http://nflfans.com/x Everything NFL: Forums, chat, news, and interactive mocks -- always free. We proudly feature the NFL Draft Exchange, the best draft info on the net! en Thu, 17 May 2012 09:01:32 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.nflfans.com/x/images/styles/graydeluxe/misc/rss.jpg http://nflfans.com/x http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73194&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 04:53:41 GMT Reusse: Can Ponder navigate the chaos of the NFL?
Article by: PATRICK REUSSE , Star Tribune Updated: May 16, 2012 - 11:12 PM
It's too early to declare the Vikings QB a success or a bust, but he faces a stiff challenge in handling the speed of the game.

hide Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) scores well for moxie if not results.
Photo: Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune file

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There seems to be a fraternity among quarterbacks who played at a significant level of competition. This has to be based on the fact that they are playing the most difficult position to master in sports.

Anyone unwilling to accept that theory should figure out a way to stand behind the opposite end zone as a quarterback attempts to advance his team down the field. What appear to be missed receivers from the press box and the stands becomes a chaos of colors and bodies when seeing the field horizontally, as does a quarterback.

I was behind the end zone at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium on Jan. 11, 1987, when John Elway and the Denver Broncos took possession at the 2-yard line with 5 minutes remaining and trailing the Browns 20-13 in the AFC title game.

As the Broncos made their journey into the winds of Lake Erie, the reporters watched the six completions for 78 yards and kept wondering, "How did Elway find that guy?"

Eventually, the Broncos tied it on a touchdown with 37 seconds remaining, and won it on an overtime field goal 23-20, and Elway's masterpiece remains "The Drive'' in pro football lore.

To me, that's what carries the greatest level of mystery in what quarterback will be a clear success in the NFL, and a quarterback that stays stuck in mediocrity.

Strength of arm and body and mobility are great assets, but if you are slow to recognize that an opening is about to occur amid the chaos of colors, you don't have a chance to be the long-term answer at quarterback for a contending NFL team.

And "slow'' in this context means a half-second late (or less).

I'm like every civilian following the NFL: I can be amazed by an outstanding quarterback and blasé about a mediocre one when there's a track record, but to announce a verdict on Christian Ponder after a snapshot of 10 starts as a Vikings rookie ... help!

I talked to a few members of the quarterback fraternity -- not NFLers but college QBs who played in competitive surroundings -- and Tom Linnemann offered a thorough scouting report.

Linnemann holds the St. John's single-season passing record at 3,449 yards. In his senior season of 2000, the Johnnies lost 10-7 to mighty Mount Union in the Division III national title game.

He now devours the game and quarterbacking. For instance: He was giddy when the NFL Network started showing Senior Bowl workouts. He's a Melrose lad and true Purple, but also candid when asked on Wednesday: "Do you believe in Ponder?"

Linnemann said: "I desperately want to be a believer. He's such a likeable kid. I love his leadership and he's underrated athletically.

"Two things bother me: One, he hasn't won. He didn't win in high school at Colleyville [Heritage High in Texas]. He didn't win at Florida State, and FSU had talent. And two, his accuracy. He was 61.8 percent in college. That doesn't translate to 63 percent or greater in the NFL, and that's what the good ones are doing now.

"Also, the rate of TDs to interceptions at Florida State -- 1 1/2 to 1 -- is bothersome, when you look at how much better the corners and safeties are in the NFL than they were at Duke and North Carolina. That poor ratio continued as an NFL rookie, with 13 TDs and 13 picks."

How does an experienced student of quarterbacking rate Ponder's future?

"Will he be a top-five quarterback? No," Linnemann said. "Will he be a top 15? Yes. Is that good enough? Maybe.

"I believe that second-tier quarterbacks can win Super Bowls, and third-tier guys can't. And I see Ponder on that border between second tier and third tier."

Those 10 starts with a substandard quarterback rating of 70.1 come with this asterisk: They came after an offseason largely wiped out by the owners' lockout.

Ponder is at Winter Park now, engaged in workouts and offensive study that will give him a real chance to prove he's one of those athletes who can sort through the chaos and become a winner in the most difficult job in American sports: NFL quarterback.

"I love his moxie," said Linnemann, and that's high praise when you were raised in Melrose.

Patrick Reusse can be heard noon-4 weekdays on 1500-AM. preusse@startribune.com ]]> Vikings Power RedMcCombs http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73194 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73193&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 02:59:57 GMT EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings will have a longer training camp this year, the team said Wednesday. Players will report to Minnesota... EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings will have a longer training camp this year, the team said Wednesday.

Players will report to Minnesota State University in Mankato on July 26 and break camp three weeks later on Aug. 16. This will be the 47th straight season the Vikings train at MSU.

Specific practice dates and times have not yet been finalized, but this will be the longest training camp for the Vikings since a three-week stay in 2008.

Counting the number of days from the first to the last open-to-the-public practices, the Vikings were in Mankato for 14 days or fewer in each of the last three years. Last season, the NFL lockout cut into camp time and the Vikings were only on the field there from Aug. 1 to 11.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press ]]> Vikings Power Hyperborean http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73193 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73192&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 22:04:14 GMT By Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com Around The League editor Published: May 16, 2012 at 02:10 p.m. Updated: May 16, 2012 at 02:25 p.m. The last... By Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com
Around The League editor
Published: May 16, 2012 at 02:10 p.m.
Updated: May 16, 2012 at 02:25 p.m.


The last time we saw Bart Scott, the New York Jets linebacker let his middle finger do all his talking. (The Jets promptly responded by fining Scott.)

On Wednesday, Scott was spotted during the Jets' open media access. He gave the media a little more to chew on.

"This is voluntary. I don't speak on voluntary," Scott said.

Well, Scott is making progress. He's also taking advantage of the presence of his most famous teammate.

Salvation should be right around the corner. (Or at least a roster spot.) ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! Elijah http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73192 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73191&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 21:53:47 GMT Jenny Vrentas‏@JennyVrentas

DeGuglielmo also declared that "I'm not worried about the ghost of Bill Callahan." #nyj

Jenny Vrentas‏@JennyVrentas

DeGuglielmo proclaimed Nick Mangold smart enough to fly space shuttle. He added that Ducasse is picking up offense as fast as Mangold. #nyj

Jenny Vrentas‏@JennyVrentas

When asked what happened to Hunter last season, DeGuglielmo said "ask Bill Callahan...his number is in the Dallas directory." #nyj

Jenny Vrentas‏@JennyVrentasDeGuglielmo asserts Hunter is their starting right tackle -- and one of the last things he wants to see is that not be the case. #nyj

Jenny Vrentas‏@JennyVrentas

DeGuglielmo said one of the things that excited him most about the job was Hunter. Likened his physique to a Roman warrior. #nyj

Jenny Vrentas‏@JennyVrentas

Wow. New OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo had a lot to say today, and it included heavy-handed praise of RT Wayne Hunter. #nyj ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73191 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73190&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 20:54:27 GMT http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/16/Obama-2013-budget-goes-down Ummm in the Senate, what a brilliant leader. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...dget-goes-down


Ummm in the Senate, what a brilliant leader. ]]> The Off-Topic Lounge pope http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73190 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73189&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 20:43:59 GMT *TRANSCRIPT: Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post OTA, May 16, 2012* *Wednesday, May 16 2012 @ 03:40 PM CDT* *Contributed by: Shaky* ... TRANSCRIPT: Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post OTA, May 16, 2012

Wednesday, May 16 2012 @ 03:40 PM CDT

Contributed by: Shaky TRANSCRIPT: Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post OTA, May 16, 2012


Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post OTA
May 16, 2012

(Opening Remarks)
“This obviously is our second OTA. Yesterday was an exciting day for us because it was the first time that the rookies got to meet the vets, and the vets got to meet the rookies and so we had a little main introduction in the main auditorium and from then on it went very smooth. Really pleased with what we got done yesterday. We added a bunch of things today. We got a lot of base in, we got third down, we got in the redzone today. Friday we’ll probably do some two-minute. So we’re throwing a lot at them, but they have responded very well and they’re practicing well together.”


(On how the introduction went)
“What you do is you ask the newcomer to stand up and give his name, his position and his school, his favorite movie, the name of his first pet and what happened to it and his nickname. Quite a few hamsters and turtles. A couple were killed by trains and busses. It was good. They liked it.”

(On what was the best story)
“Well, there you have it, somebody’s dog was killed by a train, I don’t know. We had one whose parents had just put it down that morning, so it was sad. But it was good, a good introduction.”

(On if there was any singing)
“No and they’re not going to sing. That’s one thing they’re not going to do is sing. We don’t haze. They don’t haze here. They’re here to help us win.”

(On how the rookies reacted to being out here)
“They got a head start. They got a head start Friday and Saturday, as you saw, so they knew what to anticipate. They had a good feel for what we’re going to do. Unfortunately because of the time restraints in the day, there’s not enough reps to go around. As you noticed, we tried to have a rookie period at the end of practice just to supplement the reps, but there’s not enough reps for this size of roster.”

(On the rookies that aren’t here)
“We’ve got two issues going on. One, we’ve got rookies whose university is on the quarter system, so they can’t come in until exams are over. The other issue we have is the rookie premiere is taking place in California and they typically take two or three of your draft choices, so that’s where (Brian) Quick, (Chris) Givens and (Isaiah) Pead are. They’re out in Southern California, it’s mandated by the league that they go out there. Unfortunately, they’re missing some quality work.”

(On what the premiere is)
“It’s a photo thing and the cards and those kinds of things. Really great timing.”

(On if he feels like he’s getting back into the flow of coaching)
“Yeah, personally, it was a great feeling yesterday to get out and go through the walk-thru, get into individual and get through the practice.”

(On RB Nick Schweiger and LB Derrick Choice not being at practice)
“Schweiger is also on the quarter system. Choice decided that he had enough football. I had a great visit with him this morning and he decided that he wanted to go on and either go back to school or start a career. You have to respect somebody that can walk away with his head up, and that’s what he did this morning.”

(On LB Mario Haggan and T Barry Richardson)
“Barry just gives us an opportunity to line up a big man at the right tackle spot and gives us some depth there. Mario’s played very well in that system. We worked him out last week and he brings a veteran presence to our defense. He’s a strong outside linebacker and in addition to that, he’s a very talented special teamer. A great guy for the locker room and gives us some experience at that position.”

(On if the left guard is on the roster right now)
“Yeah, he’s here. We got a lot of options and we’ll continue to rotate guys in there, but he’s here. And he’ll play well for us.”

(On if T Rodger Saffold is going to be out for a while longer)
“Yes, he’s still not been officially cleared by the medical staff as a result of the pec injury. But, he’s very, very close. Now, he’s working out here, he’s just not involved in the team and the interaction and so forth.”

(On if S Matt Daniels got banged up at practice yesterday)
“No, Matt had something kind of carry over. Matt was scoped about seven weeks ago and just because of the nature of the travel and the draft, we just wanted to back him down and complete the rehab before we bring him out. We probably got about a week.”

(On TE Ben Guidugli not practicing)
“He’s just got a foot thing going on we’re going to check out. Last time you’re going to get injury information out of me now.”

(On the level of intensity he wants to see out of the players at this point)
“Well, it’s the enthusiasm and it’s the communication and the discussion and the movement skills that we’re looking at. When you say intensity, there’s a fine line between practicing with and without pads. What we wanted to accomplish over the next couple days is relearn how to practice at a great tempo without pads and protect each because we’re going to have a handful of non-padded practices as we continue to move through the offseason and in the beginning of training camp and through camp. They understand that and they protect each other and that’s important.”

(On if he sees this team as a rebuilding project or a team that can surprise some people)
“We’ve completely forgot about last year. This is a team that’s going out there to win, period. There’s players that are emerging that were here. There’s players that are improving. We’ve got an influx of talent through free agency and the draft and we’re going to play hard and win games.”

(On if he liked what he saw on tape of G Bryan Mattison)
“Yeah, like I said, there’s ability there. We’ve got flexibility. And I wouldn’t rule out ‘Rock’ (Rokevious Watkins) either because Rock’s showed in just a couple days that he’s heavy-handed, he’s smart and he can move people and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Comments (0)
Ramsfans.com
http://www.nflfans.com/rams2/article...20516154020320 ]]> Rams E-Zine Talk Forum Shaky http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73189 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73188&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 20:29:39 GMT Members 2,883 posts Posted Today, 02:44 PM Joe McKnight says Jets offense is relieved, more comfortable under Tony Sparano Published:... Members
2,883 posts


Posted Today, 02:44 PM

Joe McKnight says Jets offense is relieved, more comfortable under Tony Sparano

Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger


Joe McKnight saw a collective sigh of relief from the offense when new coordinator Tony Sparano handed play books that revealed a much simpler, more straightforward scheme.

"It's a different mentality with coach Sparano, he's the type of person that's like, if you can't stop him, he'll keep doing it," McKnight said. "That's the kind of mentality, I think if we had last year I think we could have done better. We were just thinking so much last year it made it more easy for us this year."

McKnight said that under Brian Schottenheimer, the constant audibles and pre-snap alterations became too difficult to execute in certain circumstances. Now, McKnight said, the play called is what the Jets will run. There will be a heightened focus on accountability and winning one-on-one matchups.

"It just had so much stuff in the offense," McKnight said about Schottenheimer's system. "If the defense comes out and they line up one way we had to change the way we run our routes the other way, but when Sparano came we just run the routes. No changes, just go out and play football.

"Everybody had a sigh of relief when we didn't have the same amount of plays we had last year, we had a lot of plays and a lot of things that go with the plays and right now it's just the play is here, you just go out and run the play and you win your matchup."

McKnight bulked up this offseason -- he is at 216 right now with the hope of settling into the 205-210 range by the start of the regular season -- and hopes he can make the shift to a more versatile back.
Sparano's run-first philosophy could help, too.

"Sometimes, we didn't run the ball a lot when we should have (last year)," McKnight said. "But that's just the learning curve for us to work on this year."

As for how McKnight put the weight on -- in total about 15 pounds from the end of last season --
"Man, a lot of McDonalds," he said. "I was what, 198? I had to eat. I gained the weight the right way then I worked out and turned it into muscle.

"I ate healthy but the majority of the time I was eating bad. I'm not going to say I was eating all the right stuff like Tim Tebow."

He did not think the fast food would slow him down.

"I don't feel like I've been slowed down," he said. "And from what I heard it doesn't look like I've slowed down, I got more explosive, more powerful out of my cuts, I could say that." ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73188 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73187&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 17:50:52 GMT Jets RB/KR Joe McKnight acknowledged that he gained 15 pounds during the offseason by eating "a lot of McDonalds."
At least he's honest. "I was eating healthy, but the majority of time I was eating bad," said McKnight. "I wasn't eating all the right stuff." McKnight is averaging under four yards a carry for his career, and managed a pathetic 3.12 mark last season while fumbling three times on just 43 rushing attempts.

Um lol. This guy is just a bust imo, they need to move on next year. He's not even a poor man's Reggie Bush, he's more like scraping up change for the Dollar Menu. ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! Elijah http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73187 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73186&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 17:44:08 GMT And lots of good stuff in the tweets. I was too lazy to do the editting so you'll have to sort through it your own self.

P.S. - Wendy was a dick as usual.

http://forums.jetnation.com/topic/10...er-room-today/ ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73186 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73185&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 16:41:46 GMT I did chuckle a bit when reading this , but I would have been LOLing if it wasn't so dead on accurate

New York Jets: How NOT To Develop A Young Quarterback

May 15th, 2012 | by Mike Donnelly |

Turn On The Jets would like to welcome our newest assistant staff writer, Mike Donnelly on board. Mike was previously writing for You Don’t Know Football and freelancing for his own site on the New York Jets.

When the New York Jets made the shocking trade for Tim Tebow earlier this offseason, people had many different takes and opinions on it. Beyond just the normal Jets-bashing and Tebow-trashing, some people loved the move because of Tebow’s running ability and some people hated it, mainly due to the effect it would have on Mark Sanchez both on and off the field. Sanchez is a fine young quarterback who has improved each year and had a lot of success — despite what his detractors say — so the Tebow trade was a curious one.

I did a little digging however, and found out there was a method to the madness. If it seemed like the Jets as an organization were going out of their way to push Sanchez to the side and stunt his development, it’s because they were, and this was just the latest in a series of questionable decisions. Apparently, in their never-ending quest for more publicity, the Jets decided to see how far they can push this thing and publish the first ever “How NOT to Develop Your Young Quarterback” handbook. Luckily, I was able to get my hands on a rough copy and will share some excerpts with you.

Chapter One – “What you want to do is hire a defensive Head Coach who has no interest in the offense whatsoever. The real trick, though, is you want to give the keys to the entire offense to an unqualified coordinator who has had no success in the NFL at all. In our case, that man was Brian Schottenheimer. Schotty had been here for three years already by the time we drafted Mark, and before that he was the quarterbacks coach in San Diego. It was during that time that Drew Brees had the worst years of his career before moving to New Orleans and carving out a Hall of Fame career under new coaches. We knew Schotty would do a pretty bad job, but we had to be absolutely sure we couldn’t let Sanchez improve at all. That’s why we also hired Matt Cavanaugh to come in and be the QB’s coach in 2009, and that was a major coup for us…”

Wow. If the goal was really to hire two incompetent coaches to coach the offense and Mark Sanchez specifically, they did a great job with these two. First, let’s start with Schottenheimer. By now everybody knows how bad of a job he did here and that his offense was too complicated and too ineffective. Chad Pennington even had a tough time grasping it. Brett Favre basically ignored it. Many current players complained about it. Let’s quickly take a look at some of Schotty’s failures:

• 95.7 and 107.2. Those are Brett Favre’s QB ratings the year before and after he worked with Schotty, respectively. His rating with Schotty? 81.0 to go along with his 22 interceptions.
• Chad Pennington’s QB rating with Schotty over 2 years: 83.3. The year he left? 97.4 and a 2nd place MVP finish. Hmm.
• 16 straight games, including 3 playoff contests, where he couldn’t come up with a game plan to score a 1st quarter touchdown
• 58 straight weeks without a 300 yard passer between 2006 and 2010
• Passing offense never finished higher than 16th in NFL

And it is not like Cavanaugh helped matters. Before coming to the Jets to mentor Sanchez, he was the offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh University where his claim to fame was being part of the brain trust that decided to start Tyler Palko at QB over future NFL 1st round pick Joe Flacco. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens during the era where their offensive ineptitude was the butt of many jokes. During his last three years on the job, the passing offense ranked 27th, 32nd, and 31st. A perfect candidate to come in and help a young QB become a great passer! He was clearly everything the Jets were looking for in their handbook.

Chapter 4 – “Once you’ve established that the young QB won’t get any competent coaching, the next thing you want to do is take away anything he’s familiar with and not let him get into any kind of comfort zone. So what we did is change the receivers Mark would be throwing to every season. The thinking was, if he we let him get comfortable and grow with any receivers, his stats would improve, and that’s a no-no. In 2011 we even took it a step further and not only did we take away the two receivers he was most familiar with, we replaced them with two guys who couldn’t run anymore! It was great…”
The Jets did a great job adhering to this. In 2009, the first receiver Sanchez got comfortable with was Chansi Stuckey, so he was traded by week 5. They brought in Braylon Edwards, though, which was actually a great thing for Sanchez. Too great of a thing, apparently, because just a year and a half later he was gone. In 2010, Santonio Holmes was brought in, but due to his 4 game suspension, it took a while for him and Sanchez to get on the same page. With the trio of Edwards, Holmes, and Cotchery, Sanchez had an excellent, young corps of receivers to work with. So naturally the whole thing was blown up after the 2010 season that nearly ended in a Super Bowl. Edwards was let go, Cotchery was released, and they were replaced by the decrepit Derek Mason and fresh from prison Plaxico Burress. The Jets apparently didn’t ask Plaxico to work out for them or run a 40 yard dash before signing, probably because they didn’t have a sun dial available. So not only was Sanchez left without a deep threat, but he had to break in these new receivers during a lockout without coaches being present. No big deal.

Later in Chapter 4- “And just to be sure the quarterback won’t be comfortable at all, you might want to go ahead and weaken his offensive line a great deal. Nothing frazzles a QB more than being hit every play, so we decided to put Wayne Hunter at tackle and back him up with Vlad Ducasse. Doesn’t get much worse than that! Speaking of backups, make sure you have none, so if one of your starters like Nick Mangold does get injured, your QB will get buried…”
Well, this strategy definitely did work. Gotta give them credit.
Chapter 8 – “If you’ve come this far, it means you’ve done everything you physically can to your QB to make sure he fails. Now it’s time to work on the mental side and really ruin his confidence. It will be hard to top what we did, because a guy like Tim Tebow only comes along once in a lifetime, but if possible, you have to bring in an extremely popular player to back up your quarterback. That way, every time he throws an incomplete pass or messes up, the whole crowd will be pushing for the backup to play, even if he can’t throw a forward pass! Plus the entire media will report on every little move he makes and make it nearly impossible for him to not crack under the pressure. This is an important step in the process here…”
Well, they were right about it being hard for future teams to one-up them when it comes to Tebow. In fact, I don’t think any starting QB that has had the success Sanchez has, has ever had to deal with something like Tim Tebow being brought in and getting on the field for up to 20 plays per game every Sunday. The Jets really broke new ground with this one. It was a nice touch added on also to have Matt Cavanaugh criticize Sanchez publicly while also talking about how wonderful Tim Tebow is. Smooth.

Look, I’m a big Mark Sanchez supporter and fan. I think he’s gotten a bum rap, and it’s totally undeserved. People seem to forget that he only just completed his 3rd season in the league, and is actually ahead of where many other star players were at the same point in their careers, just look at Drew Brees’ stats early in his career. Or even better, look at Eli Manning, who many Giants fans wanted to run out of town after 3 years.

There are lots of similarities between Sanchez and Eli that go beyond just the stats. After Eli’s third year, they fired the offensive coordinator who wasn’t using Eli to the best of his abilities and became way too predictable. Sound familiar? They replaced him with Kevin Gilbride, a former Head Coach who had success as an offensive coach prior to flopping as Head Coach. Again, sound familiar? I hope the Jets took some notes. The Giants let Eli work out his problems, progress, and late in Year 4, Eli started to “get it”. He cut out the silly mistakes, grasped the offense that suited his skills, and he led them to the Super Bowl. I’m not saying that’s what will happen this year with Mark Sanchez, but he deserves the opportunity to do so. Mark Sanchez has proven he can handle the big stage in the past, and I wouldn’t bet against him rising up and doing so again. ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73185 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73184&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 12:54:39 GMT Makes you scratch your head & wonder why Rex had a former DB coaching the DL before Dunbar was signed?

Dunbar already has taught the players a couple of pass-rushing tricks, including the long-arm technique. It's almost like a running back's straight arm, a way to create separation from the blocker. DE Mike DeVito told me it "allows you to read what the offensive lineman is doing ... It's a great move. He's got a bunch of stuff like that." Wonder how the long-arm technique would've worked with South Carolina pass rusher Melvin Ingram, whose arms measured only 31.5 inches at the combine -- a perceived shortcoming (no pun intended) that may have hurt his draft stock. The Jets bypassed Ingram with the 16th pick to take DE Quinton Coples (33.25-inch arms).


Wendy Whinini via ESPN New York ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73184 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73183&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 12:24:50 GMT Clearly there will be a variety of reactions to this, but I choose to go down the optimist road. I'm going to assume that the post is entirely true & despite the lack of detail/specifics I like the positive tone the fan sets.

My dinner with Tone

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At last year's bowling event, I won the bidding on a dinner with Tone.

Tonight was the night of the dinner. We hung out for about 3 hours.

It was me, my GF, another couple (whom we went in half on the bid for dinner) and a marketing person from Shannon Rose, where we ate.

I was so mad at Tone for Miami. I had toyed with the idea of just telling him off and bouncing, but the other couple and my GF deserved their time with him.

He showed up and I made a decision to just not talk to him as a fan, but just as a person. We kicked off the evening talking about us, not him. We just shared stories about driving, riding MC, tickets, hobbies, our jobs, etc.

I think he realized we were not going to fan boy him, and he really opened up. We got into some personal stuff about him and his family. He really opened up and shared some private stuff with us. I promised these conversations were private, so I will not say more, but rest assured, he was very forthcoming.

We also spoke a bit about the Jets, last year, this year, the new players, his old team, etc. Again, I promised privacy for his openness, so I really cant go into detail but the conversation made me feel great about how the team should improve this year.

He confirmed a lot of what we, the fans, believe about people on the team and no longer with the team. He also shared some very interesting info about the issues on the team last year. I am sure the vagueness is aggravating, but I gave my word it was a private conversation, so I will not divulge the details.

After dinner, it was picture time. He was again, exceedingly gracious with us, and the staff at the restaurant. His day started this morning at 5:00 or so, he played in a charity golf event, and came to dinner with us. Dinner started at 8:30 and went until 11:30. He did not even ask to leave, we suggested that we should be done and he should leave. This was around 11:00. He then took pics with us for the next half hour, even though he was dog tired.

He also mentioned us on Twitter, which was really cool.

So overall, Tone is a genuinely normal and good dude. The team is in good shape and we should be confident going into this season. I was wrong in my perception of him. ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73183 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73182&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 12:14:29 GMT Namath: Sanchez better QB for Jets than Tebow By BRIAN COSTELLO May 16, 2012 Jets legend Joe Namath thinks Mark Sanchez has nothing to worry about... Namath: Sanchez better QB for Jets than Tebow

By BRIAN COSTELLO
May 16, 2012

Jets legend Joe Namath thinks Mark Sanchez has nothing to worry about with Tim Tebow looking over his shoulder.

Namath said if he were Sanchez, he’d be “tickled to death.”

“Mark knows he’s a better quarterback, and bring on the competition.” Namath said last night at United Way’s annual Gridiron Gala at the Waldorf-Astoria. “Mark is sensational. He’s going to be much better.”

Namath said he’s a fan of both quarterbacks, but there is no question in his mind that Sanchez is the better of the two.

“There’s no doubt about it at all, at this point, certainly,” said Namath before referencing his famous Super Bowl III victory. “[Sanchez is] going into his fourth year. Golly, I remember a team that won a championship with a quarterback in his fourth year. Let’s hope that happens again.”

The 68-year-old Namath has been critical of the Jets over the past year, and the trade for Tebow provoked one of his harshest criticisms.

“I’m baffled,” Namath said on ESPN Radio after the trade. “I just think they’re kind of mixed up over there, and I’m talking about the folks that are making the decisions. Come on! This is crazy. ... It appears the Jets are trying to grab headlines once again.”

Last night, he sounded like he had come around on the trade a bit.

“The Jets have something up their sleeve,” Namath said. “At any rate, Tebow is a positive. In any way you add him to the organization, he’s a positive.”

Namath was one of a number of former and current football stars at last night’s event. The United Way honored Jets guard Brandon Moore and Giants guard Chris Snee.

Though Namath said he does not think Tebow will be much of a challenge for Sanchez, he acknowledged all of the questions about Tebow could wear on Sanchez.

“That’s going to be sensitive,” Namath said. “That’s going to be tough. We’ll wait to see what’s happening. When things aren’t going well, we’re a little bit touchy. It’s easy to get upset with some things. Things can get on your nerves.

“As a quarterback, I’d like to take every snap in practice that I can get. It’s going to remain to be seen how they share the snaps in practice come regular-season time.”

Namath said he’s not sure if he will be at Jets training camp this summer. He acknowledged his constant criticism of the Jets has damaged his relationship with the organization.

“It’s rough,” Namath said. “None of us like to be critiqued or criticized in a negative way. It gets bent sometimes. I don’t like feeling the vibes that I get back whenever I cross [owner] Woody [Johnson’s] path. [Head coach] Rex [Ryan] and I have been getting along well when we bump into each other, but I know there’s an underlying sensitivity there that the Jets have.” ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73182 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73181&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 12:09:17 GMT *The more info that comes out the more it becomes apparent just how huge of a problem Schitty was.* *Accountability, guys paying more attention,... The more info that comes out the more it becomes apparent just how huge of a problem Schitty was.

Accountability, guys paying more attention, eliminating catch all calls with gray areas.

And it's encouraging that Vlad realizes just how important this offseason is to him.

We're absolutely going to see an improved O right out of the starting gate this year.


Jets' Dustin Keller says Tony Sparano will hold offense accountable

Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2012

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-LedgerThe Star-Ledger



Jets tight end Dustin Keller said Tony Sparano runs a tighter ship than any coach he's ever had.

NEW YORK -- New Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's in-your-face, no-nonsense style has drawn positive reviews so far, and tight end Dustin Keller said the biggest key is that Sparano will hold players accountable for their performance.

"He definitely runs a tighter ship than I've seen from anyone before, and he’s not going to let anyone slip up," Keller said last night at the United Way's Gridiron Gala, where Jets right guard Brandon Moore and Giants right guard Chris Snee were honored for their community service. "I think that’s when problems do arise. It’s going to continue. You can tell it’s not just a one day or an OTA thing, this thing is going to keep on going and going, and I think we need it."

Keller joked that he's surprised Sparano's voice is as strong as it is after nearly three decades of coaching. He didn't go so far as to say there was a lack of accountability last year under former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, but Keller has seen a difference.

"When Sparano is in there talking, all eyes are on him," Keller said. "It’s a change. Before, I would say it was a little more laid-back. But with him it’s more stern, and he just has everybody’s attention, and I think guys are paying more attention to details now more than ever."

Keller added: "Most all the guys have been very accountable to themselves, to the things they're doing, but I think this year more than ever. Everything from the details of how far you need to line up and everything, guys already have that stuff down, and if you don’t, he’s kind of coming down on you. And that’s how it’s going to be all season, you can already tell."

Keller also echoed what coach Rex Ryan recently hinted, that Sparano's system allows players to help each other more, instead of for instance leaving a tackle out on an island. Keller said there are more calls designated for specific situations, rather than catch-all calls, taking the gray area out. The additional calls also give the Jets more chances to use double teams, he said.

"There are a lot more options for us to help each other out in this," Keller said. "We have a lot more calls, so it's more stuff you have to memorize, but in the grand scheme of things, we’re all going to be able to help each other out a lot more. It's hard to give any exact examples, but it is, it’s there."
Keller said the Jets are still focusing on the base offense but they have been mixing in some "22 personnel" sets, in which there are two tight ends and two backs. In those sets, he said Jeff Cumberland, who is coming off a season-ending Achilles tear, is the second tight end.

* * *
This could be a make-or-break offseason for Vlad Ducasse, the 2010 second-round pick who has yet to take on a significant role. Ducasse said he is exclusively working at right tackle, which is where he prefers to be.
Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said after the draft that incumbent right tackle Wayne Hunter is "competing for a position here," and Ducasse would be his competition.

"Right now, I don’t know, but we’ll see how it goes," Ducasse said. "At the end of training camp, we’ll see how it goes."

This is Ducasse's first full offseason with the team. He was a rookie in 2010 and the lockout took away the offseason program in 2011. He appreciates being able to work with the coaches each day, and said he's working with strength and conditioning coach Bill Hughan on things he never worked on before, which is "what I needed."

Ducasse said the "ultimate goal" is to be a starter, but he's not sure how it will play out. He does know this year is "very, very important" to his career.

"This is my third year, and this is the year that I'm finally getting my offseason program," Ducasse said. "So it’s a big year for me." ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73181 http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73180&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 11:50:51 GMT Ganaway was signed to a deal similar to Griffins yesterday Breaking: Jets Sign Robert Griffin by Bent on May 15th, 2012 at 5:01 pm As... Ganaway was signed to a deal similar to Griffins yesterday

Breaking: Jets Sign Robert Griffin

by Bent on May 15th, 2012 at 5:01 pm

As anticipated, the Jets have annoucned that they’ve signed G Robert Griffin to a four-year, $2.1m deal. This will have a built-in escalator where he can boost the total value to approximately $3m if his playing time exceeds 35% during the first three years.

The Jets have now signed four of their eight picks, with Quinton Coples, DeMario Davis and the two seventh rounders still unsigned. NFL insiders have been saying that third rounders are the most likely contracts to be problematic, but the Jets – who under the old CBA didn’t typically sign their rookies until the last few days before training camp opened – are on course to have most, if not all, of their draft class locked up in time for next week’s OTA’s. ]]> J-E-T-S Addicts! ret2ski http://nflfans.com/x/showthread.php?t=73180