This Friday brought with it quite a few Jets headlines, and the media was once again abuzz with newly infused drama. Probably the biggest news of the day was that the brain trust duo of Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum has received contract extensions which will keep them together until at least 2014 (barring any startling fall from grace). It really is amazing what one marquee trade and a surprise playoff run can do for you in the eyes of this league, or at least in the eyes of Woody Johnson.
The media, of course, jumped on this news to add fuel to the Revis Island fire, questioning if Revis would feel slighted by the money that was doled out in a direction other than his own. Although I typically stay away from off-field hubbub, I will say that I personally think this and other recent team signings will have little to no influence on Revis’ decision of whether or not to hold out. The factor with the most weight will be whether or not the Jets are making an attempt in earnest to renegotiate his contract, even if that means a one-year “band-aid deal” to essentially give him decent money (with some significant guarantees) for this upcoming season, and then try to come up with a long-term resolution once the NFL labor situation is figured out. This seems like the best way to go for the Jets, who have a little more than 24 hours to at least prevent a Revis hold out and subsequent media maelstrom. More importantly though, this type of deal would help appease Revis for the year, give him some well-deserved money, and still give the hesitant and reluctant Jets a chance to have a clearer picture of the labor situation before offering any blockbuster bonuses. Of course, it’s still much easier said than done. The good news is that after a Friday afternoon in which the Jets’ discussions with Revis’ agent were as plentiful as Bills Super Bowl rings, the Jets finally resumed negotiations a little less than four hours ago. (Though one has to wonder whether this is a legitimate attempt to come up with some resolutions, or just a stunt to curry Revis’ favor and prevent a hold out. Hopefully, this is an earnest attempt at a resolution, and Revis recognizes it as such.)
Laveranues Coles also signed with the team today (the terms remain undisclosed), with the Jets faithful hoping that the third time’s a charm… at least for the first four weeks of the season. Coles will probably only see serious playing time (as the third receiver) during Santonio Holmes’ suspension (and will likely be cut afterwards), and although I’ve got no issues with the Jets bringing back the player who is fourth all-time in receptions for this franchise, it does raise an interesting question: do the Jets lack confidence in the versatile Brad “X Factor” Smith as being able to temporary fill the third receiver role? Certainly, the young man has a lot on his plate, but I’ll have to disagree with Rich Cimini’s sentiment that it would be asking too much of him to play in 20-30 snaps per game. Smith definitely has a lot of playbook jargon whizzing around in his head right now, but the kid is an intelligent fast-learner who already knows the playbook well and, in my opinion, could be a great third receiver. Where does all this leave David Clowney? The Jets still seem to think that the 25-year-old NY native’s dazzling pre-season play won’t transition quickly enough to regular season play, at least not yet. Look for Clowney to have a few breakout plays this regular season if the Jets can work him into some four-receiver sets…or else. He’s a skilled player who could be quickly forgotten if he can’t fill any voids this regular season.
If anyone’s chomping at the bit to see where everything with the J-E-T-S label ends up, it’s HBO’s Ross Greenburg, director of “Hard Knocks,” who is anticipating millions of excited viewers. With all the media hype and intriguing subplots, who could argue with him? One less serious subplot comes by way of three men’s off-season efforts to stave off their large appetites; Rex Ryan, Damien Woody, and Kris Jenkins combined (a scary thought) weigh half a ton, and are looking to each slim down a bit. Woody recently discussed his efforts along with his anticipation of “Hard Knocks,” more specifically his anticipation of “all the clowns” that millions of viewers will have inside access to. I’ll take Woody, the dark-horse, to win the weight-loss competition. (The winner will have a donation made in his name to a charity of his choice.)
Speaking of all this speaking, it’s quite the feat for anyone on the Jets to not be speaking. David Harris has done just that, however, and kept quite mum while in the midst of his own contract renegotiations. Kudos to this true class act that might help counter-balance some of the loudmouths in the Jets’ chemistry experiment. Training camp will be a great time to see just how the experiment is shaping up, and with Rex Ryan as the head chemist, we’re in for quite a ride.
Stay tuned.
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