NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

June 4, 2015

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets announce plans for variable pricing for season tickets (Dennis Waszak) .......................................................... 2

Starter or not, Fitzpatrick aims to be ready for Jets (Dennis Waszak) ...................................................................... 3

Jets’ Amaro leaves practice with apparent back injury (Dennis Waszak) ................................................................. 4

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Ryan Fitzpatrick ready to take over if Geno Smith falters (Kimberley A. Martin) ..................................................... 4

Jets to institute variable pricing for season tickets (Kimberley A. Martin) ............................................................... 5

Todd Bowles has no issues with Willie Colon’s remarks about Geno Smith (Kimberley A. Martin) ......................... 6

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 7

Jets backup is fast on his feet (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................................................................. 7

NEW YORK TIMES .................................................................................................................................................. 8

Ryan Fitzpatrick Is Ready to Impress Jets, Even as a Backup (Ben Shpigel) .............................................................. 8

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 10

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan: No news on the Mo Wilkerson front (Rich Cimini) ...................................................... 10

Mark Gastineau, old No. 99, makes emotional return to New York Jets (Rich Cimini) ........................................... 10

Todd Bowles on Jets: ‘I don’t know what kind of car we have yet’ (Rich Cimini) ................................................... 12

Jace Amaro injured, Sheldon Richardson absent (again) at Jets’ latest OTA (Kieran Darcy) ................................... 12

Geno Smith has edge, but Ryan Fitzpatrick looking better and better at Jets camp (Kieran Darcy) ....................... 13

Darrelle Revis won’t compare himself to Richard Sherman (Kieran Darcy) ............................................................ 14

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Muhammad Wilkerson will be at Jets minicamp: source (Steve Serby and Bart Hubbuch) ................................... 15

Jets in no rush to give Muhammad Wilkerson an extension (Bart Hubbuch) ......................................................... 16

How Bowles is giving Fitzpatrick hope in Jets’ QB non-competition (Brian Costello) ............................................. 16

Bowles unhappy with mate’s ‘Porsche’ rip on Geno Smith (Brian Costello) ........................................................... 17

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 18

Will Dee Milliner be ready for Jets training camp? (Darryl Slater) .......................................................................... 18

Jets’ Mike Maccagnan on Mo Wilkerson showing for minicamp: We’ll find out’ (Dom Cosentino) ....................... 19

9 observations from Jets OTA practice on Wednesday (Dom Cosentino)............................................................... 20

5 takeaways from Todd Bowles’ press conference as Jets wind down OTAs (Darryl Slater) .................................. 22

Jets’ Todd Bowles has mixed reaction to Willie Colon’s comments about Geno Smith (Darryl Slater) .................. 22

Antonio Cromartie vs. Richard Sherman: Jets’ Darrelle Revis channels Bill Belichick (Dom Cosentino) ................. 24

Daily Clips Cont.

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Does Ryan Fitzpatrick think he has a legit shot to beat out Geno Smith as Jets’ starting quarterback? (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Jace Amaro leaves Jets practice with apparent back injury (Dom Cosentino) ........................................................ 26

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 26

Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick staying prepared to play as Geno Smith’s backup (Seth Walder) .................................... 26

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 27

Jets Work Through Spring Practices With Few Lineup Questions (Stu Woo) .......................................................... 27

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 28

Earning starting role will be difficult task for Jets RB Zac Stacy (Kristian Dyer) ...................................................... 29

Jets: Todd Bowles speaks on Willie Colon’s comments about Geno Smith (Kristian Dyer) .................................... 30

WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS............................................................................................................... 31

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets announce plans for variable pricing for season tickets (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press June 3, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-announce-plans-variable-pricing-season-tickets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets are using variable pricing for season tickets for the team's 10 home games, including the preseason, at MetLife Stadium this year.

The team announced the pricing plan Wednesday after using it for individual game tickets last season.

While the total price for season ticket packages remains unchanged, variable pricing allows the Jets "to price our games in a way that more accurately reflects fan demand and interest," team president Neil Glat said. Club level seats, however, will not be affected.

Individual games within each season ticket package are assigned one of three tiers: marquee, premier and preseason.

The four marquee games in Todd Bowles' first season as coach are: the home opener against Cleveland (Sept. 13), vs. Philadelphia and possibly former quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow (Sept. 27), the return of former coach Rex Ryan with Buffalo (Nov. 12) and AFC East rival New England (Dec. 27).

The four premier games are: Washington (Oct. 18), Jacksonville (Nov. 8), Miami (Nov. 29) and Tennessee (Dec. 13). While the Dolphins remain one of the Jets' biggest rivals, the teams are playing at MetLife Stadium during Thanksgiving weekend — typically a time when many fans are traveling for the holiday.

The two preseason games are: Atlanta (Aug. 21) and vs. Philadelphia (Sept. 3).

The differences in ticket prices range from about $6 — $56 for marquee and $50 for premier in corner-end zone seats in the upper level of the stadium — to $20 — $183 for marquee and $163 for premier in the lower prime seats. For preseason games, the lower prime seats cost $120.50, while the corner-end zone seats in the upper level are $38.

Variable pricing is being used by other NFL teams this season, and has become increasingly common in other professional sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL.

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Starter or not, Fitzpatrick aims to be ready for Jets (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press June 3, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/starter-or-not-fitzpatrick-aims-be-ready-jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Ryan Fitzpatrick has been in this spot many times throughout his NFL career.

The veteran quarterback is the backup, not the New York Jets' projected starter right now. That label belongs to Geno Smith, who's coming off two shaky seasons.

Fitzpatrick is fine with that for now. He knows things can change, just as they did for him in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Tennessee and Houston — all stops in which he became his team's starting quarterback.

"That's kind of been a lot of my career, not necessarily being the guy right away and having to step in, and not having there be any sort of drop-off," Fitzpatrick said after practice Wednesday. "That's something that I pride myself on: Whether I'm the Day 1 starter or I'm the third-string guy, when I go in there, I'm going to be ready to be able to execute."

The Jets are counting on that, just in case Smith fails to show he's "the guy."

Smith will go into training camp next month as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart, and it's up to him to remain there.

"You don't go into camp having two first-team guys," coach Todd Bowles said. "Geno's the first-team quarterback. It's Ryan's job to take it, and it's Geno's job to (not) lose it. If he doesn't lose it, and Ryan doesn't take it, he's the starter."

Smith has been inconsistent during his first two seasons, with glimmers of solid play overshadowed at times by glaring mistakes that have led to him being benched. He has 25 touchdown passes and an eye-popping 34 interceptions, with some opponents saying he stares down his receivers.

With new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in the fold, his spread tendencies seem to play into Smith's strengths. New general manager also added some playmakers on offense, trading for wide receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Zac Stacy, signing running back Stevan Ridley and adding depth to the offensive line. As guard Willie Colon said during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, the Jets "bought the Porsche, we've given (Smith) the keys, he can't crash it."

Bowles downplayed Colon's comments, saying that he didn't think the lineman was being overly critical of Smith, but added that he prefers a player not say anything about a teammate if they have nothing good to say.

"I don't know what kind of car we have yet," Bowles said, smiling. "We're still building it. There's a lot of parts to be determined in that."

Starting with the quarterback, of course.

Fitzpatrick is 32 and hardly the future of the franchise. But, he could very well be the quarterback when Week 1 rolls around.

"With Coach Bowles, the thing that he's made clear to everybody in this locker room is, you're going to have to earn your spot," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick looked good Wednesday, zipping tight spirals around the field and lofting a pretty TD pass of about 50 yards to Eric Decker for a touchdown during 7-on-7 drills. Not bad for a guy who had his season end prematurely last December when he broke his left leg during a game.

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"At this point, I'm feeling pretty good," Fitzpatrick said. "There's still treatments and daily soreness and stuff like that."

On a long scramble during practice, Fitzpatrick showed no signs of tentativeness. He's expected to be fully ready for the start of training camp.

"Everything's on track right now," he said.

Bowles likes what he has seen from Fitzpatrick, calling him "a pretty sharp guy" who has a good understanding of the offense despite being limited in the offseason. That's to be expected, of course, from a Harvard grad. The physical improvement has been a big positive, though.

"His arm's a little stronger and he's getting healthier," Bowles said. "Obviously still knocking the rust off a little bit."

Fitzpatrick's familiarity with Gailey's offense was a major reason the Jets traded for him in March, giving them a veteran with success in the league. Last year with the Texans, Fitzpatrick threw for 2,483 yards with 17 touchdowns — including a franchise-record six against Tennessee last November — and just eight interceptions, and a career-best 95.3 passer rating in 12 games as the starter.

"This being my sixth different team and really sixth or seventh or eighth different situation that I've been in, in terms of being a No. 4 or a 3 or a 2 or a 1 (on the depth chart), I know I've got to be ready," Fitzpatrick said. "I'm always going to be ready, no matter what is said or what is not said. That's kind of my approach."

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Jets’ Amaro leaves practice with apparent back injury (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press June 3, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-amaro-leaves-practice-apparent-back-injury

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro left the team's practice with what appeared to be a back injury.

Amaro was running a route early during the practice Wednesday when he stopped short, went down on a knee and clutched his back while grimacing. He was looked at by trainers on the sideline and then headed to the locker room.

Amaro, the Jets' second-round draft pick last year, didn't return to the organized team activities. Coach Todd Bowles was uncertain of Amaro's status after practice, saying only that he was told the tight end was "sore." Bowles also couldn't confirm that the injury was to Amaro's back.

Amaro had an inconsistent rookie season, but finished tied for second on the team with Jeremy Kerley with 38 receptions

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NEWSDAY

Ryan Fitzpatrick ready to take over if Geno Smith falters (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday June 3, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ryan-fitzpatrick-ready-to-take-over-if-geno-smith-falters-1.10505120

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - If Geno Smith falters, Ryan Fitzpatrick expects to be ready.

He has no idea if he eventually will supplant Smith as the Jets' starting quarterback, but Fitzpatrick knows he's "got to be ready" just in case.

"A lot of my career has been not necessarily being the guy right away and having to step in and not having there be any sort of drop-off," he said Wednesday after the Jets' next-to-last session of organized team activities.

"That's something that I pride myself on, whether I'm the Day One starter or whether I'm the third-string guy. When I go in there I'm going to be ready and be able to execute."

Fitzpatrick, 32, is an NFL journeyman now on his sixth team in 11 seasons. And despite his familiarity with the Jets' new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey (his former head coach in Buffalo), Fitzpatrick is the No. 2 guy behind Smith.

But the veteran believes he'll get a fair shot with coach Todd Bowles.

"The thing that he's made clear to everybody in this locker room is you're going to have to earn your spot. And I think there's a ton of respect for him," Fitzpatrick said. "He's going to put the best guys out there."

He made the most of his reps on Wednesday, scrambling for a long gain from scrimmage on one play during 7-on-7 drills and hitting Eric Decker on a 50-yard touchdown on another. "I feel good. It's great to be back in this offense," said Fitzpatrick, who still is rehabbing the left leg he fractured in mid-December. "It's been a lot of fun for me, not necessarily to move, but to get on a new team, to be the guy that everybody's coming to to ask questions and to have a lot of those answers."

He also tried his best to avoid stirring up any more quarterback controversy. "I know that it's you guys' jobs [to pay attention to how reps are divvied up], but there's so many reps out here right now, where you just see guys getting shuttled in and out," Fitzpatrick said. "I'm taking [the No.] 2 reps right now, but Brandon [Marshall] and Deck [Eric Decker] and different guys are in the huddle."

Bowles reiterated that the starting job is Smith's to lose. "It's Ryan's job to take it," he said. "If Ryan doesn't take it, [Geno's] the starter."

But Bowles also praised Fitzpatrick's progress. "His arm's a little stronger, he's getting healthier," he said

"Obviously, he's still knocking the rust off a little bit. But as far as understanding what to do and where to go, he's a pretty sharp guy."

Amaro hurts back. Tight end Jace Amaro pulled up short while running a route and left practice with an apparent back injury. "I don't know much right now," Bowles said. "They told me he was sore, but I have to find out more after this."

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Jets to institute variable pricing for season tickets (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday June 3, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-to-institute-variable-pricing-for-season-tickets-1.10504022

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The Jets have informed season-ticket holders that they'll be using a variable-pricing plan for home games this season at MetLife Stadium.

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"Variable pricing allows us to price our games in a way that more accurately reflects fan demand and interest," team president Neil Glat said in a statement Wednesday.

The Jets utilized variable pricing for individual game tickets last season, but this is the first time they're using it for season tickets.

The total price for season-ticket packages will remain the same, however.

The Jets' preseason and regular-season home games have been divided into three pricing categories:

Marquee Games

Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 27, 1 p.m.

Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Nov. 12, 8:25 p.m.

New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 27, 1 p.m.

Premier Games

Washington Redskins, Sunday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 8, 1 p.m.

Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 29, 1 p.m.

Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 13, 1 p.m.

Preseason Games

Atlanta Falcons, Friday, Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m.

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Todd Bowles has no issues with Willie Colon’s remarks about Geno Smith (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday June 3, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/todd-bowles-has-no-issues-with-willie-colon-s-remarks-about-geno-smith-1.10504000

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Todd Bowles is all for free speech, just as long as his players aren't ripping one another.

The Jets coach said he had no problem with Willie Colon's recent comments about Geno Smith, though Bowles seemed somewhat confused by Colon's choice of words.

"I heard it . . . something about keys to the Porsche and don't crash it," he said with a smile on Wednesday after the team's next-to-last session of organized team activities.

"I don't know what kind of car we have here, we're still building it. And there's a lot of parts to be determined in that. But it's probably just a figure of speech, knowing Willie."

Colon made headlines Tuesday when he said that Smith has to be "on top of his game" in 2015. "We bought the Porsche, we've given him the keys, he can't crash it," Colon said on SiriusXM NFL radio.

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When initially asked about Colon's comments Bowles said: "My personal feeling is, you don't have nothing good to say about a teammate, you don't say it. There's pressure on everybody. We're in this business to win and Geno's one of 22 guys starting and everybody at every position has the same type of pressure."

But when asked directly if he viewed Colon's comments as "critical," Bowles said no.

"I don't think so," he said. "I mean, you don't know Willie. I don't know the situation, I wasn't [there for] the interview. It's freedom of speech. He can speak to the press, he's a grown man. He's part of the team. I know how he feels about Geno, I know how he feels about the team.

"Nothing Willie said is wrong. You can speak your mind any time you want to speak your mind. That's up to him . . . I don't see it [as] harmful to him, no."

So does Bowles agree that the Jets offense has Porsche-like potential in 2015?

Not quite.

"I don't have a Porsche, so I can't answer that question. They look nice on the outside," he said, chuckling. "I don't compare our offense to any type of car or vehicle or any type of situation. We're going to try to get better by the day and we're going to make sure we put people in the right place to make plays and we're going to go from there."

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THE RECORD

Jets backup is fast on his feet (J.P. Pelzman) The Record June 4, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jet-backup-is-fast-on-his-feet-1.1349010

FLORHAM PARK – Eleventh-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t known for his running ability, but he displayed plenty of fancy footwork Wednesday.

Fitzpatrick spoke to reporters for the first time since offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said last month that there wouldn’t be a quarterback competition, and that he expected incumbent Geno Smith to be the opening-day starter against Cleveland on Sept. 13.

Fitzpatrick was asked several times if he thought he could win the starting job given Gailey’s seeming intention to start Smith no matter what, but he danced around the topic while still making it clear he is proud of his résumé.

"That’s been a lot of my career," Fitzpatrick said, "not necessarily being the guy right away and having to step in and not having there be any sort of drop-off, whether it be for injury or whatever it’s for. That’s something I pride myself on, whether I’m the Day One starter or whether I’m the third-string guy. When I go in there, I’m going to be ready and be able to execute.

"I’m always going to be ready," Fitzpatrick added, "no matter what is said or what is not said. That’s kind of my approach."

Coach Todd Bowles has said there will be competition, but he also has indicated he plans to give Smith most, if not all, of the first-team snaps during practice. That would seem to make it difficult for Fitzpatrick to beat him out, because he will be playing mostly with the second-stringers.

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"You don’t go into camp having two first-team guys," Bowles said. "Geno is the first-team quarterback. It’s Ryan’s job to take it. It’s Geno’s job to lose. If he doesn’t lose it and Ryan doesn’t take it, [Smith] is the starter."

Fitzpatrick said, "With Coach Bowles, the thing that he’s made clear to everybody in this locker room is, you’re going to have to earn your spot. If you look at the kind of coach he’s been, and the teams and successes he’s had with his defenses, he’s always played the best guys.

"We’re all in here trying to win," the veteran quarterback added, "and so I think that’s certainly going to be the case — that he’s going to put the best guys out there."

Fitzpatrick has been limited for most of the spring while he rehabs from a fractured leg suffered in December, but he said he is feeling much better and that he expects to be 100 percent by the time training camp begins in late July. He has been taking more snaps in 11-on-11 drills recently.

"His arm’s a little stronger" than earlier in the spring, Bowles said. "He’s getting healthier, obviously still knocking the rust off a little bit. But as far as understanding what to do and where to go [with the ball], he’s a pretty sharp guy."

BRIEFS: TE Jace Amaro left practice with an apparent back injury suffered while running a route. Bowles had no update afterward on the potential severity of the injury. … Bowles said he is "hopeful" that DE Muhammad Wilkerson and DE Sheldon Richardson will be at mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday. Wilkerson has missed all the voluntary workouts and conditioning this spring, while Richardson has been "in and out," Bowles has said. Wilkerson is seeking a new contract.

The Jets informed season-ticket holders that they will be using variable pricing for home games this season. The season opener against the Browns and games against Philadelphia, Buffalo and New England have been designated as marquee games. The total price for season tickets remains the same.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Ryan Fitzpatrick Is Ready to Impress Jets, Even as a Backup (Ben Shpigel) New York Times June 3, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/sports/football/ryan-fitzpatrick-is-ready-to-impress-jets-even-as-a-backup.html?ref=football&_r=0

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Ryan Fitzpatrick raced out of the pocket, down the middle of the field and toward the left sideline as Darrelle Revis and Antonio Allen gave chase. As Fitzpatrick neared the boundary, Revis started laughing. So did Allen, who told Fitzpatrick, “You’ve got some wheels, man.”

The Jets learn more about Fitzpatrick, still recovering from a broken left leg, every day his health improves. Elusiveness is one of his underappreciated assets, whether on the field during a voluntary workout in June or in the locker room afterward fielding questions about his second-string status.

For the second consecutive training camp, the Jets will hold an unofficial quarterback competition — despite knowing who the winner is. Same as last year, that is poised to be Geno Smith, who was never threatened by Michael Vick and has already fended off Fitzpatrick for the right to start Sept. 13 against Cleveland.

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That disclosure was made two weeks ago by the offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, and it was reiterated Wednesday by Coach Todd Bowles, who said he did not believe in splitting first-team snaps at quarterback.

“It’s Ryan’s job to take it, it’s Geno’s to lose it,” Bowles said. “If he doesn’t lose it and Ryan doesn’t take it, he’s the starter.”

Bowles added that those rules apply to the other 21 projected starters, mentioning players like Nick Mangold and Brandon Marshall, but that is not an entirely fair analogy.

Mangold ranks among the best centers in the league. Marshall ranks among the best red-zone threats. Smith, meanwhile, has committed 41 turnovers in two seasons, lost his job for a few games last year and is 11-18 as a starter.

Fitzpatrick deflected questions about whether he feels he has a legitimate chance to unseat Smith, or whether he knew that Smith was the favorite after Fitzpatrick joined the Jets in a March trade with the Texans.

“For me, I’m always going to be ready,” Fitzpatrick said. “No matter what is said or what is not said, that’s kind of my approach.”

Fitzpatrick appealed to the Jets for many reasons, not the least being his familiarity with Gailey, who coached him in Buffalo for three seasons. Gailey coaxed the best, and most consistent, performances of Fitzpatrick’s career.

“With Coach Bowles, the thing he’s made clear to everyone in this locker room is you’re going to have to earn your spot,” said Fitzpatrick, speaking for the first time since Gailey declared Smith the starter. Fitzpatrick added: “A lot of my career has been not necessarily being the guy right away and having to step in and not having there be any kind of drop-off. That’s something that I pride myself on.”

The Jets are bullish on Smith, as they were last summer, and feel that he can thrive in Gailey’s new, spread-style system. Rather than change quarterbacks, the Jets retooled the offense, acquiring Marshall in a trade with Chicago, drafting receiver Devin Smith and adding running back Stevan Ridley and guard James Carpenter in free agency.

That influx of talent prompted guard Willie Colon, in an interview Tuesday with Sirius XM NFL Radio in which he also said that Smith was not ready to start in 2013, to liken the Jets’ offense to a Porsche. “We’ve given him the keys,” Colon said. “He can’t crash it. Bottom line, he can’t crash it. We need him to be on top of his game.”

Bowles said that he did not think Colon’s remarks added any extra pressure on Smith.

“I don’t know what kind of car we have,” Bowles said. “We’re still building it. There’s a lot of parts to be determined.”

Asked if the Jets’ offense had Porsche-like potential, Bowles smiled. “I don’t have a Porsche, so I can’t answer that question,” he said. “They look nice on the outside.”

WILKERSON EXPECTED AT CAMP Attendance at the Jets’ off-season workouts becomes mandatory next week, with their three-day minicamp. And when it begins Tuesday, the Jets expect defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who has skipped every facet of the program in protest of his contract status, to be there.

Todd Bowles said he was hopeful of seeing Wilkerson. Wilkerson has outplayed his rookie deal, which pays him $6.97 million in 2015, and wants a lucrative long-term contract.

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Despite his absence, Wilkerson does have a team-issued iPad, which contains the defensive playbook. Bowles said Wilkerson, when he arrives, would practice with the first-team defense, though there is likely to be an adjustment process.

“He can line up in a 3-4 and function,” Bowles said. “He just has to understand stunts. Will he grasp everything in the first three days? Probably not. But he’ll have a good grasp of things that we’re putting in to make him comfortable.”

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ESPN NEW YORK

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan: No news on the Mo Wilkerson front (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York June 3, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51685/jets-gm-mike-maccagnan-no-news-on-the-mo-wilkerson-front

NEW YORK -- Todd Bowles opens his first mandatory minicamp in six days, and the New York Jets don't know whether one of their best players -- defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson -- will be there.

"At this point, I don't have any updates," general manager Mike Maccagnan said Wednesday night at the "True Blue" softball benefit at Yankee Stadium. "I don't know."

Wilkerson is skipping voluntary workouts because he's unhappy with the pace of negotiations toward a new contract. Talks are moving at a glacial pace. Maccagnan reiterated what owner Woody Johnson said recently, that the two sides are talking sporadically. The Jets have leverage after drafting defensive end Leonard Williams with the No. 6 pick.

Wilkerson is due to make $6.97 million in the final years of his contract. Maccagnan declined to comment on whether negotiations would be impacted by Cameron Jordan's new deal. The New Orleans Saints' defensive end, drafted six spots ahead of Wilkerson in 2011, signed a five-year extension this week for a reported $60 million. It reportedly includes $33.6 million in guarantees, although it's still not clear how much is fully guaranteed.

The Jets probably would sign up for that, but Wilkerson is thought to be seeking about $14 million a year, with $40 million in guarantees. It may help Wilkerson's cause if he shows up for minicamp as a good-faith gesture.

"We'll see how things go from there," Maccagnan said.

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Mark Gastineau, old No. 99, makes emotional return to New York Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York June 3, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51653/mark-gastineau-old-no-99-makes-emotional-return-to-new-york-jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Former New York Jets great Mark Gastineau, estranged from his old team in recent years, made an emotional return on Wednesday. He watched practice, chatted with the defensive linemen afterward and choked up when T.J. Barnes, who wears No. 99 -- the number Gastineau made famous in the 1980s -- asked him to pose for a picture.

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"A tear came to my eye," Gastineau told ESPN.com afterward. "I almost started crying when 99 said, 'It's an honor to wear your jersey.' We took pictures together. That was so nice. It was a big surprise for me."

The players know Gastineau from his mural-sized picture on the wall of the field house, overlooking the indoor practice field. He's up with the other members of the Jets' Ring of Honor.

The younger generation probably doesn't remember Gastineau, but he was an iconic player for the Jets in the post-Joe Namath era. A member of the celebrated New York Sack Exchange, he was a prolific pass-rusher (22 sacks in 1984) with a sack dance that thrilled the home crowd and enraged opponents. For all his talent, he was regarded as a selfish player who alienated teammates. But he was wildly popular, often showing up on the gossip pages.

On Wednesday, Gastineau, 58, showed up in an all-black suit and white shirt. He still has that big hair -- curiously, no gray -- but the years have taken a toll. His George Hamilton tan is long gone. His face is thin and pasty, his eyes set deep. He was carrying a stack of flyers from the Times Square Church in Manhattan, where he belongs. "Let us pray for you," the flyer says, encouraging people to text or email prayers to them.

Yes, Gastineau has found religion, the same Gastineau whose mother once told him, "There's a Higher Power, and it's not you, Mark."

He also has found the Jets, saying he feels more welcome now than ever. He credited Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan with making him feel wanted again. Leaving the facility late in the day, he bumped into Maccagnan and thanked him profusely for the invitation.

"It's nice to be asked and be part of something that you were a part of," Gastineau said.

He apparently didn't feel the love from Rex Ryan, which is odd because Ryan had an appreciation for the Jets' history. After all, his father, Buddy, was an assistant coach on the Super Bowl III team.

"I don't know what it was," said Gastineau, explaining why he didn't feel welcome under Ryan, who coached from 2009 to 2014. "I kind of used to be like Rex. I did a lot of talking. Todd Bowles is a really, really humble guy."

During his playing days, Gastineau was anything but humble.

"I was in my Rolls Royce, riding down Meadowbrook Parkway," he said. "I had to have a Rolls Royce because when you make $65,000 a week, everybody has to have a Rolls Royce, right? I was making big money, but I found myself totally empty. I was lonely for much of my time in the NFL."

Gastineau admitted he "went down all the wrong roads" as a player, acknowledging with a laugh that humility never was his strongest quality. That, he said, was Mark Gastineau. Now, he's just Mark, devoting his life to the church.

He's married and lives in New Jersey, and he tries to keep up with the Jets. He believes the current defensive line, led by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, has more talent than the old Sack Exchange. He wants to see the current group break all the records. He met many of them after practice on the field.

"A humble bunch of guys," he said. "Humbleness won't get you there, but let me tell you something: It's a lot better than not listening to coaches or doing things on your own like I used to do.

"I have a lot of past experiences that I can share with people that aren't the right things to do. Take it from me: I did the wrong things back then. My thing with youth is: It's not about 'I,' it's about the team."

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Gastineau is glad to have a team again -- his old team. He loves what the Jets did in the offseason, and he's looking forward to a rebound in 2015.

"People still recognize me and, when they ask me about the Jets, I don't hesitate," he said. "I say, 'I can get excited now.' I say, 'Ask me why?' Because I've got something to be excited about now."

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Todd Bowles on Jets: ‘I don’t know what kind of car we have yet’ (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York June 3, 2015

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/13006440/todd-bowles-makes-light-willie-colon-comment-new-york-jets-offense-porsche

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- One day after Willie Colon warned quarterback Geno Smith not to "crash" the "Porsche" -- the veteran guard's description for the New York Jets' offense -- coach Todd Bowles attempted to defuse the potential controversy by making light of the veteran guard's analogy.

"I don't know what kind of car we have yet," Bowles said Wednesday after practice. "We're still building it. There are a lot of parts to be determined."

One of the key parts is Smith, the presumptive starter despite 34 interceptions and an 11-18 record in two seasons. Instead of replacing him, the Jets improved his supporting cast, hoping it raises Smith's game.

Colon expressed that sentiment Tuesday, saying in a radio interview, "We bought the Porsche, we've given him the keys, he can't crash it."

Bowles downplayed Colon's remarks. Asked if it bothers him that a player would put that kind of pressure on Smith, Bowles said:

"My personal feeling is, if you have nothing good to say about a teammate, you don't say it. There's pressure on everybody."

Bowles added, "I don't see anything wrong with it. I don't see anything harmful." Smith was unavailable to the media on Wednesday.

Bowles reiterated that Smith will go into training camp as the No. 1 quarterback, with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick backing him up. Bowles said "it's Ryan's job to take and Geno's job to lose." In the locker room, the prevailing feeling is that Smith likely will emerge as the opening day starter.

"I've watched him grow through the years," cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "He's been improving every year. That's what you want to see as a quarterback; you want to see the growth. He has to continue to grow."

An improved receiving corps should help. The Jets traded for Brandon Marshall, who joins Eric Decker as the starting wideouts.

Bowles smiled when asked if this offense has Porsche-like potential.

"I don't have a Porsche, so I can't answer that question," he said. "They look nice on the outside, but I don't compare our offense to any type of car or vehicle."

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Jace Amaro injured, Sheldon Richardson absent (again) at Jets’ latest OTA (Kieran Darcy) ESPN New York June 3, 2015

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http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51655/jace-amaro-injured-sheldon-richardson-absent-again-at-jets-latest-ota

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro left the team's OTA on Wednesday early with what appeared to be a back injury.

Amaro was running a route over the middle during an offense-only, non-contact drill when he suddenly stopped and reached for his lower back. He came off the field and eventually headed back to the locker room.

"I don't know much right now," Jets head coach Todd Bowles said. "They told me he's sore, but I'll find out more after this."

Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was not present Wednesday. Richardson has only attended some of the Jets' OTAs, which are technically voluntary, but Bowles sounded optimistic that Richardson will participate in the team's mandatory minicamp next week.

A bigger question mark for next week is fellow D-lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, who has skipped the entire offseason program thus far, desiring a contract extension.

"It’s mandatory, but that’s up to Muhammad," Bowles said, "and I don’t know what the answer to that question will be until next week."

Given that everything Wilkerson has missed so far was voluntary, Bowles said Wilkerson would line up with the starters if he does show up next week. Bowles is implementing a new system, but the coach said Wilkerson has an iPad with the playbook installed on it.

"Will he grasp everything in the first three days? Probably not," Bowles said. "But he’ll have a good grasp of the things that we’re putting in to make him comfortable."

Running back Chris Ivory, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley and cornerback Dee Milliner were back on the field Wednesday, after missing last Wednesday's OTA -- the previous one open to the media -- for personal reasons.

Ivory and Kerley were full participants, while Milliner worked on the side as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles tendon suffered last season.

Running back Stevan Ridley, formerly of the New England Patriots and recovering from a torn ACL suffered last October, also worked on a limited basis and hasn't been cleared to practice yet, either.

It remains to be seen whether Milliner and/or Ridley will be cleared by the start of training camp in July.

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Geno Smith has edge, but Ryan Fitzpatrick looking better and better at Jets camp (Kieran Darcy) ESPN New York June 3, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51652/ryan-fitzpatrick-looking-better-and-better-at-jets-camp

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Willie Colon applied some pressure on Geno Smith off the field Tuesday, and Ryan Fitzpatrick did the same on the field Wednesday.

Colon compared the New York Jets' current roster to a Porsche, and said regarding Smith, "We've given him the keys, he can't crash it."

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Fitzpatrick -- currently second on the quarterback depth chart behind Smith -- continued to look good during the Jets' latest organized team activities (OTAs), including a long run from scrimmage and a 50-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker during 7-on-7 drills, the highlight of the day.

Head coach Todd Bowles continues to say Smith is his starter, but that's certainly not set in stone.

"You don't go into [training] camp having two first-team guys," Bowles said. "Geno's the first-team quarterback -- it’s Ryan's job to take it, it's Geno's job to [not] lose it. If he doesn't lose it, and Ryan doesn't take it, he's the starter."

Fitzpatrick, acquired by the Jets from the Houston Texans in March, is still working his way back from a broken leg suffered late last season. But he got lots of reps on Wednesday behind Smith.

"His arm’s a little stronger, he’s getting healthier, obviously still knocking the rust off a little bit," Bowles said. "But as far as understanding what to do and where to go, he’s a pretty sharp guy."

"At this point I’m feeling pretty good," Fitzpatrick said. "There’s still treatments and daily soreness and stuff like that. ... [But] I’m feeling much better now, and I think that’s the goal every week, just to continue to feel better and better, and everything’s on track right now."

One advantage Fitzpatrick has over Smith is a familiarity with the offense that new coordinator Chan Gailey is installing. Fitzpatrick previously played under Gailey in Buffalo.

Fitzpatrick has also been around the block -- the Jets are his sixth team as he enters his 11th season in the NFL -- and he was smart enough to not add more heat to a smoldering quarterback controversy Wednesday.

"This being my sixth different team and really sixth or seventh or eighth different situation that I’ve been in, in terms of being a 4 (on the depth chart) or a 3 or a 2 or a 1, I know I’ve got to be ready," Fitzpatrick said. "I'm always going to be ready, no matter what is said or what is not said. That’s kind of my approach."

He also sidestepped a question about Smith being No. 1 right now.

"With Coach Bowles, the thing that he’s made clear to everybody in this locker room is, you’re going to have to earn your spot," Fitzpatrick said. "If you look at the kind of coach he’s been, and the teams and successes he’s had with his defenses, he’s always played the best guys.

"We’re all in here trying to win, and so I think that’s certainly going to be the case, that he’s going to put the best guys out there."

Who's the Jets' best guy at quarterback? That remains to be seen. It's only June, and these are only OTAs.

Smith still has the edge, but a lot can happen between now and September.

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Darrelle Revis won’t compare himself to Richard Sherman (Kieran Darcy) ESPN New York June 3, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51657/darrelle-revis-wont-compare-himself-to-richard-sherman

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A day after New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie took a swipe at Richard Sherman, teammate Darrelle Revis took a pass.

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Cromartie said the Seattle Seahawks' Sherman doesn't deserve to be mentioned with the top corners in the NFL, like Revis. But Revis remained above the fray when asked what he thought of those comments following the Jets' organized team activities on Wednesday.

"Nothing," Revis said. "That's Cro's opinion."

Does Revis agree with Cromartie? "That's Cro's opinion," Revis said.

Does Revis think he's better than Sherman? "That's Cro's opinion," Revis said.

Will the war of words stop here? Who knows? The ball's in Sherman's court, now.

The Jets and Seahawks will not play each other season -- unless, of course, they meet in Super Bowl 50.

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NEW YORK POST

Muhammad Wilkerson will be at Jets minicamp: source (Steve Serby and Bart Hubbuch) New York Post June 3, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/06/03/jets-in-no-rush-to-give-muhammad-wilkerson-an-extension/

Muhammad Wilkerson plans on showing up for next week’s mandatory Jets minicamp, a person familiar with the defensive end’s thinking told The Post on Wednesday night.

Wilkerson, who has stayed away from the club’s voluntary organized team activities, has been waiting for what seems an eternity to him on a new multi-year extension. The disgruntled defensive tackle is due to make $6.9 million in the final year of his contract and paid particular attention Tuesday on Twitter to defensive end Cameron Jordan signing a five-year, $60 million deal with $33.6 million guaranteed by the Saints.

“Yup I see how this works,” Wilkerson tweeted.

Wilkerson reportedly is seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $40 million guaranteed.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t sound as if he will be getting a contract extension from the Jets anytime soon — or maybe even at all.

New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told The Post on Wednesday night the team isn’t in any hurry to extend Wilkerson’s deal. Maccagnan also stressed — repeatedly — that Wilkerson is “under contract.”

“It’s going to be a process,” Maccagnan said at WFAN’s charity softball benefit for the NYPD at Yankee Stadium. “We’re just going to see. I don’t really want to put a timeline on anything. I’m just going to see how this plays out in the near future.

“I would hope [to get an extension done]” he added, “ at some point in time.”

Maccagnan admitted Jordan’s deal “reset the market” for defensive linemen drafted in 2011 not named J.J Watt, but that appears to be a market the Jets are reluctant to enter — especially considering how stocked they are in the defensive interior.

“Each player is kind of different in how you slot or grade them,” Maccagnan said when asked if Wilkerson could expect a deal similar to Jordan’s if the Jets extended him.

Maccagnan, meanwhile, gave a surprisingly upbeat assessment of Geno Smith, praising the embattled quarterback for his performance so farin the offseason.

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“He’s had a good offseason and done some good things, and we’ll see how things progress,” Maccagnan said. “I like his overall play. At the end of the day, I think he’s picked up the offense fairly well and had some good days of practice and made some good throws. … He’s making progress, so we’ll see. We’re still in shorts and T-shirts, and there’s a lot more football that needs to be played.”

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Jets in no rush to give Muhammad Wilkerson an extension (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post June 3, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/06/03/jets-in-no-rush-to-give-muhammad-wilkerson-an-extension/

It doesn’t sound like disgruntled defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson will be getting a contract extension from the Jets anytime soon — or maybe even at all.

New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told The Post on Wednesday night the team isn’t in any hurry to extend Wilkerson’s deal, which is in its final year. Maccagnan also stressed — repeatedly — that Wilkerson is “under contract.”

“It’s going to be a process,” Maccagnan said at WFAN’s charity softball benefit for the NYPD at Yankee Stadium. “We’re just going to see. I don’t really want to put a timeline on anything. I’m just going to see how this plays out in the near future.

“I would hope [to get an extension done]” he added, “at some point in time.”

Wilkerson is not participating in the Jets’ voluntary offseason workouts and might skip their mandatory mini-camp next weekbecause of the slow pace of talks with the team over their refusal so far to do anything beyond picking up its fifth-year option in the deal he signed as a rookie in 2011.

Wilkerson appears to make a reference on Twitter to his contract stalemate Tuesday after the Saints set the market for defensive linemen from Wilkerson’s 2011 draft class by giving Cam Jordan a five-year, $60 million deal that included $33.6 million in guaranteed money.

“Yup I see how this works,” Wilkerson tweeted.

Maccagnan admitted Jordan’s deal “reset the market” for 2011 defensive linemen, but that appears to be a market the Jets are reluctant to enter — especially considering how stocked they are in the defensive interior.

“Each player is kind of different in how you slot or grade them,” Maccagnan told The Post when asked if Wilkerson could expect a deal similar to Jordan’s if the Jets extended him.

Maccagnan, meanwhile, gave a surprisingly upbeat assessment of Geno Smith, praising the embattled quarterback for his performance so far in the offseason.

“He’s had a good offseason and done some good things, and we’ll see how things progress,” Maccagnan said. “I like his overall play. At the end of the day, I think he’s picked up the offense fairly well and had some good days of practice and made some good throws. … He’s making progress, so we’ll see. We’re still in shorts and T-shirts, and there’s a lot more football that needs to be played.”

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How Bowles is giving Fitzpatrick hope in Jets’ QB non-competition (Brian Costello) New York Post June 3, 2015

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http://nypost.com/2015/06/03/ryan-fitzpatrick-can-start-if-bowles-sticks-to-best-guys-mantra/

Ryan Fitzpatrick has been here before. The Jets are his sixth team in 12 NFL seasons, and the latest to doubt him.

The Jets acquired Fitzpatrick in a March trade from the Texans, but instead of giving him a fair shot at the starting quarterback job, the organization is handing the job to Geno Smith again, leaving Fitzpatrick hoping for a chance, something that is not new to him.

“That’s been a lot of my career,” Fitzpatrick said Wednesday, “not necessarily being the guy right away and having to step in and not having there be any sort of drop-off, whether it be for injury or whatever it’s for. That’s something I pride myself on, whether I’m the Day 1 starter or whether I’m the third-string guy. When I go in there, I’m going to be ready and be able to execute.”

Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey made the surprising announcement two weeks ago that there would be no quarterback competition this summer. Fitzpatrick has been relegated to the second team with third-year starter Smith getting to run with the first team despite play that has ranged from mediocre to awful in his first two seasons.

Fitzpatrick, 32, navigated the questions about backing up Smith deftly on Wednesday. He made sure not to create any headlines. He said he thinks the best players will play.

“With coach [Todd] Bowles, the thing that he’s made clear to everybody in this locker room is you’re going to have to earn your spot,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think there’s a ton of respect for him, and I think it’s something with just the history, the kind of coach he’s been and the teams and the successes he’s had with his defenses, he’s always played the best guys. We’re all in here trying to win. That’s certainly going to be the case that he’s going to put the best guys out there.”

Bowles again defended the Jets’ approach to the training camp non-competition on Wednesday, saying it’s no different than every other position.

“You don’t go into camp having two first-team guys,” Bowles said. “Geno is the first-team quarterback. It’s Ryan’s job to take it. It’s Geno’s job to lose. If he doesn’t lose it and Ryan doesn’t take it, he’s the starter. It’s no different than Nick Mangold, Brandon Marshall, Chris Ivory, D’Brickashaw [Ferguson], anybody else.”

The difference between Smith and those guys is each of them, besides Ivory, has been to a Pro Bowl. They have all proven they deserve starting jobs. It’s impossible to make that argument for Smith. Instead of setting up a competition where the quarterbacks alternate days with the first team, though, Bowles is going to give Smith the starting job all to himself in training camp. Unless Smith trips all over himself, it is hard to see how he could lose it in training camp.

The trade to the Jets reunited Fitzpatrick with Gailey, who was his head coach with the Bills from 2010-12. Fitzpatrick has spent the offseason recovering from a broken left leg. He has begun participating in team drills during OTAs and hopes to be able to practice without restrictions in next week’s minicamp.

“I feel good,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s great to be back in this offense. It’s something I’m very familiar with. Just taking the things I’ve learned the last few years out of this offense and trying to apply them, whether it’s my footwork or my timing, trying to apply them to what we do here. It’s been a lot of fun for me to, not necessarily to move, but to get on a new team and to be the guy that everybody’s coming to to ask questions and to have a lot of those answers. It’s been an enjoyable experience so far.”

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Bowles unhappy with mate’s ‘Porsche’ rip on Geno Smith (Brian Costello)

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New York Post June 3, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/06/03/bowles-unhappy-with-mates-porsche-rip-on-geno-smith/

The Jets offense has performed more like a Pinto than a Porsche in recent years, but veteran guard Willie Colon compared Gang Green’s offense to the sports car this week, saying quarterback Geno Smith just has to make sure not to crash it.

“I don’t know what kind of car we have yet,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “We’re still building it. There’s a lot of parts to be determined. It’s probably just a figure of speech.”

Bowles did not seem thrilled about Colon’s comments, but did say Colon has the right to say whatever he wants to the media. Colon applied some more pressure to Smith with his comments on SiriusXM this week.

“My personal feeling is if you don’t have something good to say about a teammate, you don’t say it,” Bowles said. “There’s pressure on everybody. We’re in this business to win. Geno is one of 22 guys starting. Everybody at every position has the same type of pressure.”

The Jets did not make Smith available to reporters Wednesday.

Dee Milliner, who moves closer to draft bust status with every passing day, may not be ready to start training camp, Bowles said. The Jets have hoped Milliner, who tore his right Achilles tendon last October, would be back in time for camp. Now, it appears he may not be healthy enough for the start.

Missing time is nothing new for Milliner, who has spent more time on a trainer’s table than on the field since the Jets drafted him ninth overall in 2013. Milliner has played 16 games in two years, recording three interceptions.

Milliner refused to speak to reporters on Wednesday. He has not spoken to the media since last October.

Star cornerback Darrelle Revis on teammate Antonio Cromartie’s criticism of Seahawks corner Richard Sherman: “That’s Cro’s opinion.”

Tight end Jace Amaro left practice with what appeared to be a back injury. Amaro pulled up while running a route and clutched his lower back. He then left the field. Bowles had no immediate information about the injury.

Former Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik told a fascinating story on SiriusXM on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay drafted defensive end William Gholston, the cousin of Jets draft bust Vernon Gholston, in the fourth round of the 2013 Draft.

A few weeks after the draft, the Buccaneers hired former Jets assistant GM Scott Cohen, who had been fired by the Jets after the 2013 Draft. Dominik asked Cohen where the Jets had Gholston on their draft board. Cohen said the Jets took him off the board because he was Vernon’s cousin. Dominik said he told Cohen they were just cousins, how could that matter?

“It doesn’t matter,” Dominik said Cohen told him. “It was so bad we weren’t going to draft him.”

“That’s just crazy to me,” Dominik said on the radio.

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Will Dee Milliner be ready for Jets training camp? (Darryl Slater)

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NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/will_dee_milliner_be_ready_for_jets_training_camp.html

The Jets held their eighth (of 10) organized team activities practice Wednesday, and once again, unsurprisingly, cornerback Dee Milliner observed the 11-on-11 team periods from the sideline.

Milliner has participated in position drills during OTAs. And he also ran sprints with the defensive players after Wednesday's practice. But during the team periods, Milliner was in the rehab area, doing some running.

This is all as expected. Milliner tore his right Achilles tendon in October against the Broncos. It's a serious injury, one that takes a while to recover from.

So will Milliner be ready for the start of training camp, in late July?

That remains unclear, Jets coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Milliner worked in the rehab area with safety Marcus Gilchrist (shoulder), backup inside linebacker Joe Mays (knee) and running back Stevan Ridley (knee). All four players have been in the rehab area throughout OTAs.

"I don't know who's furthest away [from being ready for camp], but I would hope Dee would be ready," Bowles said. "I don't know where he would be for training camp."

Bowles clarified that he is uncertain about Milliner and Ridley being ready for the start of camp, but he believes Gilchrist "will be fine." Bowles did not mention Mays, but the coach has not said anything about Mays' knee issue being overly serious.

Bowles said Milliner remains a question mark for training camp "just because he hasn't been full speed yet. I would hope that [with] the extra couple weeks in the summer [between next week's mandatory minicamp and training camp] that he would come back a little healthier."

Bowles said "probably a little bit of both" Milliner's Achilles rehab and his physical conditioning — since he hasn't been full speed in practice — are holding him back right now.

"You just want to be sure about those things," Bowles said. "You don't just want to throw people out there and have them have a bad reaction."

Milliner, the No. 9 overall pick in 2013, has dealt with more than his share of injuries through two seasons. He played in 13 games in 2013, and just three last season. But Bowles has remained high on Milliner's potential.

Though Milliner has yet to prove himself as a consistently successful NFL corner, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said this week that it's far too early to label Milliner a bust.

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Jets’ Mike Maccagnan on Mo Wilkerson showing for minicamp: We’ll find out’ (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/jets_mike_maccagnan_on_mo_wilkerson_showing_for_mi.html

NEW YORK — It doesn't sound like there's been much progress toward a contract extension between the Jets and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, according to general manager Mike Maccagnan.

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"It's a process, and it goes a little slower than some other things," Maccagnan told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, shortly before he was to play in the True Blue celebrity softball game hosted by the Yankees and WFAN radio's "Boomer & Carton" show. "We're going to go through the process and figure it out."

Wilkerson, a star defensive end, has skipped the voluntary portion of the Jets' offseason program, which concludes with practices Thursday and Friday. Next week, however, the Jets have a three-day minicamp that is mandatory. Asked whether he expects Wilkerson to be there, Maccagnan said, "It's mandatory. We'll find out."

Maccagnan declined to comment further on the topic except to say he didn't want to negotiate through the media. But what he did say more or less echoes what he had said weeks ago. It's fair to say that's an indication not much has changed.

Earlier Wednesday at OTAs in Florham Park, Jets head coach Todd Bowles said he didn't know whether Wilkerson would be at minicamp. Bowles also said he's not worried about Wilkerson falling behind in learning a new defensive scheme.

"There are similarities and probably schematically calling things differently, but he can line up in a 3-4 and function," Bowles said. "He just has to understand stunts. Will he grasp everything in the first three days? Probably not, but he'll have a good grasp of the things that we are putting in to make him comfortable."

The NFL's collective bargaining agreement mandates fines for each day of minicamp missed: $12,155 for the first day, $24,300 for the second, and $36,465 for the third—a collective total of $72,920 for all three days. Come training camp, those fines jump to $30,000 per day, plus a regular-season game check for every preseason game missed.

Wilkerson is due to make a below-market-value salary of $6.9 million this season, but he's seeking an extension with some serious (and well-deserved) guaranteed money. Wilkerson has had to watch as other defensive ends taken in the 2011 draft—the Texans' J.J. Watt, the Rams' Robert Quinn, the Saints' Cameron Jordan—have gotten long-term deals. And former Lions star Ndamukong Suh signed with the Dolphins this offseason for $60 million in guarantees.

Jordan's deal drew this reaction from Wilkerson on Twitter: "Yup. I see how this works."

The Jets, meanwhile, recently drafted USC defensive end Leonard Williams with the No. 6 overall pick. Maccagnan has said he didn't make the pick—Williams was considered in certain draftnik circles to be the draft's best player—with an eye on how it might impact Wilkerson and his future with the Jets. But the reality is that it took away some of the urgency to get a deal done with Wilkerson anytime soon.

Maccagnan has said repeatedly that the Jets would like to keep Wilkerson long-term, and that they have the financial resources set aside to get a deal done. It's just a matter of working something out—Wilkerson could get in the neighborhood of $40 million guaranteed—that's amenable to both sides.

But from the Jets' standpoint, there's also no rush. Wilkerson is under contract for another year, and the addition of Williams gives them a chance to see how things play out this year before pulling the trigger on something long-term.

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9 observations from Jets OTA practice on Wednesday (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

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http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/8_observations_from_jets_ota_practice_on_wednesday.html

FLORHAM PARK — Wednesday's was the last Jets organized team activity practice of the spring that was open to the public. Let's get right to some of what happened.

1. Jace Amaro injured. The Jets have mostly avoided the injury bug during their offseason program so far, but tight end Jace Amaro left practice fairly early on with an apparent back injury. Head coach Todd Bowles provided no additional details after practice was finished.

2. Geno Smith was better than last week. Smith had struggled mightily at last week's open session, particularly with his accuracy. But his throws were better and he was more on-point on Wednesday. Smith has already seen a lot of what the defense might throw at him, so the improvement is noteworthy. Again, though, it doesn't mean much. So much of what happens at OTAs is about players getting a feel for the playbook and accustomed to playing with each other. Its June 3. Long way to go.

3. No Wilkerson, Richardson. Defensive ends Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson were absent again, but the workouts are voluntary, which I might have mentioned before. Wilkerson is hoping for a contract extension, and Richardson has made reference to some family commitments. Next week's minicamp is mandatory and finable. Bowles said he hopes to have both of them back for it. "That's up to Muhammad," Bowles said of Wilkerson. "I'm hopeful," he said of Richardson, who's been in and out of the offseason program.

4. The offensive line shuffle. The Jets continue to rotate their offensive lineman, particularly at first-team right guard and at several spots among the backups. Brent Qvale, who spent his rookie season last year on the practice squad, got some reps as the starting right guard. The same was true of Brian Winters, who is coming back from ACL surgery and hadn't taken part in any open-practice team drills before Wednesday. Oday Aboushi, who had been getting a lot of first-team reps, mostly ran on the second field, which is used mainly by younger players and others deeper down the depth chart. Qvale (right) and Ben Ijalana (left) got most of the backup tackle reps. Dakota Dozier also got some snaps at second-team center.

5. Other absences. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, guard Willie Colon, and defensive tackle Leger Douzable were still at the broadcasting boot camp at NFL Films in Mount Laurel. Safety Calvin Pryor and running back Bilal Powell were also not at practice. Once more: voluntary.

6. More mixing and matching. Here's an example that illustrates exactly why it's too soon to read too much into anything because of how much tinkering the Jets are doing: First-round pick Leonard Williams, who mostly got reps on the first field the last two weeks, was on the second field Wednesday. And Bowles has been bullish on him.

7. Play of the day. Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit wideout Eric Decker in stride for a touchdown from about midfield in 7-on-7s. It was a perfect throw.

8. Alumni. Four former Jets greats were on-hand to watch practice: Wesley Walker, Bruce Harper, Bobby Jackson, and Mark Gastineau. After practice, Gastineau, the outstanding defensive end who played for the Jets from 1979-88, gave a brief pep-talk to the defensive line. Gastineau also still has his famous mullet, and it still looks fantastic.

9. Injury update. Linebacker Joe Mays (knee), safety Marcus Gilchrist (shoulder), running back Stevan Ridley (knee), and cornerback Dee Milliner (Achilles) spent the team portions of practice with the trainers.

The Jets have two more OTAs this week on Thursday and Friday. They then have mandatory minicamp next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before breaking until training camp in late July.

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5 takeaways from Todd Bowles’ press conference as Jets wind down OTAs (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/5_takeaways_from_todd_bowles_press_conference_as_j.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets on Wednesday held their eighth of 10 organized team activities practices, and the third that was open to reporters.

They'll wrap up OTAs on Thursday and Friday, and then hold their mandatory minicamp next Tuesday through Thursday. And then they're off until training camp in late July.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles held his third press conference of OTAs on Wednesday, after practice.

Here are five takeaways from that media powwow:

1. Comments about comments. Bowles offered mixed reactions to right guard Willie Colon's comments about quarterback Geno Smith. Bowles is OK with players speaking their minds, in general, but he doesn't like teammates talking negatively about each other in the press. Bowles clarified that he didn't think Colon's comments were meant as harmful to Smith. Nor did Bowles perceive them that way.

2. Ailing Amaro. Jace Amaro, the Jets' second-year tight end (and second-round draft pick last year), exited practice early with an apparent back injury. Bowles didn't have much in the way of an immediate update on Amaro. "They told me he was sore, but I'll have to find out more after this," Bowles said, adding that he wasn't even sure if it is a back injury for Amaro.

3. Fitzpatrick back for minicamp? Ryan Fitzpatrick, the current No. 2 quarterback, is back doing team periods work at practice, as he returns from a broken leg. Could he go through next week's minicamp without any practice restrictions? "He's been taking a lot more reps," Bowles said. "I hope he doesn't have any [restrictions during minicamp]. Right now, it's still a little early [to tell], but he's taking a lot more reps now. We'll try to ramp them up a little more next week."

4. Winters springing into action. Brian Winters, who will take part in the right guard competition in training camp, participated in team periods Wednesday — something reporters hadn't seen him do yet in OTAs. He sustained a season-ending torn ACL last October. "He plays some of them," Bowles said of Winters' team periods work. "You've still got to watch his rep count, but he's getting better."

5. Will Wilkerson show up? Everything has been voluntary since the Jets began offseason workouts in early April, including OTAs. Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who wants a new contract, hasn't shown up for anything. He is subject to a fine if he skips any of next week's mandatory minicamp, though. Does Bowles expect him to attend? "I would be hopeful," Bowles said. "I mean, it's mandatory. But that's up to Muhammad. I don't know what the answer to that question will be until next week." Bowles said Wilkerson, while he trains away from the Jets' complex, does have a copy of the team's playbook, which is stored on an iPad.

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Jets’ Todd Bowles has mixed reaction to Willie Colon’s comments about Geno Smith (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/jets_todd_bowles_has_mixed_reaction_to_willie_colo.html

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FLORHAM PARK — We are in the heart of the NFL's Talking Season, the time between the draft and training camp, when much is said about expectations and potential and past disappointments, but none of it really matters.

And because the Jets' new head coach, Todd Bowles, isn't one for empty talking, especially about off-field topics, he seemed a bit exasperated Wednesday when asked about Willie Colon's comments on Geno Smith.

Comments about comments are a classic hallmark of Talking Season. Bowles really wants no part of it, though he gets that he has to tolerate the charade.

Still, he did paraphrase the old "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" line when talking about Colon's comments on Smith.

On Tuesday, Colon, the Jets' starting right guard the past two years, said Smith wasn't ready to be the team's starting quarterback as a rookie in 2013. Colon also said this about Smith's third season, in 2015: "We bought the Porsche. We've given him the keys. He can't crash it. Bottom line. He can't crash it. We need him to be on top of his game."

This is indeed the year when Smith needs to take the next step, particularly since the Jets have upgraded the talent around him. Even though their offense still really isn't a Porsche, the players around Smith are better than in his first two seasons.

Here's what Bowles had to say Wednesday about Colon's remarks: "I've heard it, but I don't have ... Something about keys to the Porsche and don't crash it. I don't know what kind of car we have yet. We're still building it. There's a lot of parts to be determined in that. It was probably just a figure of speech, knowing Willie."

When asked if he is OK with his players making these sort of comments, Bowles said, "My personal feeling, if you don't have nothing good to say about a teammate, you don't say it. There's pressure on everybody. We're in this business to win. Geno is one of 22 guys starting. Everybody at every position has the same type of pressure."

Does Bowles think the Jets' offense has Porsche-like potential?

"I don't have a Porsche, so I can't answer that question," Bowles said with a smile. "They look nice on the outside. I don't compare an offense to any type of car or vehicle or any type of situation."

Bowles later said he didn't think Colon was being critical of Smith.

"I don't know the situation," Bowles said. "I wasn't down at the interview. It's freedom of speech. He can speak to the press. He's a grown man. He's part of the team. I know how he feels about Geno. I know how he feels about the team. Nothing Willie said was wrong. You can speak your mind any time you want to speak your mind. That's up to him and that's probably a question that you probably have to ask him. But I don't see anything wrong with it. I don't see it harmful to [Smith], no."

Let's be clear here: None of what Colon said Tuesday will have any bearing on how Smith or the Jets perform in 2015. None of it.

Smith knows this is a important year for him. He knows he is a valuable part of the offense, and that the Jets will be relying on him to improve upon his rocky first two seasons (41 combined turnovers). Smith didn't need Colon's comments to inform him of those things.

"Rookies come in this league every year, and some play well and some don't," Bowles said when asked about Smith's early struggles. "You hope third-year players learn from their mistakes. Third- and fourth-year guys, really, that's their time to pick it up."

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Smith was not available to speak with reporters Wednesday because he spoke on the first two days of media access during organized team activities, the past two Wednesdays, and the Jets' public relations staff told him last week that he could take this week off from interviews. So we'll get to revisit all this next week during the Jets' three-day mandatory minicamp, and Talking Season will keep humming along.

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Antonio Cromartie vs. Richard Sherman: Jets’ Darrelle Revis channels Bill Belichick (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/darrelle_revis_reacts_to_antonio_cromartie_ripping.html

FLORHAM PARK — Now that the smoke has finally cleared on Antonio Cromartie's comments torching Richard Sherman, it was time to ask Darrelle Revis about them after the Jets' organized team activity practice on Wednesday.

To review: A day earlier, Cromartie, the Jets cornerback, had told Sirius XM NFL Radio that the thought Revis, his teammates, was the NFL's best cornerback, before launching into a soliloquy in which he blasted Sherman, the Seahawks' corner, with lines like, "I'd tell him to go play in a defense where you don't have two All-Pro safeties," and "I would tell him, 'Go follow the No. 1 receiver.' Follow him around for a whole entire game, and let's see what you can do."

Revis, who spent last season winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots, where head coach Bill Belichick has perfected the art of letting reporters know he has no interest in entertaining most of their questions, was asked how he felt about what Cromartie had said.

"Nothing," Revis said. "That's Cro's opinion."

So Did Revis agree with what Cromartie had said: "That's Cro's opinion."

Does Revis think he's better than Richard Sherman: "That's Cro's opinion."

There was laughter. Someone asked if it was more of a challenge to take just the No. 1 receiver as opposed to moving around in the way Cromartie said Sherman. Revis answered by saying something about how every team's scheme and game plan is different.

It was on to the next question.

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Does Ryan Fitzpatrick think he has a legit shot to beat out Geno Smith as Jets’ starting quarterback? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/does_ryan_fitzpatrick_think_he_has_a_legitimate_sh.html

FLORHAM PARK — Last month, while saying the Jets wouldn't begin training camp with an open competition between quarterbacks Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey mentioned Fitzpatrick was well aware of the situation when the Jets traded for him this offseason.

There is, of course, still a possibility Smith won't be the Jets' starter all season, or even in Week 1. Head coach Todd Bowles clarified that Smith won't be handed the Week 1 starting job coming out of training camp, even though the Jets will enter camp planning to give him all the first-team snaps, at least initially.

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On Wednesday, Fitzpatrick was asked the next logical question: Given everything Gailey and Bowles have said about this competition (or lack thereof), does Fitzpatrick think he has a legitimate shot of winning the starting job in camp?

"I go in with the mindset that I've got to put in all the preparation, like I do every year going into a season," he said. "I've got to be my best."

But if you read between the lines of what Fitzpatrick said Wednesday, after the eighth of 10 organized team activities practices, it's clear he thinks the identity of the Jets' Week 1 starting quarterback is far from decided.

"For me, I'm always going to be ready, no matter what is said or what is not said," Fitzpatrick said. "That's kind of my approach and how I take it. I think with coach Bowles, the thing that he's made clear to everybody in this locker room is you're going to have to earn your spot. I think there's a ton of respect for him.

"If you look at the kind of coach that he's been, and the successes he's had with his defenses, he's always played the best guys. We're all in here trying to win, and so I think that's certainly going to be the case, that he's going to put the best guys out there."

The fact that Fitzpatrick knows Gailey's offense, from their time together in Buffalo (2010-12), could help if Fitzpatrick has to step in for Smith midseason.

"That's kind of been a lot of my career — not necessarily being the guy right away, and having to step in, and not having there be any sort of drop-off," said Fitzpatrick, who is entering his 11th season, with his sixth different team. "That's something that I pride myself on: Whether I'm the Day 1 starter, or whether I'm the third-string guy, when I go in there, I'm going to be ready to be able to execute."

As we've mentioned, it makes perfectly logical sense why the Jets would want Smith (age 24) to beat out Fitzpatrick (age 32) and prove, in Smith's third season, that he can be a successful NFL starting quarterback. If Smith can't do that, the Jets will have to start over at the position (no easy task), because Fitzpatrick is not a long-term solution.

But in terms of the immediate future, for Smith vs. Fitzpatrick (such as it is), Fitzpatrick has his own perspective, with some gray area, on the definition of a first-team rep in practice, compared to a second-team rep. As he said earlier in the offseason, it doesn't necessarily depend on whether he is playing behind the starting offensive line, or the backups. It has to do with the receivers and tight ends he is throwing to.

That's why Fitzpatrick isn't making a big fuss over technically taking second-string reps right now — as he will do to start camp.

"There's so many reps out here right now where you just see [receivers] getting shuttled in and out," he said. "I'm taking 'two' reps right now, but Brandon [Marshall] and Deck [Eric Decker] and different guys are in the huddle. So we're getting a chance to throw and to play with all these guys right now. When I'm in the huddle with some of those guys, you really try to take advantage of those reps."

It's all a matter of "trying to work timing" with the Jets' primary receivers and tight ends — the guys who will actually be catching passes in games, Fitzpatrick said. That's what really matters to Fitzpatrick. Essentially, even if he's playing behind the second-string line, if he can throw to the likes of Marshall and Decker and tight end Jeff Cumberland, Fitzpatrick considers that a rep with the starters.

Last week, Fitzpatrick took part in team periods at practice for the first time since he joined the Jets. He had been (and really still is) recovering from a broken leg, which he suffered in mid-December. Fitzpatrick

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again participated in team periods Wednesday. He looked good moving around. He is pleased with his progress and said he will definitely be 100 percent healthy when training camp begins.

"At this point, I'm feeling pretty good," he said. "There's still treatments and daily soreness. I'm feeling much better now. Everything is on track right now."

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Jace Amaro leaves Jets practice with apparent back injury (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media June 3, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/undefined.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Jets tight end Jace Amaro left Wednesday's organized team activity practice with an apparent back injury. His status is not known.

Amaro, drafted on last year's second round, was running a passing route early in practice when he stopped short and began wincing and clutching his back. He briefly received attention from the trainers on the sideline before walking to the locker room and not returning.

Head coach Todd Bowles couldn't confirm whether Amaro had, in fact, injured his back, or what the severity of the injury was.

"I don't know much right now," Bowles said. "They told me he was sore."

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick staying prepared to play as Geno Smith’s backup (Seth Walder) New York Daily News June 3, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-fitzpatrick-staying-prepared-geno-smith-backup-article-1.2246080

Ryan Fitzpatrick knows the deal - and he isn’t whining about it.

Though Chan Gailey and Todd Bowles have described the quarterback situation in different ways, this much is apparent: Geno Smith is the Jets’ starting QB, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is the backup. Whether Fitzpatrick has no chance or a slim one to become the starter by the start of the season depends on who you ask, but it’s clear that, at best, it’s a long shot.

Fitzpatrick wasn’t surprised, he said, when Bowles said Smith would get all the first-team reps. And he’s not bothered by the situation either.

“Not at all,” Fitzpatrick said. “You know what, I’m here. If I get thrown on the field then I’m going to go out there and play well. That’s what I’m focused on right now.”

That there wouldn’t be a quarterback competition - at least according to Gailey - was a stunner to most people. Bowles has said there would be competition, but that it’s Smith’s job to lose, which perhaps gives Fitzpatrick, who is recovering from a broken leg, a sliver of a hope of grabbing the keys to the Porsche, so to speak.

“I think, with Coach Bowles, the thing that he’s made clear to everybody in this locker room is you’re going to have to earn your spot,” Fitzpatrick said.

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Fitzpatrick added that though Smith is getting all of the actual first-team work, there are plenty of reps to go around and sometimes he does get to work with top wideouts Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.

“This being my sixth different team and really sixth or seventh or eighth different situation that I’ve been in as terms of being a 4, a 3, a 2, or a 1, I know I’ve got to be ready.”

And certainly, the pressure is on Smith to hang on to the starting job. Despite having had two bad seasons in the league and currently being the starter, everyone is wondering just how long the third-year QB will be able to cling on to his current role. Perhaps no one put it more bluntly than teammate Willie Colon on Tuesday, when he said, “We bought the Porsche. We’ve given him the keys. He can’t crash it. Bottom line, he can’t crash it. We need him to be on top of his game.”

Though Smith didn’t speak on Wednesday, Bowles did say he had heard Colon’s comments.

“Something about keys to the Porsche?” Bowles said. “I don’t know what kind of car we have yet, we’re still building it. Probably just a figure of speech, knowing Willie.”

Though Bowles said he didn’t think players should ever say something negative about their teammates, he added that he didn’t have an issue with Colon’s commentary.

“He can speak to the press, he’s a grown man,” Bowles said. “I know how he feels about Geno, I know how he feels about the team. Nothing Willie said was wrong.”

AMARO HURT

Jace Amaro pulled up lame mid-route during practice on Wednesday. He was removed from practice and Bowles said afterwards that Amaro was sore but he didn’t know anything more about the injury. Tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson said he did not believe the injury to be serious

STILL NO NEW MO DEAL

It was no surprise that Muhammad Wilkerson wasn’t at practice Wednesday - he’s been away all spring in hopes of landing a new contract - but it will be interesting to see whether the star defensive end shows up next week. So far all of the practices have been voluntary, but next Tuesday marks the start of mandatory minicamp, and Wilkerson will be subject to fines if he holds out.

Sheldon Richardson, Calvin Pryor and Bilal Powell were all absent from Wednesday’s practice. Colon, Antonio Cromartie and Leger Douzable also missed the practice due to their participation in the NFL’s broadcasting bootcamp.

TICKET PRICES VARY

The Jets announced earlier this year that they will have variable pricing for all of their season-ticket holder seats. On Wednesday the team announced that it would have higher prices for their four “marquee” matchups this season: vs. the Browns (season opener), the Eagles, the Bills and the Patriots.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Jets Work Through Spring Practices With Few Lineup Questions (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal June 3, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/jets-end-spring-practices-with-few-lineup-questions-1433376173?tesla=y

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—For a team that overhauled its front office and coaching staff after finishing with a 4-12 record last season, the Jets have surprisingly few tough choices and plenty of backup-plan options as they finish off-season training and prepare for training camp.

Twenty of the 22 starting-lineup positions are essentially set. The most interesting position battle might be for the uninteresting position of right guard.

The other spot is only sort-of undecided, but it’s at quarterback. Head coach Todd Bowles on Wednesday repeated his mantra that the struggling Geno Smith remains the No. 1 guy over the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick—for now.

“You don’t go into camp having two first-team guys,” Bowles said after practice. “It’s Ryan’s job to take it, it’s Geno’s job to [not] lose it. If he doesn’t lose it, and Ryan doesn’t take it, he’s the starter.”

Fitzpatrick, acquired in a trade from Houston in exchange for a late pick in the 2016 draft, is recovering from a broken leg in December, but he looked nimble during a long scramble during practice Wednesday.

Fitzpatrick was a curiosity when he entered the league in 2005 as a Harvard graduate, but since then has become a reliable quarterback for six different teams. He has been a starter and said he has been ranked as low as fourth on a team’s depth chart.

“This being my sixth different team and really sixth or seventh or eighth different situation that I’ve been in, in terms of being a four, or a three, or a two, or a one, I know I’ve got to be ready,” Fitzpatrick said, in response to a question about whether he wanted to compete for the starting job.

Overall, the lineup is serene, and that has to do with both luck and action. The Jets didn’t lose any significant players to free agency in the off-season, while new general manager Mike Maccagnan, with more than $40 million in salary-cap space at his disposal, hired a bevy of established veterans: cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine; receiver Brandon Marshall and safety Marcus Gilchrist. His first-round draft pick, defensive lineman Leonard Williams, figures to play often as well.

The Jets’ defense will return all seven starters from its aging linebacker group and its young, stellar defensive line. Gilchrist figures to join Calvin Pryor, the Jets’ first-round pick from 2014, as the starting safeties. Revis and Cromartie, who have both won All-Pro honors, are the team’s starting cornerbacks, while Skrine will get plenty of playing time as the No. 3. The team also has three other cornerbacks who have started at least eight games for the Jets over the past two seasons: 2013 first-round-pick Dee Milliner, Darrin Walls and Marcus Williams.

The Jets are the only NFL team to have more than five cornerbacks who have started at least eight games, according to Stats LLC. Bowles said Wednesday that Milliner isn’t fully recovered from a torn Achilles yet, but hopes the cornerback will be ready by the beginning of training camp in late July.

As far as the offense, the only unsettled position besides quarterback is right guard. The Jets re-signed the false-start-troubled Willie Colon, but he will have to fight to win back his job from two youngsters with starting experience— Brian Winters, who is recovering from a torn knee ligament, and Oday Aboushi.

Jeff Cumberland is currently the team’s top tight end. Jace Amaro, a 2014 second-round draft pick, had a setback Wednesday after pulling up lame while going after a Fitzpatrick pass in practice Wednesday. He grabbed his lower back and left practice to see a trainer. Bowles said he was unsure how serious the injury was.

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METRO NEW YORK

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Earning starting role will be difficult task for Jets RB Zac Stacy (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York June 3, 2015

http://www.metro.us/kristian-dyer/earning-starting-role-will-be-difficult-task-for-jets-rb-zac-stacy/zsJofc---yHHQSVhuZqhLU/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Hoping for an opportunity at more playing time, Zac Stacy went from one crowded backfield to another one equally as crowded. Thing is that here in New York with the Jets, Stacy thinks he'll fit in just fine.

When the St. Louis Rams made the surprise selection of taking Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick in April's NFL Draft, Stacy knew that his time with the team was likely coming to a close. His trade request was honored by the team as the Jets sent a seventh round pick for the 24-year-old running back, adding him to a unit that - on paper - was already quite strong.

Running back might be the deepest position on the Jets' roster. There is battering ram Chris Ivory, perhaps the hardest runner in the league this side of Marshawn Lynch. The Jets also re-signed Bilal Powell and brought in free agents Stevan Ridley and Daryl Richardson.

“There's always competition everywhere but I think the move to the Jets was what's best for me," Stacy told Metro. "Coming into a system that obviously has competition going in but has good opportunities as well. Thought it was a best fit for me to move Jersey. At the end of the day it was the best decision for me.

“With the situation, like I said this was the best, ideal situation for me in terms of opportunity. With the situation in St. Louis, I felt my opportunities were limited.”

Where all this depth on the Jets roster leaves Stacy is in a spot where he must exceed expectations to just make it to Week 1.

He burst onto the league in his rookie season of 2013, running for 973 yards and seven touchdowns. But last year, his carries were cut by nearly three-fourths and his productivity went way down. Stacy has a low center of gravity and is thick in his build but he has good hands out of the backfield, something that can be an asset with the new spread offense implemented by offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.

He will need to impress head coach Todd Bowles to make the 53-man roster, something that isn't exactly a given at this point. Ivory is a lock to make the team and Ridley, despite his torn ACL last year, would seem to be in the mix for significant carries this season. Then there is Powell, who was the first player the Jets re-signed when Bowles was named head coach.

So making the team, let alone getting reps in training camp, will be a difficult task for Ridley.

“Right now I'm trying to establish a role anyway I can, running the football, being versatile, special teams, any way I can," Stacy said. "We have a horse here already in Chris Ivory, he's been great teaching me, showing the ropes. He's been great. We've got Stevan Ridley – man he has looked great. Bilal Powell, Daryl Richardson too is in here.

“I feel like regardless with me being released or being traded, I have value," Stacy continued. "I think every team in the NFL saw that. Coach Bowles is a great coach, I faced him when I was with the Rams and he was the DC in Arizona with the Cardinals. He's a great coach. I love the playbook here, it allows us as runners to get downhill which is my style. We're asked to be versatile out of the backfield, get out there, run corner routes. Let's us be versatile.”

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Jets: Todd Bowles speaks on Willie Colon’s comments about Geno Smith (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York June 3, 2015

http://www.metro.us/kristian-dyer/jets-todd-bowles-speaks-on-willie-colon-s-comments-about-geno-smith/zsJofc---O8BQ1WtimCRY/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – If his own teammates don't think he was close to being ready to be an NFL starter then Geno Smith might be in some deep doo-doo this offseason as he looks to once again be atop the depth chart come Week 1.

Following Willie Colon's comments on Sirius XM this past Tuesday that the Jets rushed along the young Smith during his first two years in the league, with Colon saying of Smith that “He was never ready to be the starting quarterback of the New York Jets,” it is clear that the quarterback has plenty to overcome not just on the field but in his own locker room if he wants to be the team's starter this year. That his teammates can look back and see that Smith wasn't polished enough to be a starter is now beginning to crystallize and it further casts doubt on if the locker room is ready to embrace him yet again this season.

So far Smith has gone through a couple of rough days in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) as fellow quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick again looked the better player on Wednesday.

All of which turns the focus back on to Colon and his comments. Saying that Smith “was never ready” to be a starter for this team is a serious indictment on the former second round pick, meaning that his two seasons and 30 games played were premature. It speaks to Smith's maturity off the field as well as his ability to lead a team on the field.

Head coach Todd Bowles didn't want to portray the veteran offensive lineman's hot take as being a slam on Smith. He made it clear early on during Wednesday's press conference that “My personal feeling, if you have nothing good to say about a teammate, you don't say it.” But he didn't want to characterize Colon's remarks as added pressure.

“I don't think so, you don't know Willie. I don't know the situation. I wasn't down at the interview. There's freedom of speech, he can speak to the press, he's a grown man, he's part of the team,” Bowles said.

“I know how he feels about Geno, I know he feels about the team. Nothing Willie said is wrong. You can speak your mind. If you want to speak your mind, that's up to him and that's probably a question you probably have to ask him. I don't see anything wrong with it and I don't see it harmful to him, no.”

Colon's remaining comments on the team were rather innocuous, perhaps he did enough damage already and knew to back off at that point. But he did say that the Jets are handing Smith the keys to the Porsche with this offense, especially with two marquee wide receivers in Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall as well as a veteran offensive line and a deep backfield.

Now it is up to Smith to sink or swim to retain the starting job. So far, he's treading water and given Fitzpatrick's rather solid performance on Wednesday, that might just earn him a job carrying a clipboard this year.

“I don't have a Porsche so I can't answer the question. They look nice on the outside. I don't compare our offense to any type of car or vehicle or any type of situation,” Bowles said. “We're going to try and get better by the day and make sure we put people in the right place to make plays and we're going to go from there.”

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Daily Clips Cont.

31 | P a g e

WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

Baltimore Orioles - Recalled pitcher T.J. McFarland from Norfolk (IL); optioned pitcher Oliver Drake to Norfolk.

Boston Red Sox - Acquired outfielder Alejandro De Aza and cash considerations from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher Joe Gunkel; recalled pitcher Robbie Ross Jr. from Pawtucket (IL); transferred pitcher Brandon Workman to the 60-day disabled list.

Cincinnati Reds - Placed outfielder Marlon Byrd on the 15-day disabled list; Selected the contract of infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. from Louisville (IL); Released outfielder Donald Lutz.

Milwaukee Brewers - Optioned pitcher Tyler Cravy to Colorado Springs (PCL); recalled outfielder Shane Peterson from Colorado Springs.

Minnesota Twins - Recalled pitcher Michael Tonkin from Rochester (IL); reinstated outfielder Oswaldo Arcia from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Rochester (IL).

New York Yankees - Activated pitcher Masahiro Tanaka from the 15-day disabled list; designated pitcher David Carpenter for assignment.

Oakland Athletics - Activated pitcher Drew Pomeranz from the 15-day disabled list; optioned pitcher Arnold Leon to Nashville (PCL).

Seattle Mariners - Acquired outfielder Mark Trumbo and pitcher Vidal Nuno from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for catcher Welington Castillo, pitcher Dominic Leone, minor league infielder Jack Reinheimer and minor league outfielder Gabby Guerrero.

Toronto Blue Jays - Optioned pitcher Scott Copeland to Buffalo (IL).

FOOTBALL

BC Lions (CFL) - Signed wide receiver Tim Vizzi.

Detroit Lions - Signed running back Rasheed Williams; released wide receiver Erik Lora.

Oakland Raiders - Signed wide reciver Trindon Holliday; waived/injured wide receiver Andre Debose.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) - Released defensive back Winston Wright.

HOCKEY

Washington Capitals - Extended their affiliation agreement with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League through the 2015-16 season.

COLLEGE

Syracuse - Announced the resignation of softball coach Leigh Ross.

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