NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 6, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets' 1st-rounder Pryor won't play vs. Colts... 2 NEWSDAY... 2 Jets plan to play it safe with Calvin Pryor, he won't play Thursday night (Kimberley Martin)... 2 THE RECORD... 3 Will Jets' Geno Smith pass first test of 2014? (J.P. Pelzman)... 3 Jets notes: Calvin Pryor out for preseason opener (J.P. Pelzman)... 4 STAR-LEDGER... 5 Shaq Evans, Jets' rookie receiver, could be out for year with shoulder injury (Darryl Slater)... 5 Calvin Pryor won't play vs. Colts, because Rex Ryan wary of him making 'a poor account for himself' (Darryl Slater)... 6 Jets' Calvin Pryor on time away due to concussion: 'I needed those reps' (Darryl Slater) observations from Day 12 of Jets camp, as the preseason opener nears (Darryl Slater)... 8 NEW YORK POST Jets rookie Shaq Evans could end up on IR (Brian Costello) Just a taste of classic Vick could kickstart Jets QB controversy (Brian Costello) Jets top rookie may sit vs Cincy despite doctors OK (Brian Lewis) Jets eager to see Decker, Johnson in game action (Brian Lewis) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Shoulder could put NY Jets WR Shaq Evans on IR (Seth Walder) NY Jets cornerback Dee Milliner is dubbed Franchise (Seth Walder) Proud NY Jets coach Rex Ryan aches for son (Gary Myers) NEW YORK TIMES Jets to Keep Pryor Out of Colts Game (Ben Shpigel) WALL STREET JOURNAL For the Jets, Off-Season Workouts Often Come in Unusual Forms (Stu Woo) ESPN NEW YORK Vick says Geno Smith has improved (Rich Cimini) Shaq Evans has shoulder injury (Rich Cimini) METRO NEW YORK Calvin Pryor cleared for contact, won t play in first preseason game (Mark Osborne) NJ.COM P a g e

2 Jets QB breakdown, Day 12: Mike Vick says Geno Smith will be '10 times better' than last year (Dom Cosentino) TUESDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets' 1st-rounder Pryor won't play vs. Colts Associated Press CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) -- Calvin Pryor will have to wait another week for his NFL debut. The New York Jets' rookie safety, who just returned from a concussion, will not play in the team's preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. ''He missed a lot of work,'' Ryan said, adding that Pryor is physically ready to play. ''We'll get him back and get him up to speed for the next one. We kind of waited this long. Let's just get him a fresh start, make sure everything is good. I think that'll be good for him.'' The first-round pick suffered a head injury on July 26 during a special teams drill. Pryor returned to full contact Monday, and has participated in meetings the past several days. ''I don't want him to make a poor account for himself,'' Ryan said. ''I would rather give him a full week of preparation and let him get ready.'' The Jets' second preseason game is Aug. 16 at Cincinnati. Wide receiver Shaq Evans, a fourth-round pick out of UCLA, has a ''severe'' and nagging shoulder injury that Ryan says ''looks pretty bad,'' and has kept him very limited at camp. Ryan did not rule out putting Evans on injured reserve. ''I don't know, we'll see how that goes,'' Ryan said, ''but it doesn't look good right now.'' Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley missed practice with an illness, while running back Bilal Powell (hamstring) and cornerback Johnny Patrick (hamstring) were limited. Tackle Brent Qvale was out with a concussion. Ryan says the team's starters will probably play into the second quarter against the Colts. Geno Smith will start at quarterback, but Michael Vick could get a few snaps with the starters after the first quarter. NOTES: Ryan's son Seth, a wide receiver at Clemson, broke a collarbone during practice Monday. The Jets coach said the first text he got after the news was from former QB Mark Sanchez, now with Philadelphia.... LB Jermaine Cunningham was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn Achilles tendon, suffered in the scrimmage last Saturday night. The Jets signed OT Bruce Campbell to take Cunningham's spot. Campbell was a fourth-round pick by Oakland in 2010, and he has also spent time with Carolina. NEWSDAY Jets plan to play it safe with Calvin Pryor, he won't play Thursday night (Kimberley Martin) Newsday 2 P a g e

3 CORTLAND, N.Y. - Although Calvin Pryor's been cleared for physical contact, the first-round safety won't suit up Thursday against the Colts. "Let's just get him a fresh start, make sure everything's good," Rex Ryan said Tuesday of Pryor, who suffered a concussion on July 26. The former Louisville safety ditched his red non-contact jersey on Monday and practiced with the thirdteam defense and scout defense this week. But ultimately, Ryan said the team didn't feel comfortable putting Pryor out there. "I was debating, hey should we throw him in there? But at the end of the day, let's just take the cautious approach and give him a couple days and let him have at it next week," Ryan said. Evans to IR? Shaq Evans' rookie season could already be over. Ryan said the wide receiver's shoulder injury is "severe" and could land him on injured reserve. The fourth-round pick wore a red non-contact jersey but was "very limited." Said Ryan: "That shoulder looks pretty bad." Sanchez support Mark Sanchez may not be a Jet, but he quickly reached out to his former coach when he heard Ryan's son Seth had broken his collarbone Monday during Clemson's football practice. "First text I got -- Mark Sanchez," Ryan said, adding that Seth should miss six to eight weeks. "(Sanchez) wanted his number." THE RECORD Will Jets' Geno Smith pass first test of 2014? (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 6, CORTLAND, N.Y. The Jets believe Geno Smith has come a long way since last August, and Smith feels the same. Smith knows the first chance to tangibly demonstrate that will come at 7 p.m. Thursday when the Jets host Indianapolis at MetLife Stadium. "Physically bigger and stronger," Smith said Tuesday after practice at SUNY Cortland when asked how he feels differently than he did a year ago. "[On] the mental side of it, not thinking as much, not swimming as much. I have a better understanding and grasp of the offense. "Ultimately," he added, "it's about proving it on the field, going out there on Thursday night and being sharp and having a good showing." Although the game doesn't count, it will be Smith's first opportunity to show the Jets' faith in him is justified. Despite an inconsistent rookie season in which Smith threw 12 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions, the Jets have all but handed him the starting quarterback job over proven veteran Michael Vick. Yes, the Jets haven't named a starter at the position, but Smith has gotten the bulk of the first-team snaps in practice since the spring as the Jets clearly have hitched their wagon to him. 3 P a g e

4 Coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday that the starters will play into the second quarter, and also said that Vick "probably" would get one series with the first-string offense. Franklin Lakes' Matt Simms will relieve Vick at some point. The Jets' offense didn't look impressive in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday night. In 12 possessions, the unit didn't manage a touchdown. Smith (five possessions) and Vick (four) each led the offense to a field goal, but that was it. "We did a lot of good things," Smith said after having watched the film, "a lot more than I had anticipated coming out of that [scrimmage]. But the thing was, we didn't put it together in the end. We didn't score down in the red zone. We had a few missed assignments. Overall, I think we got better but obviously, we want to score more points." Ryan has praised Smith for his "command" of the huddle and of the offense during training camp, and said he expects to see that again Thursday. "I want to see some production, too," he said. "I think we will." Smith was asked if the game has slowed down for him since this time last year. "Yeah, it [has], and we get a chance to go out there on Thursday and see exactly how much it has," he said. "It's definitely slowed down for me a ton, and I kind of felt it coming on at the end of last season. "But it's still a work in progress," Smith added. "I'm still getting better. I'm still fine-tuning a lot of things. "We want to execute to the best of our abilities," Smith said, "go out there and be sharp mentally, be smart physically, be accurate, be smart with the reads and [make] good plays." Vick said he will be glad to not face the Jets' defense for a change. "It's been rough going up against those guys," Vick said. "It feels good to put the pads on against somebody else." As for his mind-set in preseason, the veteran said, "The one thing you don't want to do is not take a rigorous approach in trying to go out there and accomplish something. When you try to just get through it, bad things always tend to happen. Approach it like a [regular-season] game, go out there and have fun and try to move the chains and score some touchdowns." But he cautioned, "One game won't express where we are as an offense. That's what the [entire] preseason is for." Jets notes: Calvin Pryor out for preseason opener (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 6, Pryor will sit out Coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday that rookie safety Calvin Pryor, the Jets' first-round draft pick, will not play in the preseason opener Thursday against Indianapolis. Pryor, who suffered a concussion July 26, has been cleared for contact and resumed practicing, but Ryan indicated he believes Pryor has missed too much practice time to be effective in the game. Ryan thought about suiting him up but decided against it. 4 P a g e

5 "We'll get him back and get him up to speed for the next game," Ryan said of Pryor. The Jets' second preseason game will be at Cincinnati on Aug. 16. Ryan added that he believes Pryor would give "a poor account [of] himself" against the Colts because of the lack of practice time he has had. Rookie Evans to IR? Ryan indicated fourth-round pick Shaq Evans, a wide receiver from UCLA, might be headed to injured reserve because of a serious shoulder injury. Evans won't play against the Colts. "That shoulder looks pretty bad," Ryan said. "This looks like a severe injury." The Jets seem to have plenty of depth at receiver, which could influence their decision on the promising Evans. Briefs Ryan said that WR Eric Decker, who has been dealing with foot and hamstring issues, will play. Running back Bilal Powell (hamstring) might play, the coach said. Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley missed practice because of an illness, Ryan said. Ryan expects to have him available for the game. The Jets signed veteran OL Bruce Campbell, who has played for Oakland and Carolina. Campbell tried out for the Jets during June minicamp. He takes the roster spot of OLB Jermaine Cunningham (torn Achilles'), who was placed on IR. Quote of the day "It looked like he wasn't doing much because he gave up a bunch of completions." Ryan when asked if CB Dimitri Patterson was limited in practice because of an injury. However, Ryan admitted Patterson is dealing with ankle and calf woes. STAR-LEDGER Shaq Evans, Jets' rookie receiver, could be out for year with shoulder injury (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger with_shoulder_injury.html CORTLAND, N.Y. The Jets have already lost one reserve player to a season-ending injury in this training camp. Strong-side linebacker Jermaine Cunningham tore his Achilles tendon in Saturday night s intrasquad scrimmage. Now, it appears the Jets could be on the verge of losing another potential backup who, like Cunningham, was going to have to battle just to make the team. Rookie wide receiver Shaq Evans, a fourth-round draft pick out of UCLA, has a shoulder injury that could be season ending, said coach Rex Ryan. Placing Evans on injured reserve is a possibility, Ryan acknowledged Tuesday. Evans wore a red (non-contact) jersey during Tuesday s practice and was very limited, Ryan said. Evans first put on a red jersey for Friday s practice, after Ryan said he woke up that morning and complained of shoulder pain. Since then, he missed the scrimmage and has not done anything of significance in practice. 5 P a g e

6 That shoulder looks pretty bad, Ryan said. We ll see how that goes, but it doesn t look good right now. We talked to him about it, too. He had the other shoulder (injury) before. But this one seems to be bothering him a lot more. This looks like a severe injury. Evans, who is 6-1 and 213 pounds, was the fifth overall player the Jets drafted, and the second receiver they picked in the fourth round, behind Oklahoma s Jalen Saunders. The Jets drafted three receivers, including Nebraska s Quincy Enunwa in the sixth round. The Jets currently have 12 receivers, so Evans was going to be fighting for a roster spot even if he remained healthy. He had looked so-so in camp before getting hurt. Evans missed rookie minicamp and organized team activities while finishing classes at UCLA. Calvin Pryor won't play vs. Colts, because Rex Ryan wary of him making 'a poor account for himself' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger because_i_dont_want_him_to_make_a_poor_account.html CORTLAND, N.Y. Safety Calvin Pryor, the Jets first-round draft pick, is physically capable of playing in Thursday night s preseason opener against the Colts at MetLife Stadium. Pryor on Monday came out of the NFL s post-concussion assessment protocol, and was cleared for contact in practice. He no longer has any restrictions on his participation as he returns from the first concussion of his entire football career. But Jets coach Rex Ryan has decided to hold Pryor out of the preseason opener. Ryan wants to take a cautious approach with a player who will play an important role in his defense. Pryor sustained a concussion on a punt drill July 26, in the Jets third practice of training camp, and their first practice in full pads. So Pryor did not get any full-padded practice time in team periods with the defense until Monday, when he got a few reps with the third team after he was allowed to remove his red (non-contact) jersey. Pryor said Monday that he felt a little rusty, but Ryan did not rule out the possibility of him playing against the Colts. At Tuesday s practice, the Jets did no real, full-speed team periods, but rather walk-through periods, in which Pryor worked with the second-team defense against the first-team offense, while Antonio Allen and Dawan Landry practiced as the first-team safeties. Pryor was expected to compete with Allen and Landry for playing time in camp. After practice, Ryan explained why he decided that Pryor won t play Thursday. He is physically ready to play, but I don t anticipate playing him in this preseason game, Ryan said. He missed a lot of work. We ll get him back and get him up to speed for the next one. We kind of waited this long, too. Let s just get him a fresh start, make sure everything is good. I think that ll be good for him. I was debating: Hey, do we throw him in there? At the end of the day, let s just take the cautious approach and give him a couple days and let him have at it next week. After Thursday s game, the Jets are off Friday. They return to SUNY Cortland and practice here Saturday through Thursday six practices before traveling next Friday to Cincinnati for next Saturday s second preseason game. 6 P a g e

7 Pryor missed three practices entirely because of his concussion. Then he spent last Thursday and Friday in a red jersey, going through position drills but not team periods. On Monday, he transitioned out of red and got some team action, but nothing of major significance. On Tuesday, he was not in red at all, but the Jets didn t have team periods pitting the starting offense against the starting defense. What has Pryor lost with missing so much practice time? A lot of it is in the communication and just getting out there, Ryan said. I thought he was getting better with taking better angles. In minicamp, he was a little short on some of the angles. That s really to be expected. The college game is a little different than the pro game. I thought he was really getting better at that. It s just those types of things. We installed a lot of defense. He was in those meetings, but until you re actually out there doing it I don t want him to make a poor account for himself (in his preseason game debut). I would rather give him a full week of preparation and let him get ready. Jets' Calvin Pryor on time away due to concussion: 'I needed those reps' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger eded_those_reps.html CORTLAND, N.Y. More than 25 years have passed since Tim McDonald s rocky rookie NFL season, when he missed all but three games because of an injury. McDonald, a safety, was a second-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in Watching most of his rookie year from the sideline stung initially. But it proved to be the perfect foundation for a career in which McDonald made six Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers. I wouldn t suggest anybody do it, McDonald said of sitting out that season. But it was one of the best experiences I had, because I learned a lot from watching the veterans play. McDonald, now the Jets secondary coach, recalled his own NFL debut to support his point that the Jets first-round draft pick, safety Calvin Pryor, can still develop even as he has missed almost all of training camp. Pryor sustained a concussion July 26, in their Jets third camp practice, and their first with full pads. He got hurt during a punt coverage drill. He completely missed the next three practices. He spent last Thursday and Friday limited to position drills, while wearing a red (non-contact) jersey. After missing Saturday s intrasquad scrimmage, Pryor took off his red jersey late in Monday s practice, after being cleared for full participation, and removed from the NFL s post-concussion assessment protocol. Pryor worked briefly with the third team Monday. The Jets didn t do any full-speed 11-on-11 periods in Tuesday s practice, opting for half-speed walkthrough sessions during which Pryor lined up with the second-team defense against the starting offense. Jets coach Rex Ryan said Pryor won t play in Thursday night s preseason opener against the Colts at MetLife Stadium. Ryan said Pryor is physically ready to play, but because Pryor has yet to work with the first-team defense in a full-pads practice, he isn t well-equipped to handle a game. I don t want him to make a poor account for himself (on Thursday), Ryan said. 7 P a g e

8 Antonio Allen and Dawan Landry, who were scheduled to rotate with Pryor in the starting defense during camp, will work with the first team against the Colts. Pryor is expected to practice Saturday when the Jets resume training camp in Cortland. It will be the first of six straight practices before the Jets second preseason game, Aug. 16 at the Bengals. That is Pryor s targeted game debut. Pryor understands he has a lot of catching up to do between now and then. Those reps that I missed are huge, he said. I needed those reps. Not being out there with (the starters) can have a setback on my performance and how I handle things. Safeties like Pryor must make important pre-snap coverage adjustments, or checks, in the Jets defense, based on the formation the offense shows. Practicing these checks on the field alongside the other defensive backs is obviously the ideal way to master them. But even in his post-concussion exile from practice, Pryor attempted to remain sharp. He spent extra time studying film alone with McDonald, who quizzed him on defensive schemes and which checks and alignment calls Pryor is required to make in each. It s important that I know each and every call, Pryor said. McDonald said he advised Pryor to do everything while away from practice stay diligent about receiving physical treatment, ask a lot of questions in meetings and film sessions, get deep in the playbook to avoid becoming distracted by the monotony of training camp, and watch how the older players navigate practice. It s probably been a little bit overwhelming to him, McDonald said of Pryor being sidelined for so long. But not too many guys who have come through this league haven t gone through a little something their rookie year. He s got to be strong enough. And I think he is. I know he is. The Jets expect Pryor to serve as a hard-hitting presence in the middle of their secondary. McDonald believes he can still do that. But McDonald acknowledged the coaching staff has been able to glean not a whole lot about Pryor from watching his limited participation in 11-on-11 periods so far in camp. We know what the potential is, McDonald said. We ve seen him play. It s just a matter of getting him (practice experience) and getting him to the level mentally where the physical part can take over. I m pretty sure there will be some struggles. But we ll get him there. 8 observations from Day 12 of Jets camp, as the preseason opener nears (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger ason_opener_nears.html CORTLAND, N.Y. It is get-away day at SUNY Cortland, at least for some of the members of the Jets training camp circus. While reporters and fans hit the road and head home for Thursday night s preseason opener against the Colts, the players and coaches actually have more day in Cortland, on Wednesday, when they will hold a walk-through. Really, Tuesday s practice was more of a walk-through session than an actual practice, as the Jets wore shells instead of full pads and did not have any team periods pitting the starters against each other. Moreover, there were not full-speed team periods. 8 P a g e

9 In addition to that, here is what we noticed Tuesday, which was the last time the public and media will observe a Jets practice in Cortland until Saturday: 1. Three-quarters speed. The Jets separated their starting offense and starting defense. Each worked against the second-stringers, who served as the scout team. This is generally how the Jets do game-plan installation before a game, though there won t be much specific game planning for Thursday, as is the case with most preseason games. The walk-through sessions with the starters against the backups were not conducted at full speed Tuesday, as the Jets did not want to get anybody hurt during these game prep periods, such as they were. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg started the walk-through periods by telling his players to take it easy on each other, and avoid contact. 2. Dropped passes. These were an issue for the Jets earlier in training camp. After going away for a little while, they cropped up again over the past couple days. Eric Decker had a rough day Monday, with four drops his worst day of camp. He dropped another pass Tuesday, but then followed it with a nice catch on a Geno Smith deep ball, as Decker got past rookie cornerback Brandon Dixon and into the end zone. Running back Chris Johnson dropped back-to-back deep balls in the end zone easy catches. The first came on a throw from Michael Vick, the second on a Smith heave. Jalen Saunders also dropped a Vick pass over the middle during walk-through. Saunders appeared lost before the snap about where he was supposed to line up, and Vick directed him to the right spot. After Saunders drop, the Jets ran the same play again on the next snap, and Saunders made the catch this time. Adjusting to life as a rookie receiver is definitely not easy and Saunders will be tested at game speed Thursday. 3. Eric Decker ailing? We just mentioned the things that went obviously wrong and right for Decker during Tuesday s practice. Before Monday, he had dropped maybe one pass in the entire camp. And his one drop Tuesday was his only hiccup. So he has looked very good, for the most part. But since the end of last week, Decker has been nursing hamstring tenderness. He missed most of Friday s practice and barely played in Saturday s intrasquad scrimmage. Ryan said Decker is also dealing with foot pain. But Decker said he is fine. Ryan seemed to downplay the injuries, as he said Decker will play against the Colts. Decker did not appear to be overly limited in his movement Tuesday. 4. Calvin Pryor is ready to go. But the Jets won t play him against the Colts, even though he has been completely cleared for participation and contact following a concussion. Ryan is operating with an abundance of caution as the politicians like to say regarding his first-round draft pick safety. Pryor practiced with the second-team defense during Tuesday s walk-through period against the starters. He teamed with Rontez Miles at the safety spots. When the Jets resume practice Saturday in Cortland, look for Pryor to get action with the first team during 11-on-11 periods. 5. A newcomer. The Jets put strong-side linebacker Jermaine Cunningham on injured reserve Tuesday, after he tore his Achilles tendon in the scrimmage. To replace him on the roster, they signed offensive tackle Bruce Campbell, who was one of six players the Jets invited for a tryout during minicamp. Campbell, who participated in Tuesday's practice, was a fourth-round pick by the Raiders in From that minicamp tryout, the Jets also kept kicker Andrew Furney and punter Jacob Schum, though both could very well get cut later this month, when the Jets trim their active roster to the final Optimism on injury front. Receiver Jeremy Kerley (illness), and offensive linemen Markus Zusevics (knee) and Brent Qvale (concussion) did not practice Tuesday. Ryan hopes Kerley can be available for Thursday s game. Running back Bilal Powell (hamstring) was limited Tuesday, as was cornerback Johnny Patrick (hamstring). Their participation Tuesday made Ryan more optimistic about their status for Thursday. But Ryan said he still is not sure if Powell will be able to go against the Colts. 9 P a g e

10 He was better today than we anticipated him being, Ryan said. At first, I was going to be like, He won t play. Johnny Patrick won t play. Well, they both looked pretty good today. So we ll probably reevaluate that and see. That was my initial thought, that we wouldn t play him, but I m not so sure now. 7. Dimitri Patterson was slowed and ineffective. The Jets signed the journeyman cornerback in the offseason to pair with second-year pro Dee Milliner. The Jets decision to acquire Patterson who has now played for seven teams in his 10-year career rather than a higher-priced corner in free agency has come under much scrutiny. Publicly, the Jets have said they are pleased with the pace at which Patterson is learning their defense. But he has had hiccups in camp like getting beat by Stephen Hill for a 41-yard completion in the scrimmage. Patterson is 31. Because of injuries, he played just 15 games combined over the past two seasons. On Monday, Ryan said Patterson is dealing with a calf/ankle injury, so Darrin Walls got reps with the first team. On Tuesday, Patterson also looked a step slow. He was limited in practice and somewhat ineffective, too, as Ryan pointed out. It looked like he wasn t doing much because he gave up a bunch of completions, Ryan said. He was out there. He ll play (on Thursday). But he is nursing a little bit of an injury. He s pushing through it. We were going through some things, like, Dimitri, we ve got to tighten up a little over there. But he s played well. A guy that s been there and done that will kind of pace himself a little bit, to make sure that his body is right. I think that s really where he was. He wasn t full speed out there, certainly, today. But hopefully by Thursday, he ll be ready. Training camp can get to be a grind at this point. The important thing for the Jets is that Patterson is physically ready and effective when the season begins Sept. 7 against the Raiders exactly one month from the preseason lid-lifter against the Colts. 8. Quarterbacking. Oh yeah, and here is our daily update on the Geno Smith vs. Michael Vick competition, such as it is, courtesy of the estimable Dom Cosentino. NEW YORK POST Jets rookie Shaq Evans could end up on IR (Brian Costello) New York Post CORTLAND Rookie WR Shaq Evans had a red no-contact jersey on again, and coach Rex Ryan said Evans shoulder injury is serious. He could even wind up on IR, Ryan said. The Jets have some tough roster decisions to make at wide receiver. Evans did not have a great start to camp and his chances of beating out the receivers he s competing with are not good. If the Jets can stash him on IR for the season, it might not be the worst thing in the world. The Jets took it easy in practice Tuesday as they prepare for Thursday night s preseason opener against the Colts at MetLife Stadium. 10 P a g e

11 The practice was basically a short walkthrough with the offense on one field and the defense on the other. They did some minor prep work for the Colts with scout teams, but mainly worked on their own plan for the game. The players are anxious to actually hit another team after banging heads with each other for two weeks. RB Bilal Powell (hamstring) participated in position drills, but Ryan said he was unsure if Powell would play against the Colts. WR Jeremy Kerley did not practice due to illness. OT Brent QVale (concussion) and OT Markus Zusevics (knee) did not practice. WR Eric Decker still looks like he s nursing a few injuries. Ryan said Monday that Decker has been dealing with foot and hamstring injuries. Decker had a drop during the offense s walkthrough. He did make a smooth catch on a deep post pattern from Geno Smith. Speaking of drops, RB Chris Johnson had two terrible ones on back-to-back plays in the front of the end zone. Just a taste of classic Vick could kickstart Jets QB controversy (Brian Costello) New York Post CORTLAND Here s a guarantee: Michael Vick will make you say Wow at least once during Thursday night s Jets preseason opener against the Colts. Count on it. The 34-year-old quarterback is not the same dynamic player he was a decade ago. He is not the player who looked like he would change the game, coming out of Virginia Tech. But he still is capable of making you shake your head in disbelief with a flick of his left wrist that sends a football 50 yards or a sprint out of the backfield that results in 20 yards. This is what Geno Smith is up against, beginning Thursday night. Smith is not just going up against the 2014 version of Vick, but the legend of Vick. It is impossible to watch Vick and not recall the crazy things he could do on a football field when he was at his best. Smith and Vick have not had a quarterback competition this summer. The job is Smith s. The Jets may not want to admit that, but their actions make it clear. Smith has received around 75 percent of the first-team snaps in training camp. Against the Colts, Smith will start and Vick only will get one series with the starters. Smith can t falter. Every stumble, every interception, every terrible throw Smith makes will make people wonder whether the Jets would be better off with Vick under center. When Vick makes you say, Wow, the questions will grow louder. Why not give Vick a chance? It would be premature to base a quarterback decision on one preseason game when the starters only will play into the second quarter, but now we start keeping score. No more red jerseys. No more shorts. No more passes against air. Last season when Smith struggled, the Jets had no one to turn to. Mark Sanchez was on injured reserve, and Matt Simms had even less experience than Smith. They stuck with Smith for 16 games basically because they had no choice. 11 P a g e

12 That is why Vick is a Jet. The coaches and front office were encouraged by Smith s finish to the 2013 season but realized they had to upgrade at backup quarterback. Vick never was brought in here to supplant Smith. He was signed to provide an insurance policy if Smith struggles, and to light a fire under Smith. I think that you have Mike Vick come in here, you better be on top of your game, coach Rex Ryan said. Obviously, Geno is. Whether he needed Mike Vick to be here or not, I m not sure. Probably not, because I know Geno wants it in the worst way to be a great quarterback. But certainly you have Mike Vick in there, that does push you. Smith had a terrible preseason last year, spraining his ankle in the first game, missing the second, then throwing three interceptions and stepping out of the back of the end zone in the third. What is Smith looking for on Thursday? Execution. It s always about execution, Smith said. It s always about doing the right things on the field. We want to execute to the best of our abilities, be sharp mentally, be sharp physically, be accurate, be smart with the reads, and get good plays in. Ryan wants to see some points. I want to see some production, too, Ryan said. I think we ll see it. Vick has been a good teammate since joining the Jets. He has not made any noise about being relegated to the bench. Vick goes out of his way to support Smith and to help him. There is a much different vibe to this year s quarterbacks group than last year s, when tension existed between Smith and Sanchez because they were fighting for the starting job. Geno s working extremely hard to be the best quarterback he can be in this game, Vick said. You see guys around the league around his age going out and having success and doing good things for their ballclub. I think he wants to fall right into that echelon. He s going to be great. He s going to be 10 times better than he was last year. He d better be. Jets top rookie may sit vs Cincy despite doctors OK (Brian Lewis) New York Post CORTLAND Calvin Pryor may have been cleared by the doctors, but getting past the coaches is another matter. Jets coach Rex Ryan said he is leaning toward not playing the first-round pick in Thursday s preseason opener, to give the rookie safety some more practice time in his return from a concussion. He s listed as physically ready to play, but I don t anticipate playing him in this preseason game, Ryan said. That s a lot of work. We ll get him back and get him up to speed for the next one. That s kind of what I see. Pryor who suffered a concussion July 26, the Jets first day in pads passed the NFL s post-concussion assessment protocol on Monday. He got a few snaps with the third-string defense Monday and practiced with the second unit Tuesday. 12 P a g e

13 But with the Jets doing no full-speed team periods Tuesday, just walk-throughs and enjoying an off-day Friday Ryan said they likely will err on the side of caution. We waited this long, let s get him a fresh start, make sure everything s good, Ryan said. We ll start the week. We have a couple of training-camp days and then you ll get ready to play Cincinnati, so I think that ll be good for him. I was debating: Do we throw him in there? But at the end of the day, let s just take the cautious approach, give him a couple days and let him have at it next week. He was in those [defensive] meetings, but until you re actually out there doing it [it s different]. I don t want him to make a poor account for himself. I d rather give him a full week of preparation and let him get ready. RBs Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell are listed as even atop the depth chart, and they might stay there for a while, with Ryan saying he expects to use a running back-by-committee. I definitely think it s going to be a committee approach. When you have Chris Ivory, Chris Johnson and Bilal Powell, I think that s a pretty safe bet, Ryan said. [It s] different than 09 when Thomas [Jones] clearly ended up being the guy that took the majority of the things. But these are three guys that are capable of being starters themselves, so I think we ll play all of them. Powell (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis, and may play Thursday. I m not real sure. He was better than we anticipated him being. At first I was [thinking] he won t play, Ryan said. We ll probably reevaluate that. The Jets put LB Jermaine Cunningham on injured reserve and signed OT Bruce Campbell. WR Shaq Evans has a shoulder injury Ryan called pretty bad, acknowledging the rookie could end up on the seasonending IR. Ryan verbally tweaked CB Dimitri Patterson, who is nursing ankle and calf woes: It looked like he wasn t doing much because he gave up a bunch of completions. I was like, Dimitri, we have to tighten up a little bit over there. Jets eager to see Decker, Johnson in game action (Brian Lewis) New York Post August 6, CORTLAND After nearly two weeks of training camp, the Jets finally get to hit somebody in a different uniform in Thursday s preseason opener and try out offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg s two newest weapons. Newcomers Eric Decker and Chris Johnson say it can t come soon enough. Yeah, it s about that time. These last two weeks, we put in good work, [the] scrimmage, we got some good work in, really live action, Decker said Tuesday. Now it s just fun, because you go up against the same guy, installing the same stuff, so it s fun to see where you re at with a different opponent. They face the Colts at MetLife Stadium, the site where Decker s 2013 season with the Broncos ended at the hands of Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII. After his 87-catch, 1,288-yard, 11-touchdown campaign, Decker was held to a single catch for six yards in the Super Bowl by Richard Sherman, but that didn t deter the receiver-starved Jets from giving him a five-year, $36.25 million deal to be their top wideout. 13 P a g e

14 Despite some nagging injuries, the Jets will get their first true glimpse Thursday at what that money bought them. The biggest thing for us offensively is that we execute, as far as moving the chains, get some first downs, [and] if we get in the red areas, scoring a touchdown is key, Decker said. The little things we ve been working on as far as execution, everyone doing their job, eliminating penalties, having some explosive plays if possible, all-and-all fluently playing the game. Decker didn t look too fluent on Monday, his worst day of training camp with four drops. He had another Tuesday, but bounced back with a 40-yard touchdown, albeit against rookie corner Brandon Dixon and a defense playing at three-quarters speed. Decker himself hasn t been full-speed since late last week. I m fine. I feel good, Decker said. I was out there full-go. Three or four days ago we wanted to be smart, and coach gave me the day to be smart about it. After missing most of Friday s practice and hardly playing in Saturday s scrimmage due to a sore hamstring, coach Rex Ryan said Decker has also been fighting through foot woes but will play. I m excited about [the preseason opener], Ryan said. Let s see where this team is at. Let s see how Decker fits in. The Jets also are anxious to see how Johnson fits in, signed away from the Titans to give Gang Green a home-run hitter and a running back-by-committee. I definitely think it s going to be the committee approach. When you have Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson and Bilal Powell, I d think that s a pretty safe bet, Ryan said, adding, Will we ride the hot hand? Sure, that s always possibility also. That s not shocking, with Johnson returning from offseason knee surgery. But he insisted the injury he suffered in Week 3 of last season is completely behind him, where he hopes to leave defenders. My knee felt great, coming out here and not having to wear a brace or anything. I m feeling good, said Johnson, who has no set number of carries he will need to get up to speed. Once you re in there and you get comfortable, you know your own body and you know when it s enough. Despite Johnson s consecutive end-zone drops on Tuesday, Mornhinweg said he intends to split the gamebreaking running back out wide more than the Titans did. Johnson heard the same thing in Tennessee until the games actually started. But Thursday should give Mornhinweg at least the first chance to play with his shiny new toys. We practiced that stuff at Tennessee, but pretty much when the game came, we didn t do a lot of it. It seems like we ll be focusing on that. I like that, Johnson said. That s just another way that Marty has to get me in space to get me in the open field, so whatever things he has planned, I m liking it right now. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Shoulder could put NY Jets WR Shaq Evans on IR (Seth Walder) New York Daily News P a g e

15 CORTLAND The Jets could be losing one of their rookie draft picks for the season. Rex Ryan said fourthround pick Shaq Evans shoulder injury is severe and that placing him on season-ending IR is a possibility. His shoulder looks pretty bad, Ryan said. He s still out there in the (red non-contact) jersey, very limited. We ll see how that goes but it doesn t look good right now. This looks like a severe injury, Ryan added. When asked about the possibility of Evans being placed on IR, Ryan said, It could be. Ryan said Evans previously had an injury on his other shoulder. Evans was one of the three wide receivers the Jets drafted this year, along with Jalen Saunders and Quincy Enunwa. Evans was selected with the 115th overall pick out of UCLA. EASY DOES IT Jets starters will play a little more than a quarter in Thursday s preseason game against the Colts, Ryan estimated. Ryan said Michael Vick will probably get a series with the first team as well. Geno Smith has received the vast majority of first-team reps in practice and on two occasions has taken all of the firstteam snaps. Matt Simms will relieve Vick and rookie Tajh Boyd will be the fourth quarterback to enter the game. Boyd has fallen behind Simms in the competition for the No. 3 quarterback job, struggling mightily throughout training camp. SAFETY FIRST Ryan changed his mind on safety Calvin Pryor s status for the first preseason game, saying Tuesday that he decided that the first-round pick likely will not play against the Colts. Pryor suffered a concussion on July 26 but was cleared for contact on Monday. I was debating: Hey do we throw him in there? But at the end of the day let s just take the cautious approach, Ryan said. PICK IT UP Ryan took a little jab at Dimitri Patterson after he was asked if the cornerback was limited in Tuesday s practice. Patterson is expected to start alongside Dee Milliner. It looked like he wasn t doing much because he gave up a bunch of completions, Ryan said. He was out there, he will play. But he was out here, and he is nursing a bit of an injury, pushing through it. We were going through some things like, Dimitri, we got to tighten up a little over there. BLACK AND (BLUE) DECKER Eric Decker walked a little gingerly off the field Tuesday but said afterwards he felt good and will play Thursday. RB Bilal Powell (hamstring) was able to return to limited action and Ryan said it s possible he could play Thursday. WR Jeremy Kerley missed Tuesday s practice due to illness.... The Jets signed OL Bruce Campbell and placed Jermaine Cunningham (Achilles) on IR. NY Jets cornerback Dee Milliner is dubbed Franchise (Seth Walder) New York Daily News 15 P a g e

16 CORTLAND Dee Milliner has earned himself a new nickname. It was started by linebacker Demario Davis and has spread to some members of the secondary. They call the second-year cornerback Franchise. Milliner laughed at the mention of his new title and said he has no choice but to embrace it. But while it may seem like all fun, Davis is completely serious. He s the franchise player. Him not showing up is like KD not showing up, Davis said, referring to Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. If he shows up, we re going to have a great night. If he doesn t, we re going to struggle. But that s just the nature of the beast and that s why I call him the Franchise. No pressure, huh? But instead of pretending that pressure on Milliner doesn t exist, the cornerback and his teammates are trying to use it as motivation. The former first-round pick himself agreed that the success of the defense hinges on his own performance more than anyone. I know I m going to be on the top receivers, the best receivers on the team, Milliner said. If I can stop the best guy, I know they re going to try to get the ball to him. If I can prevent some big plays from happening we can be a great defense and a great team. Defensive backs coach Tim McDonald stressed that Milliner needs to focus on the technical aspects of the job. If your technique slacks off, you re going to get beat so he understands that, McDonald said. Is there pressure? Damn right there s pressure. You ve got to be up for the challenge each and every day. The same can be said for all the Jets, especially the way they re boasting in camp. Milliner told the Daily News he is the best cornerback in the league. Calvin Pace said the Jets have the best defense in the NFL. If the Jets are going to fulfill Pace s prophecy, Milliner will have to lead the way. It s going to be great because it starts with him, Davis, a leader on the defense, added. I made him aware: there are responsibilities in your hands, but I wouldn t want it in nobody else s hands. While the Jets front-seven is unquestionably strong, Milliner is the critical figure in the biggest unknown of the defense: the secondary. After a rough rookie season He was thrown to the wolves, Rex Ryan said Milliner s responsibility increased after the team cut Antonio Cromartie. After being humbled by the NFL last year, Milliner said he has been doing more film preparation. According to his position coach, it s paying off. McDonald said he s seen improvements in how conscious Milliner is of his teammates positions and is being more physical by getting his hands on receivers. The real test of Milliner's preparation, however, will come in Week 1. The pressure is on. But pressure is what makes a diamond of coal, Davis said. Does he rise to the occasion is what the question is going to be. And I say yes. Proud NY Jets coach Rex Ryan aches for son (Gary Myers) New York Daily News 16 P a g e

17 CORTLAND Rex Ryan sees it all the time: Torn ACLs, blown-out shoulders, ripped Achilles and broken collarbones. He s used to seeing careers altered and careers end. It s a fact of life as a football coach. This time, it s different. It stinks, he said. Ryan found out about the injury when his cell phone rang. His son Seth, a walk-on receiver at Clemson fighting for playing time on one of the best teams in the country, was calling with bad news. He made a diving touchdown catch at practice Monday and broke his collarbone. I m just a dad in this situation, Ryan told the Daily News after Jets practice on Tuesday. That s my son. You feel for him. As close as Ryan has grown to some of his players in his six years as the Jets head coach, and as much genuine compassion he shows when one of his players suffers a devastating injury, he felt another kind of hurt this time. When it s your kid, it s obviously different. The pain in the gut and the heart is real. Ryan hurt for Mark Sanchez when the quarterback suffered a serious shoulder injury in the preseason against the Giants last summer. Sanchez had been like a third son to Ryan back in 2009, their first year together with the Jets. Sanchez would attend Seth s Friday night football games at Summit High School. Ryan made an error in judgment putting Sanchez in that preseason game behind a patchwork offensive line, but he hurt for Sanchez when the quarterback suffered the season-ending injury that required surgery on what turned out to be his last play as a Jet. Ryan s phone lit up Monday and Tuesday with text messages when word got out about his son s injury. The first text came from Sanchez, who is now the Eagles backup quarterback. The NFL is waging a massive campaign to make the game safer and is starting on the grass roots level with the kids. But injuries happen. It s a collision sport. They say that s the reason you don t play football, Ryan said. I ll tell you the reason you play football is for everything else it does: You got to have guts. It teaches you everything in life. Things happen and you got to find a way to pick yourself up and fight through it and build yourself back up. The other thing is it s the ultimate team sport. It s still the greatest game and you gain more from this game than anything else you will do in life. Clemson finished No. 8 in the country last year when Seth Ryan was redshirted. He walked onto the team and Rex thought he would just try to make it as a holder on placekicks and use the experience to learn as much as he can with the ultimate goal to get into coaching. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was giving him a lot of time at receiver in the preseason practices. He s 6-foot and only 170 pounds, but Ryan said his son is a tough kid and Swinney texted him after the injury to tell him he still expects Seth to play for him. One scrimmage he caught eight balls, two touchdowns, Ryan said. The kid is a legitimate receiver. He was a corner and slot back at Summit but didn t play his senior year because of eligibility issues relating to when he played in the eighth grade. He could have gone to a smaller college and likely played a lot, but wanted to go to Clemson. Ryan is convinced his son will play at Clemson, even though he said they recruited four top-100 receivers. Well, at least Sammy Watkins has graduated to the NFL. This is a devastating injury to him because he s doing everything he can to play. Dabo is a guy who gives people chances, Ryan said. Seth is down a little bit. His thing is he s going to do exactly what is asked of 17 P a g e