NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

August 19, 2015

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets GM says Geno Smith unlikely to go on short-term IR (Dennis Waszak) ............................................................. 2

Jets claim Lynch off waivers from Dolphins, cut Schum (AP) .................................................................................... 3

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Source: Jets trying to finalize deal with backup QB Matt Flynn (Kimberley A. Martin) ............................................ 3

Muhammad Wilkerson still uncertain for Atlanta game (Kimberley A. Martin) ....................................................... 4

Blaming Jets QB Geno Smith for being punched is a disturbing notion (Bob Glauber) ............................................. 5

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Jets notes: Marshall stands by Geno comments (J.P. Pelzman) ................................................................................ 6

Jets GM Maccagnan: Geno might miss only four games (J.P. Pelzman) ................................................................... 7

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................... 8

Brandon Marshall moving past Geno Smith questions (Ohm Youngmisuk) ............................................................. 8

Desperate Jets had to sign someone at QB; it might as well be Matt Flynn (Rich Cimini) ........................................ 9

Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick: 'My normal is craziness' (Ohm Youngmisuk) ......................................................................... 9

New York Jets' 53-man roster projection (Rich Cimini) ........................................................................................... 10

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s one intangible that makes him good fit for Jets (George Wilis) ................................................. 11

Jets on verge of landing Fitzpatrick’s backup with Petty not ready (Steve Serby) .................................................. 13

Mike Maccagnan talks Geno Smith, Jets QB situation (Zach Braziller) ................................................................... 14

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 15

5 observations from Tuesday at Jets camp, where it's the same old craziness for Ryan Fitzpatrick (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Jets plan to sign quarterback Matt Flynn (Darryl Slater) ......................................................................................... 16

Jets claim tight end Arthur Lynch, waive punter Jacob Schum (Dom Consentino) ................................................. 17

5 Todd Bowles takeaways from Tuesday, on health of Jets' Mo Wilkerson, Geno Smith (Darryl Slater) ............... 18

Jets' Mike Maccagnan says trade for quarterback possible, Geno Smith on short-term IR unlikely (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 19

Todd Bowles, Mike Maccagnan: Jets' opinion of Geno Smith hasn't changed (Dom Consentino) ......................... 20

How will Jets' Geno Smith get nutrition with a broken jaw? (Dom Cosentino) ...................................................... 21

How has Ryan Fitzpatrick looked through 1 week as Jets' starting quarterback? (Darryl Slater) ........................... 21

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 22

Jets QB Geno Smith still looking for respect after weak support from Brandon Marshall (Manish Mehta) ........... 22

Jets finalizing deal with veteran QB Matt Flynn, according to source (Seth Walder) ............................................. 24

Daily Clips Cont.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 25

Maccagnan: Jets on Hunt for Another Quarterback (Stu Woo) .............................................................................. 25

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 26

For Kellen Davis, mentorship is part of his job (Kristian Dyer) ................................................................................ 26

Jets GM on Geno Smith: we're going to try and move forward (Kristian Dyer) ...................................................... 27

TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 28

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets GM says Geno Smith unlikely to go on short-term IR (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press August 18, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-gm-says-geno-smith-unlikely-go-short-term-ir

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Geno Smith might be able to avoid the short-term injured reserve list.

The New York Jets quarterback had his jaw broken by a punch from then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali last Tuesday, and had surgery two days later to have metal plates and screws inserted. Smith is expected to miss six to 10 weeks, leaving his availability uncertain for the regular season.

Short-term IR is one option for the Jets, but Smith wouldn't be able to play until he was on the list for at least eight weeks.

"Based on the timeline for his recovery, it's a possibility," Maccagnan said during practice Tuesday, "but I would say it would not be likely."

Maccagnan said Smith is likely to miss the first four games of the regular season, putting a potential return around Week 6 — after the Jets' bye week.

With Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter and rookies Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps behind him, the Jets are exploring veteran options.

"I don't want to necessarily put a timeframe on it, but it is something we're looking to do," Maccagnan said. "We have the ability to do that, potentially, for the rest of training camp."

They brought Matt Flynn in for a physical last week, but didn't work him out. He was released by New England last week after dealing with a hamstring issue.

It would appear to make sense for the Jets to bring in a veteran as insurance for Fitzpatrick, who was acquired in March from Houston. He is healthy after having his season end last December because of a broken leg. Still, the Jets would be in a precarious position if Fitzpatrick were to get hurt early in the season because of the lack of experience behind him at the quarterback spot.

Maccagnan acknowledged the Jets have "talked to other teams" about trades, but the GM also will track the waiver wire and free-agent market.

"There's nothing pressing on that front right now," Maccagnan said of a trade. "I think most teams are kind of evaluating their own quarterback situations. That would probably, I would imagine, become more of a possibility as we get later on in training camp."

Smith was at the team meeting Tuesday, and coach Todd Bowles said he briefly spoke with the injured quarterback.

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"I talked to him yesterday and I talked to him today," Bowles said. "He's fine."

Both Bowles and Maccagnan expect Smith to be able to participate in all meetings at the facility "very soon," although physical activity will still be up to the doctors.

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Jets claim Lynch off waivers from Dolphins, cut Schum (AP) Associated Press August 18, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-claim-lynch-waivers-dolphins-cut-schum

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets have claimed tight end Arthur Lynch off waivers from the Miami Dolphins and waived punter Jacob Schum.

Lynch was a fifth-round draft pick last year out of Georgia, but spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a back injury. The Jets made the move Tuesday to add depth to the tight ends spot with Jace Amaro (shoulder) and Steve Maneri (hamstring) banged up.

Starter Jeff Cumberland, veteran Kellen Davis and undrafted rookie Wes Saxton are the team's other tight ends.

Lynch had 56 career receptions for 907 yards and eight touchdowns with the Bulldogs.

Schum, who was also in training camp with the Jets last summer, was competing with incumbent Ryan Quigley for the punting job.

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NEWSDAY

Source: Jets trying to finalize deal with backup QB Matt Flynn (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday August 18, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/source-jets-trying-to-finalize-deal-with-backup-qb-matt-flynn-1.10752081

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - As of Tuesday afternoon, there was "nothing pressing'' on the veteran quarterback front, according to Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan. But by evening, the Jets were in the process of trying to finalize a deal with backup Matt Flynn, a source confirmed to Newsday.

According to ESPN, which first reported the news, it's a one-year deal.

Flynn, 30, has spent time with five teams, including the Packers and the Seahawks, in seven NFL seasons. The perennial backup and former seventh-round pick was released last week by the Patriots because of a nagging hamstring issue, and on Friday he took a physical for the Jets. He did not have a workout, however.

The Jets made no secret about their intentions to sign an experienced quarterback in light of last week's sucker-punch incident that landed incumbent starter Geno Smith in the hospital.

But when asked for a status update during Tuesday's practice, Maccagnan said: "I don't want to necessarily put a time frame on it. But it is something we're looking to do. We have the ability to do that, potentially, for the rest of training camp.''

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Flynn would serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was bumped up the depth chart last Tuesday after Smith's jaw was broken during a locker-room altercation with former teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali.

The expectation is that when Smith returns to action, Flynn will be cut.

Coach Todd Bowles and Maccagnan are hopeful Smith will be able to be at the facility on a full-time basis very soon and attend all meetings by the end of the week. But his roster status come Week 1 is still unclear.

Given Smith's 6- to 10-week recovery timeline, Maccagnan said he expects him to miss "probably the first four games."

So there's a chance Smith could start the regular season on the short-term injured reserve list, meaning he would have to miss the first eight weeks of the season before he can be activated to the 53-man roster.

But although that's "a possibility,'' Maccagnan said it's also unlikely.

According to Bowles, Smith was at the facility Tuesday and attended the team meeting.

Said Bowles: "I talked to him yesterday. I talked to him today. He's fine. He'll be back in meetings, he won't be doing anything, but he'll be back . . . Providing he's feeling better, he'll be at all the meetings.''

Smith made headlines during the weekend after he was photographed throwing a football with a friend in the parking lot of his apartment complex a day after being released from the hospital. Bowles said Smith was "able to open his mouth and everything'' during their conversations.

"According to Geno, he's always fine, but you have to take precaution with that," said Bowles, adding that Smith has "another week and a half, two weeks'' before he can resume physical activity. "Anybody that is trying to get back on the field is always fine, but you can't listen to that.''

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Muhammad Wilkerson still uncertain for Atlanta game (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday August 18, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/muhammad-wilkerson-still-uncertain-for-atlanta-game-1.10752060

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Muhammad Wilkerson has one more day to prove he can play against the Falcons.

The Jets' star defensive end did not practice again Tuesday because of a nagging hamstring injury. And if he doesn't suit up for Wednesday's practice, "he probably won't play" in Friday night's preseason home-opener against Atlanta, Jets coach Todd Bowles said.

Asked if he expects Wilkerson -- who still is seeking a long-term contract extension -- to practice, Bowles said: "Don't know, we will see how it goes."

The drama of the past week has been left exactly there -- in the past. When pressed for more comments Tuesday about the locker-room altercation that left Geno Smith with a broken jaw, Bowles said: "We're done talking about it. The incident happened. We made statements when we made statements. That's not going to define who we are or what we do going forward, so we've moved on."

General manager Mike Maccagnan echoed those sentiments, adding that that's likely the reason more Jets players haven't spoken on the record about the incident and their support of Smith.

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"It is something that happened inside the locker room, so we're going to try to move forward as a team," Maccagnan said. "So I think the reason, maybe, things have or haven't come out is, basically, we're trying to bond together and go forward."

Jet streamsThe Jets waived punter Jacob Schum and claimed former Dolphins draft pick TE Arthur Lynch off waivers . . . WR Chris Owusu is still going through the concussion protocol. "His head is clearing up, but he's still a ways away," Bowles said. Owusu had been one of the few standouts in camp . . . "About 65" percent of the Jets' offense has been installed so far, Bowles said.

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Blaming Jets QB Geno Smith for being punched is a disturbing notion (Bob Glauber) Newsday August 19, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/blaming-jets-qb-geno-smith-for-being-punched-is-a-disturbing-notion-1.10752000

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - A week after "The Punch" sent the Jets into a preseason tailspin the likes of which we've never seen in the NFL, there is a disturbing narrative that continues to persist and drag the conversation about Geno Smith into the gutter of human interaction.

It goes something like this: With Smith still recovering from surgery required to repair a fractured jaw he sustained after being belted by former Jets linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali, there are some who suggest that not only was Smith at fault for being on the other end of what appears to be a sucker punch, but that he actually deserved it.

Seriously.

It's the classic case of blaming the victim, something that often occurs when a confrontation escalates into violence. In this case, the two men were bickering over a $600 airline ticket that went unpaid because Smith couldn't attend Enemkpali's football camp earlier this summer because of the death of a close friend. After arguing about the situation, Enemkpali delivered a punch that knocked the quarterback to the ground and injured him so severely that he required corrective surgery last week.

While no definitive version of the events has been made public, there are two conflicting reports that now drive the dialogue about how the case should be viewed. Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, now an NFL analyst for ESPN, suggested that Smith had put a finger in Enemkpali's face, told him, "You're not going to do anything about it," and that the linebacker then slugged him. A similar report surfaced from Buffalo, where Enemkpali was claimed on waivers, which backed up Clark's account.

Not surprisingly, the reports painted Smith in a decidedly negative light, and there were more than a few suggestions on social media and sports talk shows that Smith was asking for it. That he deserved the punch delivered by Enemkpali.

Deserved it? Are you kidding me?

Look, Smith is not without blame over the incident, and his inability to defuse the situation rests at least partly on him. But to leap to the conclusion that he deserved to be punched out over the incident is disturbing, to put it mildly. Two grown men in the workplace having an argument, and one of them deserves to be punched so hard that he needs surgery to repair the damage? That's just plain ridiculous.

Yes, it's Geno's fault the argument couldn't have been handled better. But to blame anyone other than Enemkpali for actually delivering the punch is shortsighted and just plain wrong. He alone is responsible for those actions, period.

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The NFL is now investigating the matter, and there could be a resolution and potential discipline handed down within the next several days, although there is no definitive timetable. Perhaps Smith's silence on the matter, Enemkpali's public apology in which he doesn't directly address Smith and the reports about Smith putting a finger in the linebacker's face have driven the Geno-deserved-it narrative. Whatever the case, it's a misguided take on the matter, and it ought to stop.

Maybe if the NFL's investigation into the incident -- which will no doubt include testimony from Smith and Enemkpali, witnesses to the incident, and perhaps even video surveillance from the locker room -- offers enough evidence that Smith indeed sucker-punched and didn't physically provoke the violence, then there will be more clarity. And now that Brandon Marshall has broken his silence about the incident and said Smith "didn't do anything wrong" -- which essentially debunks the finger-in-the-face story -- then perhaps that will change the conversation.

My sense is that the Jets are comfortable that the version of events squares more with Marshall's assessment than with Clark and the unnamed Bills' staffer. And if that indeed turns out to be the case, Smith could then make his return to the field without the cloud of controversy that might otherwise have followed.

Rex Ryan thumbed his nose at his old team by claiming Enemkpali on waivers, but there is a very real chance that the second-year defender might not see the field any time soon if a suspension is handed down. At the very least, there is almost certain to be a fine. But with the NFL's increased focus on violence you can expect a strong sanction if the facts bear out Marshall's contention that Enemkpali's actions were unwarranted and perhaps unprovoked.

As the league's wheels of justice grind toward an inevitable conclusion, we should at least dispense with the twisted logic that Smith actually deserved the punch that put a temporary -- and perhaps even a more lasting hold on his career.

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THE RECORD

Jets notes: Marshall stands by Geno comments (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 19, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/marshall-stands-by-geno-comments-1.1394323

FLORHAM PARK — Wide receiver Brandon Marshall spoke to reporters Tuesday, one day after saying in national interviews that quarterback Geno Smith did nothing wrong in the argument that ended with him having his jaw broken by then-teammate IK Enemkpali last week. Some stories have quoted sources saying Smith provoked Enemkpali.

Marshall made it clear, however, that he didn’t want to speak at length about those comments, and also explained why he spoke about it Monday after avoiding similar questions when they were posed by media members after the Jets’ preseason game at Detroit on Thursday.

"It came up and it felt like it was an environment where the people who are watching could see my exact words," said Marshall. "Live television is always good so you don’t say something and it turns into a distraction for the team.

"Did he put his finger in his face? No, he didn’t," Marshall said on ESPN radio Monday. "Geno Smith, he didn’t do anything wrong that day. It’s just an unfortunate situation."

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"There is a perception out there of me, some of it is true, some of it isn’t," Marshall later said. "I want to win and I don’t want my words to be a distraction to this team, so moving forward, if it’s not in an environment where my teammates, the fans [and] ownership can see exactly what I said the way I said it, then I am going to be very careful" when speaking to the media.

Although Marshall declined to expand upon his comments regarding Smith’s situation, he didn’t back away from them, either.

Marshall said, "I said what I had to say ... what I say, my word is bond."

TE CLAIMED: The Jets claimed TE Arthur Lynch off waivers from Miami. They need help at the position because second-year pro Jace Amaro (shoulder) and veteran Steve Maneri of Saddle Brook are injured.

Maneri, who was signed in June, has missed over a week because of a hamstring injury suffered in the night practice at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 8.

Maneri was signed after Zach Sudfeld was lost to a season-ending knee injury during minicamp. Lynch was a fifth-round pick from Georgia in 2014 but spent the entire season on injured reserve because of a back problem.

Punter Jacob Schum was waived to make room for Lynch.

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Jets GM Maccagnan: Geno might miss only four games (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 19, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/gm-geno-might-sit-just-first-4-1.1394329

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets will return from overseas after their fourth game of the season. It’s possible Geno Smith could be back with them by then, based on what general manager Mike Maccagnan said Tuesday.

In his first session with reporters since Smith had his jaw fractured by then-teammate IK Enemkpali on Aug. 11, Maccagnan said Smith is likely to miss the first four games of the regular season.

That would mean he would not return until at least after the Jets face Miami in London on Oct. 4. They then will have a bye in Week 5 before hosting Washington on Oct. 18.

Macagnan was asked if the Jets might put Smith on injured reserve with a designation to return, also known as short-term IR. If they choose that option, he would not be able to play until he was on the list for at least eight weeks.

"Based on the timeline for his recovery, it’s a possibility," Maccagnan said during practice Tuesday, "but I would say it would not be likely."

However, Smith isn’t guaranteed to reclaim his starting spot if Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing well, coach Todd Bowles indicated last week. The Jets need a veteran to back up Fitzpatrick for the time being, considering rookies Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps are the only other signal-callers on the roster.

Toward that end, the Jets are continuing to talk with veteran Matt Flynn, who was released by New England earlier this summer because of a hamstring problem. A source confirmed a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Jets plan to sign Flynn, but no deal was in place as of Tuesday night.

Flynn has played for Green Bay, Seattle and Oakland. In 51 NFL games, many in mop-up duty, he has 17 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

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Earlier in the day, Maccagnan admitted the Jets have explored the possibility of trading for a veteran quarterback.

"There’s nothing pressing on that front right now," Maccagnan said. "I think most teams are kind of evaluating their own quarterback situations. That would probably, I would imagine, become more of a possibility as we get later on in training camp."

Meanwhile, Smith is trying to return to his normal routine at the Jets’ facility, other than being on the field. He was at the team meeting Tuesday, and Bowles said he spoke with Smith on Monday and Tuesday.

"He’s fine," Bowles said.

Bowles indicated he expects Smith to be attending all the meetings by the end of the week, provided his recovery continues to go well. But the coach said he expects Smith won’t be able to engage in any physical activities for another 10 days to two weeks.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Brandon Marshall moving past Geno Smith questions (Ohm Youngmisuk) ESPN New York August 18, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53169/brandon-marshall-moving-past-geno-smith-questions

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. –- Brandon Marshall said all he has to say on Geno Smith and is moving forward from the whole episode.

The Jets’ wide receiver told reporters at practice on Tuesday that he no longer wants to field questions about the locker room altercation that led to Smith’s broken jaw.

Marshall said Smith did nothing wrong on Monday on Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio. But the wide receiver has been mostly hesitant to talk about anything other than football with the media.

“I said what I had to say,” Marshall said. “But what I say, my word is bond. As far as from my perspective, if you guys are going to ask me any more questions about Geno, if it is not football, I think we are wasting our time here.

“Coached asked us all to move forward, and I don’t want to be a distraction to the team and I want you guys to respect that,” he continued. “And I want to respect coach’s wishes and just move forward and worry about my job and how I can make this team better and understand this role even better.”

On Mike & Mike, Marshall said that Smith did not instigate a fight with linebacker IK Enemkpali.

"Did he put his finger in his face? No, he didn't," Marshall said on ESPN radio. "Geno Smith, he didn't do anything wrong that day. It's just an unfortunate situation.

"It's a body blow for us, but we have to move forward. We'll probably have another couple of days ... probably a couple of weeks of the New York media (asking) the team questions, but we're built for this. We don't want any distractions."

Sticking to that thinking, Marshall said he didn’t want to discuss anything outside of football that could be turned into an issue for the team.

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The wide receiver said he only spoke about Smith in some interviews on national platforms because he was doing a campaign for his foundation and was asked about it.

“It came up and it felt like it was an environment where the people who are watching could see my exact words,” Marshall explained. “Live television is always good so you don’t say something and it turns into a distraction for the team, your words get kind of twisted so it was good.”

“There is a perception out there of me, some of it is true, some of it isn’t,” Marshall later added. “I want to win and I don’t want my words to be a distraction to this team so moving forward, if it is not in an environment where my teammates, the fans and ownership can see exactly what I said the way I said it, then I am going to be very careful.”

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Desperate Jets had to sign someone at QB; it might as well be Matt Flynn (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York August 18, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53165/desperate-jets-had-to-sign-someone-at-qb-it-might-as-well-be-matt-flynn

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Jets' expected signing of free-agent quarterback Matt Flynn, as reported by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter:

1. Who did you expect, Mike Glennon or Kirk Cousins? The Jets weren't going to get a quality No. 2 quarterback because they weren't looking for a quality No. 2 quarterback. This is a temp job because, as general manager Mike Maccagnan noted earlier Tuesday, the expectation is that Geno Smith (broken jaw) will miss four regular-season games. It made little sense to swing a semi-significant trade for a stop-gap player. Yeah, they could've waited for the first round of cuts (Sept. 1), but no team is cutting its No. 2 quarterback. The Jets would've been sifting through the rubble of No. 3 and No. 4 quarterbacks. At least now they can get Flynn on campus and begin teaching him their system. Presumably, the cranky hamstring is healed.

2. They had to get someone. Rookie Bryce Petty might be good someday, but that day isn't now. He's not ready to be the No. 2 quarterback.

3. The well-traveled Flynn, 30, who has made more than $18 million in his career despite only seven starts and 17 touchdown passes, will have to adjust to Chan Gailey's offense. He spent most of his career in West Coast systems, and Gailey's offense most certainly isn't a West Coast system. This is reminiscent of 1999, when Bill Parcells -- desperate for a backup -- traded for Rick Mirer in the middle of the preseason. Little did he know he'd have to play Mirer almost immediately, as Vinny Testaverde ruptured an Achilles' tendon in the opener. Mirer was a disaster, eventually losing the job to Ray Lucas, who should've had first dibs.

4. Let's face it, if something happens to Ryan Fitzpatrick before Smith is healthy, the Jets are doomed. No mid-August quarterback acquisition would change that.

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Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick: 'My normal is craziness' (Ohm Youngmisuk) ESPN New York August 18, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53163/jets-ryan-fitzpatrick-my-normal-is-craziness

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Ryan Fitzpatrick may have gone from backup to starting quarterback in jaw-dropping fashion.

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But the newest New York Jets starting QB says he’s equipped to handle what has been one wild week even by Jets’ standards.

“My normal is craziness,” said the well-traveled Fitzpatrick after practice on Tuesday. “Moving around and jumping from team to team and having to get used to different guys in a short period of time … yeah, the craziness is normal for me, I guess.”

In his 11-year career, Fitzpatrick has now played for six teams. However, the Jets are his fourth team in four seasons. After playing in Buffalo for four seasons, he moved to Tennessee and then Houston before landing in New York.

Fitzpatrick was traded to the Jets in the offseason and started camp seeing mostly second-team snaps behind Geno Smith. But the former seventh-round pick became the starter after Smith suffered a broken jaw in a locker room altercation that is expected to keep him out of at least four games.

Fitzpatrick said the dynamic in the quarterbacks room will be fine with the shift.

"It’s fine," Fitzpatrick said when asked about how last week's event impacted the dynamic of the position group. "We are both professionals."

The veteran quarterback from Harvard has had to get adjusted to more reps and developing chemistry with starting wideouts Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker and the offensive line.

But one thing that has made the unexpected transition easier has been his knowledge of Chan Gailey’s offense. Fitzpatrick and the new Jets offensive coordinator spent three seasons together in Buffalo when Gailey was the head coach from 2010-12.

“It’s his offense,” Marshall said. “[Fitzpatrick] knows this offense probably just as well as Chan. That’s exciting and it makes everyone feel comfortable.”

So even though the punch heard around the NFL last week sent shock waves throughout the Jets’ locker room, Fitzpatrick will continue to go about his business like he did in previous stops in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Tennessee and Houston.

“He’s a pro unlike a young guy,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s been in the league and he’s started a bunch of games and come off the bench a lot, so with him he is handling it all in stride.”

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New York Jets' 53-man roster projection (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York August 18, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53142/new-york-jets-53-man-roster-projection-2

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- With one preseason game in the books and three to go, it's a good time to take another stab at the New York Jets' 53-man roster. Our projection:

Quarterback (3): Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty. (Cut: Jake Heaps)

Analysis: Smith's injury muddies the situation. Assuming he's not ready for Week 1, they will have to make Petty the No. 2 to start the season or add a veteran, which would mean four quarterbacks on the roster unless Smith lands on short-term injured reserve. That's not good roster management.

Running back (4): Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Zac Stacy, Tommy Bohanon. (PUP: Stevan Ridley; Cut: Daryl Richardson, Julian Howsare)

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Analysis: Ridley's chances of being ready for Week 1 are growing slimmer by the day. Bohanon was an early question mark, but he's having a solid camp. It makes sense to carry a fullback when you're going to run as much as the Jets are planning.

Wide receiver (6): Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Devin Smith, Quincy Enunwa, Jeremy Kerley, T.J. Graham. (Cut: Shaquelle Evans, Walter Powell, Chris Owusu, DeVier Posey, Saalim Hakim, Austin Hill, Jonathon Rumph, Arthur Williams)

Analysis: This is the most competitive position on the team. It's tough to project after the top three. I'm keeping Kerley for now, but I think the Jets will try to trade him. Inexplicably, he has fallen on the depth chart. They'd have to find someone to replace him as the punt returner.

Tight end (3): Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis, Jace Amaro. (Cut: Steve Maneri, Wes Saxton)

Analysis: Amaro's shoulder injury complicates things. He should be ready for the regular season, but you never know.

Offensive line (9): D'Brickashaw Ferguson, James Carpenter, Nick Mangold, Willie Colon, Breno Giacomini, Ben Ijalana, Brian Winters, Jarvis Harrison, Dalton Freeman. (Cut: Oday Aboushi, Dakota Dozier, Brent Qvale, James Brewer, Wesley Johnson, Charles Brown)

Analysis: Dozier and Johnson are getting reps at center. If one of them gets comfortable by the end of camp, it will make Freeman expendable. Aboushi, a former starter, has been working with the third-team line, which is ominous.

Defensive line (6): Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison, Leonard Williams, Ronald Talley, Leger Douzable, T.J. Barnes (Suspended: Sheldon Richardson; Cut: Stephen Bowen, Kevin Vickerson, Deon Simon, Jordan Williams, Davon Walls).

Analysis: They'd better hope Wilkerson (hamstring) is healthy or else the formidable line will be down two starters, Richardson being the other. Some tough choices here for the Jets.

Linebacker (9): David Harris, Demario Davis, Quinton Coples, Calvin Pace, Lorenzo Mauldin, Jamari Lattimore, Jason Babin, Erin Henderson, Trevor Reilly. (Cut: Joe Mays, Taiwan Jones, Deion Barnes)

Analysis: Henderson's knee injury, though not serious, could open the door for Mays. Babin also isn't a lock, especially with Reilly coming on.

Secondary (10): Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist, Calvin Pryor, Jaiquawn Jarrett, Darrin Walls, Marcus Williams, Dex McDougle, Dee Milliner. (Cut: Curtis Brown, Dashaun Phillips, Keith Lewis, Keon Lyn, Rontez Miles, Durell Eskridge, Javier Arenas)

Analysis: The 53 includes seven corners and three safeties. They need another safety, perhaps Miles, to make a push.

Specialists (3): Nick Folk, Ryan Quigley, Tanner Purdum. (Cut: Jacob Schum)

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NEW YORK POST

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s one intangible that makes him good fit for Jets (George Wilis) New York Post August 19, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/08/19/ryan-fitzpatricks-one-intangible-that-makes-him-good-fit-for-jets/

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If you’re wondering if quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is a good fit for the Jets, consider how he sums up his 11 seasons in the NFL: “My normal is craziness,” he said Tuesday.

He should feel right at home in Florham Park, where the Jets have been the talk of the NFL for all the wrong reasons. It has been a week since Geno Smith, the projected starting quarterback, had his jaw broken after being punched by linebacker IK Enemkpali in a locker room dispute over $600.

Fitzpatrick, a journeyman who has played on six different teams, is now the Jets starter three weeks into a training camp where he was working into playing shape after suffering a broken leg last season playing with the Texans. Now he is the leader of the offense, and constantly having to field questions about Smith and his chemistry with his new teammates.

He hardly seems bothered by it all.

“My normal is craziness, moving around from team to team and having to get used to different guys in a short period of time,” Fitzpatrick said. “ The craziness is normal for me, I guess.”

Not since Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight championship has a punch had so many ramifications.

General manager Mike Maccagnan said the Jets continue to explore the possibly of signing a veteran quarterback to serve as Fitzpatrick’s backup, and, according to a source, they are on the verge of signing Matt Flynn. Rookies Ryan Quigley and Jake Heaps are nowhere near ready to see action during the regular season.

“I don’t want to put a time frame on that, but it is something we’re looking to do,” Maccagnan said of signing a veteran quarterback. “It’s something we’d like to have in the mix.”

Maccagnan insisted “there is nothing pressing,” but clearly the Jets are looking, which is the prudent thing to do given the lack of experience behind Fitzpatrick, though it underscores the uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into the season.

Later, receiver Brandon Marshall was trying to explain why he waited until Monday to come to Smith’s defense, telling ESPN radio Smith “didn’t do anything wrong that day.” Marshall said Tuesday he didn’t initially reveal what he saw because he was concerned about the “environment” of the day-to-day media at training camp, adding, “I don’t want my words to be a distraction to this team.”

While Marshall was explaining this latest distraction, Fitzpatrick was walking through a hallway inside the Jets practice facility. He stopped to tap on the glass and smile at the gathering. Crazy is normal in his world.

He had answered his own questions about his interaction with Smith, who has been in and out of the building since undergoing surgery to repair his fractured jaw.

“It’s fine. We’re both professionals,” Fitzpatrick said.

The focus for the Harvard grad with the shaggy beard is to prepare for Friday’s preseason game against the Falcons. The remaining exhibition games have grown in importance. Fitzpatrick has to develop chemistry with his receivers and the overall offense, while Quigley and Heaps need game action to determine how urgently a veteran backup QB is needed.

Fitzpatrick, who has passed for 19,273 yards and 123 touchdowns during his career, hopes to play more than a quarter against the Falcons, but doesn’t want to expose himself to harm.

“There’s a big-time balance between staying healthy and getting work,” he said. “I think health outweighs that. Being healthy for the season is a lot more important than going out there and lighting the world on

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fire in preseason. When we’re out there, we have to take advantage of each rep and try to be effective and put some drives together and come out of it clean.”

He has been working the room trying to get to know his teammates.

“I enjoy the conversations at the lunch table or in the hallway or in the locker room,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think that’s the easiest way to get the chemistry going off the field and then go from there.”

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Jets on verge of landing Fitzpatrick’s backup with Petty not ready (Steve Serby) New York Post August 18, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/08/19/jets-on-verge-of-signing-veteran-qb-matt-flynn/

The Jets are on the verge of landing the veteran quarterback general manager Mike Maccagnan was talking about Tuesday night, but far sooner than he predicted it would happen.

According to a source, the team was planning on signing Matt Flynn to a one-year deal, but the deal was not complete. Flynn had a physical with the Jets on Friday, and while he didn’t work out or sign with them, coach Todd Bowles previously said he remained an option.

“We haven’t ruled in or out anything yet,” Bowles said. “We’re still talking to him, and we’ll see how it goes.”

The Jets certainly could use a veteran like the 30-year-old Flynn, with Geno Smith “probably” missing the season’s first four games, according to Maccagnan, after his jaw was broken by former teammate IK Enemkpali. Fourth-round pick Bryce Petty doesn’t appear ready to serve as Ryan Fitzpatrick’s backup, and Flynn does have ample experience as a backup.

Flynn has played for six teams, and was recently cut by the Patriots after coach Bill Belichick said he didn’t pass his physical because of an injured hamstring. He has started just seven games in his career — six with the Packers, the team that drafted him in the second round in 2008, and has thrown 17 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions over eight seasons.

The Jets haven’t ruled Muhammad Wilkerson out of Friday’s game.

The defensive lineman, who suffered what he termed a minor setback at some point last week in his recovery from a tweaked left hamstring, is improving, Bowles said, and could return to the practice field Wednesday.

If that doesn’t happen, he won’t play Friday night against the Falcons in the team’s second preseason contest.

“He’s coming along,” Bowles said. “I don’t know [if he will practice]. We’ll see how it goes.”

The battle for right guard doesn’t look like much of a battle at the moment. Veteran Willie Colon has been getting most of the action with the first team, so far beating out third-year players Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi, along with second-year pro Brent Qvale.

“He’s been playing better than everybody else, so he gets the lions’ share of the reps,” Bowles said of the 32-year-old Colon. “He brings a lot of toughness so far. He looks good. His knee’s holding up. He’s been upbeat, one of the most talkative guys in camp. He makes every day festive, and he plays like that. He’s one of the older guys, but he has a younger spirit.”

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Bowles said the starters “will play a little bit more” on Friday, but didn’t specify how much more. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the first team offense got in just a single drive in the preseason over in Detroit, while the first team defense played just two series.

The Jets practiced in shells on Tuesday — shoulder pads and shorts — and it was skirmish-free after two fights broke out on Sunday.

The Jets claimed tight end Arthur Lynch off waivers to fill a spot on the roster with both Jace Amaro (shoulder) and Steve Maneri (hamstring) out. The team cut backup punter Jacob Schum.

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Mike Maccagnan talks Geno Smith, Jets QB situation (Zach Braziller) New York Post August 18,, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/08/18/mike-maccagnan-talks-geno-smith-jets-qb-situation/

At least publicly, the new Jets boss remains in Geno Smith’s corner.

A week after Smith had his jaw broken in a locker-room incident with since-cut linebacker IK Enemkpali, general manager Mike Maccagnan met the media for the first time and said he remains confident in Smith’s ability and maturity level to lead his team.

“It’s an unfortunate incident,” Maccagnan said of the fiasco in which Enemkpali slugged Smith in the locker room in part because Smith didn’t pay him $600 he owed for not showing up to his offseason football camp after Smith reportedly stuck his finger in his face. “You have adversity as a team, you have adversity as players, and we’ll see how Geno works through this.

“Geno, in our minds, he was having a very good offseason. He did some good things, he showed some good progress, he was having a good start to training camp.”

Maccagnan said there is the “possibility” Smith will be placed on short-term injured reserve/designated for return, though he also termed it as unlikely. It would make Smith inactive for the first eight weeks of the season and he would be unable to practice during the season’s first six weeks. The GM also said Smith “will probably” miss the first four games of the year.

Smith is expected to rejoin the team on a full-time basis in meetings later this week, and has been at the Florham Park complex intermittently over the past few days. He attended a team meeting on Tuesday. Coach Todd Bowles said Smith is a week and a half or two weeks away from throwing.

“No time soon,” Bowles said.

Bowles said he has spoken to Smith each of the past two days, and said he is doing fine, and not having trouble talking despite his broken jaw. In the meantime, the Jets’ quarterback situation changed somewhat Tuesday night.

Hours after Maccagnan said he hoped to acquire a veteran signal-caller prior to the season opener and revealed there were trade discussions with other teams, a source confirmed the team planned to sign veteran quarterback Matt Flynn to a one-year deal to be Ryan Fitzpatrick’s backup, but it wasn’t completed.

“Having a veteran quarterback in there as a No. 2 option or No. 3 option has some value in it,” Maccagnan said.

If Smith avoids IR and the Jets do bring Flynn aboard, it would bring their total to four quarterbacks during the season, which is rare in the NFL.

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Smith recently drew the ire of coach Todd Bowles for throwing a football around two days after undergoing surgery, but Maccagnan played down the issue earlier in the day on WFAN, describing it as “minor.”

A day after wide receiver Brandon Marshall defended Smith on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike,” saying the Jets quarterback “didn’t do anything wrong that day,” he declined to go into further detail on his feelings. But the big-play wideout stood by his words.

“I said what I had to say,” Marshall said. “What I say, my word is bond.”

Bowles and cornerback Darrelle Revis, meanwhile, previously said Smith deserved some of the blame for the high profile incident. Marshall didn’t say why he waited six days to come to Smith’s defense, either.

While Smith has had other off-the-field issues — such as missing a team meeting the day before a game in San Diego against the Chargers last year and getting caught on camera cursing out a Jets fan after a game — Maccagnan said other than this latest snafu, Smith has handled himself well since he took over as the Jets’ GM. He was impressed how the quarterback worked during the offseason and how he began camp before the incident.

“I wasn’t here for those,” Maccagnan said. “All I can judge Geno on is what he has done so far. I’m aware of the past.

“Geno has done a lot of good things this offseason into training camp. We’ll see how things go going forward.”

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

5 observations from Tuesday at Jets camp, where it's the same old craziness for Ryan Fitzpatrick (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/xx_observations_from_tuesday_at_jets_camp_as_its_t.html

FLORHAM PARK — Tuesday marked one week since Jets quarterback Geno Smith had his jaw broken by teammate IK Enemkpali's punch.

The Jets are trying to move on from the incident — which probably will sideline Smith for four games, according to general manager Mike Maccagnan — but they've certainly had to adjust on the fly over the past week.

No matter the situation, life in the NFL carries on. So there the Jets were on Tuesday, in shorts and shoulder pads, going through preparations for Friday's season preseason game, against the Falcons at MetLife Stadium.

They should have another quarterback on the roster by then, Matt Flynn. Here are six things you might want to know about Flynn.

And here are five things we noticed Tuesday, during and after practice:

1. Some game planning. It's nothing in-depth, but the Jets went through their usual game week routine of getting their starting offense and defense prepared for the opponent (the Falcons, in this case) by working the units against the backups. The second-stringers looked at cards before each snap in team periods, so they could replicate a play used by the Falcons. Here's quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's take on Tuesday's

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practice: "It's not necessarily the normal bulk that we would have for a game plan. It's a lot of vanilla-type plays and hoping that we can execute our vanilla plays."

2. Fitzpatrick doesn't mind the heat. It's mid-August in New Jersey, so of course the Jets are going to be dealing with some heat and humidity, even though their practices don't start until 2:20 p.m. It was 93 degrees on Tuesday, with 41 percent humidity, and cornerback Darrelle Revis was still out there in a long-sleeved shirt (under his jersey and shoulder pads) and sweat pants. Fitzpatrick, for one, doesn't mind the heat. He is originally from Arizona, which has that dry heat. But the past two seasons, he played for Tennessee and Houston. So he knows about vicious humidity. "Last year, going through training camp in Houston, this is a very nice, sunny day," he said. "Very pleasant. So, comparing it to last year, it is very nice out here and it hasn't really affected me all that much."

3. Injuries. In addition to defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (hamstring) and wide receiver Chris Owusu (concussion), offensive tackle James Brewer (back) and cornerback Curtis Brown (hamstring) didn't practice Tuesday. Wilkerson and Owusu are the most significant of those four injuries. Here's an update on those two guys.

4. Highlights/lowlights. There wasn't a whole lot of action, because of the way team periods were structured. Plus, reporters' attention was diverted midway through practice, when general manager Mike Maccagnan held court about Smith's situation. But before that, we noticed receiver Quincy Enunwa make a nice, contested catch, with Dexter McDougle in tight coverage, during a one-on-one drill. We noticed another receiver fighting for a roster spot, Shaq Evans, drop a pass from Bryce Petty in a team period. We noticed McDougle break up a Fitzpatrick pass intended for Brandon Marshall. And we noticed Marshall get revenge on McDougle by catching a touchdown from Fitzpatrick, during a red-zone team period, despite McDougle getting a hand in. A good, strong catch by Marshall. He's skilled at that. (Here's a look at our three stars from Tuesday.)

5. Fitzpatrick rolling with the drama. This has been a wild week at One Jets Drive. But Fitzpatrick doesn't look stressed. After handing off during one team period play Tuesday, he rolled left, into the open field, and playfully laid a "block" on cornerback Keon Lyn. It was actually a nice, aggressive play from Fitzpatrick, even though he didn't put himself in harm's way. He clearly relished the chance for a little friendly contact. Fitzpatrick is used to tumult in his NFL career. Maybe not having another quarterback get punched in the face, but he's had to adjust to different circumstances often. Fitzpatrick spent two seasons in St. Louis, then was traded to the Bengals, with whom he spent two years. He got four years in Buffalo, and then bounced to Tennessee in 2013, Houston in 2014, and the Jets this year. So this past week didn't bother him all that much, to hear him tell it. "My normal is craziness, moving around, jumping from team to team, having to get used to different guys in a short period of time," he said. "The craziness is normal for me, I guess."

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Jets plan to sign quarterback Matt Flynn (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/jets_will_sign_quarterback_matt_flynn_per_report.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets plan to sign veteran free agent quarterback Matt Flynn.

It'll be a one-year contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The contract has not yet been finalized.

On Friday, the Jets hosted Flynn for a physical, but not a workout. A day later, Jets coach Todd Bowles said the organization was still in talks with Flynn's camp.

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Flynn will be the Jets' No. 2 quarterback, behind new starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was elevated on the depth chart after a teammate punched Geno Smith and broke his jaw. Smith probably will miss four games, according to general manager Mike Maccagnan, though that timetable is not set in stone.

Flynn, 30, has played for six organizations — now seven — since he entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick in 2008. He never blossomed into starting quarterback material, despite hopes that he would. Most recently, this offseason, he was with the Patriots. They cut him last week.

After Smith's injury, the Jets had rookie Bryce Petty, a long-term project player, as their No. 2 quarterback. Maccagnan said Tuesday he was looking to add a veteran quarterback. There's no way the Jets wanted to enter the season with Petty as the backup. He's nowhere close to ready to succeed in the NFL.

"Having a veteran quarterback in there as a No. 2 option or No. 3 option has some value in it," Maccagnan said.

Earlier Tuesday, in an interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa, Maccagnan called looking for a veteran backup quarterback "a natural thing to do." Especially when the current No. 2 is a quarterback as green as Petty.

Maccagnan told Francesa the purpose of signing a veteran quarterback would be to "give us a little insurance." And that's exactly what Flynn is.

Now, if Fitzpatrick gets hurt, they don't have to play a rookie who isn't ready. Flynn isn't a great quarterback, but he has played in 53 career games, with seven starts. He's your typical career backup.

The impending signing of Flynn means the Jets likely will keep four quarterbacks on their 53-man active roster coming out of training camp: Fitzpatrick, Flynn, Petty, and Smith. (That, of course, means there is one fewer roster spot available for other positions.)

The Jets will have to stay at four quarterbacks until Smith is healthy enough to return. At that point, they probably will cut Flynn, who comes to the Jets simply as a rental/insurance player in case something happens to Fitzpatrick.

Why does Smith have to remain on the active roster, even though he can't play for about the first four games?

Well, the Jets can't put him on the physically unable to perform list, which would remove him from the active roster for their first six games. That's because he didn't start training cap on the PUP list. So he's not eligible for regular season PUP.

And the Jets likely aren't going to use their lone short-term injured reserve designation on him, according to Maccagnan. If they did, he couldn't be activated until after Week 8 (the Jets' seventh game). Smith is expected to be healthy before that, so short-term IR doesn't make sense for him.

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Jets claim tight end Arthur Lynch, waive punter Jacob Schum (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/jets_claim_tight_end_arthur_lynch_waive_punter_jac.html

FLORHAM PARK — The punter battle at Jets camp is over.

The Jets on Tuesday waived punter Jacob Schum, effectively making Ryan Quigley the man who will again do their punting when the regular season begins in a little more than three weeks. Quigley is in his third season with the Jets.

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To replace Quigley, the Jets claimed tight end Arthur Lynch, one day after Lynch was waived by the Dolphins. Lynch fills the void left by Jace Amaro, who is out with a shoulder injury that head coach Todd Bowles has said could take weeks to heal. Another tight end, Steve Maneri, has been shelved of late with a hamstring injury.

Lynch, a fifth-round pick in 2014 out of the University of Georgia, spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a back injury. According to his NFL.com draft bio, the 6-foot-5, 258-pound Lynch was considered "big, competitive, [and] inconsistent," coming out of college. "Too many drops," the bio also said. Also: Lynch "will have to dedicate himself as a blocker to have a chance to stick as a No. 3."

The Jets currently have Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Davis as their top two tight ends.

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5 Todd Bowles takeaways from Tuesday, on health of Jets' Mo Wilkerson, Geno Smith (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/5_todd_bowles_takeaways_from_tuesday_on_health_of.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets on Tuesday held their second-to-last full practice before their second preseason game, Friday night at home against the Falcons.

Here are five takeaways from what coach Todd Bowles said after practice:

1. Muhammad Wilkerson and Chris Owusu. The star defensive end and reserve wide receiver were sidelined again Tuesday, because of a hamstring injury and concussion, respectively. Bowles said that if Wilkerson doesn't practice Wednesday, he "probably" won't play against the Falcons. Bowles said he isn't sure if Wilkerson will practice Wednesday. As for Owusu, who has a history of concussions, he did some light jogging Tuesday, but remains in the NFL's post-concussion assessment protocol. "His head is clearing up, but he's still a ways away," Bowles said. Owusu is battling for a roster spot, so the concussion was an unfortunate development for him.

2. Bowles talked to Geno Smith. The quarterback, sidelined with a broken jaw (from that whole punching incident), spoke to Bowles on Monday and Tuesday. Smith was at the team meeting Tuesday. Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan expect Smith will be able to attend all meetings by later this week, provided he is feeling better. But Smith won't be able to do anything physical any time soon. It'll be about two weeks before that happens, Bowles said. The coach didn't speak to Smith for long, but they were able to chat, and Smith could open his mouth to carry on a conversation, Bowles said. Bowles added that he and Smith didn't speak about how Smith feels about losing his starting job.

3. Right guard competition. This is Willie Colon's job to lose, and has been for most of training camp. The 32-year-old veteran incumbent, entering Year 10, has gotten all the first-team reps lately. He almost certainly will hold off Brian Winters — Oday Aboushi was never a factor this summer — and start at right guard for the third straight season, at least to begin the year. Bowles hasn't made an official decision on the starting right guard. But, he said, Colon has "been playing better than everybody else so far, so he gets the lion's share of the reps." It seems like only a matter of time before Colon is officially named the starter.

4. Offensive installation with Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets' new starting quarterback knows coordinator Chan Gailey's offense because they were together for three years in Buffalo (2010-12). This summer, the Jets have now installed about 65 percent of that offense, Bowles said. "He's looked fine," Bowles said of Fitzpatrick's practice performances. "He's getting used to the timing [with the starting receivers] and everything else."

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5. A light practice. The Jets were in shoulder pads and shorts Tuesday. They didn't match their starting offense and defense in any 11-on-11 team periods. Instead, they held a game week-style practice. The starting offense faced the backup defense, and vice versa. When the backups were in, the coaches showed them a card, so they could run an alignment that the Falcons' offense/defense uses. It'll be mostly basic game planning for this week. But Bowles said he wanted to give his starters some idea of what they'll see against Atlanta, since they will play "a little bit more" than they did in the preseason opener Thursday at Detroit.

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Jets' Mike Maccagnan says trade for quarterback possible, Geno Smith on short-term IR unlikely (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/jets_mike_maccagnan_says_trade_for_quarterback_pos.html

FLORHAM PARK — Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan offered some details Tuesday about the organization's potential plans for acquiring another quarterback — as well as what Geno Smith's recovery window looks like.

Maccagnan said the Jets have spoken to other teams about trading for a quarterback, but doesn't expect a trade in the near future. He also said Smith is unlikely to go on short-term injured reserve.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is now the Jets' starting quarterback, since Smith is out for about four games, according to Maccagnan, with a broken jaw — an injury sustained when teammate IK Enemkpali punched him in the locker room last Tuesday.

The Jets' second-string quarterback right now is rookie Bryce Petty, who is a long-term project player. He looks nowhere near ready to succeed in an NFL game, if Fitzpatrick happened to go down.

So what's the next step?

The Jets have already brought in veteran free agent quarterback Matt Flynn for a physical, but haven't yet signed him, or anybody. If the Jets do sign a veteran free agent, he would back up Fitzpatrick, while Petty would slide to the No. 3 spot.

"I don't want to necessarily put a timeframe on [signing a veteran quarterback]," Maccagnan said, in his first comments to reporters since Smith was punched. "But it is something we're looking to do. We have the ability to do that, potentially, for the rest of training camp. ... Having a veteran quarterback in there as a No. 2 option or No. 3 option has some value in it."

Maccagnan said he would look into everything from a trade to a waiver claim to a standard free agent signing. Maccagnan clarified that a trade isn't imminent, though he said the Jets have "talked to other teams" about a trade.

"There's nothing pressing on that front right now," he said. "I think most teams are kind of evaluating their own quarterback situations. That would probably, I would imagine, become more of a possibility as we get later on in training camp."

In terms of whether Smith could land on short-term injured reserve, that would mean he couldn't be activated to play until after Week 8 (the Jets' seventh game).

"Based on the timeline for his recovery, it's a possibility, but I would say it would not be likely," Maccagnan said, adding that Smith would miss "probably the first four games."

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Not putting Smith on the short-term IR would mean the Jets would have to keep four quarterbacks on their 53-man active roster coming out of camp, presuming they sign another quarterback.

Once Smith returns to full health, that new quarterback — whoever it might be — likely will be cut, so the Jets can return to a more typical active roster of three quarterbacks.

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Todd Bowles, Mike Maccagnan: Jets' opinion of Geno Smith hasn't changed (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/todd_bowles_mike_maccagnan_jets_opinion_of_geno_sm.html

FLORHAM PARK — Last week's locker room incident in which Geno Smith had his jaw broken by a punch hasn't changed Jets head coach Todd Bowles' or general manager Mike Maccagnan's opinion of Smith, according to what both men said in separate radio interviews Tuesday.

Bowles and Maccagnan both spoke in back-to-back live interviews with Mike Francesa on WFAN radio.

"No, I still feel the same way about him," Bowles said of Smith, the Jets' quarterback. "We've just got to get him healthy and get him some reps, and we're going to pick up where we left off. Hopefully, he doesn't lose too much mentally, but you've got to be out there to throw, so we he gets back, we've got get him as many chances as we can."

Maccagnan, meanwhile, pointed to the fact that the Jets cut Smith's puncher, linebacker IK Enemkpali, as soon as the team sorted out what exactly went down.

"Our actions kind of indicate how we feel about things," Maccagnan said.

Last Tuesday, the day of the incident, several Jets players and even Bowles indicated Smith may have had a role in allowing the situation to escalate. But wideout Brandon Marshall has since said Smith "did nothing wrong," and wideout Eric Decker and right tackle Breno Giacomini have since gone on the record to voice their support for Smith.

News flash: A locker room populated by 90 different people has mixed opinions. And it's also in Bowles' and Maccagnan's best interests to present a united front in support of Smith. So take all this for what it's worth.

Asked directly by Francesa if he views Smith any less in light of the punching incident, Maccagnan said, "No, I think, quite frankly, it's like everything else. You have adversity as a team, you have adversity as players, and we'll see how Geno works through this.

"But, no. Geno, in our minds, he was having a very good offseason. He did some good things, he showed some good progress, he was having a good start to training camp. It's unfortunate this happened, but, at the end of the day, things happen."

So why doesn't the Smith/Enemkpali incident change Maccagnan's opinion about Smith? Maccagnan was asked that question later Tuesday, in a group interview with reporters.

"At the end of the day, it's an unfortunate incident," he said. "We reviewed it after it immediately happened. We made our decision how to act and go forward."

An artful dodge there by Maccagnan, who hadn't previously spoken about the Smith/Enemkpali punch. But this isn't the first incident involving Smith, who last season cursed at a fan and missed a team meeting.

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"I wasn't here for those," Maccagnan said. "So the only thing I can judge Geno on is what he's done so far. I'm aware of the past. But really, Geno has had a good offseason. There's been a lot of very positive things, both on and off the field, in terms of how he's approached everything."

When asked directly if he has concerns about Smith's maturity, Maccagnan gave a non-answer, and repeated his general comment about Smith doing positive things.

Both Maccagnan and Bowles also said the whole hullabaloo over Smith throwing a football before he was cleared for physical activity—Maccagnan revealed that Smith was tossing the ball around with his father—was much ado about nothing.

"It was really not that big of a deal," Maccagnan said. "It was kind of a minor thing, and we just want to move forward with it."

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How will Jets' Geno Smith get nutrition with a broken jaw? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/how_will_geno_smith_get_nutrition_with_a_broken_ja.html

It's now been one week since Geno Smith had his jaw broken with a punch from IK Enemkpali, and because there's been no change in the timetable for Smith's return to the Jets, he's looking at another five to nine weeks before he's good to go.

That's how long, one doctor told us, it will likely take for tSmith's jaw to heal now that the bones have been stabilized by the insertion of plates and screws. But Smith, the Jets' quarterback, presumably cannot move his jaw because the bones are being held in place so they have a chance to heal. Which would mean—again, we're making a safe assumption here, given the nature of the injury—Smith can't chew solid food.

"Hopefully," head coach Todd Bowles said, "he doesn't lose too much weight. You get stuff [plates and screws] in your jaw, I think it's going to be tough."

So how would Smith get the nutrition he needs to remain strong enough to withstand the rigors of being in world-class shape once he does return (and once he's been cleared for physical activity)? Bowles wasn't entirely certain, but he alluded to a solution that could be whipped up by the team's doctors and trainers.

"I don't know exactly what he's eating," Bowles said. "I'm assuming—and I'm not a doctor, so don't quote me on this—but you can drink protein shakes, or something from a straw."

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How has Ryan Fitzpatrick looked through 1 week as Jets' starting quarterback? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/how_has_ryan_fitzpatrick_looked_through_one_week_a.html

FLORHAM PARK — A week ago Tuesday morning, a Jets linebacker named IK Enemkpali — you might have heard of him by now — slammed his fist into the face of quarterback Geno Smith.

The punch broke Smith's jaw, knocking him out for two to five games (or more), and sending a reverberating questions throughout the Jets organization.

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How will Smith's teammates view him when he returns to the locker room, since he was not completely innocent for his role in the altercation? What does this incident, and Smith's absence, mean for his future with the Jets?

For the Jets' coaches, those are less-pressing questions than this one: Can they win, early in the season, with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback?

In the end, that's all that matters. Sure, it helps if a quarterback's teammates respect and like him. (And we've been over this whole thing time and again with Smith.) But whether players think the quarterback is a dope or a prince, they care a heck of a lot more about him playing well, and helping them win.

So can Fitzpatrick help the Jets win?

A week into his tenure as the Jets' starter, that remains very much unclear. Yes, he knows offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's scheme, from their three seasons together with the Bills. But can Fitzpatrick make all the throws he needs to?

Before Smith got hurt, he looked all right during camp. Fitzpatrick hadn't performed quite as well, but wasn't terrible. Neither player looked superb.

Since the punch, Fitzpatrick had Tuesday's practice, Wednesday's walk-through, one series in Thursday's preseason opener at Detroit, Saturday's practice, and Sunday's practice. So he's really had just two full practices as the starter, since on Tuesday, everyone was still processing what happened to Smith.

Fitzpatrick likely will play more Friday night against the Falcons, said coach Todd Bowles. This week, he get a couple more practices, Tuesday and Wednesday, to prepare for that second dress rehearsal.

So how did Fitzpatrick look this past weekend? We examined his Saturday practice here. Now let's go in-depth with his Sunday practice, as he prepares to return to the field Tuesday, following Monday's off day.

The stats: 12-for-19

Overall stats: 94-for-153, three interceptions

Analysis: Let's start with the negative, and it actually came on a touchdown pass, on practice's final play. Eric Decker was wide open near the goal line, but Fitzpatrick's pass was low. Decker had to reach down to grab it — another indictment of Fitzpatrick's lack of zip on passes. Decker managed to turn and barely get into the end zone before a defender arrived. But it shouldn't have been this hard. Fitzpatrick needs to be on the mark with that throw. Fitzpatrick had previously overthrown Decker, on a long ball. Fitzpatrick was also victimized by rare Brandon Marshall drop. But Fitzpatrick did try to force, on his very next pass, a dangerous throw to Marshall that Darrelle Revis broke up. Fitzpatrick recovered from that misstep and, at one point, completed eight straight passes in Sunday's practice, including sideline throws to Decker and Quincy Enunwa. Those sideline throws have been an issue for Fitzpatrick in this camp.

Grade: B-

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Jets QB Geno Smith still looking for respect after weak support from Brandon Marshall (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News August 18, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-brandon-marshall-drops-ball-geno-smith-support-article-1.2330178

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The punch heard ’round the league that landed on Geno Smith’s jaw last Tuesday revealed much more than a fracture of the mercurial quarterback’s face.

The altercation exposed wounds that will take much longer than 6 to 10 weeks to heal.

That truth has become abundantly clear in the past week: The erstwhile starting signal caller isn’t really respected at One Jets Drive. Public “support” within the organization has been tepid at best.

Nobody backed Smith in the immediate aftermath of an embarrassing incident that has needlessly stained a franchise that made many smart choices this offseason.

NFL starting quarterbacks demand respect. The position requires it. Smith’s erratic play on the field and questionable decisions off it the past two years have left him in purgatory.

The new regime gave the young quarterback a fair chance to prove his worth as a player and leader. So far, he’s hasn’t exactly instilled much faith in them.

The details of Smith’s incident with linebacker IK Enemkpali are sketchy. New versions of the story bubble to the surface every couple days.

None of it matters anymore.

The larger concern is how a quarterback hoping to gain trust in the locker room could put himself in such a potentially volatile situation. It’s not the first time Smith’s judgment has been questioned.

Teammates proceeded with caution this offseason. Maybe Smith had grown up. When the quarterback approached offseason work with a clear mind and proper attitude, the optimism swelled. His past transgressions were wiped clean. He would have a fair opportunity to prove his worth to a new general manager and head coach.

“I wasn’t here for those,” GM Mike Maccagnan said Tuesday of Smith’s past troubles. “The only thing I can judge Geno on is what he’s done so far. I’m aware of the past.

But really, Geno’s had a good offseason (and) done a lot of positive things both on and off the field. He was having a good training camp so far. Obviously this is an unfortunate incident.”

Unfortunate doesn’t begin to describe it.

Speculation swirled in the days after Smith was clocked by Enemkpali, but the best indicator of how the team actually felt about the “victim” came through the players’ own words. Darrelle Revis didn’t absolve Smith. Todd Bowles made it clear that it takes two to tango.

The silence was broken six days later by Brandon Marshall, whose support for the quarterback on Monday prompted more questions. Marshall had three distinct opportunities to publicly back Smith last week, but passed, giving company lines about “moving on.”

Marshall, who claimed for months that he chose the Jets largely because of Smith, offered no public support at a time when the quarterback needed it the most. The veteran wide receiver’s take that “Geno Smith did nothing wrong” during a national television spot Monday promoting his foundation rang hollow.

Why didn’t Marshall stick up for his friend immediately after the incident when a handful of players spoke about it? He could have easily been pro-active to let everyone know that Smith was an innocent victim in his eyes.

Why didn’t Marshall set the record straight after the preseason game in Detroit 48 hours later?

When versions that didn’t necessarily portray Smith in the most flattering light filtered out late last week, why didn’t Marshall speak up Saturday in front of cameras after practice?

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Why did he wait so long to go to bat for a wronged teammate? It’s fair to be skeptical given the timing. “I felt that it was an environment where the people who were watching can see my exact words,” Marshall said on Tuesday. “Live television is always good, so you don’t say something and it turns into a distraction for the team. Your words get kind of twisted.”

Marshall has always spoken to reporters with cameras present, including the team’s in-house video crew, since his arrival. Did he think that Jets employees would distort his message? His explanation frankly, didn’t make much sense.

Marshall cut off several questions about Smith on Tuesday.

“If you guys are going to ask me any more questions about Geno − if it’s not football − I think we’re wasting our time here,” Marshall said.

Marshall has always been in Smith’s corner. His words of support would have carried much more weight a week ago. Instead, he diluted the impact by waiting so long.

Smith didn’t deserve to get clocked no matter what he might have said in the heat of the moment, but Maccagnan danced around whether he’s worried about his young quarterback’s maturity.

Has Smith grown up? Is he a true leader?

The most frightening part is that those questions have to even be asked.

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Jets finalizing deal with veteran QB Matt Flynn, according to source (Seth Walder) New York Daily News August 18, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-qbs-geno-expected-4-games-article-1.2329847

A week after Geno Smith was punched in the face and suffered a broken jaw, the Jets have identified their new backup quarterback: Matt Flynn. The team was finalizing a one-year deal with the journeyman QB as of Tuesday evening, according to sources.

The news came just hours after GM Mike Maccagnan said the team planned to add another quarterback.

Flynn, who was dealing with a hamstring issue, was cut by the Patriots on Aug. 10 after never passing his physical. He’ll presumably back up Ryan Fitzpatrick, who took the starting job after Smith was sidelined due to a punch from then-teammate IK Enemkpali last Tuesday.

Earlier in the day Maccagnan said the team would add another QB, but did not indicate it would happen so quickly.

“I don’t want to necessarily put a timeframe on that but it is something we’re looking to do,” Maccagnan said. “Obviously Geno will be out for a period of time. Not to read between the lines with anything of our quarterbacks, I think it’s just something we’d like to have in the mix.”

But reading between the lines is pretty easy: fourth-round pick Bryce Petty is a project and not ready to be a backup, so the Jets needed a veteran to be their No. 2.

A seventh-round pick in 2008, Flynn spent the first four years of his career backing up Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He signed a three-year, $19 million deal with the Seahawks in 2012 but lost out on the starting job to then-rookie Russell Wilson. Since then he’s bounced around with stops in Oakland, Buffalo, Green Bay and New England before now, when he is bound for Florham Park.

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Despite having a nine-year career, Flynn has started just seven games in his career, posting a 3-4 record in that time. He has thrown 17 career touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

Smith was at the team’s facility on Tuesday for a team meeting but is nowhere close to being able to hit the field.

Maccagnan indicated he thought Smith would be out at least through the team’s first four games of the season. The timetable initially was a 6-to 10-week recovery that would have put Smith back, at the earliest, by Week 3 of the season. Smith is recovering from jaw surgery, which took place last Thursday.

Maccagnan said it was a “possibility” but unlikely that the team would place Smith on short-term IR, which would keep him out for eight weeks of the season. That means Gang Green will likely carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.

Todd Bowles said he thought Smith would be back in the building full-time to attend all of his meetings later this week provided that the quarterback is feeling up for it. The coach said he spoke to Smith on both Monday and Tuesday. And when asked how Smith said he was doing, Bowles said, “With Geno he’s always fine. But you’ve got to take precaution in that. Anybody that tries to get back on the field is always fine, but you can’t listen to that.”

Bowles added that he thought the quarterback would not be able to do light physical activity for another week-and-a-half to two weeks.

Smith had been the team’s starter and Fitzpatrick the backup prior to Enemkpali’s blow. So how did Fitzpatrick think the two were getting along in the wake of the role reversal?

“It’s fine,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’re both professionals.”

One lingering point surrounding last week’s incident is the fact that this is not the first time that Smith has found himself in the headlines for non-football reasons. In fact since being drafted just over two years ago, Smith has been in the spotlight for: cursing at a fan, being thrown off an airplane, having alleged nude photos of him surface on the internet and missing a meeting due to time zone confusion. And of, course, getting punched over a dispute about $600.

Maccagnan and Bowles said the events of last week did not change their opinion of Smith, but when Maccagnan was asked directly if he has any concerns about Smith’s maturity, the GM danced around the question.

“I would say simply Geno has done a lot of good things this (offseason),” he said.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Maccagnan: Jets on Hunt for Another Quarterback (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal August 18, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/maccagnan-jets-on-hunt-for-another-quarterback-1439949557?tesla=y

Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said Tuesday that he is working to sign a veteran backup quarterback before the regular season begins.

Maccagnan indicated that he expects Geno Smith, who is recovering from a broken jaw sustained in a locker-room fight with a (now former) teammate, to miss at least the regular season’s first four games.

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He said he hoped Smith would soon be able to participate in team meetings. “We’re gonna try to get Geno back in the building very soon,” he said.

In the meantime, the Jets have only one reliable quarterback in starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, a 10-year veteran acquired from Houston during the off-season. His backup is currently rookie Bryce Petty, a fourth-round pick out of Baylor who has struggled during training camp. In the preseason opener in Detroit, Petty completed 10 of 18 pass attempts for 50 yards.

Quarterbacks currently available in free agency include Rex Grossman, Tyler Thigpen and Matt Flynn.

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METRO NEW YORK

For Kellen Davis, mentorship is part of his job (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York August 18, 2015

http://www.metro.us/kristian-dyer/for-kellen-davis-mentorship-is-part-of-his-job/zsJohs---q1aFOp82Fkhjc/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – When Kellen Davis was a rookie with the Chicago Bears in 2008, teammate and fellow tight end Desmond Clark was set to enter his tenth year in the league. But even though the Bears had taken Davis in the fifth round of the NFL Draft to eventually be Clark's replacement, the veteran didn't mind.

In fact, he imparted wisdom and advice to Davis who eagerly soaked it up.

Clark had put together a respectable career at the point when Davis, a wide-eyed rookie, rolled into camp with the Bears (Clark would eventually retire in 2010).. He was a solid-professional with a good work ethic and an equally impressive reputation by that point in his career. So in Davis he saw someone to groom, to show the ropes and help.

For his part, the rookie was only to eager to learn from someone so established in the league. Now in the summer of 2015, it is a role that Davis now plays with the New York Jets, who have an offensive coordinator in Chan Gailey who likes to utilize the tight end.

The scenario is different here as Davis was brought into the Jets as a free agent with two other viable tight ends already on the roster. But even though he is the new face in the locker room, that hasn't slowed him down from mentoring second-year tight end Jace Amaro and Jeff Cumberland. Both are players still learning and growing in their careers, who could use the brotherly advice of Davis.

“Early on in my career, I had Des Clark with me. He helped me pretty much learn the game. If I ever get a chance to, I try to pass down what I know. I think you should pay it forward,” Davis said last week.

“This is not my first group of [young players]. Some of them get it, some of them don't. It's not for everybody. But Jace wants it, he wants to be a great player.”

But Davis isn't just here to be a mentor. Currently, he is the second tight end on the depth chart after what has been a very solid training camp., putting him ahead of Amaro. He was signed, in his words, because “Chan wants me to be a good blocker, which I've been throughout this career.”

But he is more than just a blocker, even though he has just three receptions since the start of the 2013 season.

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In 2012, he had 19 catches and the year before that he pulled in 18 passes. They aren't gaudy numbers but from a tight end group that has struggled to find consistency since the Dustin Keller era, it could well end up being a big help.

“Over my career when I was really at my best before I started putting on weight, I was really good in the pass game, just didn't get many opportunities,” Davis said. “Now I'm kind of dropping weight back down, I'm feeling good, running good. Hopefully it gets picked back up. I've been catching balls out here pretty well.”

Since the end of last season, Davis has dropped 15 pounds. He lost the weight so he could feel better and is down to eight percent body fat. He didn't do it for any other reason than just to feel better and be at his more natural weight.

As for his role as a mentor, he takes it seriously. Davis will stay and work with the young tight ends after practice as he spends time catching balls out of the machine or working on some technique. He tends to be a bit quiet in the locker room, content to sit quietly on the stool outside his space, checking his cell phone or quietly musing. It is the presence of someone who has proven himself in the NFL.

He remembers Clark, now retired, and the time he invested in him personally. He even remembers one of the 'Clark-isms' passed down from his mentor.

“Don't ever get tackled on the one-yard line,” Davis said with a grin.

A couple weeks later, he says, Clark got tackled and fumbled on the goal line.

“I'll never let him forget it,” Davis said.

He hopes the Jets tight ends don't forget him either but for other reasons.

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Jets GM on Geno Smith: we're going to try and move forward (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York August 18, 2015

http://www.metro.us/sports/jets-gm-on-geno-smith-we-re-going-to-try-and-move-forward/zsJohs---LO1Q92U9njKG2/

It appears that the New York Jets will in fact be without Geno Smith for likely the first month of the season, this on the day that marks one week since 'Jawmageddon.'

Smith, who suffered a broken jaw last Tuesday after a fight with now former teammate IK Enemkpali, had surgery late last week and is still on schedule to be out for the start of the regular season. Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said on Tuesday that he isn't able to judge Smith's past here with the Jets since this is his first year on the job with the team.

But it is a past that includes multiple benchings his rookie year, being thrown off a flight, cursing out fans and now failing to pay a teammate for money owed that led to last week's fight. Not to mention being photographed on Sunday throwing a football outside his apartment complex just a full day removed from jaw surgery. There are plenty of caution flags for the Jets general manager but Smith to his credit has had a good training camp and said all the right things.

Maccagnan won't judge Smith for his past, less than desirable history with the Jets.

“I wasn't here for those; the only thing I can judge Geno on is what he's done so far. You know, I'm aware of the past, I'm aware of the past. But really, Geno has had a good offseason, he's done very positive

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things, both on and off the field, in terms of how he's approached everything,” Maccagnan said on Tuesday during the training camp session.

“He was having a good training camp so far, obviously this was an unfortunate incident that arose. At the end of the day, we're going to try and move forward from it.”

The Jets general manager also made it clear that the team could be looking into bringing in a veteran over the next couple of weeks. With Ryan Fitzpatrick now the starter, the only depth behind him are two rookies: Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps.

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TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL American League

NEW YORK YANKEES — Assigned LHP Chris Capuano outright to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL).

OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Assigned LHP Brad Mills outright to Nashville (PCL).

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Optioned 3B Richie Shaffer to Durham (IL). Recalled LHP Enny Romero from Durham.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Selected the contract of OF Ezequiel Carrera from Buffalo (IL).

National League

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Sent 3B Phil Gosselin to Visalia (Cal) for a rehab assignment.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Agreed to terms with LHP Tyler Frankoff on a minor league contract.

NEW YORK METS — Sent OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Las Vegas (PCL) for a rehab assignment.

SAN DIEGO PADRES — Assigned RHP Dale Thayer outright to El Paso (PCL).

WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Sent 2B Dan Uggla and OF Denard Span to Hagerstown (SAL) for rehab assignments.

American Association

GRAND PRAIRIE AIRHOGS — Signed RHP Taylor Black.

JOPLIN BLASTERS — Released RHP Jeff Lyons and LHP Chris Cummins.

LAREDO LEMURS — Released C Brian Peterson and INF Jeudy Valdez.

Can-Am League

NEW JERSEY JACKALS — Released OF Charley Thurber.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association

HOUSTON ROCKETS — Named Matt Brase coach of Rio Grande Valley (NBADL).

FOOTBALL National Football League

ARIZONA CARDINALS — Waived/injured LB Zack Wagenmann. Signed S Anthony Walters.

BUFFALO BILLS — Placed LB Ty Powell and DE Jarius Wynn on injured reserve. Released DE Erik Williams. Signed LB Quentin Groves and RB Ricky Seale.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Waived WR Tyler Rutenbeck. Signed WR L.T. Smith.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Placed OT Phil Loadholt on injured reserve. Signed OT Stephen Goodin.

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Released QB Tajh Boyd. Signed WR Jarrod West.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Released LS Nate Boyer. Signed QB Jake Waters.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEEERS — Waived TE/FB Evan Rodriguez. Signed OT Gosder Cherilus.

HOCKEY National Hockey League

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Agreed to terms with D Nolan Valleau on a two-year contract.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Named Joe Lorincz strength and conditioning coach.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING — Named Brad Lauer assistant coach.

ECHL

IDAHO STEELHEADS — Agreed to terms with F Chance Braid and D Cole Martin.

SOCCER Major League Soccer

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS — Signed M Pedro Morales to a multi-year contract extension.

COLLEGE

BARTON — Announced the resignation of men's and women's tennis coach Tom Schrecengost.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON — Announced the resignation of softball coach Candi Letts.

NEBRASKA — Named Ian Bridge assistant soccer coach.

PRESBYTERIAN — Named Lindsay Bowen women's assistant basketball coach.

TENNESSEE — Named Chad Zurcher director of baseball operations.

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