NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS. May 23, 2015 Table of Contents

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS May 23, 2015 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 1 Jets' Richardson fires back at critics of him skipping OTAs (Dennis Waszak)... 1 NEWSDAY... 2 Jets Richardson scolds fans on Twitter (Kimberley A. Martin)... 2 THE RECORD... 3 Jets: Sheldon Richardson defends absence (Dennis Waszak)... 3 ESPN NEW YORK... 4 Richardson chides fans critical of his OTA turnout (Rich Cimini)... 4 Five months after emergency surgery, Jets safety Rontez Miles relishes another shot (Rich Cimini)... 5 New York Jets still have $6 million in cap space, but problem looms (Rich Cimini)... 5 NEW YORK POST... 6 Sheldon Richardson fires back at critical Jets fans: I have a life (Brian Costello)... 6 NJ ADVANCE MEDIA... 6 Mailbag: How long will it be before the Jets have a successful starting quarterback? (Darryl Slater)... 6 How does Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick think his broken leg is healing? When will he return to full action? (Darryl Slater) takeaways from Week 1 of Jets OTAs (Dom Cosentino) Jets Sheldon Richardson fires back at critics: I have a life (Dom Cosentino) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sheldon Richardson bashes his critics after Jets defensive tackle skips voluntary workouts (Ebenezer Samuel). 12 FRIDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets' Richardson fires back at critics of him skipping OTAs (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) Family comes first for Sheldon Richardson especially over voluntary football practices. The New York Jets defensive lineman was irritated by fans critical of him skipping organized team activities earlier this week, telling them they need to relax and focus on themselves instead. "I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer," Richardson wrote on Twitter on Friday. "So to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself." 1 P a g e

2 Richardson, who played in his first Pro Bowl last season, is entering his third year in the NFL and is among the Jets' key players. He was selected as the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year after the 2013 season. The Jets began their first series of OTAs, as they're commonly called, this week, and Richardson did not participate in the first two. Several fans criticized him on social media, wondering where he was and questioning his dedication to the game. OTAs are not mandatory and neither are offseason workouts, as stated by the league's collective bargaining agreement. However, many players use the time to bond with teammates, and in the Jets' case, a new coaching staff. Coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Richardson has been "in and out, as have a lot of guys," during the offseason. But he added that he hadn't heard from Richardson and didn't know when or if he would attend any OTAs. "I have no idea," Bowles said. "I mean, it is voluntary, so there's not much you can do." Richardson indicated that he practiced Thursday, the third and final OTA session this week. There are 10 total OTAs, and the next mandatory practices are minicamp in early June. "All I'm hearing from ppl is get to OTA's etc. like I jus wasn't at practice yesterday putting in wrk tho," Richardson wrote. Bowles said he ideally would like every player to show up for all of the team's offseason sessions, but is mindful of their responsibilities off the field particularly when attendance at practice isn't mandatory. "Guys have things they do in the offseason that they probably have schedules for that they can't afford to miss," he said, "so I understand that part as well." Meanwhile, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson continues to stay away from all voluntary practice sessions this offseason, looking to get a new, long-term deal. Wilkerson, entering the final year of his rookie deal, is expected to attend minicamp. NEWSDAY Jets Richardson scolds fans on Twitter (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday Sheldon Richardson wants certain Jets fans to know one thing: he has a life. The third-year defensive tackle took to Twitter Friday to express frustration over criticism that he's been missing from the team's practice facility in Florham Park. "All I'm hearing from ppl is get to OTA's etc. like I jus wasn't at practice yesterday putting in wrk tho..," Richardson tweeted. Richardson did not attend two of the team's organized team activities this week and Jets head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Wednesday that Richardson has participated in half of the offseason program. Bowles also said he hadn't been given an explanation for Richardson's absence and he wasn't sure if Richardson would show up for Thursday's OTA session. 2 P a g e

3 "He's been in and out -- as have a lot of guys," Bowles said Wednesday of the 2013 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. "He's been here half the time, half the time he wasn't. "You hope everybody comes all the time, but unfortunately that's not the case. Guys have things they do in the offseason that they've probably had scheduled that they can't afford to miss, so I understand that part as well." OTAs are voluntary, though most players do attend. But Richardson defended himself. "I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer so to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself," Richardson tweeted. Fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has also been a no-show. He's been absent this offseason as his contract talks remain stalled. Though he's under contract for 2015, Wilkerson is seeking an extension and has not attended any offseason workouts. He is, however, expected to be in Florham Park for mandatory minicamp, which begins June 9. THE RECORD Jets: Sheldon Richardson defends absence (Dennis Waszak) The Record May 23, NEW YORK Family comes first for Sheldon Richardson especially over voluntary football practices. The Jets defensive lineman was irritated by fans critical of him skipping organized team activities earlier this week, telling them they need to relax and focus on themselves instead. "I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer," Richardson wrote on Twitter on Friday. "So to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself." Richardson, who played in his first Pro Bowl last season, is entering his third year in the NFL and is among the Jets' key players. He was selected as the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year after the 2013 season. The Jets began their first series of OTAs this week, and Richardson did not participate in the first two. Several fans criticized him on social media, wondering where he was and questioning his dedication to the game. OTAs are not mandatory and neither are off-season workouts, as stated by the league's collective bargaining agreement. However, many players use the time to bond with teammates, and in the Jets' case, a new coaching staff. Coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Richardson has been "in and out, as have a lot of guys," during the off-season. But he added that he hadn't heard from Richardson and didn't know when or if he would attend any OTAs. "I have no idea," Bowles said. "I mean, it is voluntary, so there's not much you can do." 3 P a g e

4 Richardson indicated that he practiced Thursday, the third and final OTA session this week. There are 10 total OTAs, and the next mandatory practices are minicamp in early June. "All I'm hearing from ppl is get to OTA's etc. like I jus wasn't at practice [Thursday] putting in wrk tho," Richardson wrote. Bowles said he ideally would like every player to show up for all of the team's off-season sessions, but is mindful of their responsibilities off the field particularly when attendance at practice isn't mandatory. "Guys have things they do in the off-season that they probably have schedules for that they can't afford to miss," he said, "so I understand that part as well." Meanwhile, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson continues to stay away from all voluntary practice sessions this off-season, looking to get a new, long-term deal. Wilkerson, entering the final year of his rookie deal, is expected to attend minicamp. ESPN NEW YORK Richardson chides fans critical of his OTA turnout (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York Pro Bowl defensive end Sheldon Richardson, criticized on social media for his sporadic attendance in the New York Jets' offseason program, fired back at fans on Twitter. "I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer so to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself," Richardson tweeted on Friday. Coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Richardson has missed about half of the team's workouts, which began six weeks ago. Richardson also skipped the first two days of organized team activities (OTAs), Tuesday and Wednesday, but he showed up Thursday. "All I'm hearing from ppl is get to OTA's etc. like I jus wasn't at practice yesterday putting in wrk tho," Richardson tweeted. It's important to note that workouts and OTA practices are voluntary, according to the collective bargaining agreement. The only mandatory phase of the offseason is minicamp, which runs June Bowles said he had "no idea" why Richardson was absent, but he wasn't critical of his star player. "It's voluntary, so there's not much you can do," Bowles said. Unlike fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, who is skipping the offseason activities while he waits for a contract extension, Richardson's no-shows have nothing to do with his contract. He has played only two years and, according to the CBA, he can't renegotiate until after his third season. Richardson, a first-round pick in 2013, is regarded as one of the brightest young defensive talents in the league. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and he followed up last year with a Pro Bowl appearance, albeit as an alternate. 4 P a g e

5 Five months after emergency surgery, Jets safety Rontez Miles relishes another shot (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York Safety Rontez Miles is healthy and hungry, determined to win a spot on the New York Jets' roster. He's also grateful to have the opportunity because he knows he wouldn't be here if it weren't for the quick thinking of trainer John Mellody. A few days before he was slated to make his 2014 debut last December, Miles suffered what appeared to be a routine calf bruise after colliding with teammate Marcus Williams in practice. It was anything but routine. He quickly developed compartment syndrome, which means blood flow is restricted because of a build-up in pressure. In severe cases, it can result in amputation. Miles alerted Mellody, who got him to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to relieve the pressure. Once he got over the initial disappointment, he realized he was one lucky dude. "It could've been amputated or the muscle could've been destroyed," Miles said after Wednesday's organized team activities. "It could've been a couple of months or a year or so recovery, and it would've been hard to come back from that." Miles has been through a lot in his life, so earning a spot on the Jets' practice squad was a huge accomplishment. He did it for the better part of two years, playing in one game late in the 2013 season. Another call-up came last December, but a freakish collision changed that. Reflecting on the harrowing episode, Miles kept bringing the conversation back to Mellody, who stayed with him in the operating room. "I owe him a lot, I owe him everything," Miles said. "As soon as he saw it, he knew what it was. He told me, 'If I'm wrong, God bless you. If I'm right, I can save you.' Seeing it that soon knocked off hours of pressure and pain. When he stuck a needle in my leg, blood came squirting out. It was obvious it was packed." Miles' teammates voted him the Ed Block Courage Award, and he joined the 31 other team winners at the award ceremony in Baltimore. He got a chance to visit underprivileged kids at community centers, reminding him of his own childhood in Braddock, Pennsylvania. But now there is work to be done, a lot of work. The Jets have a crowded safety position, with Calvin Pryor, Marcus Gilchrist, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Antonio Allen. Miles, a physical player with a non-stop motor, won't have an easy time making the team. "Hey, I can't complain," the always upbeat Miles said. "I'm here and I'm playing football." New York Jets still have $6 million in cap space, but problem looms (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York It's time for one of our periodic salary-cap updates. With their draft choices under contract, and after an offseason of aggressive spending, the New York Jets have $6.244 million in cap room. 5 P a g e

6 They're in a good place, cap-wise, because this gives them flexibility as they approach the season. Bill Parcells used to call this his "fudge" money; it means having enough cap room to handle injuries and sign players -- your own as well as free agents who might unexpectedly become available. Back in 1998, Parcells signed a guy named Vinny Testaverde in the middle of June. Worked out pretty well, I'd say. Currently, the most pressing issue is Muhammad Wilkerson and a potential contract extension. General manager Mike Maccagnan said last week that money has been allocated for Wilkerson. That's a vague statement, but there's no doubt they can fit a new deal under this year's cap. Wilkerson already has a $6.97 million cap charge, and it probably can be reduced by structuring the contract a certain way. The real question is whether the two sides can agree to the main components of an extension, namely the amount of guaranteed money. For those who like looking into the future, here's a sobering thought: The Jets already are $3 million over next year's projected cap. That could impact the decision on whether to use the franchise tag on Wilkerson. The 2015 amount for a defensive end was $14.8 million. NEW YORK POST Sheldon Richardson fires back at critical Jets fans: I have a life (Brian Costello) New York Post Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson is not happy with those criticizing him on social media for missing the team s voluntary OTAs earlier this week. Richardson took to Twitter on Friday morning to fire back at his critics. The Jets began OTAs this week, which are non-contact practices. They had their first three out of 10. Richardson was not at the Wednesday practice, which was open to the media. That raised questions, and coach Todd Bowles said he was unsure of where Richardson was and said the third-year defensive lineman had attended about half of the team s offseason workouts. All offseason workouts are voluntary, as stated by the CBA, except a mandatory minicamp in June. Richardson was well within his rights to miss the practices, but that did not stop fans from firing salvos at him on social media. Richardson posted photos to Instagram on Thursday night that appear to be him spending time with his family. It was unclear where the photos were taken, but Richardson is from St. Louis, so it is possible he was back home. Fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has made headlines this spring by skipping all of the Jets workouts. Wilkerson is unhappy with his contract and is seeking a long-term deal. NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Mailbag: How long will it be before the Jets have a successful starting quarterback? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media May 23, P a g e

7 l Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone. Let's get right to it, and answer your questions in this week's edition of our Jets mailbag. Away we go... That's a rather random, specific year. That's also a long time from now. The world might even make good on the "Back to the Future" prediction of flying cars by then. (We can dream, can't we?) Anyway, in the NFL, a whole lot can change in four seasons ( ), so it's really impossible to forecast what the Jets' quarterback situation might look like in The Jets would love for Geno Smith to get himself on track this season, and show he can be a competent starter. If that doesn't happen, and the Jets have to turn to Ryan Fitzpatrick, they'll likely start over at quarterback next offseason, which probably means drafting a quarterback. And by 2019, that hypothetical quarterback would be entering his fourth NFL season, so you would know by then if he's any good. The upshot to all this: If Smith doesn't improve in 2015, there's no telling when the Jets' quarterback position will be productive again. It's impossible to predict, unless you have Biff Tannen's sports almanac from the future which he just so happened to obtain in the autumn of question from Ira in Staten Island: We have watched Geno in camps and you see he has all the physical tools to be a good QB. His biggest problem is decision making. Do you think Gailey's spread offense will cut down on Geno's mistakes if he does indeed start the season? I think in an open competition Fitzpatrick would win. How do you think this plays out? An excellent question as usual, Ira. That's one of the things offensive coordinator Chan Gailey mentioned this week that Smith has all the tools, and with a guy like that, you want to give him every possible chance. This makes sense. It's hard to truly get a read on that decision-making stuff which, as you mentioned, has been Smith's weakness until real football actually begins. Yes, I do think Gailey's spread system presumably a simpler offense than Marty Mornhinweg's West Coast offense will make things easier for Smith, who thrived in a spread offense at West Virginia. Will this lead to fewer mistakes? I'm honestly not sure. It's difficult to say how many of Smith's mistakes the past two seasons owed to Mornhinweg's complex offense, or simply to Smith's poor, youthful decision making. I would not be surprised, given Smith's inconsistent track record, if the Jets have to turn to Fitzpatrick at some point during the season. But it sure looks like Smith will be the guy in Week 1. He will have every chance to show that a more comfortable offense, better skill players around him, and his own experience will lead to increased production. If he fails to show progress, then he is almost certainly finished with the Jets after this season. I won't try to project how his entire season will go, but I think you're still going to see hiccups that necessitate the Jets turning to Fitzpatrick at some point. As for how an open competition in training camp between Smith and Fitzpatrick would play out, that's a tough one. But Fitzpatrick's experience in Gailey's offense would've probably given him a slight edge. That's just a guess, though. Safety Marcus Gilchrist's shoulder injury doesn't seem to be a huge deal. It looks like it'll keep him out until training camp. That's not the end of the world. If he misses the early part of camp, he will have to play catch-up as he tries to establish chemistry with Pryor. But with Gilchrist out, the Jets could just plug in Jaiquawn Jarrett next to Pryor. Gilchrist should be back by training camp, when he would give the Jets a coverage safety who can let Pryor play closer to the line of scrimmage his strong area. But even if Gilchrist has to miss some time early in camp, as he recovers, it shouldn't have a major impact on Pryor, or Pryor's role in the defense, provided Gilchrist doesn't miss too much time. 7 P a g e

8 Way too early to say. The Jets, right now, are working Lorenzo Mauldin, their rookie outside linebacker, at both the strong-side linebacker position (Calvin Pace's spot) and the rush outside linebacker position (Quinton Coples' spot). So it's not guaranteed that Mauldin will even end up at Pace's spot. Remember, the Jets haven't even put on pads at practice yet. That won't happen until training camp. And that's when these "up in the air" positions will begin to sort themselves out. Right now, the coaches have seen far too little of Mauldin to even know which outside linebacker position he will wind up playing. Again, there's some guesswork involved here, with these position slotting questions. But clearly, Dee Milliner would be the favorite at this point to be the No. 4 corner. You have Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis as the starting outside corners, with Buster Skrine in the slot, which is basically a starter position. Given Milliner's track record some decent production, though not much he has to be ahead of Dexter McDougle, who is still essentially a rookie since he didn't play at all last year because of his knee injury. As for Darrin Walls and Marcus Williams, yes, they have seen significant action (because of attrition at corner), but it would be surprising if either player winds up ahead of Milliner, presuming everybody stays healthy. I feel like we're going to get this question a lot leading into (and during) training camp. But if Mauldin winds up as a rush linebacker, rather than a strong-side linebacker, keep an eye on Jason Babin as a potential veteran cut. I presume that's what you mean by a "name" guy. The Jets are going to give Coples one last shot this year, and they need a pass rusher to play behind him. Yes, it could be Babin, who actually had a solid year in 2014 as a situational rusher. But if the Jets want to get younger, and decide Mauldin fits best at rush linebacker, Babin could be the odd man out. Reporters got to see just one of the three organized team activities practices this week practice No. 2, on Wednesday but during that session, Coples got the work with the first team, as expected. Enemkpali is behind both Coples and Babin on the depth chart right now. Even though Coples said he's going to rush the passer more this season, his position isn't going to change. He's still going to be a rush linebacker. Among this week's three OTA practices, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was at Thursday's. He did not attend Tuesday or Wednesday. Remember, these are all voluntary. Richardson reminded everyone of that with a couple Twitter posts Friday. Richardson has attended about half of the Jets' voluntary workouts this spring. Jets coach Todd Bowles has pointed out that Richardson isn't the only player who has been in and out during this time. Again, it's all voluntary. No reason for anybody to get worked up over this stuff. It was an interesting move by Gailey. The coaches clearly want to give Smith every opportunity to win the starting job, by giving him all the first-team reps in training camp. But this isn't to say he's guaranteed to start all season. Yes, he probably will start Week 1. Things can change, though, particularly if Smith struggles. Also, remember that Fitzpatrick knows Gailey's offense well, if he has to step in. This isn't a veteran who is new to the offense. Far from it. It makes sense that the Jets want Smith to be the starter, and that they're pouring all their resources into that goal. It's up to Smith to retain the job once the season gets going. That's a good question. The Jets currently have five: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Stevan Ridley, Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson. The most likely cut is Richardson. Ivory, Powell and Ridley are almost certain to make the roster, presuming Ridley gets back on the field and looks good after tearing his ACL last season. Stacy has no guaranteed money left on his contract, which the Jets picked up after trading for him during the draft. If the Jets decide to keep just three running backs, Stacy could get cut, along with Richardson. I got a few questions like this one. Understandably, you folks want to know who has looked sharp so far during organized team activities, or who has surprised, or who are the unknown guys opening eyes. Remember, though, reporters got to see just one of the three OTA practices this week. There are still seven more OTA practices to go, two of which reporters will be allowed to watch. It's way too early in this 8 P a g e

9 process for us to determine impressive-looking players, etc. Sorry if that's a non-committal, evasive answer, but it's an honest one. Anything else would be dumb guesswork dressed up as definitive analysis. We're not going to go down that road. Nonetheless, there were some things we could take away from Wednesday's OTA practice. Here are eight items our Dom Cosentino observed. It's a nice little "grain of salt" glimpse at one OTA practice. Let's hold off on making any broad conclusions about this group of players until training camp. How does Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick think his broken leg is healing? When will he return to full action? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media The big news of this week, as the Jets began organized team activities, was that head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey plan on Geno Smith being their Week 1 starting quarterback. Gailey said as much in his press conference Wednesday. Bowles and Gailey would prefer for Smith, a third-year pro, to thrive this spring and summer, and prove he deserves the job. As we explained Thursday, this is the best possible quarterback scenario for the Jets in Bowles and Gailey don't want to sit Smith in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick, unless they have to. (And whether they have to is really up to the wildly inconsistent Smith, as we explained.) Though the Jets won't enter training camp with an official competition occurring between Smith and Fitzpatrick, the coaches will still closely assess how each quarterback performs, of course. Bowles and Gailey know that, at some point, they might have to turn to Fitzpatrick, if Smith happens to backslide into his turnover-prone ways. At this point, the coaches haven't been able to get a complete read on Smith or Fitzpatrick. The Jets have held just six no-pads, no-contact practices, including three OTA sessions this week. That means minimal pass-rush pressure for Smith during 11-on-11 team periods and none for Fitzpatrick, since he isn't participating in team periods. Fitzpatrick has been limited to position and 7-on-7 drills (with no pass rush) because of a broken leg he sustained in mid-december. He feels much better now, but knows he likely won't fully participate in practice until training camp begins in late July. The Jets' training staff wants to take a precautionary approach with Fitzpatrick right now, and make sure he avoids even incidental contact that could happen in 11-on-11 periods. "It's good," Fitzpatrick said of his rehab process. "Just taking it slow, but it's good. I think I'm on pace, just like I kind of have been, with the schedule that's been set. Hopefully, pretty soon, I'll be able to get out there and do some stuff with all the guys." Fitzpatrick said he isn't sure if he'll be able to do any 11-on-11 periods when the Jets hold their mandatory minicamp June Those will be their final practices before training camp. "It's still a process, kind of a week-by-week thing," Fitzpatrick said. "I've got no idea. Each week, I'm going to try to do a little bit more on my leg, and just see how it responds. Right now, so far, so good." Fitzpatrick said he couldn't put a percent on the health of his leg. "The healing process is going well," he said. "So there's just a lot of stuff I'm trying to get back to normal. But in terms of the bone and everything, it's not going to snap on me again." 9 P a g e

10 This offseason, the Jets traded for Fitzpatrick, who knows Gailey's offense from their three seasons together with the Bills ( ). Fitzpatrick, 32, is a savvy veteran journeyman whose experience and knowledge, particularly of Gailey's scheme, could prove helpful if he has to play. But Fitzpatrick did throw 20 interceptions over the past two seasons, in 23 games (including 21 starts) with Tennessee and Houston. And he will turn 33 in November, so it's not like the Jets will have a longterm starting quarterback on their hands if they need to replace Smith with Fitzpatrick. Again, Smith is the preferable option for this team, though he has to prove himself worthy. Gailey said Fitzpatrick was fully aware, once the trade went down, that the Jets' coaches preferred for Smith to be their starter. "[Smith has] done enough quality things that he deserves the opportunity to be the guy," Gailey said this week. "We told Fitz, coming in, that's the way it was going to be. We didn't try to pull the wool over somebody's eyes. That's exactly how we told him." On Wednesday, Fitzpatrick spoke with reporters before Gailey said Smith "probably" would be the Jets' Week 1 starter. So Fitzpatrick didn't have a chance to field questions about his likely backup role, at least to begin the season. 8 takeaways from Week 1 of Jets OTAs (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media The Jets had the first of three weeks of organized team activities on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Florham Park. Stuff happened. Media access was only permitted on Wednesday, so any practice observations are based off that day only. Here's a rundown: 1. Geno Smith is the starting quarterback... maybe? Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was rather definitive that there would be no competition between Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick this summer, because Smith's the guy. But our man Darryl Slater followed up to say not so fast. You should read it. 2. Matt Simms was... well...: With Fitzpatrick still nursing a leg injury from last season, rookies Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps worked with a scout-team-like unit during team periods, while Simms and Smith rotated with the first- and second-teamers. Simms didn't look so hot in a two-minute drill; he sailed his first pass toward the borough of Madison, and soon afterward he was picked off by linebacker Jamari Lattimore. 3. Stevan Ridley's recovery. Ridley, the running back signed away from the Patriots in free agency, is recovering from an ACL tear in his knee. He took part in position drills and appeared to be able to cut and change directions without much trouble, though he did not do any team drills. "He's not ready to go right now, but he is getting better by the day," head coach Todd Bowles said. "He's in a helmet and he's running around out there and will continue to rehab." 4. Rookies. Of the Jets' draft picks and undrafted free agents, only first-round defensive end Leonard Williams and second-round receiver Devin Smith got reps with the first- and second-teamers on Wednesday, though Williams was being rotated in behind backups Leger Douzable and Ronald Talley, who were mostly running with the first-team with Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson absent. The rest of the rookies were on an adjacent field getting reps with the other first-year players, with Petty and Heaps as the quarterbacks. Don't read too much into any of that, by the way. It's May. 10 P a g e

11 5. Tight ends. Jeff Cumberland appeared to be getting more first-team reps than Jace Amaro, but Bowles explained that it wasn't what it looked like. Both Cumberland and Amaro are considered first-teamers, just with different roles. "We play with two," Bowles said. "When you have a down tight end on the ball, that's more Cumberland's thing, but when you have an H back or an F position, that's more Amaro's thing. It's not the matter of fact that he's the first team tight end, he's the first Y, Amaro is the first H." The difference is that a Y tight end lines up along the line of scrimmage, but an H-back might sometimes be used in the slot. 6. Changes. Under head coach Rex Ryan the last two years, all Jets employees at practices would do pushups if a penalty was called. That doesn't happen anymore. And Bowles has also instituted a winner-takeall approach to practice, with the loser of the offense and defense having to run three wind-sprints across the field and back. On Wednesday, the defense won. On Thursday, wideout Brandon Marshall and cornerback Antonio Cromartie challenged each other before practice began. "We have a lot of things that we're putting in, testing a lot of things, putting guys in certain situations, game-day situations," Bowles said. "That's why you saw the offense run after practice." 7. Rehabbing. Ridley wasn't the only Jets player to spend significant portions of practice in the trainers' area. Cornerback Dee Milliner (Achilles), safety Marcus Gilchrist (shoulder), offensive guard Brian Winters (ACL), defensive end Stephen Bowen (unknown), offensive guard Willie Colon (rest), and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (Achilles) were over there, too. Fitzpatrick made some throws in position drills and in 7-on- 7s, but he sat out the team periods. For what it's worth, Bowles didn't seem too concerned with Kerley's ailment, probably because training camp is still more than two months away. 8. Up next. The Jets have three days of OTAs next week, too (Tuesday through Thursday), and four the week after that (Tuesday through Friday). Jets Sheldon Richardson fires back at critics: I have a life (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson wasn't at organized team activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, and head coach Todd Bowles said Richardson has only been at One Jets Drive for about half of the team's offseason program, which began more than a month ago but is still voluntary at this point. That's voluntary. VOLUNTARY. Voluntary. Voluntary. "Voluntary." V-O-L-U-N-T-A-R-Y. I'd make it blink if I could. It's a specific word in the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, which governs what teams can and can't make players do. Here is the dictionary definition of voluntary, per Merriam-Webster: voluntary adj. vol un tary \ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē\ : done or given because you want to and not because you are forced to : done or given by choice : provided or supported by people who do work without being paid : doing work without being paid Got that? Richardson took to Twitter on Friday morning to let anyone who's been rapping him for his absences know he was at Thursday's practice, which was closed to the media. You know who you are: 11 P a g e

12 Richardson is under contract with the Jets for two more years, plus a team option for one more after that. One of the Jets' best players, his absence was unrelated to any gripe whatsoever, and he's free to work out on his own in the meantime. (NFL players who don't work out year-round aren't going to be NFL players for very long, I'm told.) Yes, fellow defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson has chosen to work out on his own while his people and the Jets try to iron out a contract extension. But am I being clear enough about this? the NFL's offseason program is voluntary until minicamp, which for the Jets runs from June That's voluntary. VOLUNTARY. Voluntary. Voluntary. "Voluntary." V-O-L-U-N-T-A-R-Y. Please refer to the above definition if you have any additional questions. Now go outside and enjoy your weekend. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sheldon Richardson bashes his critics after Jets defensive tackle skips voluntary workouts (Ebenezer Samuel) New York Daily News The NFL's organized team activities are voluntary workouts - not mandatory sessions that must be attended by every NFL player - and Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson wants everyone to know that. On Friday, Richardson, who did not attend Gang Green's OTA session this week, made that clear to everyone, in a post that reminded his critics that, like anyone with a job, he has a life past his job. "I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer," Richardson said on Twitter. "So to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself." Richardson has missed the Jets' first two OTA workouts, although, as he said, neither OTA workouts nor other offseason workouts are mandatory, according to the NFL collective bargaining agreement. There are 10 total OTA workouts in the offseason. The lone portion of the NFL offseason that is mandatory for all NFL players is next month's minicamp. Most teams have a large majority of their players in OTA workouts, but typically, a few players do skip sessions. Jets coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Richardson has been "in and out, as have a lot of guys" in Florham Park. "I mean, it is voluntary, so there's not much you can do," Bowles said. "Guys have things they do in the offseason that they probably have schedules for that they can't afford to miss," Bowles added. "So I understand that part as well." FRIDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL Atlanta Braves - Recalled pitcher Ian Thomas from Gwinnett (IL). 12 P a g e

13 Baltimore Orioles - Activated infielder Everth Cabrera from the 15-day disabled list; optioned infielder Rey Navarro to Norfolk (IL). Boston Red Sox - Recalled outfielder Rusney Castillo from Pawtucket (IL); optioned outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from Pawtucket. Major League Baseball - Suspended Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Will Smith eight games. Minnesota Twins - Activated pitcher Tim Stauffer from the 15-day disabled list; sent pitcher Casey Fien to Rochester (IL) on a rehab assignment. Oakland Athletics - Placed pitcher Edward Mujica on the 15-day disabled list; selected infielder Andy Parrino from Nashville (PCL); transferred infielder Tyaler Ladendorf to the 60-day disabled list. Texas Rangers - Placed pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa on waivers and granted his unconditional release; placed infielder/outfielder Kyle Blanks on the 15-day disabled list; recalled oufielder Jake Smolinski from Round Rock (PCL). Toronto Blue Jays - Placed infielder Devon Travis on the 15-day disabled list; recalled infielder Munenori Kawasaki from Buffalo (IL). Washington Nationals - Activated pitcher Casey Janssen from the 15-day disabled list; placed pitcher Sammy Solis on the 15-day disabled list. BASKETBALL Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) - Waived guard Darxia Morris. FOOTBALL Dallas Cowboys - Signed cornerback Orlando Scandrick to a contract extension. Kansas City Chiefs - Signed tight end Ryan Taylor; released guard Ricky Henry. Montreal Alouettes (CFL) - Signed defensive end Michael Sam to a two-year contract. HOCKEY Chicago Blackhawks - Recalled defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk from Rockford (AHL). COLLEGE Dayton - Named Jason Ordway men's cross country coach. 13 P a g e