NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

September 2, 2015

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Table of Contents

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

Jets tight end Amaro out for season with shoulder injury (Dennis Waszak) ............................................................. 2

Jets’ Maccagnan goes behind scenes to sudden celebrity (Dennis Waszak) ............................................................ 3

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Jets coach Todd Bowles, QB coach Kevin Patullo have confidence in Ryan Fitzpatrick (Greg Logan)....................... 5

Jets’ Jace Amaro out for season with labrum tear (Greg Logan)............................................................................... 6

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 7

Jets: Season over early for tight end Jace Amaro (J.P. Pelzman) .............................................................................. 7

NEW YORK TIMES .................................................................................................................................................. 8

Jets Put Jace Amaro on Injured Reserve With Shoulder Injury(Ben Shpigel) ............................................................ 8

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Explaining why loss of Jace Amaro isn’t crippling for Jets (Rich Cimini) .................................................................... 9

Willie Colon wins Jets’ right-guard competition in a runaway (Rich Cimini) ........................................................... 10

Jets lose Jace Amaro for season with torn labrum in shoulder (Rich Cimini) .......................................................... 11

Jets place four players in ESPN top 100, led by Darrelle Revis (Rich Cimini) ........................................................... 12

Memo to Jets: Don’t even think about Robert Griffin III (Rich Cimini).................................................................... 12

Jets QBs coach talks Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith – but avoids you-know-what (Rich Cimini) ............................. 13

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 14

Jets’ Jace Amaro out for year, and Rex Ryan still digs at him (Brian Costello) ........................................................ 14

Geno Smith tries to show off as Jets QB competition takes shape (George Willis) ................................................ 15

Jets QB coach breaks silence, talks Geno Smith (Brian Costello) ............................................................................ 17

Four concussions not stopping this WR from trying to make Jets (Steve Serby) .................................................... 17

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 19

Kellen Winslow Jr. to Jets: ‘Call me’ (Dom Consentino) .......................................................................................... 19

5 takeaways from Jets quarterbacks coach: Assessing Ryan Fitzpatrick’s progress (Dom Costentino) .................. 19

Jets’ Todd Bowles raves about Willie Colon while naming him starter. But can he eliminate penalties? (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Rex Ryan feels bad Jets’ Jace Amaro landed on injured reserve, still takes another shot at him (Dom Cosentino) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 21

Why the Jets placed Jace Amaro on season-ending injured reserve, and what it means (Darryl Slater) ............... 22

Jets’ Lorenzo Mauldin (knee) gets sprinting work at practice. Will he be ready for Week 1? (Darryl Slater) ......... 23

Should Jets trade for RG3? The pros and cons (Dom Cosentino) ............................................................................ 24

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 26

Daily Clips Cont.

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Veteran Willie Colon gets starting nod at right guard for Jets (Daniel Popper) ...................................................... 26

Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can be more than just game manager (Manish Mehta) .................................................. 27

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 28

Mike Maccagnan’s Military Mania (Stu Woo) ......................................................................................................... 28

Jets’ Amaro Out for Season With Shoulder Tear (Stu Woo) .................................................................................... 30

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 31

Jets’ tight end Jace Amaro out for season (Kristian Dyer) ....................................................................................... 31

Zac Stacy hopes to hurdle way onto Jets’ roster (Kristian Dyer) ............................................................................. 31

MONDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 32

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets tight end Amaro out for season with shoulder injury (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press September 1, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-tight-end-amaro-out-season-shoulder-injury

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jace Amaro's shoulder injury is worse than initially expected.

The New York Jets placed the second-year tight end on season-ending injured reserve with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Amaro was hurt in the Jets' preseason opener at Detroit and the injury was at first thought by the team to be a sprain.

Coach Todd Bowles announced Tuesday that Amaro would need surgery to repair the shoulder. The Jets wanted to give Amaro a few weeks first to see if it would heal.

"He didn't get better, so the end result is we've got to do surgery and put him on IR," Bowles said. "He can't do anything. He's still in a lot of pain."

Defensive end Kevin Vickerson was also placed on injured reserve and cornerback Dashaun Phillips was waived/injured as the Jets pared their roster to the 75-player limit Tuesday. NFL teams must get down to 53 players by Saturday afternoon.

Amaro finished tied for second on the team with 38 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie last season. His injury is a big loss for the Jets, who were hoping for a breakout season from the second-round draft pick out of Texas Tech.

Starter Jeff Cumberland, veteran Kellen Davis, Wes Saxton and Arthur Lynch are the remaining tight ends on the roster.

"Somebody's got to step up," Bowles said. "We've got a couple of guys playing this weekend that we want to see more of, and we'll look at it from there. This is a chance for somebody else to play."

Amaro recently told The Associated Press in an interview that he was looking forward to putting last season behind him, when he was criticized at times for some drops and lapses in concentration.

"If it's a fact, it's a fact — and you've got to prove it otherwise," he said at the time. "I caught almost 110 passes in college in one season, so I know I can catch the ball. It's really the least of my worries, being able to catch the ball."

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He also drew the wrath of Rex Ryan, his former coach who's now in Buffalo. The two had a back-and-forth during the offseason after Ryan was angered by Amaro's opinion that the Jets lacked accountability last season.

"Yeah, and I feel bad for the kid," Ryan said when asked if he had reaction to Tuesday's news. "Jace is a good kid, he's just ... stupid comments. But you know what, he's a good kid, and I feel bad that he can't do it. He's a talented guy."

Ryan then paused for a few seconds before adding with a smile: "But I wasn't exactly afraid of him."

Amaro appeared to be improving as a blocker early in camp while learning new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's system — although he had been listed third on the team's depth chart at tight end, behind Cumberland and Davis.

Now, Amaro will have to wait until next season to get back on the field.

"I mean, he was bummed out about it," Bowles said. "But, if you're in pain and you're not getting any better, you've got to fix it sooner than later."

Vickerson was signed in the offseason after one season with Kansas City following stints with Miami, Tennessee, Seattle and Denver. He was sidelined for a few weeks at the start of training camp with a hamstring injury before being activated from the active-physically unable to perform list on Aug. 10. He did not play in the preseason.

Phillips was signed to the practice squad last October and signed a reserve/future contract in late-December.

NOTES: Bowles announced that Willie Colon won the right guard job, beating out the likes of Brent Qvale and Brian Winters. "He played like he wanted it more," Bowles said. "He was the hungriest." ... Bowles said QB Matt Flynn will play "a lot" in the preseason finale against Philadelphia, and Josh Johnson will be under center "some" as the two compete for a backup role. Both quarterbacks will be making their Jets debuts. Bowles hadn't yet determined whether rookie Bryce Petty would play after getting extensive time in the first three preseason games. ... DL Sheldon Richardson won't play against the Eagles despite facing at least a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. "We've seen enough of Sheldon to know what he can do," Bowles said. DE Muhammad Wilkerson also won't play. He was limited to just one preseason game because of a hamstring injury that sidelined him early in camp.

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Jets’ Maccagnan goes behind scenes to sudden celebrity (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press September 2, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-maccagnan-goes-behind-scenes-sudden-celebrity

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The shouts from the stands kind of caught Mike Maccagnan off-guard.

"Hey, what's up, Mike?" yelled one New York Jets fan, excited to see his team's general manager standing just a few feet away.

"You're the man, Mike Mac!" exclaimed another before several others in the crowd at training camp begged for an autograph from the Jets' newest Mr. Popularity — a reluctant celebrity after a career spent behind the scenes.

"I've never gone through that before," Maccagnan said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I probably never really signed an autograph before I took this job, but it's very nice and I feel very honored."

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The 48-year-old Maccagnan is charged with returning the franchise to respectability after owner Woody Johnson made sweeping changes following a fourth straight season without making the playoffs. Maccagnan's moves to hire Todd Bowles as coach, bring back cornerback Darrelle Revis, trade for wide receiver Brandon Marshall and draft defensive lineman Leonard Williams scored him huge points from fans and the media.

He's well aware, though, that he'll ultimately be judged on wins and losses.

"That's the joys of working with a professional sports team," Maccagnan said. "You just control what you can control."

Maccagnan has already dealt with a few crises in his short time as GM. Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy and faces charges of resisting arrest in Missouri. Quarterback Geno Smith had his jaw broken by a punch from a teammate in the locker room, rocking the franchise and sidelining him for the first several weeks of the season.

"There are things you can maybe prepare yourself for that could possibly happen, and then there are things where it doesn't matter how much you prepare, things are going to happen that are unexpected," Maccagnan said. "Every team has adversity and we're going to be no different than any other team. But if we have a good team, together we'll weather the storm."

When Maccagnan was being courted by the Jets in January, casual fans had no idea who he was. Heck, he didn't even have a Wikipedia page.

Saying his last name, well, that was another issue. The double-C's still trip up some.

"I tell people to take it three letters at a time: Mac-cag-nan," he said, laughing. "That's one of those silly little things that you think of when you're about to do a press conference in front of a bunch of people and you're like, 'I've never done this before.'"

Such as the day in January when he and Bowles were introduced by the Jets in a jam-packed auditorium. His wife Betty walked into the room with Maccagnan's sister, her kids, and his father, Vic, and she saw the hordes of media, team staff and former players sitting in the crowd.

"She told me afterward that she almost literally turned around and walked out, and it made me laugh," Maccagnan said. "But I joked to her that I kind of felt like doing the same thing."

Maccagnan, a New Jersey native, has always considered himself a bit reserved. Shy, he says, would be too strong a word. After all, he built his career on meeting people, evaluating players and building relationships.

That was the case from the time he was a scouting intern for Washington in 1990 to stops in the front offices of the World League of American Football, a couple of Canadian Football League teams, the Redskins again, and then the Texans for 15 years, including the last four as director of college scouting.

To the media and most fans, he toiled in anonymity, routinely taking long car rides to scout players, his lone companion an ever-growing library of general history and military history audio books.

"I stay awake easier that way," he said. "Well, that, and drinking a lot of coffee."

Maccagnan always seems to be armed with a cup o' joe, and it's rare he's not photographed with one in his hand. His wife would like him to cut down, and he swears he is.

His fourth cup of the day — a latte with an extra cup of vanilla — at around 1 p.m. was sitting in front of him while meeting with a reporter, and he figured he would have only one or two more.

"It's just something I do," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't want it to become kind of a gimmick."

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But everything is noticed these days, the result of stepping out of his comfort zone to take his dream job.

Simple things are topics of conversation now, such as his love for the HBO series "Game of Thrones," or his favorite television channels, which include History, Military History and Discovery Channel.

"Hey, I'm always like, 'If I'm going to do something, I want to learn something,'" he said, adding he gets that from his father, a former high school history teacher.

His favorite band is The Replacements, and he rocked out to the grunge of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains in the early '90s. Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike" is one of his favorite tunes.

When preparing for this step in his football career, Maccagnan decided the most important thing was to be himself — humble yet confident, even-keeled and transparent, with some well-placed humor to break up the monotony — in front of the people who work for and with him, and the media that cover his every move.

"You become more of a known entity, and that's the different thing when you become a GM or coach," Maccagnan said. "The good thing with this is I'm in a very small media market, so it should all be a very easy transition."

He let out a big laugh.

"Yeah, right," he said, rolling his eyes. "Just kidding."

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NEWSDAY

Jets coach Todd Bowles, QB coach Kevin Patullo have confidence in Ryan Fitzpatrick (Greg Logan) Newsday September 1, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/bryce-petty-new-york-jets-quarterback-learns-a-pizza-lesson-1.10788616

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Although he's several weeks away from being cleared to play after suffering a broken jaw in a locker-room incident, quarterback Geno Smith has rejoined his teammates on a limited basis at practice. But coach Todd Bowles and quarterback coach Kevin Patullo both expressed confidence in veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick's ability to lead the Jets all season.

"I'm comfortable with him starting, and he's showing great progress the last two weeks he's been playing," Bowles said when asked if Fitzpatrick could start all 16 regular-season games.

Patullo said Fitzpatrick's knowledge of the offense from playing under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey previously in Buffalo, helps everyone as does his ability to read opposing defenses. "The receivers can rely on him," Patullo said. "We're all on the same page. He's helped Bryce [rookie Petty] tremendously, and he's helped Geno. He knows what's going on."

Since rejoining the team, Patullo said Smith has begun throwing in drills, and is getting the mental reps he needs. The Jets might miss Smith's superior arm strength, but Patullo suggested execution is most important.

"Geno can throw the ball; we all know that," Patullo said. "To be honest, as long as we're on time and we're making the right reads and we get it out, it's really not a problem."

Richardson's last stand

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Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson participated in his final practice yesterday before beginning his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He's eligible to play Thursday night against the Eagles, but Bowles said there is no point. "He played a lot the last game," Bowles said. "He can't do anything but get hurt." Bowles said veteran DL Muhammad Wilkerson also will not play to avoid risk of injury.

Colon will start

Veteran Willie Colon has retained his starting job at RG. "He was the hungriest; he played tougher; he played more physical than the rest of them," Bowles said of Colon. "So, he's going to start."

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Jets’ Jace Amaro out for season with labrum tear (Greg Logan) Newsday September 1, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-jace-amaro-out-for-season-with-labrum-tear-1.10797382

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The Jets are in desperate need of all the offensive weapons they can muster, but they lost an important one Tuesday when second-year tight end Jace Amaro was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

Coach Todd Bowles announced Amaro has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and must undergo corrective surgery. Amaro, who totaled 38 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, was injured in the preseason opener at Detroit and had expressed optimism about returning soon, but his condition never improved.

"When he got hurt, it was either a two-and-a-half to three-week period to get better," Bowles said. "If it didn't get any better and it was still worse as it was, then, we had to go ahead and do surgery and shelve him.

"So, we gave him time to get better, and he didn't get better. So the end result is we had to do surgery and put him on IR . . . He's still in a lot of pain."

Amaro was not available for comment Tuesday, but he had not yet undergone surgery. Describing Amaro's reaction to the decision, Bowles said, "He was bummed out by it. But if you're in pain and you're not getting any better, you've got to fix it sooner than later."

When he was hurt, Amaro was running second string behind Jeff Cumberland. In the attack installed by offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, Amaro also figured to get time at H-back, which would feature his pass-catching abilities as opposed to his suspect blocking skills.

Now the backup role falls to veteran Kellen Davis, and second-year man Arthur Lynch, who was signed on Aug. 18, is competing for a roster spot with rookie Wes Saxton as the Jets prepare for their final exhibition against Philadelphia Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

"Somebody has to step up," Bowles said. "We have a couple of guys playing this weekend that we want to see more of. We'll look at it from there. It's just a chance for somebody else to play."

For the moment, Bowles ruled out the notion of using 6-2, 225-pound wide receiver Quincy Enunwa as a tight end. "He's a big wideout now," Bowles said. "He's just able to block better than the rest of them."

During the offseason, Amaro created a tempest when during an interview on Sirius XM NFL he said the Jets were undisciplined under previous coach Rex Ryan and that Bowles was more demanding.

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"He's not really playing around with everybody being late," Amaro said of Bowles. "We had an issue with that last year [under Ryan]. I think guys just weren't as accountable last year as much as they could be."

Ryan, who now is Buffalo's coach, blasted Amaro for those comments and said he was looking forward to his first game against the Jets on Nov. 12 at MetLife Stadium. The Bills coach was only slightly more conciliatory Tuesday upon hearing about Amaro's injury.

Speaking to the Bills' media, Ryan described Amaro as a "good kid" who made some "stupid comments" and said he felt badly that the tight end was placed on IR. But Ryan added, "I wasn't afraid of [playing against] him."

Under the current circumstances, no defense has reason to fear the Jets' tight ends.

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THE RECORD

Jets: Season over early for tight end Jace Amaro (J.P. Pelzman) The Record September 2, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/season-over-early-for-jets-te-amaro-1.1402128

Jace Amaro’s sophomore season in the NFL ended before it had a chance to start.

Amaro, a tight end who was second on the Jets in receptions last season, was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday. He suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in the preseason opener at Detroit and the injury has not healed.

Coach Todd Bowles said Amaro will need surgery to repair the shoulder.

The Jets at first characterized the injury as a "sprain." Bowles said Tuesday that the team wanted to see if the injury would improve before deciding whether to put Amaro on IR.

"He didn’t get better, so the end result is we’ve got to do surgery and put him on IR," Bowles said. "He can’t do anything. He’s still in a lot of pain."

Amaro, a 2014 second-round pick from Texas Tech, had 38 receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. He had several dropped passes, but also made a few spectacular catches and was being projected as a tight end and an H-back in new coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense.

"We’re going to ask him to be a good pass receiver for us," Gailey said Aug. 11, two days before Amaro was hurt, "and he’s got to be able to block in certain things that we ask him to block. [He] has to go make things happen."

Veteran Jeff Cumberland remains the starter, backed up by fellow veteran Kellen Davis, who signed as a free agent during the off-season and is more of a blocker. Davis committed three of the Jets’ 17 penalties in a victory over Atlanta on Aug. 21.

Untested Arthur Lynch and Wes Saxton are the other tight ends on the roster.

"Somebody’s got to step up," Bowles said. "We’ve got a couple of guys playing [Thursday against Philadelphia] that we want to see more of, and we’ll look at it from there. This is a chance for somebody else to play."

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The Jets likely will be scanning the waiver wire Saturday when all NFL teams must trim their roster to 53 players. One possibility could be third-year pro Joseph Fauria, who fell further down the Lions’ depth chart when Detroit acquired former Rutgers standout Tim Wright in a trade with Tampa Bay on Monday.

Wayne Valley graduate Chris Pantale, who was waived by the Jets in May, then claimed by Chicago, was waived by the Bears on Sunday with a non-football/illness designation. Pantale missed a large portion of Chicago’s training camp with an unspecified illness, so a reunion with the Jets doesn’t seem likely at this time.

Amaro will have to wait at least until next year to face Buffalo. Former Jets coach Rex Ryan, who now coaches the Bills, criticized Amaro after the tight end said during an interview earlier this year that the team lacked accountability under Ryan.

"I feel bad for the kid," Ryan said when told Amaro’s season was over. "Jace is a good kid. He’s just ... [He made] stupid comments. But you know what? He’s a good kid and I feel bad that he can’t do it. He’s a talented guy."

Ryan then paused and added, "But I wasn’t exactly afraid of him."

BRIEFS: Veteran DL Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) also was placed on IR. CB Dashaun Phillips (ribs) was waived with an injury designation. … As expected, Bowles officially named veteran Willie Colon as the starting RG. Colon, who has started for the Jets since the beginning of the 2013 season, began training camp on the PUP list because of a chronic knee problem, but quickly reestablished himself as the starter. … Bowles said veteran QB Matt Flynn will play "a lot" and fellow veteran Josh Johnson will play "some" against the Eagles as they battle for the No. 2 job. … DEs Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson will sit out Thursday so as not to risk injury.

This article contains material from The Associated Press

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NEW YORK TIMES

Jets Put Jace Amaro on Injured Reserve With Shoulder Injury(Ben Shpigel) New York Times September 1, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/sports/football/jets-put-jace-amaro-on-injured-reserve-with-shoulder-injury.html?ref=football&_r=0

Jace Amaro was placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his shoulder, costing the Jets a receiving threat at one of their weaker positions.

Amaro, the team’s second-round draft pick in 2014, sustained what the Jets initially called a sprain in the preseason opener Aug. 13 in Detroit. Coach Todd Bowles said Amaro was told that if his condition did not improve within three weeks or so, then he would need surgery, which he is expected to have soon. He will not play this season.

“We gave him time to get better,” Bowles said, “and he didn’t get better.”

Amaro had 38 receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, and the Jets intended to use him more as a pass-catching option than a traditional tight end.

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His injury leaves the Jets with two veterans at tight end, Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Davis, who is regarded more for his blocking. Bowles declined to say whether the Jets would keep more than two tight ends, but it is likely that they will look for reinforcements after teams make cuts this weekend.

Bowles also said that Willie Colon had earned the starting job at right guard, outplaying Brian Winters and the rookie Jarvis Harrison to dominate a competition that never truly materialized.

Colon played more physical than they did and missed fewer assignments.

“He played like he wanted it more,” Bowles said.

The Jets also placed defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) on injured reserve and waived cornerback Dashaun Phillips with an injured designation.

The moves put their roster at 75 before the league-mandated 4 p.m. deadline Tuesday. The Jets must whittle that group to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday.

TOP SPOKESMAN MOVING ON Paul Hicks, the N.F.L.’s top spokesman, will leave the league office just a week before the start of the season. Hicks will take a job at the Glover Park Group, an outside consultant to the league, and will continue to work with the league there.

Tod Leiweke, the league’s new chief operating officer, will begin a search for Hicks’s replacement.

Hicks joined the N.F.L. in 2010 and oversaw the league’s response to a lockout of players; lawsuits brought by retired players, who accused the N.F.L. of failing to warn them about the dangers of concussions; instances of domestic violence by current players; and other major issues. KEN BELSON

MEDIA DAY CHANGE Super Bowl Media Day, which was typically on the Tuesday before the game, will be held on Monday night starting this season. The media access to players and coaches will be folded into a more extravagant Super Bowl Opening Night, which will take place at SAP Center in San Jose. The game will be played in the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium. KEN BELSON

JAGUARS TIGHT END SIDELINED Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas is expected to miss the first three games of the regular season following hand surgery. The team said Tuesday that Thomas would have surgery Wednesday to repair ligament damage in his right hand. The decision came after Thomas obtained a second opinion.

Thomas broke a bone in the back of his hand in the preseason opener against Pittsburgh. He initially was supposed to be back for the regular-season opener Sept. 13 against Carolina. (AP)

TIGHT END HURTS ANKLE Tight end Travis Kelce will miss the Chiefs’ preseason finale Thursday night against St. Louis after spraining his ankle in practice this week. Coach Andy Reid said it was a slight sprain. (AP)

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ESPN NEW YORK

Explaining why loss of Jace Amaro isn’t crippling for Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 1, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53739/explaining-why-loss-of-jace-amaro-isnt-crippling-for-jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- So now what happens at tight end for the New York Jets?

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On paper, it's bleak. With Jace Amaro (shoulder surgery) lost for the season, their only experienced players are Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Davis, neither of whom is a receiving threat. Ordinarily, this would be cause for alarm, but the Jets might be able to skirt disaster because Chan Gailey's passing offense isn't tight end-based.

If Gailey leans toward the system he used as the Buffalo Bills' coach from 2010 to 2012, the Jets will be all about the wide receivers. In those three seasons (covering 2,989 offensive snaps), he employed a four-receiver package a league-high 586 times, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He used three receivers for 1,669 snaps, fifth in the league. He used two tight ends for only 341 snaps, 32nd in the NFL.

If the preseason is an indication, Gailey appears to be taking the same approach. Only five of the Jets' 51 completions have gone to tight ends, including only one to Cumberland.

The emergence of Quincy Enunwa as a potential contributor also could be a factor in the overall strategy. It might be a stretch to say he's a hybrid wide receiver/tight end, but he has the size (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) and blocking skills to handle some tight-end responsibilities. This is one of the reasons why they're smitten with him, dropping Jeremy Kerley on the receiver depth chart.

Todd Bowles called Enunwa a "tweener," saying he could create a matchup advantage.

"It gives the opposition a problem as to what they're going to play, base or sub," Bowles said. "If it's sub, he can go ahead and block some of the smaller guys. If it's base, hopefully he can outrun some of the bigger guys. He's kind of an interesting guy that can do both."

Truth be told, the Jets weren't sure how to use Amaro, who doesn't block a lick. Acknowledging his deficiency as a blocker, they started calling him an H-Back, saying they planned to move him around the formation. It sounded great, except he doesn't have the speed and acceleration of the new-age tight ends you see across the NFL. You get the feeling the new regime considers him a square peg in an offense filled with round holes.

No doubt, general manager Mike Maccagnan will be searching for a tight end over the next few days, but it probably won't be a high-profile addition. One player to watch is Joseph Fauria of the Detroit Lions. The Lions just acquired Tim Wright in a trade, dropping Fauria to fourth on the depth chart. As a rookie in 2013, he showed promise, scoring seven touchdowns on 18 receptions.

Bottom line: Because of the way they play offense, the Jets can survive the loss of Amaro.

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Willie Colon wins Jets’ right-guard competition in a runaway (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 1, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53733/willie-colon-wins-jets-right-guard-competition-in-a-runaway

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets' right-guard competition turned out to be as competitive as last summer's quarterback charade between Geno Smith and Michael Vick.

After sitting out the first few days of training camp with knee soreness, incumbent Willie Colon grabbed the starting job, placed it in a Kung Fu grip and refused to let go.

On Tuesday, Todd Bowles made it official, naming Colon the opening-day starter. It was the right move. It was the only move, as neither Brian Winters nor Brent Qvale did enough to overtake Colon, 32, who still brings the nasty after all these years.

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"He was more aggressive out of the ones that were competing for the position," Bowles said. "He wanted it more. He came out and played like it. And he proved it. He came back to camp in shape. He played like he wanted it more. He was the hungriest. He's shown that he didn't bust as many assignments as the rest of them. He played tougher and he played more physical than the rest of them."

Winters, a third-round pick in 2013, isn't a lock to make the team. He didn't receive a glowing endorsement from Bowles, who said Winters is the backup right guard "right now." Qvale has no regular-season experience, but he has some value because he can play guard and tackle.

Colon, who grew up in the Bronx, brings a Bronx mentality to the offensive line. He's tough, physical and loud. He still can be an effective player as long as he avoids penalties. In 2014, he committed a team-high 14 penalties, plus two declined. The other concern is his health; he's playing on creaky knees.

"When you're in a camp battle, if you don't maximize the opportunity, the next guy will," Colon said. "I never, not one time, felt comfortable. I just didn't. Qvale had a really, really good camp, honestly. Brian was coming along. When you've got those two young dogs nipping at your heels, you've got no time to say, 'Woe is me' or worry about your injuries. I just flat out wanted to be out there with Brick and Nick, Carp and BG" -- a reference to linemates D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, James Carpenter and Breno Giacomini. "I had to show up in a major way."

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Jets lose Jace Amaro for season with torn labrum in shoulder (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 1, 2015

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/13558693/new-york-jets-lose-te-jace-amaro-season-torn-labrum-shoulder

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets' tight end position took another hit Tuesday, as Jace Amaro -- a second-round draft pick in 2014 -- was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Amaro, hurt in the first preseason game, will have surgery to repair the tear. Initially, the Jets said he was week-to-week with a sprained shoulder.

"We gave him time to get better, and he didn't get better," Jets head coach Todd Bowles said. "He can't do anything. ... He's still in a lot of pain."

In June, the Jets lost backup tight end Zach Sudfeld to season-ending knee surgery.

Amaro's injury eliminates a compelling storyline for the two Jets-Buffalo Bills meetings.

During the offseason, Amaro angered former Jets coach Rex Ryan by saying in a radio interview that the team lacked accountability last season. Ryan fired back, saying Amaro is "going to be accountable for his comments" when the teams play.

Informed of Amaro's pending surgery, Ryan expressed compassion, but he couldn't resist taking another shot.

"I feel bad for the kid," Ryan told reporters in Buffalo. "Jace is a good kid. He just made stupid comments. He's a good kid and I feel bad that he can't do it. He's a talented guy, but I wasn't exactly afraid of him."

Amaro was a record-setting receiver at Texas Tech, making 106 catches for 1,352 yards in 2013. The Jets envisioned him as a prolific pass-catching tight end, but his rookie season was underwhelming. He led all rookie tight ends with 38 catches, but he also had six drops.

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Never known for his blocking skills, Amaro was moved by the new coaching staff to H-back, but he got off to a sluggish start and was listed as the No. 3 tight end on the first official depth chart of the preseason.

Amaro fell behind journeyman Kellen Davis, the primary backup to starter Jeff Cumberland. Now they have a serious depth problem. The only other tight ends on the 75-man roster are Arthur Lynch (no career catches) and undrafted rookie Wes Saxton.

Bowles said Lynch and Saxton will share the playing time Thursday night in the final preseason game. Amaro wasn't available to reporters.

"He was bummed out about it, but when you're in pain and you're not getting any better, you fix it sooner than later," Bowles said.

In other moves, the Jets trimmed their roster to 75 by placing defensive end Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) on injured reserve and waiving cornerback Dashaun Phillips (ribs) with an injury settlement.

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Jets place four players in ESPN top 100, led by Darrelle Revis (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 1, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53691/jets-place-four-players-in-espn-top-100-led-by-darrelle-revis

So the New York Jets should be a pretty good team in 2015 -- if the ESPN.com top 100 is an accurate barometer of the talent across the NFL.

The Jets placed four players in the top 100 -- cornerback Darrelle Revis (ninth), defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (50th), defensive end Sheldon Richardson (61st) and center Nick Mangold (88th). Only six teams landed more players than the Jets on the list -- the Seattle Seahawks (nine), Dallas Cowboys (six), Green Bay Packers (six), Baltimore Ravens (five), Denver Broncos (five) and Kansas City Chiefs (five).

But, as we all know, ratings don't win championships.

Players were rated on a scale of 1 to 100, determining the ranking. There were 71 voters, including ESPN analysts, Insiders, reporters and Stats & Info NFL experts, as well as partner sites including Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders. In other words, a lot of football-savvy folks contributed to the effort.

I think they got it right with Revis (93.24) -- he's an elite talent -- although it should be noted he finished one spot behind cornerback rival Richard Sherman of the Seahawks. That they finished side by side is poetic justice because they're always being compared.

Wilkerson (84.65) was the seventh defensive linemen on the list, which is fair, but I don't see how Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams placed one spot ahead of him. Richardson was the 10th defensive linemen. Clearly, he was hurt by his looming suspension. Mangold (83.04) landed as the fourth center. Can't quibble with that.

Omissions? Wide receiver Brandon Marshall deserved to be on the list. He's coming off a down year, due to injuries, but he's still a very good player. Nose tackle Damon Harrison also warranted consideration.

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Memo to Jets: Don’t even think about Robert Griffin III (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 1, 2015

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http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53721/memo-to-jets-dont-even-think-about-robert-griffin-iii

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It's far down on the list, but one of the downsides to not having an iron-clad quarterback situation is being linked to every high-profile quarterback that becomes available -- and even those with not-so-high profiles. You're familiar with the chatter: They should sign (insert name). Trade a draft pick for (insert name). The talking heads and the rabid fans think they have all the answers.

Which brings us to Robert Griffin III, who went from the Washington Redskins' starter to an afterthought in the time it takes to spell "District of Columbia." There's already buzz on the radio and on fan sites about how the New York Jets should make a move for Griffin III.

RG III to the Jets?

My response to that: RU Kidding? It would be their worst personnel decision since they traded for some guy named Tim Tebow in 2012.

First of all, there is no trade market for him because of his contract, which includes a $16 million salary in 2016 that is guaranteed for injury. No team in its right mind would take on that contract, considering his durability issues.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden, who benched the concussed Griffin on Monday in favor of Kirk Cousins, said the former face of the franchise isn't going anywhere. Don't bet on it. Considering the sharp turns in recent days, it wouldn't be a shock of RG III is released.

Even then it would be the wrong move for the Jets. Their quarterback situation is far from ideal, but they have two experienced options who already know the offense. They should ride QB Ryan Fitzpatrick for as far as his Harvard brain can take them, turning back to Geno Smith if it becomes necessary. And that's your 2015 season. When it's over, they should re-evaluate the situation, determining if young Bryce Petty can be part of the solution. Griffin could be a consideration at that point, but only then -- only if they're desperate and only if he re-works his contract.

Could you imagine the circus if the Jets signed RG III during the season? They've already experienced a punch to the jaw; this would be a kick in the stomach. This isn't a one-week fantasy league; this is the NFL. Griffin hasn't been a good quarterback since 2012, and he has enough baggage to fill the guest room at owner Woody Johnson's mansion.

On Monday, coach Todd Bowles was asked if he has any interest in Griffin. Obviously, the league's tampering rules prohibited a substantial comment.

"He's on the Redskins and we have our guys right now," Bowles said. "That's not my concern."

If RG III becomes available, the Jets should do what he hasn't done very well the past couple of years:

Pass.

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Jets QBs coach talks Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith – but avoids you-know-what (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 2, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53744/jets-qbs-coach-talks-ryan-fitzpatrick-geno-smith-but-avoids-you-know-what

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Kevin Patullo is the New York Jets' quarterbacks coach. He doesn't often speak to the media, but he did on Tuesday, discussing Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty. He offered

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some insights, although he stayed away from anything related to Smith and the locker-room altercation with IK Enemkpali. He referred those questions to Todd Bowles.

Some of the highlights from Patullo's session with reporters:

On the difference between Fitzpatrick now and the last time he was around him as a Buffalo Bills' assistant (2010-2012): "He's a lot more mature in that his knowledge has grown even more, if that's possible. ... We've changed gears a little bit here and there [with our system], and he went to Tennessee and Houston, and I can tell his knowledge has grown. He's a lot more mature in that aspect, seeing looks, which is great because you want the quarterback to see defensive looks the right way."

On whether Fitzpatrick, now eight months removed from surgery to repair a broken leg, is displaying more zip on his passes than he did in the spring: "It's hard to say. He's such a touch and timing guy. Every ball looks different, so it's hard to say. He's not going to hold it and drive it late. He's going to throw with anticipation and timing. It doesn't look any different to me."

On whether he misses Smith's arm strength: "Geno can throw the ball, we all know that. To be honest, as long as we're on time, we're making the right reads and we get it out, it's really not a problem."

On how Smith is handling the inactivity as he recovers from a broken jaw: "He's back in the meetings, talking with us. It was like he was there the whole time. ... He hasn't changed. This morning we talked about certain looks. He's involved. He's saying, 'I might do this, I might do that.' We feed off each other, and that's what is important. He's in there now with all of us. There's no difference."

On how Smith was faring before the injury: "He was doing well. He was really coming along. He came a long way from Day 1 until training camp. Just his overall ... from the time he called his first play in the huddle in the indoor in a walk-through to the time of his last play. I mean, he really came a long way in that aspect -- everything. His whole mechanics as far as coming to the line, knowing the ID and that stuff. He really came a long way."

His evaluation of Petty: "Bryce is doing a good job, coming along and learning. I mean, I'm pretty happy with him. He's had to learn a lot from Day 1 until now. He's definitely grown. Everything is new toward him, but he's doing a great job. In the classroom, he's great. He talks like a veteran guy. He understands what we're saying. He's grown up and matured as far as defensive looks. That's the biggest thing for rookies. ... The defensive recognition part is what he has to learn more. That's the hardest part about the quarterback position at this level, I think."

On whether he prefers a veteran in the backup role: "It doesn't really matter. As long as we know who it is, we just have to make sure we control what they know, don't know and how to handle everybody around them. As long as he's comfortable with the game plan, we're comfortable with him. It's really not that big of a deal."

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NEW YORK POST

Jets’ Jace Amaro out for year, and Rex Ryan still digs at him (Brian Costello) New York Post September 1, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/01/jets-jace-amaro-out-for-year-with-shoulder-tear-thanks-idzik/

The Jets’ 2014 draft class keeps looking worse.

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The team announced Tuesday that tight end Jace Amaro, a second-round pick in 2014, will miss the entire season. Amaro needs surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and the team placed him on Injured Reserve.

Amaro suffered the injury three weeks ago in the Jets’ preseason opener against the Lions. The team called it a “shoulder sprain,” but it was more severe than they let on.

“When he got hurt it was more of the shoulder, and it was either a 2 ½-3-week period to get better, or if it didn’t get any better, we knew we’d have to go ahead and do the surgery and shelve him,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “We gave him time to get better, and the end result is he didn’t get better, so we had to do surgery and put him on IR.”

Amaro was part of the “Idzik 12,” the 12-man draft class in 2014 selected by former general manager John Idzik. There are now only six players from that class who can make the 53-man roster this year.

Amaro had a disappointing rookie season, catching 38 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. He was in the headlines this offseason after getting into a verbal war with former coach Rex Ryan. Amaro, who was a star at Texas Tech, questioned the team’s accountability under Ryan, something Ryan, now with the Bills, did not respond to well.

Amaro’s injury takes away an interesting storyline to this year’s meetings between the Jets and Bills. Of course, Ryan could not resist taking another shot at Amaro on Tuesday.

“I feel bad for the kid. Jace is a good kid. He just made stupid comments,” Ryan told reporters in Buffalo. “He’s a good kid and I feel bad that he can’t do it. He’s a talented guy, but I wasn’t exactly afraid of him.”

The absence of Amaro leaves the Jets with a hole at tight end. Jeff Cumberland will be the starter and Kellen Davis looks as if he will be the team’s blocking tight end, but they could use another pass catcher. Wes Saxton and Arthur Lynch are on the roster, but it is more likely the team will add a tight end this weekend as teams cut their rosters to 53.

“Somebody has to step up,” Bowles said. “We have a couple of guys playing this weekend that we want to see more of, and we’ll look at it from there. It’s just a chance for somebody else to play, that’s all.”

Bowles said this week that wide receiver Quincy Enunwa was sort of a “tweener” between receiver and tight end because of his size and blocking ability, but he shot down the idea of Enunwa replacing Amaro.

“He’s a big wideout right now,” Bowles said. “He was just able to block better than the rest of them. His size and his physicality present that. Going forward you’d like to see how he plays in this game as a wide receiver.”

Amaro struggled to catch the ball as a rookie, getting labeled as having bad hands. He was hoping to shake that label this year, and the team had been using him as an H-back. Amaro was not made available to speak to reporters Tuesday. Last week, he had spoken optimistically about playing this week against the Eagles.

“He was bummed out about it, but if you’re in pain and it’s not getting any better you have to fix it sooner than later,” Bowles said.

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Geno Smith tries to show off as Jets QB competition takes shape (George Willis) New York Post September 1, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/01/who-is-geno-smiths-real-competition-jets-soon-to-find-out/

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Geno Smith threw the football as if it were the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Each pass he fired was a 100-mph heater, all into a net. Pass after pass was thrown as hard as he could.

The rest of the quarterbacks seemed to be saving their best stuff for team drills or perhaps favored accuracy over velocity. But Smith — broken jaw and all — seemed intent on showcasing his strong arm even if his spirals were being caught by nylon.

Perhaps he was making a statement, trying to remind teammates and onlookers he still has the strongest arm on the roster. Or maybe he was just making the most of his few reps, knowing he wasn’t wearing a helmet and is expected to miss the first four games of the regular season.

But the urgency with which he worked suggested he was among the quarterbacks whose career is on the line Thursday night when the Jets face the Eagles at MetLife Stadium in their final preseason game. It isn’t for Smith, but it figures to be the final game for at least one of the Jets’ two recently signed veteran quarterbacks who have three practices to get ready for Thursday’s game.

Rookie Bryce Petty and newly acquired vets Matt Flynn and Josh Johnson will get the bulk of the action as the Jets try to figure out a hierarchy behind starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Flynn and Johnson practiced with the Jets for the first time Monday.

“It’s tough for a quarterback to come in without much time, not much familiarity between receivers and tight ends and running backs,” Fitzpatrick said. “But those two guys are veterans. They’ve played football. They’ve been in a lot of different offenses. So hopefully, they’ll be able to pick it up well.”

Flynn, a seven-year veteran signed on Aug. 19, figures to be the front-runner for the backup job. But he hadn’t practiced until Monday because of a sore hamstring. As insurance in case Flynn isn’t ready, the Jets added Johnson, another seven-year vet, who was cut last weekend by the Bengals.

“I definitely expect to get snaps,” Flynn, 30, said of the preseason finale. “I don’t know how they’re going to break it up. [You] take advantage of what you get.”

It’s not an ideal situation. If Smith had not suffered a broken jaw and played in the previous three preseason games, Fitzpatrick and Petty would be sharing the bulk of snaps Thursday, which would have been valuable experience for Petty, the rookie fourth-round pick from Baylor. But his development will be compromised as the Jets rush to get Flynn and Johnson their reps.

“Whatever the situation is doesn’t matter,” said Flynn, who has now played for seven organizations. “I’m trying to play the best I can. I try to execute plays and let other people make decisions.”

Johnson, 29, is the long shot, but is looking forward to the chance to look good Thursday.

“All I can control is what I do,” said Johnson, playing on his fifth team. “An opportunity is all you can ask for as a player. It’s been a crazy week, getting released last Tuesday, working out Wednesday and getting signed. It’s an opportunity. That’s all I can look for.”

The Jets have endured their own craziness when it comes to their quarterback situation. Smith declined requests to be interviewed on Monday, waving off reporters while every other quarterback in the locker room talked about the ripple effect of his busted jaw.

Keeping four quarterbacks is hardly ideal for the Jets and hurts depth at other positions. But it’s a necessary evil to keep Smith for now and Petty for the future.

As long as Fitzpatrick is the starter, Smith and his strong arm will have to compete for the backup job when he is cleared to return. Whether that will be against Flynn or Johnson could depend on what happens Thursday.

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Jets QB coach breaks silence, talks Geno Smith (Brian Costello) New York Post September 2, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/02/jets-qb-coach-breaks-silence-talks-geno-smith/

Jets quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo spoke to reporters for the first and only time this summer Tuesday, but he had no interest in discussing Geno Smith and his broken jaw.

“That situation is what it is,” Patullo said. “Fitz is the guy right now.”

As in Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will start the season at quarterback for the Jets. Patullo said Fitzpatrick’s timing with the wide receivers has gotten better over the three weeks he has been with the starters. With less than two weeks to go before the season opener with the Browns, Patullo said it’s all about ironing out the details now.

“I just want to make sure he’s in sync with everybody. He’s got to have his timing down,” Patullo said. “We’re all on the same page.

“All the skill groups, the line, we’re all talking the same. We know in and out what we want to do from starting this weekend basically to game time. As long as he knows the game plan in and out we’ll be good to go.”

Patullo would not say whether he was disappointed Smith was injured, but did say the third-year quarterback showed improvement before the injury.

“He was doing well,” Patullo said. “He was really coming along. He came a long way from Day 1 to training camp.

“Just overall from the time he called his first play in the huddle in the indoor in a walk-through to his last play. He really came a long way, his whole mechanics, coming to the line, knowing who to ID, all of that stuff.”

Coach Todd Bowles officially declared Willie Colon the winner of the right-guard competition, an outcome that had been clear for weeks. Colon completely outplayed Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi and Brent Qvale.

“He wanted it more,” Bowles said. “He played like he wanted it more. He was the hungriest, and he didn’t bust as many assignments as the rest of them. He played tougher. He played more physical than the rest of them so he’s the starter.”

Bowles said DE Sheldon Richardson likely won’t play Thursday night against the Eagles. Richardson begins his four-game suspension this weekend, but Bowles said he has seen enough from Richardson and does not want to risk injury.

Bowles said he is considering playing some of the projected starters Thursday night, but had not made a final decision.

WR Jeremy Kerley (concussion) practiced wearing a red no-contact jersey.

The Jets put DT Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) on season-ending IR and waived/injured CB Dashaun Phillips. Those moves, along with putting TE Jace Amaro on the IR, brings the roster to 75. They must cut it to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday.

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Four concussions not stopping this WR from trying to make Jets (Steve Serby)

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New York Post September 2, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/01/21/the-grown-ups-are-back-in-charge-of-the-jets/

There is this dream to pursue, and the decision Chris Owusu makes now is he is in no danger to pursue it and will not live in fear of any of the consequences.

“No I’m not scared. … I have more so faith and hope than fear,” Owusu said. “The fear is not there. It’s more so just, ‘Hey, go out there and do your job, and go out there and compete.’ ”

Owusu is a wide receiver trying desperately to stick with the Jets, as he tries to put three concussions in 13 months at Stanford and another one two weeks ago at practice behind him. He is a terrific, bright kid with a degree in human biology, and we should all keep our fingers crossed for him.

“It’s a serious issue,” offensive lineman Willie Colon said. “I can’t engage where he’s at or what’s going on with him, but you look at the cases with Austin Collie, the receiver from Indy, who kind of had to leave the game. You look at this Junior Seau story, you look at Mike Webster, you look at those cases, and it’s scary. Guys want to kind of throw rocks at guys who maybe take their career in their hands, ‘But hey, I’m gonna stop here.’ Every guy has their own right to choose their career, and if they feel like they endanger themselves, they should have their right to step away.”

Which is exactly what former 49ers linebacker Chris Borland did in March following an impressive rookie season. The NFL’s late-to-the-party blitz on the brain-trauma issue will be chronicled much to its chagrin in the Will Smith movie “Concussion,” due out Christmas Day.

There still are too many who blindly turn their heads away from the grave evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the cause of dementia and depression and even suicide (Seau, Dave Duerson) found in the brains of too many retired NFL gladiators.

Owusu’s agent, Steve Caric, called The Post adamant that Owusu is not one of them.

“He’s consulted with the best doctors in the country. He’s not at any increased risk for a further concussion. … He’s fine,” Caric said. “He’s 100 percent ready to go. I don’t really understand why so much is being made out of a two-week-old concussion for this kid. Yes, he has a concussion history, and so do a lot of other players around the league. If it wasn’t safe for him to be out there, he wouldn’t be out there.”

I am certain coach Todd Bowles, general manager Mike Maccagnan and the Jets’ doctors would not put Owusu, or anyone else, at risk. Except there is always risk in this sport.

“Everybody has their choices,” Colon said. “His choice is to continue on and fight on, and I just wish him the best.”

After his most recent concussion, Owusu discussed his options with his parents, who live in Oxnard, Calif.

“It was my first one in three years, so that’s what I treated it like,” Owusu said, “because I’ve been taking care of my head ever since my concussion in college.”

He was carted off the field into an ambulance following his third concussion in college, which ended his senior year.

“I just wanted to give a thumbs-up to let people know I was all right,” Owusu said. “All my symptoms went away within a week. They all pretty much were the same for me. I, of course since then, have been doing my research and also just make sure that I just take care of my head better.”

Taking fish oils only can help so much against one violent blow to the head. The NFL’s recently revised target tackling areas are not foolproof.

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“If he can’t play, he will tell us,” his father, Francis, told The Post. “We will always support him. Just like any other injury. Their parents can advise, but these kids know their own bodies more than the parents. If he knows that he can’t play anymore, he will let us know.”

Al Toon and Wayne Chrebet each were forced to retire because of concussions. Owusu, a Buccaneer in 2012 and ’13 before landing with the Jets last season, has been fortunate his symptoms have not been severe.

“Headaches that last for a couple of days,” he said.

He opened eyes with his 4.36 speed with two kickoff returns for 76 yards against the Giants.

“I have a joy in my heart because I have my loved ones around me, I have my friends around me that support me. … That’s what I feed off of, not any fear or anything else,” Owusu said.

He should watch “Concussion” anyway.

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Kellen Winslow Jr. to Jets: ‘Call me’ (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/kellen_winslow_jr_to_jets_call_me.html#incart_river

FLORHAM PARK — Now that Jace Amaro is out for the season with a shoulder injury, the Jets could maybe use another passing-catching tight end, though they could just roll with hybrid wideout Quincy Enunwa as an extra slot receiver, too.

Besides, the recent round of roster cuts that wrapped up Tuesday didn't have much on offer in the way of experienced tight ends.

But, hey, lookie here: ex-Jet Kellen Winslow Jr., who can be slow with a good comeback on Twitter, was quick to let the Jets to know he's still available:

@nyjets call me. In Shape. Fresh legs. #ReceivingTE pic.twitter.com/2nj8W0z2YP

— Kellen Winslow Jr. (@KellenWinslowJr) September 1, 2015

Winslow has been out of the NFL since he last played for the Jets in 2013. Something tells me if the Jets want him, they know where to find him.

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5 takeaways from Jets quarterbacks coach: Assessing Ryan Fitzpatrick’s progress (Dom Costentino) NJ Advanced Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/5_takeaways_from_jets_quarterbacks_coach_assessing.html#incart_river

FLORHAM PARK — With one preseason game and one more round of roster cuts to go, the Jets are all but ready to begin their 2015 season.

On Tuesday, quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo, a Hillsborough native, addressed the media. A quick recap of what he had to say:

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1. On Ryan Fitzpatrick's acclimation as the starter. Patullo said Fitzpatrick has "improved steadily" since having to take over for Geno Smith (broken jaw) just two days before the Jets' first preseason game. "I just want to make sure he's in synch with everybody," Patullo said. Fitzpatrick doesn't have Smith's arm strength, but Patullo dismissed that as a concern. "To be honest, as long as we're on time and we're making the right reads, and we get [the ball] out, it's really not a problem," Patullo said. "He's just got to manage the game and do his thing."

2. On Geno Smith. Patullo avoided answering any questions about how much of a setback Smith's broken jaw was for Smith. Patullo did say, as he had earlier this summer, that Smith had made strides until he was injured. Smith has been back at meetings, and he's been doing some light throwing at practice. "Mentally, he's still in there with us," Patullo said.

3. On Matt Flynn. Patullo said he and the quarterbacks are trying to show Flynn what the Jets do be relating it to what Flynn may have worked with in a prior offense. "Everybody kind of does the same things; it just depends on what they call it, so I've got to try to find those words and try to work him through that," Patullo said.

4. On the transition from Smith to Fitzpatrick. Patullo said not much changed schematically. "The quarterback's just got to execute and manage whatever we ask him to do to make sure everybody else can execute," Patullo said. "So, really, there's no difference."

5. On Bryce Petty. Patullo is pleased with Petty's progression, but he said Petty still has to improve his pre-snap reads—exactly the kind of thing that comes from experience.

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Jets’ Todd Bowles raves about Willie Colon while naming him starter. But can he eliminate penalties? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/xx_jets_scratched_vs_giants_including.html#incart_river

FLORHAM PARK — To nobody's surprise, Jets coach Todd Bowles on Tuesday officially named Willie Colon his starting right guard.

Colon got the vast majority of the first-team right guard reps in training camp. In the Jets' first three preseason games, nobody else even got a single snap as the starting right guard.

So Colon, a 32-year-old entering his 10th NFL season, will be the Jets' Week 1 starting right guard for the third straight season. He's had the job ever since the Jets signed him in free agency before the 2013 season.

Colon beat out Brian Winters, Brent Qvale, and Oday Aboushi (in that order) for the starting job. Winters will be Colon's backup, for now, according to Bowles.

So why did Colon win the job?

"He was more aggressive out of the ones that were competing for the position," Bowles said. "He wanted it more. He came out and played like it. And he proved it. He came back to camp in shape. He played like he wanted it more. He was the hungriest. He's shown that he didn't bust as many assignments as the rest of them. He played tougher and he played more physical than the rest of them."

Colon has dealt with knee soreness, dating back to last season, that will require occasional off days, as maintenance for his body. Colon had rest days at practice on Monday and Tuesday. Colon missed a lot of

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spring practices, because of his knee, but still managed to beat out three younger players this summer — a credit to him.

Before the 2014 season, Colon had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. It has required regular upkeep and treatment since. Or, as Colon put it, in regard to this training camp: "Some days, I just felt like crap."

"Todd, he allowed me to go out there and compete, and show what I still have," said Colon, who has praised Bowles' tough training camp approach. "At my age and [with] my injury history, it's easy to get thrown to the back of the bus, and kind of washed away. But he allowed me to go out there and compete."

Now that Colon has the starting job once again, can he cut down on penalties and keep his spot? Penalty flags have been a major issue for him in recent seasons.

The past three seasons, including 2012 with the Steelers, Colon led all NFL guards in penalties, according to Pro Football Focus. He had 12 in 2012 (when he was limited to 11 games), 12 in 2013, and 14 last season.

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Rex Ryan feels bad Jets’ Jace Amaro landed on injured reserve, still takes another shot at him (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/rex_ryan_feels_bad_jets_jace_amaro_landed_on_ir_st.html#incart_river

FLORHAM PARK — Rex Ryan, the former Jets head coach now busy transforming the Bills into the Jets, was asked about Jace Amaro on Tuesday. He gave a Very Rex Ryan response.

The Jets placed Amaro, their second-year tight end, on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday because of a torn labrum in his shoulder. During the offseason, of course, Ryan and Amaro engaged in a bit of a war of words after Amaro said Ryan didn't hold the Jets accountable last year.

Well, OK, the war was mostly one-sided fight with Ryan firing back at Amaro several times, but still.

Even Tuesday, as Ryan showed magnanimity toward Amaro, he couldn't resist taking another dig:

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The Jets play the Bills in Week 10 and Week 17. The big Rex vs. Amaro showdown will just have to wait till 2016.

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Why the Jets placed Jace Amaro on season-ending injured reserve, and what it means (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/why_the_jets_placed_jace_amaro_on_season-ending_in.html#incart_river

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets on Tuesday placed tight end Jace Amaro, a second-year pro and potentially important part of their passing offense, on season-ending injured reserve with a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will require surgery.

Coach Todd Bowles previously said that Amaro, a former second-round draft pick who got hurt in the preseason opener Aug. 13 at Detroit, just had a shoulder sprain — and that he would miss only "a couple weeks."

That obviously didn't turn out to be the case. And now, Amaro's sophomore season with the Jets is over before it even started.

"When he got hurt, it was either a two-and-a-half, three-week period to get better," Bowles said, "or if it didn't get any better, and it was still as worse as it was, then we would have to go ahead and do surgery.

"So we gave him time to get better, and he didn't get better. So the end result is we've got to do surgery and put him on IR. He's still in a lot of pain. If you're in pain and you're not getting any better, you've got to fix it sooner than later."

Amaro hasn't had surgery yet, Bowles.

On Monday, Amaro didn't sound optimistic when asked if he'd be ready for the Sept. 13 season opener against the Browns.

"It's tough not being able to practice, and really not even running yet," he said. "It's just been a really kind of frustrating process, honestly."

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Amaro said he had received positive feedback from his new position coach, Jimmie Johnson.

"I felt like I had some pretty good days in camp," Amaro said. "I was catching the ball well, running good routes. I know my coach, coach Johnson, had said I was having a really good camp. And I got hurt."

The Jets' top tight end is Jeff Cumberland, and he was ahead of Amaro even before the shoulder injury. But Cumberland is not a major threat in the passing game. Amaro's injury provides a challenge for Cumberland to improve.

The Jets also have blocking tight end Kellen Davis, and two roster-fringe tight ends: Arthur Lynch and Wes Saxton. Lynch is a second-year pro with no career catches. Saxton is an undrafted rookie. (The Jets' No. 3 tight end, Zach Sudfeld, sustained a season-ending ACL tear in June.)

If the Jets want to keep three tight ends, and don't want Lynch or Saxton on the 53-man roster, they can always sign a current free agent, or claim someone off waivers who becomes available after this weekend's roster cuts.

The Jets also have a big-bodied wide receiver, Quincy Enunwa, who has been playing a lot in the slot, in a hybrid tight end/receiver role. Enunwa has the ability to be a solid blocking receiver. But Bowles said he doesn't entirely envision Enunwa filling Amaro's role, as a big pass catcher in the interior area of the field.

"Not at the moment," Bowles said. "He's a big wideout right now. He was just able to block better than the rest of [the slot receivers]. His size and his physicality presents that. You'd like to see how he plays in this game [the preseason finale Thursday against the Eagles] as a wide receiver."

The Jets' coaches envisioned using Amaro as an H-back this season. That slightly differs from the standard tight end role, and probably would've played to Amaro's strengths as a pass catcher. That's what he did so well at Texas Tech.

Last season, as a rookie, Amaro had 38 catches (on 53 targets) for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Amaro also dropped six passes, tied for fourth-most in the NFL among tight ends. The Jets' coaches had high hopes for him in 2015.

The Jets got down to 75 players on their roster Tuesday by placing Amaro on IR, and doing the same with defensive end Kevin Vickerson, who had been dealing with a hamstring injury. The Jets' third roster move Tuesday, which dropped them from 78 players to 75, was waiving cornerback Dashaun Phillips with an injury designation. Phillips had been battling a ribs injury.

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Jets’ Lorenzo Mauldin (knee) gets sprinting work at practice. Will he be ready for Week 1? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/jets_lorenzo_mauldin_gets_sprinting_work_at_practi.html#incart_river

FLORHAM PARK — Jets rookie outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, the team's third-round draft pick, did some rehab work at Tuesday's practice, as he tries to recover from a sprained knee in time for the Sept. 13 opener against the Browns.

It's still unclear if Mauldin will be ready for that game, but he continued to progress in his rehab Tuesday. As trainer John Mellody looked on, Mauldin lined up in a three-point stance, in the rehab area, and burst up out of his stance, before peeling off to the side. Mellody had Mauldin do this routine a few times.

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Mauldin wore a brace on his left knee Tuesday. In addition to that moderate sprinting out of his three-point stance, Mauldin also did some back pedaling, side-to-side shuffling, and light jogging in the rehab area.

Coach Todd Bowles has said he's not sure if Mauldin — Calvin Pace's backup at the strong-side linebacker spot — will be able to play against the Browns.

Tuesday was the Jets' final full practice before the start of Browns game week, next Monday — or, at least, the final full practice open to reporters.

Mauldin didn't practice Monday. He had his helmet in the rehab area Tuesday — a sign that maybe he would get some work in practice. But he also had his helmet over there on Monday, and didn't practice, according to Bowles.

Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (concussion) also continues to progress. He has said he'll definitely play against the Browns. For the first time since he got hurt, Kerley on Tuesday was dressed for practice, with his helmet, though he had a red (non-contact) jersey tucked into his shorts as he worked in the rehab area.

These guys also began Tuesday's practice in the rehab area: tight end Jace Amaro (shoulder), left guard James Carpenter (minor back soreness), Pace (groin), defensive end Leonard Williams (knee), cornerback Dee Milliner (wrist), left tackle Ben Ijalana (knee), inside linebacker Erin Henderson (knee), running back Stevan Ridley (knee), and wide receiver Devin Smith (ribs).

Quarterback Geno Smith (broken jaw) did the same thing he's been doing, at least early in practice. He participated in a basic throwing drill with the quarterbacks, while wearing no helmet. He's still not ready for full practice participation.

Of all those guys, Carpenter, Pace, and Williams are all expected to be ready for Week 1. The players who won't (or likely won't) participate in the opener: Milliner, Ridley, Geno Smith, and Devin Smith, who had a red jersey Tuesday but still isn't doing much. The status of Amaro, Ijalana, and Henderson is up in the air.

Almost none of the Jets' starters — guys like Pace and Williams — would be participating in Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles anyway, even if they were healthy.

Defensive end Ronald Talley (groin) also got some rehab area work Tuesday, but he had his helmet. Other rehab area guys with their helmets were Ijalana and Henderson, in addition to Mauldin and Kerley.

During the 30-minute portion of practice that was open to reporters, defensive end Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) and wide receiver Eric Decker (personal issue) were not present. Decker's wife is about to give birth, and he also wasn't at practice Monday.

Bowles on Monday gave rest days to a couple veterans: wide receiver Brandon Marshall and right guard Willie Colon. They were in the rehab area at the beginning of Tuesday's practice, even though they're not hurt, so it looked like Tuesday would be another rest day for them.

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Should Jets trade for RG3? The pros and cons (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media September 1, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/should_jets_trade_for_rg3_the_pros_and_cons.html#incart_river

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FLORHAM PARK — Now that Washington has officially cut bait on quarterback Robert Griffin III for this season—head coach Jay Gruden declared Monday that Kirk Cousins "will be the starter for 2015 moving forward"—what about the possibility of Griffin joining the Jets?

The Griffin saga is far from over in Washington, since that franchise must now weigh whether to keep him on the roster (at a salary of $3.3 million, per overthecap.com, plus an injury guarantee of $16.1 million for next year) or to release him outright (and eat $6.7 million in dead money against the salary cap).

Multiple reports say Washington wants to trade Griffin, but that there are no potential suitors, the Jets included. The Jets have Ryan Fitzpatrick ready to start the season, Geno Smith recovering from a broken jaw, Bryce Petty in the pipeline for the future, and Matt Flynn and Josh Johnson duking it out for the role of Fitzpatrick's backup until Smith can get healthy. Quite a crowd, no?

So: Would a deal for RG3 even make sense for the Jets? Let's examine the pros and cons.

Pros

1. Griffin has had success. In 2012, as a rookie, Griffin began the season as the starter, went 9-6, and was named the NFL's offensive rookie of the year. Washington won the NFC East and made the playoffs. Washington had given up two first-round picks and a second-round pick to trade up to draft Griffin. After one year, it looked like it was worth it.

2. At his best, Griffin is better than Smith or Fitzpatrick. During his rookie season, Griffin threw for 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions, had a Total QBR of 71.4, and rushed for 815 yards and seven more TDs. His 8.1 yards per pass attempt and 6.8 yards per rush were both ranked best in the NFL. Neither Smith nor Fitzpatrick has had a season even remotely close to that.

3. He's a spread quarterback. Griffin won a Heisman Trophy at Baylor playing in a spread, and his early success with Washington was predicated on his ability to use both his arm and his feet in that system. And, hey, new Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has installed a spread system. Griffin, given his skill set, has proven he's an ideal fit for what that kind of offense can do.

Cons

1. Griffin's success was fleeting. As great as Griffin's 2012 was, he hasn't come close to replicating it since. In Washington's playoff loss to the Seahawks at the end of that season, he tore his ACL for a second time, and he hasn't been the same since: His QBR in 2013 was 42.2; last year, it was 33.5. For the sake of comparison, Geno Smith's QBR last year was 44.3. Also, Griffin had been brutal in the preseason this year before getting hurt.

2. He's a sideshow. This might have just been symptomatic of his time in Washington, but Griffin's every move and every public statement was parsed and used to say SOMETHING about him and the general health of the franchise. (The latest thing to become A Thing: Did he or didn't he like an Instagram post?) And in Washington, the general health of the franchise is perpetually dyspeptic. The "distraction" label if often a media creation, but try to imagine Griffin with the Jets. Yeah. How do you see that playing out?

3. His contract is prohibitive. As noted above, Griffin's deal calls for him to him to earn $3.3 million in guaranteed base pay this year, per overthecap.com. That's pricey, even if it isn't crazy for an established quarterback. And the Jets have about $5 million in cap room, per the NFLPA. The elephant in the room is that Washington picked up Griffin's fifth-year option for next year, which is guaranteed for injury at a whopping $16.1 million. That $16.1 million does not become fully guaranteed until March, so the Jets would be able to cut him without consequence after this season. But the risk of Griffin sustaining a season-ending injury at any point this year would leave them on the hook to pay that sum. And that would indeed be crazy.

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Bottom line

That injury guarantee is no doubt part of the reason Gruden decided to bench Griffin for Cousins this year. But it's also the best argument for why the Jets would be better off waiting until after the season, or until Washington releases Griffin, which NFL Media's Jeff Darlington says might be Washington's best option. Of course, that's assuming the Jets have any interest in Griffin at all at this point.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Veteran Willie Colon gets starting nod at right guard for Jets (Daniel Popper) New York Daily News September 1, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-willie-colon-starting-nod-guard-article-1.2345076

After starting every Jets game the past two seasons, right guard Willie Colon's job was up for grabs when he arrived at training camp in July. He was still rehabbing from a left knee injury and needed to prove himself to a new coach and general manager.

But on Tuesday, after a battle that stretched more than a month, Todd Bowles announced that the 32-year-old Colon - who signed a one-year deal in the offseason - will retain his starting position for 2015.

"He came back to camp in shape. He wanted it more. He played like he wanted it more. He was the hungriest. And he's shown (it)," Bowles said. "He didn't bust as many assignments as the rest of them. He played tougher. He played more physical than the rest of them."

Colon beat out Brian Winters, Brent Qvale and Oday Aboushi for the job despite leading all right guards with 14 penalties in 2014.

Bowles said Winters is currently the backup right guard, but things could change depending on how players perform in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium.

Colon noted the play of Winters and Qvale during camp, but ultimately, his experience was the difference.

"When you're a younger guy and you've never been through a competition battle, you can start counting reps, you can start looking into little things like how you're treated or how people are talking to you. But you have to be able to ignore all that," Colon told the Daily News. "Any time you're out there and you're getting the chance to be out there, you compete. You play hard and you don't mess up and you do what you have to do to get the job done."

GOING DEEP

In early August, before he'd been handed the starting quarterback job thanks to Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick was asked if he'd seen the scouting reports teams have on him.

"I've read a lot of them," he answered, "noodle arm, can't throw it past 20 yards, can't throw the deep ball."

Fitzpatrick, though, couldn't care less about those reports. And neither does quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo, who voiced full confidence in Fitzpatrick's ability to lead a successful vertical passing attack this season.

"I've got no problem," Patullo said. "We try to get it out. We're not going to hold it back there all day anyway. So I've got no problem with that at all."

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MO AND SHELDON TO SIT

Bowles said defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson will "definitely" not play Thursday against the Eagles. Defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who is suspended the first four games of the regular season, is also very unlikely to see action.

"I don't know if I want to see Sheldon play Thursday," Bowles said. "He played a lot the last game. He can't do anything but get hurt."…Defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) was placed on season-ending injured reserve. …Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (concussion) was back at practice Tuesday wearing a red, no-contact jersey. …Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills claimed offensive lineman Dalton Freeman off waivers from the Jets on Tuesday. …Bowles said to expect a lot of Matt Flynn and some of John Johnson under center Thursday.

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Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can be more than just game manager (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News September 1, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-ryan-fitzpatrick-manage-jets-article-1.2345216

Somewhere along the way, the Harvard guy probably sat in a room with like-minded strangers and introduced himself: “Hi, my name is Ryan Fitzpatrick, and I am a game manager.”

There’s a stigma attached to the term when there’s nothing to be ashamed of. The Quarterback for Dummies handbook has a universal theme: A winning signal-caller must be a game manager. It’s part of the gig.

The negative connotation is ridiculous. A quarterback’s inherent responsibilities require making smart choices during moments of varying importance. A smart quarterback makes smart situational decisions. You don’t have to be smart to understand that.

“When you’re backed up and you have the long third downs, you try not to be a hero,” Fitzpatrick told the Daily News. “(But) we’ve got to be very good on third down. We’ve got to be very good with getting touchdowns in the red zone. (We’re) not necessarily running it three times and praying for a first down.”

The notion that game managers are glorified baby-sitters is flawed. No matter how your team is built, it’s foolish to try to camouflage a quarterback. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to be a difference maker during every game.

“You can’t completely hide a quarterback,” said Todd Bowles, who witnessed that last season with the Cardinals after starter Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending knee injury. “I don’t care how strong your defense is. (Quarterbacks are) going to have to make some plays. That’s the bottom line.”

“Defenses are going to make you make some plays and you’re going to have to deliver,” Bowles continued. “You don’t just get the job by handing off and just staying out of the way. You’re going to be in the forefront.”

Fitzpatrick’s role with the Jets isn’t to fade into the background simply because Bowles is expected to have a formidable defense. He’s certainly proven throughout his career that he’s not afraid to take calculated risks even though he’s not nearly as daring as he used to be.

“I think I’ve gotten better with it in terms of decision making, knowing myself and knowing my limits,” Fitzpatrick said. “Part of what has gotten me where I am is making some of those throws and giving our guys opportunities to make plays.”

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He has improved his recognition of defenses, which has made him a better player than the first time he played in Chan Gailey’s offense in Buffalo. Time and experience have given him wisdom, which should serve him well in his 11th season.

Fitzpatrick has spread the wealth with his knowledge, helping anyone and everyone seeking advice. That selflessness has accelerated his learning curve. Everything runs more smoothly when everyone is on the same wavelength.

So the veteran signal caller hasn’t hesitated to text video clips to Brandon Marshall to provide suggestions and seek his receiver’s input on specific routes.

The around-the-clock communication builds chemistry and trust. The back-and-forth is beneficial in myriad ways. It’s a mature approach to improve and establish a connection with his new teammates.

“I have 100% confidence in him,” right guard Willie Colon said. “Fitz is just a great manager. That’s his M.O. He knows how to use us as an (offensive) line. He knows where to put the football quick when things are coming at him. He’s not one of those guys that sit back there scatterbrained.”

Fitzpatrick has commanded the huddle with a welcomed calm. He doesn’t have Geno Smith’s rifle arm, but it won’t matter as long as he consistently makes the proper throws with timing and anticipation.

He doesn’t have all the answers, but there’s a steadiness that this team needs now. His two-touchdown, 133.0 passer-rating performance in the first half of the Jets’ win over the Giants last weekend was encouraging.

“You temper what you saw,” Bowles said. “You saw a lot of great things right there in the first half. . . . We made progress. . . . He has to keep building.”

Fitzpatrick has made significant strides after being thrust into the spotlight a few weeks ago. Maybe game managers can play a little bit after all.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Mike Maccagnan’s Military Mania (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal September 1, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/mike-maccagnans-military-mania-1441135219

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Two decades before Mike Maccagnan became the New York Jets’ general manager, he was a scout for the Washington Redskins, surveying players in the Northeast and South. On his trips through the cradle of the Civil War, he’d bring along books about the battlefields near his route. If he had time, he would stop at one and spend a couple of hours there by himself.

Maccagnan’s most vivid memory was made one evening after a visit to his favorite battleground, a hill called Little Round Top in Gettysburg, Pa. As he walked to his car, he noticed thousands of fireflies swarming around him.

“I remember thinking to myself, it was one of those little personal, interesting experiences where you’re going to remember it for a long time,” Maccagnan said. He stared at the glowing insects and wondered whether the soldiers, who fought for three days at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, had seen them, too. “I thought to myself at some point that maybe they were out there literally walking to get food or moving formations around to re-solidify aspect of the lines,” Maccagnan said, “and maybe in the middle of the

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night were thinking about what may come tomorrow and then happened to notice all the fireflies around.”

Maccagnan, who was hired by Jets owner Woody Johnson in January to lead the team’s front office, grew up with two “borderline obsessions”: football and war history. The former became a career. The latter continues to be a passion he indulges, despite his diminished leisure time, by reading books and watching the History Channel after his wife, Betty, falls asleep.

Maccagnan, who is 48, has quickly won over many Jets fans with decisive off-season signings (like All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis) and trades (receiver Brandon Marshall and now-starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick) that should drastically improve the team after last year’s 4-12 disappointment. But he remains little known. That’s in part because he has never led an NFL franchise until now, and in part because of a demeanor that his former high-school football coach and classmates describe as mild-mannered and reserved.

Maccagnan grew up in faculty housing at the Peddie School, a private day and boarding high school in Hightstown, N.J., where his father, Vic, was the dean of students and a history teacher. One of his early passions was the NFL Draft. He asked his parents to videotape games from the United States Football League, a second-tier circuit that ran from 1983 to 1985, so he could watch them over and over, and try to determine which players were NFL-quality.

“I used to fill up little notebooks of little scouting notes,” Maccagnan said. “I remember my father was always thinking, ‘Get a better hobby, because what are you going to do with that someday?’”

Maccagnan was also a star football player at Peddie, playing on the offensive and defensive lines. He earned a reputation as a ferocious hitter. “This guy would just level you in practice,” said a former teammate, Christian Barth, now a lawyer and writer in Milford, Conn. “It was to a point where you wouldn’t want to go against him in practice.”

His other boyhood passion was war history (not unlike New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, whose father was an assistant coach at Navy). The Maccagnan household was stuffed with books on the subject, and Mike started reading them. He also played war-strategy board games, such as Axis and Allies, and some inspired by the Napoleonic Wars, with his friends.

MACCAGNAN’S HISTORY CLASS

Here’s a look at some of the GM’s favorites.

War to Study: Napoleonic Wars

“Napoleon was very much ahead of his time in terms of how he conducted warfare, and not to get overly detailed, but when you go back through that era, he was a little bit ahead of the curve, I guess, in terms of how he fought battles and waged wars.”

Battle to Study: Waterloo

“It could have gone the other way. I think everybody likes to romanticize the what-if aspect of it. It gets romanticized to a certain degree.”

Battlefield to Visit: Little Round Top, Gettysburg, Pa.

“It’s cool to see where the actual battle is and you get a very good perspective of the battlefield... There’s Devil’s Den down below and the Wheatfield. Again, if you really study the battle, you’ll understand those are different aspects of the battle.”

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War Movies: ‘The Longest Day,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Waterloo’

“There’s actually a movie called ‘Waterloo’ which probably not a lot of people like, but I actually like it because it goes through the hundred days of Napoleon coming back from Elba.’”

“That’s what I really enjoyed, not really the low level or small-unit level, but more the very macro, more strategic level of understanding how battles unfolded and how campaigns unfolded,” he said.

Maccagnan ended up playing football at Trinity College, a Division III school where he majored in economics, though he said he sometimes wishes he had gone with history. He applied to be a Wall Street financial analyst, but took an internship with the Redskins instead. Afterward, he became a scout for the now-defunct World League and then the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Rough Riders. That’s where he met Betty, who was working with the team part-time.

When the Redskins hired him as college scout in 1994, it landed him not only a full-time NFL job, but also a home in an area rife with significant Civil War sites. “Heck, 10 miles down the road from where we live was the two battles of the First and Second Bull Run in Manassas,” Maccagnan said.

He believes that his dual loves of running a football team and studying war history are related: Preparing for a military campaign is not unlike preparing for a football season. But Maccagnan, whose older brother, Vic Jr., is a retired colonel who spent 28 years in the Army, was also careful to say football was trivial compared with the military.

“You know full well that at some point in time you’re going to have injuries and adversity,” Maccagnan said. “You have to constantly try to fix, stopgap, plug, whatever to get to the end of the season, ideally into the playoffs or the championship game. As you go into it, I do think very much you realize what you can change and what you can’t change beforehand.”

In his scant free time these days, Maccagnan will switch over to the History Channel, Discovery Channel or American Heroes Channel to get his war-history fix after Betty falls asleep. “I’ll stay up with her sleeping next to me and I’ll watch my military shows when she’s sleeping,” he said.

At first, his favorite subject was the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the early 1800s by French emperor Napoleon and an array of European enemies. “Napoleon was very much ahead of his time in terms of how he conducted warfare,” Maccagnan said, detailing how Napoleon ordered his soldiers to march in narrow columns, allowing for greater maneuverability, rather than in wide rows, which maximized firepower but limited mobility.

Then the Civil War became equally fascinating. “You went from a smoothbore musket in the Napoleonic area to a rifled barrel in the Civil War, which caused not only the killing power but the range of killing power to be much further,” he said. “It gave an advantage to the defense… As a result, what happened was in the Civil War, you found where the Confederacy, to a degree, fought more of a defensive battle.”

No historical figure, though, stands as tall in his mind as that short, 19th-century French emperor. Asked whether Jets fans should be concerned that he is such a fan of Napoleon, Maccagnan chuckled.

“Oh, I don’t know. At the end of the day, everybody likes the idea of fighting against all odds. That’s what you want. You want to achieve whatever you can achieve, or your goals and ambitions, but to do it against the long odds is an impressive thing,” he said. “Napoleon, from certain viewpoints, was an underdog. I like the idea of being an underdog. I root for the underdog, quite frankly.”

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Jets’ Amaro Out for Season With Shoulder Tear (Stu Woo)

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Wall Street Journal September 1, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/jets-unveil-todd-bowles-and-mike-maccagnan-stress-harmony-1421893115?tesla=y

Jets fans will have to wait until 2016 to see whether tight end Jace Amaro can live up to his billing.

Amaro, a second-round draft pick last year, will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the 2015 season, head coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday. Amaro has been placed on injured reserve.

Amaro, the 6-foot-5 tight end out of Texas Tech, landed awkwardly on the shoulder during the Jets’ preseason opener in Detroit, and the pain never subsided. Bowles said it turned out to be a labrum tear.

After a stellar final season in college, when he caught 106 passes for 1,352 yards, Amaro disappointed Jets fans during his rookie NFL season, catching only 38 passes for 345 yards.

With Amaro out, Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Davis will be the Jets’ top tight ends.

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets’ tight end Jace Amaro out for season (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York September 1, 2015

http://www.metro.us/new-york/jets-tight-end-jace-amaro-out-for-season/zsJoia---UIbNzLRWz01s2/

Jace Amaro is out for the season, the New York Jets tight end placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday with shoulder surgery for an injury suffered in preseason.

Amaro was a second round pick of the Jets last year and he led all rookie tight ends with 38 receptions for 345 yards. He also had two touchdowns. But he was plagued by drops and inconsistent blocking as he transitioned from Texas Tech where he was a tight end in name only and rarely blocked.

This is the second major blow this offseason to the Jets tight end depth chart as Zac Sudfeld suffered a knee injury in minicamp that cost him the season.

The Jets are left with Kellen Davis, a veteran tight end better known for his blocking and Jeff Cumberland, the starter on the depth chart since the first preseason game, as their top two tight ends. In addition they have Art Lynch, claimed off waivers last year and Wes Saxton.

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Zac Stacy hopes to hurdle way onto Jets’ roster (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York September 1, 2015

http://www.metro.us/sports/zac-stacy-hopes-to-hurdle-way-onto-jets-roster/zsJoia---AEen09lYapeIw/

There's a chip on the shoulders of Zac Stacy and for good reason, the New York Jets running back has plenty to prove to not only the team that drafted him then traded him but to his new organization as well.

In 2013 during his rookie season, Stacy seemed destined for a big role with the St. Louis Rams, more than justifying his selection as a fifth round pick. Stacy ran for 973 yards in that season along with seven touchdowns, all in just 13 games. It seemed like he was destined for a big year in 2014 but his role decreased with the Rams last year, even as he averaged the same 3.9 yards per carry as his rookie season.

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The amount of carries, he says, were dictated from "upstairs" and this offseason, he asked for a move out of St. Louis.

The Jets were able to trade a seventh round draft selection for Stacy, adding him to an already deep backfield. There is Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell on the roster as well as Stevan Ridley, who despite being out for all of the offseason as well as training camp is nonetheless a talented running back. So it seemed like Stacy would, in a best case scenario, be a good insurance policy if someone got hurt during training camp. Most outsiders thought he wasn't going to make the team.

Instead of course for the fact that Stacy is impressive. He uses his lower center of gravity well and has been impressive in preseason so far. And he is also showing good hands out of the backfield, a major plus in this offense.

"The situation is obviously tough, we have so many talented backs. That's a great thing, all this competition. At the end of the day, I'm going to control the things I can control, try to make plays and have an impact and make this team," Stacy told Metro this week.

"Absolutely I have a chip on my shoulder. Definitely something to prove, I think that's the attitude you should have. I know I can play in this league and I think the guys upstairs do as well. But right now, I want to work hard and work well and make this Jets roster, controlling the things I can control. I know I keep reiterating, but showing what I can do and work hard."

In the second quarter of the Jets preseason win, a result that bumped them up to 2-1 during the exhibition slate, Stacy took a screen pass and went 24 yards, hurdling over New York Giants safety Brandon Meriweather with a flip to get into the end zone.

He called it a "great play call." But it might be a great play that gets him onto the 53-man roster.

"It was just more instincts. When you're playing running back, you go back and watch the film and you don't always know the cuts you make because it is all instincts and reactions or whatever. Just making plays," Stacy said.

"It just happened. Just really instincts. I knew the guy was going to low on me. At the end of the day, you're just trying to make a play. I'm just happy to make it in the end zone. It happened quick, I didn't see the defender till late. Just wanted to make it in and get us a touchdown."

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MONDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL — Suspended Tampa Bay minor league OF Jeremy Hadley (GCL) 50 games after testing positive for Amphetamine, a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

American League

BOSTON RED SOX — Traded OF Alejandro De Aza and cash considerations to San Francisco for LHP Luis Ysla.

CLEVELAND INDIANS — Announced the resignation of president Mark Shapiro to become president and CEO of Toronto following the 2015 season.

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KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Acquired OF Jonny Gomes and cash considerations from Atlanta for INF Luis Valenzuela.

National League

CHICAGO CUBS — Acquired OF Austin Jackson from Seattle Mariners for a player to be named, an international draft slot and cash. Designated INF Mike Olt for assignment.

CINCINNATI REDS — Placed OF Brennan Boesch of the 15-day DL. Recalled OF-INF Adam Duvall and RHP Michael Lorenzen from Louisville (IL). Optioned LHP David Holmberg to Louisville.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Acquired OF Justin Ruggiano and cash considerations from Seattle for a player to be named.

American Association

KANSAS CITY T-BONES — Released RHP Casey Barnes.

WINNIPEG GOLDEYES — Released RHP Jonnie Lowe.

Atlantic League

LONG ISLAND DUCKS — Activated RHP Bobby Blevins. Placed RHP Billy Buckner on the inactive list. Transferred INF Blake Davis from the inactive list to the disabled list. Transferred INF Jon Griffin from the inactive list to the disabled list.

Can-Am League

OTTAWA CHAMPIONS — Exercised the 2016 contract options on LHP Nate Baker, LHP Josh Blanco, RHP Drew Cisco, RHP Alan DeRatt, RHP Wilmer Font, RHP Laetten Galbraith, RHP Drew Granier, LHP Dan Meyer, RHP Nick Purdy, LHP Andrew Werner, RHP Tyler Wilson, C Corey Caswell, C Daniel Grauer, C Bryce Massanari, INF Daniel Bick, INF Nick Giarraputo, INF Tyler Heil, INF Roberto C. Ramirez, INF Mike Schwartz, INF Matt Tenaglia OF Sebastien Boucher, OF Albert Cartwright and OF Chris Winder.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS — Signed F-C Chuck Hayes.

SACRAMENTO KINGS — Named Vlade Divac vice president of basketball operations and general manager, Mike Bratz assistant general manager, Roland Beech vice president of basketball strategy and Peja Stojakovic director of player personnel and development.

Women's National Basketball Association

INDIANA FEVER — Signed G Briann January to a contract extension.

FOOTBALL

National Football League

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ARIZONA CARDINALS — Released LB Lorenzo Alexander, LB Glenn Carson, G Nate Isles, LB Edwin Jackson, LB Andrae Kirk, CB Shaquille Richardson, TE Gannon Sinclair, WR Ryan Spadola, CB Darren Woodard and P Dave Zastudil. Waived-injured WR Travis Harvey.

ATLANTA FALCONS — Waived DB Jonathon Mincy.

BALTIMORE RAVENS — Waived G Leon Brown, WR DeAndre Carter, CB Tramain Jacobs, G-T Marcel Jones, P Justin Manton, WR Aldrick Robinson, LS Patrick Scales and WR Trent Steelman.

BUFFALO BILLS — Released RB Fred Jackson, DE Michael Buchanan, CB Ross Cockrell, DT Justin Hamilton, LB Andrew Hudson, T Terren Jones, CB Ellis Lankster, S Kenny Ladler, S Wes Miller, G DJ Morrell, DE Cedric Reed and RB Ricky Seale. Waived-injured WR Austin Willis. Placed CB Cam Thomas on the PUP list.

CAROLINA PANTHERS — Acquired WR Kevin Norwood from Seattle for an undisclosed 2017 draft choice.

CINCINNATI BENGALS — Terminated the contract of WR Denarius Moore. Waived DT Kwame Geathers, LB Nico Johnson, DE Sam Montgomery, G Chris Jasperse, WR Desmond Lawrence and TE John Peters.

CLEVELAND BROWNS — Waived TE Anthony Ezeakunne and WR Shane Wynn. Terminated the contracts of LB Everette Brown, LB Moise Fokou, RB Jalen Parmele and DB Aaron Ross.

DALLAS COWBOYS — Waived WR Phil Bates, P Tom Hornsey, LS Casey Kreiter, CB Robert Steeples and DT Carlif Taylor.

DENVER BRONCOS — Traded OT Chris Clark to Houston for a 2016 seventh-round draft pick. Placed TE Jeff Heuerman on injured reserve. Released LB Reggie Walker. Waived CB Tevrin Brandon, G Andre Davis, TE-FB Joe Don Duncan, QB Zac Dysert, P Spencer Lanning, S Ross Madison, TE Jake Murphy, RB Jeremy Stewart and LB Chase Vaughn.

DETROIT LIONS — Activated DT Haloti Ngata from the reserve/non-football injury list and RB Joique Bell from the PUP list. Released TE Deon Butler, WR Ryan Broyles, QB Garret Gilbert, WR Vernon Johnson, RB Desmond Martin, DT Roy Philon, CB Jocquel Skinner, CB R.J. Stanford and DE Erik Williams. Placed CB Chris Owens on injured reserve.

GREEN BAY PACKERS — Released LB Tavarus Dantzler, OT Fabbians Ebbele, LB Josh Francis, DT Lavon Hooks and OT Vince Kowalski.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Released G Donald Thomas. Waived G Harland Gunn, LB Nicklas Haag, LB Zack Hodges, OT Tyler Hoover, WR Ryan Lankford, DT Jeris Pendleton, WR Ezell Ruffin, LB Justin Shirk, TE Justin Sinz, RB Abou Toure and C Brandon Vitabile. Placed CB Tevin Mitchel on the injured reserve list. Waived-injured CB Donald Celiscar and CB Deveron Carr.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Traded PK Josh Scobee to Pittsburgh for a 2016 sixth-round draft pick.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Activated TE Demetrius Harris from the PUP list.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Waived-injured OT Carter Bykowski. Placed CB Josh Robinson on the PUP list.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released WR Josh Boyce, WR Jonathan Krause, TE Jimmay Mundine, DL Joe Vellano and LB Dekoda Watson.

NEW YORK GIANTS — Signed S Stevie Brown. Terminated the contract of LB Victor Butler.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Placed OT Mike Adams on the PUP list and DB Senquez Golson and PK Garrett Hartley on injured reserve. Waived-injured TE Cameron Clear, DE Niko Davis and TE Ray Hamilton. Released G Miles Dieffenbach, WR Kenzel Doe, RB Braylon Heard, DT Joe Okafor, OL Colin Rahrig, CB Jordan Sullen, S Ian Wild, DE Joe Kruger, WR C.J. Goodwin and OT Kevin Whimpey.

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — Waived PK Corey Acosta, LB Steve Beauharnais, CB Mylan Hicks, T Sean Hooey, WR Mario Hull, WR Chuck Jacobs, WR Nigel King, LB Shawn Lemon, FB Trey Millard and DL Lawrence Okoye. Placed G-C Daniel Kilgore on the PUP list and WR DeAndre Smelter on the reserve/non-football injury list. Placed WR Dres Anderson and LB Desmond Bishop on injured reserve.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Terminated the contracts of C Lemuel Jeanpierre and DT D'Anthony Smith. Waived OT Jesse Davis, CB George Farmer, WR Deshon Foxx, WR Deontay Greenberry, CB Keelan Johnson, LB Quayshawn Nealy, DE Greg Scruggs and S Ty Zimmerman. Waived-injured FB Brandon Cottom and CB Triston Wade. Placed CB Jeremy Lane and WR Paul Richardson on the PUP list.

ST. LOUIS RAMS — Placed CB E.J. Gaines on injured reserve. Terminated the contract of WR Damian Williams. Waived OT Steven Baker, OT Travis Bond, CB Imoan Claiborne, S Jay Hughes, LS Tyler Ott, K-P Michael Palardy, WR Tyler Slavin, TE Brad Smelley, LB Korey Toomer and C David Wang.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Traded TE Tim Wright to Detroit for PK Kyle Brindza.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Placed LB Junior Galette on injured reserve. Terminated the contracts of CB Bryan McCann and OT Willie Smith. Waived TE Ernst Brun Jr., LB Dyshawn Davis, TE Chase Dixon, CB Tajh Hasson, LB Alonzo Highsmith, CB DreQuan Hoskey, PK Ty Long, TE Devin Mahina, G Bryce Quigley and CB Trey Wolfe. Waived-injured WR Tony Jones.

Canadian Football League

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS — Fired coach Corey Chamblin, and vice president of football operations and general manager Brendan Taman.

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