What about Bob?

The NFL announced today that Jets linebacker Calvin Pace, a prized free agent acquisition last year, has been suspended without pay for the first four games for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing substances.

Pace's suspension begins on Saturday, September 5. He is eligible to return to the Jets’ active roster on Monday, October 5 following the team’s October 4 game against the New Orleans Saints.

Pace is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

Pace explained in a statement released by the Jets that he took a dietary supplement that contained a banned substance. He did not identify the supplement.

"This is a situation that resulted from an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contained a substance that I did not know violated the League’s policy," Pace said. "I am responsible for what I put into my body and I should have paid closer attention to the league’s guidelines. I regret that this has happened and apologize to my teammates, the entire Jets organization as well as the fans. Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl."

The Jets said in a statement: "We respect the League’s decision and look forward to Calvin’s return for our Monday Night game at Miami."

Pace signed a six-year, $42 million contract in 2008. The deal included a signing bonus of $20 million. Pace was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2003.

Last year, Pace had 80 tackles, including seven sacks, and five forced fumbles.

Patrick E. McCarthy, Newsday

We'll get around to looking into this situation a bit more as training camp approaches, but a relatively new technological innovation called "Hudl" is catching on with the NFL, including the Jets.

Here's an item from thejetsblog.com on the new technology.

"Hudl is really quick, easy to access, and really easy to use. Things that you could only do here at the facility you can do just as quickly from home," soon-to-be-Vikings QB Brett Favre said of the product.

Hudl is basically a team's playbook without the binder and pages. It's an on-line library that players can access on a computer. Cool.

It wasn't until a few years ago that Jets coach Rex Ryan realized why he struggled so much in school. The Jets' rookie head coach admitted recently he'd been diagnosed with dyslexia.

"It was really frustrating," Ryan told The Associated Press. "So much of school, you have to write, but I just struggled. I couldn't help it."

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that affects people's abilities to read, spell, write and pronounce words. Ryan, 46, was diagnosed with dyslexia a few years ago when his oldest son, Payton, was tested for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

"They gave me a test, too, and there were like 100 words, not real words, but letters just thrown out there," Ryan said. "It might've taken me, I don't know, maybe 15 minutes to read it out. They brought in my youngest son, who was maybe 10 or 12 at that time, and he read it in like a minute.

"The further we went along with it, the more I realized, 'Man, oh, man. I can see where I definitely had it.'"

Making it more difficult for Ryan was the fact his mother, Doris, has a doctorate in education and was a vice president of the University of New Brunswick in Canada. His father, former Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan, was a two-time academic All-American before becoming one of the NFL's top defensive coaches.

- AP Photo

The Jets' kicker is going bonkers on his Twitter account in response to an item on Deadspin that referenced his appearance last night on the Sean Hannity Show on Fox News.

Here's the passage from the Deadspin post that has Feely, an unapologetic Republican who is very much into the news of the world, Tweeting like cracy:

"You see, the New York Jets' kicker isn't just one of those dumb jocks who misses three field goals in one game. He follows the news and has a working knowledge of history. He went to the University of Michigan, and he graduated. Also, he thinks Barack Obama is really a socialist Muslim whose policies are meant to cripple the country, and for some reason, Feely isn't a fan. (Or, you know, something like that.)

First off, Feely categorically denied that characterization of Obama, which Deadspin already posted.

And now, a sampling of Feely's tweets in response to the Deadspin critique in response to his Hannity appearance:

"The mistakes of our past should not inhibit us from seeking the right path going forward. Through mistakes we should learn and grow."

"I agree with you who were frustrated by the Left degrading President Bush. You can disagree respectfully and impersonally."

"@craigstelle I agree fear is not a true motivating factor, but if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."

"We have always stood on the side of freedom and supported individual liberty."

"The President should be proud of the accomplishments our country has achieved throughout it's history and willing to defend that greatness."

"I always will respect the President of our country even if I disagree with his policies or politics. He is our President."

"I have never said I believed Obama to be a socialist Muslim. It does bother me h's is unwilling to defend America's greatness."

"@labich sorry that my love for our country and desire to see it continue as a beacon of hope around the world offends you."

My take on Feely: Well, I'm not going to get into his politics, because that's not what I'm here for. But I do love the fact that he's a professional athlete willing to speak his mind. And defend what he says when questioned about it.

Not only that, but Feely is a guy who studies the world around him - the sports world and the real world.

Wish there were more like him in sports.

Oh, and in case you want to follow Feely on Twitter, his address his Twitter.com/JayFeely. And in case you want to follow me following Feely on Twitter, it's Twitter.com/BobGlauber

Yes, it's true.

Happened at a recent charity event - Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope - a program that combines the forces of major national and regional retailers with community-based foundations and charities headed by some of this country's best-known sports, music and civic personalities.

Mantz picked this one up and pointed to a moment during the festivities when former Jets QB Esiason began stripping the current Jets QB for the crowd. It occurs a minute and a half into the video.

And it was all for a good cause. This year Samsung pledges to raise $1 million for these outstanding charities, and to date has raised more than $20 million for these charities and educational initiatives, according to Mantz.

The Jets' owner told Boomer Esiason on this week's Boomer Esiason show that the Jets have not made any decision on wide receiver Plaxico Burress because of his uncertain legal situation and what might happen as far as discipline from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

"We don’t know what his current status, both legally and from a league standpoint, and until those are cleared up, we look at him like any other player—we look at the talent, if there is talent, which there is with Plaxico, but there is with other talent around as well," Johnson told Esiason on the show, which airs tonight on MSG. "When those two questions are answered, then we’ll proceed to the next level. Otherwise, basically it’s a holding pattern."

Burress' attorney, Benjamin Brafman, asked for and received a continuance in the case until Sept. 23. However, New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau told reporters yesterday that a grand jury will likely be seated in July, meaning Burress could go to trial in the fall. Brafman has been under the impression that any trial wouldn't take place until next spring.

Johnson addressed several other issues with Esiason:

On Rex Ryan taking on the Dolphins and Patriots in recent comments to the media: "He says what’s on his mind and he says it with a lot of humor too. I think you’re seeing a second generation coach because he learned a lot from his Dad. He came out day one with an optimistic forecast of what the Jets are going to do this year ... I think that’s his personality; his brother is kind of the same. He’s gonna speak his mind but he knows what he’s talking about because he is a football man first. We hired him for his ability to put the team together. When I first met him we talked for four or five hours and it was all about team building. The things he’s doing, the relationship he has with the media, the players, and coaches—those are all elements of why we hired him."

Continue reading "Woody Johnson on Plaxico: We're in a holding pattern" »

The Jets' tight end said on his Twitter account that he was confronted by a pit bull while walking in Brooklyn.

He doesn't say when the incident occurred in a Twitter dispatch that was posted shortly before 3 p.m. today. He also doesn't indicate whether he was bitten.

Here's what he had to say:

Walking in Brooklyn and was attacked by a vicious stray pitbull that was foaming at the mouth..I jumped on a tall fence to avoid the mauling

But don't worry I'm fine..I just don't like pitbulls as much anymore..has anybody else been the victim of an attack like mine? LOL

Just glad he's able to LOL. Could have been worse.

.. hat tip to thejetsblog.com twitter account on this one. Bassett (pictured) is a bit of a Twitter freak, with nearly 5,000 posts. That's nearly as many Twitter posts as Neil Best blog posts.

Today at noon. Plenty of stuff, from Rex Ryan's verbal salvos, to quarterback competition, to what it's like to replace Boland.

Rex Ryan has been pleasantly surprised at how well the Jets' quarterback competition between Kellen Clemens and rookie Mark Sanchez has been going.

He said a few weeks ago he had a gut feeling how things would go. And while he won't say whether things will work out differently than he expected, he thinks the competition is much closer than he envisioned.

"Clemens and Sanchez are really battling," Ryan said at his press briefing a few minutes ago, his final press conference before training camp opens. "I knew it was going to be a dogfight and right now, you can tell it really is. We probably won’t know until … whenever it becomes obvious, that’s when we’ll make the decision. Obviously you’d prefer to have it sooner than later, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Both have been really good and they challenge each other, but they're very supportive."

By this time last year, Ryan knew that Ravens rookie Joe Flacco was the best quarterback in camp (over Troy Smith and Kyle Boller), but he can't tell right now between Clemens and Sanchez, who yesterday signed a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $60 million.

Ryan said the money won't be a factor in his decision.

"I understand that with him getting the money, but the job as a coach is you’ve got to play the best guys and what gives you the chance to win. I have to do what’s best for our football team. If that means we play a rookie, so be it. If we play Kellen Clemens, so be it. The guy is going to have to earn that job. That’s what’s great about the competition. This is working exactly how you'd want it to work. Not that it's a slam dunk. It’s a great competition because both of them have really looked god. If they both looked terrible, you'd really be in trouble."

A source familiar with the five-year contract signed by Jets first-round quarterback Mark Sanchez (fifth overall pick) is worth $60 million, including incentives. There is $28 million in guaranteed money, and the total base salary is "in the low 50's," according to a person familiar with the contract.

In a word: wow.

Hot Rod Boone will have plenty more about the Jets' franchise quarterback.

Foxboro - Bill Belichick reacted with a shrug of the shoulders and a few compliments for Rex Ryan as a response to Ryan's crack last week during a radio interview that he "never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings."

Speaking after today's mini-camp practice, Belichick said: "It doesn't matter. I'm just trying to get ready to play and that's it."

Belichick told me he didn't think the comments would ratchet up the Jets-Pats rivalry any more than it already is. "We’ve always had great battles with the Jets," he said. "I’m sure it will be very competitive. But we open with Buffalo, so that's the next team we play. We play Miami and the Jets in due time, and I'm sure they will be tough games, like they usually are."

More Belichick on Rex and the Jets' rivalary: "I have a lot of respect for Rex and what he did in Baltimore, the defense his teams played. We've always had great battles with the Jets, so I'm sure that will continue. It's a good rivalry. They beat us up here last year [in overtime]. They kind of got the last punch in on that one."

Evidently, Belichick is capable of doing something Ryan hasn't attempted in his brief tenure with the Jets: turn the other cheek.

Wow. This Rex Ryan-Channing Crowder war of words is really getting interesting.

In fact, it's downright hysterical. At least for now.

First, it was Crowder suggesting a few days ago that Ryan's preseason bravado was a bit over the top. Then it was Ryan, who yesterday said if he were a younger guy, he'd think about beating the Craphonso out of Crowder. And now Crowder has fired back at Ryan, saying he'd have "beat the hell out of that big older joker."

Crowder also took issue with Ryan saying he hadn't heard of the Dolphins' inside linebacker.

''Oh, Lord have mercy,'' Crowder told the Miami Herald's Jeff Darlington last night, after relaying the gist of Ryan's remarks earlier in the day. "What's wrong with him? Now he's talking about preparation? We play them twice this year. If he wants to be prepared, shouldn't he know the starting middle linebackers of his division rival?''

Crowder on Ryan's suggestion he'd have fought him if the coach were a few years younger.

''He says he'd take care of me if he was younger?'' Crowder said. ``I'd have beat the hell out of that big old joker. Or if he really wants to get retro, my daddy or my uncle could have handled him. Don't get big. Win with preparation? Start watching some tape and learn who your rival is. Come on now.''

So much for Rex Ryan soft-pedaling Channing Crowder's rant the other day on Ryan's big talk about his new team. In response to Ryan predicting his team would win a Super Bowl at his introductory press conference in January, and then saying he didn't plan to kiss Bill Belichick's Super Bowl rings last week, Crowder bristled to Dolphins reporters last Friday: "Oh, he's going crazy. He's going absolutely nuts. I know it's his first chance to be a head coach, and I know he's excited about life. But, like I said, I've never played a football game in June in my whole life. So congratulations to him. He's the OTA, the OTA Super Bowl winner."

Ryan didn't wait to address the remarks. In fact, in his just-concluded presser following a mini-camp practice - and with his father, former Eagles and Cardinals coach Buddy Ryan sitting in on the press conference - Rex Ryan brought the Crowder comments up before anyone asked.

"I don’t know this Channing Crowder," Ryan said. "All I know is that he’s all tatted up. He’s right about one thing. I’m a first-time head coach, but I’ve been around the game all my life. I'm no different than I’ver ever been, just that more people are listening."

Ryan's take on Crowder saying you don't win in June?

"I think he’s wrong," Ryan said. "You do win in June. You win with your preparation. If I was younger, I’d handle him myself. He’s a good player and all that kind of stuff and it is fun to ruffle some feathers. I’ve got no problem doing that. I’m confident in our football team. I'm confident in myself, the players, the coaches and the entire organization. That’s why I say the things I say. I make no apologies for any of those types of things."

More Rex:

"I know one thing. Our football team is going to be prepared and we're’ going to play our tails off and we’re going to give everything we got. If people have trouble with it, live with it, because it's gonna happen."

Asked if Ryan was providing additional motivation for teams with his boastful comments, he said: "If that motivation is going to get them an edge, if they need that, fine. They're going to get 100 percent of what we have. We’ll see if that’s good enough."

On the Belichick comment about not kissing the Patriots coach's three Super Bowl rings: "I'm nog going to concede anything. I’m not inidimidated by him or anyone else in this business, period. Our football lteam certainly won't be intimidated either. If there are issues with that, so be it."

Yes, the Jets' running back is indeed swole these days, something I had not known until our new Jets' beat writer Roderick Boone had come along. Well, I had known he was in this condition; I simply didn't know the condition was called "swole."

Boone's first reference was something to the effect of "cat was on swole." When I asked for a translation, Boone said that Mr. Jones was in tip-top shape and featured bulging muscles. Thus, we add a new word for the Jets' vernacular.

Boone used it again in today's post as a preview for this week's mini-camp at the team's Florham Park, NJ headquarters.

The Jets' head coach complimented running back Leon Washington on his decision to leave practice this morning to be on hand for the birth of his second child, Noel. (That's Leon, spelled backwards).

Ryan then confided that he wished he'd done the same when his second child, Seth, was born.

He didn't.

"I missed my second kid being born and it’s hard to get over that one," he said. "Every time it's his birthday, my wife give me a different look."

Ryan was coaching for his father, Buddy, who led the Cardinals in 1994-95, when Seth was born.

"I was at [an off-season practice] when my youngest was born," Ryan said. "It was a young coach move. I was in Arizona and that year, when my dad got the head coaching job. We were fielding questions on nepotism. It's probably my biggest regret in coaching."

I realize that is not a popular sentiment among many Jets' fans, who believe that Jones should be beholden to the four-year, $20 million contract he signed before the 2007 season. The one he has already collected $13.1 million from over the first two years.

But Jones is scheduled to make only $900,000 this year, a mere pittance for the reigning AFC rushing champion, and has voiced his discontent by boycotting most of the Jets' voluntary practices this off-season.

Jones is back practicing, although the Jets have given no indication that they're ready to change or extend his contract. In fact, sources tell me they are not inclined to give him any more money, mostly because he has two years left on the deal, he has already collected nearly 2/3 of the contract and that the team doesn't want to set a precedent for other players.

But in Jones' case, I believe there is a middle ground that would only change the structure - and not the total value - of the deal. And by making one change in the contract, it would go a long way toward making the situation far more equitable for Jones, while still keeping the overall parameters of the contract in place.

Continue reading "I believe Thomas Jones should get more than $900,000" »

Jets veteran guard Alan Faneca isn't about to predict who will win the quarterback competition between veteran Kellen Clemens and rookie Mark Sanchez. But one thing you will not see from Faneca is a repeat of what happened in 2004, when he "welcomed" Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to the lineup with some unflattering remarks.

Early that season, quarterback Tommy Maddox went down with an elbow injury, leaving the offense in the untested hands of Roethlisberger, a first-round rookie out of Miami (Ohio). Faneca was asked by a reporter if it was exciting to see Roethlisberger step in.

(We're Twittering, if you care. Check it out at Twitter.com/BobGlauber.)
"Exciting?" Faneca replied to the question. "No, it's not exciting. Do you want to go work with some little young kid who's just out of college?"

Faneca smiled the other day when asked about the remarks, especially now that he might be in a similar position with another highly touted rookie in Sanchez.

"The starting quarterback goes down, everybody's upset, and we're just trying to make that jump [to the next level] and and one of the rpeorers asks me if I was excited to have the young guy," Faneca recalled. "As a veteran, I’m excited about winning the Super Bowl, not the young guys getting a chance. So I went off a little bit."

It won't happen again. Even if Faneca feels the same way about Sanchez as he did initially about Roethlisberger, who has turned into a mighty fine player since taking over. Big Ben is fresh off his second Super Bowl victory. Then again, Faneca might have to make doubly sure he doesn't say anything out of line in the event Sanchez does play. After all, at 32, Faneca isn't getting any younger.

But Sanchez hasn't completely escaped being poked fun at by his teammates. Once the pictures from his photo shoot in this month's edition of GQ Magazine came out, Sanchez was fair game.

Faneca said one of the photos is being used as a screen saver in the offensive unit meeting room.

"Oh, yeah. We've been giving him a hard time," Faneca said.

The NFL Network guru (and personal fave of Glauber Nation) spent some time at the Jets' complex earlier this week and came away thinking good things after meeting with Rex Ryan.

"I came away thinking about where that team is headed," Baldy writes on his NFL.com blog. Coach Rex Ryan has an infectious attitude. When you talk to him and you’re around it, it’s palpable and it’s real. I think the players feel it, too. I think the Jets are having fun playing for Ryan already."

Agreed on that one, Baldy. If nothing else, this team is gonna have fun. In fact, Ryan demands it from his players.

The Jets' loquacious linebacker talked today about how he loved football growing up, and still loves it to this day. Which is why he fits in so well with Rex Ryan, who preaches fun as much as he preaches ball security.

"I started off enjoying football, the grass, playing in Turkey Bowls, stuff like that," Scott said about how important it was not to make football seem like a chore. "Now you want to make it a job? Work?"

I suggested Scott might not have fit in with former Jets head coach Eric Mangini, who took a more serious approach to the game.

"I’m only one way and I’m sure he’s only one way," Scott said of Mangini. "I got a different way. It would have been him or me."

Scott thought a moment and realized he never would have faced that predicament.

"I wouldn't even have signed [if Mangini were still the coach]," Scott said. "I wouldn't have been here."

Spoke to the Jets' cornerback, traded from Philly earlier in the off-season, about his situation with the Iggles. It's a similar situation now facing former teammate Sheldon Brown, who is in the midst of his own contract hassle.

“I wish the league would do something," Sheppard said. "[In my situation], you feel like you’re going everything right, perfect teammate, working hard, doing everything you’re supposed to do, but it doesn’t work out in the end. There should be some rules of guidelines. You shouldn’t be able to devalue an employee like that."

I asked about the sanctity of a contract, that a player and a team reach an agreement willingly. Does that just get tossed out the window?

“It’s like injuries,” he said. “You can’t cut a guy when he’s hurt, so how can you sit a guy without probable cause? Whenever a guy feels like he needs a new deal, if he addresses that, don’t make it like, ‘You don’t tell us what to do. We have to show you who’s boss.’ That’s dead wrong."

Sheppard thinks it will end ugly for Brown.

"I talked to him and told him it’s the same thing I was going through,” Sheppard said. “I already know what the outcome is going to be."

And?

"He’s ultimately won’t even be playing before the end of the season,” Sheppard said. “It’s a known fact. I hope they prove me wrong."

Here's what the Jets' head coach just said when asked about the status of running backs Leon Washington and Thomas Jones, both of whom are staying away from voluntary off-season workouts (and OTAs), because of contract squabbles:

"I think when we go to play our first game at Houston, I believe both of them are going to be with us and ready to go. I definitely feel confident of that."

Leon Washington's agent has a Twitter page, and he has been communicating some of his thoughts about the Jets running back's boycott of this week's voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

A few examples of his comments reveal how things are going - and also reveal how Twitter will ultimately be the ruination of us all:

" want to get my client Leon Washington back into the off-season program. Its a business however and that's what we will need 2 address."

"Good morning to all. I have a lot of work on my plate today. I'm hoping to have a productive conversation with the Jets today."

"I need a massage!"

"I think the Jets are a little pissed at me right now! Oh well...its part of the business."
"Not much poppin today other than the Jets talking sideways in negotiations."

I need a massage??? Oy. (That's me, not him.)

An NFL Fanhouse report on Saturday said that "someone close to [Pacman] Jones" stated that the Jets have expressed interest in the troubled cornerback.

But a source familiar with the Jets' thinking told Glauber that that is not the case.

"No interest," the source said.

The Cowboys released Jones in January after new allegations surfaced from his involvement in a 2007 shooting outside an Atlanta strip club, though no charges were filed against Jones.

He played nine games for Dallas last season, making 31 tackles with zero interceptions.

False alarm Jet fans.

-Chris Mascaro

The guy could very easily have sulked when the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez. Or demanded a trade. Or at least bitched publicly about having the rug pulled out from under him a second straight year.

Clemens did neither.

The quote that keeps coming back:

"For me, it comes down to a simple choice. I can get mad or frustrated or whatever, or I can get better. I am choosing to get better. I am going to keep working. The beautiful thing about my approach (is that it) has been the same since Dec. 29 when the season ended. I laid out my approach, and my plan about how I am going to get better, and that carried me through the first minicamp, through OTAs. It’s short-term and it’s long-term. So it doesn’t matter much if it’s Brett Ratliff or Mark Sanchez, the beautiful thing when you are competing with yourself (is) it doesn’t matter who the other guy is. There is all that other stuff, but it’s not going to help me get better. It’s not going to help me be a major contributor on a team whose goal is to be world champions at the end of the year so it’s out-of-mind. I don’t worry about it."

Not sure how it will all play out for Clemens, but that, my friends, is a great attitude.

... ok, off to watch Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden, Clint Sintim and the rest of the Jints' rookies work out.

Be back in a bit.

(UPDATE: I'm going to leave this post near the top of the blog to make it easier if any Jets' fans want to continue their discussion. JayM made a valid point about the number of posts making it difficult to keep a discussion going, so hopefully this will address that issue. Let's see what happens. And don't worry about feeling as if you're cheating on Boland. He's fine with it. Besides, he knows I'm a page views hound.)

David Dunn, of course, is the agent of both Kellen Clemens and Mark Sanchez. He works for the agency Athletes First.

Here, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if this conflict of interest will become a problem. When Clemens was asked about it Thursday, he said the thought had crossed his mind.

“It was something that I even thought about prior to the draft, something my wife and my family considered, because Dave [Dunn] has a lot of quarterbacks,” Clemens said to the NY Times. “It’s not something that is concerning [to me] at this point. I feel very confident in him, and Mark does as well. They are going to handle their business between those two, and Dave and I will handle our business between he and I, and I am confident there won’t be any conflicts of interest.”

Sounds good, but what happens during contract negotiations with Sanchez when Dunn starts to state the reasons why his client should be No. 1 on the depth chart? I'm willing to bet there will be plenty of Clemens-bashing at that time.

Florio believes one of the two QBs should hire a new agent. I tend to agree.

-Chris Mascaro

Initial reports suggest that Jets' hostess Jenn Sterger, always a Boland favorite, was leaving the team.

Mantz suggests otherwise.

Me? I couldn't give a Craphonso whether she remains with the team.

The Jets' safety opines on how the Jets' quarterback situation changed - or didn't - with the drafting of Mark Sanchez and the trade of Brett Ratliff:

"I don’t think it changes our approach," Rhodes says. "Either way, we’re going to have a young guy who doesn’t have a lot of experience, so it doesn’t change anything."

Asked KJ whether he'd be open to Plaxico Burress joining the team if his legal problems in connection with last November's self-shooting are resolved, and he offered an interesting twist to the situation.

He invited Michael Vick into the discussion.

"I can answer that by making another statement," he said. "I think Mike Vick deserves a shot to play football again. Hopefully, these guys learn about their mistakes, they change and learn and get themselves together. If we’re going to give them a shot, who’s to say? I just hope for them as players – not just as Jets players - but as employees of the NFL - co-worker to co-worker.

"Look, honestly, it's a wakeup call. You learn the importance of getting your life together. Some things, I had to learn, too," said Jenkins, referring to off-field problems that included alcohol-related issues. "I wouldn’t drop the hammer on someone because of what I've been through. I didn't have to travel a road anywhere close to theirs. It’s a very isolating feeling to be in a situation that they’re in. I’m going to support them regardless. They’re human. To me, when you talk about things like that, it becomes a player’s life."

Continue reading "Jets: Kris Jenkins on Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick" »

The Jets' massive defensive tackle, acquired last year in a trade with the Panthers, admittedly wore down as the 2008 season went on. But back problems that limited his play down the stretch have healed up (no surgery required), and Jenkins now believes the switch to head coach Rex Ryan can help extend his career by several years.

"I’m about to be 30 in August, and I think I can squeeze another five or six years out," Jenkins told me. "I’m excited. I want to win, so we can keep this man [Ryan] here."

Jenkins said the technique required of him in Ryan's 3-4 defense will not be as physically demanding as it was in Eric Mangini's system.

"I was in a situation last year where I didn't know everything I was getting myself into until I went out and did it," he said. "It's funny. Now that I know everything that's needed, I won't be in that 3-4 again. I'll be in a different type of defense. It’s a 3-4 in philosophy, but there are roles and responsibilities that different people have. It’s a 3-4 variation."

Jenkins also hinted that less rigorous off-season requirements might also help to extend his career.

"It'll be less demanding on my body," he said. "A lot of the guys [in Baltimore] that played under Rex last long. Now you see why. They do it a little differently. I think I might get a couple more years out of this."

So, is it because of less work in the off-season? Working smarter? The technique that is asked of him? "Well, I’m not going to say, because I don’t want other people to pick up on it. You want to have your edge on the field. You don’t want everybody to know your business."

So says the Jets' fourth-year quarterback, who today spoke for the first time since the Jets selected USC star Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick.

"I'd be lying if I said I don’t think drafting Mark changed things," Clemens told reporters at his locker after a morning workout. "There's a reality there ... I'm going out this year and my expectations haven't changed since the draft. I fully expect to be under center opening day against Houston."

He quickly added, "Long term, we'll see. But what is long term in the NFL?"

More Clemens on his expectations: "The beautiful thing is when you’re competing with yourself, it doesn’t matter who the other guy is ... It's an open competition, and the best player is going to play. That's all I would ask for from coach [Rex] Ryan, and that's what he said."

Clemens is acquainted with Sanchez, mostly because they're represented by the same agent, David Dunn. But Clemens complimented Sanchez for reaching out to the veteran quarterback a few hours after Sanchez was drafted.

"He called me that night, which meant a lot," Clemens said. "That’s a really classy thing for that kid to do. Talk about getting a competitive relationship off on the right foot, that was a neat thing he did."

The veteran receiver's eyes lit up when I asked him if he was open to the idea of Plaxico Burress signing with the Jets. Rex Ryan did not close the door on signing Burress if he can resolve his legal issues in connection with a Nov. 26 self-shooting at a New York nightclub.

"I would welcome him," Cotchery said. "I know a lot of guys would welcome him because they know what kind of player he is. He's a good guy. I enjoy watching him play."

Cotchery said the team should carefully monitor Burress' situation.

"Obviously, the league is coming down on guys, even if you plead or anything like that," he said. "But I would monitor that situation. He’s a great player. That was the big difference in the Giants last year. When they needed big catch, someone to make plays, he wasn’t there. The year before, he made plays and carried the team to the Super Bowl. He’s a guy you have to watch out for."

Would Burress have any trouble fitting into the Jets' locker room, given his troubled past?

"Not at all," Cotchery said. "Not at all."

Jets guard Alan Faneca, who played with Burress during their days with the Steelers, also said Burress would be welcomed in the locker room.

"I have good memories of Plax," Faneca said. "You know who he is and what he's about and what he puts together on the field."

Faneca said the Jets have not asked him about his time with Burress in Pittsburgh.

As for the controversy surrounding Burress' self-shooting, Faneca said, "I haven’t followed it as closely, so I’m not privy to the whole story, but we’re in New York, and we’re professional athletes. It’s part of the deal. Everyone in the locker room knows if you do something out of character or against the law, the bigger the things that go on, the bigger it’s going to get."

(I have given in to the Twitter rage. Stop on by if you like at Twitter.com/BobGlauber).

Running back/returner Leon Washington isn't threatened in the least by the Jets' drafting of third-round running back Shonn Greene of Iowa. If anything, Washington likes the move.

"The more the better," Washington said. "I like the way he runs, always falling foward. I like competition. We all welcome him. He makes the team better."

The guy who should feel threatened by Greene wasn't in the locker room today. In fact, he hasn't been in the locker room all off-season. Thomas Jones, still miffed at his contract situation, has boycotted voluntary workouts.

Newsday's outgoing Jets' beat writer/blogger (and soon-to-be-Yankees beat writer/blogger) offered thanks to many folks around the Jets in his farewell missive, but he inadvertently neglected to make mention of the SNY folks, including on-air talent Steve Overmyer and ace producer Katie Sadler.

In fact, Overmyer did have a hangdog look when we saw him at the Fort this morning, and he did mention the lack of a mention. But he'll surely be heartened to see that Boland made amends in the comments section of his final blog post.

Overmyer was a frequent target of Boland's ribbing, and we'll do our best to continue the tradition moving forward. Stevie O. is one of the good guys in the business, and he can take the jabs with the best of them.

(I did notice that Steve has taken a liking to Jets running back Danny Woodhead. Not sure, but it might have something to do with the fact that Overmeyer might actually be taller than the 5-7 Woodhead.)

Photo courtesy of SNY

Ok, sorry again for the misleading headline - or at least the double entendre - involving Rhodes, but I can't help myself.

Rhodes is looking forward to meeting Sanchez, not only because he'll likely be the Jets' quarterback for the next dozen years (or so the Jets hope) but because the safety wants to see if Sanchez is as good looking as his reputation suggests.

"They say he's a pretty good looking guy, so I want to see where I stand in terms of that," Rhodes cracked. "That was the first thing. My initial reaction was kind of bitter sweet. I hear he’s a good player, but he’s going to challenge me for best-looking player on the team."

I asked Rhodes if that meant Sanchez had no shot at winning Rex Ryan's inaugural "King Ugly" award, given to the player voted by his teammates as the ugliest guy in the room. It's one of Ryan's training camp deals, something he uses to bring the players closer together and to show they must have thick skin.

"No King Ugly for Sanchez," Rhodes said. "They say he's 'hunky.' I've go to see if that's true."

And who's in the running for "King Ugly?"

"We have a few candidates," Rhodes said, "but I'll keep that to myself. Most of them are kind of big."

Rhodes looked over to Kris Jenkins' locker as he said that.

"I looked over that way, but that’s my man," Rhodes said of Jenkins. "I would never say he’s ugly."

(AP Photo)

Oh, wait. That was then, and this is now.

Today, Rhodes had no reaction - at least no public reaction - at the news that Favre is pondering a return to the NFL with the Vikings. Asked if he was surprised by Favre flirting with a second comeback, Rhodes replied: "No comment."

Wow.

"You don’t hear that from me often," the locquacious safety said. "I just don’t want to get into it."

Rhodes was outspoken after the season ended, saying that Favre needed to be involved in the team's off-season conditioning program if he wanted to continue playing.

As for Rhodes' teammates, no one seemed to hold anything against Favre for thinking comeback. Even if it might be perceived as a slight to the Jets after last year's short-lived tenure.

Asked if a Favre return had a bittersweet taste, running back Leon Washington said, "Not at all. I haven’t heard anything in the locker room about that."

Guard Alan Faneca agreed.

"I’m excited for him," Faneca said of Favre. "If he can do it, more power to him."

The way Faneca sees it, once the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, releasing Favre seemed like the logical thing to do.

"The way it worked out, he let the team know there’s a strong chance he might not be back," Faneca said. "They went out and drafted a young guy and in return, they let Brett go. The whole sequence of events goes together.

"I’m not slighted at all," Faneca said. "The way he handled that whole situation, coming in here and doing what he did, not many guys could have pulled that off. For him to want to be in a good situation, that’s his prerogative. I personally don’t have anything against him."

Does Faneca think Favre has anything left at age 39 and with a torn biceps in his throwing arm?

"I think he does," Faneca said. "He was nicked up last year, but he can play and perform at a high level."

Quarterback Kellen Clemens (we'll have more on him as the day progresses) said he'd offer any insight that might interest Vikings quarterback Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson.

"I know what they're going through a little bit," said Clemens, who was in the midst of a training camp competition with Chad Pennington when the Favre trade came down.

And there's this from veteran tackle Damien Woody: "I enjoyed my time with [Favre]. He was a great teammate, a great person. He decided to go. That's fine. He's earned the right to do that. Whatever Brett decides to do is fine."

Soon as we walked into the Jets' locker room this morning, ran into Jay Feely sitting at his locker room typing away on his laptop.

An early look at kickoff formations? Blocking schemes for field goals or PATs?

Nope.

He was blogging.

Never shy about expressing his feelings in a variety of forums - in front of his locker, on television talk shows (including our beloved Cold Pizza and First Take, as well as Sean Hannity's America), or on line. Here's a link to his Twitter page, where Feely offers insight into the Michael Vick situation.

Feely has a unique take on it, since he played for the Falcons was a longtime teammate of Vick, who is nearly done serving a prison sentence for a guilty plea on felony dogfighting charges.

Some snippets:

"Everyone wanted something from mike vick the star, but no one would help him be a man. Now no one wants any part of mike vick the felon ... I would not try to defend his actions because they were reprehensible but I will give him my friendship when most others won't ... I would welcome him as a teammate and I will stand up for him publicly ... his life isn't over, but it will never be the same ... I enjoyed playing with him and being his teammate for 4 years. He was always kind to me, but I regret that our friendship did not extend ... As a football player he was the most gifted athlete on a football field I have ever seen. And, he had the heart and courage of a warrior ... (Off the field), he had all yes men who were leeching off his success ... I don't believe he realized the implications of the risks he was taking with that behavior. He needed people who loved him enough to say no ... My take on the dogfighting (from a dog lover myself). I could neves imagine hurting an innocent animal (any animal) ... His biggest mistake was not severing his relationships with childhood friends that leached onto him and would inveitably drag him down.

Feely on blogging:

"I like to share my opinion. I love to debate. That’s what my family grew up doing."

For years, the Feely clan has vacationed in northern Minnesota, a tradition that continues to this day.

"Late at night, we sit around the fire debating all of life’s quandaries," Feely says. "We try to solve all the world's problems."

Welcome to Fort Florham, where I blog from the desk once occupied by Erik Boland, who will continue his victory lap after a terrific year with the Jets and then head off to the Bronx Zoo. He'll officially start on the Yankees beat on May 15 ... so Yankees fans can safely assume that Joe Girardi's fate will likely be sealed on that day, as long as the team continues to tank.

Anyway, we've had some locker room access and gotten plenty of stuff from the likes of Kellen Clemens, Kerry Rhodes, Alan Faneca, Jay Feely, etc., so let's get right to it.

We begin with quarterback Erik Ainge, who missed a good chunk of the off-season program attending to a private matter but is now back in full swing.

Ainge, who returned to the team nearly two weeks ago, said he's getting back up to speed after dealing with his personal situation, which he declined to specify.

"It's a private matter. That's all I can say. I dealt with it. I'm here. I'm working out and competing. It's great to be back. I can't do anything about the time that I was away."

His reaction to the Jets drafting Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick: "We drafted another good football player. That’s the way I look at it. We want to win football games. We took the next best football player to help us win. I can’t control any of thatl. All I can do is control my play and be the best player I can be and help this team win."

On how he's trying to get back in synch with the off-season program: "Obviously, I’m not exactly where I want to be yet, but I’m getting better every day. The off-season program is awesome here. Every day I come I get better. It’s just a matter of staying with the books and taking it one day at a time and working out."

On the departure of QB Brett Ratliff, who was traded to Cleveland as part of the deal to move up to take Sanchez: "Obviously you never want to be traded, but you have to find the good in everything. He's going to play for a good head coach and a good coordinator. He’ll make the best of that situation. As hard as he works, he’ll push those other guys (Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson). The competition in Cleveland will be raised because of brett Ratliff. He’ll raise the level of play in Cleveland."

It's official: Erik Boland, who did a masterful job covering the Jets these last 12-plus months, is off to the world of baseball. Well, it's actually more than baseball. It's the Yankees, which means he'll have to keep tabs on Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Joe Girardi, Alex Rodriguez, Madonna, steroids, tipping pitches, two-seam fastballs, Chin Ming Wang's boo-boos, and all the other assorted ditties that the sports world's version of Armageddon entails.

It seems like only yesterday that I felt it necessary to interject some positive feedback on Boland's blog, suggesting that his handful of critics early on were completely misguided. Now, he's got dozens of fans expressing their heartfelt condolences for his departure from the beat.

I guess I had the greatest view of all, since I not only had the pleasure of reading Boland, but of watching him grow into a terrific beat reporter and outstanding blogger. I can honestly say it wasn't that big of a surprise, because I knew the young whippersnapper. But it was a joy to watch it unfold.

Hey, he even asked me for some advice along the way. Now I get to ask him all the seamhead stuff that is the world of baseball.

Well done, my friend. Best of luck.

When the Jets' new quarterback was in New York last week for a function at Columbia University, he decided to take the subway. However, the journey took quite a bit longer than expected.

"I did not know about the express and the local, so that was different," he said. "I hit every stop. It was fun. It was a good experience. You see a lot of different people and a lot of IPods. It was good."

On other observations about the subway: "One guy was selling his poetry books that he wrote. Some other guys came on the train playing their guitars and asking for money."

Sounds about right.

.... before he graduates from USC on May 15.

The course is called "Argumentation and Application." I'm not quite sure what it entails, but it sounds quite impressive.

When someone asked if he's confident he would pass, Sanchez cracked: "Don't worry. I'll bring you my report card."

And why do we bring up last year when we're talking about this year's Jets' head coach?

Because Ryan admitted yesterday that he would have started Joe Flacco from the get-go in Baltimore last season. As it turned out, Flacco was the opening day starter, but only because of a shoulder injury to Kyle Boller and a severe case of tonsillitis for Troy Smith.

Ryan acknowledged that he felt Flacco was clearly the team's best option at quarterback EVEN BEFORE TRAINING CAMP BEGAN. So why does this mean anything? Because Ryan is now in charge of who plays quarterback, and because he's got a similar situation in that rookie Mark Sanchez is competing with veteran Kellen Clemens.

Here's my column from today's paper detailing Ryan's thought process on last year, and how it might impact the Jets' quarterback race.

Also some interesting stuff from Sanchez on what his father would sometimes do in the middle of athletic drills to make his kid a smarter human.

Enjoy the Kentucky Derby, where Newsday's Eddie Mac is on the scene ... or baseball ... or basketball ... or Boland at Day 2 of the Jets' rookie mini-camp.

(Associated Press photo)

The timing of the Jets' release of Brett Favre from the reserve-retired list created news this week. And some controversy.

The transaction took place just three days after the Jets made Mark Sanchez the fifth overall pick after a blockbuster trade with the Browns. Cause and effect? Yes ... but not necessarily for the reasons you might think.

Some key points of the situation:

* Favre's agent, Bus Cook, had asked shortly after Favre announced his retirement in February to have the quarterback released outright. But the Jets did not grant the request, because they wanted to retain his rights in the event he actually wanted to come out of retirement. There was some thinking within the organization that if the quarterback competition between Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff turned out to be a bust (in other words, if they both stunk it up), they would consider bringing Favre back if he was open to the idea. As I understand it, the team felt there was about a 15-20 percent chance Favre would be open to a return.

Continue reading "More insight into Brett Favre's release" »