Blog from Mark Cannizzaro........ What appeared to be a big step in Mark Sanchez's rehab return from knee surgery, the Jets quarterback appeared behind center today in an 11-on-11 full team drill, something he’d been held out of in previous offseason practices. It was, however, an unauthorized visit by Sanchez, who snuck in there and handed the ball off. It was Sanchez’s first snap in 11-on-11s since he had knee surgery in February. Rex Ryan immediately walked over to him for a chat, which was light-hearted. “I was like, ‘Oh, what were you doing?’ ’’ Ryan said. “He said it was only a running play.’ I said, ‘Hand the ball off and run away.’ ’’ Ryan said Sanchez is “probably ahead of where he thought he’d be,’’ but the coach still wants to be cautious with him since he has not scrambled in the pocket or done any change-of-direction cutting. “He feels right,’’ Ryan said. “He’s pushing us all the time.’’ **** It looks like rookie kicker Clint Stitser is headed for the street after another shaky performance in today’s OTA session. Working the two-minute drill, Sitser missed a 48-yard field goal attempt some 30 yards wide left and well short. Moments later, he pulled a 30-yard attempt wide left. “That young man I don’t think is ready,’’ Ryan said. “We’ll probably move on.’’ When the Jets release Stitser, that will leave Nick Folk as the only kicker on the roster until they sign someone else. Ryan last week was exasperated by the kicking situation when both Sitser and Folk faltered. Folk made all his kicks today. “I feel a little better today (about Folk) than I did the other day,’’ Ryan said. **** Tough day for backup long snapper and tight end Matthew Mulligan, who skipped one snap to punter Steve Weatherford then sent one sailing over Weatherford’s head. Mulligan also dropped a pass in 11-on-11s. Ryan defended Mulligan, noting that he’s being trained as the “emergency’’ long snapper. Ryan praised Tanner Purdum, who was signed to replace incumbent James Dearth, saying, “He’s doing a real nice job. He throws a bullet back there.’’ No one, however, is ruling out a Dearth signing before training camp. “We know where James is,’’ Ryan said. **** Darrelle Revis is in midseason form, locking down his side. Ryan recalled a play in Tuesday’s OTA when Kellen Clemens threw a long pass on Revis’ side. “We were like, ‘Oh no, that’s going to be intercepted. Why would you throw it over to Revis? You know he’s going to come down with it.’ Which he did. “We have a ‘Revis Rule.’ If you’re looking in his direction there’s probably a better option,’’ Ryan said. **** Rookie draft pick Vladimir Ducasse continues to work with the starting group at left guard ahead of Matt Slauson as the Jets try to groom him as Alan Faneca’s replacement. “The competition is still open, but it means something (that Ducasse is working with the starters) because he’s showing he deserves running with the first team,’’ Ryan said. **** Ryan said he doesn’t want to “cat’’ Vernon Gholston, meaning jinx him, by talking him up too much like he did a year ago, but he praised his work since changing from linebacker to defensive end. “In the first team drill, he split two guys and would have had a sack,’’ Ryan said of Gholston. “That’s three practices in a row that he would have had a sack.’’ The reason Gholston, who stil doesn’t have an NFL sack, can’t sack the quarterback not is that, by rule, there is no contact in the OTA sessions. **** Asked who’s impressed him the most in the OTA, Ryan praised receiver Braylon Edwards, who made an acrobatic TD catch today but was called for offensive pass interference by the ref. “I love the way he’s competing; it’s great to watch,’’ Ryan said. Ryan also singled out linebacker Kenwin Cummings, saying, “He put on weight but he looks quicker and faster. He looks like a different guy to me this year with the way he’s moving in the open field.’’ **** Kris Jenkins is running slightly ahead of Damien Woody and Ryan in the great weight loss contest. Jenkins has embarked on some minor trash talking, but hasn’t laid it on too thick yet. *** Ryan, along with team owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum, took in a dinner with Magic Johnson recently at swishy Manhattan Italian restaurant, Il Postino, where they picked his brain on numerous topics related to winning. It started when they met Johnson at the Mayweather-Mosley fight in Las Vegas last month and made a tentative date to have dinner when Johnson was in New York. Ryan said he asked Johnson what the “Dream Team’’ practices were like and Johnson told him they were as intense as any he’d been a part of because there was such a collection of great players. “It was an opportunity,’’ Ryan said of the Johnson dinner. “He was tremendous. This guy was not only a champion, but he was one of the best teammates.’’ Ryan said Johnson talked about “doing things the Laker way’’ when he played, which means buying into the team concept. This is something Ryan is always trying to instill with the Jets.
Our Kicking situation makes me puke, and please come back Dearth! OTAs sound like a fun place to be once again :grin:
Nice read. Gholston actually doing something in practice!? Gotta love the Jenx is winning the weight-loss competition, he needs to shed the most.
Man, I really would have rather kept Feely than getting JT, just seems like someone else coulda stepped up easier for JT's role than finding a reliable kicker... we'll see what happens.
there is no kicker in the league worth a jason taylor, even at his age ... i wanted feely back too but people need to get over it, we upgraded the team
If as the OTAs go on and hes consistently making these kicks, then yeah Folks the man. I'm fence sitting on him so far.
:rofl:love it. btw, of course Gholston looked good in OTA's. I'll wait until the season starts, thank you very much.
It's great having our biggest worry be about how the kicker will do after going 3/3 in practice. Dammit I want to play the Ravens tomorrow
Well, definitely found my new signature quote. Good to hear that Gholston is doing better at DE but we'll see what happens come preseason, I'm sure we'll see a lot of him in august.
