New York Jets

via www.gannett-cdn.com In honor of the Jets starting OTA's tomorrow, I thought I'd wrap up everything that's gone down since off-season workouts began. QUARTERBACK Mark Sanchez: After New York signed David Garrard, and used a second round draft pick on Geno Smith, the writing seemed to be on the wall for Sanchez. Previously, reports surfaced that the Jets might be content to cut Sanchez before the season, and let Smith and Garrard battle it out. Fortunately for Sanchez, David Garrard has left the Jets, and will be forced to retire after a recent flare up involving his knee. Mark Sanchez went from potentially not making the Jets 52-man roster, to effectively sealing his place on the team. Sanchez will still have to prove that he is better than Geno Smith in order to be the Jets Week one starter, but that’s a lot closer than he seemed to the job just a few weeks ago. Geno Smith: So far, the Jets seem to like what they have in Geno Smith. After watching him practice for just three days during Rookie camps, Rex Ryan has already praised Smith’s arm strength and feel for the offense. Geno took a lot of heat for the way he acted during his slide in the draft, and many wondered if he could handle the spotlight of playing in New York. After Smith fired the agent who represented him through the draft, those criticisms grew louder. It now seems that Smith is considering signing with Roc Nation Sports, the sports agency owned by Jay-Z. High profile New York athletes like Victor Cruz and Robinson Cano have already signed with the agency, so Geno’s interest in them should only be seen as a positive. Jay-Z is one of the Big Apple’s brightest stars, and to attach oneself to Jay-Z, means to attach oneself to New York. After a rocky start, Geno Smith appears ready to take on the spotlight. RUNNING BACK Chris Ivory: After suffering through two seasons of the plodding Shonn Greene, Jets fans rejoiced when New York traded a fourth round pick to New Orleans for Chris Ivory. It seems that Jets fans aren’t the only ones excited by Ivory’s potential. Recently, CBS Sports Insider Jason La Confora mentioned Ivory as a breakout player to watch in 2013. Ivory hasn’t been handed the No. 1 running back job, but he is used to competition. In New Orleans, Ivory had to fend off the likes of Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram to get carries. The Jets are far less loaded at running back, and Ivory likes his chances to contribute. "I think it does give me a better opportunity," Ivory said. "It was just a tough situation over there. We all had our roles. It's just tough to fit four backs in a system." Joe McKnight: During the 2012 offseason, Joe McKnight was given a chance to win the Jets staring running back job. He took that opportunity about as seriously as his first NFL training camp, where he infamously showed up so out of shape, that he was reduced to vomiting during workouts. McKnight had a reduced role during the 2012 season, and now it appears as if he’s a candidate to get cut.Even though McKnight has failed to improve as a player over three NFL seasons, he wants everyone to know that he plans on remaining a Jet. "I don't care who they bring in. They're gonna have to kill me to take my spot," McKnight said after a recent team workout. Mike Goodson: When the Jets signed Mike Goodson on March 15, to a three year, $7 million contract, they hoped he could be a big contributor in 2013. However, after a recent arrest involving marijuana possession, Goodson might not even be a free man this season. Even if he avoids jail time, the Jets would be wise to sever ties with the troubled back. What a shame, this guy could have been at least, the Jets third down back this season. WIDE RECEIVER Marcus Davis/Antavious Wilson: Marcus Davis was claimed off waivers by the Jets on May 14th. Davis played his college ball at Virgina Te

David Garrard retired from Jets on Thursday saying his knee was giving him trouble. Garrard spent two years out of football and his knee problems were widely known, Rich Cimini of ESPN New York reports. An AFC personnel executive said at the time of the signing, “His knee is a concern. He’ll look fine in drills, but I don’t know if he can take a hit.” Turns out that Garrard, 35, couldn’t cut it in drills, either, prompting his abrupt retirement. Garrard missed some workouts early in the off-season program, a source said, fueling speculation in the locker room that he wasn’t right, physically. In recent practices, he was sharp on his short throws, Cimini was told, but he labored on longer routes because he couldn’t drive the ball, probably because of his balky knee. As a result, he bounced some passes.

In the wake of David Garrard's retirement due to injury issues and Mike Goodson's arrest, there have been a few peoplesuggesting doubt has been cast on John Idzik's judgment. To be sure it was less than a banner week for the two signings. To take too much away from this week, though, seems like a real stretch. In the big picture, it does not seem fair to draw conclusions about Idzik based on what has happened. Garrard and Goodson were both low risk signings. Idzik knew this at the time he inked them. They were both given small money for the reason they were both risky on some level. Their contracts were structured in a way the Jets could walk away from either at any time. That was the trade off. If Idzik was honest, he would have admitted these were not slam dunk moves. That was the point of not committing a lot of money. Garrard has a track record as a game manager, and Goodson flashed potential while sitting behind some very talented runners. The hope was they could provide value in 2013 and beyond, but there were no guarantees. Almost every team makes small, under the radar signings like these. They usually fly under the radar. The Jets just had such little cap space this year that these minor moves were some of their major free agent signings. Idzik had little money and had to fill out a big chunk of his roster. That meant taking a shot on some upside guys knowing well it was unlikely every single move would pan out. That is the nature of these under the radar signings. You make some. You hope they will pan out. The good teams are the ones who find a few who do, but a lot do not work out even for the good teams. It is also worth noting how premature it is to declare Goodson a flop at this point. We hardly know any facts about his situation. This thing might not prevent him from getting on the field at all. I don't really agree with some of the high praise Idzik has gotten so far. The evidence is inconclusive at best that he has ended the culture of leaks with the Jets. He probably has not drafted this team six quality starters. We are far too early into his tenure to make any definitive judgments. That cuts both ways. Questioning Idzik for Garrard and Goodson feels like reaching. Saying these signings cast question on how well he evaluates players seems akin to using the Matt Chatham and Andre Wadsworth signings to suggest Mike Tannenbaum couldn't evaluate players. When Idzik's run is judged, these moves will probably not be major factors.

The Sports Xchange: New York Jets team report. Jets Flight Deck: Barely four months on the job, John Idzik is being tested. The Jet Press: Is Terry Bradway as bad as everyone thinks? The Jet Press: Inside the numbers with the Marty Mornhinweg offense. SB Nation: The Jets are considering adding a veteran quarterback after David Garrard's retirement. The Jets Blog: Rating the remaining quarterbacks in free agency. Daily News: Willie Colon suggests that his arrest likely signals the end of Mike Goodson's Jets career. NYJets.com: Stephen Hill hopes to make a leap in year 2. NYJets.com: Tommy Bohanon prides himself on catching the ball. NFL.com: Dee Milliner signs with a new agency. Rant Sports: Shonn Greene may inspire Chris Johnson to work hard. AFC East Blog: Should the Buffalo Bills worry about Mario Williams? Associated Press: The San Diego Chargers and Dwight Freeney agree to a 2-year deal. Philly.com: The Philadelphia Eagles experiment with TE Clay Harbor and WR Jason Avant on defense to add versatility. So they're being Avant-garde? Dallas News: Generosity turns dangerous in Tyron Smith's family battles over money. I'll remember that when I win that Powerball jackpot. L.A. Times: D.J. Hayden is lucky to be alive. And now here is Kamikazee with a cover of "Lucky": Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Gang Green Gangsters.

The Sports Xchange: New York Jets team report. Jets Flight Deck: Barely four months on the job, John Idzik is being tested. The Jet Press: Is Terry Bradway as bad as everyone thinks? The Jet Press: Inside the numbers with the Marty Mornhinweg offense. SB Nation: The Jets are considering adding a veteran quarterback after David Garrard's retirement. The Jets Blog: Rating the remaining quarterbacks in free agency. Daily News: Willie Colon suggests that his arrest likely signals the end of Mike Goodson's Jets career. NYJets.com: Stephen Hill hopes to make a leap in year 2. NYJets.com: Tommy Bohanon prides himself on catching the ball. NFL.com: Dee Milliner signs with a new agency. Rant Sports: Shonn Greene may inspire Chris Johnson to work hard. AFC East Blog: Should the Buffalo Bills worry about Mario Williams? Associated Press: The San Diego Chargers and Dwight Freeney agree to a 2-year deal. Philly.com: The Philadelphia Eagles experiment with TE Clay Harbor and WR Jason Avant on defense to add versatility. So they're being Avant-garde? Dallas News: Generosity turns dangerous in Tyron Smith's family battles over money. I'll remember that when I win that Powerball jackpot. L.A. Times: D.J. Hayden is lucky to be alive. And now here is Kamikazee with a cover of "Lucky": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTLiVHENNaw Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Gang Green Gangsters.

Rookie Tommy Bohanon From Wake Knows He Must Excel on Special Teams as Well.

Hi guys, I'm still around...for the folks who asked about me. I'm doing great. I'm excited about Tebow getting another shot at QB in the NFL and doing well since the league is being dominated by the read option now. Yep...I said "I'm excited..." haha Re: Tebow’s Throwing Motion…Tebow can’t Throw….WRONG!!! Per Vinny Testaverde: "I was kind of disappointed because I was hoping he’d get a chance to show the coaches what we worked on," Testaverde told Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. "I think they would’ve been impressed if they had compared this year to last year." Testaverde spent a week with Tebow, concentrating on his footwork. In layman’s terms, Testaverde said Tebow "was stepping in the wrong direction when he was throwing the football." Testaverde also consulted with IMG instructor Chris Weinke, saying they "speak the same quarterback language" because they both played under Dan Henning. "Chris and I looked at Tim careful and we were both amazed," Testaverde said. "Everybody has been focusing on his throwing motion, trying to fix that, but nobody had picked up his footwork. His footwork was all screwed up. Chris and I looked at each other after about four or five throws, and we saw the same thing. We got his footwork fixed. His throwing motion is now a non-issue. "He throws with what we call ‘effortless power.’ He doesn’t have that elongated motion anymore and his head isn’t moving 2 1/2 feet when he throws it." So, What was meant for evil, it will be used for Tebow’s good. And to all my friends on here, great to see you! Hi guys, I'm still around...for the folks who asked about me. I'm doing great. I'm excited about Tebow getting another shot at QB in the NFL and doing well since the league is being dominated by the read option now. Yep...I said "I'm excited..." haha Re: Tebow’s Throwing Motion…Tebow can’t Throw….WRONG!!! Per Vinny Testaverde: "I was kind of disappointed because I was hoping he’d get a chance to show the coaches what we worked on," Testaverde told Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. "I think they would’ve been impressed if they had compared this year to last year." Testaverde spent a week with Tebow, concentrating on his footwork. In layman’s terms, Testaverde said Tebow "was stepping in the wrong direction when he was throwing the football." Testaverde also consulted with IMG instructor Chris Weinke, saying they "speak the same quarterback language" because they both played under Dan Henning. "Chris and I looked at Tim careful and we were both amazed," Testaverde said. "Everybody has been focusing on his throwing motion, trying to fix that, but nobody had picked up his footwork. His footwork was all screwed up. Chris and I looked at each other after about four or five throws, and we saw the same thing. We got his footwork fixed. His throwing motion is now a non-issue. "He throws with what we call ‘effortless power.’ He doesn’t have that elongated motion anymore and his head isn’t moving 2 1/2 feet when he throws it." So, What was meant for evil, it will be used for Tebow’s good. And to all my friends on here, great to see you!

Kirby Lee-US Presswire These were was supposed to be the new drama-free New York Jets. With the departure of locker room cancer Darrelle Revis and evangelical savior Tim Tebow, the Jets’ carnival show was supposed to end. Instead, the Jets brass decided to draft diva quarterback Geno Smith in the second round of the draft and veteran quarterback David Garrard, who was supposed to become the No. 1 quarterback, retired because of knee issues. It looks like Mark Sanchez will once  by Text-Enhance" href="http://www.footballandfutbol.com/new-york-jets-nightmare-off-season-continues-with-mike-goodson-arrest/#">again be the starting quarterback for the anemic Jets offense, and one can imagine the loud boos he will hear as he enters the Jets stadium for the first time this season. A quarterback’s best friend is a solid running game, and the Jets thought they had a game breaking running back in Mike Goodson. However, Goodson was just arrested with marijuana and loaded semi-automatic weapons found in his car. The arrest of Goodson is just another blow to the Jets’ fortunes before the season even starts. Yeah, I know that the Jets also acquired former Saints running back Chris Ivory in a draft  by Text-Enhance" href="http://www.footballandfutbol.com/new-york-jets-nightmare-off-season-continues-with-mike-goodson-arrest/#">day trade, but Ivory has yet to show that he can be an every-down back. Who on the Jets will scare opposing defenses now that their best player Santonio Holmes is coming off season-ending injury? Jets fans better get themselves ready for a depressing regular season as the Jets look to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be competing with each other for the league’s most comical offense. Expect to see Sanchez getting booed louder than any professional football player in recent memory. There is only two words that can turn Jets fans’ frowns upside down: Jadeveon Clowney. Jorge Contreras is an Oakland Raiders writer for RantSports.com. Follow Jorge on Twitter @jraycontreras

Want to join the flashy, high-stakes world of NFL blogging? Turn On The Jets is looking to hire a new staff writer for the 2013 NFL season. This is an unpaid position for somebody looking to gain writing and social media experience on a rapidly growing New York Jets/NFL site (30,000 unique visitors and 120,000 page views last month) We can only promise experience, increased exposure to your writing and more Twitter followers…and maybe a free Shake Shack meal if you are around New York City. We are looking for 1-3 articles per week and contributions to our weekly roundtables. Ideally, the candidate will have previous writing experience and an interest in an analytical approach to the game of football. We don’t break news at TOJ. We don’t come up with flashy headlines sourced by anonymous people. Basically, pretend you are writing for The Daily News and then do the opposite of that. Previous experience looking at and breaking down game film is also encouraged. Finally, we like our writers to have an active social media presence, particularly on Twitter. If you are interested, please send a 500-900 word writing sample to JoeC@TurnOnTheJets.com. Come up with your own topic or angle, as we encourage our writers to think outside the box and come up with their own article ideas. HURRY UP…MILD AMOUNTS OF LOCAL BLOGGING FAME AND RETWEETS AWAIT!

SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber is at the NFL Rookie Premiere, which is being attended by many Draft picks, including Jets quarterback Geno Smith. Geno talked about his first luxury purchase in the NFL. A voice from behind a television camera on Thursday asked Smith if he had rewarded himself in the wake of the draft. A watch? A new car? His answer lacked the hoped-for banality. "The playbook." Click here to read the whole story. It also discusses how Geno fits with the team and in relation to the new offensive system. Nothing we hear from Geno is going to be particularly meaningful. The only real takeaway is that he gave a good sounding answer, which means he might be able to handle the media well. That is a good thing considering the wave of negativity that hit in the days following the Jets' selection of him in the second round.