NYJets Team Report

EcKo151 · Feb 27, 2006

If Chad Pennington possessed the same escapability that new Jets coach Eric Mangini already has displayed, perhaps Pennington and the Jets wouldn't be in their current predicaments.

Mangini said in a conference call that "Chad's status is unchanged." When pressed as to what that statement actually meant, Mangini evaded it as if he were Michael Vick avoiding an outside linebacker.

"I don't know what there is to elaborate on," Mangini said.

Oh, well, how about the possibility that the former franchise quarterback for the organization won't be with the team much longer.

Pennington, 29, has undergone rotator cuff surgery twice since Feb. 2005, thanks to big hits on his right shoulder each of the last two seasons. Pennington, now an injury-plagued question mark, signed an eight-year, $64 million contract in 2003.

Pennington is set to make a $6 million base salary in 2006, as well as a $3 million roster bonus on March 3. The club wanted to reduce his base salary to $1 million, but Condon made it abundantly clear early in the negotiations that that wasn't going to happen.

There has been no public movement by the Jets, and no public statements at all by Condon. However, a published report indicated that Pennington has told Condon to do what he can to keep him with the Jets.

The Jets have put some pressure on Pennington by already agreeing with running back Curtis Martin, also coming off a season-ending injury (knee), to restructure his contract, which was slated to count $8.1 million against the cap for 2006.

In a statement accompanying that announcement, general manager Mike Tannenbaum said, "Curtis places the accomplishments of the team ahead of his personal goals and is willing to sacrifice in all areas of the arena for the New York Jets. He has set aside what may be in his best short-term interest for the immediate and long-term goals of this organization."

Mangini said in a statement that Martin's "actions, through the agreement we reached today, demonstrate what a selfless individual" he is.

Are you listening, Chad?

--Cornerback Ty Law won't be back with the Jets, as expected. They declined to pick up his option, saving themselves an $11 million option bonus in March and $7.6 million against the cap. They also released veteran left tackle Jason Fabini, longtime fullback Jerald Sowell and quarterback Jay Fiedler, who is coming off shoulder surgery just as Chad Pennington is. All of these moves saved them about $17 million against the cap, but there still is more work to do.

Veteran guard/center Pete Kendall and veteran center Kevin Mawae also could be let go, but the Jets are trying to restructure their contracts. Also released were LB Barry Gardner, defensive tackle Lance Legree and wide receiver Harry Williams, Jr.

--Vanderbilt quarter Jay Cutler intrigues the Jets, who liked what they saw of him during Senior Bowl week and also are checking him out at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Depending upon the ultimate resolution of the Chad Pennington situation, he could be in the mix at quarterback, although they likely would trade down from the fourth spot to get him.

Virginia left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson is from Freeport, N.Y., a mere 10-15 minutes from the Jets' training facility at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., and is enthusiastic about potentially joining his hometown team. If the Jets keep the fourth pick, many people believe they will select Ferguson as a building block for the retooled offensive line.

--Running back Curtis Martin, who will be 33 by opening day in 2006, was set to count $8.1 million on the 2006 salary cap. That is, until he agreed to restructure his contract. Although the terms were unclear, the Jets were able to save some money and keep an important team leader and veteran presence in the fold. Martin suffered a knee injury in the second game of the 2005 season and finally had surgery in December. He missed the last four games.

Martin said in a statement, "Rather than have it be an acrimonious situation, I wanted to resolve the matter quietly and never felt like it had to become an ugly situation. This was not a hard decision because of the belief I have in the leadership of this team and my teammates, and that I have in myself. ... I feel that it is important to put the goals of the team ahead of individual goals, and I have restructured my contract to allow us the opportunity to be more competitive as we move forward."

--New coach Eric Mangini finally announced his entire coaching staff. He didn't totally clean house, as there are several holdovers, including special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff; defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, promoted from linebackers coach; defensive line coach Denny Marcin and Markus Paul, head strength and conditioning coach. Many insiders believe that Paul didn't get much support from head coach Herm Edwards last season, which resulted in a lax conditioning program, which may have contributed somewhat to the rash of injuries.

Mangini apparently will place a renewed emphasis on conditioning, considering that he has hired two assistant strength and conditioning coaches to help Paul. They are Brett Bech and former Jets and Patriots defensive lineman Rick Lyle.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "There's really not going to be one defining element of this offense or this defense. We're going to try to do whatever we can to beat the opponent on that Sunday. I think it's something that will change depending on who our opponent is and what our approach is to beat them." - New Jets coach Eric Mangini

The Jets have a lot of needs, perhaps too many to successfully fill in merely one off-season, particularly with their tight budget. However, if they truly want to emulate the Patriots, it's important that they start bringing in players who are the right fit, rather than players who merely look good on paper, but not on the field.

The defense will be revamped to fit new coach Eric Mangini's preference for a 3-4 over the Tampa Bay-style defense that former coach Herm Edwards preferred, and again, the Jets must find players who fit this new system.

TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY

The Jets had an incredible number of injuries last season, and while some of that can be attributed to bad luck, some of it occurred because the team grew old in a hurry, and because coach Herm Edwards let the strength and conditioning program go downhill.

So the team must get younger (and less expensive) in a hurry as the Jets enter a rebuilding mode with a shaky cap situation. Upgrades are needed on most of the position units, including secondary, offensive line, wide receivers and running backs, and also the defensive line, with the assumption that franchise-tagged John Abraham may not be back.

Here are the most pressing of many needs:

1. Offensive line: The Jets were bruised and battered at these spots last season. T Jason Fabini was released, and the Jets apparently still are trying to restructure the contracts of C Kevin Mawae and G-C Pete Kendall. It appears the Jets still are quite interested in Virginia OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson with the fourth overall pick.

2. Defensive line: If Abraham departs, the Jets need to start grooming a replacement as a pass rusher to take some of the pressure off Shaun Ellis, who always functioned best when his close friend Abraham was in the lineup, and not injured.

3. Quarterback: The Jets need a veteran who could be a capable backup or push Chad Pennington for the starting job, should the latter not be healthy enough to start the season. In hindsight, it's easy to see he probably wasn't ready physically to start the 2005 season.
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Martin&theJETS · Feb 27, 2006

ya penny will be back and they need a DT but they dont need a DE because thomas is ok in my book

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