E-Boland & Gang Green

Some of what we saw this morning, though first here's a couple of Mike Tannenbaum comments regarding the Baker situation.

On the conversation last preseason with Baker’s then-agent Cliff Brady (Baker fired Brady earlier this year) about promising to renegotiate the contract: “I had a number of conversations with Cliff last year and I’m comfortable with that conversation we had and I think Chris and I just have a difference of opinion about those conversations. Based on my understanding of what Chris said this morning with those conversations last year, I was part of those conversations and I know what was said so I think Chris and I have a difference of opinion on those conversations.”

On the possibility of a perception developing that Jets have made promises to players regarding contracts and not kept them: “I’ve been fortunate enough to do this since 1997. I’m really comfortable with my track record, my reputation in the agent community looking at grievances and holdouts over a long period of time. Right now we have 85 players here, I think 84 feel reasonably satisfied with where they are with their contracts. As far as the team and our reputation, I think it speaks for itself over a long period of time with a number of players and a number of agents.”

Ok, to this morning’s practice. Keep in mind we have another practice we’re headed out to shortly so questions I didn’t get to here, I’ll get to after the second practice.

1. There’s been a lot of questions, which started during the OTAs, about the offensive line. Today, as was the case with the OTAs, was a non-contact day, though Eric Mangini mentioned the O-line during his press conference earlier this afternoon.
“I’ve liked the progress of the offensive line,” Mangini said. “I think those guys have worked really well together as a group and not just the first group, but the whole group.”
The “whole group” part of that is important as developing depth along the offensive line is one of the main story lines to watch during training camp.

2. Mangini on how behind Vernon Gholston, who reports to camp tomorrow (Friday), will be as a result of the league rule that prohibited him from attending any OTAs – or today’s practice - until the end of the school year: “He’ll be behind. It’s tough. He’ll behind in a lot of different ways. He’ll be behind in terms of his relationship with the other rookies, his relationship with the coaching staff, being able to actually physically go through the drills, physically go through the plays, the adjustments, being in the huddle. The amount of questions I’m going to ask him when he gets here, all those things are things the other rookies have kind of taken a little bite of each day and he’s going to have to sit down at the buffet and eat it all.”

3. Besides the offensive line, Mangini singled out receiver David Clowney as a player that has stood out so far. Clowney has caught pretty much everything thrown at hime in the OTA sessions the media saw the last three weeks and again this morning made some nice grabs.
“I think he’s a guy that has excellent deep speed, he’s got a history of special teams production in college (Virginia Tech)," Mangini said. "He got into our system last year when we picked him up from Green Bay and he made some strides (last year). And I like the strides he’s made to this point. He’s worked at the learning side quite a bit and it shows up.”

4. The morning practice, in which the Jets worked primarily on first and second down plays [third downs are coming this afternoon], was a session ruled by the defense, with Kerry Rhodes picking off two passes. At one point, early in the day, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer yelled out, “Hey quarterbacks, what the *&%$ are we doing?!”

5. The best play from the offense during the morning came during a seven-on-seven drill when Chad Pennington lofted a 20-yard pass down the right sideline and rookie Marcus Henry went high to come down with the ball between fellow rookie Dwight Lowery and James Ihedigbo. Darrelle Revis had a nice pass defense on a 12-yard Clemens out pattern pass to Laveranues Coles. Clemens, at least this morning, held the ball twice and took sacks (non-contact sacks of course) though on one of them, Clemens threw the ball anyway and launched about a 50-yarder down the middle to Clowney.

6. Linebacker Brad Kassell stripped receiver Chris Davis of the ball after Davis caught a short underneath pass from Pennington. Dwight Lowery, who saw time mostly with the second team and some time as a nickel back, recovered the fumble. Also, Dustin Keller had his first ugly drop of the preseason – on a Clemens 15-yarder over the middle – but caught a similar pass from Pennington later on.

7. Jesse Chatman showed one of the morning’s most noticeable bursts of speed, taking a screen pass on the right side and bolting up the sideline. And Justin Miller, still the No. 2 corner, continues to show improvement. His athleticism was always a given but there seems to be some improvement in the ball-skills area, too.

8. Erik Ainge is still not throwing the ball as he recovers from the surgery on the pinky on his throwing hand from last month, and James Dearth, Kenny Patton, Andre Woolfolk and Artrell Hawkins were again limited, as they were during the OTAs. However, Brad Smith, limited during those same OTAs, was not yesterday, running routes and catching the ball, mostly with the second team. Chansi Stuckey still appears to be the third receiver but, again, this was Smith’s first day back from a sore back.

All right, one more practice to go. Back with more afterward.