Jets football blog

Hobson's choice: Pats

The Jets , who've been busy signing free agents from other teams this offseason, yesterday suffered their biggest free-agent loss when linebacker Victor Hobson Victor Hobson signed a one-year deal with the Patriots.

Hobson, who had been with the Jets since they drafted him in 2003, was on the market since March with not a lot of takers, including the Jets, and opted to lock in with the rival Patriots. "Victor is a good young player with considerable playing experience," Bill Belichick said in a statement. "We are excited about his addition to our linebacker unit." Continue

Jets rookie cornerback Revis ends holdout

It took 20 days of training camp to make Darrelle Revis a Jet. Now there are 24 days to get him ready for the Patriots.

Revis ended his contract dispute yesterday, signing a deal that Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum called "extraordinarily complicated." The cornerback from Pitt was officially introduced by Tannenbaum at around 8:50 p.m. - even though he had several more pages of the dense document to sign. Terms were not immediately disclosed, but it is reportedly a six-year, $36-million contract voidable after four years, with an option for the Jets to buy back the remaining two years. Continue

Jets reach agreement with first-round draft pick Revis

A marathon Tuesday night session that included intense negotiations, and a little noshing, finally concluded in a Wednesday evening agreement between the New York Jets and first-round draft choice Darrelle Revis.

The University of Pittsburgh cornerback, who was the 14th player chosen overall in April, missed 21 days of training camp and 23 practice sessions. The Jets had hoped to have the deal completed in time for their Wednesday afternoon practice, but fell short of that goal. Details of the contract were not immediately available. Continue

Unsigned No. 1 pick Revis near deal with Jets

Yesterday, the only way Jets fans could see the team's first-round draft pick in action was by purchasing the Madden '08 video game. Today, there's a very good chance that cornerback Darrelle Revis will be on the practice field with his new teammates.

Nineteen days, 21 practices and one game into training camp, the Jets were on the verge of signing Revis last night. General manager Mike Tannenbaum said he and Revis' representatives, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, had been working all day and were close to finalizing a deal. "We've made substantial progress," Tannenbaum said last night. "We have some more work to do, but I'm optimistic. We're committed to seeing this thing through, so barring something unforeseen, hopefully we'll have a resolution soon." Continue

Revis' holdout irking Mangini

The longer the Darrelle Revis contract holdout drags on, the more irritable Jets coaches and management become. Revis, the Jets' top draft pick, No. 14 overall, missed his fourth and fifth practices yesterday while Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and Revis' agent, Neil Schwartz, negotiate what should be a simple contract.

Based on the fact that both players drafted ahead of and behind Revis have been signed, it really should be simple math slotting him in with a contract. However, the word is that the Jets want Revis to sign a six-year deal, which would be financially better for the team in the long run, and Revis wants to sign a five-year deal, which is what the players drafted before and after him had signed. Continue

Revis seeks six-year deal

The Jets' contract dispute with first-round pick Darrelle Revis isn't close to being resolved. The sticking point is the length of contract. The Jets want a six-year deal, but the defensive back out of Pitt prefers a five-year contract - a philosophical difference that could result in a fairly lengthy dispute. Neither side is commenting, but it doesn't take a salary-cap whiz to figure out the issue. Teams that picked in the top 16 are allowed to sign players for a maximum of six years, but the league-wide trend this year is five-year deals.

A shorter deal means a smaller signing bonus, but players and agents don't mind that because they can make it up (and then some) on the back end, hitting the free-agent market a year earlier. Some players in the top 16 have signed six-year deals that void to five years if easily attainable incentives are met, but the Jets don't believe in voidable contracts and don't want to create a precedent. Continue

Jets sign Harris; await Revis

Is the streak in jeopardy? The Jets have signed their draft picks for the start of training camp nine straight years - the last late arrival was James Farrior in 1997 - but, as of last night, they hadn't signed first-round choice Darrelle Revis. Players are due to report today; two-a-day practices begin tomorrow.

Second-round pick David Harris, a linebacker from Michigan, signed a four-year contract yesterday for about $3.5 million, leaving Revis as the only unsigned pick. One person familiar with the Revis negotiations said he wouldn't be surprised if the contract wasn't finalized on time, although the Jets, who envision the former Pitt standout as an immediate contributor at cornerback, are highly motivated to strike a deal. Continue

Bender signs with Jets

The Jets yesterday announced the signing of sixth-round draft pick, offensive lineman Jacob Bender. A 6-6, 315-pounder from Nicholls State, Bender was the 177th overall pick in the draft after playing in 42 games (31 starts) during his four-year collegiate career.

The Mayo, Md., native was a two-time All-Southland Conference first-team selection for Nicholls, where he helped lead the Colonels to their first Southland Conference championship in 2005. (NY Post)

4 Picks, high-5s

Since he graduated from ball boy for Bill Belichick in Cleveland, Eric Mangini has cut his teeth in the NFL as a defensive coach. As a collegiate player, he was a team-leader at nose tackle at Wesleyan. From there, he coached defensive backs and was a defensive coordinator before coming to the Jets.

As you can imagine, seeing his team ranked 20th in the NFL in overall defense and 24th against the run in his first season as a head coach last year didn't sit well with Mangini. So in conjunction with GM Mike Tannenbaum and the Jets' team of scouts, Mangini set out to improve the defense in this year's NFL Draft. And the early results - on paper at least - appear rather positive. Continue

Jets draft own plan

On Day 2 of the draft, the Patriots took a big chance and the Jets took a little Chansi. Although it's probably unfair to group Randy Moss and Chansi Stuckey, a Clemson wide receiver whom the Jets picked yesterday in the seventh round, the latest from "The Border War" typified the offseasons for the Patriots and Jets.

After selecting the 5-11 Stuckey, coach Eric Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum emerged from their Hofstra bunker, quietly confident they had improved the team over the two-day process. On Saturday, they created a buzz, trading up in Rounds 1 and 2 for cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris, respectively - two possible rookie starters. Continue