http://m.nyjets.com/blog/posts/1065-franks-is-a-pro-with-unfinished-business Bubba Franks' 2008 was not the highlight of the venerable tight end's career. Even Bubba said so. "I got hurt pretty early, so I was kind of like a fan. I had to sit back and watch," Franks told me last week after an OTA practice. "I disliked sitting on the sideline or even standing. It's something I really never had to do. Then all of a sudden you're on the sideline pretty much watching the rest of the games. "That just didn't sit well with me. So I'm back here for unfinished business. I've got work to do . I've got a lot of things I need to prove." It's hard not to like Franks. He's not afraid to converse in a vernacular that fans understand. A lot of players back away from talk about unfinished business and proving things. Franks embraces it. And why not? The Franks we saw last year was not the Bubba of his first eight NFL seasons with Green Bay. His six catches and 47 yards were both career lows. He had no touchdown catches in a season for only the second time. Then there was his health. In six of his first seven seasons, he rarely came off the frozen tundra. But last season, after injuring his hip on a slip in Game 6 at Oakland, he sat out eight of the last 10 games, getting in for about 20 plays without a catch in each of the December Buffalo and Seattle games. Despite the understated debut in Green & White and his supposed venture into unrestricted free agency, there had always been a hint that he was coming back. For instance, his stall in the Atlantic Health Training Center locker room was never dismantled. Franks confirmed to me that he was figuring all along to return for Year 2. "I was coming back all along. It was just a matter of I had to do some training down in Miami, clean up a couple of loose ends here and there," he said. "Then when they told me to come up here, I'm here. We had already discussed all that. I knew I was coming back." The cleaning-up, head coach Rex Ryan said last week, involved another body part besides Franks' hip. "Bubba has a little thing with his knee. We don?t think it?s serious. Obviously we wouldn?t have signed him if that was the case," Ryan said. "The thing I'm really impressed with is the kind of leader he is, a charismatic guy. You can tell that his teammates really like him and he's really a pro. Ed Reed called me about him, and he's a guy whose opinion I value, and he certainly wasn?t wrong with Bubba." That's why Franks will probably continue to watch the Jets play some more from the sideline through the rest of OTAs and the June 9-11 full-squad minicamp, then begin practicing again at the start of training camp. For now, after the departure of Chris Baker for points northeast, he's tutoring the rest of the team's tight ends, a young lot consisting of second-year man Dustin Keller, newly converted Kareem Brown and undrafted free agents Andrew Davie, Rob Myers, Jack Simmons and J'Nathan Bullock. "Most of them don't know too much about the position. They're young, just coming in now," said the grizzled vet. "Plus you're only as strong as your weakest link. They're going to be a part of this core group. We've got to be pretty close. They're a bunch of good guys. Some of them area little more talented than others, but I think it's all going to come down to how quick they can pick up the offense. "You can't really show what you've got until you know what you're doing." Franks knows what he's doing and what he's about, even though, as I kidded him, this will be his first NFL season without Brett Favre as his quarterback, whether as a Packer or a Jet. "It's definite. He's not going to be back, so this'll be my first year without him," Franks said with a chuckle. "I don't know how it's going to feel, but hey, we'll see what happens."
bubba had some good years and i feel like if he is healthy he can really help us out. i always liked the guy. it is kind of funny/crazy to think about how his whole time in the nfl favre was his qb even on 2 different teams and this is the first year number 4 wont be throwing to him.
Agreed. As of our current roster, we will see him in 2 TE sets and possibly on blocking downs. I wouldn't expect more than 15 catches, 150 yards from him.
he will be either a straight up run blocking Te and wont have anymore rec, then he did last year or he will be released at final cuts
If Bubba stays healthy i think he can help us in the blocking department and he still has the hands when playing good.
Given the state of TE on the Jets I expect Franks might surprise us a bit in terms of his overall production. Maybe 25 catches and a lot more downs than you'd think. A lot of that depends on whether or not Keller is going to be a two-way tightend this year or not. If he gets the important part of the job down then Franks will be an extra cog. If he doesn't there's no Chris Baker here to do that side of the job and the Jets will have to muddle through as best they can.
+1 if franks is healthy ,given the depth we have at te franks will see a lot more game time and could be very productive, especially in the red zone
One thing I don't like about Franks is he looks like he hasn't gone inside the weight room in years. I know with his size he doesn't need to look "rocked up" to block, but TE is a position where players should be in the weight room pumping iron several times a week. Even if Franks was in the NBA he would still look a little scrawny, but he's in the NFL.
bubba franks has lost his edge for the game often injured. years ago coming into the nfl he was projected to be alot more succesful. i hate it when the jets try to resurrect the career of a player who isnt the resurrecting type. hey if he works out hooray and if not oh well been there done that.
The only reason Franks was brought here in the first place was Favre. That said he has something to contribute if the alternative is a hole at TE.
He was brought in to influence Favre to accept NY as a destination. Remember that the Jets were talking with Green Bay about Favre from almost the time of the draft until they finally got him. This is what has convinced me that Kellen Clemens really is not in the Jets plans. He wasn't even getting a hard look in the offseason last year before Favre got there.
If any of this were true, then we would have had a better escape plan for Chad. We had no idea we would be pursuing Burt until well after Franks was signed.
Franks was brought in because he is tall and that was supposed to help remedy our atrocious red zone performance in 07. Same thing with drafting a TE who was the state high jump champ in HS and drafting Marcus Henry.
