07/23 – A word not often whispered around Weeb Ewbank Hall? Playoffs. It’s not that Eric Mangini doesn’t want his players to return to the postseason for the second time in his three years as head coach, it’s just that he knows (EM’s an owner of three rings) that you have to do a lot of things right to get there. David Harris found a way to use playoffs today without straying from Mangini’s core message. “I think we are just trying to take it one step at a time and make a push towards the playoffs,” said the second-year linebacker, who excelled on the inside in 2007, in a conference call with reporters. The Jets’ public relations department made Harris available on the eve of the 2008 training camp along with WR Jerricho Cotchery and CB Darrelle Revis. “We’ve been off, what, six or seven months now, and everybody is ready to get back in the groove of things,” Harris said. The Jets will commence camp with two practices on Thursday. Mangini, who will also hold another two-a-day on Saturday, is not going to extend workouts past two hours. Cotchery said the change will be welcomed but a vacation is not on the horizon. “It doesn’t matter how much you tweak training camp. It’s going to be tough because of consecutive days, and there is just a lot of work physically and mentally throughout each and every day,” he said. “It’s going to be tiring and there are going to be some days that you’re going to have to fight through.” J-Co knows the media will highlight the QB showdown between Kellen Clemens and Chad Pennington, but the tough wideout believes it won’t be a distraction to the team. When asked about Brett Favre, Cotchery wouldn’t take the bait and showed his support for his teammates. “I’m very confident in the guys that we have here. I’ll be definitely happy for whoever wins the job here,” he said. “But any other player outside of here — I can’t even worry about that.” As of late this afternoon, only one Jet remained unsigned. Vernon Gholston, the OLB whom the Jets grabbed with the No. 6 overall selection in April’s draft, had not signed a contract before 5 p.m. Revis — the 14th overall selection in the ’07 draft — missed all of training camp a year ago due to a lengthy holdout. The Pittsburgh product, voted to several All-Rookie teams along with Harris, said he can't wait for Thursday to arrive. “Actually this will be my first training camp as an NFL player,” he said. “It’s great to be here. I don’t have to worry about holding out or stressing on how my contract’s going to be. Now it’s all about business, it’s about getting in, getting a lot of reps and playing football.” Barring anything unforeseen, Revis will start on opening day. He was asked who will win the job as the Jets’ No. 2 corner, which will be determined in the weeks ahead as preseason unfolds. “I don’t know — I don’t even know if I’m going to start. Right now we’re in training camp,” he said with a serious tone. “This is where guys compete for jobs, so as of right now it’s a competing matter and we’re going to see.”

Jets Ready to 'Get Back in the Groove' of Camp

07/23 – Capital One Bank Jets Training Camp kicks off Thursday on the north campus of Hofstra University. Fans can get their first glimpse of the Jets since their 13-10 overtime victory over the Chiefs in the 2007 season finale as they begin preparation for the upcoming season. The first practice starts at 8:45 a.m. and the Jets anticipate a turnout of up to 14,000 for the six practices scheduled for Thursday through Sunday. This year’s camp will be highlighted by Family Day, which includes a Green & White practice on Aug. 2 at Hofstra’s James M. Shuart Stadium, which will be free to the public. That practice is scheduled for 1 p.m., but festivities will start three hours prior with Generation Jets Fest, the team's interactive theme park, a live broadcast from 1050 ESPN radio, and the 2008 Jets Flight Crew signing autographs and performing routines. At halftime of the Family Day practice, the Jets will honor their 40-year history at the university and their fans in a ceremony featuring chairman and CEO Woody Johnson, Hofstra University president Stuart Rabinowitz and former Jets and Hofstra wide receiver great Wayne Chrebet. In conjunction with A-1 First Class-Viking Moving and Storage, the Jets will host a food drive benefitting the "Inn" (Interfaith Nutrition Network), which operates 19 soup kitchens and 25 shelters throughout Long Island. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items to the event. For those who plan to attend training camp practices, here are the essentials: Viewing Practices The gates will open for spectators about a half-hour before the practice is scheduled to begin. (If you show up early, you get to watch how professional athletes stretch.) Space on the bleachers is limited, but there is standing room along the fencing of the practice field. (First come, first sit. And sitting is much more comfortable.) Autographs Players are not allowed to sign autographs individually before or after practice, but in keeping with a tradition of head coach Eric Mangini, a position group will be sent to the fenceline at the conclusion of practice to sign autographs for fans. Food/Concessions Hofstra's food service will sell food in the field patio area. For opening weekend, the Jets, courtesy of Capital One Bank, will be giving away bottles of water. Jets Shop will sell merchandise in their tent adjacent to the practice field that will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Just for Kids In addition to Generation Jets Fest, training camp will feature special events, giveaways and autograph opportunities for kids, including Punt, Pass & Kids presented by Dunkin’ Donuts, in which children under 14 challenge each other in punting, passing and kicking. New for 2008: the State Farm Kids Autograph Alley. To gain access to this area, you must be a Generation Jets Kids Club member, or you can sign up for membership at Jets Fest, which will grant you access. Practice Schedule (First Week) Thursday, July 24 — 8:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Friday, July 25 — 1:30 p.m Saturday, July 26 — 8:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Sunday, July 27 — 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 28 — Closed to Public Tuesday, July 29 — 8:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 30 — 1:30 p.m. Generation Jets Fest Schedule Two-practice days — 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 2:30-6:30 p.m. One-practice days — Noon-4 p.m.

Training Camp: Family Day, Facts and Figures

07/23 – And that brings me to the last of my AFC East Trends blogs, the Jets on the uptick. Despite the disappointments of last season, there are a number of positive areas to revisit on the eve of the 2008 training camp: the production of players such as Jerricho Cotchery, Kerry Rhodes, David Harris and Mike Nugent and the fact that the Jets remain the NFL's least-penalized team since, oh, about 1990. But I want to focus on something I turned up in my off-season research. It has to do with the kickoff returns of Leon Washington and his blockers. We all know that Leon tied for the NFL lead (with the Texans' Andre Davis) with his three return TDs and that he set the Jets' franchise single-season record as well. But did you know that with his many happy returns, Washington helped the Jets equal an NFL record? Actually, it's not a record you can find in the NFL Record & Fact Book. It's more of a "distinction," but a very impressive one. The Jets, with their 10 TDs since 2002, equaled the league's mark for most kickoff-return TDs in a six-season span. Here are the top eight such sixpacks in NFL history, involving four franchises and starting in the mid-Sixties:  Team Span KOR TDs  Chicago 1965-70 10  JETS 2002-07 10  Chicago 1966-71 9  Green Bay 1966-71 9  Chicago 1967-72 9  Green Bay 1967-72 9  Atlanta 1997-2002 8  Green Bay 1965-70 8 The Bears set the mark with the return work of the great Gale Sayers, who took six returns all the way from 1965-67, and got the final four scores from Cecil Turner in 1970. Turner tied the league season record of four return TDs set by Travis Williams in 1967, and Williams was the man around whom the Packers produced nine return TDs in that same six-season era. But no one challenged Chicago's kickoff-return position until the Jets started stringing runbacks together on Opening Day 2002, when Chad Morton took two to the house, the second on the first play of OT, as the Jets stunned the Bills, 37-31. From there, Jonathan Carter had a return TD in 2003 at Indianapolis, then-rookie Jerricho Cotchery first emerged with a return in the 2004 regular-season finale at St. Louis, and Justin Miller had one as a rookie in '05 and two more in '06 when he went to the Pro Bowl. The common theme to these returns, of course, is Mike Westhoff, who was the Jets' special teams boss from 2001 through last season. Westhoff, who continues to rehab well from his February surgery, has left a tough act for new ST coordinator Kevin O'Dea. But let's not forget that O'Dea, as the Bears' assistant specials coach in '06 and '07, had something to do with polishing Devin Hester's monster-of-the-midway return skills — Hester had 11 return TDs those two seasons, seven off of punts and four on kickoffs. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. In less than 24 hours, all Jets fans will be invited to watch the returners, kickers, offense and defense in Thursday morning's first full-squad practice of training camp. Here are the seven other AFC East Trends stories for the last time, in case you missed one: Week of July 1 — Miami Down, New England Up Week of July 7 —Buffalo Up, Jets Down Week of July 14 — Miami Up, Buffalo Down Monday — New England Down Postcards from Some Happy Campers Just to keep you up to date, reporters will be talking with WR Jerricho Cotchery, LB David Harris and CB Darrelle Revis on a conference call at noon today. This interview session is for reporters only, but we'll bring you word of what the three young Jets have to say as they get ready to hit the fields at Hofstra University for the first two-a-days of Capital One Bank Training Camp. Numerology Department For those keeping score at home or in the stands beginning Thursday, note that RB Musa Smith, who wore uniform No. 40 during the off-season, has sight-adjusted to No. 32. That's the number he wore with the Ravens, and it opened recently when undrafted free agent Jonathan Zenon was waived. And newly signed Ahmad Carroll will wear No. 42.  

AFCE Trends: Jets' Kickoff-Return Scores