more time together when they can’t go home to their families at night. They are more likely to hang around and do different activities together rather than all go their separate ways.
	 
Most NFL teams do have camp away from their facility, but there are a few who don’t. Among them are the Patriots and Saints – two of the top teams in the league.
	 
I think getting away was more crucial for the Jets in Ryan’s first year when everything about the defensive system was new and there was a heavy turnover of the roster.
	 
If things go as expected when free agency begins, it does not sound like the Jets will be incorporating that many new players into the team. They also have the entire coaching staff back. The Jets training camp will be more about getting reacquainted with each other and preparing for the season than other camps where a ton of teaching takes place.
	 
It will be back to Cortland next year, but for 2011 Florham Park should be sufficient.

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Jets hire longtime Colts assistant Moore

July 21, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

The Jets have hired longtime Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore as a consultant, The Post has learned. Moore, who spent 12 years running the Indianapolis offense, was one of several coaches the... Read on

The Jets have hired longtime Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore as a consultant, The Post has learned.
	 
Moore, who spent 12 years running the Indianapolis offense, was one of several coaches the Jets brought in during the lockout to meet with the coaching staff. Moore came to New Jersey in April and June. After the second session, Rex Ryan offered him a job with the team.
	 
“Rex and I go way back,” Moore said Thursday. “We’ve had some great games against each other. I just have so much respect for Rex and his staff and the organization. When he made the offer, I couldn’t refuse it.”
	 
The 72-year-old retired two years ago when the NFL owners changed the pension plan for coaches. He returned a few months later and the Colts went to the Super Bowl. He retired again before last year, but remained in a consulting role with the team as the senior offensive assistant.
	 
Moore retired from the Colts again in May. Moore said he may come to New Jersey for training camp, but will spend the season at his South Carolina home where he will review game tapes and offer observations to the Jets staff.
	 
“I want to keep involved in the game,” he said. “I’m 72 years young. I want to keep involved. This gives me a chance. I have such great respect for Rex and his staff and the organization. It’s great.”
	 
Before the Colts, Moore also coached the Steelers, Vikings, Lions and Saints. He has spent a long time paired with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, but said it won’t be strange to be with a new team.
	 
“No, I’ll just move on,” he said.
	 
The Jets were not the only team interested in hiring Moore. A source said the Ravens also pursued the coach.
	 
“I don’t want to talk about any of that stuff,” Moore said when asked about the Ravens.
	 
The Jets ranked 11th in total offense last year and 13th in points per game. Moore said he is looking forward to working with Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
	 
“One of the things that is fun about it is I’ve known Brian and his dad for a long time,” he said. “Brian is a great, great coach. He does a great job with the offense. I can learn a lot of things myself.”
	 
Moore is also a fan of quarterback Mark Sanchez.
	 
“I think he’s excellent,” Moore said. “He’s done an excellent job. I haven’t seen him in person but the record speaks for itself. [Quarterbacks coach Matt] Cavanaugh and Brian has done a great job of implementing things that he’s proficient at and that’s what coaching’s about.”

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Sanchez willing to help Jets in free agency

July 21, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Mark Sanchez is ready to become a recruiter. The Jets quarterback appeared on “The Jim Rome Show” on Wednesday and said he is ready to help general manager Mike Tannenbaum convince players to come to... Read on

Mark Sanchez is ready to become a recruiter.
	 
The Jets quarterback appeared on “The Jim Rome Show” on Wednesday and said he is ready to help general manager Mike Tannenbaum convince players to come to the Jets if needed.
	 
“Hopefully free agency will start next week and I’ll be on the horn if they need me to be calling guys, making sure guys want to come play for Rex [Ryan], but I don’t think that will be hard,”
	 Sanchez said via sportsradiointerviews.com. “I don’t think they will need me to convince anybody, but whether it is Randy Moss or Braylon [Edwards] or Santonio [Holmes] or some combination of the three of them. Anybody. I just want to know what is going on.”
	 
Sanchez acknowledged that how much he improves may dictate if the Jets can get to the Super Bowl.
	 
“Oh that’s absolutely right,” he said. “Me elevating my game and upping my completion percentage, throwing a couple of less interceptions and a couple of more touchdowns. Just keeping us on the field and moving the chains. All that stuff is so important. I think if we do that during the regular season and when I’ve had a couple of bad games, maybe a couple in a row, we get a home playoff game. Who knows to change our entire playoff run? Especially an AFC Championship game at home. I mean in New York in the cold, especially if we get a team that’s not quite use to the cold. Then we have a huge advantage or we try to get Peyton Manning outdoors. It’s tough to beat him in his own stadium, so we need to get him in our place. That’s the way we need to feel to win our division. It’s a matter of me making a big jump this year and I’m ready for that challenge. I’m excited about it and it’s time to go. We’ve been out of football too long. I am ready to go.”
	 
As for whether he thinks Holmes or Edwards is more valuable to keep, he showed an ability to duck the question.
	 
“I think both of them have their strengths,” he said. “I think both of them do so well in our system. The luxury of having both. It was really too bad we couldn’t have Santonio for the first four games of last year, but Braylon…that is a guy who can blow the top off of coverage. He can run down the field and make guys respect him down the field. He can play ‘X’ receiver by himself, isolate him on the weak side and get doubled. He can jump up for a jump ball in the red zone and make you right with a bad throw and he has done it plenty of times. That’s what the good quarterbacks have. They can have someone bail them out like that. Then you got a guy like Santonio…you can throw the ball to him behind the line of scrimmage. You can throw him the ball two yards down the field and this guy can break one for 99. This guy is unbelievable, so it’s tough to say what we need more. I think either one of them provides that deep threat. Both are so fast. Both are tough players. Both had great years last year, so I wouldn’t care who we bring back. I hope we can bring them both back, but that’s also tough because we have Brad Smith, who’s a big part of our special teams package and Wildcat package. So between the three of them I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

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Former Jets DT Jenkins retires

July 20, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Former Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins announced his retirement Wednesday on his Facebook page. The announcement is not surprising after Jenkins missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries.... Read on

Former Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins announced his retirement Wednesday
	 on his Facebook page. 
	 
The announcement is not surprising after Jenkins missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries. The 6-foot-5, 360-pounder joined the Jets before the 2008 season in a trade with the Panthers.
	 
“Wanted to let you all know that I have loved the support and respect that you all have given me throughout my career,” Jenkins wrote. “But it is time for the torch to be passed to the younger players. I am going to hang up the cleats! The mind is always willing to play but my body deserves the rest. Thank you for the opportunites to play Carolina and New York.”
	 
Jenkins had a huge impact in his first season with the Jets, giving the team a presence in the middle. But he tore his left ACL in October 2009, then suffered the same injury in the season opener last year against the Ravens. The Jets released him in February.
	 
The 31-year-old was an All-Pro selection three times, including his first season with the Jets.

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Jets' Scott off base in criticism

July 20, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

One of the more interesting football decisions that has come out of the NFL collective bargaining agreement is the reports that two-a-day practices in training camp may be eliminated.
	 
It would seem that this year having as many sessions in training camp is more important than ever considering all of the lost time in the offseason. Some non-contact walkthroughs will still be conducted as second practices, but this is going to hurt teaching time and especially special teams practices.
	 
Consider Jets linebacker Bart Scott among those who are not a fan of the new plan.
	 In an interview with NJ.com,Scott ripped the idea.
	 
“I think it’s wimping out; making football more soft,” Scott said. “I get concerned you're making football players weaker because you don’t push them past that threshold. ... I get concerned with the same thing with the quarterback stuff, that they turn it into flag football; they turn it into little pansy stuff.”
	 
Scott is never one to hide his true feelings. His stance here may be a bit silly. I don’t think football players are going to soften up because they don’t have two practices a day.
	 
What it will do is hurt the players who are trying to make the team. Less reps overall mean less reps for the guys whose spots on the team are not assured. Those players now will have fewer chances to impress the coaches. Scott was once one of those players – coming into the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He should be standing up for those players, not making this about toughness.

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Jets face tough choices at receiver

July 20, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

As the end of the lockout nears, we take a look at some of the top issues facing the Jets in 2011. Today, we look at the wide receiver position. After the 2008 collapse was complete, it was clear the... Read on

As the end of the lockout nears, we take a look at some of the top issues facing the Jets in 2011. Today, we look at the wide receiver position.
	 
After the 2008 collapse was complete, it was clear the Jets had a gaping hole on offense. Brett Favre’s right arm did not bear all the blame for the disastrous finish. The Jets lacked a playmaker at wide receiver. Over the next 1 ½ years, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum changed that with two blockbuster trades.
	 
Tannenbaum acquired Braylon Edwards in the middle of the 2009 season, and then added Santonio Holmes before last year. The pair provided Mark Sanchez with weapons that could stretch a defense. Both showed they were capable of breaking off big plays.
	 
Now, both are free agents.
	 
Reports are that the lockout is almost over and teams will have a three-day window to negotiate with their own free agents, possibly starting Monday. No decision is more critical to the 2011 Jets than what to do at receiver. Brad Smith is also a free agent, but his value is more as a kick returner and in running the “Wildcat” offense.
	 
Team officials and players have said all spring that they hope both Holmes and Edwards return. That might be asking for a lot. The Jets already have salary cap issues and free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie also wants to be paid handsomely.
	 
The consensus seems to be the Jets would rather keep Holmes if they can retain just one of their receivers, but Edwards might be easier to sign.
	 
Holmes is a year younger than Edwards at 27 years old and just one less catch than Edwards last year despite missing the first four games while serving a suspension. He is two years removed from a 1,248 receiving-yard season for the Steelers.
	 
The problem is if the Jets don’t lock him up during that three-day window of exclusivity, Holmes will not be lacking in suitors. He is top free agent wide receiver and one of the top overall.
	 
Edwards said this spring he’d be willing to come back to the Jets on a discount. He may have just been saying that to reporters, though. It seems unlikely he would turn down more money to stay with the Jets.
	 
When Cromartie was interviewed Tuesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, he said he thought Holmes was the Jets’ top priority along with himself. When pressed as to why he thought Holmes had the edge on Edwards, Cromartie gave an interesting answer.
	 
“What he brings to the table,” Cromartie said. “He’s a guy that fits well into the system, that does everything that’s asked of him, a guy that never goes out and complains, never goes out and does anything. He’s a guy that just comes in and works and he always tries to be on the same page as Mark Sanchez. He’s a workaholic when he’s out on the football field. You can tell when he goes into games how [much of] a clutch player he is.”
	 
The Jets’ hopes of winning the Super Bowl could hinge on what happens next week in free agency. If they lose one or both of the receivers, they may turn to one of the veterans on the market who all come with a question mark – Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress or Terrell Owens.

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Dolphins stop sale of 'Home of the Jets' T-shirts

July 20, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

The Dolphins were selling Jets T-shirts at their team store inside Sun Life Stadium until a Miami Herald reporter wrote about it Wednesday. Armando Salguero tweeted a photo of the T-shirt Wednesday... Read on

The Dolphins were selling Jets T-shirts at their team store inside Sun Life Stadium until a Miami Herald reporter wrote about it Wednesday.
	 
Armando Salguero
	 tweeted a photo of the T-shirt Wednesday morningthat read “Home of the Jets” on it. He then talked about it on his Miami radio show.
	 
The fact that the Dolphins were selling the shirts inside their own stadium caused a bit of an uproar that only grew when the website Pro Football Talk picked up on Salguero’s initial tweets.
	 
Eventually, the Dolphins CEO, Mike Dee, emailed Salguero to clarify the situation and let him know the shirts had been removed.
	 
Here is what Dee
	 emailed the Miami Herald: 
	 
"You should know that, at our fan's request, we are about to announce a new policy that we will no longer sell visiting team merchandise at the stadium on gamedays. This was a product of offseason focus groups that we did and among the topics that we covered was how we work with fans to create a better home field advantage.
	 
"Our fans felt strongly that this policy should be implemented and we are doing it. As part of this arrangement with the operator of the team store, we gave them a limited window to sell everything that they had in stock on a discounted basis prior to the start of the NFL season. With the Mets coming to town this weekend to play the Marlins, they are attempting to move all of their old Jets merchandise this week. We were unaware of this particular shirt which I am told is a number of years old. We have requested that this particular shirt be removed immediately."
	 
What were the Dolphins thinking?

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Cromartie says 'no hometown discount' for Jets

July 19, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Antonio Cromartie wants to remain with the Jets, but at a price. The free agent cornerback appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday and said he’s ready to test the market when the NFL lockout ends.... Read on

Antonio Cromartie wants to remain with the Jets, but at a price.
	 
The free agent cornerback appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday and said he’s ready to test the market when the NFL lockout ends.
	 
“I would love to be a Jet at the end of the day,” Cromartie told hosts Adam Schein and Rich Gannon. “But I also want to go out and see what the market is and see what my value is. At the end of the day, to me there is no such thing as no hometown discount. I’m not giving anybody no hometown discount. I’m definitely going to see what the organization says and then also let them know I would like to go out and test the market and see what my value is.”
	 
Cromartie listed the Texans, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Cardinals, Cowboys and Raiders as possible suitors in addition to the Jets.
	 
He said the chances are “great” that he will remain with the Jets.
	 
“I love the organization,” he said. “They’re a first-class organization that has always been there for their players. They’re all about their players. The chemistry that I built with my teammates there it was above nine. For me it would be a great opportunity to be back there and to play alongside [Darrelle] Revis and to play in that defense I’ve been a part of. Rex Ryan is a great coach and I love playing for him.”
	 
The 27-year-old had 42 tackles and three interceptions in his first season as a Jet after coming to New York from the Chargers in a trade.
	 
Cromartie is one of several high-profile free agents the Jets have to negotiate with when free agency begins. He believes he is either the team’s top target along with receiver Santonio Holmes.
	 
“I personally think that I rank No. 1, either 1 or 2,” he said. “Santonio is a great receiver. He brings so much to the offense.”
	 
Cromartie said Holmes gets the nod over fellow free agent receiver Braylon Edwards because of how hard he works.
	 
“He’s a guy that fits well into the system, that does everything that’s asked of him, a guy that never goes out and complains, never goes out and does anything,” Cromartie said of Holmes. “He’s a guy that just comes in and works and he always tries to be on the same page as Mark Sanchez. He’s a workaholic when he’s out on the football field. You can tell when he goes into games how [much of] a clutch player he is.”

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Will lost offseason hurt Jets?

July 19, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Over the next few days, I’ll take a look at some of the issues facing the Jets when the 2011 season finally begins. The first issue is how the loss of the offseason program will affect them.
	 
The Jets are in a better position than many teams to deal with the loss of minicamps, OTAs and team workouts because they probably won’t have too many new faces in the starting lineup. Teams that are rebuilding or have new coaches are going to have to cram so many things into training camp – from getting to know personnel to implementing the simplest parts of their offenses and defenses.
	 
We’ll have a clearer picture of just how many new pieces the Jets will have once free agency starts, but it should not be many. The Jets hope to bring back as many of their free agents as possible – including receivers Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
	 
Let’s say they bring back two of those three to be realistic. That would leave them with a new starting right tackle, possibly a receiver, fullback, a defensive end if Shaun Ellis does not return, and possibly a cornerback and/or safety.
	 
That’s better than most teams.
	 
The player who may have been hurt the most on the Jets is Vlad Ducasse. The second-year lineman is moving from left guard to right tackle. His progress will be slowed by not getting to work with the coaches all spring. The Jets hope the fact that he played tackle in college will help his learning curve. If Ducasse struggles and former Jet Damien Woody remains a free agent, they could bring Woody back.
	 
Kyle Wilson is another second-year player who may be counted upon if Cromartie is not re-signed. Wilson was not impressive as a rookie. He reportedly has been working out with Darrelle Revis in Arizona, so maybe Revis can coach him up.
	 
The Jets players have held workouts on their own – Jets West in California in May and the secret workouts at Fairleigh Dickinson last month. It’s hard to gauge how much value these workouts had, but Mark Sanchez probably raised his stature as a leader by organizing them. Reports were that he was diligent in organizing classroom work as well as activity on the field.
	 
It will be interesting to see how much the Jets can add to their schemes without the benefit of the off-season. Rex Ryan liked to say that his defense was the undergraduate version in his first year and the graduate level last year. There probably won’t be any PhDs handed out this year.
	 
Still, coaches have had a lot of time on their hands. The Jets have brought in a few former coaches to work on different areas, so there should be some wrinkles added to what they did in 2010.
	 
In the end, the lockout might benefit the Jets because they have a jump on teams that are trying to retool.

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Jets owner on Moss: 'I admire his skill'

May 30, 2011 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

Jets owner Woody Johnson doesn't think Randy Moss is a slouch.Speaking to NFL.com at the owner's meetings last week, Johnson praised the wide receiver who could fill a large void on the Jets next... Read on

Jets owner Woody Johnson doesn't think Randy Moss is a slouch.
	 
Speaking to
	 NFL.comat the owner's meetings last week, Johnson praised the wide receiver who could fill a large void on the Jets next season.
	 
"There's no question that Randy Moss has the capability, has the God-given talent to be a superstar, and he has been a superstar, particularly with the Patriots," Johnson said. "That's about all I can say about him, other than I admire his skill and what he's accomplished during those years."
	 
Jets wide receivers Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith are free agents, and the team is not expected to be able to keep all three next season. Reports continue to mention Moss as a possible replacement, or as leverage to get the others to sign.
	 
SI.comsays the Jets would have interest in Plaxico Burress if they do not sign Moss. The Eagles and Raiders also could be involved pursuing Burress, who will be released from prison next week.
	 
Teams and free agents currently are unable to negotiate due to the NFL lockout.
	 
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis called Moss, then with the Patriots, a slouch before the teams met last season. Moss later was shipped to the Vikings and Titans, with whom he finished last season.
	 
The NFL.com report also mentions the Jets' inclination to hold training camp in Florham Park rather than in Cortland, in order to better deal with free agent signings in the compressed offseason.

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About the Author

BRIAN COSTELLO Brian Costello began covering the Jets in July 2011 after reporting on a variety of sports since joining The Post in 2004. The Jefferson, N.J., native has covered the Super Bowl, World Series, NCAA tournament and three Olympics.