ret2ski
06-16-2011, 05:54 AM
Jets wrap up third day of private practices
Thursday, June 16, 2011
BY J.P. PELZMAN
The Record
n the bizarre NFL spring of 2011, this might be the strangest occurrence yet. Members of the Jets consciously avoided the spotlight this week, holding three days of private workouts with no media scrutiny.
The practices were held at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Madison campus, not far from the team’s Florham Park training complex. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, speaking to reporters on a conference call, said that "40-plus guys" showed up for each workout and that players spent about one hour each day watching film and about two hours on the field.
"It was an unbelievable turnout," said Sanchez, who praised players for putting aside other plans to attend the three-day camp, which wrapped up Wednesday morning. Sanchez noted that linebacker Bart Scott canceled the taping of a TV show to be there.
The workouts came at the time when, in a normal spring, the Jets would be conducting their three-day mandatory minicamp. Because of the lockout, that didn’t happen.
Sanchez wouldn’t say who was or wasn’t there, but it’s believed that free agent wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes were not in attendance, nor was cornerback Antonio Cromartie, also set to be a free agent.
"It was something I kind of expected and can understand," Sanchez said, without disclosing names. "I understand there’s a business side to this sport and I understand where those guys are coming from."
The practices were dubbed Camp Lockout by the players, and Sanchez explained the reasons behind the secrecy.
"We just wanted to be able to focus," Sanchez explained. "We’ve seen the [other] extreme with ‘Hard Knocks.’ … This was our chance to just relax and do it our way. Keep it quiet, have fun with the guys and make it a team thing."
Center Nick Mangold, also on the conference call, agreed with Sanchez about keeping the workouts private.
"We don’t have a PR team" to set up interviews, he noted. "It would just kind of be a free-for-all."
Sanchez organized and held the Jets West passing camp for numerous skill-position players near his home in California last month, and he said this camp was "an expanded version" of Jets West.
"It was definitely a success, I think," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said he was optimistic about the recent NFL labor negotiations, which seem to be progressing.
"We hope that for all the right reasons we’re back at our own facility soon,’’ he said.
Mangold said: "It’s disappointing that it’s gone on this long. I’m hoping from what I’ve read and what I’ve heard the optimism is well-grounded and putting us in a good position to start [training camp] on time."
He admitted that although the workouts were productive, "it’s not the same as having an elite offensive line coach like Bill Callahan out there coaching me."
E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011
BY J.P. PELZMAN
The Record
n the bizarre NFL spring of 2011, this might be the strangest occurrence yet. Members of the Jets consciously avoided the spotlight this week, holding three days of private workouts with no media scrutiny.
The practices were held at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Madison campus, not far from the team’s Florham Park training complex. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, speaking to reporters on a conference call, said that "40-plus guys" showed up for each workout and that players spent about one hour each day watching film and about two hours on the field.
"It was an unbelievable turnout," said Sanchez, who praised players for putting aside other plans to attend the three-day camp, which wrapped up Wednesday morning. Sanchez noted that linebacker Bart Scott canceled the taping of a TV show to be there.
The workouts came at the time when, in a normal spring, the Jets would be conducting their three-day mandatory minicamp. Because of the lockout, that didn’t happen.
Sanchez wouldn’t say who was or wasn’t there, but it’s believed that free agent wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes were not in attendance, nor was cornerback Antonio Cromartie, also set to be a free agent.
"It was something I kind of expected and can understand," Sanchez said, without disclosing names. "I understand there’s a business side to this sport and I understand where those guys are coming from."
The practices were dubbed Camp Lockout by the players, and Sanchez explained the reasons behind the secrecy.
"We just wanted to be able to focus," Sanchez explained. "We’ve seen the [other] extreme with ‘Hard Knocks.’ … This was our chance to just relax and do it our way. Keep it quiet, have fun with the guys and make it a team thing."
Center Nick Mangold, also on the conference call, agreed with Sanchez about keeping the workouts private.
"We don’t have a PR team" to set up interviews, he noted. "It would just kind of be a free-for-all."
Sanchez organized and held the Jets West passing camp for numerous skill-position players near his home in California last month, and he said this camp was "an expanded version" of Jets West.
"It was definitely a success, I think," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said he was optimistic about the recent NFL labor negotiations, which seem to be progressing.
"We hope that for all the right reasons we’re back at our own facility soon,’’ he said.
Mangold said: "It’s disappointing that it’s gone on this long. I’m hoping from what I’ve read and what I’ve heard the optimism is well-grounded and putting us in a good position to start [training camp] on time."
He admitted that although the workouts were productive, "it’s not the same as having an elite offensive line coach like Bill Callahan out there coaching me."
E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com