In other non-news the Jets signed a tight end. A.J. Schable. Yes, that A.J. Schable. Is Chris Baker on his way out of town? Well he hasn’t made it easy to want to keep him by being a first class jerk…and this from a player on the cusp of mediocrity. What is a Chris Baker worth on the trade market? Maybe the Saints would parth with a 5th round pick for Baker…maybe. Anything the Jets get would be better than nothing. It seems like the only person that is not aware that Baker only ranked 19th best overall at his position last season is Chris Baker. In this same blog we also read speculation for a bold quarterback move for Jets. Might not be a bad idea.

While this isn’t really huge news — it just goes to show you what grabs headlines this time of year for an NFL team — it may have repurcussions. Think about it…Tannenbaum is only entering his third year as a general manager and he has displayed great skill working the salary cap and signing free agents while improving his drafting ability. Hopefully his new expanded role with the team will not take too much time away from his shaping the Jets on the field product in exchange for shaping the overall bottom line on the business side. We know about Mike, about his apprenticeship and the fact that he has been here awhile. Scott Cohen is much more unknown but could he be the Jets GM of the future if Trader Mike continues his ascent and someday becomes Jets Team President? Food for thought.

Only a story as big as Jay Cross leaving could bump this shocking free agent signing by the Jets to the back burner. You should be sitting when you read this.

The Faneca signing will be the most important free agent signing in the league as history suggests it is this position that translates into W’s and immediate and substantial dividends in the ground game rankings. Faneca will also be much more than a single position upgrade over uber whiner Pete Kendall. He’ll be the mentor and on field coach that will continue to make Ferguson and Mangold two of the leagues best young players on the offensive line.

While the line has been solidified since the start of free agency it appears that the Jets front office needed some impact additions as well. Who knew? The biggest news was the hiring of an aisstant general manager. It doesn’t appear that Scott Cohen — the man Mike Tannenbaum tapped — has any prior connections to Tannenbaum or the organization but at the very least he comes from a solid front office and winning franchise so that can’t hurt. 

The NFL teams are all doing something very cool and very smart by making their rookies visit Canton, Ohio to see someplace every pro football player dreams of being a permanent resident of: the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dustin Keller enjoyed his visit and I still say the Jets shiny new tight end has the speed to run by linebackers and the size to run through or drag defensive backs all in a frame that houses hands as soft as goose down. If you play fantasy football don’t sleep on Keller.

A guy who I have always loved and look to continue to take strides to being a fixture in Jets defense is safety Eric Smith and the DB has a fan in Eric Mangini. Another player Jets fans thought might wind up in the green and white - Rosevelt Colvin - has a new home and it ain’t with us. Colvin could have helped the pass rush and may have been an intrguing player to move inside at linebacker or take snaps away from Bryan Thomas if he struggled but it was not to be. 

This is not to knock Pennington at all. Hopefully, a spirited and skillfull position battle ensues and the best man wins rather than winning by default. That is just what the Jets need: Competition. It would obviously behoove the Jets if Kellen Clemens became The Man because he offers more downfield arm strength and the ability to rip off chunks of yards at a time. Despite all his faults (lack of arm strength, endless injuries) Chad has still endeared himself to Jets fans for his toughness and never say die attitude. He has also always been a consumate team first guy and ultimate professional. The outcome should please Jets fans either way because hopefylly this year, whoever wins the starting job will have earned it through one intensely fought battle.

In the “Tell Us Something We Don’t Know” department, Bryan Thomas apparently didn’t have a good season last year. By his standards or anyone elses. In fact, I’d say he had a lousy year by Pop Warner standards. He has always been a bust until two seasons ago when he saved his career by having 8.5 sacks in the 3-4 defense right before the clock was going to strike twelve on his Jets tenure. He isn’t as good as that season or as bad as his 2.5 sack year in 2007 but more like something in between. That is not worth the money he’s being paid and unless he steps it up big time due to the new additions of Calvin Pace and Vernon Gholston (there’s that Competition again) he’ll be gone quicker than you can say Pete Kendall.

And for all those fans out there who have soured on Eric Mangini give his OTA press conference recap a read. Remember this guy is just now entering his third year as a head coach. Don’t forget he was never a College Head Caoch. He was just an assistant in the NFL and not that long at that. He is still feeling his way and molding this team. Stay the course with Mangini and give him a chance. I think he’ll put the genius back in Mangenius this year.

USAToday profiled new Jet Alan Faneca in a very nice piece recently. I cannot underscore the impact the Faneca signing will have on this team. I don’t care how much he cost he is worth every penny. 7 time Pro Bowlers never come cheap right in the middle of their prime. The one intangible quality he brings? He’s a winner. If you don’t think that will rub off on Nick Mangold and Brick Ferguson (Brick makes him sound like a better draft pick) you’re kidding yourself.

Some of the battles in camp may not be of the marquee variety as by now everyone knows one of my favorite Jets — Ben Graham — is facing stiff competion for the punting gig. Check out this summer’s undercard.

As Jets fans we are conditioned to despise the competition in the AFC East and especially the Patriots and Dolphins but no player more so than Jason Taylor. We all remember him whooping it up on the sidelines giving choke signs when the Fish were up big before the Miracle at the Meadowlands sent that franchise into a tailspin we are still enjoying. But the Dancing with the Stars twinkletoes is now fully estranged from the Fish and mercenary skipper Bill Parcells. Where will he land? Who knows? But I think we have seen the last of JT in our division and this article says Kerry Rhodes is no JT…and that’s a good thing.

Well the battle has begun for the starting QB gig and I have to say if Trent Dilfer can win a Super Bowl why not a Kellen Clemens? A Chad Pennington? Clearly not the strength of the team but if both play well in camp and one clearly edges out the other I feel good going into the season with either…provided the team rallies around them and plays better as a whole. Neither player will put a team on his back and carry them through the season and the playoffs but both can offer different assets. The young strong armed Clemens can open up the offense. The crafty Pennington can keep the Jets competitive and limit the mistakes. So doomsayers beware, this duo may surprise you. After all, I think there are at least 10-12 teams in the NFL with as bad or worse players not named Manning who are manning the position.

The way you make Clemens or Pennington look a heck of a lot better? Build a top 5 defense. The Jets might be on the right track. In fact they may just be one good cornerback away. Consider that before Eric Mangini arrived we had maybe one impact defensive player: Jonathan Vilma. Once the 3-4 defense was installed we had zero impact defensive players. In the two years since we can now count David Harris, Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes, Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, and Vernon Gholston as one of the best and brightest defensive cores in the league. David Harris is going to break out according to USAToday. If you couple that with the fact that the team has had two years to get comfortable in the 3-4 and all the above players should make these players better: Shawn Ellis, Bryan Thomas, Kenyon Coleman, Justin Miller, and Eric Barton. I think with some aggressive play calling the Jets defense can be the unit that wins games and is the strength of this team.

Even John Clayton at ESPN, who you would think isn’t even aware the Jets are in the league, thinks they have improved. It takes spending $140 million to get on his radar but we have arrived. Hopefully, we still fly under the radar of the teams on our schedule who may be ticking off a win against the Same Ole Jets.

One player to like: CB Dwight Lowery. Yes I like this guy alot. I think he will join the ranks of 4th round wonders we have drafted of late. Maybe the Jets were happy to get rid of our third round pick? Atfer all, who was the last third rounder we took? Anthony Schlegel? He may be forever linked to third round bombs in all future round by round bust lists. Lowery looks the part he thinks the part and he has put up the stats of the part. So why didn’t he go in the second round? Maybe he was too slow when everyone was paying attention. I’m just glad the Jets didn’t stop paying attention at the stopwatch. I think this guy is a football player.

Another reason to savor the kool aid: WR Marcus Henry. This guy has exactly the type of size we desperately needed going into the draft. He was just what the doctor ordered. So why all the booing? Why do fans and critics alike knock the Jets for not taking a WR with their second pick? Hnery produced a thousand yard season at Kansas at an 18.8 yard per catch clip. Maybe he suffered the same “slowness” infection that felled Lowery? I think the Jets will be glad that they did. I seem to remember the big knock on Jerricho Cotchery coming out of college was his 40 time and that he didn’t have great speed. He has quickly become one of the sneakiest big play threats in the league who may not have great speed but he has great hustle and he knows how to turn up the football speed when he needs to. So for all you nay sayers out their who joined the boobirds when TE Dustin Keller’s name was called…

Yup, you guessed it. He is my number one reason to be beaming headed into training camp. I think Dustin Keller not only has the chance to be special for us but I say his only competition for offensive rookie of the year honors is near Jet Darren McFadden. Vernon Gholston should be great but you have to expect that when you pick that high of whoever the selection is or else you’re not that good at doing the lip service. Keller was the x-factor. The reach pick. The combine warrior who also had the huge college numbers last season. He is a dynamite talent and not your father’s Oldsmobile. I remember Johnny Mitchell in his season plus of dominance for the Jets. He had it. He was a star. If only he would have committed to football instead of just having to be committed. Dustin Keller reminds me of Johnny Mitchell with a purpose. A focused and determined athlete and not somebody worried about honing his dance moves for the judges. I say Keller has a big impact for the Jets with 50 catches and 7-8 touchdowns. Yes sir, I’m buying. Kool Aid for the house. 

The first came right after the draft in the form of a diminuative dynamo, Chadron State running back Danny Woodhead. You’d think the NCAA career rushing leader would get a sniff as at least a 7th round draft pick but the Jets are hoping he is just one of several diamonds in the rough they have unearthed. Can I get a Rudy chant going?

Another player who everyone in the league should be rooting for may actually get a chance to stick as a Brad Baxter type goal line back. Jehuu Caulcrick has lived a life none of the 252 players had to experience before being drafted and that alone is one amazing accomplishment.

And before the rookie mini camps have even started there is this look ahead to the training camp positional battles some of the newly minted rookies will have to face with their incumbent teammates. Hint: Jets have two going on. There is also this look at the top QB battles of which Jets have the #5 most anticipated. I wonder what it would cost to pry Brady Quinn loose from the Browns?

Finally, what would a recap of last week’s draft be without a look ahead to the 2009 NFL Draft? I don’t know why this is even attempted when so many experts whiffed on this past weekend’s draft. Here is a look at some of the top prospects expected to be available in 2009. I can’t say I agree with the “experts” predicting Jets picking anywhere from 9-12 meaning we’re just a 5-6 win club. I see Jets as a real playoff contender and picking somewhere in the 20’s come Draft Day 2009.