AFC East
J - E - T - S JARGON - New York Jets 2007 Pre-Training Camp Report
By Randy Setterberg
Jul 11, 2007, 18:36

Expendable? To say WR Justin McCareins has been a disappointment is the equivalent of commenting on QB Chad Pennington’s lack of arm strength - we’re overstating the obvious. The old adage “buy low, sell high” is applicable here. McCareins peaked after his 2003 season with Tennessee; the Jets signed him to a 7-year, $31 million deal then compensated the Titans for the right to do so. It’s taken McCareins three years in New York to equal the number of touchdowns he amassed in 2003 alone. Moreover, he’s been passed on the depth chart by fourth-rounders Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith, and is being squeezed for playing time by rookie seventh-rounder Chansi Stuckey.

But is McCareins done for in the Big Apple? While it’s true that his contact would need to be reworked prior to a trade - he’s scheduled to count $2.9 million against the 2007 salary cap - the Jets’ underachieving WR showed just enough at mini-camp to keep him on the active roster. Coach Eric Mangini needs to walk a fine line; McCareins has value to teams with a depleted receiving corps (hello Tennessee), yet his value would increase dramatically should either L. Coles or J. Cotchery go down to injury. And while he only finished fifth on the team in receptions last year, he was the only Jet receiver not to drop a pass.

Frettin’ like Faneca: Jet OG Pete Kendall is following in the footsteps of Steeler OG Alan Faneca; he’s disgruntled, wants a new deal, and has demanded to be either traded or cut. Easy, Pete; one at a time, will ya? Faneca is a six-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro nominee; you, my friend, well . . . you’ve had a very solid and versatile career as both an offensive guard and center. Sure you’re teed off that the Derrick Dockery’s, Eric Steinbach’s, and Leonard Davis’s of the world are earning roughly $50 million over the next seven years, but the reality is you’re a 34-year-old warhorse whose best days are silhouetted in your rear view mirror.

What’s more, Kendall is the Jets’ union rep; which means his voice is the first to be heard when player complaints need to be filed. This situation is eerily similar to what happened three years ago, when then Arizona Cardinal Pete Kendall was suddenly cut by coach Dennis Green. Players had complained to the NFLPA about the intensity of “non-contact” mini camps; Kendall’s voice was believed to be the loudest. Green simply stated the team was not performing as well as expected, but the text between the lines was billboard size.

Finally, Kendall has no one to blame but himself - well, and maybe his agent, who failed to have the foresight necessary to keep Kendall from signing a restructured contract in March 2006 that locked him up through 2008. With negotiations for a new CBA on the horizon, how could Kendall be that naive to think there wasn’t more money in the owner’s coffers? He gambled on the “don’t pass” line and lost; so the Jets have all the leverage they need. Odds are the whining Kendall will still get his payday; New York will probably release him and his $1.7 million salary sometime in August, and he’ll sign with Miami - thus reuniting him with GM Randy Mueller, who drafted Kendall in 1996 when Mueller was with Seattle. Kendall will get his one-time $3 million payday, and all will be blissful in the state of Petesville with one minor caveat - the Jets will not be a better offensive team without him.

EFSlant: “Stay the course.” That’s the 2007 mantra for any Jet starting offensive players you own. Thomas Jones could have a career year behind a burgeoning offensive line - and that’s saying something, since he’s accumulated almost have of his career rushing yards (2,545 out of 5,384) and touchdowns (15 out of 34) in the past two seasons. An offensive juggernaut? No; but as long as Pennington stays healthy to keep defenses somewhat honest, your NYJ offensive linemen should average a solid 15 - 17ppg, reaching 20+ points on virtuous days. McCareins owners need to keep a close eye on the “transactions” page; his 4th receiver status as a Jet could take on a whole new meaning if a trade takes place. If he is salary-cap friendly, don’t dump him just yet. Conversely, Coles and Cotchery owners should try to acquire him on the cheap in case of injury - or trade. Kendall owners fear not; Pete will play for someone this year. And if he ends up in Miami, his numbers should equal or surpass those of his days in New York.

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