Inside Slant TRAINING CAMP GOALS Find the starting quarterback: It's fair to wonder if Chad Pennington ever again will be the player he was for what seems (and pretty much was) a brief moment in time in the 2002 season, when he took over for a deposed Vinny Testaverde as the starter in the season's fifth game and guided the Jets to the second round of the AFC playoffs after a 2-5 start. Since then, he hasn't been able to navigate an entire season without being injured, and now has had two surgeries on his throwing shoulder since Feb. 2005. The Jets traded a sixth-round pick to the Redskins to bring in Patrick Ramsey as competition, although he was less than impressive in the team's June mini-camp. Actually, the quarterback who shone most brightly in that mini-camp was second-round draft pick Kellen Clemens, but he figures to be a year or two away at best from starting. Expect both Pennington and Ramsey to get plenty of game action during the pre-season as the Jets try to determine who will start against Tennessee on Sept. 10. Sources indicate the coaching staff has not settled upon a front-runner going into camp. Implement the new systems: Holdover Bob Sutton (formerly the Jets' linebackers coach) will be the defensive coordinator and import Brian Schottenheimer (formerly San Diego's quarterbacks coach) will coordinate the offense. But make no mistake ? new coach Eric Mangini's imprint will be apparent on both sides of the ball. Obviously, the former New England defensive coordinator will pay special attention to that side of the ball. But Mangini's basic philosophy, adapted from mentor Bill Belichick, will be in effect on both offense and defense. Mangini, as does Belichick, believes in a chameleon-like approach with game plans to take advantage of an opponent's specific weakness, or to take away an opponent's specific strengths. That approach has not been the Jets' way in recent years, so it may take some time, even into the regular season, for Mangini & Co. to get all of their basic tenets instilled in the players. Get with the program: See the previous objective, as the Jets' players must get on board with the Patriots' approach to preparing for each game as a separate and distinct entity. Yet there's much more to it than that. Under former coach Herm Edwards, insiders say the Jets became lax mentally and physically, as there were different rules for different players and weight-training standards were far from rigidly enforced. It's quite possible that all the injuries the Jets suffered in 2005 had something to do with that. Changing the mind-set of the players will be quite important for Mangini and his staff. The process already has begun, as voluntary and mandatory mini-camp sessions were harder than they had been in the recent past. But Mangini's first training camp as a head coach will be the biggest test yet, as he attempts to shape this team into the kind of squad he became accustomed to at New England, a smart and adaptable group of players who may not be the most physically talented, but excel at the mental aspects of football.
Not much new here, but I do think Clemens will be the starter.... if not late in this season, as the starter in week one for 2007. This team is back to square one with the QB position.... and Clemens is parked on square one.
Rumors are that wasn't the case, and was the reason why our strength and conditioning coach quit..... Edwards would not back him up.
This article is outstanding and is hereby required reading for anyone attending TC this year. Print it out fellas, and study it prior to your entrance exam. The entrance exam will be administered by ThunderbirdJet and myself prior to your admission to the GG bleacher area. If you want to sit with us you need to study up on the enclosed material and qualify. Consider this article required reading for "2006 Jets Training Camp 101." Seriously, this writer nails it cold fellas. Who authored this piece, does anyone know? This guy has it down pretty good... the strengths, the weaknesses... really terrific article.
Gee, I was planning on going this summer, but now I'm not so sure. I give tests, 227, I don't take them!
Well then, help us administer THIS one, damnit, and join the "staff!" We'll need all the help we can get! Seriously, we should get some of the guys together and all meet in a small group for a couple of the practices. TBird and myself hooked up last year and had some great conversations. The two of us met at a predesignated time at the 50-yard line on the bleachers. Nothing real formal... just watching through the binoculars and having some discussion. It was pretty cool. Later on we both provided comment here on our observations. It was pretty cool just being there, but then you get up in the morning and you read the Sports section and you say to yourself, "Hell, I was there and this guy didn't talk about this or that. I've got to get on the GG and tell the guys what I saw and the real news. Sometimes the beat reporters have it down pretty good and sometimes they just miss a lot of stuff or cover over it. I figure anything we add is supplimental and probably opinionated, but hell, that's all the beat reporters are doing anyway. So it's like the GG has it's own reporters on the scene, telling it like it is and telling exactly what they saw. I was talking a lot last year about Chad's arm not looking so good. In the press, Herm had him at 89.5%, or some such silly percentage. It was really the Herm BS, totally. The Chad I was "reporting" on here had a far weaker arm than any of the press was reporting on, probably out of kindness and professional discretion than anything else. So it works out pretty good for the board and I figure it can't hurt for some of us to get together if we're going anyway, and then come back and "report."
This is true, and it's a sin. While our current one may be pretty good, Mangini kept him on, Losing the one we had (he went to Cleveland.. Lott was his name I think but it's escaping me now.. forgive me, I'm on vacation) is a sin. He was the best in the league. He runs the NFL combine's workouts, and that says a lot.
good article but old news The only thing i learned from that article was confirmation that Tim Dwight has lost a step, which I assumed already and that Dewayne Robertsons knee is "degenerative?" That can't be good for a switch to the 3-4
It would have been a better article if it had gone into detail explaining why Chad and C-Mart are still on this team. Until the Jets find a way to dump those two nightmare salaries, this team isn't winning more than five games.
you can at least make a case for martin, who did not miss any games. it was noodle arm who tied up so much cap money that we had to let talent leave cause too much money was tied up in that kindergarten arm. watch namath and you wonder how this guy is still on the roster, given all the games he missed.
It is inexplicable why Chad is still on the roster - just like it is inexplicable why he was rewarded with such a large long term salary for an above average half season of football.
i dont like how this article is kind of ruling out clemens' possibility of starting this year. IMO it's between pennington and clemens for the starting job. I think ramsey will continue to prove why he was such a dissapointment. I can't wait for the preseason because this year there will be a lot to pay attention to.
Yeah, John Lott is his name. Watching him on tv during the coverage at the combine was depressing. He was really pushing those guys and I can just imagine what was going on here: Lott: "Come on <insert lazy player name here>, get your ass in the gym and give me 20 hard reps" Player: "Sorry John, coach said I didn't have to work out today" I can see how something like that could get irritating. I don't feel like looking this up, but I'd love to see a comparison of the Jets' injuries from last year and the Browns. I know they had a couple of big ones, but it just seemed like everyone on the Jets wound up on the injury report at least once last year.
I see no good reason to rush Clemons to the line, honestly. You have a team whose OL was a disaster last year, and now you find yourself in a big rebuilding year with 2 rookies anchoring it. You don't put a green QB in that sort of sink or swim situation. Let him ride the pine this year. Let Penny and Ramsey take the beating and see how things work out for next year.
It's cheaper to keep Chad on the roster than to cut him and get a replacement. And what would you have done with Chad at the time?
While this is indeed a pretty good article, it has what I consider to be quite a few errors in it as well. Houston: Did not demonstrate a propensity to fumble last year.... his fumbles per carry were right there in the middle of the NFL RB pack. Room to improve, yes, but it wasn't the problem this writer seems to think it was. A Jones: While this is more opinion than fact, I don't think Jones will be a solid NFL RT. His natural position is left tackle, and as I predicted, I'll stick to it.... draft Ferguson puts Jones on the bench. Nice depth, but too bad for a guy that could start at LT for half the NFL. B Thomas: While he mentions the move to hybrid DE/LB, he fails to list Thomas at either position. Not a big deal, except for fantasy footballers who want to see Thomas listed as a DE. However, I didn't see Abraham used in that role last year as he stated.... minus 1. Barton: While I would prefer to see Barton remain at OLB, every other source has him on the insdie in the 3-4. Chatam: I guess he had to pick someone for the other OLB spot, but I think it will be Thomas starting, not Chatham. Miller: Miller gave the WR's too much cushion? That's the cover 2 for you. That was the scheme, that stupid bend don't break defense. Miller will be much better in the new scheme where he can play tight and use his speed. Graham: I didn't notice ant tail off, particularly. In fact, as the season went on, he just got better. Still, a good article though. Hey... 227.... here is a proposed test question: Why wasn't Pennington cut? If they don't know the answer, they can't sit with us. :up:
some people just dont understand certain things, its ok they will learn.... padawans usually get it later rather than sooner... hehehehe
