The Latest Jets News

The following is a review of top stories surrounding the Jets:

It looks like the Sanchez v. Tebow debate isn’t going away anytime soon.  There have been several Jets players, including Darrelle Revis, making favorable comments about Tebow:

One week before the Jets begin voluntary Organized Team Activities, (Darrelle) Revis lauded Tebow for his innate leadership and passion.

“He’s a born leader,” Revis said on Wednesday. “He really is. Very few athletes have the gift that he has. He tries to lead by example all the time and he tries to be positive, which is awesome. I think that results (in) his success on the field. He came in with Denver and did unbelievable. And now he’s with us. We’re happy. We’re excited for him. We’re happy (that) he’ll bring his leadership qualities to this team.”

“You can tell… He’s a very passionate guy,” left guard Matt Slauson said. “He works extremely hard. Everything he does, he does a 100 percent. So he’s a lot of fun to watch in the weight-room.
… He meshes really well with all the guys.”

Revis maintained that Tebow’s presence as a leader is visible in all corners of the team facility.

“Some people have it. Some guys don’t,” Revis said. “It’s the passion within… of him wanting to be a leader, wanting to win. You see it in him all the time… eating lunch. Walking down the hallway you see it. He’s just one of those guys. He’s very positive. He has passion for what he does and you could see it. You can see it on him when you have a conversation with him. He’s just a leader.”

“You could see that at every level, he was a leader and he stepped up and did what he had to do as a quarterback,” Revis added.

The All-Pro cornerback summed it up by saying that Tebow had the “It” factor.

“He makes plays. He wins games. That’s it,” Revis said. “As a teammate, it’s kind of different. You actually get to see him every day…. When you’re competing against somebody and you don’t know the person, you only see what you see on film. You don’t know him as a person. When you get to know him as a person, you have way more respect for the person and you appreciate the guy.”

Earlier, (Bart) Scott had joked with reporters that he wasn’t talking since these were “voluntary workouts.” But offered this as he walked away: “Yes… I love Tebow.”

Source: NY Daily News/Manish Mehta

Earlier this year an anonymous player told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that receiver Santonio Holmes would be calling for Tebow if Sanchez plays poorly at the start of the season:

Although Holmes didn’t want to discuss the state of the Jets two weeks ago, including the recent acquisition of Tim Tebow, one of the NFL players that trains with the wide-out (Holmes) made it clear that he didn’t have a preference whether Tebow or Sanchez was under center.

“He didn’t really care (about the Tebow trade),” the player said. “‘Tone just wants the ball.”

“He said it’s all on Sanchez this time,” the player added. “If Sanchez trips (up), then he’ll be on the bench going, ‘Tebow! Tebow!’ like everyone else.”

ESPN’s Rich Cimini interviewed former Jet, now Giants, punter Steve Weatherford asking his opinions on Mark Sanchez.  The article’s title “Steve Weatherford rips Mark Sanchez” might indicate that Weatherford had harsh words about his former teammate:

“I like Mark — I think he’s a very talented quarterback — but from my standpoint, I haven’t seen a lot of maturation,” said Weatherford, making the media rounds this week because the Giants received their Super Bowl rings. “When you’re a quarterback and you come in, and you’re expected to be the face of the franchise, and you’re expected to lead the team”

“That’s a lot to take on as a rookie. But as the years go on, I think you’re expected to mature, skill-wise, and also mature as a leader, and to be honest with you, as much as I like the guy, I just haven’t seen that.”

Weatherford did not take kindly to the “spin” which Cimini choose to put on his article, so he decided to fight back via Twitter:

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These responses set off a “Twitter War” as some tweeters felt Cimini’s article was malicious and unfair.  Cimini often responded that he was just reporting what Weatherford had said.

There has been much speculation about wide receiver Santonio Holmes after he appeared to quit on the team at the end of last season.  An apparent fractured relationship with quarterback Mark Sanchez and other teammates made some wonder if Holmes would give a complete effort this year.  New receivers coach Sanjay Lal praised Holmes for his positive attitude, helping “tutor” younger players, while appearing “very eager/competitive” during offseason workouts:

“A lot of things I had read or been told occur every day on every NFL sideline,” Lal said. “They’re just not shown. I can honestly say I’ve had to manage receivers between plays, between series, very similar things. It truly is because the good ones are so competitive they just want the ball. What makes them good is that quality, so there is frustration attached to it at times.”

Lal spoke with Holmes a few times after taking the job, but they could not discuss football until the offseason program began in April. For the past five weeks, Lal has gotten to watch Holmes work up close. Lal said Holmes has been, “very eager, very football-hungry, very competitive.”

The coaches have been able to work with the players on the field for the last three weeks. Other than Holmes, the Jets receivers are very inexperienced. Lal has leaned on Holmes to tutor the younger players.

“He loves coaching technique as much as I do,” Lal said. “So, when we go out there he’ll take his rep and then he’ll help with the technique with the rest of the guys. He knows what I’m looking for. He sees it a lot through my eyes and I see it through his eyes. It’s a good synergy I’d say.”

Source: NY Post/Brian Costello

Holmes’ former coach, when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and current CBS analyst Bill Cowher commented on the receivers passion and how Homes will move on from last year’s disappointment:

Although 2011 ended in disastrous fashion, (Bill) Cowher thinks the wide-out (Holmes) can rebuild is reputation this season:

“I think emotions run high, you get to the sideline and people do things that, in hindsight, they wish they hadn’t done,” the former Steelers coach said …  “It’s a very emotional game and at times it lends yourself to doing things that, you know, that may not be the appropriate thing to do at those times.”

“Santonio, he’d be the first one to tell you that he’d have liked to handle that a little differently, but he’s a guy that’s going to but it beside him, he’s a very good football player, I think he’s very committed. He likes to work at it and he’s ready to move on to this year.”

Source: Newark Star Ledger/Conor Orr 

The Jets recently signed former Dolphin’s safety Yeremiah Bell along with free agent acquisition LaRon Landry and drafted Josh Bush and Antonio Allen, that makes four news safeties added this year.  With a total of six safeties currently on the roster some have speculated that this is the end of Jim Leonhard’s career as a Jet:

Bell’s signing could dim the chances of a reunion between the Jets and Jim Leonhard, who is still a free agent as he rehabs from a season-ending patellar tendon tear. Leonhard said last month that he and his representatives have had “good conversations” with the Jets, as well as a few other teams

Source: Newark Star Ledger/Jenny Vrentas

Jet-Nation interviewed Leonhard as well and while he was positive about his return from injury “reading between the lines” one could sense the Jets hadn’t shown much interest.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Bell along with Landry, are already “penciled in” as starting safeties at the moment:

The Jets entered this offseason looking to improve at safety. They believe they took another step toward doing that yesterday.

The team agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal with veteran safety Yeremiah Bell, according to sources.

The Jets view him (Bell) as a starting safety opposite LaRon Landry, another free agent acquisition they made in March.

The Jets announced they have a new Director of College Scouting, Jeff Bauer, replaces Joey Clinkscales who took a job with the Raiders.  The team also hired Kevin Kelly to be an area scout:

The Jets have promoted Jeff Bauer, a former area scout for the team, to director of college scouting.

Bauer replaces Joey Clinkscales, who left for a position as the Raiders’ director of player personnel earlier this month. A former letterman at Iowa State, Bauer is entering his 12th season with the Jets and has spent 11 years scouting the Midwest.

The Jets also hired Kevin Kelly as an area scout. Kelly was previously an area scout for the Colts (2009-11) and the Browns (2001-08).

Source: Newark Star Ledger/Jenny Vrentas

As reported by Jet-Nation is appears that nose tackle Kenrick Ellis’ legal problems, along with possible deportation are behind him, but the NFL will investigate if Ellis violated the leagues “Personal Conduct Code” which could lead to a suspension:

Kenrick Ellis may have to answer to the NFL as well.

The second-year defensive tackle, who agreed to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault and battery from an incident that occurred while he was a student at Hampton (Va.) University, is subject to the league’s personal-conduct policy.

The timing of the incident is a factor to be considered, but it is subject to review, a league spokesman said Saturday in an e-mail to ESPNNewYork.com. If a player is found to be in violation of the personal-conduct policy, he could be slapped with a fine and/or a suspension.

Source: ESPN/Rich Cimini

New defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is excited at the prospects of using the 46 defense made famous by Rex Ryan’s father Buddy Ryan, who Dunbar coached under.  Dunbar feels the 46 defensive alignment will allow the Jets to gain favorable one-on-one match-ups as their personnel complements this defense perfectly:

Dunbar said the Jets used the (46) formation “a bunch” last year and plan to use it even more — “as much as we can” — in 2012.

“We’re going to play a lot of that 46 defense,” Dunbar said with a grin. “You get in that 46 defense, you’re going to get a lot of one-on-one blocks, and when we put athletic guys on the field, bad things happen for the offense.”

The 46 defense is one variation of a 4-3 front, with four down linemen and eight men in the box. Dunbar has a long history with it, dating back to his days as a defensive lineman for the Arizona Cardinals from 1994-95, when Buddy Ryan was his head coach and Rex was his position coach.

Source: Newark Star Ledger/Jenny Vrentas

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