Multiple issues flank Jets before training camp opens this summer
by Rich Cimini
They're not calling you a genius anymore, not after 4-12.
Your owner still likes you, but he doled out $140 million for new players and, with a new stadium to market, he wants a winner.
Your starting quarterback … wait a second, do you have a starting quarterback on the roster?
Your tight end is cranky, and unless he gets a new contract or a trade, he's going to stomp his feet and whine every day to the media.
Eric Mangini, your third training camp - the Jets' farewell to Long Island - will be anything but dullsville.
The fun begins Thursday at Hofstra, where the Jets will hold their final training camp before moving Sept. 1 to their new, year-round facility in Florham Park, N.J. For Mangini, who is 14-18 after two seasons, these next six weeks are absolutely critical.
If Mangini were to write a to-do list for camp, it would look something like this:
• Pick a quarterback, Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens.
• Build team chemistry.
• There will be at least five new starters, all veterans with deep roots in other systems.
•Lighten up.
• Mangini said he will shorten practices to less than two hours, perhaps a concession that his old way was too taxing.
• Establish a new 'tude.
"We have to come out (of training camp) with energy," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "We need to hit some people in the mouth. I don't think we hit enough people in the mouth last year."
Clearly, the central issue is the open competition at quarterback, the most important decision Mangini will make for as long as he's the head coach. Right now, it appears to be a dead heat, but if Mangini likes what he sees from Clemens in the preseason, he'll likely opt for the young, live arm over the wise head.
The coach's decision may reflect his feelings about his own job security. There's more upside with Clemens, but also more risk because of his inexperience. Pennington, despite his physical limitations, probably could grind out eight wins with his smarts and toughness. He's the safe choice.
"The approach is based on who we think is going to be able to lead the team and do the best job," Mangini said. "All our decisions are ‘now' decisions."
Mangini faces no immediate danger, but this is a contract year for him. With two years remaining on his original deal, he'll be up for an extension after the season. More wins, more long-term security.
Recent history is on his side. From 2000 to 2006, the 17 teams that went 4-12 improved by an average of 3.2 victories the following year. Only one team (the '05 Raiders) went backward.
Although Woody Johnson has professed his faith in Mangini, promising a return in 2009, the owner's unprecedented spending spree has created an unspoken pressure to win. After all, he paid $54 million in guarantees for guard Alan Faneca, tackle Damien Woody, nose tackle Kris Jenkins and linebacker Calvin Pace. He's also paying $6 million to Pennington, who could be the most expensive backup in the NFL. Rebuilding teams don't do that.
Pressure? Mangini, tanned and relaxed, smiled.
"The one thing that is great about Woody and (GM) Mike Tannenbaum is, before I got the job and since I've been in the job, we talk about the vision and what we're continually trying to work toward," he said, offering no hint of a win-now edict.
Mangini could undermine himself by botching the quarterback decision. The last thing he needs is a controversy, which, in many cases, can divide a locker room. People close to the team don't expect that to be a problem because Pennington and Clemens like each other and because they're well-liked by teammates. Some players give the impression they're just as eager as the fans to see the battle play out.
"For most guys, it's not cut and dried," said one player, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The Daily News contacted six experts - a personnel director, a scout, a current Jets player and three analysts - with three saying Pennington gives the Jets the best chance to win. The other three were non-committal, claiming they want to evaluate them in the preseason before choosing one.
"I've always been one to go with the veteran guy," said ESPN analyst Floyd Reese, formerly the Titans' GM. "I would go ahead and at least start with (Pennington)."
Said one AFC personnel director: "Everybody knows what Chad Pennington is. No one knows what Kellen Clemens can be. Until I know, I'd go with Pennington."
Former Giants linebacker Carl Banks, a Sirius Satellite radio analyst, said Pennington is a better fit based on the anticipated changes to the offensive scheme. After going into last season with a wide-open approach, using three- and four-receiver formations, the Jets plan to get back to basics. More two-back sets. More emphasis on the running game. Power over finesse.
"From all indications, it will be an offense that requires a great deal of play-action and decision making, and that's where Chad Pennington gets the nod," Banks said. "There's not going to be an emphasis on the quarterback's arm." Maybe not, but the Jets are willing to move on from Pennington, who was benched after eight games last season. His career record is 32-30, and his touchdown-interception ratio since tearing his rotator cuff is 2004 is a mediocre 36-34. He was awful last season in the clutch, throwing four interceptions and no touchdown passes in the fourth quarter when the margin was seven points or less.
But he played most of the season with a high ankle sprain and, although Pennington never made it a public alibi, he told friends it was like playing on one leg. A bad wheel can have a big impact on a quarterback's mechanics; it may have contributed to some of the balloon passes that were intercepted.
Clemens could've placed a stranglehold on the job, but he struggled with his decision-making, pocket presence and accuracy, finishing 3-5 as a first-time starter. Like Pennington, he didn't have much pass protection and - get this - he was victimized by 17 drops, according to STATS, LLC.
Clemens' big advantage over Pennington, though, is arm strength, which opens up the entire playbook. If Clemens can convince Mangini he can manage the game as well as Pennington, the job will be his. But it could be tough against vanilla defensive schemes in the preseason.
Ultimately, it could be a gut call for Mangini, who handpicked Clemens in the '06 draft.
"It's like when you get engaged: You just know," Mangini said.
Mangini relies on his own instincts for many decisions, but he's also open-minded, willing to try cutting-edge methods. Looking to improve training techniques, he solicited input from the Australian Institute of Sport, which visited the team and recommended ways to enhance stamina and recovery time.
Criticized in past years for his relentless camp regimen, Mangini has decided to lighten the load, joining a league-wide trend. He refused to blame his poor September record (3-4) on post-camp fatigue, although he admitted - with a hint of a smile - that his '06 practices "went forever."
Somewhere, wide receiver Laveranues Coles is nodding in agreement.
Mangini said he sought feedback from veteran players, a Coughlin-esque move that shows he's willing to be flexible. That doesn't mean it will be a harmonious camp, especially with disgruntled tight end Chris Baker prepared to make a stink, but experience should help him navigate what could be a tumultuous summer.
