Jets News 4/22

hydro51 · Apr 22, 2006

http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/67438.htm
JETS GM EVADES
QUERIES ON DRAFT

By MARK CANNIZZARO

April 22, 2006 -- Yesterday, when Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum made himself available for a pre-draft interview with reporters, he was asked the obvious question:

"Who are you going to draft?"

"I can tell you right now," Tannenbaum said, sounding for a moment like he was about to reveal some news, "I really don't know what we're going to do."

Tannenbaum would not reveal the Jets' plans with their No. 4 overall pick in next Saturday's first round, or any other rounds for that matter. He did, however, confirm he has had talks with other teams about trading up or down from No. 4.

"We could trade up; we could trade back," Tannenbaum said. "I really don't know. We're going to see how the process plays out."

Tannenbaum did, however, sound almost definite about the fact the Jets will address the quarterback position in some manner in this draft.

The Jets don't, however, appear to be leaning toward taking a quarterback with their top pick.

Though Tannenbaum danced around the question, it appears, although the Jets did a lot of homework on the top-rated QBs - USC's Matt Leinart, Texas' Vince Young and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler - it was legwork and smokescreens.

"Those three players have had well-documented successes," Tannenbaum said. "They all have their strengths. As we get to next weekend we'll see how the scenarios play out."

It seems most likely the Jets will use a second-round pick on Alabama QB Brodie Croyle or Oregon QB Kellen Clemens.

"Sure, quarterback is a situation we're looking at closely," Tannenbaum said. "Like every position, we would like to improve . . . its depth and competitiveness. We're going to try to add some competition there."

The Texans own the first overall pick and will, barring some extraordinary circumstance, select USC running back Reggie Bush. If for some reason the Texans don't take Bush, the Jets will think long and hard about making a run at him by trading up to the second spot. But they likely will have a lot of company.

Should the Jets stay at No. 4 and Virginia OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson is available, the Jets likely will draft him and address the QB position either later in the first round at No. 29 or in the second round at No. 35.

That seems to be the way they're leaning . . . today, anyway.
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hydro51 · Apr 22, 2006

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/410965p-347705c.html

Tannenbaum: Chad's still iffy

By RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Jets rookie GM Mike Tannenbaum looked and sounded like a man with a plan, appearing confident and relaxed yesterday as he discussed the upcoming draft and the direction of the team. The one thing he didn't seem too sure about was the status of Chad Pennington, he of the twice-surgically repaired throwing shoulder.

Tannenbaum, commenting on the quarterback's condition for the first time in a month, provided only a vague update, hinting that Pennington won't be at full throwing strength for the first veterans' minicamp. That's not until mid-June. By then, he will be eight months removed from surgery. A year ago, Pennington was throwing on a full-time basis six months after his first operation.

"I'm not sure how much he'll do right now," Tannenbaum said. "Ultimately, that will be something that will have to be worked out between the training staff and Eric (Mangini), with reps and things like that."

Asked if the best-case scenario for Pennington is limited participation in minicamp, Tannenbaum said, "I wouldn't feel comfortable characterizing exactly what he'll be doing."

There are two ways to read this: Pennington, who began light throwing March 1, is proceeding with extreme caution or he's finding the rehab harder the second time around. Tannenbaum did say that Pennington is making "good progress," but he added, "Whether or not he plays is ultimately going to be a coaching decision." Pennington will battle recently acquired Patrick Ramsey in training camp.

Tannenbaum praised Matt Leinart, Vince Young and Jay Cutler, saying they're all going to be successful NFL quarterbacks, but the Jets aren't likely to pick one at No. 4 in next weekend's draft. They're believed to be targeting tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and defensive end Mario Williams, with linebacker A.J. Hawk and tight end Vernon Davis as fallbacks. They may address the quarterback issue in the later rounds.

The GM didn't dismiss the idea of trading up from No. 4, although that seems unlikely. College scouting director Jesse Kaye said the draft "doesn't have as many outstanding prospects" as in recent years, but he believes there's solid depth in the middle rounds - an indication the Jets may try to stockpile picks.

Originally published on April 22, 2006
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hydro51 · Apr 22, 2006

Jets, Feeling Draft Pressure, Look for Picks Who Won't Crack
Article Tools Sponsored By
By KAREN CROUSE
Published: April 22, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/22/sports/football/22jets.html?_r=1&oref=login

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., April 21 ? The cornerstone of the Jets' evaluation process for N.F.L. prospects is discomfort. They want to gauge how players react under pressure when they are confronted with something unexpected and maybe even unpleasant.

The Jets' Mike Tannenbaum did not say much about draft strategy.
N.F.L. Draft (April 29-30) Adjustability and adaptability have perhaps taken on renewed significance after a season in which the Jets lost their top two quarterbacks to injuries in the same game and their head coach and both coordinators after the final game.

Mike Tannenbaum, who was promoted to general manager after the resignation of Terry Bradway, and Eric Mangini, who replaced Coach Herman Edwards after Edwards left for the Kansas City Chiefs, devised a rapid-fire line of questioning that turned each player interview into an interrogation in a dark room.

They ran film clips of each player and peppered him with questions about assignments, formations and motivations. They conducted more than 450 interviews this way in preparation to make their nine draft picks, including two in the first round (at No. 4 and No. 29).

"We tried to put players in uncomfortable situations," Tannenbaum said Friday at the Jets' practice facility. "We wanted to see how they were going to respond, see if they could learn in an uncomfortable environment, what kind of players they could be in that environment, what kind of people they could be."

Tannenbaum was intentionally vague when talking about the Jets' strategy for the April 29-30 draft. His poker face was firmly in place.

"I know we're not going to take a kicker or punter," he said.

He said the Jets were not locked into filling a need at any one position ? quarterback, for example ? with their first pick.

"Philosophically, we'll take the best player regardless of that position, as long as they're not a kicker or punter," he said.

On draft day, Tannenbaum and Mangini will be tested on their ability to adjust to the unexpected. How will they handle the hot seat?

Tannenbaum said he relished the pressure. He trusts his preparation.

"I look at the entire draft process as an opportunity, not just one pick," he said.

"I do feel we are more than one player away. The entire draft is an opportunity for us to improve the entire makeup of the team."
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hydro51 · Apr 22, 2006

http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/67438.htm
Ferguson, Williams top Jets' list
Saturday, April 22, 2006
BY DAVE HUTCHINSON
Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The Jets might have sent out signals that they'll draft a quarterback with their fourth pick overall -- they even had owner Woody Johnson travel to a private workout with Jay Cutler. But it's looking more and more as though the club will select either Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson or North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams with their first pick in the NFL Draft a week from today.

Ferguson or Williams, both of whom are ready to step into a starting job, will almost certainly be available when the Jets go on the clock, and the club has a major need at both positions.

Simply put, the Jets, who are coming off a 4-12 season, can't afford to take a quarterback and groom him for the future, especially after reworking the contract of Chad Pennington and acquiring Patrick Ramsey from Washington in a trade.

"We need help right now," said one Jets official, who requested anonymity to avoid revealing the team's thinking.

A combination among USC running back Reggie Bush, USC quarterback Matt Leinart and Texas quarterback Vince Young is expected to fill two of the top three picks, leaving either Ferguson or Williams for the Jets at No. 4.

Moving up to acquire Bush is intriguing, but NFL insiders say it would cost the Jets their two first-round picks (fourth and 29th), a third-rounder and a second-rounder next season to get the first pick overall from the Texans. It's a price the Jets seem unlikely to pay even though they have nine picks, five on the first day -- two firsts, a second and two thirds.

The Jets, who need quantity as well as quality, appear more likely to trade down than trade up but are expected to stay put at No. 4.

Yesterday, general manager Mike Tannenbaum, running his first draft after replacing Terry Bradway, put on his best poker face during the Jets' predraft press conference at Hofstra.

"I can tell you right now I really don't know what we're going to do," Tannenbaum said. "We're going to let the board dictate what we're going to do for trades. ... I think we can improve the competitiveness and depth of our team. That's what we're committed to doing next week."

Tannenbaum, who said he has had trade talks with other teams, refused to tip his hand regarding the quarterbacks. The Jets have put in a lot of time scouting and interviewing Leinart, Young and Cutler, but it would be a major surprise if they took one.

"Those three players all have well-documented success," Tannenbaum said. "They all have their strengths. As we get to next weekend, we'll see how the scenarios play out."

There's a slim possibility Leinart could on the board at No. 4, and if the Jets pass on him, they surely would be showered with boos by the Jets' fans at Radio City Music Hall.

"I think preparation breeds confidence," Tannenbaum said. "I feel very good about our preparation. I can worry about the things I can control. ... We'll make the best decision for the franchise."

If the Jets do select a quarterback, it'll likely be in the second or third round, with Alabama's Brodie Croyle and Oregon's Kellen Clemens on their radar.

"All of us have gone through hell to have the fourth pick," said Jets senior director of college scouting Jesse Kaye. "We paid our dues for it, so we're going to try to enjoy it. ... We're prepared and we'll be okay with what happens."

Notes: Tannenbaum said the Jets changed their interview process, showing prospective draft picks film of themselves and asking them to explain the call, certain checks and responsibilities rather than the routine questions about a player's background....

Tannenbaum also said Pennington is "throwing and making good progress." He said he's not sure how much the quarterback will do at minicamp, which begins May 12.
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hydro51 · Apr 22, 2006

No. 1 pick being kept a mystery
BY BOB HERZOG
Newsday Staff Writer
April 22, 2006
http://www.newsday.com/sports/footb...12658apr22,0,6867652.story?coll=ny-jets-print

"With the fourth pick of the first round in the 2006 NFL draft, the New York Jets select _ _."

The fact that filling in the blanks at the end of that statement has area sports fans buzzing as much as the fates of the Yankees, Mets, Nets, Rangers and Devils is a statement unto itself. Don't think the Jets don't recognize that. It's a perverted perk of having posted a 4-12 record last season.

"All of us have gone through hell to have the fourth pick in the draft," Jesse Kaye, the Jets' senior director of college scouting, said Friday at a media briefing at Hofstra. "There have been a lot of tough things, so we are looking at it as an opportunity. It gives us flexibility. We paid the dues for it, so we are going to try to enjoy it."

Whether the Jets' vociferous and opinionated fans will enjoy the selection or loudly boo the words of outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue next Saturday at Radio City Music Hall - or whether a vast and probing media will approve - is another matter.

"Preparation breeds confidence," first-year general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "I feel very good about our preparation. I can worry about the things we can control. We'll make the best decision for the franchise."

Neither Tannenbaum nor Kaye tipped their hands as to exactly what that decision might be. Will the Jets pick one of the three quarterbacks they worked out and interviewed this week - USC's Matt Leinart, Texas' Vince Young or Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler? Would they take a less risky approach that could pay more immediate dividends and select acclaimed offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia or highly regarded defensive lineman Mario Williams of North Carolina State? Might they trade to move up or down in the draft? No possibility was ruled out.

Tannenbaum was jovially evasive: "The entire draft is an opportunity for us to improve the entire makeup of the team. I don't think it's a one-pick draft, by any stretch."

Still, with the acknowledged uncertain status of incumbent starter Chad Pennington, the availability of three high-profile quarterbacks who were closely scrutinized this week at Hofstra creates the most intrigue surrounding the Jets' top pick. Neither Tannenbaum nor Kaye indicated a preference after the auditions.
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jmc2702 · Apr 22, 2006

Man, I am going to be very disappointed if we take Ferguson.

jets21027 · Apr 22, 2006

yeah we should take another qb who will get crushed behind our shitty o line we need a good o line to take the next step brick is a start and mangold is the next step

Chrebet86 · Apr 22, 2006

yea he was throwing full time 6 months afterwards last time....but that was the problem!!! remember we rushed him back, now there taking it easy and writers like that one twist things around to make it sound worse, hes probably fine....

rickjet · Apr 22, 2006

I like what I'm reading.

1) Don't takke a QB w/ #4
2) If they take Brick, Williams, or Hawk would be fine because they have done their HOMEWORK!
3) Trade down if possible....

I feel so much more confident in this FO and Coaching staff than I've been for years.....

jaybo1015 · Apr 22, 2006

jmc2702 said:

Man, I am going to be very disappointed if we take Ferguson.
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a lot of people will be, but as long as the trest of the draft goes well, it will be a good thing...

PennyandtheJets · Apr 22, 2006

I still dont understand how anyone could be upset if we drafted brick...

Electric Cedric 34 · Apr 22, 2006

Please do not take Brick.

jonnyd · Apr 22, 2006

Chrebet86 said:

yea he was throwing full time 6 months afterwards last time....but that was the problem!!! remember we rushed him back, now there taking it easy and writers like that one twist things around to make it sound worse, hes probably fine....
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chads done.can we move on?

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