NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

August 20, 2015

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets sign veteran quarterback Matt Flynn as a backup (Dennis Waszak) .................................................................. 2

Jets' Cromartie not worried by camp start: 'It's practice' (Dennis Waszak) .............................................................. 3

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie not worried, looks forward to regular season (Brian Heyman) ........................ 4

Jets sign well-traveled backup QB Matt Flynn (Kimberley A. Martin) ....................................................................... 5

Jets DE Muhammed Wilkerson ruled out for Friday's game against Falcons (Kimberley A. Martin) ........................ 6

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 7

Jets notes: Starters will play more against Atlanta (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................................ 7

Veteran quarterback Matt Flynn joins Jets (J.P. Pelzman) ........................................................................................ 8

NEW YORK TIMES .................................................................................................................................................. 9

Jets Sign Matt Flynn, Adding Experience to Backups at Quarterback (Zach Schonbrun) .......................................... 9

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 10

Mo Wilkerson out against Falcons (Ohm Youngmisuk) ........................................................................................... 10

QB Matt Flynn arrives at Jets' practice, still nursing hamstring injury (Rich Cimini) ............................................... 12

Geno Smith will not be on Jets' sideline Friday (Ohm Youngmisuk) ....................................................................... 13

Jets' quarterback carousel continues to spin at dizzying speed (Rich Cimini) ......................................................... 13

Lorenzo Mauldin channels his inner 'Karate Kid' (Ohm Youngmisuk) ..................................................................... 14

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Todd Bowles reveals why it was time for Jets to snag Matt Flynn (Brian Costello) ................................................ 15

Antonio Cromartie’s defense for getting beat early and often (Brian Costello) ..................................................... 16

Seeking Jeremy Kerley’s job, Jets young WR learning tricks of trade (Steve Serby................................................. 17

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 18

Quinton Coples spotlight: An inside look at the Jets' linebacker before, during Wednesday's practice (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Why Geno Smith will not be on sideline against Atlanta Falcons? (Dom Cosentino) ............................................. 21

Why Jets' coaches (and Antonio Cromartie) insist they're not concerned about Cromartie's camp play (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 21

What's taking so long with Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson's hamstring? (Dom Cosentino) ....................................... 23

5 Todd Bowles takeaways from Wednesday, on Matt Flynn's arrival, Mo Wilkerson's hamstring (Darryl Slater) . 23

5 Matt Flynn takeaways: No guarantee he'll still be with Jets Week 1 (Dom Consentino) ..................................... 25

Jets sign quarterback Matt Flynn, release receiver Arthur Williams to make room (Darryl Slater)........................ 25

How Matt Flynn complicates the Jets' roster plans (Dom Cosentino) .................................................................... 27

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Ryan Fitzpatrick report card from Tuesday at Jets training camp (Dom Cosentino) ............................................... 29

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 29

Mo Wilkerson’s health among 3 things to watch at Jets camp on Wednesday (Seth Walder) ............................... 29

Jets coach Todd Bowles on signing QB Matt Flynn: 'He was the only one available' (Kevin Armstrong) ............... 30

Jets CB Antonio Cromartie not concerned he keeps getting beat in practice (Kevin Armstrong) .......................... 31

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 31

Jets Coach on New QB Matt Flynn: “He’s the Only One Available” (Stu Woo) ....................................................... 31

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 32

Todd Bowles talks new Jets QB Matt Flynn (AP) ..................................................................................................... 32

WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS............................................................................................................... 33

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets sign veteran quarterback Matt Flynn as a backup (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press August 19, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-sign-veteran-quarterback-matt-flynn-backup

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Matt Flynn has been a well-traveled quarterback during an NFL career that has taken him all over the country.

Next stop: the New York Jets.

"Yeah, sometimes I have to look at the map app on the phone to figure it out," Flynn joked Wednesday when asked if he ever gets confused as to where he is.

The Jets signed Flynn to a one-year deal, bringing in the veteran quarterback to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick, who's now the starter with Geno Smith sidelined six to 10 weeks with a broken jaw.

New York is the seventh NFL stop for the 30-year-old Flynn, who has also been with Green Bay (twice), Seattle, Oakland, Buffalo and New England.

"I'm happy to be here," said Flynn, his hair pulled back and in a man bun. "I'm happy for the opportunity, and now I'm just trying to get acclimated. It's kind of been a whirlwind the last couple of days."

To make room on the roster, the Jets waived wide receiver Arthur Williams.

Flynn entered training camp with the Patriots, but was cut last week while dealing with a lingering hamstring injury. Coach Todd Bowles said Flynn is about a week away from fully practicing, which means he won't play in the Jets' preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Flynn participated in positional drills Wednesday, but did not take part in team drills.

Flynn will get a chance to learn the playbook as he continues to rehabilitate the injury and potentially be ready to play in the third preseason game against the Giants.

"Specifically, there wasn't any talk about what a role is, what they want out of me right now," Flynn said. "My focus has to be learning stuff — learning the playbook, learning what the heck is going on. Watching practice today, it was different. I didn't know a lot of what was going on."

Flynn took a physical with the Jets last Friday, but didn't work out for the team. Because of his experience and familiarity with the type of offense system Chan Gailey runs, the Jets decided to bring Flynn in now

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rather than when he becomes 100 percent healthy because there's a chance another team could have tried to sign him.

"He's been around a few places," Bowles said. "He kind of knows the system a little bit. He was the only one available, too."

By that, Bowles meant an experienced quarterback on the free-agent market who could quickly grasp the system the Jets are running.

"We needed a veteran right now," Bowles added.

The move came a day after general manager Mike Maccagnan said the team would look into acquiring a veteran to back up Fitzpatrick. Smith was injured last week when then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali punched him in the locker room.

Smith is likely to be sidelined at least the first four games of the regular season, so it's Fitzpatrick's job now to lose. The only other quarterbacks on the roster, though, were fourth-round draft pick Bryce Petty and undrafted free agent Jake Heaps.

Flynn has 17 TD passes in his career, with six of them coming in one game in which he also threw for 480 yards — both Packers records — in Green Bay's 45-41 victory over Detroit on Jan. 1, 2012. While he's here now, Flynn was given no guarantees to make the Week 1 roster — and Bowles acknowledged that it's "conceivable" that the Jets could look elsewhere this preseason, depending on Flynn's progress.

"Terminology-wise, there's some similarities to some of the other offenses I've seen and been accustomed to," Flynn said. "So, hopefully there's a quick learning curve."

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Jets' Cromartie not worried by camp start: 'It's practice' (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press August 19, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-cromartie-not-worried-camp-start-its-practice

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Antonio Cromartie will let the fans and media think what they want.

The New York Jets cornerback has appeared to have a few issues during training camp, with receivers beating him on plays at times and his coverage not being up to par just yet this summer.

"It's practice," Cromartie said Wednesday, channeling his inner-Allen Iverson.

It's not necessarily a cop-out by Cromartie, though. This is his 10th NFL season, so he has learned to pace himself and make use of the time during camp to try things out.

"I start slow," Cromartie said. "I pick out specific things I can work on, 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."

Cromartie was signed in March as a free agent to be reunited with Darrelle Revis in the Jets' new-look secondary after New York struggled mightily with injuries and inconsistency.

After a season in Arizona, Cromartie followed Todd Bowles — his defensive coordinator with the Cardinals — to New York. There were concerns by the Jets about a lingering hip issue in 2013, which was a factor in New York not bringing him back. Instead, he signed with the Cardinals and made the Pro Bowl, and proved he was healthy again.

Still, some fans and media have wondered if Cromartie might have lost a half-step — or, more — since they last saw him in New York.

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"I'm not really worried about anything that's going on right now," Cromartie said. "I'm looking forward to when the lights turn on and you go play football."

Bowles worked with Cromartie closely last season, and he doesn't believe the cornerback has struggled during the first few weeks of camp.

"No, I don't," Bowles said. "I think he has some technical errors here and there. 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."

Bowles also acknowledged that Cromartie is indeed constantly working on different aspects of his game, which can lead to some mistakes or misperceptions.

"Until you know what coverage he's in, you've got to see what he's working on so you can't really look at it and say he got beat here or he got beat there," Bowles said. "So we have different things that we give him to work on every day."

Cromartie said a lot of training camp now is mental work, especially after the two-a-day practices ended with the collective bargaining agreement in 2011. A lot of time is spent by the players in the classroom, trying to mentally grasp the system and prepare for opponents.

"A lot of the mistakes we're making, you can go back in and correct them because of how much classroom time we have," he said. "When you get into practice, you've got to try to go out and just work on the things you need to work on, the communication on the defensive side of the ball and try to play fast, as fast as you can."

As a whole, Bowles likes what he has seen from the defense lately, including the pace at which his players have been practicing.

"I think the last two days were the first time I've actually seen them kind of gel a little bit," Bowles said. "There's a lot of confusion as far as hesitation-wise going in early on. But right now, I think guys are starting to get the hang of it and they're starting to play a little faster."

NOTES: Bowles said he expects the starters on both sides of the ball to play "mostly an entire half" against Atlanta on Friday night. ... DE Muhammad Wilkerson, sidelined by a lingering hamstring issue, will not play against the Falcons. WR Chris Owusu (concussion) and LB Erin Henderson (MCL sprain) will also sit out. ... QB Geno Smith was with the team for morning meetings as he recovers from a broken jaw. He won't be on the sideline Friday night at MetLife Stadium, as Bowles has a policy that no injured players can stand there during preseason games. "We have too many guys right now," Bowles said. "We've already got 90 guys in camp. Everybody is in the way." ... Starting LG James Carpenter tweaked an ankle during practice, but Bowles didn't believe it was anything serious.

NEWSDAY

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie not worried, looks forward to regular season (Brian Heyman) Newsday August 19, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-cornerback-antonio-cromartie-not-worried-looks-forward-to-regular-season-1.10755866

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Footballs should be flying in Antonio Cromartie's direction this season. It just stands to reason because Darrelle Revis should have his island laid out to strand receivers, so quarterbacks likely will look toward the other cornerback.

But the other cornerback's coverage hasn't always been great so far this preseason for the Jets.

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Concerned? Cromartie isn't.

"It's practice," Cromartie said Wednesday. "You work on certain things and try to work on your weaknesses and go from there. I'm not really worried about anything that's going on right now. I'm looking forward to when the lights turn on and you go play football from there."

After a year with Todd Bowles as his coordinator in Arizona, the Jets brought Cromartie back for a sequel on a four-year, $32 million deal, although only $7 million is guaranteed, and that's this season's pay. Cromartie, who's 31, wears No. 31 and has 31 career interceptions, concedes he's a bit of a slow starter and accepts the theory he gets better as the preseason goes along.

Bowles, now his head coach, won't concede that it has been a struggle to date.

"I think he has some technical errors here and there," Bowles said Sunday. "He's made some good plays. He's given up some plays. He's just got to hone in on his technique. He'll be fine."

The rest of the defense needs to do some honing, too. Not much went right in the 23-3 preseason loss at Detroit last week. The Jets yielded 428 yards and tackled poorly at times. The defense will try to improve in a lot of areas against the Falcons Friday night at MetLife Stadium.

"Everything, from the communication that's going, tackling, us rallying to the football, stopping the pass, stopping the run . . . not giving up touchdowns on the first drive,' Cromartie said. "We had a couple of good days of practice coming into it. Communication is being developed."

There's less practice time now to work on things because the two-a-day workouts are history. Cromartie sounded like he yearns for olden days.

"This is really not even training camp," Cromartie said. "I don't know what this is. I'm used to having two-a-days."

Cromartie thinks these preseason games against the Lions, Falcons, Giants and Eagles are good preparation.

"It's a great preseason test just from the standpoint it's a passing league now," Cromartie said. "So you know a lot of people are going to be passing."

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Jets sign well-traveled backup QB Matt Flynn (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday August 19, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-officially-sign-quarterback-matt-flynn-1.10754086

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - His sandy hair coiffed in a messy man-bun, a smiling Matt Flynn seemed at ease in his new surroundings.

The quarterback made stops in Green Bay (twice), Seattle, Buffalo, Oakland and New England in his first seven NFL seasons. On Wednesday, he found himself in a new uniform, green and white with "Jets'' emblazoned across the side of his helmet.

He has grown accustomed to the uncertainty surrounding his next destination. "Sometimes I've gotta look at the map app on my phone and figure it out,'' Flynn joked. "But I'm happy to be here, I'm happy for the opportunity and trying to get acclimated. It's kind of been a whirlwind the last couple of days.''

The Jets officially announced the signing (a one-year deal) about an hour before Flynn and his new teammates began an afternoon practice that was moved inside because of rain.

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His hamstring is still not 100 percent. He was given no assurances about his future as a Jet and doesn't know what his role will be. Plus, Todd Bowles said it's "conceivable'' the Jets could cut bait in favor of another emergency quarterback to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick in the near future. But change is nothing new for Flynn, 30, who's earned more than $18 million despite making only seven career starts.

"Right now, my focus has to be learning stuff, learning the playbook, learning what the heck is going on out there 'cause watching practice today, it was . . . different. Didn't know a lot about what was going on,'' said Flynn, who is still a week away from being healthy, Bowles said.

The Patriots released Flynn last week because of the hamstring injury, which he said he suffered right before the start of camp. On Friday, the Jets invited him to their facility to take a physical but didn't work him out.

If his hamstring heals and he learns the playbook quickly, there's a good chance he'll move past rookie Bryce Petty on the depth chart. "If not,'' Bowles said, "Bryce will stay No. 2.''

Flynn said the terminology is somewhat similar to what was used in Green Bay and New England. "So hopefully there's a quick learning curve,'' he said.

Bowles highlighted Flynn's experience and that he knows the system. But he also revealed the Jets' level of desperation when he said Flynn was "the only one who was available'' that they wanted to sign. With former starter Geno Smith out 6-10 weeks with a broken jaw, "we needed a veteran quarterback right away and he fit what he wanted to do,'' Bowles said. The Jets are hopeful Flynn is healthy enough to play in their third preseason game against the Giants on Aug. 29.

Tackle Breno Giacomini praised Flynn, perhaps because it's the third time they have been teammates. "He's a familiar face,'' the former Packer and Seahawk said. "I trust him. I know what he's doing. He prepares well. He's a good teammate.''

The two talked quite a bit before Flynn's deal was official, with Giacomini trying to push his buddy to come to Florham Park. "I told him about the place that I think this organization is heading; we're heading in a good spot. I think we're going to be a good team,'' he said. "Unfortunately, stuff happens. But on the flip side of that coin, it opens up a roster spot for somebody else.''

Flynn's career highlight is setting Packers records with 480 passing yards and six touchdowns in a 45-41 win over the Lions in Week 17 of 2011. But despite high expectations early in his career, he hasn't panned out as a starter. Still, Giacomini defended him against the critics.

"How many teams he's been on, it doesn't matter how many times he's gotten cut, it doesn't matter how much money you make,'' Giacomini said. "It just matters how much you play on Sunday and how you play.''

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Jets DE Muhammed Wilkerson ruled out for Friday's game against Falcons (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday August 19, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-de-muhammed-wilkerson-ruled-out-for-friday-s-game-against-falcons-1.10755917

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - As expected, Jets star defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (hamstring) has been ruled out of Friday night's preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.

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"I've seen progress, but he still has some work to do," Jets coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. "A tweak to me means you're out a day or two then you come back, but obviously it's been bothering him longer than that, so he's getting the necessary help and he's getting better."

Defensive lineman Ronald Talley also sat out Wednesday's practice with a groin injury and there's a good chance he won't play, either. If that's the case, then Stephen Bowen and Leonard Williams will take their place. The absence of Wilkerson and Talley also means Bowles likely will be forced to give Sheldon Richardson reps with the first-team defense.

Since news of his arrest last month in Missouri, the Pro Bowler and 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year has been relegated to mostly second-team work in practice.

Against the Lions last Friday, the defensive tackle played just five snaps with backups. But Bowles said Richardson will "probably play a little bit more in this game. He might play a little bit with the ones. We're down a few people. If they're not back, we're going to have to play people a lot longer."

No sideline for Geno

Geno Smith attended meetings at the Jets facility for the second straight day. But Bowles made it clear that Smith won't be spotted on the sideline during Friday's game. "All the injured players won't be on the sideline, that's just policy. That's my policy," the coach said, referring to Smith, whose jaw was broken by former teammate IK Enemkpali last week in the locker room.

Last week, Wilkerson flew to Detroit in hopes of suiting up for the game. But Bowles said Wilkerson, like Smith, won't be on the sideline Friday either. "We've already got 90 guys in camp. Everybody is in the way," the coach said. "If we run a gunner on the punt team and he gets pushed into the sideline and somebody can't get out of the way, they're going to get hurt. We just err on the side of caution and just eliminate the problem."

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THE RECORD

Jets notes: Starters will play more against Atlanta (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 20, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets/jets-notes-starters-will-play-more-against-atlanta-1.1395406

More for starters

Jets' starters had a light night in the preseason opener at Detroit. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the first-team offense played only one series, while the first-string defense was on the field for only two possessions.

Coach Todd Bowles made it clear Wednesday those players will get more work in Friday's game against visiting Atlanta. He indicated the starters likely will play for most of the first half.

"I'll see how it goes in the second quarter," Bowles said, "but they're going to play a little bit. … I wouldn't put them out there in the third quarter, but they will get close to the [end of the first] half."

Star defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson will not be among them. Bowles said he again will sit out with an injured hamstring.

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"I've seen progress," Bowles said of Wilkerson's injury. "He still has some work to do. A tweak to me means you're out a day or two, then you come back. But obviously it's been bothering him longer than that, so he's getting the necessary [medical] help and he's getting better."

Stay off the sideline

Wilkerson made the trip to Detroit and was on the sideline, even though he didn't dress. That will not be the case this week for him or anyone sitting out, including Geno Smith (broken jaw). Bowles said he doesn't want to put injured players in harm's way Friday.

"We have too many guys right now," he said. "We've already got 90 guys in camp. Everybody is in the way. If we run a gunner on the punt team and he gets pushed into the sideline and somebody can't get out of the way, they're going to get hurt. We just err on the side of caution and just eliminate the problem."

Briefs

DE Ronald Talley, who started in Wilkerson's place against the Lions, has a groin injury and might not be able to play Friday, Bowles said. If he doesn't dress, Stephen Bowen likely will start. … LG James Carpenter left practice because of a tweaked ankle. … Practice was moved indoors Wednesday because of severe weather on a day when selected season-ticket holders were scheduled to watch. Fans who had a valid ticket for Wednesday's practice can attend practice Tuesday.

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Veteran quarterback Matt Flynn joins Jets (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 19, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/veteran-quarterback-matt-flynn-joins-jets-1.1394695

FLORHAM PARK – The Jets and Patriots have made a habit for years of bringing in each other’s castoffs, often to pump those players for information that might come in handy sometime later.

But that is not why the Jets were interested in signing Matt Flynn. They simply needed a quarterback, desperately, as a result of the punch that sidelined Geno Smith with a fractured jaw.

Flynn, 30, who was released by New England on Aug. 10 because of a hamstring problem, signed with the Jets on Wednesday and then practiced on a limited basis. He will not play Friday against Atlanta in the Jets’ second preseason game, but the team hopes he can get on the field against the Giants on Aug. 29.

Flynn was issued No. 5, the number formerly worn by Matt Simms of Franklin Lakes, who spent the past two seasons with the Jets. Simms was waived during the spring and claimed by Buffalo.

“I’m happy to be here,” Flynn said after practice. “I’m happy for the opportunity and I’m just trying to get acclimated.”

Flynn has played for Green Bay, Seattle and Oakland. In 51 NFL games, many in mop-up duty, he has 17 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Seahawks in 2012, but was beaten out for the starting quarterback job by third-round pick Russell Wilson, who since has become entrenched as Seattle’s starter.

The addition of Flynn gives the Jets five quarterbacks. Smith, current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, and rookies Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps are the others. Flynn said the Jets have given him “no guarantees” about being on the opening-day roster.

“We needed a veteran quarterback right away and he fit what we wanted to do,” coach Todd Bowles said, noting that Flynn “kind of knows the [offensive] system a little bit.”

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Flynn was signed by New England in June because of the Patriots’ own quarterback crisis, the still-unresolved uncertainty over whether Tom Brady will be available for the first four games of the season after being suspended by the NFL for his involvement in Deflategate.

Flynn said he suffered a hamstring injury while working out on his own prior to New England’s training camp. He was placed on the non-football injury list before camp began and never passed a physical before being released. He never got on the Patriots’ practice field.

Flynn said he still doesn’t know when he will be able to practice fully, although he believes he will return “sooner rather than later.” Still, the Jets decided to make the move.

“We wanted to get him in here,” Bowles said, “so he can have a week and kind of learn and pick everything up so when he got healthy, he could just go out and try and play.”

Bowles said, “we all thought about waiting but we thought it would be a good idea [to sign Flynn now] because he may not be available next week.”

Flynn appreciated that attitude.

“Yeah, that was a big thing for me,” he said. “They were willing to bring me in here and treat me [medically] and everything so they could get me in here and I could start learning. For me, that’s a big advantage. That’s the nature of the position. You have to know everything and get acclimated to it. So the more time I can get doing that, it means a lot.”

Flynn, now with a team for the second straight time because of a scandal, was asked kiddingly if he sometimes forgets where he is.

“Yeah, sometimes I have to look at the map app on my phone and figure it out,” he said with a smile.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Jets Sign Matt Flynn, Adding Experience to Backups at Quarterback (Zach Schonbrun) New York Times August 19, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/sports/football/jets-sign-matt-flynn-adding-experience-to-backups-at-quarterback.html?ref=football&_r=0

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Concerned about the inexperience of their backup options at quarterback, the Jets signed the veteran Matt Flynn on Wednesday.

Flynn brings his own concerns, over a nagging hamstring injury that cost him a roster spot with the New England Patriots, who cut him on Aug. 10, before he had even practiced with the team. Flynn, entering his eighth season in the N.F.L., said he had injured himself working out before training camp and quickly became expendable.

Flynn, 30, remains about a week away from suiting up, Jets Coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. But the Jets still wanted to bring him in so he could learn the playbook and get acclimated with the team, his sixth since 2012.

“We needed a veteran quarterback right away,” Bowles said, “and he fit what we wanted to do.”

Geno Smith, the Jets’ starter, has a metal plate in his jaw and is most likely two months from a return, so the team’s quarterback depth appeared urgently thin. The journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick is now the starter, and the rookies Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps do not appear to be ready for the N.F.L.

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Flynn, a seventh-round draft pick out of Louisiana State in 2008, played his first four seasons as Aaron Rodgers’s backup with Green Bay. He opened eyes across the league by throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns in the final game of the 2011 season, setting Packers records in both categories. The following spring he signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, but he was beaten out for the starting job in training camp by an unheralded rookie named Russell Wilson.

Wilson went on to play in back-to-back Super Bowls, winning one. Flynn attempted only nine passes with the Seahawks before being traded to Oakland. From there, he bounced back to Green Bay and Buffalo before the Patriots took their brief turn with him this summer.

Flynn said the Jets’ offensive system seemed to share some similarities with both the Packers’ and the Patriots’, so he felt confident he could get up to speed relatively quickly.

“Terminology-wise, there are some similarities to some of the offenses I’ve seen and been accustomed to,” Flynn said. “So hopefully there’s a quick learning curve.”

He could offer no timetable for his physical recovery but said he hoped that the Jets’ rehabilitation staff could quickly round him into shape.

Bowles said he thought Flynn could be ready in about a week, adding that he hoped to see Flynn in uniform for the third preseason game. But Bowles cautioned that Flynn would need more time to learn the system before Bowles felt fully confident in sending him into a game.

“If he were to get every rep tomorrow, he’d probably be ready for the season opener,” Bowles said. “But it’d probably be watered down.”

Petty, a fourth-round draft pick, remains the team’s No. 2 option until Flynn is ready, but that is a concern for Bowles. The talented gunslinger is coming out of a spread system at Baylor, and his transition to the N.F.L. was expected to take time. The Jets have tried to limit the expectations placed on him early on.

“We knew it’d be a bit much for him in Game 1,” Bowles said, referring to his play in last week’s preseason opener. “But he’s not going to get better holding a clipboard. It’s preseason; that’s what it’s about. We want to see steady progress from Week 1 to Week 4. Hopefully in Game 2 he’s a little calmer and does things a little better.”

On Tuesday, General Manager Mike Maccagnan hinted that the Jets might be exploring outside options at quarterback.

“The question we are going to do with the final roster cut is see where our young quarterbacks are, see how we feel about them, see how they continue to play in the preseason,” Maccagnan said. “But having a veteran quarterback in there as a No. 2 option or a No. 3 option has some value in it.”

Flynn said he was given no guarantee about a roster spot for the regular season. He just hopes to be healthy enough to practice before it gets here.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Mo Wilkerson out against Falcons (Ohm Youngmisuk) ESPN New York August 19, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53235/mo-wilkerson-out-against-falcons

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. –- What we learned on Wednesday, Day 21 of New York Jets training camp:

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1. No Mo: Muhammad Wilkerson was officially ruled out by head coach Todd Bowles for Friday’s home preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. Wilkerson did not practice again due to a hamstring injury.

“I’ve seen progress,” Bowles said of Wilkerson’s hamstring injury which will keep him out of a second straight preseason game. “He’s still got some work to do. A tweak to me means you are out a day or two and come back but obviously it has been bothering him longer than that. He is getting the necessary help and getting better.”

Defensive end Ronald Talley (groin) also is injured which means Bowles may start Stephen Bowen and Leonard Williams.

2. Carpenter on the side: The Jets also were hurting on the offensive line as well. Right guard James Carpenter had to come out of practice on Wednesday after tweaking his ankle.

“As far as I know, I didn’t think it was serious,” Bowles said. “I have to go back in (to find out more). They said he tweaked it. I have to see where it is.”

3. Clean it up: Bowles wants to see a better performance out of his team, especially on the defensive side, against Atlanta. The head coach singled out tackling as a prime objective.

“I expect to see us a little bit more polished than we were in Week 1,” Bowles said of his expectations for the second preseason game. “A little more calm. Hopefully, the tackling better change. We just got to get better week by week. We got a long way to go from last week so hopefully we see a steady progression this week.”

Bowles did say that he is seeing improvement in his defense in recent practices.

“I think the last two days is the first time I actually seen them kind of jell a little bit,” Bowles said. “There was a lot of confusion as far as hesitation-wise going in early on but right now guys are starting to get the hang of it and starting to play a little faster.”

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie says the defense has to play better but he also knows the preseason is a time for players to work on things and a time when mistakes can be made.

“I am not really worried about anything that is going on right now,” Cromartie said. “I am looking forward to when the lights turn on.”

“I start slow,” Cromartie later added. “I pick out specific things to work on, 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.”

4. More Sheldon: With all the injuries on the defensive front line, the Jets may have to give Sheldon Richardson more snaps than they would like to.

Ideally, the Jets would like to keep Richardson with the second team since he has to sit out the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

But Bowles acknowledges that he may have to play Richardson more on Friday.

“Probably play a little bit more this game,” Bowles said. “He may play a little bit with the ones. We are down a few people.”

Bowles expects his first-round pick, Williams, to see a good amount of snaps.

“Leonard is going to see a lot of blocks this year,” Bowles said. “He is going to see a lot of different linemen and he’s just got to continue to get better. As he gets comfortable with the system he will get faster and faster and that’s what we want to see.”

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5. Cards: Wednesday’s practice was largely a scout-team cards practice as the Jets prepared for the Falcons.

Bowles said he wanted his team to have something to focus on during practice.

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QB Matt Flynn arrives at Jets' practice, still nursing hamstring injury (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York August 19, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53231/qb-matt-flynn-arrives-at-jets-practice-still-nursing-hamstring-injury

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Before he steps on the field, Matt Flynn must accomplish two things: Heal and learn.

The New York Jets' new quarterback still is fighting a lingering hamstring injury, one that will keep him out of practice for about a week. It's unusual for a team to acquire damaged goods, but the Jets felt it was OK in this case because they believe Flynn can absorb the playbook as he rehabs his injury.

The well-traveled Flynn, who signed a one-year contract on Wednesday morning, received no assurances from the Jets. Todd Bowles didn't rule out the possibility of finding another emergency quarterback if Flynn doesn't show satisfactory progress.

"He's been around a few places," Bowles said. "He kind of knows the system a little bit. He was the only one available, too."

Realizing how that sounded, Bowles said they signed Flynn because he's "the most experienced" quarterback on the free-agent market and "we needed a veteran right now."

Yep, they're desperate. With Geno Smith (broken jaw) expected to miss the first four regular-season games, the only experienced quarterback on the roster was Ryan Fitzpatrick, the new starter. It was Fitzpatrick and a couple of rookies, Bryce Petty (fourth-round pick) and Jake Heaps. They wanted a veteran insurance policy until Smith is healthy. If everything goes well, Flynn will be the No. 2 for the season opener

Flynn, wearing No. 5, was on the field for practice on Wednesday, but he was limited to positional drills. He didn't participate in any team work. Obviously, he won't play Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons. He's so far behind that, even if he took every rep between now and the season opener, he'd have a "watered down" game plan in Week 1, according to Bowles.

"Right now, my focus has to be learning this stuff, learning the playbook, learning what the heck is going on," said Flynn, who was released Aug. 10 by the New England Patriots. "Watching practice today, it was different. I didn't know a lot of what was going on."

Flynn never got on the field for the Patriots. He pulled a hamstring while training before camp and he was placed on the non-football injury list. The Patriots got impatient and let him go. His hamstring is improving, he said, but he couldn't give a timetable on when he expects to be healthy. There is no ankle injury, he said. Earlier, Bowles said Flynn was recovering from hamstring and ankle injuries.

He's in a tough spot, knowing there's no guarantee he will make the opening-day roster. There's nothing to stop the Jets from cutting him and bringing in another quarterback. They'd rather not do that, of course, because they will have invested time in his development.

"Hopefully, there's a quick learning curve," Flynn said.

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The Jets are willing to sacrifice the physical adjustment for the mental side, hoping he'll be able to function in the system by the time he's healthy enough to play. Bowles called it a "head start."

Flynn, 30, has been through this time and again. After starting his career with the Green Bay Packers, he went from the Seattle Seahawks to the Oakland Raiders to the Buffalo Bills to the Packers to the Patriots and to the Jets. He was asked, jokingly, if he ever gets confused as to his whereabouts.

"Sometimes," he said, "I look at the map app on my phone to figure it out."

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Geno Smith will not be on Jets' sideline Friday (Ohm Youngmisuk) ESPN New York August 19, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53233/geno-smith-will-not-be-on-jets-sideline-on-friday

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. –- Geno Smith and his broken jaw will not be on the sideline for the New York Jets’ preseason home game against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday.

Head coach Todd Bowles said injured inactive players will not be allowed on the sideline during games.

“If he’s healthy, he will be on the sideline,” Bowles said. “But all the injured players won’t be on the sideline. That’s just policy. My policy.”

Smith, who is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks after suffering a broken jaw in a locker room altercation last week, attended a morning team meeting on Wednesday.

“As he gets better and the longer he can stay out, the longer he will be in the meetings,” Bowles said of Smith’s surgically-repaired jaw.

As for being on the sideline during games, Bowles explained that injured players can be more susceptible to suffering another injury with an unforeseen sideline collision with so many players currently on the roster in training camp.

“We already got 90 guys in camp and everybody is in the way,” Bowles said. “Just erring on the side of caution, just eliminating a problem.”

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Jets' quarterback carousel continues to spin at dizzying speed (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York August 19, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53219/jets-quarterback-carousel-continues-to-spin-at-dizzying-speed

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- This all started with Tim Tebow.

The New York Jets had a relatively stable quarterback situation until Tebow arrived in 2012, which is when the chaos began. Since then, we've witnessed a dizzying parade of quarterbacks at One Jets Drive, a virtual conga line of washed-up veterans, neophytes and hopes for the future. The addition of veteran Matt Flynn, who signed a one-year contract on Wednesday, makes it 11 quarterbacks since 2012 (not counting undrafted rookies).

A chronological look back:

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Mark Sanchez: He was the Golden Boy. And then he wasn't. His run ended ignominiously, behind a second-team offensive line in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. He wrecked his throwing shoulder, but hey, the Jets won the Snoopy Trophy.

Tim Tebow: An unmitigated disaster. To this day, Jets fans get queasy when they hear the word "Wildcat."

Greg McElroy: Once tried to hide a concussion so he could stay in the starting lineup. Now an ESPN college football analyst.

The Jets selected Baylor QB Bryce Petty in the fourth round of this year's draft. Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Geno Smith: His jaw was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now there's a chance he may not get back his starting job.

David Garrard: Retired two months after signing a free-agent contract, blaming a chronic knee injury. Returned months later after training his wife for her flag-football team, which convinced him his knee was OK. Never played a down for the Jets.

Brady Quinn: Another former Golden Boy -- literally. The former Notre Dame star never played a down for the Jets, but a heck of a nice guy.

Michael Vick: Conceded the starting job to Smith before taking a snap and later admitted he was ill-prepared for mop-up duty in a blowout loss.

Matt Simms: The son of Phil finally got tired of being passed over, so he requested his release in the spring. Now battling for a roster spot with the Buffalo Bills.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: The new starter delivered the quote of the summer. Referring to his transient career (six teams in 10 years), he said, "My normal is craziness." He should fit right in.

Bryce Petty: Could be the quarterback of the future. Or maybe not. This much is certain: He'll have plenty of stories to tell his grandkids.

Matt Flynn: Has had an extraordinary career in that he's made more than $18 million despite having only seven starts. Great work if you can find it.

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Lorenzo Mauldin channels his inner 'Karate Kid' (Ohm Youngmisuk) ESPN New York August 19, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53180/lorenzo-mauldin-channels-his-inner-karate-kid

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. –- Lorenzo Mauldin physically is much bigger than Ralph Macchio.

But the 6-4, 259-pound New York Jets' linebacker feels a bit like Macchio's "The Karate Kid" character in his first training camp. The rookie knows his place in the pecking order on the Jets' defense. So instead of looking at his relationship with Calvin Pace as a competitive one, Mauldin sees the starter as a mentor like Mr. Miyagi.

"It is not competitive because I am a pup still," Mauldin said. "I am still learning. It is like (Pace is the) sensei and (I am) Daniel-san. Just basically taking all that information from him and hopefully later on down the line when his career is over, I can just take his place."

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During the spring workouts, Mauldin might've felt like he was trying to beat the "Cobra Kai" all by himself. But now he feels like he's moving faster than he did in the spring and that could be trouble for opposing offensive lines in the future.

The Jets' rookie could be seen on Tuesday in practice relentlessly rushing the quarterback from his outside linebacker position with a vigor that has caught head coach Todd Bowles' attention.

Part of that has to do with the fact that the rookie is learning the defensive playbook. The third-round pick out of Louisville is also figuring out his role a bit more.

Bowles has liked the energy he has seen from the second-team linebacker. But Mauldin has plenty of room for improvement.

"He's got a high motor," Bowles said. "You like the kid's motor and he's got some good pass-rush moves. But he has to learn the overall game. He is pretty young that way."

The linebacker had his share of learning moments in his preseason debut when he missed on a sure sack on one play before later drawing a roughing the passer penalty on another in the first half against Detroit.

"Made a couple of mistakes but that was my first game so I had to get the jitters out," Mauldin said. "I look forward to the next game against the Falcons and doing better than I did that last game."

Mauldin knows his role can grow the more he learns the playbook and the more he learns from Pace.

"If I know what I am doing, I play a lot more," Mauldin added of his knowledge of the Jets' scheme. "But if I don't, I will be a situational pass-rusher, so I've heard. Just being able to understand what I am doing when I go out there, that will determine my playing time."

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NEW YORK POST

Todd Bowles reveals why it was time for Jets to snag Matt Flynn (Brian Costello) New York Post August 19, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/08/19/todd-bowles-reveals-why-it-was-time-for-jets-to-snag-matt-flynn/

The Jets are the sixth team quarterback Matt Flynn has played for in four years, so you would have to forgive him if sometimes he can’t keep his location straight.

“Sometimes I’ve got to look at the map app on my phone and figure it out,” Flynn said jokingly Wednesday after signing with the Jets.

The Jets brought in Flynn to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick, who became the starter last week when a teammate broke Geno Smith’s jaw.

Smith’s suffering was Flynn’s good fortune, because the Jets brought him in for a physical last Friday, then finalized a deal with him on Wednesday.

“[Flynn’s] a veteran,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s been around a couple of places. He knows the system a little bit. … We needed a veteran quarterback right away, and he fit what we’re trying to do.”

Flynn, 30, has bounced around the NFL after starting his career with the Packers. He signed a three-year, $20.5 million deal with the Seahawks in 2012, but was beaten out by Russell Wilson that summer.

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Seattle traded him to the Raiders in 2013, but he lasted just a few months there, getting cut in the middle of the season. He then spent a month with the Bills before returning to Green Bay, where he finished that season and spent last year.

The Patriots signed Flynn in June, but he suffered a hamstring injury during training before camp started and could not practice. New England cut him last week.

During his first practice with the Jets, Flynn mostly watched Wednesday. He did some one-on-one throwing drills with the wide receivers, but nothing in the team periods. Bowles, who said Flynn also has an ankle injury, said the Jets believe Flynn will be healthy enough to practice in a week.

For Flynn, he must now study Chan Gailey’s offense to be ready for the season in case he is needed. The Jets view Flynn as an experienced backup who can be an emergency quarterback if Fitzpatrick goes down. Rookie Bryce Petty does not look ready to play.

“Specifically, there wasn’t talk about what the role is, what they want out of me or anything,” Flynn said. “Right now, my focus has to be learning stuff, learning the playbook, learning what the heck is going on out there. Watching practice today, it was different. I didn’t know a lot about what was going on. My main goal is to dig into the playbook and get comfortable and be able to call and execute plays.”

Bowles said the Jets considered waiting to see what other quarterbacks might hit the market, but they liked Flynn and wanted to give him enough time to learn the offense.

“We all thought about waiting, but we thought it would be a good idea because he may not be available next week,” Bowles said. “We wanted to get him in to learn the system. We thought giving him a week ahead with a head start, that would help him later on once he got healthy.”

Flynn said some of the terminology of Gailey’s offense is similar to what he did in Green Bay and New England, so it is not completely new to him.

“I’m happy to be here,” Flynn said. “I’m happy for the opportunity and just trying to get acclimated. It’s kind of been a whirlwind the last couple of days.”

Flynn is 3-4 as a starter over a seven-year career. Overall, he has 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 53 games. His most memorable game came with the Packers on Jan. 1, 2012, against the Lions when he threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns to set Packers single-game records.

“I think he’s a good guy, a good quarterback,” said Jets tackle Breno Giacomini, who played with Flynn in both Green Bay and Seattle. “He prepares well. He was always ready. He’s a great guy. He’s a great teammate. He’s a good addition to this locker room.”

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Antonio Cromartie’s defense for getting beat early and often (Brian Costello) New York Post August 19, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/08/19/antonio-cromarties-defense-for-getting-beat-early-and-often/

The new-look Jets secondary has had one chink in its armor during training camp — Antonio Cromartie has not looked good.

It seems as if Cromartie gets beat daily in practice. Is it a sign of things to come or just a guy working things out when no one is keeping score?

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“It’s practice,” Cromartie said Wednesday. “You work on certain things and you try to work on your weaknesses and go from there. I’m not really worried about anything that’s going on right now. I’m looking forward to when those lights turn on and you go play football from there.”

The Jets had better hope so. If not, teams will be targeting Cromartie all season long on the opposite side from Darrelle Revis.

Defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said last week that the coaching staff thinks Cromartie is still getting in shape.

“I just lean on Todd [Bowles] quite a bit because he had him in Arizona and being around him, Cro is the type of guy that works himself into shape throughout camp,” Rodgers said. “Each day, he gets better and better than the other day.”

Cromartie did not dispute he is a slow starter.

“Probably so. I start slow,” Cromartie said. “Every single day I pick out specific things I have to work on with my technique and go from there. If I get beat working on something else, I just get beat. I’m not worried about it. It’s practice. I know what I have to do from the standpoint of playing over the top of the ball. I may be working on a certain technique and go from there.”

Bowles disagreed with the idea that Cromartie has not performed well in camp.

“I think he has some technical errors here and there,” Bowles said. “He’s made some good plays. He’s given up some plays. He’s just got to hone in on his technique. He’ll be fine.”

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Seeking Jeremy Kerley’s job, Jets young WR learning tricks of trade (Steve Serby New York Post August 20, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/08/20/seeking-jeremy-kerleys-job-jets-young-wr-learning-tricks-of-trade/

It isn’t everywhere or every day you get to test your skills against a Darrelle Revis, or study a Brandon Marshall. Jets training camp is a laboratory for The Education of Quincy Enunwa.

“I just want to be an all-around receiver, I want to be able to do the tough things, the gritty things that most guys don’t want to do,” Enunwa said. “I’m a bigger receiver, so I try to go out there and be as tough as possible.”

He is one of the John Idzik 12, and he has made a stunning move up the depth chart, past Jeremy Kerley as coach Todd Bowles salivates over the prospect of a 6-foot-2, 220-pound slot receiver to bolster the running game and give Ryan Fitzpatrick the balance he will need.

“I think the idea [is], a slot receiver has to be small,” Enunwa said. “That’s not necessarily the case.

“Brandon Marshall played in the slot last year. Alshon Jeffery played in the slot last year.”

Marshall is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and knows every trick of the trade. He is particularly lethal at boxing out smaller cornerbacks — even the likes of Revis — in the red zone.

“I’m always trying to pick [Marshall’s] brain,” Enunwa said. “He’s a very smart receiver, he’s been in the league for a while, so he knows a lot. And every day I try to watch his game and try to pick up different things.”

The opportunity to work against Revis is priceless.

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“He’s definitely one of the best in the league, if not the best,” Enunwa said. “You go out there, you hear the stories, but once you actually face him, you learn that he’s really good.”

Antonio Cromartie may be saving his best for when the regular-season lights go on, but that hasn’t stopped Enunwa from going to school on him as well.

“He’s a very physical corner,” Enunwa said. “His athletic ability is unmatched.”

A young receiver can become demoralized or energized by the challenge of going against such seasoned corners.

“I’m always trying to pick their brain, always talk to them, kind of figure out what they’re thinking,” Enunwa said. “Because once you can beat them or at least get around them in any type of way, you can definitely do that against most of the good guys in the NFL.”

Then there’s nickelback Buster Skrine.

“Oh he’s very quick,” Enunwa said. “He’s one of those guys that never quits on a play.”

Enunwa, a California kid, only received offers out of high school from Washington State and Nebraska, where he practiced against Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara.

“It was a challenge,” Enunwa said. “He’s one of those guys that’s athletically gifted, so it definitely helps him out a lot.”

Enunwa and Amukamara both are of Nigerian descent, and they follow each other on Instagram.

“That automatically, you kind of get a little bit of connection with each other when you have that culture connection,” Enunwa said.

Idzik drafted Enunwa in the sixth round in 2014, one of 12 picks that year by the former general manager.

“I was very grateful,” Enunwa said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

Enunwa was understandably relieved when a domestic violence simple assault charge against him was dismissed last October and understandably not interested in revisiting it Monday. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad until the season finale in Miami, when he was activated for special teams.

“A lot of highs and lows,” Enunwa said. “Definitely a learning experience. It helped me grow a lot. I’m grateful for it because now I know a lot of different things, I definitely matured a lot, and I’m happy.”

The New York microscope doesn’t faze him.

“Everybody loves Nebraska football,” Enunwa said. “When you go to Nebraska, you are the big show, so you’re already under the microscope there, so it’s kind of similar, except on a grand stage.”

He smiled when asked if he has envisioned his first touchdown catch.

“Every night,” he said. “That’s one of those things you kind of dream about.”

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Quinton Coples spotlight: An inside look at the Jets' linebacker before, during Wednesday's practice (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 20, 2015

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Ahttp://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/quinton_coples_spotlight_everything_the_jets_lineb.html FLORHAM PARK — Quinton Coples, the Jets' starting rush outside linebacker, is entering a critical season. The former first-round draft pick, selected 16th overall in 2012, has yet to fully live up to his potential in the NFL.

He has high hopes for more sack production in 2015, playing in new coach Todd Bowles' defense.

Coples must show progress if he wants the Jets to retain him next season, when he would make about $7.8 million, while playing under the fifth-year option clause in his rookie contract. Or the Jets can cut him after 2015, at no cost.

Coples is an intriguing player, for several reasons. So it came as no surprise when you voted him as the player you wanted us to track at Wednesday's training camp practice.

We dutifully followed Coples' every move at practice. Afterward, we asked him about his day, and his daily routine during camp.

Here is a timeline of how Coples' Wednesday unfolded, from start to finish:

7 a.m.: Coples' alarm goes off in the hotel where the Jets' players and coaches stay during training camp. Coples had fallen asleep shortly after 11 p.m. bed check the previous night, following a losing game of "Madden NFL" with teammate Damon Harrison. ("So that was whack," Coples says later of his loss to Harrison.) This morning, Coples hangs out in bed until 7:15. (He has no roommate.) He starts his day, as usual, by texting his family to say: Good morning, I love you, Have a good day. He does this every day.

7:30 a.m.: Coples arrives at the Jets' facility, after driving himself from the hotel. He stops by the locker room, then goes to the cafeteria and jokes with teammates over breakfast. Coples is one of the Jets' most jovial and outgoing players, often eager to strike up a conversation with teammates. At breakfast, Coples and his teammates discuss Tuesday night's Cowboys-Rams practice brawl.

8 a.m.: Coples digs into his breakfast. He eats grits, hash browns, and chicken sausage. He is supposed to eat more — oatmeal and bread, too. But the food at the Jets' facility is hearty and healthy, and it fills him up. "We're served the best food ever, so it's like different," he says later. "This type of food sticks with you. I don't really eat a lot. I don't like to be heavy [feeling]."

8:30 a.m.: The Jets hold their usual team meeting, followed by a special teams meeting, and then the offensive and defensive meetings at 9:15.

10 a.m.: The team conducts its regular one-hour walk-through — a review of its plays.

11-11:20 a.m.: Coples grabs lunch — spinach, rice, and fish. This is surprisingly light for a 6-foot-6, 290-pound man who is about to go exert himself for nearly two hours at football practice. But Coples never feels like he has to pig out at the Jets' facility. The food here feels different to him.

"It doesn't digest like Burger King or Wendy's," he says. "That runs right through you. It's not like fast food, where it kind of just digests fast and comes right out of you." (This is where Coples can forget about ever getting a Burger King or Wendy's endorsement deal.)

11:30 a.m.: Coples returns to the team hotel for a one-hour nap. "Just one of those days," he says. He doesn't usually nap. His alarm goes off at 12:30 p.m., and he drives back to the Jets' facility. It is time to prepare for practice.

2 p.m.: The Jets have been stretching for about 10 minutes when a siren goes off. There's lightning in the area, and practice is moved into the team's field house.

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2:11 p.m.: While some players participate in a special teams drill, Coples doesn't need to. He stands in the corner of the field house and chats with outside linebacker Calvin Pace.

2:23 p.m.: In a linebacker position drill, Coples must move laterally while stepping over three red pads on the turf. A ball is rolled to him after he steps over the final pad, and he has to scoop up the ball. It's a basic turnover recovery drill.

2:26 p.m.: A pass-rushing drill. Outside linebacker Jason Babin holds a pad, and Coples bursts out of his stance, slamming his hands into the pad. Nothing fancy.

2:34 p.m.: Coples and the starting defense have a walk-through period, with the backup defenders mimicking the Falcons' offense, in preparation for Friday night's second preseason game. Coples lines up on both the right and left edges of the defensive line, in a two-point (stand-up) stance, as he will throughout practice.

2:44 p.m.: The starting offense works against the backup defense, which is shown cards of the Falcons' plays. So Coples and the starting defenders stand by and watch. It is sweltering in the field house. Coples wears tights under his shorts and a long-sleeved shirt under his jersey and shoulder pads. But he won't have to tax himself too much today.

2:52 p.m.: The starting defense gets a turn agains the backup offense. Same deal with the cards for the backups. All of this work is at three-quarters speed. The Jets won't do any full-speed hitting today, after a rigorous start to camp.

3:16 p.m.: Coples lines up on the right edge of the defensive line, and gets a "pressure" on quarterback Jake Heaps after being unblocked. Coples will later engage backup offensive tackle Ben Ijalana, and help contain a run play to his side. Again, there's no full contact.

3:26 p.m.: Coples goes through walk-through work as part of the field goal block unit. His height could help him on this unit. He aligns on the right side of the blocking formation. The Jets run through field goal stuff, but not at full speed.

3:30-4 p.m.: Coples gets some minimal work in a one-on-one blocking drill and a 7-on-7 period. He gets four reps with the starting defense in another team period against the backup offense, not at full speed. He rushes three times and drops into coverage once. He gets around Ijalana on one of his rushes. (Coples expects to be able to rush the passer a lot more this season.)

4:05 p.m.: Practice ends. Bowles gathers the players and says this was their best practice of camp. Coples returns to the locker room, showers, and changes into his regular clothes. It was the Jets' second straight light practice, following Monday's off day. This is a relief for the players' bodies, since Bowles has run a physically demanding camp — a grind for his players.

"It's been rough, but it comes with the territory," Coples says. "We've got a new coach, and he's trying to figure out things. But this is what camp is about. Camp is to push you to your limits, physically and mentally. So it's no surprise to me."

5:30 p.m.: Coples gets ready to eat dinner. Then it's off to a special teams meeting at 6:55, followed by more offensive and defensive meetings, and then position meetings. All of this usually wraps up around 9:40 p.m. The players generally get back to the hotel around 10, an hour before bed check.

This is the mostly unseen monotony of training camp, the month-long routine that players must embrace and attack, day after day. From the outside, it looks fun and lucrative. Inside these walls, it's far from easy.

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Between the long hours, the physical punishment, the high-end free food, the random mid-day nap, and having to stay in a hotel with his co-workers, Coples understands this is not exactly a normal 9-to-5 way to make a living.

"I would definitely say it is a weird job," he says with a smile.

But it beats office work.

"Any day," Coples says. "For me, anyway."

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Why Geno Smith will not be on sideline against Atlanta Falcons? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/whats_taking_so_long_with_jets_muhammad_wilkersons.html

FLORHAM PARK — Geno Smith was at the Jets' facility Wednesday morning for meetings, head coach Todd Bowles said, but he was not at practice and he will not be on the sideline Friday night when the Jets host the Falcons in a preseason game.

"If he's healthy, he'll be on the sideline," Bowles said of Smith, the quarterback who's out with a broken jaw sustained last week after being punched by a then-teammate.

"All the injured players won't be on the sideline," Bowles added. "That's just policy. We've got too many guys right now. We've already got 90 guys in camp. Everybody's in the way. If you're a gunner on the punt team and you get pushed into the sideline, if somebody can't get out of the way, they're going to get hurt."

Muhammad Wilkerson (hamstring) was on the sideline for last week's game at the Lions, but Bowles said that was because Wilkerson had made the trip to Detroit and was a game-time decision. This week's game is at home.

"He will be not be on the sideline this week," Bowles said of Wilkerson.

Smith is expected to be out another five to nine weeks. He's had plates and screws inserted into his jaw to stabilize it. The Jets will have to hold a roster spot for him once the regular season begins, but they did add Matt Flynn to be Smith's replacement behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, who's now the starter.

Bowles said Smith's presence at the facility on a full-time basis goinf forward will depend on Smith's health.

"As he gets better, the longer he can stay out, the more he'll be here," Bowles said.

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Why Jets' coaches (and Antonio Cromartie) insist they're not concerned about Cromartie's camp play (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/jets_coaches_and_antonio_cromartie_insist_theyre_n.html

FLORHAM PARK — The scene has played out several times during this Jets training camp: cornerback Antonio Cromartie sprinting down the field, chasing a wide receiver who has just run past him and caught the football.

Daily Clips Cont.

22 | P a g e

At first glance, without context, Cromartie's coverage (or lack thereof) looks like it could be a problem for the Jets in 2015.

You might wonder if, at age 31, he still has the physical skills to thrive in the NFL. You might worry how he'll hold up as opposing quarterbacks seem likely to throw at him often, and avoid shutdown corner Darrelle Revis.

But there's no reason to fret.

Or at least that's what the Jets' coaches and Cromartie keep insisting.

Cromartie's position coach, Joe Danna, joined the chorus Wednesday.

"I think Cro is having a good camp," Danna told NJ Advance Media. "He's a leader in the [meeting] room, very smart guy. He's been around the league a long time, so he's valuable to the room, from that standpoint. Playing the corner position, there's going to be times you get beat. Everybody does. It happens. We play an aggressive style of defense. But Cro is not a concern of ours. We like where he is. We know he's going to be a consistent, competitive guy for us."

After Wednesday's practice, Cromartie dismissed the notion that he's struggling.

"It's practice," he said. "I'm not really worried about anything that's going on right now. I'm looking forward to when the lights turn on and you go play football."

Defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said head coach Todd Bowles told him something about Cromartie that Bowles learned from being Cromartie's defensive coordinator last year in Arizona: Cromartie tends to get better as camp progresses. Bowles said Cromartie has made "some technical errors here and there" in this camp, but added, "He'll be fine."

Cromartie agrees.

"Probably so, I start slow," he said.

Cromartie added some context: He said he enters every practice trying to work on a specific technique, which sometimes leads to him getting beat.

"Every single day, I try to pick out specific things I have to work on, with my technique," he said. "If I get beat working on something else, I just get beat. I'm not worried about it. It's practice."

Getting beat on deep balls was a major issue for Cromartie in 2013, when a nagging hip injury hampered his performance for the Jets. That season, Pro Football Focus rated Cromartie 102nd out of 110 corners in the NFL, including 109th in coverage. Last season, his hip healed in Arizona, and Cromartie was 45th overall, and 45th in coverage.

Back with the Jets now, he is no longer an elite corner. That much is clear. And as he prepares for his 10th season, there's nothing wrong with that.

Bowles just needs Cromartie to handle what's asked of him during the regular season. The demands on Cromartie and Revis could be high in Bowles' scheme.

Cromartie has said he expects Bowles to play a lot of Cover 1 defense (man-to-man coverage with just one deep defender). In these situations, this means the secondary — particularly Revis and Cromartie — will have to hold up, without much help, while the front seven blitzes aggressively.

"This defense is built around the secondary," Cromartie said, embracing the responsibility of playing lots of man coverage.

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Danna, for one, thinks his corners won't have a problem when Bowles wants to go with a Cover 1 alignment. Revis, 30, remains one of the NFL's elite defenders. Cromartie is still starting, deep into his career. And that is admirable, impressive even. But can he show he has enough left to capably complement Revis?

"They've made a career out of playing that [Cover 1 defense], those two," Danna said. "They've shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. They look good."

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What's taking so long with Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson's hamstring? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/whats_taking_so_long_with_jets_muhammad_wilkersons.html

FLORHAM PARK — Muhammad Wilkerson did not practice again on Wednesday for the Jets. As a result, head coach Todd Bowles officially ruled Wilkerson out for Friday night's preseason game against the Falcons.

Wilkerson, a defensive end, has been out for all but two practices—he practiced on a limited basis twice last week—since first injuring the hamstring on Aug. 2. Bowles said earlier in the week that Wilkerson had recently tweaked the hamstring a second time.

"He's still got some work to do," Bowles said. "Initially, I thought, a tweak, to me, means you're out a day or two and you come back. But obviously, it's been bothering him longer than that."

At this point, with Wilkerson officially ruled out for Friday, the next opportunity for him to practice will be Sunday—exactly three weeks after he was first injured. Hamstrings can be finicky; a player trying to return too after injuring one runs the risk of having the injury flare up again.

Last year, wideout Eric Decker attempted to play through a hamstring injury for several weeks, and it took him a while to reach a point in which it was no longer bothering him.

"We're just going to take it slowly and go from there," Wilkerson told reporters on Saturday, the most recent day the team made him available for questions. "Everybody that knows me [knows that] I want to be out there with my teammates."

It's obviously not ideal for the Jets to be without Wilkerson. He's one of their best players, and they're also not going to have their other starting D-end, Sheldon Richardson, for at least four weeks at the start of the regular season because of a suspension. But if there's a time for Wilkerson to take his time to make sure he's healed, it's now, when there are still more than three weeks until the start of games that actually count.

"He's getting the necessary help," Bowles said, "and he's getting better."

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5 Todd Bowles takeaways from Wednesday, on Matt Flynn's arrival, Mo Wilkerson's hamstring (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/5_todd_bowles_takeaways_from_wednesday_as_matt_fly.html

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FLORHAM PARK — Jets coach Todd Bowles addressed reporters Wednesday after new quarterback Matt Flynn's first practice, though Flynn wasn't able to do much because of a lingering hamstring injury.

Here are five takeaways from what Bowles said:

New Jets quarterback Matt Flynn practice highlights

New York Jets quarterback Matt Flynn (5) at his first day of practice after signing with the Jets. New York Jets hold training camp practice at Florham Park training facility. Florham Park ,NJ 8/19/15 (Amanda Marzullo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

1. Why'd they get Flynn? And why now? Bowles said Flynn "knows the [Jets' offensive] system a little bit" from his previous stops. Plus, Bowles said, "He was the only one available, too. Not being the only one available that we wanted to sign, but he was the most experienced, and we needed a veteran quarterback right away." Bowles said "it's conceivable" the Jets could cut Flynn and sign another quarterback if a better option becomes available after final cuts. It depends on how Flynn plays, too, Bowles said. But the Jets like Flynn and want to give him a chance, Bowles said. Flynn is about a week away from being able to practice, due to that hamstring injury. The Jets wanted to bring him in now, so he could learn their offense while rehabbing. That way, when he is able to practice, he can handle things better. Bowles hopes Flynn can play in preseason game No. 3, in 10 days against the Giants. "We all thought about waiting [to sign a veteran backup quarterback], but we thought it would be a good idea [to sign him now], because he may not be available next week," Bowles said. "So we wanted to get him in here and learn the system." Learning the offense will take at least a couple weeks, Bowles said. If, for some reason, Flynn has to play in Week 1 (Sept. 13), the Jets would need to water down their offense for him, Bowles said.

2. Geno Smith update. The former starting quarterback is out with a broken jaw, as you might have heard. He was in the morning meetings Wednesday, Bowles said. "As he gets better, the more he'll be in [all] the meetings," Bowles said. Smith won't be on the sideline Friday, in preseason game No. 2, against the Falcons. Bowles has a policy that no injured guys stand on the sideline during the preseason. There are too many players on the sideline already, with a 90-man roster, so it can be hard for an injured player to get out of the way if a play comes toward him. It's precautionary, Bowles said. Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (hamstring) was on the sideline for the preseason opener at Detroit because he made the trip. But he won't be on the sideline Friday at MetLife Stadium.

3. Wilkerson's hamstring. He didn't practice Wednesday yet again, and so he won't play against the Falcons, according to Bowles. The hamstring injury — it's always been termed a "tweak" by Wilkerson and the Jets — continues to linger. "I've seen progress," Bowles said. "He's still got some work to do. Initially, I thought, a tweak, to me, means you're out a day or two and you come back. But obviously, it's been bothering him longer than that."

4. Other injuries. Wide receiver Chris Owusu (concussion) is still out, and won't play Friday. Nor will backup inside linebacker Erin Henderson (MCL sprain). Bowles initially said Henderson would miss a week, but it could be longer, the coach said Wednesday. Bowles won't know Henderson's estimated return date until he starts running, and that hasn't happened yet. Left guard James Carpenter tweaked his ankle during Wednesday's practice, but Bowles said he didn't think it was serious. Backup defensive end Ronald Talley sat out with a groin injury. If Talley can't play Friday, Bowles will start rookie Leonard Williams and Stephen Bowen at defensive end, since Sheldon Richardson, preparing for his suspension, is working with the backups. Bowles isn't sure when safety Calvin Pryor will return to the team. He's dealing with a death in his family. He's not going to play Friday.

5. The plan for Friday. Bowles said he'll play his starters for "mostly the entire [first] half. I'll see how it goes in the second quarter. I wouldn't put them out there in the third quarter." What does he want to

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see, coming off that sloppy preseason opener last Thursday in Detroit? "The tackling better change," Bowles said. "We've got a long way to go from last week.

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5 Matt Flynn takeaways: No guarantee he'll still be with Jets Week 1 (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/5_matt_flynn_takeaways_no_guarantee_hell_still_be.html

FLORHAM PARK — Quarterback Matt Flynn practiced for the first time with the Jets on Wednesday, a short time after his signing became official. Flynn took part in position drills, but was otherwise an observer "just trying to get acclimated."

Flynn spoke to reporters for about five minutes after his first practice concluded. A quick summary of what he had to say and what it all means:

1. No guarantees. Flynn gave a quick "No" in response to a question about whether the Jets guaranteed him a spot on the Week 1 regular-season roster. This makes sense. Flynn was only signed to fill in until Geno Smith (broken jaw) can return, which could happen sometime next month. Ryan Fitzpatrick is still the starter, and Flynn—who is recovering from a hamstring injury—will begin as the No. 3 quarterback, behind Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty, though head coach Todd Bowles said it's possible Flynn could jump to No.

2. No defined role. "Specifically, there wasn't any talk about what [my] role is, what they want out of me or anything," Flynn said. "Kind of right now, my focus just has to be learning stuff." Again: Flynn is here to keep a seat warm until Smith gets healthy. He's not competing to be the No. 1, and he's not saving the franchise.

3. When will he be ready? Flynn was cut earlier this summer by the Patriots, in part because of a hamstring injury he sustained while training for camp. Bowles said something about an ankle injury, but Flynn said his only ailment is his hammy, and he couldn't say how long it might be until he can practice. (Bowles estimated it might take one week.) Which is just as well, since the Jets want Petty to get as many snaps as possible in the preseason, when the games don't count. What they don't want is for Petty to be their No. 2 once the games do count. That's why Flynn is here.

4. Familiarity with offense. Flynn has mostly been a west coast-style quarterback during his prior stops in Green Bay and Seattle, but he said the terminology the Jets are using has some similarities to what he had with the Packers' and Patriots'. Still, though: "Watching practice [Wednesday] it was, uh ... it was ... it was ... it was different."

5. Why now? Even though the Jets want Petty to get his reps before stuff gets real in September, Bowles said the Jets brought Flynn in now because some other team might have grabbed him had they waited—and in mid-August, it's not like there are a lot of quality quarterbacks just waiting by the phone for another chance. And even though Flynn is going to need a week or more to heal his hammy, bringing him in now at least gives him a chance to get up to speed with the offense sooner.

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Jets sign quarterback Matt Flynn, release receiver Arthur Williams to make room (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/jets_will_sign_quarterback_matt_flynn_per_report.html

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FLORHAM PARK — The Jets on Wednesday announced that they have signed free agent quarterback Matt Flynn. They released wide receiver Arthur Williams to make room on the roster.

It'll be a one-year contract for Flynn, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

On Friday, the Jets hosted Flynn for a physical, but not a workout. A day later, Jets coach Todd Bowles said the organization was still in talks with Flynn's camp.

Flynn will be the Jets' No. 2 quarterback, behind new starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was elevated on the depth chart after a teammate punched Geno Smith and broke his jaw. Smith probably will miss four games, according to general manager Mike Maccagnan, though that timetable is not set in stone.

Flynn, 30, has played for six organizations — now seven — since he entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick in 2008. He never blossomed into starting quarterback material, despite hopes that he would. Most recently, this offseason, he was with the Patriots. They cut him last week.

Flynn reportedly has been dealing with a pulled hamstring that resulted in him starting training camp on the non-football injury list. When Patriots coach Bill Belichick cut Flynn, Belichick said Flynn hadn't passed his physical.

So Flynn might not be ready to practice immediately with the Jets. But by not waiting until later in the preseason to acquire a veteran backup quarterback, the Jets are giving Flynn ample time to learn their offense.

After Smith's injury, the Jets had rookie Bryce Petty, a long-term project player, as their No. 2 quarterback. Maccagnan said Tuesday he was looking to add a veteran quarterback. There's no way the Jets wanted to enter the season with Petty as the backup. He's nowhere close to ready to succeed in the NFL.

"Having a veteran quarterback in there as a No. 2 option or No. 3 option has some value in it," Maccagnan said.

Earlier Tuesday, in an interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa, Maccagnan called looking for a veteran backup quarterback "a natural thing to do." Especially when the current No. 2 is a quarterback as green as Petty.

Maccagnan told Francesa the purpose of signing a veteran quarterback would be to "give us a little insurance." And that's exactly what Flynn is.

Now, if Fitzpatrick gets hurt, they don't have to play a rookie who isn't ready. Flynn isn't a great quarterback, but he has played in 53 career games, with seven starts. He's your typical career backup.

The impending signing of Flynn means the Jets likely will keep four quarterbacks on their 53-man active roster coming out of training camp: Fitzpatrick, Flynn, Petty, and Smith. (That, of course, means there is one fewer roster spot available for other positions.)

The Jets will have to stay at four quarterbacks until Smith is healthy enough to return. At that point, they probably will cut Flynn, who comes to the Jets simply as a rental/insurance player in case something happens to Fitzpatrick.

Why does Smith have to remain on the active roster, even though he can't play for about the first four games?

Well, the Jets can't put him on the physically unable to perform list, which would remove him from the active roster for their first six games. That's because he didn't start training cap on the PUP list. So he's not eligible for regular season PUP.

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And the Jets likely aren't going to use their lone short-term injured reserve designation on him, according to Maccagnan. If they did, he couldn't be activated until after Week 8 (the Jets' seventh game). Smith is expected to be healthy before that, so short-term IR doesn't make sense for him.

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How Matt Flynn complicates the Jets' roster plans (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/how_matt_flynn_complicates_the_jets_roster_plans.html

FLORHAM PARK — The reality is this: The Jets have no choice but to sign veteran quarterback Matt Flynn, as they are now on the verge of doing. But the reality is also this: It's going to complicate things for a while.

As long as Geno Smith is sidelined with a broken jaw—general manager Mike Maccagnan on Tuesday said Smith would "probably" miss the first four games of the regular season—the Jets cannot have rookie Bryce Petty as Ryan Fitzpatrick's immediate backup. Petty is a project. He's far from ready.

But the addition of Flynn reduces how flexible the Jets can be with their 53-man regular-season roster. You're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about, unless you haven't already clicked away to watch a cat video somewhere.

So if you're still with me, I'm here to take your question. Hello? Any questions?

Yeah, um, what are you talking about?

Basically, the addition of Flynn would mean the Jets have to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster—Fitzpatrick, Flynn, Smith, Petty—for however long Smith is sidelined. NFL teams typically keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man. But the Jets won't have a choice. And that means one less spot they might otherwise have used to shore up their depth somewhere else.

Why would they have to keep all four?

Pretty much because the rules don't give them much choice here. Smith is expected to be out for another five to nine weeks—which projects anywhere from Week 3 to Week 7—so he's not going to go on injured reserve, which is only for season-ending injuries. He has to count.

So there are no other, shorter-term options?

Not really, no.

What about that PUP list thingy?

The physically unable to perform (PUP) list is a short-term injury designation, but any player placed on PUP must first be on PUP at the start of training camp. Smith, then, can't be PUP'd. Running back Stevan Ridley, however, is a more likely candidate for PUP once the season starts.

That's it?

Well, there's also what's commonly known as short-term injured reserve. Each team is permitted to short-term IR one player, and—

The Jets can do that!

Let me finish. Geez. Teams can short-term IR one player, but that player would not be eligible to practice until after Week 6, and he could not play until after Week 8.

So?

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So, the Jets expect to have Smith back well before Week 8. They also have to consider the possibility that another player could get injured during camp for whom short-term IR might be a better fit. Also also, Maccagnan said Tuesday that short-term IR for Smith was a "possibility," right before he said it would "not be likely." So we can probably eliminate that as an option, too.

Hmmm.

Yep.

What about Petty? Why can't they put him on the practice squad?

Because they'd have to waive Petty first, which would allow another team to claim him before the Jets had a chance to put him on the practice squad. The Jets likely don't want to risk that. Also, once he's on the practice squad, Petty could still be claimed by another team, though that team would have to keep him on their 53-man roster. Either way, the Jets want to keep Petty for the future. And that means keeping him on the 53-man and not exposing him to other teams.

What about Geno? Why can't they just cut him?

Because they won't.

Why not?

Because they just won't.

Oh-kay, then. So it'll be four quarterbacks, for at least as long as Geno is sidelined. Why is that a problem?

Because of those four quarterbacks, two—Petty, Smith—would have no chance of playing. And that's one less roster spot the Jets could use somewhere else—offensive line, linebacker, cornerback, etc.—where they might want to have plenty of depth and flexibility. Guys get hurt in this league. The most underrated thing Maccagnan did this offseason was to make a number of low-level signings to stock the Jets with depth. And head coach Todd Bowles has to figure out how to put all those pieces together. Having four quarterbacks leaves him with one less piece.

There is good news, though.

What's that?

The Jets would likely only be looking at having quarterbacks eat up four roster spots for a few weeks of the regular season. Smith, again, is expected to return fairly early on. Maccagnan estimated it might take four games.

Then what?

Flynn would be the emergency guy. He's pretty adept at holding clipboards, and that's more or less what he'd be doing for the Jets, unless Fitzpatrick gets hurt. But once Smith comes back, Flynn will probably be gone.

Really? Why?

Because the Jets are not going to go all year with four quarterbacks, and they're not dumping Fitzpatrick, Smith, or Petty. Flynn's the odd man out.

That's cold.

You new here? The NFL is cold.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick report card from Tuesday at Jets training camp (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media August 19, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/08/ryan_fitzpatrick_report_card_from_tuesday_at_jets.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets on Tuesday did not have a typical practice.

Players wore shells, so there was no contact. The team periods, which usually pit the starting offense against the starting defense, instead had the starting offense going against backups, and vice versa. The pace was much slower than normal, because the emphasis was on preparation for Friday night's preseason game against the Falcons, and on installing the playbook.

Jets' three stars 8/18/15

"It was more introducing their defense and how they play, and also talking to our guys about particular routes and things that we will not only use for this week in preseason, but down the line during the season," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "It's not necessarily the normal bulk that we would have for a game plan. It's a lot of, again, vanilla-type plays and hoping that we can execute our vanilla plays."

So: execution and install. Training camp is now roughly three weeks old, and head coach Todd Bowles said the Jets have installed about 65 percent of their offensive playbook.

What follows is a quick breakdown of how Fitzpatrick fared on Tuesday.

Analysis: Fitzpatrick had his good and bad moments. He got off to a solid start, completing passes to Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Quincy Enunwa out of the gate in addition to having one knocked down by cornerback Dexter McDougle. In red zone, Fitzpatrick tried to jam a pass into the end zone along the sideline to Enunwa, but cornerback Dashaun Phillips nearly picked it off. But Fitzpatrick did bounce right back by tossing touchdowns on quick throws to Decker and Marshall, and he did a nice job of stepping up in the pocket before finding Decker. All in all, a decent showing.

Grade: B

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Mo Wilkerson’s health among 3 things to watch at Jets camp on Wednesday (Seth Walder) New York Daily News August 19

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/3-watch-jets-camp-wednesday-article-1.2330739

Ahead of the team’s preseason game against the Falcons on Friday, the Jets practice at Florham Park on Wednesday. Stretching begins at 1:50 p.m. and the practice is open to season ticket holders only. Here are three things to watch for:

1. Will there be a Matt Flynn sighting? The team finalized a one-year deal with the quarterback on Wednesday. It’s possible Flynn could be around Wednesday, though he may not be able to practice yet depending on his hamstring injury.

2. The trickle-down effect of Quincy Enunwa being in a position battle with Jeremy Kerley is that there is probably one fewer spot for another WR. Enunwa had seemed like a long shot to make the roster before, but no longer does, so it might be harder for receivers like Shaq Evans, T.J. Graham, Chris Owusu or DeVier Posey to make the team.

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3. The Mo Wilkerson watch will be on, per usual. Todd Bowles said if Wilkerson doesn’t practice on Wednesday, he probably won’t play against the Falcons. Don’t bet on the star defensive lineman suiting up for this week’s game.

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Jets coach Todd Bowles on signing QB Matt Flynn: 'He was the only one available' (Kevin Armstrong) New York Daily News August 19, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/bowles-jets-signed-flynn-qb-article-1.2331290

And on the eighth day since Geno Smith was cold-cocked in the jaw, coach Todd Bowles welcomed a new quarterback into his training camp. His name was Matt Flynn and he had some familiarity with the system.

“He was the only one available, too,” Bowles said.

The Jets took a flyer on the veteran Flynn on Wednesday, agreeing to treat his injured hamstring as he attempts to make the team after being released by the Patriots nine days ago. Bowles noted that Flynn is likely “a week away” from being able to practice with the team.

“Like everybody else, you want to find better, but Matt’s a good quarterback,” Bowles said. “I wanted to get him in here so he can have a week, learn and pick everything up so when he got healthy he can go out and play.”

Flynn did not practice with the Patriots and he was limited to throwing during individual drills with the Jets on Day 1 of his tenure, but Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan believed that he was the best option to provide a veteran backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick. One Jets Drive was only the latest stop on Flynn’s five-team tour of the NFL over the last seven seasons. He wore his hair in a ponytail and settled in following practice. He was adjusting quickly.

“Sometimes I have to look at the map app on my phone to figure it out,” Flynn said. “Just trying to get acclimated. It’s a been a whirlwind the last couple of days.”

Jets coach Todd Bowles (second from l.) will take what he can get right now when it comes to quarterbacks.

Flynn is joining a meeting room with plenty of uncertainty inside it. Smith attended morning meetings Wednesday as he continued to recover from surgery to repair his broken jaw. Maccagnan anticipates Smith to miss four regular-season games, and Fitzpatrick has supplanted Smith in the interim. Flynn was a necessary pickup to add experience to the position. Rookie Bryce Petty is still learning the system, let alone the rhythms of the professional life. Flynn noted that he picked up part of the Jets’ current system in Green Bay and New England.

“Hopefully I’ll fast-track it,” he said.

Flynn, 30, maintained that there was no discussion of what his role will be with the Jets and that there was no guarantee of making the team. He is familiar with the view from the sideline. After being drafted by the Packers in the seventh round in 2008, he backed up Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay then agreed to a $19 million deal with the Seahawks, only to lose a training camp competition to then-rookie Russell Wilson. He went to Oakland next, then Buffalo before New England. In limited play, he has completed 61.3% of his pass attempts during his career. He has started seven games.

“My focus has to be on learning stuff, learning the playbook, learning what the heck’s going on out there,” Flynn said. “Watching practice today, it was different.”

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Jets CB Antonio Cromartie not concerned he keeps getting beat in practice (Kevin Armstrong) New York Daily News August 19, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-antonio-cromartie-not-concerned-burns-article-1.2331468

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie gets beat by teammate Eric Decker in camp on a regular basis, but he’s not concerned before Week 1.

“I’m not really worried about anything that’s going on right now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to when those lights turn on and you go play football from there.”

Cromartie, 31, said he felt fine and was working on his technique. He expressed a willingness to surrender big plays in practice if it meant getting his communication and tactics ready for the regular season.

“This is really not even training camp,” Cromartie said. “I don’t know what it is. I’m used to having two-a-days. . . . Two-a-days was fun. It weaned out the guys that was not mentally strong.”

NO MO

Muhammad Wilkerson (hamstring) was a no-go at practice, and coach Todd Bowles ruled out the defensive lineman for Friday’s game against the Falcons.

“I’ve seen progress,” Bowles said. “He’s still got some work to do. He’s getting necessary help.”

Wilkerson acknowledged Saturday that he endured a minor setback in his recovery.

GENO . . . YES

Quarterback Geno Smith (jaw) is expected to be in attendance Friday night, but he will not be standing on the sideline. Bowles noted that his policy is for injured players to stay off the sideline, in part, to avoid further injury. He cited the possibility of a punt-team coverage player running into an injured player as something he wanted to eliminate. . . . WR Arthur Williams was waived. . . . The Jets will return to Hofstra for practice on Sunday. Asked for his memories of the team’s old facility during his first stint with the team in 2000, Bowles said, “That’s a long drive.” Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and practice starts at 7 p.m. It will be Family Night.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Jets Coach on New QB Matt Flynn: “He’s the Only One Available” (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal August 19, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/jets-coach-on-new-qb-matt-flynn-hes-the-only-one-available-1440026273

On his first day as a New York Jet, backup quarterback Matt Flynn joked that he didn’t know where he was.

“Sometimes I got to look at the map app on the phone and figure it out,” said Flynn, who had his shaggy hair tied up in a bun.

The Jets signed Flynn on Wednesday, a week after linebacker IK Enemkpali sidelined starting quarterback Geno Smith for six to 10 weeks with a locker-room punch that broke Smith’s jaw. Flynn will compete with

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rookie Bryce Petty to be the team’s second-string passer behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. (Enemkpali now has a job in Buffalo.)

‘He’s the only one available. He was the most experienced and we needed a veteran quarterback right away.’

—Todd Bowles

Like Fitzpatrick, Flynn is best known as a journeyman backup—although he has started just seven games in the NFL, where Fitzpatrick has started 89. He spent six seasons (covering two separate stints) behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, capped by a 480-yard, six-touchdown day against Detroit to finish the 2011 season. That game made him the favorite to start in Seattle in 2012, but a rookie named Russell Wilson beat him out. He also had short tenures with Oakland, Buffalo and New England, which released him last week after signing him on June 11.

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METRO NEW YORK

Todd Bowles talks new Jets QB Matt Flynn (AP) Metro New York August 19, 2015

http://www.metro.us/kristian-dyer/todd-bowles-talks-new-jets-qb-matt-flynn/zsJoht---GgtLKi0y2rnoc/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Matt Flynn is a New York Jet, giving a team now eight days removed from a punch to the jaw of their quarterback depth a veteran option.

Last week, the Jets brought Flynn in for a physical but didn't workout the veteran, now set to enter his eighth year in the NFL. But they ended up signing him to a contract on Tuesday, a deal that likely will keep him in town till at least September when Geno Smith is expected to be back from the jaw surgery he had late last week.

Smith of course was sucker-punched last Tuesday by linebacker IK Enemkpali over a $600 debt. The linebacker was quickly cut from the team and then signed by the Buffalo Bills late last week. With Smith out, the Jets have veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and then two rookies on their depth chart. They needed someone with NFL experience.

They got that in Flynn, sort of.

“He's a veteran, he's been around a few places, he kind of knows the system a little bit. He's the only one available too,” head coach Todd Bowles said on Wednesday. “He has a lot of experience in the system – not being the only one available to sign but he had the most experience. We needed a veteran quarterback right away. He fit.”

Flynn's most productive season came in 2013 when he split time between the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played in seven games that year and completed 124 passes for 1,392 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

It was the most action he's seen in his NFL career, which has been dogged by injuries and more hype than fulfilled promise.

Infamously in 2012, Flynn signed a three-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks worth $20.5 million but then flamed out that year, losing the starting job to Russell Wilson.

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But now currently with the Jets, Flynn has an ankle injury and Bowles hopes he will be available for next week's third preseason game against the New York Giants. He said that if he needed to go with the veteran he would be fine with it, just not this moment.

“Right now I wouldn't be comfortable because we just got him,” Bowles said. “Once he gets accustomed to the system, I'd be comfortable with him.”

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WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL American League

BOSTON RED SOX — Released RHP Justin Masterson.

DETROIT TIGERS — Optioned 3B Jefry Marte to Toledo (IL). Recalled RHP Drew VerHagen from Toledo.

MINNESOTA TWINS — Placed OF Aaron Hicks on the 15-day DL.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Recalled OF Jake Smolinski from Nashville (PCL). Placed 1B Ike Davis on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Aug. 18.

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Optioned LHP Enny Romero to Durham (IL). Recalled RHP Matt Andriese from Durham.

TEXAS RANGERS — Activated LHP Derek Holland from 60-day DL. Recalled INF Hanser Alberto from Round Rock (PCL). Designated INF Adam Rosales for assignment. Optioned RHPs Chi Chi Gonzalez and Tanner Scheppers to Round Rock.

National League

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Recalled RHP Zack Godley from Mobile (SL). Optioned RHP Chase Anderson to Reno (PCL).

ATLANTA BRAVES — Optioned OF Joey Terdoslavich to Gwinnett (IL). Activated 1B Freddie Freeman from the 15-day DL.

CINCINNATI REDS — Placed CF Billy Hamilton on the 15-day DL. Transferred RHP Nate Adcock from the 15- to the 60-day DL. Optioned RHP Dylan Axelrod to Louisville (IL). Recalled Brennan Boesch OF from Louisville. Selected the contract of RHP Sam LeCure from Louisville.

COLORADO ROCKIES — Placed C Michael McKenry on the 60-day DL. Selected the contract of C Dustin Garneau from Albuquerque (PCL).

NEW YORK METS — Released OF Cesar Puello.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Traded 2B Chase Utley to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Darnell Sweeney and RHP John Richy.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Selected the contract of RHP Josh Wall from Indianapolis (IL). Designated INF Pedro Florimon for assignment.

SAN DIEGO PADRES — Selected the contract OF Travis Jankowski from Triple-A El Paso (PCL).

American Association

AMARILLO THUNDERHEADS — Signed LHP Chris Cummins.

GRAND PRAIRIE AIRHOGS — Released RHP Jeff Neptune.

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JOPLIN BLASTERS — Signed RHP Joshua Evans.

LAREDO LEMURS — Signed INF Abel Nieves.

ST. PAUL SAINTS — Signed INF Nate Hanson.

WINNIPEG GOLDEYES — Signed RHP Johnnie Lowe.

FOOTBALL National Football League

ARIZONA CARDINALS — Released LB Darryl Sharpton.

BUFFALO BILLS — Signed DL Red Bryant and RB Cierre Wood.

CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed WR Michael Bennett. Waived TE Jake Murphy.

HOUSTON TEXANS — Signed S Quintin Demps and DE Fili Moala. Waived DE Jasper Coleman. Waived/injured TE Mike McFarland.

NEW YORK GIANTS — Claimed DT Jimmy Staten off waivers from Seattle. Released DT Carlif Taylor.

NEW YORK JETS — Signed QB Matt Flynn. Waived WR Arthur Williams.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Claimed LB L.J. Fort off waivers from New England. Waived/injured LB Jordan Zumwalt.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS — Claimed TE Logan Stokes off waivers from New England. Waived TE Eric Frohnapfel.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Waived/injured LB Trevardo Williams.

Canadian Football League

CFL — Fined Calgary DL Micah Johnson an undisclosed amount for a low hit on Ottawa QB Henry Burris and B.C. DL Alex Bazzie an undisclosed amount for lowering and leading with the crown of his helmet on a tackle in a game against Hamilton.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS — Signed QB Tyler Russell to the practice roster.

HOCKEY American Hockey League

HAMILTON BULLDOGS — Agreed to terms with D Reilly Webb.

LACROSSE National Lacrosse League

COLORADO MAMMOTH — Agreed to terms with F Callum Crawford on a three-year contract and D Mat MacLeod on a one-year contract. Signed G Zak Boychuk and D Taylor Northway to one-year contracts.

SOCCER Major League Soccer

PHILADELPHIA UNION — Announced they will own and operate a USL team in Bethlehem starting in the 2016 season.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS — Announced MF Marco Pappa was reinstated.

COLLEGE

ARKANSAS — Dismissed men's senior basketball F Jacorey Williams following his arrest last month for allegedly using counterfeit money at three locations near campus.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN — Suspended junior QB Kevin Ellison for the opening two games after being ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA.

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HIGH POINT — Named Austin Geisler director of men's lacrosse operations.

INDIANA STATE — Announced junior S Antonio Allen is transferring from Indiana.

LAMAR — Named Jamie Meshew women's assistant soccer coach.

LIMESTONE — Named Michael Sanders director of social and digital media.

RANDOLPH-MACON — Named Amanda Sopko assistant softball coach.

UTSA — Promoted Shenton Wai to assistant baseball coach. Named Jeff Luster director of baseball operations.

WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH — Named Robert Henshaw women's tennis coach.

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