NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 21, 2015 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets' Aboushi suspended 1 game without pay by NFL (Dennis Waszak)... 2 NEWSDAY... 3 Willie Colon's leadership shines through for Jets despite adversity (Brian Heyman)... 3 Ryan Fitzpatrick more prepared for Jets' second preseason game (Kimberley A. Martin)... 4 Jets guard Oday Aboushi suspended for regular-season opener (Kimberley A. Martin)... 5 Jets' second-year cornerback Marcus Williams making positive impression on Todd Bowles (Brian Heyman)... 6 THE RECORD... 7 Jets' three things to watch for (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 Todd Bowles expects better things from Jets (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 Jets' backup lineman Oday Aboushi suspended one NFL game (J.P. Pelzman)... 8 NEW YORK TIMES... 9 Jets Reserve Lineman Suspended One Game (Ben Shpigel)... 9 ESPN NEW YORK... 9 Oday Aboushi suspended 1 game by NFL (Rich Cimini)... 9 Oday Aboushi suspension another embarrassment for Jets (Rich Cimini) Durell Eskridge, who once lived in car and dodged bullets, hopes to stick with Jets (Rich Cimini) Jets WR Eric Decker excited about possibility of new role (Rich Cimini) NEW YORK POST Inside Jets coach search that nearly landed Super Bowl winner (Brian Costello) Jets hideous summer continues with another drug ban (Brian Costello) Analyst: Ryan Fitzpatrick may be perfect fit for loaded Jets (Justin Terranova) Brandon Marshall is completely changed yet even better: coach (Brian Costello) NJ ADVANCE MEDIA players to pay attention to in Jets' preseason game vs. Atlanta Falcons (Darryl Slater) Jets' Oday Aboushi suspended because Roger Goodell felt like it (Dom Consentino) Jets' Oday Aboushi suspended 1 game for substance abuse violation (Darryl Slater) Jets' Nick Mangold could wind up in the Hall of Fame, his position coach says (Darryl Slater) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Flynn at Jets camp Report card (Dom Cosentino) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, thrust into spotlight after Geno Smith injury, isn t aiming for offense to just be average (Seth Walder) P a g e

2 How Jets almost dumped Geno Smith for Kirk Cousins (Manish Mehta) WALL STREET JOURNAL NFL Linemen Turn to All-Fat, No-Carb Diet, but Science Is Unclear (Stu Woo) METRO NEW YORK Role of Jets' Leonard Williams growing day by day (Kristian Dyer) THURSDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets' Aboushi suspended 1 game without pay by NFL (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) New York Jets offensive lineman Oday Aboushi was suspended one game without pay by the NFL on Thursday for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Aboushi, entering his third NFL season, will be eligible to return to the Jets' active roster on Sept. 14, a day after the team's regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns. He can participate in all preseason practices and games. "I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions," Aboushi said in a statement issued by the team. "This is something I've learned from and I'm focused on moving forward." Jonathan Perzley, Aboushi's agent, said in a statement released shortly after the suspension was announced that the offensive lineman was pulled over by police during a traffic stop in Morris Plains, New Jersey, on Jan. 10. "During the stop, police recovered a very small amount of marijuana from his vehicle," the statement said. "Oday accepted responsibility for the traffic infraction and all other charges were dismissed." It is the latest incident in what has been a tumultuous summer for the Jets and first-year coach Todd Bowles. Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy on July 2, and was charged with resisting arrest 12 days later after a high-speed race in Missouri. Quarterback Geno Smith is sidelined six to 10 weeks after then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali broke his jaw with a punch in the locker room last week. Now, the Jets are dealing with another drug-related suspension. The team was off from practice Thursday as they prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons in a preseason game Friday night at MetLife Stadium. "News like this is never welcome," Bowles said in a statement. "We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season." After doing a solid job while starting 10 games at left guard last season, the 24-year-old Aboushi is in the middle of a crowded depth chart and competing for a roster spot. He was drafted as an offensive tackle in the fifth round out of Virginia in 2013, but the Jets moved him to guard last summer and he made a mostly smooth transition. 2 P a g e

3 Aboushi was active for every game during his rookie season, but didn't play. When a struggling Brian Winters was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament last October, Aboushi took over at left guard. He had his ups and downs, but the analytical website Pro Football Focus ranked Aboushi as the best left guard in the AFC East. That was under a different regime, though, as Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan took over in January. The Jets sought to upgrade the position this offseason by signing former Seahawks first-rounder James Carpenter to be the starter and pushing Aboushi into a backup role. "Last year's out the window," Aboushi told The Associated Press a few days before the suspension. "It's kind of just starting fresh and kind of just working your way up the pole again." Aboushi has spent most of the summer working with the third-team offense, behind Carpenter and Dakota Dozier, a fourth-rounder last year. He's still listed at No. 3 on the team's unofficial depth chart, although he ran a bit with the second-team offense during the week leading up to Friday night's preseason game. He also has briefly worked at right guard, taking part in a competition that now appears to have been won by incumbent Willie Colon. "I think it helps that maybe I can kick out to left or right tackle and maybe play guard, either way," Aboushi said. "I've always been told that versatility is always better." So, Aboushi is now in a deep mix of players competing for backup roles along the line, a group that includes Winters, Dozier, fifth-rounder Jarvis Harrison, Dalton Freeman, Brent Qvale, James Brewer, Ben Ijalana, Wesley Johnson and Charles Brown. "I haven't been told anything," Aboushi said. "I'm playing with the reps I'm given and I'm just trying to make the best of them." NEWSDAY Willie Colon's leadership shines through for Jets despite adversity (Brian Heyman) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - No. 66 in the white jersey lined up at right guard, the brutal sun beating on his helmet and 32-year-old body in the heat of an afternoon practice. It was 92 degrees. No sweat. "It's training camp," Willie Colon said. "I'm used to it. I've been through enough. I know how it is." But this camp has been a little different for the 6-3, 315-pound player who rose out of the tough Melrose Houses in the South Bronx and then Hofstra to win a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers and start every game for the Jets the past two seasons. After experiencing some nerve-wracking uncertainty over whether the Jets would re-sign him, here he was, a veteran forced to compete to make the team, let alone start. But Colon has been winning the fight, 3 P a g e

4 running with the first string since the beginning of last week after opening camp on the physically unable to perform list because of a knee issue. "He's been playing better than everybody else so far, so he gets the lion's share of the reps," Todd Bowles said. The Jets' first-year coach said he isn't ready to declare a winner yet. Colon has mainly been competing with Brian Winters and Brent Qvale for the starting spot. So Colon heads into the second game of the preseason Friday night against the Falcons taking nothing for granted. "I just want to finish it, finish healthy, finish it strong, just really leaving a statement that I'm the man for the position," Colon said. The thing that Colon needs to avoid is his knack for having yellow flags fly in his direction. He had an NFLleading 14 penalties last season for guards. But he brings a quality to the field that Bowles likes. "He brings a lot of toughness," Bowles said. "So far, he looks good. His knees have been holding up. He's been upbeat. He's one of the most talkative guys in camp. He makes every day festive and he plays like that. He's one of the older guys, but he's got one of the younger spirits." He's also got the spirit of a leader. Just ask the guy next door. "He's been in a lot of battles, as tough as they come," right tackle Breno Giacomini said. "A lot of guys look up to him. He's a strong voice in our locker room." "I try to be more about actions than words," Colon said. "When it needs to step up vocally, I know I have the ability to do it." Colon has dreams of vocalizing his insight as a TV analyst or on sports talk radio. He said he even has some things in the works for this season. But as Colon put it: "I'm not ready to put my helmet away yet." Ryan Fitzpatrick more prepared for Jets' second preseason game (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Change is nothing new to Ryan Fitzpatrick. After six teams in 11 NFL seasons, the bearded veteran quarterback is accustomed to adjusting on the fly. "My normal is craziness," said Fitzpatrick, who was thrust into the starting role after Geno Smith got his jaw broken during a locker-room altercation on Aug. 11. "Moving around, jumping from team to team, having to get used to different guys in a short period of time. "The craziness is normal for me, I guess." That's a good thing, considering crazy things always seem to happen at 1 Jets Drive. But in the midst of all the uncertainty surrounding Smith's recovery (and his role on the team once he returns), the Jets have a game to play. Friday night's preseason home opener against the Falcons will be the first real test for Todd Bowles' team. And they have plenty to prove. 4 P a g e

5 "I expect to see us a little more polished than we were in Week 1, a little more calm hopefully," the firstyear head coach said on Wednesday, referring to their 23-3 loss in Detroit in their first preseason game. "The tackling better change and we just have to get better week-by-week. There's a progress. We have a long way to go from last week, so hopefully we'll see a steady progression this week." The Jets looked out of sync on both sides of the ball. But some of that miscommunication and indecision stems from the fact that Fitzpatrick was unexpectedly handed the offense just a day before the team boarded a plane for Detroit. Since then, he's had a few days to jell with the first-team offense. "I feel good about it," said Fitzpatrick, who was 2-for-3 for 16 yards in one series vs. the Lions. "It's just, we have to get everybody up to speed and on the same page." Desperate for veteran quarterback experience, the Jets signed perennial backup Matt Flynn on Wednesday. But he's at least a week away from being 100 percent healthy. That means that fourthrounder Bryce Petty will see a lot of action for the second straight game. The rookie completed 10 of 18 passes for 50 yards against the Lions. The Jets' starters are expected to play most of the first half against the Falcons. But Bowles' defense will be without one of its biggest stars. Muhammad Wilkerson will miss his second preseason game because of a nagging hamstring injury. "I can't wait to get back on the field with my teammates," he tweeted yesterday. Wilkerson's absence, coupled with the fact that defensive lineman Ronald Tally is nursing a groin injury, means Sheldon Richardson may get to play some with the starters. Jets guard Oday Aboushi suspended for regular-season opener (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday August FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Jets backup guard Oday Aboushi has been suspended without pay for the first game of the regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, the league announced Thursday. According to a statement sent by Aboushi's representatives, the backup offensive lineman "was pulled over for a traffic stop in Morris Plains, N.J. on January 10, During the stop, police recovered a very small amount of marijuana from his vehicle. Oday accepted responsibility for the traffic infraction and all other charges were dismissed." Aboushi, a former fifth-round pick of the Jets in 2013, can continue participating in preseason practices and games. But he won't be eligible to return to the team's active roster until Sept. 14, a day after their season opener against the Cleveland Browns. "I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions," Aboushi, 24, said in a statement released by the team. "This is something I've learned from and I'm focused on moving forward." Said first-year coach Todd Bowles: "News like this is never welcome. We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season." Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The former defensive rookie of the year in 2013 and 2014 Pro Bowler is 5 P a g e

6 also expected to be penalized further by the NFL following his July 14 arrest in Missouri after a high-speed chase from police. Last week, starting quarterback Geno Smith was punched by former teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali in the locker room after a dispute over a $600 debt. Smith, who underwent surgery last Thursday, is expected to be out 6-10 weeks. Jets' second-year cornerback Marcus Williams making positive impression on Todd Bowles (Brian Heyman) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Marcus Williams went up in the end zone and came down with the interception, just a friendly reminder with four seconds left in the first half of the exhibition opener last week at Detroit that he's still here with the Jets. "Hopefully, it was pretty important," Williams said. "You want to make plays and to be seen and show that you're out there trying to make the team." The Jets signed Williams to the practice squad three weeks into last season, anundrafted rookie free agent cut from the Texans' practice squad. Rex Ryan activated Williams for the second half of the season, throwing him right in as a starting cornerback after all the well-documented trouble the Jets had at the position. Williams had to learn on the job, but he flashed some potential. Still, new general manager Mike Maccagnan left nothing to chance, going on a cornerback shopping spree, bringing back Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie to start and signing Buster Skrine to be the nickel back. So Williams is trying to stick as part of the supporting cast. And he has been making a positive impression on the new head coach. "He's in the mix," Jets coach Todd Bowles said. "There's still a long way to go. Marcus is very intelligent. He does some great things. He plays zone as well as man. He's an inside and an outside guy. Very heady for a second-year guy. So he's done some good things. I like everything Marcus is doing." Ryan also liked this 5-11, 196-pound player before trading in Jets green for Buffalo blue. "Going from a guy that was available to anybody, we put him on our practice squad and then from there we were kind of intrigued by him," Ryan said the day after Christmas. "Let him get up on the varsity, so to speak, and the guy has played well." Williams set the career interception record at North Dakota State where he became a three-time firstteam FCS All-American. He intercepted one pass, broke up seven others and made 38 tackles in his eight Jets games. The influx of corners that followed didn't faze him. "I thought it would be good for our team," Williams said. "Any time you get to bring some vets in, it's good to learn from those guys. Me being a young player, it's definitely going to help my game out." Revis Island and Williams Island are two different concepts right now. So there's no finer teacher for Williams than Revis. 6 P a g e

7 "He's very hands-on if you have questions," Williams said. "Or if he sees something out there and he'll definitely come to you and talk about it. He's been a good help." THE RECORD Jets' three things to watch for (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 21, Three things to watch for Keys to look for when the Jets play host to Atlanta tonight: 1. Getting the timing down. New starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is scheduled to play more than one series this time, and he needs to continue to establish a rapport with top WRs Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. 2. Defenders must wrap up. Coach Todd Bowles was unhappy with the amount of missed tackles in the preseason opener, and has made that a point of emphasis for this game. 3. Can anyone impress? Standout performers were few on both sides of the ball in the Jets 23-3 loss to Detroit last week, and Bowles would like to see some younger players step up. Todd Bowles expects better things from Jets (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 21, Like all NFL coaches, Todd Bowles wants to see improvement from the first preseason game to the second. In the Jets case, that shouldn t be too hard, given how dismally they played in a 23-3 loss at Detroit last week. "I expect to see us a little more polished than we were in Week 1," said Bowles, whose team will host Atlanta (1-0) tonight. "A little more calm hopefully," Bowles added. "The tackling better change and we just have to get better week by week. There s a progress. We have a long way to go from last week, so hopefully we ll see a steady progression this week." The Jets had plenty of difficulties on both sides of the ball against the Lions. The defensive starters tackled sloppily on Detroit s first two possessions, and that trend continued when the Jets reserves entered the game. The Bryce Petty-led offense managed no points after starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick retired for the night after only one series. Fitzpatrick, who went 2-for-3 for 16 yards last week at Detroit, will play into the second quarter tonight, Bowles said. The Jets are trying to get their projected opening-day quarterback up to speed after the 11-year veteran Fitzpatrick spent most of the spring and summer backing up Geno Smith, the presumed starter until he suffered a broken jaw last week from the fist of then-teammate IK Enemkpali. 7 P a g e

8 "There s a big-time balance between staying healthy and getting work," Fitzpatrick said when asked how much he needs to play to work on his timing with the starting receivers. "I think health certainly outweighs that. Being healthy for the season is a lot more important than going out there and lighting the world on fire in preseason. We just have to continue to, when we re out there, take advantage of each rep, try to be effective, put some drives together and just try to come out of it clean." The Jets did no game-planning at all on either side of the ball for the preseason opener. They did some work this week on the Falcons tendencies, but still will be mostly vanilla lest they give away any intelligence to Cleveland, which will visit the Jets on opening day. "You don t want to give them lighter work," Bowles said, "but you want to give them more concentration work as to what to look for in games as the weeks go [by]. The first game, we didn t look at anything. This game, we looked at a little bit [of Atlanta], so you want to practice what you re seeing a little bit and giving guys something to go off of." "It s not necessarily the normal bulk [of plays] that we would have for a game plan," Fitzpatrick said. "It s a lot of again, vanilla-type plays and [we re] hoping that we can execute our vanilla plays." Cornerback Antonio Cromartie missed a tackle on Detroit s Golden Tate on the first drive last week, and has been erratic during practices. However, he isn t worried about it, nor is Bowles. "I start slow," Cromartie said. "I pick out specific things I can work on [with] my technique and go from there. If I get beat with me working on something else, I just get beat. I m not worried about it. It s practice. "I m not really worried about anything that s going on right now," Cromartie added. "I m looking forward to when the lights turn on and you go play football" in the regular season. "I think he has [made] some technical errors here and there," Bowles said of Cromartie, whom he coached last season as Arizona s defensive coordinator. "He s made some good plays and he s given up some plays. He s just got to hone in on his technique. He ll be fine." Jets' backup lineman Oday Aboushi suspended one NFL game (J.P. Pelzman) The Record Jets reserve offensive lineman Oday Aboushi has been suspended for one regular-season game by the NFL for violating its substance-abuse policy, the league announced Thursday. Aboushi, who is not a lock to make the team's final 53-man roster, would be eligible to return Sept. 14, the day after the season opener against Cleveland. Aboushi s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said in a statement that Aboushi was pulled over for a traffic stop in Morris Plains on Jan. 10. During the stop, police recovered a very small amount of marijuana from his vehicle, Perzley said. Oday accepted responsibility for the traffic infraction and all other charges were dismissed. I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions, Aboushi said in a statement. This is something I ve learned from and I m focused on moving forward. News like this is never welcome, Jets coach Todd Bowles said in a statement. We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season. 8 P a g e

9 Aboushi, a 2013 fifth-round pick out of Virginia, is listed as third-string at left guard on the Jets unofficial depth chart. He has been getting mostly third-team reps during training camp, although he got more plays with the second team this week after second-stringer Dakota Dozier struggled last week n the preseason opener at Detroit. NEW YORK TIMES Jets Reserve Lineman Suspended One Game (Ben Shpigel) New York Times Oday Aboushi, a reserve offensive lineman for the Jets, was suspended one game for violating the N.F.L. s substance-abuse policy and program. He was the second member of the team to receive a drug-related ban, joining Sheldon Richardson, who was docked four games after testing positive at least twice for marijuana. News like this is never welcome, Coach Todd Bowles said in a statement. We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season. A statement from Aboushi s representatives said the police recovered a very small amount of marijuana from his vehicle during a traffic stop in Morris Plains, N.J., on Jan. 10. Aboushi accepted responsibility for the violation, the statement said, and all other charges were dismissed. I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions, Aboushi said in a statement. This is something I ve learned from and I m focused on moving forward. Aboushi, a fifth-round pick in 2013 from Virginia, started 10 games last season at left guard and entered training camp in the mix to win the competition at right guard. But as the incumbent Willie Colon has solidified his job, Aboushi has fallen behind some teammates, dropping to the third string at left guard in the latest depth chart released by the team. He can continue participating in all preseason practices and games. If Aboushi were to make the Jets, he would be eligible to rejoin the active roster on Sept. 14, the day after the team s season opener against Cleveland. ESPN NEW YORK Oday Aboushi suspended 1 game by NFL (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York NEW YORK -- New York Jets offensive lineman Oday Aboushi was suspended one game without pay by the NFL on Thursday for violating the league's substance abuse policy. 9 P a g e

10 Aboushi, entering his third NFL season, will be eligible to return to the Jets' active roster on Sept. 14, a day after the team's regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns. He can participate in all preseason practices and games. "I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions," Aboushi said in a statement issued by the team. "This is something I've learned from and I'm focused on moving forward." Jonathan Perzley, Aboushi's agent, said in a statement released shortly after the suspension was announced that the offensive lineman was pulled over by police during a traffic stop in Morris Plains, New Jersey, on Jan. 10. "During the stop, police recovered a very small amount of marijuana from his vehicle," the statement said. "Oday accepted responsibility for the traffic infraction and all other charges were dismissed." It is the latest incident in what has been a tumultuous summer for the Jets and first-year coach Todd Bowles. Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy on July 2, and was charged with resisting arrest 12 days later after a high-speed race in Missouri. Quarterback Geno Smith is sidelined six to 10 weeks after then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali broke his jaw with a punch in the locker room last week. Now, the Jets are dealing with another drug-related suspension. The team was off from practice Thursday as they prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons in a preseason game Friday night at MetLife Stadium. "News like this is never welcome," Bowles said in a statement. "We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season." After doing a solid job while starting 10 games at left guard last season, the 24-year-old Aboushi is in the middle of a crowded depth chart and competing for a roster spot. He was drafted as an offensive tackle in the fifth round out of Virginia in 2013, but the Jets moved him to guard last summer and he made a mostly smooth transition. Aboushi was active for every game during his rookie season, but didn't play. When a struggling Brian Winters was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament last October, Aboushi took over at left guard. He had his ups and downs, but the analytical website Pro Football Focus ranked Aboushi as the best left guard in the AFC East. That was under a different regime, though, as Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan took over in January. The Jets sought to upgrade the position this offseason by signing former Seahawks first-rounder James Carpenter to be the starter -- and pushing Aboushi into a backup role. "Last year's out the window," Aboushi told The Associated Press a few days before the suspension. "It's kind of just starting fresh and kind of just working your way up the pole again." Aboushi has spent most of the summer working with the third-team offense, behind Carpenter and Dakota Dozier, a fourth-rounder last year. He's still listed at No. 3 on the team's unofficial depth chart, although he ran a bit with the second-team offense during the week leading up to Friday night's preseason game. He also has briefly worked at right guard, taking part in a competition that now appears to have been won by incumbent Willie Colon. 10 P a g e

11 "I think it helps that maybe I can kick out to left or right tackle and maybe play guard, either way," Aboushi said. "I've always been told that versatility is always better." So, Aboushi is now in a deep mix of players competing for backup roles along the line, a group that includes Winters, Dozier, fifth-rounder Jarvis Harrison, Dalton Freeman, Brent Qvale, James Brewer, Ben Ijalana, Wesley Johnson and Charles Brown. "I haven't been told anything," Aboushi said. "I'm playing with the reps I'm given and I'm just trying to make the best of them." Oday Aboushi suspension another embarrassment for Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York This hasn't been a groovy, Beach Boys kind of summer for the New York Jets. If this keeps up, the unflappable Todd Bowles might want to start flapping. The latest installment of bad news came Thursday with the NFL's announcement that backup guard Oday Aboushi -- battling for a roster spot -- was suspended for one game without pay for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Compared to the team's previous transgressions, this hardly creates a blip on the radar screen, but it provides more fodder for those who believe it's Camp Chaos over at One Jets Drive. To recap: Sheldon Richardson was suspended four games for a substance-abuse violation. Two weeks later, he was arrested after allegedly trying to avoid police by driving 143 mph with a child in the car and the smell of marijuana seeping out of his deluxe Bentley. Worse, he kept the Jets in the dark, putting his employers in the uncomfortable position of having to find out when everybody else did. You can bet his suspension will be increased once commissioner Roger Goodell's people get done with their investigation. Then came the punch heard 'round the sports world, Geno Smith getting popped in the jaw by thenteammate IK Enemkpali, who was released immediately by the Jets. You certainly can't blame for Bowles for the Aboushi situation. It occurred in January, when New Jersey police found a small amount of marijuana in his car, according to Aboushi's agents. It happened a few days before Bowles was hired. Unlike Richardson, Aboushi informed the Jets, the responsible thing to do. The Jets probably anticipated a suspension because, taking a page out of the pre-suspension handbook for Richardson, they've cut Aboushi's practice reps. Aboushi, once thought to be a candidate to be the starting right guard, has been working at left guard with the third-string line. He's on the roster bubble and this won't help his chances. This has been an egg-on-the-face summer for the Jets, who can't seem to get through a week without creating unwanted headlines. Clearly the culture needs to be changed, and you can bet Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan will attack the problem next offseason by continuing their roster makeover. This is their honeymoon year. Some honeymoon. Durell Eskridge, who once lived in car and dodged bullets, hopes to stick with Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York 11 P a g e

12 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- In Miami, it was known as the Liberty City Massacre. On Jan. 23, 2009, a masked man with an AK-47 assault rifle walked up to a street dice game and opened fire, filling the Miami night with bullets. There were about a dozen people on the sidewalk, including Durell Eskridge and two friends. Eskridge was 17 years old, a gifted athlete whose future was teetering between a life on the streets and the possibility of college football. Everyone on the sidewalk tried to flee, but the odds weren't in favor of humanity at 9:50 that night in front of a grocery store on the corner of Northwest 15th Ave. and 70th St. At least 100 rounds were fired, based on the number of shell casings found by police in the street. Seven people were wounded and two were killed, Derrick Gloster, 18, and Brandon Mills, 16. They were Ekridge's friends. It was called one of the bloodiest mass shootings in the city's history. Eskridge got away, and he kept going and going, all the way to a full scholarship at Syracuse University and a free-agent contract with the New York Jets. "They were killed in front of my face," the rookie safety said at training camp, remembering his childhood friends. "I could've been one of those guys, but I escaped. When I saw the gunman, I took off running. When I took off running, I was able to look back and I saw my friends getting shot up on the wall. "That next morning, I walked down to the crime scene, just to see their blood still spattered right there. I said to myself, 'I can't do this; this isn't how I want to end up.' I couldn't do it to my mother. I had to find a way. I had to get up out of that place. I had to get my mom out of that place." For some reason, Eskridge was spared. Maybe it was because he was a fast runner. Maybe it was the phone call he received a few minutes earlier from a guardian angel, warning him of potential trouble. Maybe it was just random luck. Not a single bullet from the hail of gunfire found his body, and he took that as a message. From then on, he decided to make changes in his life. That Eskridge has made it to an NFL training camp is a small miracle. He grew up in the Pork 'n' Beans projects in Liberty City, one of Florida's poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods. He was homeless for a period of three years, living in shelters and later a car -- a green Mitsubishi Mirage. Green is the color of his new team, giving him an appreciation for the color that once symbolized his lowest point in life. He lived in the car with his mother, two of his sisters and their belongings. Sleeping was difficult. As Eskridge said, "We were scrunched on bags of clothes. But we made it work." His mother, Margaret, raised eight kids, including a daughter, Shantrell, with cerebral palsy. Margaret worked odd jobs, trying to make enough for food and housing, but there was a point when it became too much. They went to a homeless shelter, but the environment was uncomfortable for a mother with small children. "The boys and girls couldn't sleep together, so I couldn't stay with my mom," Eskridge said. "I had to sleep in room with strangers, older men, homeless men. I was 10 or 11 years old. Having to sleep around those guys, my mom got sick of it. She didn't trust the guys that were laying next to me at the homeless shelter. She decided she'd rather sleep in a car, together." Durell Eskridge, undrafted out of Syracuse, is in a fight for a roster spot with the Jets. But this roster battle doesn't compare to what Eskridge endured during his childhood in Miami. Jeff Skopin/ESPN So they checked into the Mirage, their four-door oasis in the middle of their poverty-stricken neighborhood. 12 P a g e

13 By his own admission, Eskridge was no angel as a kid. He bounced around from school to school, attending a total of seven high schools and having to repeat ninth grade. There was no stability in his life, not at home nor school. "I got kicked out of every one of them because I was so bad, trying to find myself as a young man, getting into trouble, little small things," said Eskridge, who graduated from Miami Central High School. "I couldn't control myself. Not having a father figure around, I was trying to figure out how to become a young man." He estimated that 70 percent of his friends were killed in the streets; the rest are serving long prison sentences. After the Mitsubishi, Eskridge moved into a Liberty City apartment, living under a roof with a bed. But when Margaret lost her job at Miami International Airport, the family had to split up. Eskridge was invited to live with his his boyhood friend, Devonta Freeman. Eskridge wound up staying four years. Eskridge and Freeman formed a lasting bond, protecting each other from the drugs and violence on the streets. It was Freeman who called Eskridge on that fateful night in 2009, imploring him to leave the crowded sidewalk. He didn't have hard information. It was just a gut feeling that made him place that potentially life-saving call. "I don't know, something didn't feel right, so I called him," said Freeman, a running back for the Atlanta Falcons, whom the Jets play Friday night at MetLife Stadium. "A few minutes later, they shot up his block." The two boys worked small jobs together, pumping gas, carrying groceries for tips and doing yardwork at the home of rap star Luther Campbell, the former member of 2 Live Crew and a well-known youth football coach in the area. They also worked at a funeral home, a harrowing experience because they saw corpses ravaged by gunfire from the streets. They were surrounded by death, reinforcing their determination to find a better life. "He's more family than some of my family," Eskridge said of Freeman. "In those tough times, you're looking for somebody to lean on, and he was the person I leaned on." "Durell is my brother, man. He's the best friend I've ever had," Freeman said. "I'm so proud of what he's overcome. He didn't know why he was living in a car or why he had no shoes or why he had no food. He didn't understand any of that, but he lived through it and got through it. I feel like God does things for a reason. He gives the strongest soldiers the toughest battles." Freeman was recruited to Florida State, where he became an immediate star and a fourth-round pick of the Falcons. Eskridge caught the eye of Syracuse coach Scott Shafer, who showed up for a practice with a list of Miami Central's top players. His list didn't include Eskridge, but he was immediately struck by the 6- foot-3 junior's size and athleticism. "Holy cow, who's this kid?" Shafer, Syracuse's defensive coordinator at the time, said to himself. Eskridge was red-flagged by the NCAA for academic reasons, making him ineligible to play as a freshman. The statistics said there was little chance of him succeeding in a college environment. Damn the statistics; he hasn't graduated yet, but he has a degree-completion program in place. The emotion in Shafer's voice tells you everything about his feelings for Eskridge. "I fell in love with him," Shafer said by phone. "In my years at Syracuse, he's one of the best people I've ever been around. I was taken aback by his levelheadedness. He lost dear friends and family members, shot on the streets -- just horrific stories. It's hard to fathom. If I was in his shoes, I don't think I could've made it out of there. A lot of people don't, but he defied all odds." 13 P a g e

14 Eskridge left school early to provide for his family, thinking he'd be a third-round pick -- the grade he received from the NFL advisory board. Evidently, he didn't impress scouts, tumbling out of the draft. More hardship. Right now he's the fifth safety on a five-safety depth chart, but the recent season-ending injury to Antonio Allen could create an opportunity. The statistics say Eskridge is a long shot. Where have we heard that before? Friday night will be special. Freeman, who won't play because of a lingering hamstring injury, looks forward to seeing his friend before the game, even though they talk and text every day. They faced each other once in college, but this is the NFL, albeit the preseason. "This is our dream," Freeman said. "Now, how far can we go from here?" No matter what happens with the Jets, Eskridge is a success. He's treated like a hero when he returns to his old high school and attends football camps in the area. He speaks to kids, inspiring them with his words and his journey. He embodies the phrase, "Anything is possible," according to Freeman. "There was a lot of adversity growing up, which could've led me in the wrong direction, but I stayed strong," Eskridge said. "My motivation was, not a lot of people from where I come from make it out. I want to show the kids it's possible to be somebody in life." Jets WR Eric Decker excited about possibility of new role (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Eric Decker was deployed last season in a fairly predictable manner. He almost always lined up as an outside wide receiver, making 67 of his 74 catches in that role and only seven in the slot, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Don't be surprised if you see a different Decker in 2015, meaning he could show up more often as a slot receiver. During his time with the Broncos, Eric Decker showed he could be effective in the slot. AP Photo/Seth Wenig Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is working his receivers in multiple roles at training camp, trying to get a feel for what they do best. As a result, Decker -- the Jets' leading receiver last season -- has been practicing "a lot on the inside," he said. This certainly creates more flexibility in the passing game, and it also could explain why Quincy Enunwa - - not Jeremy Kerley -- is the third receiver, joining Decker and Brandon Marshall in three-wide packages. Kerley is a prototypical slot receiver, which limits him somewhat. This is the time for experimenting. "I like the versatility," Decker said. "You're not always on the outside, running the same routes. Inside, it's a different game. There are a lot of zone coverages, finding the holes. Against man coverage, you've got more space to work. It's a different mentality as far as the releases, spacing and leverage. Conceptually, it's just different, but it's an advantage. You are interchangeable, depending on what the defense does." Decker isn't a neophyte in the slot. His former team, the Denver Broncos, used him there a lot, especially in of his 87 receptions came out of the slot. At 6-foot-3, he's not your typical slot receiver, but 14 P a g e

15 he's an excellent route runner with a feel for coverages, which are important traits when you're running routes in the middle of the field. With Decker, Marshall (6-foot-4) and Enunwa (6-foot-2) on the field, the Jets will have one of the bigger receiving corps in the league. That could help in the running game -- better blocking -- but let's not lose sight of what's important: Receivers are paid to catch. Right now, the Jets are figuring out different ways to get their best catchers on the field. It'll be interesting to see Decker now that he's healthy and has a No. 1-type receiver on the opposite side. His only two 100-yard games last season came in December, when his cranky hamstring had healed. (In fact, he closed with a 221-yard effort against the Miami Dolphins.) Some might say he benefited from having Percy Harvin on the opposite side, but Harvin -- hampered by a severe ankle injury -- was a nonfactor and didn't play in those two games. Decker did it on his own. Now he has Marshall, and perhaps a new role. NEW YORK POST Inside Jets coach search that nearly landed Super Bowl winner (Brian Costello) New York Post Todd Bowles figures he and Dan Quinn will meet up around midfield Friday night before kickoff at MetLife Stadium, shake hands, hug and talk about anything other than football. Bowles will be wearing green and white and Quinn will be wearing black and red, but the colors easily could have been reversed when Bowles Jets meet Quinn s Falcons in a preseason game. Seven months ago both men were the hottest head coaching candidates and were at the top of the lists for the Jets and the Falcons. You never know with these things, Bowles said this week when asked if he ever thought he might end up in Atlanta. I didn t know anything until it came down to the wire. I kept both eyes open. They have a great organization. I think we have a great organization here. I m very happy where I ended up at. The Jets and Falcons, of course, are happy with their choices now, but in January it appeared both teams were torn about which way to go. Quinn, who was the Seahawks defensive coordinator, had won a Super Bowl the year before and guided the ferocious Seattle defense. But the Seahawks appeared primed for another Super Bowl run, meaning whoever wanted to hire him would have to wait. Bowles was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals and was named Assistant Coach of the Year. He managed his way though an injury-filled season to help Arizona go 11-5 and make the playoffs, where they lost in the Wild Card round to the Panthers. Charley Casserly, the former Redskins and Texans general manager, serves on the NFL Career Advisory Panel, which compiles a list of coaching candidates for teams at the end of each season. Casserly said in 2014 he asked teams that hired head coaches who were the best candidates who did not get hired the runners-up. Those were the two guys, Casserly said of Bowles and Quinn. They were the two names that were the unanimous, consensus top two guys that didn t get jobs the year before. 15 P a g e

16 I thought these were two outstanding candidates that were going to get jobs this year. Casserly ended up assisting the Jets in their coaching search and Quinn and Bowles both made his list of people the team should hire. The day before Bowles Cardinals lost in the playoffs, a Jets contingent that included owner Woody Johnson along with Casserly and former Packers GM Ron Wolf was in Seattle interviewing Quinn during the Seahawks playoff bye week. The group was impressed and Quinn moved to the top of the Jets list. A day later, he interviewed with the Falcons. At the same time Quinn was talking to the Falcons, the Cardinals lost in Carolina, meaning Bowles was free to interview. He immediately found out he was in demand. Bowles interviewed with the Jets on Jan. 7, then the Bears, 49ers and Falcons the following three days. It was busy, Bowles said. You didn t get a chance to sit down. You didn t get a chance to think about things. I did mine back-to-back-to-back after going to the playoffs. It was a busy time. It was fun. You get a lot of experience and you get to see how different organizations work. It was very good for me. The Jets came away impressed with Bowles, but first wanted to hire a new general manager. They zeroed in on Mike Maccagnan, bringing him for a second interview on Jan. 9. The brass, including Maccagnan, was ready to return to Seattle if Quinn s Seahawks lost to the Panthers the next day. When the Seahawks won, they turned their attention to Bowles. Bowles met with the Jets on Jan. 13, having dinner with Maccagnan. He was then scheduled to fly to Atlanta on Jan. 14 for a second interview with the Falcons. The Jets never let him get there. The Jets came away so impressed with Bowles in the second interview they decided to make their move and not wait on Quinn. They hired Bowles late in the night of the 13th. The Falcons made it official with Quinn three weeks later when Seattle lost in the Super Bowl. Bowles and Quinn, both Jersey guys, called each other to offer congratulations. Bowles said the two have spoken a few times since to check in on each other. He s good people, Bowles said. Bowles said seeing Quinn on the opposing sideline won t be any different for him Friday. They went headto-head the last two years in the NFC West. We ve been opposing each other for a while, Bowles said. Now we re both center stage. Casserly said he believes both men one day will be considered two of the best head coaches in the NFL. I think both will have good careers, he said. I think both are terrific candidates to be successful coaches in the NFL. That s not a political statement. I believe in both of them. I think both teams got the right guy for their situation. Jets hideous summer continues with another drug ban (Brian Costello) New York Post The Jets summer of screw-ups continued Thursday with the NFL announcing backup guard Oday Aboushi violated the NFL s substance abuse policy and will be suspended without pay for the season opener. 16 P a g e

17 Aboushi will miss the Jets Sept. 13 game against the Browns. He is eligible to return to the team on Monday, Sept. 14. News like this is never welcome, Jets coach Todd Bowles said in a statement. We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season. Jonathan Perzley, the agent for Aboushi, said in an that Aboushi was pulled over on Jan. 10 in Morris Plains, N.J. on a traffic stop. The police found a very small amount of marijuana in his car. Aboushi accepted responsibility for the traffic violation and all other charges were dismissed, according to Perzley. This is the fourth incident the Jets have had to deal with in the past two months. Defensive end Sheldon Richardson was suspended for the first four games of the year after violating the substance abuse policy. He then was arrested in Missouri after going 143 miles per hour and charged with resisting arrest along with traffic violations. Then, last week linebacker IK Enemkpali punched starting quarterback Geno Smith and broke Smith s jaw, sidelining him for 6-10 weeks. Aboushi is a third-year offensive lineman out of Virginia. The Jets selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He started 10 games at left guard last season. I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions, Aboushi said in a statement. This is something I ve learned from and I m focused on moving forward. Analyst: Ryan Fitzpatrick may be perfect fit for loaded Jets (Justin Terranova) New York Post The sucker-punch heard round the NFL brought plenty of turmoil to the Jets, but it also has finally provided some clarity at their most important position. Geno Smith was the favorite to start until his jaw was broken by linebacker IK Enemkpali, but any glimpse of the turnover-prone quarterback that Jets fans have seen the past two seasons would have led for calls for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Now, the job undoubtedly is Fitzpatrick s with rookie Bryce Petty and recently signed, and injured, Matt Flynn sitting behind him until Smith returns. Despite Fitzpatrick s 10 years in the league including three of his best in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey s system in Buffalo from there is still plenty to figure out when he is expected to see his first significant action for the Jets on Friday night against the Falcons. Coming off the broken leg, it s just getting the power in the legs to throw down the field and feeling that confidence is important, said SNY studio analyst Erik Coleman, a former Jets safety. There s a lot to be done. He has to earn those relationships with his new teammates, be the leader of this team. He has to figure out who is going to be his go-to receiver when he needs 5 yards. Will he go to the tight end? Brandon Marshall? Eric Decker? Fitzpatrick played only the first possession for the Jets in their opening loss against the Lions, completing 2 of 3 passes and leading the team to a field goal on its lone scoring drive in a 23-3 defeat. Fitzpatrick wasn t a sexy signing, but for most of last season with the Texans, he was the steady and safe quarterback the Jets and their potentially devastating defense will ask him to be this season. 17 P a g e