Erik Boland: Inside the Jets

By Tom Rock

Here it is, the final blog post of July. Dog days, here we come!

I was looking at the calendar and realized that in less than a month the preseason will be finished. The Jets close out their faux four on Aug. 30 in Philly. If anyone is planning a road trip, you should know that the Mets play the Phils that day at 1 p.m. and the Jets play the Eagles at 7. The stadia (not stadiums, as you students of Latin will know) are right across the parking lot from each other so you can park once and see two games. Just a thought.

The Jets worked on some trick plays at this evening’s practice, and while I’m not at liberty to tell you what they were, I can tell you they did not work. I can also tell you that the team finished with a hurry-up situation with both the first- and second- offensive units, and neither one could get inside the 30, leaving Mike Nugent to miss a pair of FGAs, one wide right, the other left.

Leon Washington made a pair of sweet catches out of the backfield today, one in each practice. And FB Darian Barnes made a nice catch and run. I’d hate to be standing in front of that guy.

Pete Kendall wasn’t the only o-lineman wheelin’ and dealin’ on the exercise bike today. Andrew Wicker, who’s been there for a few practices, and Ed Blanton joined him in the infirmary area. I was watching Pete pedal that exercise bike this evening. He was pedaling so slowing, the thing didn’t need to be bolted down to be stationary.

Andre Dyson missed another practice, though he is dressing for the affairs and does participate in some of the stretching and calisthenics. He made a play a few days ago and came up shaking his hand, so that might be the issue. Makes sense because it would allow him to do the lower-body work and balancing acts the team focuses on in the beginning of each workout.

I’ll have to scrap my big Tony Fisher feature. The veteran RB was waived by the Jets today, less than a week after they brought him in to replace Cedric Houston. Replacing Fisher is former Texans RB Tony Hollings. He’s the third player in training camp so far to wear No. 32, following Houston and Fisher. Not a good luck number. The Curse of Barlow lingers!

One practice tomorrow at 2 p.m. Be there or be fined $14,000.

By Tom Rock

OK, I’m back. Thanks for waiting.

Here’s the exchange I’m waiting for this training camp.

Reporter: “How distracting is the Pete Kendall situation?”

Player: “I’m sorry, can you repeat the question? I was distracted by the Pete Kendall situation.”

If any of the players or coaches who read this care to hijack that comment, feel free. We won’t tell.

I spoke with Eric Hicks for a story yesterday and we got to talking about the differences between training camp under Herm in KC and here under Eric. He said that although the practices are longer here (this morning’s workout, at 2:26, was the longest of camp), the meetings in KC were longer. And with the Jets, he said, there is more free time for players to be off their feet and resting (i.e. studying).

Hicks also spent the entire interview holding a small pug Webkin, the exact same one that my son has. The Webkin didn’t belong to Eric, of course, but one of his kids who were here visiting. We shared a fatherly roll of the eyes at the Webkin phenomenon. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re way out of touch with the 5-10 year old demographic. Get hip, people!

As my friend Tom F. once told me while I was pulling my kids in a Radio Flyer wagon: "What happened? You used to be cool."

Still no Darrelle Revis, and now no Andre Dyson. The veteran was sidelined with an injury for this morning’s practice and also missed yesterday’s workout. That means that the two projected starting corners on the Jets defense are both out. Good thing David Barrett, playing with a ligament injury to his left hand, is starting to play well. He had a second interception in two practices this morning. Starting RG Brandon Moore was excused from this morning’s practice for personal reasons.

This was a pretty hard-hitting practice, with the defense (especially LB Eric Barton) very spirited and chirpy. The offense was pretty out-of-synch and even had to run a penalty lap as an entire unit after some personnel glitches left them without enough players on the field. Mangini was pretty steamed, but he was excited that Chad Pennington was able to refocus the group and perform well in a red-zone drill. Chad even scored a TD on a keeper and spiked the ball with enthusiasm.

“We’re going to have to work on his celebration a little bit,” Mangini said of the awkward spike, “it was not that impressive.”

Finally, in the It’s a Small World category, some connections that are surfacing in Jets camp. Turns out that the team’s new PR guru, Bruce Speight, was an intern with the Browns early in his career. The guy who followed him in that role in Cleveland? Eric Mangini. Also, one of the Jets staffers was telling us about how he knew Wantagh native Joe Villani when he was growing up. This guy was friends with Villani’s older brother Dom, and he recalled picking on and teasing little Joe. Now that Villani is 6-4, 300 pounds and a professional football player, there’s not much teasing going on.

Just for the record, regarding Stephen the Intern's post yesterday, I never made any man-boob jokes. There are two things I'm in no position to ever tease anyone about: hairlines and waistlines.

Now here's our other intern's take on today's practice:

By Katie Strang

Second-year safety Eric Smith has made a big impression at Jets training camp and has fueled speculation that he may compete with Erik Coleman for the starting free safety spot. Smith, who nabbed two INT's in his rookie season with the Jets, can be seen shouting out coverage assignments and directing other players, younger and older, to their spots on the field.

No big surprise here. Smith is a smart guy -- he was recruited by Harvard and Yale before committing to Michigan State University (and as a Spartan alum, I can say, thank God he did) where he had a team-high 101 tackles his senior season, 323 total, leaving him 13th on MSU's all-time list.

Those who like him to replace Coleman for the starting free safety position like his explosive speed and physicality. His athleticism and leadership certainly make him an attractive candidate for the spot. On the last play during today's session, Smith out-jumped everyone in the end zone and batted down Kellen Clemens' Hail Mary right into David Harris' arms.

Although Smith has been taking a lot of reps with the first team during camp, he said it's just to get an even amount of reps with each squad.

Smith said he receives evaluations every day and is using training camp to work on his weaknesses. He reluctantly admitted that his biggest area for improvement is his man coverage ability.

Like last year, expect at the very least to see Smith being utilized in three-safety situations with Coleman and Kerry Rhodes.

He may not get the start right away, but don't be surprised if Smith is hot on Coleman's heels throughout the season and makes a big impact on special teams.

Ladies & gentlemen, please welcome Stephen Haynes back to the blog:

By Stephen Haynes

After a so-so rookie year, D’Brickashaw Ferguson put forth a lot of effort in the off-season in hopes of not being the next Robert Gallery.

“It’s a matter of analyzing where you erred and then improving in those and other areas,” said Ferguson, the fourth overall pick in 2006.

He said that his off-season workouts were geared towards improving strength in the core area, squatting 300 to 400 pounds every day. He also spent hours studying film of himself, looking for flaws in his game, which probably weren’t too hard to find.

Lauded for being a great pass-blocker in college, he gave up a third of Chad Pennington’s career-high 30 sacks last season. And the Jets backs averaged just 2.78 yards per carry running behind him (granted, the running back situation wasn’t good), which ranked 29th among left tackles. Looking to improve those numbers, he’s worked with former offensive tackle Lomas Brown on the technical aspects of blocking.

“It’s great to learn from a guy like that because he used great technique to achieve his goals,” said Ferguson of Brown, who played at 275 pounds but was a 7-time Pro Bowler. “With better technique and improvement in other aspects of the game, I should be better.”

In addition, Ferguson has added 10 pounds to his sleek-for-a-lineman frame, which he thinks will help his run-blocking.

“They serve some great meals over here at the facility, so I just try to take a couple extra portions,” he said. “Coach [Eric Mangini] is losing weight and I’m gaining weight, so whenever we can find a common ground, it’s good.”

And for confirmation, Mangini, who spoke glowingly of Ferguson’s progress, said a lot of the same things. Nothing quote-worthy, but you know the usual adjectives.

(Tangent: Tom wasn’t exaggerating, Mangini has lost a lot of weight. So there goes the penguin and man-boob jokes.)

Ferguson’s season wasn’t that bad, considering tackles take a while to develop, but the instant success of Marcus McNeil made a lot of fans jealous. McNeil, who went to San Diego 46 picks after the Jets took Ferguson, gave up just five sacks and was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate. Maybe D’Brick can take that step this year.

In practice today he looked solid. Didn’t do anything spectacular, but he didn’t stink. He held his own in the 2-on-1 drills against Na’Shan Goddard and Dominic Moran and did a good job of blocking Shaun Ellis in the scrimmages. He also cleared a big hole for Leon Washington on a halfback screen. But he didn’t get much push when run-blocking and he whiffed on a blitzing Victor Hobson.

A movie-like storyline (maybe)
It seems that every year in every camp, there’s an undrafted local guy who has a slim chance of making the team but everyone roots for. Admit it, if you remember Ian Smart, you’ll remember that you loved him. This year’s hometown favorite is Joseph Villani from Wantagh.

The 6-4, 300-pound guard/center was a late addition to the roster. He was picked up last Sunday -- after impressing the coaches in rookie camp -- and got the phone call from Mangini while at the movies in Pittsburgh (he’s a Pitt graduate).

“I was going to see ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry,’ but I only got 15 minutes into it,” said Villani, who rushed out of the theater and hopped a plane to New York. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I’ll get the movie on DVD.”

He said that center is his more natural position, but he’s willing to do whatever the team asks of him (including play wide receiver). During the scrimmages, he played guard with the second team and center with the third team, but he might start seeing some more time at center, though. Wade Smith, the second team center, had two high snaps that turned Kellen Clemens into David Lee.

“He’s been rolling,” said Mangini of the former St. Anthony’s High School standout. “Really doing a good job at both center and guard.”

In practice, he looked OK. He showed good strength, but needs to work on his technique. He plays too high and will have to bend his knees more to get leverage against a real in-game pass rush. But it’s a small sampling, so it’s tough to determine what he’s capable of.

Making the team would be a dream-come-true for Villani, who grew up a Jets fan and admits to getting star struck in the locker room. And with the Pete Kendall situation unlikely to be resolved soon, the Jets could use some depth on the offensive line (read: the afore mentioned slim chance).

And look at that face. He’s root-for-able (journalists have the right to invent words); looks like the goofy kid you sat behind in 10th grade chemistry class.

Project Pellot-Rosa

Jesse Pellot-Rosa was unimpressive in his second practice with the Jets. The undrafted wide receiver hadn’t played football since prep school, and it showed. He didn’t get much action -- he only ran drills -- but was sloppy in his routes and didn’t look like a natural pass-catcher. He missed the first few practices with an undisclosed hand injury and didn’t get on the field until last night.

The 6-4, 195-pounder played basketball at Virginia Commonwealth, which doesn’t have a football program. If you recall, VCU was the “Huh? Never heard of ‘em” school that bumped Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He averaged 13.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, if you’re wondering.

Pellot-Rosa is very athletic and it’s very early, but from the looks of it, his basketball-to-NFL route might go the way of Jai Lewis rather than Antonio Gates. The good news for him is that the Jets understand he’s raw and are just looking for progress. For him, there’s nowhere to go but up.

By Tom Rock

A few columnists and fresh faces out here today, so the topic of Pete Kendall (which some of you have expressed is being overplayed) was hot in Mangini’s presser. You can check out the video of the session on the Jets website – Mangini bobs and weaves just like Teddy Atlas taught him to for the most part – but he came close to answering Cimini’s question about whether there would be any discipline leavied on Kendall for conduct detrimental to the team or something else. It’s widely know that players are given rules about what they can and cannot talk about with reporters, and I’m guessing Pete has crossed that line.

Here’s Mangini’s answer:

“We have very specific rules in place and the players all got those rules and they clearly were defined and articulated and the rules are designed to create the best possible work environment for us to focus on winning. Pete’s a professional and I expect he’ll follow the rules like I anticipate all players will follow the rules.”

Asked if Pete has broken any of the rules, Mangini said all matters of discipline are internal.

Interesting. I wonder if things will get to the point where Kendall starts to be fined by the team for speaking his mind – something he shows no signs of stopping – and if those fines start to compare to the $14,000 per day fine he would be hit with for going home. In other words, if he’s hit 10 grand a day for speaking out, would it be worth it to him to spend the extra 4 grand and go home?

Mangini said he would check with the trainers to see if Pete will practice today. In other words, go see for yourself when practice starts at 2.

Just a few notes from last night’s practice that I wanted to get in: Jesse Pellot-Rosa, the former VCU basketball player who has been sidelined by a left wrist injury and has become Greg Gutes’ favorite longshot Jet, was on the field for the first time last night. Besides Kendall, who rode the exercise bike last night, Nick Mangold doppleganger Andrew Wicker was also with the walking wounded.

This is my last blog for today (probably), but interns Katie and Stephen are due to make their triumphant return to our stage later this evening. Keep an eye out!

By Tom Rock

Sorry about no post after Sunday night’s practice, but I had a few other things to catch up on and figured Sunday night was as good a time as any to play from blog hookie.

Yes, it’s true that the Jets are considering Brad Smith for their quarterback hierarchy. He’s listed as a QB on the roster, has his own red jersey that he slips on and off during practices, and attends meetings with the QBs (along with other positions). It brings up a few interesting scenarios that deserve exploring.

First of all, Smith cannot be designated as the team’s third quarterback because that would preclude him from playing until the fourth quarter. The rules on the third-quarterback situation are murky and mysterious, but basically if he was designated the third quarterback – essentially the 46th man of the 45-man active roster for a game – and he stepped onto the field, neither the first nor second string QBs would be allowed to return. So, how will the Jets handle the situation? They’ll likely want to use Smith as a regular part of their gameplan, both at WR, on special teams, and at QB for a surprise series here and there.

Well, the Jets can keep three QBs among the 45 and not designate anyone as the third quarterback. That would allow Smith to play his role, and, in a case where Pennington had to leave the game early, replace him with a more polished backup (though neither Clemens nor Tuiasosopo have looked very polished this training camp, they are certainly ahead of Smith right now, whose success will be much more connected to an element of surprise and his athleticism). But that takes up a roster spot. And it also means the Jets would likely dump either Tui or Kellen. Likely Tui, in whom they have less invested.

They could have Smith as their backup and have either Tui or Clemens designated as the third QB. That makes the most sense from a roster economics point of view. If Chad goes down, Smith would have to carry on until the fourth quarter when the third QB becomes available.

Or the Jets could have Clemens on the active 45 as the backup, Tui as the third QB (or vice versa), and still have Smith among the 45. That doesn’t jive with Mangini’s philosophy of getting the most out of the 45 allowable people, but it could work.

Having Smith as the QB but also playing other positions also presents a helmet issue. Only the QB is allowed to have a radio receiver in his helmet which allows him to listen to the plays being called in. So, according to equipment manager Gus Granneman (who was asked through the media relations staff), Smith will likely have two helmets at his disposal during the games. One will be a standard-issue helmet for use when he is on the field for special teams, as a wideout, etc., but also for when he sneaks onto the field and lines up under center with Pennington lined up as a receiver as was done several times last season. In that case, Pennington would have the radio and likely be calling the play in the huddle.

Then, when Smith entered the game as a true QB – Mangini said he envisions using Smith for sneak-attack series that will catch defenses off guard – he would have a radio-embedded helmet to change into.

That’s a lot to think about just to get one player onto the field. But with what Smith will bring to the Jets from a number of positions, it might be worth it.

If anyone has any other ideas on how to utilize Smith, feel free to post them. I'm interested in hearing them, and I'm sure the Jets are open to some suggestions as well.

By Tom Rock

The Jets just announced that this afternoon's practice will be moved to the back fields and the bubble and they will be closed to the public. It's a weather issue with thunder and lightning continuing to float around the area. Practice on Monday is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be open to the public -- as of now. Check nyjets.com or weather.com for updates.

By Tom Rock

Mangini’s presser just ended, and in it he gave one of the clearest arguments he’s ever given for using the 3-4 defense. Here’s what he said:

“What I’ve always liked about the 3-4 is that you’ve got the flexibility to have that double bubble over the guard in the standard, or what you would think of as the traditional 3-4, and you can move one of those ends down and rush an OLB and conceptually it’s the same exact thing as a 4-3. Or you can bring both ends down and rush both OLBs and now you have like a 46 look, like the Buddy Ryan Bears look. And with four LBs, those four pieces can replace defensive linemen to build any front that you want. And you’re not forced to adjust with the secondary on movement, you can just adjust with LBs. When you have four big guys in there, they can really only go to certain spots and the little guys have to adjust.”

Just a little X and O talk for those who crave it. Back to the drama.

No update on the Kendall or Revis situations, though Kendall spoke out again today and reiterated his frustrations. I asked him that since he obviously does not want to be here, if there will come a time when he decides to leave and take the fines.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m here because I don’t want to pay them not to be here at this point. If that’s the type of esprit de corps they want, all I can do is be honest about how I feel.”

Apparently Mangini’s Mozart music is working on the brain waves because I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pro football player drop a French term like that in the middle of a press conversation. For those not sure what esprit de corps means, it’s a team spirit. Je vous en prie!

A few minor roster moves: The Jets resigned G Dominic Moran and waived K Justin Ayat.

Leon Washington was back at practice this morning. He declined to elaborate on his “personal reason” explanation for missing two practices, but he said everything has been taken care of. He looked good – better than when he couldn’t hold down his breakfast on Day One.

I spoke with Wantagh native Joe Villani, a rookie free agent center out of Pitt. He played at St. Anthony’s HS and is tickled to be playing here for the Jets. He said when he was a kid he used to come out and watch Jets practices. Unfortunately Mom and Dad didn’t have a chance to see him in a Jets uniform for the first few days. He was such a late signing and left his apartment in Pittsburgh in such a rush that he had to zip to LI and his folks had to head out to PA to pick up his stuff. They were scheduled to be out there this morning for their first glimpse of Joe the Pro.

Bobby Hamilton and I traded a few turkey recipes. He likes his deep fried and he was telling me about how he injects all kinds of Cajun spices into the birds at just the right spots and then drops them in peanut oil because peanut oil will not burn meat. I prefer to smoke my turkey over cherry wood after a brine of about 30 hours in a garlic and orange flavored mix. We had a little disagreement over the benefits of a spice rub. Too bad neither of us will be able to do that this year since the Jets will be in Dallas on Thanksgiving.

The topic of cooking came up because Bobby has bought into a restaurant called Michael’s Kitchen in Hollywood, Fla. He said he likes watching Rachel Ray on the Food Network and loves Hell’s Kitchen. Maybe it reminds him of Mangini’s training camp.

We’re getting hit with a pretty strong lightning storm right now. A few crackles of it just hit pretty close to the Jets building – it looked like they may have hit the lights on the field – and it was enough to screw with the electronic security systems in the building. A few of the media relations personnel were even trapped in the press room and couldn’t get through the door. Now they know how it feels. Still, the staff did a great job of running through the raindrops and lightning bolts to bring lunch into the building. No eating in the Bistro, the outdoor area they set up for us, today.

By Tom Rock

A few quick notes from this afternoon’s practice:

Bobby Hamilton is running around like a rookie trying to make this team. Yesterday he flattened Alvin Banks (more on him later) and today he batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage and kept showing up in the right spot for defensive plays.

The Jets made a few tweaks to their starting defensive unit. Kenyon Coleman was at DE with the starters for the first time. David Bowens was at OLB opposite Victor Hobson. David Harris was at ILB next to Vilma and in place of Eric Barton. And Eric Smith was at safety instead of Erik Coleman (though that change was made Friday night).

As for Banks, he’s been getting hit hard. Today I thought his head flew off, but it was only his helmet, when Cody Spenser stood him up and drilled him in a one-on-one open field tackling drill. That hit ended the drill that saw some of the more intriguing performances of the afternoon, including FB Darian Barnes running over S Kerry Rhodes, DB James Ihedigbo putting a lick on Juan Wong, and Anthony Schlegel whiffing on an attempt to tackle Chris Davis.

Spencer, by the way, also provided a big hit on Wong during a special teams return drill.

Chansi Stuckey is looking good and seems to be finding his balance as an NFL player. He’s got good speed returning punts and showed some good hands as a receiver today.

TE Chris Baker was shaken up on a play during the 2-minute drills that ended practice. He ended up walking off the field after the workout on his own. It seemed to be his midsection that trainers were paying attention to, so it might have been a cramp.

No movement on the Pete Kendall situation, and Pete’s body language backs up what his actual language said yesterday: he does not want to be here. At one point the players were standing and watching the offense work and Pete was about 10 yards behind them, on a knee, by himself. The only guy who approached him was special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff, and they had a brief chat. Wonder what that was about.

The joke on the sideline is that every time Justin Miller or David Barrett misses a play or gets beaten, it adds another million dollars to Darrelle Revis’ contract. Still no movement on that situation either, by the way. GM Mike Tannenbaum didn’t seem to be too concerned about it while running around the field with his kids after practice, though I’m sure this first draft-pick no-show of his career is bugging him.

By Tom Rock

I’ll keep this pretty short because today’s single practice starts in a few minutes – I can hear the music starting from the fields already – and we just finished with Mangini.

On Revis, Mangini said there is no update. He also said there is no change in Kendall’s status. I wonder if Pete was up in his dorm room last night scribbling one-liners for Day Two of his discontent.

He said Leon Washington will miss practice today for personal reasons and added that the RB missed last night’s practice for the same reason. Not sure if that has anything to do with his puking during the first practice yesterday, but it could explain why Chad Pennington was so comforting to Washington after he spilled his breakfast.

Mangini said Brad Smith was named the overall offseason MVP and that he expects to have a series of plays for the versatile QB/WR (not WR/QB anymore) in the book for each game just to give defenses something to think about. “He’s a change of pace player that everyone will have to prepare for,” he said. You’ll remember that Jerricho Cotchery was last year’s offseason MVP and it foreshadowed a breakout season.

Mangini also noted that the offseason work D’Brickashaw Ferguson put in through the team’s program and on his own is already paying off on the field and that the Freeport product and last year’s No. 4 overall pick in the draft has “stood out.” He did look pretty good in pass protection yesterday.

Oh, and to answer Hob's question about retiring No. 28 -- the NFL has pretty strict rules about these ceremonial things and they have to be scheduled VERY far in advance. That said, the wheels are in motion so sit tight.

Just two guys sitting on the curb yakkin' about the Jets:

By Tom Rock

Three blogs in one day. I guess I’m feeling ambitious for the opening of camp. Anyway, just a few observations from the evening practice:

For what might be the first time in his tenure, Jets coach Eric Mangini was NOT wearing that black pullover but instead opted for a simple white T-shirt. The coach has slimmed down quite a bit during the offseason, allowing him to pull off his new couture.

Kellen Clemens has looked shaky so far, even on his shining moment when he threw a pass over the middle to Chansi Stuckey for a big gain. It seemed to me that Erik Coleman should have made the interception on the play. Shoulda coulda.

The rookie RBs took a beating in more ways than one. First Danny Ware fumbled on a carry up the middle and moments later he dropped a pass. Then Alvin Banks suffered a flattening hit from Bobby Hamilton on a carry.

The Jets signed RB Tony Fisher (and gave him Cedric Houston’s old No. 32 jersey) as well as LB Mark Zalewski who was with the Jets for three days as an undrafted free agent in May following the rookie camp. Maybe this time he’ll stick around a little longer.

The Jets media guide came out today and it looks good. It’s also on time. Nice job by the staff to put it together. I’m sure it was much easier to do it this year since there were actually pictures of the coaching staff wearing Jets clothing. Last year the staff was probably scrounging for pictures of Mangini without that silver-headed logo on his shirt.

And as of 8 p.m., no update on Revis. Buckle yourself in, this could be a long one.

That’s all for tonight. Back out here tomorrow.

By Tom Rock

I’d forgotten about one of my favorite training camp traditions: the silly question.

Of course, I’ve been known to uncork a few of them myself, but training camp seems to bring out crowds of reporters who may not be as intimate with the goings on of the Jets, and it sometimes leads to funny/irritating moments. There were two such today.

The first came during Pete Kendall’s session in which he was saying over and over how he did not want to be a Jet and he couldn’t understand why he was here and he was ticked off that he had to come to training camp. After a series of questions about his decision not to hold out and his desire to be elsewhere, one reporter asked: “Can you talk about Thomas Jones and the impact you think he can have for you guys?”

Pete chuckled. Probably the only thing he cares about Thomas Jones’ impact is how he’ll run against whatever team Pete winds up with when this whole situation is resolved. But he gave a polite answer: “I think he’ll be a nice addition to the team.” He did not say “our team” but “the team.”

The second non-sequitor question came in the Mangini presser. The first question was, predictably and rightly, about Kendall. But the follow-up was whether Mangini had received any feedback from coaches around the league regarding his cameo on the penultimate episode of “The Sopranos” and if he approved of the way the series ended. The second question of the season, and already we’re off the football track!

It reminded me of last year when the Jets had just traded for a running back. I think it was the day they made the doomed Lee Suggs deal, but it could have been the Kevan Barlow acquisition. Anyway, we all heard about the transaction during practice and surrounded Derrick Blaylock, who was the de facto starter at the time, to get his reaction. Only thing is one reporter opened the session by asking about him learning the new offense or something else. It was an eye-rolling moment.

I’m not writing these to offend those who ask the questions – like I said, I’m sure I’ve put out my share of doozies and I won’t name names – but I thought some of you might like a peek into the infrastructure of covering a team through the grueling summer.

By Tom Rock

On this first day of training camp, the Jets are enduring a two-a-day – as in two headaches. Pete Kendall dropped another demand to be released and made it crystal clear he is unhappy to be at camp through both his words and his actions in practice (he was at the end of most lines during agility and skill drills and distanced himself from the pack of players during reps). Meanwhile, first-round draft pick Darrelle Revis was a no-show as the Jets were unable to ink one of their draft choices for the first time since 1997.

It’s not exactly the Strife of Strahan, but in the otherwise quiet world of the Jets this is what passes for controversy. Curtis Martin is gone for one day and the whole franchise goes up in smoke!

Of course neither situation is more than a passing distraction. Kendall will in all likelihood be released – probably as soon as every other team in the NFL has stocked up on o-linemen – and Revis will be here eventually. Mangini made a joke about kids liking to go to camp and this is camp for grown-ups minus the ghost stories. Just don’t expect all of the Jets to join in on the campfire songs each night.

The first practice went well in that no one was seriously injured. Otherwise, it was a pretty sloppy affair with bungled handoffs, botched snaps, dropped passes and lost breakfasts (yes, Leon Washington heaved up his Fruit Loops after running a penalty lap, but at least he had the decency to do it off to the side of the field and not at the hashmarks where the players were working).

A few notes: Tim Dwight and Matt Chatham, both placed on the PUP list with foot injuries, did not dress but were on the field for the morning workout. At one point Dwight looked very much like a coach with a rolled up sheet of paper in his hand giving instructions to Brad Smith and Wallace Wright during special teams work.

WR Jesse Pellot-Rosa, the basketball star from VCU who was signed by the Jets after a tryout, was dressed in full uniform but unable to participate with what looked like a cast on his left hand. Maybe he injured it while dunking. Or he took a hard foul in a pickup game. It can’t be comfortable for a player who really needs to prove his worth to be locked down on the sideline. The sooner Pellot-Rosa gets on the field, the sooner the Jets can make a fair assessment on him.

Interesting that the first real pass of training camp with the full offense was from Chad Pennington to … Justin McCareins. If you’d have asked anyone at the end of last season (including probably McCareins) if they thought he’d still be here at the start of training camp, they would have laughed. Now he seems poised to be a big contributor. He even passed the running test yesterday!

Shaun Ellis jumped around like a rookie after he playfully stripped the ball from Thomas Jones in one drill. The big guy looks quicker and leaner. Some folks told me he usually shows up to camp with a little paunch around the middle. I’m not sure if that’s been his past M.O., but it’s certainly not the case this year.

When the Jets went starting offense against starting defense, it was Ellis, Dewayne Robertson and Kimo von Oelhoffen up front, Bryan Thomas, Jon Vilma, Eric Barton and Victor Hobson at linebacker, Andre Dyson and David Barrett at corner and Kerry Rhodes and Eric Coleman at safety. Basically the same as last year. Hank Poteat had the only interception of the morning, picking a pass from Kellen Clemens.

Brad Smith switched to a red jersey mid-practice and started taking snaps with the QBs. Mangini said later that Smith is now considered to be a QB who can play some WR, as opposed to last year when he was a WR who could play some QB (and even started one game at tailback if you recall). Mangini said Smith is in the mix for the backup and third-string QB positions. It’ll be interesting to watch how that plays during camp.

WR Laveranues Coles dropped a deep pass from Chad Pennington. TE Chris Baker made a nice grab along the sideline at the end of practice.

And Mangini said that RB Cedric Houston will likely not return to the team, or to football. He said he was moving on with his life after two NFL seasons in which he showed occasional glimpses of adequacy for the Jets but always struggled with badly-timed injuries and never found his niche. He probably wouldn’t have been much of a factor on this team this year with Thomas Jones and Leon Washington taking the bulk of the snaps, but he seemed like a good guy. Good luck, Cedric.

Oh, and Happy Birthday to my wife Amanda. Sorry camp had to start on your birthday. Next year I'll try to plan it a little better!

By Tom Rock

Curtis Martin’s victory lap around Manhattan in which he made no less than a dozen media appearances to announce his retirement and his desire to own an NFL franchise in the not-too-distant future couldn’t have come at a better time for the Jets. Not because they are losing a top-notch running back (though he’s top-notch on the field no longer and, truthfully, they lost him long before today), but because it was a distraction from some other goings on. Of particular interest were the developments involving Pete Kendall and Darrelle Revis.

As of my writing this, and I look at my watch to tell me it’s 6:47 p.m., there is no deal between the Jets and their No. 1 draft pick. The Jets made an aggressive move to jump up in the draft order and grab Revis, but they’re obviously less aggressive about handing him the deal he wants (whatever that is – it’s been reported the sticking point is over the length of the contract). That would end the Jets’ streak of having their draft picks inked by the start of training camp, a streak that goes back to 1998 (I mistakenly wrote 11 years in Wednesday’s papers, but it’s eight and would have been nine with Revis). Technically, since the players were required to participate in some physicals and running tests this morning, Revis is a holdout, but for semantics’ sake we’ll give the Jets until the first practice tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. to get the deal brokered. Obviously we’ll keep an eye on this through the night, though with “early deadlines” any news that comes after a certain hour may not make the paper. So check back here for any updates.

Meanwhile, Kendall apparently decided that holding out of training camp wasn’t the right move and arrived at Hofstra this morning. He would have been subject to fines of $14,000 per day had he not shown up. I’m sure we’ll all speak with him tomorrow after practice, but there’s a good chance he’ll reiterate his desire to be traded or released. Whether he does it with the venom he used at minicamp last month remains to be seen. And whether he is with the first offensive unit also remains to be seen. Come to think of it, with the first day of training camp upon us, there’s a whole pile of stuff that remains to be seen.

As for Curtis, he was fantastic. The setting for his retirement announcement was a little unorthodox: a round-table meeting at Jets HQ in midtown with beat reporters trying to jot down his thoughts while photographers clicked away. (How many pictures of a guy sitting in a chair can you take? And who was that photographer behind me who kept bumping my head with the lens?)

As you probably already know, Curtis has his eye on owning an NFL team. And it’s no pipe dream, he’s apparently close enough to finishing the deal that he was hoping to make the big announcement today. He said he wants to use his ownership to continue the work he’s been doing as a player, namely charitable efforts. He also said he’s teamed up with Mayor Mike for an initiative that will try to reduce NYC’s homeless population by two-thirds by 2009. Considering that’s a year and a half away, it’s a pretty impressive goal. By then, Bloomberg could be President Mike.

A few things Curtis said about the NFL that I didn’t have room for in my stories today, but should prove interesting. First, on the recent rash of bad behavior NFL players have embroiled themselves in, Curtis was asked if he saw a common denominator in the incidents:

“One thing that is a common denominator in the off-season problems are three of the most dangerous things in life.If I had an enemy, these are the three things I would give to him: fame, power and money. Those things are very dangerous and if they are not managed in a mature way, they usually become destructive. That’s what we are seeing more so than anything, people having the ability to do things that normally they would not have the ability to do.”

And he was also asked about the Michael Vick situation, and gave what I thought was a strong answer, perhaps one of the more insightful comments to come out of the whole dog-fighting mess (and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, email Glauber because he’s in Atlanta covering the story). Anyway, Curtis’ take:

“It’s unfortunate. (Dog fighting) is definitely not something I believe myself or anyone else in the NFL condones. It’s not something that we agree with, that we think is right, or is going to be swept under the table. I believe the consequences for Vick will take care of themselves. But I do believe as someone who has always been an example and has the heart to help people, I believe more than anything right now he needs some support from his colleagues, from the NFL. It’s not that we agree with what he did, or condone what he did, or accept what he did, but that does not mean we should disown Michael Vick.”

Forget Bloomberg. How about Curtis for President! I’d vote for him. Too bad, at the fossilized NFL age of 34, he’s still too young to assume the Oval Office.

By Tom Rock

First, some signings that came in a little too late last night to make it into the paper. The Jets signed K Justin Ayat and OT Marko Cavka. Ayat is in just to take some of the kicking duties off Mike Nugent’s leg. Cavka has a chance to make the team. He was a sixth-round pick by the Jets in 2004 and made the team that year (though he was never active for any games). He played for the Amsterdam Admirals last season.

Today’s the big move-in day for the Jets, as they drag a month’s worth of provisions into the dorms at Hofstra University. The big question is whether or not Pete Kendall will show up. Apparently very few people are privy to the answer because I just spoke with his agent, Neil Schwartz, who said he didn’t know what Pete would do. Kendall is asking for a $1 million raise, money he says is owed him from a previous restructure, and made it clear he wanted to be traded or released when he spoke at minicamp last month. If Kendall is a holdout, it would cost his $14,000 per day in fines. If he feels he can get the money, I suppose taking a few extra days of summer vacation might be worth the investment. But it doesn’t seem as if the Jets are about to budge, as Mangini has told people he expects Kendall to report with the rest of the team. There have been other reports that Kendall will show up at camp on time, and if he does he could become a real headache for Jets management. Imagine the first day of training camp as the Jets unveil their prized running back for the first time and welcome back a healthy Chad Pennington with all the optimism in the world, and all of the cameras and reporters will be surrounding Kendall waiting for him to go off. Kendall called the minicamp attention he received a circus. Training camp could be worse.

We’re also keeping an eye on negotiations between the Jets and their top two draft picks, first-rounder Darrelle Revis and second-rounder David Harris. 1997 was the last time the Jets had a first-rounder unsigned at the start of training camp. For the front office, there’s a lot of work to get done before the on-the-field work begins Friday morning.

By Tom Rock

I suppose I’ve hit the snooze button on this NFL season enough. It’s time to get back to bloggin’! Let's see if I remember how to make these posts.

It’s too bad that at a time when the sports world is focused on dog-fighting quarterbacks and gang-linked hoop refs, one of the classiest acts in sports (or any walk of life) is apparently calling it quits. I speak of the report in today’s NY Post that says Curtis Martin will formalize his retirement in the next few days. While there’s nothing particularly new about the end of Martin’s career – “Curtis Tops Jets Depth Chart” would have been the real shocker – the timing is of interest. I’m still trying to get a confirmation on the announcement, but even if it doesn’t come in the next few days before training camp, it’s coming.

During Jets minicamp last month, Curtis casually walked onto the field and watched a few reps standing next to Coach Mangini. That will probably be the last time he takes the field for the team. Of course, he should soon be standing at midfield during a halftime ceremony that retires his No. 28. Make it happen, Jets!

It’s hard to believe that it was a year ago when many figured Martin would be coming back for the 2006 season. Then he was placed on the PUP list at the beginning of training camp, and we waited. Then he remained on the PUP list for the first half of the season, and we waited. Then it was announced that he would remain on the PUP list for the rest of the year, and the waiting was pretty much over. It just became a matter of when Curtis would make the formal announcement. The waiting appears to be over.

I wasn’t around covering the Jets for any of Curtis’ active tenure with the Jets. I’ll be forever grateful to him for increasing my understanding of the mysterious PUP list. I’ve said here before that I’m sad I never had the opportunity to not only watch him play, but deal with him on a daily basis. The first time I met him was during a press conference in the courtyard at Weeb Ewbank Hall last August. He was a bit evasive and danced around a few questions, and I remember thinking that he was just another pro athlete. But after he finished and the recorders and cameras were turned off, Curtis returned and apologized. “I’m not trying to be an a-hole” he said, and I remember he used the abbreviation not the full anatomical term. Then he said he wanted to be more straight-forward but he couldn’t at the time. A few months later, when he announced that he wouldn’t be playing at all in 2006, he was remarkably open and honest. And he gave a heartfelt thanks to the press who covered him throughout his career. It was quite emotional.

Curtis Martin was a different kind of player and a different kind of person. He doesn’t have to formally announce his retirement to be missed.