Jets News

"The older brother of Jets safety Abram Elam was fatally shot, the third sibling in the family to die by gunfire since 1987. Riviera Beach police officers were called to the scene of a shooting at about 12:35 p.m. Friday, and found Donald Charles Elam shot in the lower back, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office news release. "

"One of the last times Kevin Faulk crossed paths with Victor Hobson, they were on a collision course at Gillette Stadium. Faulk was darting up the field and Hobson, playing for the Jets, was attempting to line him up for a bone-crunching hit. When the players were reacquainted a few weeks back, Faulk couldn't resist the chance to turn the tables from last December. He let Hobson have it, wondering aloud, "How did the enemy get in the building?" Faulk, one of the longest-tenured Patriots and a team captain, was quick with a joke, his objective to loosen the atmosphere as Hobson makes the transition from New York Jet to New England Patriot."

"As expected, the Jets re-signed veteran CB Hank Poteat, the team announced Tuesday. Poteat tested the free-agent market and evidently didn’t come up with any attractive offers. For weeks, the Jets had expressed an interest in re-signing him, but they were a little pressed for salary-cap room, with DT Dewayne Robertson ($11.6 million) on the books. When they traded Robertson before the draft, the Jets created $8 million in space. You can sign a lot of Hank Poteats for that kind of coin. Poteat got a one-year deal for the veterans’ minimum, $730,000, plus a modest signing bonus."

"When Alan Turner climbed into bed after the first full day of the Jets' rookie mini-camp, the wide receiver had a hard time getting to sleep. The day had been packed, and his head was swimming with plays he'd been reading about before he turned the lights out. Despite all the practice and studying, Turner, like each of the 34 tryouts on the weekend roster, is a long shot to make the team."

"As Shawn McMackin sat in the Jets' locker room Saturday between practices at the team's rookie minicamp, the offensive lineman surveyed his surroundings. "Playing for Hofstra and having the Jets in your backyard, it really is a dream come true," McMackin said. And that was him speaking merely as a tryout invitee. Yesterday, McMackin's lot improved considerably. He left the three-day camp with a contract in hand. "I'm absolutely speechless," he said yesterday afternoon. "I'm just absolutely elated. I'm speechless now. I don't know what to say.""

"Danny Woodhead understands why other people call him an underdog. After all, the Jets' rookie free agent running back is 5 feet 7½ and 195 pounds. It's just that he doesn't see himself quite that way. "I don't really think of it as being an underdog," Woodhead said during the Jets' three-day rookie minicamp that concluded Sunday. "Honestly, I just think of it as being any other football player. I don't want people to feel sorry for me." Nor will they, because despite his size, Woodhead isn't here as a mere curiosity."

"There are junkies, and there are obsessive film junkies. Jets rookie cornerback Dwight Lowery belongs to the latter group. Get this: In a pre-draft interview with Chargers coach Norv Turner, Lowery was quizzed on his Xs-and-Os knowledge as he watched tape of the San Diego offense. Remarkably, he recognized a play Turner ran 14 years earlier when he was the Cowboys' offensive coordinator - a play-action pass to the "Z" receiver, who executes a stutter-step move on an 18-yard comeback route. "

"Around a corner and through another doorway, the Jets’ draft choices and undrafted free agents were holed up in the back of the practice facility locker room. The small lockers are squeezed together and miscellaneous gear — gloves, knee braces, helmets — lined the tops. And, for Dustin Keller, there was a container of pretzels. “The sodium prevents cramping and stuff like that,” Keller, a tight end from Purdue drafted 30th over all by the Jets, said from the team’s rookie minicamp. “Also, I just love pretzels. You’ll see that on my locker every day.”"

"David Cutcliffe knows the primary rap on his most recent pupil. There was a palpable harrumph in his voice when he addressed it. "As a football coach, I'll tell you he has plenty of arm to play in that league. Plenty of arm," Cutcliffe said of Tennessee's Erik Ainge, the Jets' fifth-round draft choice, during an interview with Newsday on Thursday. Cutcliffe has some experience in evaluating and mentoring successful quarterbacks. A pair of his students won the last two Super Bowls: Peyton and Eli Manning."

"They play different positions and were drafted in different rounds, on different days. Yet, like all NFL draftees, quarterback Erik Ainge and tight end Dustin Keller have something in common. They've all had at least one aspect of their game criticized by the experts. Ainge, the Tennessee quarterback taken in the fifth round, and Keller, the Purdue tight end who was a first-round selection, will complete the Jets' three-day rookie minicamp today along with the rest of the team's selections and undrafted free agents."

"It's rare when you find anyone voluntarily leaving Miami to come to Staten Island, but that's exactly what Al Phillips did when he left his South Florida hometown and enrolled at Wagner College to play football. "Wagner was my only offer coming out of high school, so I took it and ran with it," Phillips said. Phillips, a 5-11, 195-pound free agent defensive back competing in the Jets' rookie minicamp this weekend, made the most of his experience on Staten Island, last season leading the Northeast Conference in interceptions with seven and passes defended with 18. "

"Danny Woodhead hasn't had the look of the most imposing player wearing a green or white practice jersey as the Jets rookies and free agents have been participating in this weekend's minicamp at Weeb Ewbank Hall at Hofstra. But he shouldn't be counted out despite his 5-foot-7 1/2, 195-pound frame. That's a direct warning from Woodhead's coach, regarding the dynamic running back from tiny Division II Chadron State College in Nebraska. Despite his small stature, Woodhead is hoping to become another NFL success story, like Jets great Wayne Chrebet. "

"After his 68-catch, 881-yard senior year at Purdue, undersized tight end Dustin Keller was projected as a third-round draft pick. In an effort to improve his pro stock, he made an unusual - and risky - decision: He blew off the postseason all-star games. The Senior Bowl extended an invitation, but he declined. The East-West Shrine game wanted him. Sorry, no thank you. It certainly raised eyebrows in the scouting community. Instead of showcasing his talent before pro scouts, Keller decided to focus on training for the scouting combine in late February. "

"No matter how many touchdowns he scores, no matter how many yards he picks up and no matter how fast he runs, Danny Woodhead cannot escape one statistic. Woodhead, the running back who signed with the Jets last week as an undrafted free agent, is 5 feet 7 inches. So his list of accomplishments makes for nearly implausible reading. Playing at Division II Chadron State College in western Nebraska, Woodhead set N.C.A.A. records for rushing yards in a career (7,962), rushing yards in a season (2,756) and games with at least 200 yards rushing (19). That Woodhead also led the state of Nebraska in scoring as a high school senior in basketball just seems like the punch line. “People knocked him because of his height,” Chadron Coach Bill O’Boyle said in a telephone interview."

"Gholston, who did become the sixth pick of last weekend's draft, made his Jets debut Friday in a rookie minicamp at Hofstra. Even on a field with 57players, most of whom will be NFL goners after this weekend, Gholston stood out. It's hard not to notice someone that big (6-3, 266) and that fast (4.6 in the 40). His new number also jumped out - 56. In these parts, that means one thing - Lawrence Taylor. Gholston, who wore 50 in college, considered it more of a coincidence than a statement. ""

"Gholston, picked No. 6 overall in the draft, and Keller, picked 30th overall after the Jets traded up to get him, heard their fair share of criticism by the inundation of pre-draft pundits... Beginning with yesterday's Jet rookie minicamp, which runs through tomorrow at Hofstra, it was a chance for those players to at least begin to dispel the doubts."

"The Jets will get a firsthand look at their new tight end, first-round pick Dustin Keller, with the start of a three-day rookie minicamp Friday at Hofstra. The incumbent, Chris Baker, remains entrenched in a contract dispute that has no end in sight. The organization has no interest in sweetening Baker's deal. An angry Baker, who has requested a trade and is boycotting the voluntary offseason program, came out publicly this week to say the Jets reneged on a promise to renegotiate his contact. "

"Today is like Christmas morning for Eric Mangini and his assistant coaches. The Jets begin their three-day minicamp for rookies and undrafted free agents, and that means they'll get a look at top draft pick Vernon Gholston for the first time in their uniform on their practice field. The linebacker will be wearing No. 56. They, too, will get to see TE Dustin Keller, the Jets' second pick in the first round, run routes and catch passes in his new No. 81 uniform. "

"One day last week, David Jacobs took out two measuring cups, put a pot on the stove at his home here and demonstrated how he used to turn raw powder into steroids. For more than a year, Jacobs operated a makeshift pharmaceutical lab out of his kitchen in his one-story suburban home... Jacobs, a former body builder, said he advised about 10 N.F.L. players on how to exploit loopholes in the league’s drug-testing program. One way, he said, was to have team doctors write them prescriptions for drugs that would mask steroid use."

"The New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins didn’t put up much of a fight last season in terms of battling the Patriots for the AFC East crown. With the 2008 NFL draft concluded, a few experts weighed in on the challengers and assessed how well they did, on paper at least, in terms of closing the gap in the division. But before getting to the opponents, the experts provided a quick word on how well the Pats did in the selection process."

"I realize teams can't redo every contract in the player's favor, although all NFL teams, the Jets included, certainly will look to cut a player's salary if he underperforms his contract. But Baker has 72 catches over the past two seasons, a figure that might be even higher if he didn't have to stay in and block sometimes on passing downs."

" But the Jets didn't fall on their face by drafting Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston with the sixth overall pick of the draft Saturday. They addressed their most significant area of need - their anemic pass rush, which last year scared quarterbacks the way those yapping tiny boutique dogs on the Upper East Side frighten passers by on the sidewalk. "

"He's a small running back from a small college, but Danny Woodhead comes to New York this weekend with a chance to be Wayne Chrebet, circa 1995 - an underdog impossible not to root for."

"The Jets yesterday waived tight end Joe Kowalewski and fullback Stacy Tutt to make room on the roster for some new rookie free agent signings."

"Dwight Lowery always left notes around the house, handwritten birthday cards and letters of affection hidden for his mother to find when she least expected. She tucked a few of them into the top drawer of her dresser, including one of particular importance Sunday."

"Because the NFL opted to begin its draft at 3 p.m. Saturday instead of noon, only two rounds were completed. The Post looks at the most impressive picks from Day 2. Both the Jets and Giants made the list and former Jets and Giants coach Bill Parcells, who did a great job in the first two rounds for the Dolphins, kept it going."

"Finally, in the fifth round with the 162nd overall pick, the Jets picked a quarterback - Tennessee's Erik Ainge, the nephew of Danny Ainge, the former NBA star and current Celtics director of basketball operations."

"The Jets didn't draft any of the big-name quarterbacks, but they picked one with a famous last name - Tennessee's Erik Ainge, the nephew of Celtics GM Danny Ainge, the former NBA star who also played for the Toronto Blue Jays."

"Consider the Jets. Their five most expensive acquisitions - counting top draft pick Vernon Gholston, whose rookie contract will include about $20 million in guarantees - play in the trenches. Two linebackers, two offensive linemen and a condo-sized nose tackle."

"But Gholston was not the Jets' first choice to get after Brady. They wanted Virginia DE Chris Long and tried on Saturday to trade up from their No.6 spot in the first round to St. Louis' No.2 spot to get him."

"When the Jets made their aggressive trade-up move into the first round Saturday to draft tight end Dustin Keller, it left many people around the league scratching their heads in bewilderment. Count Jets starting tight end Chris Baker as one of them. "

"Vernon Gholston, a defensive end from Ohio State, was the expected pick, the workout wonder, the one whose name fans sent echoing to the rafters. Dustin Keller, a tight end from Purdue, was the day’s surprise, the product of an unexpected trade late in the first round."

" Both of those intriguing, potential franchise-changing talents already were drafted - Ryan to the Falcons at No. 3 and McFadden to the Raiders at No. 4. That left the Jets with the chalk pick in Ohio State defensive end/outside linebacker Vernon Gholston. "

"Addressing their sorry pass rush, and perhaps swiping a player from the rival Patriots, the Jets picked Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston in yesterday's draft. It was anti-climactic, considering the build-up surrounding McFadden, but the offensively challenged Jets later made an aggressive move for a less celebrated playmaker."

"With two minutes left on the clock, Jets Nation inside Radio City began chanting "Ver-non Ghols-ton, Vern-on Ghol-ston, Vern-on Gholst-on." An anxious Gholston, the defensive end/outside linebacker out of Ohio State, appeared on the screen from the green room. The place was Jets Stadium now, as it always is on their personal Super Saturday."

"It took just a few painful minutes for the Jets to first lose Matt Ryan, their potential quarterback of the future, and then Darren McFadden, who would have provided the burst their singles-hitter offense desperately needed."

"A day later, Gholston became the first-round pick of the Jets, a team that finished with a losing record last season, a team whose coach will surely be on the hot seat. On a day when rookies along with parents and guardians celebrate Christmas in April, first-year players like Gholston, with no control on where they will land, begin to see what it takes to enjoy an enduring career in the N.F.L."

"Yesterday was a day to take a nap, just as the first-round draft pick of the Jets has been accused of doing from time to time. Whoa. This isn't what you think it is. This isn't a big diss of Vernon Gholston, a pass-rushing specialist who might be the next Mark Gastineau, minus the stupid dance and the mullet, for all we know."

"Long before the Jets selected him to pick up their struggling franchise, Vernon Gholston would use his growing arms to carry something much more fragile."

"After watching her son take care of his ailing father as a youngster years ago, Cheryl Gholston knows the newest Jet is ready for any and every obstacle that comes his way."

"When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Jets, who traded the 36th overall pick (a second-rounder) and the second of their two fourth-round picks (113th overall) to the Packers, were selecting Purdue tight end Dustin Keller at No. 30, there was a collective gasp from the crowd at Radio City Music Hall."

"There weren't going to be any problems for Darren McFadden either way. The Jets would have thrilled him. The Raiders would have thrilled him."

"Gholston last season had a sack against Michigan T Jake Long, the No. 1 overall pick in yesterday's draft. It was one of only two sacks Long gave up in his career."

" His name is Darren McFadden. Run DMC. It doesn't mean the Jets' draft is an automatic failure or the season would offer no hope if they don't get him. It means catching the Patriots in 2008 would, in all likelihood, be more pipe dream than reality. "

"Jake Long is off the board. The St. Louis Rams are on the clock. Tick tock. Tick tock. The Jets, barring a deal, pick sixth. Will they make a daring move and jump up to take Arkansas running back Darren McFadden or will they sit tight and hope Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston or Virginia defensive end/outside linebacker Chris Long is still available? "

"Mike Tannenbaum, despite facing one of the most important days of his career as an NFL general manager, went to bed last night with a clear and relaxed mind. The Jet GM, who has the final say in what the team will do with its No. 6 overall pick when today's NFL Draft unfolds, spoke to The Post late yesterday as he wrapped up final preparations and expressed excitement for what lies ahead. "

"For Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum, the Boy Wonders who will look more like one-year wonders if the team stinks again in 2008, it could be a seminal decision. Especially if Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan is on the board, which could happen."

"It’s Dorsey vs. Chris Long. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is pushing for Dorsey, who is supposed to be the next Warren Sapp (ex-Jet Dewayne Robertson formerly held that title)."

"The Jets yesterday finally unloaded defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson, trading him to the Broncos for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick and possibly a second pick."

"Darren McFadden. Vernon Gholston. Chris Long. Matt Ryan. In no particular order, those are the big four names at the top of tomorrow's NFL Draft who have been most associated with the Jets New York Jets , owners of the No. 6 overall pick. It's a virtual lock that one of those four will be available when the Jets' pick arrives. The question is, will the Jets be happy with what's in front of them or will they trade out of the pick, move down a few slots and pick up one of the second-tier first-rounders while acquiring another pick or two in the draft? "