Unless someone falls to us in the draft, I don't think there is any QBs out there worth getting. Therefore, I'd rather worry about positions we can fix, CB, FS, LB, WR come to mind at the moment. This whole "we have to go out and get a quarterback" is an illusion. This team has more talent than most think. I'd take my chances with Clemens, Ratliff and Ainge for free than pay for some old dude.
Its the Brett Ratliff show today http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/sports/football/13jets.html?_r=2&ref=football&pagewanted=print Another Brett Is Challenging Clemens to Be a Starter By GREG BISHOP The top candidates — as of Thursday — to be the Jets’ starting quarterback next season are an avid hunter and a strong-armed passer named Brett. While neither carries Brett Favre’s cachet, both Kellen Clemens, who shares Favre’s hobby, and Brett Ratliff, who shares Favre’s name, expressed confidence in themselves during conference calls this week. The Jets could use a young, cocky quarterback to replace an aging one despite the fact they are trading one who has 464 touchdown passes and 169 victories for two who have combined for five touchdown passes and three wins — all by Clemens. “The pieces we put in place last year are still here,” Clemens said. “It’s still a great opportunity. An opportunity I’m planning to take advantage of.” On Dec. 29, the day after the Jets completed their epic collapse with a loss to Chad Pennington’s Miami Dolphins, Clemens prepared as if Favre were not coming back and he would be the starter. General Manager Mike Tannenbaum has promised an open competition during training camp, but Clemens believes quarterbacks need a certain swagger to compete. He admitted his swagger in 2007 — in which he started eight games and struggled behind a line offensive only in the way it blocked — was too youthful. Clemens said he had three advantages to draw upon — his competition with Pennington during last year’s training camp, his game experience in 2007 and his education in the art of swagger from watching Favre. “I will say this,” Clemens said. “Jets fans, the Jets coaches and my teammates even have not seen the best of what I have to offer yet.” Ratliff, an undrafted free agent out of Utah, took the opposite route of Clemens, a second-round draft pick from Oregon. Ratliff made the practice squad in 2007, and on his first day, the Jets took away his red jersey and handed him a white one. Instead of throwing passes against the first-team defense, he was catching them. He ran routes against Darrelle Revis, and on Wednesday, Ratliff said he caught a touchdown pass against the Pro Bowl cornerback. Eventually, Ratliff returned to quarterback and last preseason, on the day Favre joined the Jets in Cleveland, Ratliff did his best impersonation of the more famous Brett. Ratliff finished the preseason with 499 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes. Those numbers, however eye-popping, came against second-team defenses and players fighting for their roster spots, but Ratliff argued they also provided a glimpse at his ability. “It’s nice to be under the radar,” Ratliff said. “That’s the way my career has always gone, and that’s the way I like it.” Also on the roster is Erik Ainge, the second-year quarterback from Tennessee who was suspended four games last season for violating the league’s policy on steroids and related substances. Ainge remains the longest of long shots, at least for now. The Jets have confidence in all three players, but will also explore options in the free-agent market, the draft and elsewhere. Options fall into different categories. Free agents: Kurt Warner (Arizona), Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay), Kerry Collins (Tennessee), Byron Leftwich (Pittsburgh) and Kyle Boller (Baltimore), among others. Draft: Mark Sanchez (Southern California), Josh Freeman (Kansas State) and Nate Davis (Ball State), among others. Other possibilities provide more intrigue. Should St. Louis cut Marc Bulger for salary-cap reasons, or if Donovan McNabb left Philadelphia via trade because he and the team could not agree on a new contract, the Jets would surface as one destination. The least likely possibility involves Michael Vick, who is scheduled to be released from prison in July, but who has not been reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Multiple Jets employees laughed when the subject of Vick came up, but then again, acquiring Favre also seemed highly unlikely back in late July. Coach Rex Ryan said he had not given any thought to Vick. Of adding a veteran or rookie quarterback, he said, “If we think it will help our football team, then obviously we’ll consider it.” Ryan emphasized Wednesday that whoever plays quarterback for the Jets next season will not need to become an instant savior. He knows this from experience, having coached on successful Baltimore teams that ran through a series of vagabond quarterbacks and having watched the rookie Joe Flacco lead the Ravens to the American Football Conference championship game last season. “It shows that it’s possible,” Ryan said. “It’s definitely possible to win with young quarterbacks.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...9-02-12_ratliff_can_be_brett_the_jet_too.html Ratliff can be Brett the Jet, too BY Rich Cimini DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, February 13th 2009, 1:18 AM As they embark on the post-Favre era - is it an era if it lasts only 189 days? - the Jets' decision makers have adopted a mission statement for their Great Quarterback Hunt. Matt Cassel's name has been mentioned in high-level organizational meetings, but not because the Jets are planning to pursue the Patriots' free-agent quarterback. (With the franchise tag, he's virtually untouchable.) What the Jets are hoping is to find a quarterback who can emulate Cassel's success as a first-year starter - an inexperienced, but mature-beyond-his-years player who rises to the level of those around him. The in-house Cassel wannabes are Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff, who fits the description better than Clemens because of his less heralded background and lack of game experience. While Clemens is considered the favorite (for now) to replace Brett Favre, the wild card is Ratliff, who was undrafted out of Utah in 2007 and has overcome long odds at every stage of his career. "Here's a kid that may be ahead of the game, maybe even ahead of Kellen Clemens, who was a former second-round pick," ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said on a national conference call. "Brett Ratliff is a guy off the radar nationally that I know they have high hopes for....He could be that diamond in the rough." Basically, the Jets are trying to catch lightning in a bottle, somewhat out of necessity. They don't have much salary-cap room, and the pool of available quarterbacks includes only one who could be considered an ascending player - Cassel. The draft? The Jets are picking 17th, which means they probably will miss out on the only two blue-chip prospects, Matthew Stafford of Georgia and Mark Sanchez of Southern Cal. Which brings the conversation back to Clemens and Ratliff, who will square off in an open, low-budget competition that will include Erik Ainge and probably a middle-tier veteran acquisition. Team officials are talking up Clemens and Ratliff; but here's some perspective: Favre threw more touchdown passes in one game last season, six against the Cardinals, than Clemens and Ratliff have thrown in their entire careers, combined. But the feeling inside the Jets' organization is, "Did anybody know about Matt Cassel a year ago?" Cassel replaced the injured Tom Brady in the Patriots' opening game and helped New England to 11 wins - proof that an unknown can succeed under the right circumstances. Of the 32 primary starting quarterbacks last season, five were former sixth- and seventh-round draft picks (including Cassel) and five were former undrafted free agents. The latter group includes Tony Romo and Kurt Warner, perhaps the most famous walk-on of them all. Cynics will note that nine of the 12 playoff quarterbacks were first-rounders, but at least the Jets can derive hope in knowing that one out of every three starters was once considered a long shot. "It definitely adds to my confidence," Ratliff said Thursday. "Knowing they did it makes it easier for me....But even if they weren't there, it wouldn't stop me. If it hadn't happened before, I'd be the first guy to do it. That's the way I see it. I'm going to keep pushing until I achieve my goal, and my goal is to be a starting quarterback." Ratliff was an overlooked high school prospect in Chino, Calif., so he attended nearby Butte Junior College, where he succeeded another Chino product, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers. (If Ratliff wins the job, the small city in Northern California will be known as the Land of Favre Replacements.) From Butte, Ratliff went to Utah, the only Division I school to offer a scholarship. Ratliff was overlooked in the 2007 draft, but offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer liked what he saw on tape and the Jets signed him as a free agent. After a year as a receiver on the practice squad - yes, receiver - he returned to quarterback and was sensational last preseason. He posted a 122.6 passer rating, although it came against backups. "(The preseason) was a glimpse of my abilities and what I'm capable of," said Ratliff, who quietly signed a two-year, $855,000 contract extension last August - not a whole lot more than what Favre made in one week. Two weeks ago, Ratliff spent 30 minutes in Rex Ryan's office, where the new coach spelled out his post-Favre plan. He liked what he heard. "He said in his eyes, it's an open competition," Ratliff said. "He said, 'There will be an opportunity for you.' That's all I can ask for, an opportunity to prove myself." WOODY CHIPPY: Owner Woody Johnson, appearing Thursday on WFAN, chided Thomas Jones for the running back's public criticism of Favre after the season. "He went off the reservation a little bit," Johnson said. "He knew it and he apologized for it."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02132009/sports/jets/fans_split_over_brett_154934.htm FANS SPLIT OVER BRETT By JONATHAN LEHMAN February 13, 2009 -- Brett Favre says he's done with football. Jet leadership says it's ready to move on and search for the quarterback of the future. And pigskin fans in the Big Apple are saying, Goodbye, Brett, nice to know ya. Favre's retirement Wednesday was greeted with a mix of relief and disappointment across the city, with most fans interviewed by The Post saying they're happy to see the faded three-time MVP hang up his cleats. Yet Jet followers are puzzled what the next step is for a team that's built to win now. "I'm disappointed, but I'm more worried what direction they're going to go from this point," said Jet fan Bob Suhr. In-house options include Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff and Erik Ainge. "I don't see Clemens doing it," Suhr said. "I don't see him being good enough." The Jets also could shop around in a limited free-agent market or hope to find a NFL-ready quarterback with their first-round draft pick at No. 17. "You gotta get a quarterback in the draft," said Eddie Murphy (not that Eddie Murphy!) from his barstool in downtown Manhattan. Given that Favre's previous retirement quickly turned into un-retirement and a summer-long, soap-operatic breakup with the Packers, forgive some observers if they're taking Favre's latest farewell with a grain of salt. "Hopefully he's not leaving the team in limbo and he'll let the Jets go forward," said Alex LoGerfo, a Giant fan from Staten Island. Most fans interviewed seemed to feel it was simply time for the Hall-of-Fame-bound 39-year-old to quit. "You can't build a franchise with a 40-year-old man," said West Side resident John Meyer. "He's a warrior, he's a great player, but he was too old." Said George McReynolds of Elizabeth, N.J.: "He obviously can't play at the same level as before." Not all were so unemotional about Favre's exit. "It breaks my heart," said Jet-hat-wearing Jerry Goldsmith of Milwaukee, a Packer fan who switched allegiances when Favre decamped for Jersey. "I know he still has it in him." So what if Favre somehow maneuvers his way onto another team, such as the Vikings? "I'll still be a Favre fan no matter what," Goldsmith said. "Wherever he goes."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02122009/sports/jets/ratliff_ready_for_jets_qb_competition_154824.htm RATLIFF READY FOR JETS QB BATTLE POST STAFF REPORT February 12, 2009 -- Brett Ratliff says he and Kellen Clemens are friends, and he's hopeful it stays that way. But that could change if the two enter Jets training camp in competition for the starting quarterback job. "Up to this point, (our) relationship has been great," Ratliff said today, according to the Jets. "We have done stuff outside of football. Our wives hang out. We have (eaten) dinners as a family - my wife, my daughter, his wife, his daughter. "In my opinion, we are good friends and I hope that doesn't change. I don't think it will. We both have been playing football a long time. Kellen likes competition just as much as I do. I think that we will both embrace it and I think whatever happens, it will be great." INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT With Brett Favre announcing his retirement Wednesday, Ratliff, Clemens and Erik Ainge are the quarterbacks remaining on the Jets roster, and barring a trade or free-agent signing, their quarterbacks for the 2009 season. "The way I prepare is I am going to be the starter no matter what, even if Brett (Favre) was going to come back," Ratliff said. "I would try to prepare myself as I was going to be the starter. I tried not to worry about what Brett was going to do." Ratliff starred this past preseason, going 27-for-39 for 400 yards in the first two games, before Favre made his debut. He went 5-for-8 for 99 yards over the last two, and did not take a regular-season snap. "The way I look at it is as a stepping stone. It's nowhere near a regular-season game, but it's one step closer to getting to that point," Ratliff said. "I am going to keep working as hard as I can to get to the next level and that is playing in a regular-season game. I did show a little bit of what I can do." He was praised during training camp practices after spending 2007 on the practice squad undrafted out of Utah, sometimes as a scout-team receiver. "That first year was a little rough," Ratliff said. "It's a very big offense. There is a lot of information. Being able to come into my third year, it is a great opportunity, having (offensive coordinator Brian) Schottenheimer back. "I am very excited just to get back into the mix of things. I am very confident."
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets136033850feb13,0,6675615.story Ratliff eager to show Jets what he can do BY ERIK BOLAND erik.boland@newsday.com February 13, 2009 Kellen Clemens made it clear Wednesday that he was confident he could be the Jets' next starting quarterback. Clemens' primary competitor - for now, anyway - for the job expressed his own self-assurance yesterday. Brett Ratliff, a sensation last preseason, said he also feels ready to replace Brett Favre, who retired Wednesday. "I am very confident," Ratliff said in a conference call. "I am going to continue to work through this offseason like the last offseason, just preparing for next year. I am going to keep working as hard as I can and try to get better in any way possible. The one thing I am grateful for is that [offensive coordinator] Brian Schottenheimer is coming back. It's great to be in the system for a third year. I am very confident in what's to come." Ratliff, 23, spoke with Rex Ryan shortly after he was hired and was happy to hear the new coach's plans. "He said in his eyes, it's an open competition," Ratliff said. "That's really all he said. He said that there would be an opportunity for me. All I can ask for is an opportunity to prove myself, to show my abilities, and I am looking forward to that." And maybe becoming the next undrafted quarterback - like Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme and Tony Romo - to make it big. "It definitely helps my confidence knowing that they did," Ratliff said. "It helps make it easier for me. That is what I have been my entire career; I've been overlooked at first." The 6-4, 235-pound Ratliff drew little interest coming out of Utah in 2007, with most scouting reports praising his powerful arm but not much else. The Jets signed Ratliff, who played at Butte (Calif.) Junior College before attending Utah, as a rookie free agent. He was surprised when asked to swap his red jersey for white during practice. The switch relegated him to the scout team, playing receiver, defensive back or wherever he was needed. Former coach Eric Mangini praised Ratliff during training camp last summer, but while doing so recalled Ratliff's early difficulties. "It took an act of Congress," Mangini said of Ratliff's ability to process the play calls in the huddle and relay them that first summer. But something clicked last summer for Ratliff, who went 14-for-20 for 252 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason opener, a 24-20 win over the Browns that was overshadowed by the pregame news conference that introduced Favre. Ratliff completed 32 of 47 for 499 yards with four TDs and a 122.5 rating, both preseason bests for the AFC. Not regular-season experience, Ratliff acknowledged, but not insignificant. "I did show a little bit of what I can do," he said. "It's one step above practice. It's something where the coaches needed to see what I can do. It was a glimpse of my abilities and what I am capable of." The new Brett Personal Age: 23 Height: 6-4 Weight: 235 College: Utah, where he majored in sociology. Residence: Chico, Calif. Career transactions 5/12/07: Signed by Jets as undrafted free agent. 9/1/07: Waived by Jets. 9/3/07: Signed by Jets to practice squad. 1/15/08: Re-signed by Jets. NFL experience Completed 32 of 47 passes for 499 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT (122.5 QB rating) during 2008 preseason. College Completed 228 of 391 passes (58.3 percent) for 2,796 yards with 23 TDs and 9 INTs in 13 games for Utah.
