I'm glad Clemens is coming out swinging. It's still really early obviously, but it good to hear he looks good. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2009/04/clemens_outguns_ratliff_again.html#more Clemens outguns Ratliff again in New York Jets QB derby by Dave Hutchinson Friday April 17, 2009, 1:07 PM Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens had coach Rex Ryan gushing about his performance in today's morning practice. For those keeping score, it's Clemens three and Brett Ratliff nothing. For the third straight practice, Clemens outplayed Ratliff in their much-anticipated minicamp showdown. A development that has undoubtedly eased the Jets concerns about the position heading into the draft. ``I thought Clemens looked sharp today,'' said Ryan. ``He did a decent job the first day but I really loked how he took charge of that offense today. He really brought that unit out. The tempo that they had. They had a lot of spark to them. He made some good decisions. He showed poise. ``He had some pressure in his face. Now, like (safety) Jim Leonhard told me, `Come on, Rex, one good hit. Let us rattle him a couple of times.' I said, `I don't know, guys, he had your number today. ``Ratty (Ratliff) made some great throws. He has a talented arm. But he still made a couple of mistakes in there. I'm sure that (the competition) will be going back and forth. Clearly, Clemens had an outstanding day today.'' For the record, Clemens completed four of five passes in the morning session while Ratliff was four of four but the numbers didn't tell the story. Clemens looked good despite the fact the Jets were installing several new plays. ... Notes: There was a frightening collision between Jets WR Wallace Wright and LB Kenwin Cummings. The players were participating in drills on opposite ends of the field and collided head-on as Wright was running a pattern and Cummings was covering a receiver. Cummings suffered a concussion and Wright injured his left knee. Neither will practice in the afternoon. ``I've never seen anything like that before,'' said Ryan. ``That was a little scary.'' Both players got up and left the field under the own power. ... With all the upgrades on defense in free agency, Ryan hinted that the Jets are leaning towards drafting an offensive player in the first round (17th overall). ``You probably can figure that out,'' he said. ``But if the best player on the board is a defensive player. ... Schotty (offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) is probably going to go crazy.'' ... Ryan said he's pleased with LB Vernon Gholston so far. ``He's flying to the ball. He made a couple a sacks. I'm happy he's here.'' ... WR David Clowney again drew praise from Ryan. ... Talking about boylish-looking S Jim Leonhard and RB Danny Woodhead, Ryan said, ``We have two guys who look like you next door neighbor.'' ... Ryan again practiced what he's preaching as he ran down on kickoffs and again threw several passes in drills. ``It's fun,'' he said. ``Don't take yourself too serious.''
Yay football news! T-Minus 8 weeks till the site devolves into nothing but a Clemens vs Ratliff debate.
Ha - very true. And can you imagine what would happen if they actually picked up a QB in the draft to add to the mix?? Ugh - I can see the endless threads already. On the bright side, at least we're finally getting some kind of concrete information for people to begin basing their opinions on, however small it may be - I'm just so tired of the back and forth arguments without any facts to back them up.
Excellent stuff! I'm really glad to hear Marques Murrell getting an opportunity. And what can I say about the news regarding Clowney! "He's going to be a player". Wow. I'm a little disappointed to hear Ratliff is a bit behind at this point, but I'm glad to hear Clemens is doing well. I still feel our best opportunity is with Ratliff. But whoever wins the QB job will have my full support...for a little while anyway :wink:
I think Clemens is ready to put out his best football this year. He never used to be confident and hated talking to the media. This year all his quotes are very positive and he seems like he's ready to go. I know it's early, but I like what I see so far
Im really hoping one of these guys is the clear winner. Not just between the 2 of them, but one of them wins over the team and coaching staff so there is no second guessing. If Clowney can step it up a bit too, some of this "worst offense in the league" will die down. It is great to get "real news" out of camp tho!!!!
The WR news could be a reason why we're balking at trading for a receiver. If our coaches (especially Ellard, who knows first hand what a talented receiver looks like) feel that one or more of these guys could break out this season, the position is best addressed with a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. Thanks to everyone posting the links/info. Great reading so far.
Cimini's take on the afternoon practice: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/ as for the afternoon practice, not a whole lot to report. There were some missed opportunities in the passing game by both quarterbacks. Brett Ratliff overthrew an open Leon Washington on an intermediate pass, raising the ire of OC Brian Schottenheimer. Ratliff has a strong arm, but he seems to be having trouble with his touch passes. Earlier, Kellen Clemens, working with the backups in this session, overthrew WR Paul Raymond on a long pass. Raymond had a step or two on the defender, but he never had a chance. Some numbers ... 7-on-7 drill -- Ratliff (first team): 4-for-8, 37 yards, almost intercepted by CB Darrelle Revis on a pump fake that didn't fool Revis. Clemens: 8-for-12, 72 yards. 11-on-11 drill -- Ratliff (first team): 1-for-3, 4 yards. He had a nice scramble on a play that broke down. Clemens (backups): 4-for-7, 22 yards. There is another minicamp practice tomorrow, but there is no media access. So let's draw a conclusion now: After four practices, there is no doubt that Clemens is ahead of Ratliff. Right now, Clemens is more polished than his neophyte competitor, and that is plain to see. The question is, has Clemens performed well enough to convince the brass not to draft another quarterback? Unless USC's Mark Sanchez somehow slips to 17, I don't think the Jets will use their first-round pick on a QB. Just a gut feeling at this point.
According to Nick Mangold's twitter the first two days went well and were enjoyable. That's good, I suppose.
Some transcripts of interviews with the QB's yesterday, not very long but they both seem to be having fun, Clemens has a good attitude of really going over tape: QB Brett Ratliff On how comfortable he feels with the offense? I am feeling really good. There is some new stuff, new things that we are doing, but I am feeling really comfortable. I am very excited to be back with Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer. I am really enjoying being back in the mix of everything. On the Jets' wide receivers? Wallace Wright, Marcus Henry, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith are great receivers. They work hard. They are going to get their job done so it?s nice to have their confidence. They are guys that are going to get their job done and make your job easier. On if there is added pressure from the QB competition? No, not really. It?s fun. Competition is a fun thing. There is always going to be competition. It makes players better. Kellen [Clemens] is a great competitor. We take every day as a competition. It?s fun to be able to compete against a friend and a fellow teammate. QB Kellen Clemens On the offense playing more up-tempo? One of the things that Coach Ryan preaches is up-tempo. We are not out there for really all that long. I am thinking an hour and a half, an hour and 45 minutes. He is big on getting out there, getting your work done, getting off the field and having fun, which makes an hour and 45 minutes feel like an hour. We try to keep it up-tempo. You get your cardio in while you are at practice. Games are going to be fast so you might as well try to make practice as fast as you can. On how he evaluates his performance on a daily basis?. Every day when I go out there the goal is perfection. It?s never been obtained yet, but that?s the goal and the attitude that you have to have in this position. I?ll go back by myself after each practice when everybody is cleared out and go over each throw more meticulously because when you go over it as a group, you have time constraints. When I get some time for personal review I go over myself and really try to dissect what I did poorly in the last practice. I showed improvement in this practice. It never hurts to give yourself a little pat on the back.
With these comments from Ryan, it seems like we're probably leaning towards a RB like Moreno or Wells with the first pick as opposed to a QB or WR (unless one of the top guys at the position like Sanchez or Maclin happen to fall, of course). Glad to hear that Clemens is coming out swinging though, that at least eases my mind a little bit about our status at the position.
Keller Dunks on Bart Scott http://www.newyorkjets.com/blog/pos...08-wright-cummings-ok-after-head-on-collision Yes, I love the attitude. Give me more cocky players that back it up.
Who can cover Dustin Keller lol, can't wait to see the guy on the field this year, got to love the trash talking.
i think many will be surprised by woodhead. from what i have heard, he has been doing very well. and from what i have heard the organization likes him very much.
I honestly wish I could have this entire post as my signature. By the way, this is a fantastic thread!
Twitter is going to be a dangerous thing. I bet Mangini benches one of his Cleveland players for it by week 5.
