Cimini TC report Thurs AM

July 31, 2008
Mangini on morning practice: 'Not acceptable'
Eric Mangini?s patience is being tested. The kinder, gentler coach, whose shorter practices are a big hit with the players, was none too pleased with this morning?s practice at Hofstra. That probably explains why the session lasted 2 hours, 9 minutes, the longest practice of training camp. Previously, they had been averaging around 1:50 to 1:55.

Uh, oh, is the old Mangini coming back, the guy who worked his team 2:20 per workout in 2006 and 2007?

?Come on, it?s a joke compared to what we?ve done,? Mangini said at his daily presser, told by a reporter that he hit the 2:09 mark.

Mangini said today?s performance was ?not acceptable,? claiming the players were just going through the motions. Yes, it was hot, very hot, but - hello? - the Jets open the season in Miami. They need to get acclimated to the heat.

So what went wrong in practice? The offense was atrocious. QB Brett Ratliff threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by CB Ahman Carroll. TE Bubba Franks had a couple of drops. WR Wallace Wright had two drops. CB Justin Miller had terrible coverage on a deep ball to WR David Clowney, who hauled in a 30-yard pass from Kellen Clemens. The screen game was all out of whack. The pass protection was shaky. Well, you get the idea.

Afterward, they got an earful from Mangini. It?ll be interesting to see how they respond in the evening practice. Don?t be surprised if it tops the two-hour mark again.

Other observations:

? LB David Harris (leg), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh) and TE Chris Baker (back) remained on the sideline. They were joined by RB Jesse Chatman and S Artrell Hawkins (undisclosed injuries), neither of whom is believed to be seriously hurt. LB Matt Chatham (foot) returned.

? Franks drops a lot of balls. It?s probably a concentration thing, but you?d expect a veteran of his stature to be a little more sure-handed. Franks looks like he?s faster than Baker, the incumbent, but Baker rarely drops a pass. He might have the best hands on the team. Speaking of C-Bake, still on the PUP list, Mangini sounded like he?s getting tired of answering questions about the tight end?s anticipated return.

? One guy who wasn?t going through the motions was S Kerry Rhodes, who knocked WR Chansi Stuckey on his can after a catch across the middle. Mind you, it was a non-contact drill, but Rhodes was intent on delivering a message. The defense needs guys like that, guys with a swagger. Clearly, Rhodes is trying to become the catalyst on defense.

? Clemens had probably his best practice of camp. Figures. He finally makes it through a session without an interception and the rest of the team stinks it up. He seemed more relaxed in the pocket, throwing to his checkdown receivers when nothing was open downfield. That 30-yard completion to Clowney was a real nice throw, but Clowney had at least two steps on Miller, so the degree of difficulty wasn?t all that high. But give him credit; if we?re going to rip him for interceptions, it?s only fair to praise him for the good throws.

? Rookie CB Dwight Lowery, a fourth-round pick from San Jose State, got a few reps with the first-team dime unit. Afterward, Mangini gushed about Lowery, calling him a real student of the game. He dropped in the draft because he ran a poor 40 at the combine, but that came only a week after he tweaked a hamstring. He could be the sleeper of this draft class; keep an eye on him.

? Mangini?s best line of the day came when discussing FB Tony Richardson, 36, a 14-year vet: ?He can give you the history of football, playing in leather helmets like he did.?

By Rich Cimini on July 31, 2008 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments