OT: Jets' Camp

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/sports/football/13jets.html

Jets Coach Eric Mangini has a soft spot for these rock-hard wrestlers, and not only because he dabbled in the sport in high school. He watched Steve Neal, a world-class wrestler, become a productive guard for the New England Patriots. Mangini also was among the first to encourage Ben Graham, the Jets’ punter, to make the switch from Australian Rules Football to the N.F.L.

Mangini is a big believer that all successful athletes share certain traits that transcend their sports-specific skill sets. Which explains why, in addition to Konrad and Rowlands, the Jets invited Jesse Pellot-Rosa, a guard on the Virginia Commonwealth basketball team that upset Duke in the first round of this year’s N.C.A.A. tournament, to the camp as a wide receiver. In all, 51 players, including the four players in this year’s draft class, are participating in the three-day camp.

“Whether it be wrestlers, basketball players, track athletes, Australian Rules football players, whoever it is,” Mangini said, “if they have a good work ethic, intelligence, the things that we look for, then it’s our job to teach them and their job to take advantage of the opportunity.”
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They both reported to the field for the first afternoon of drills with their helmets strapped on correctly. “Which was a plus,” Mangini deadpanned.

 

[psychoPat]

Sounds like, if you cherry-pick your draft
then it's hard to assemble a quorum for rookie camp
... of football players, that is.

 

[primetime]

Wait, so Mangini encouraged Ben Graham (signed in January 2005) to come to the Jets when he was still with the Patriots (until January 2006)? He was playing us all along!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Wait, so Mangini encouraged Ben Graham (signed in January 2005) to come to the Jets when he was still with the Patriots (until January 2006)? He was playing us all along!

No, Mangini's first coaching assignment was training a bunch of Aussie's how to play U.S.-style football, he used to call back and talk to his coach at Wesleyan to get coaching tips. He got a job in Cleveburgh sometime after he came home, where his prowess at using the copier to make handouts for the team caught BB's eye. Recall that he also worked for the Jest as part of the Parcell's posse.

 

[primetime]

No, Mangini's first coaching assignment was training a bunch of Aussie's how to play U.S.-style football, he used to call back and talk to his coach at Wesleyan to get coaching tips. He got a job in Cleveburgh sometime after he came home, where his prowess at using the copier to make handouts for the team caught BB's eye. Recall that he also worked for the Jest as part of the Parcell's posse.

It's a real big leap to say that Mangini's work in Australia 15 years previous played into the signing of Ben Graham by the Herman Edwards regime, which had nothing to do with the previous Parcells "posse."

Graham had nothing whatsoever to do with Mangini. He was signed a year before Mangini was hired. I think the writer made a mistake.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

It's a real big leap to say that Mangini's work in Australia 15 years previous played into the signing of Ben Graham by the Herman Edwards regime, which had nothing to do with the previous Parcells "posse."

Graham had nothing whatsoever to do with Mangini. He was signed a year before Mangini was hired. I think the writer made a mistake.

No, this has been reported before. Recall that Graham was an Aussie rules football star before coming over here to punt. Mangini knew him and had planted the seed years before he came over, unfortunately Herm got to harvest the crop.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

It's a real big leap to say that Mangini's work in Australia 15 years previous played into the signing of Ben Graham by the Herman Edwards regime, which had nothing to do with the previous Parcells "posse."

Graham had nothing whatsoever to do with Mangini. He was signed a year before Mangini was hired. I think the writer made a mistake.

The article doesn't say that he encouraged Graham to sign specifically with the Jets but simply to give American-style football a shot.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

This is their rookie camp, yes?

51 players at a rookie camp seems to be the polar opposite of how the patriots are handling their rookie camp. I know the Patriots admittedly have fewer open spots on their roster for these rookies but 51 vs 15 is a huge difference in numbers.

Are the Jets just playing the "throw it against a wall and see what sticks" or are they actually evaluating all of these players?

BB has said that he is using this time as a chance to teach the rookies and get them up to speed with the veterans as opposed to evaluate them.

I know each coach has to do what is best for his team, but again, evaluating 51 players in a mini camp? That seems excessive.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Wow, converting a basketball player into a reciever/te. And, a punter from an Aussie football team. That's never been done before.

Wait, I do recall there is a TE on SD named Gates that was a college basketball player. And, there was a guy named John Smith,Patriots kicker, who was an English soccer player. Maybe Magenius shoud be called Mancopycat.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

This is their rookie camp, yes?

51 players at a rookie camp seems to be the polar opposite of how the patriots are handling their rookie camp. I know the Patriots admittedly have fewer open spots on their roster for these rookies but 51 vs 15 is a huge difference in numbers.

Are the Jets just playing the "throw it against a wall and see what sticks" or are they actually evaluating all of these players?

BB has said that he is using this time as a chance to teach the rookies and get them up to speed with the veterans as opposed to evaluate them.

I know each coach has to do what is best for his team, but again, evaluating 51 players in a mini camp? That seems excessive.

Yep, that's a heap of players, but then "tryout" does have a specific meaning in keeping with the concept. Tangini spent their draft picks to get two guys projected to start this season and took four players in the draft overall. It would seem they also felt the value in this draft was limited and the best chance to help their club was to sift a lot of hay for needles. We'll see how well it works this Fall.

 

[zippo59]

Wow, converting a basketball player into a reciever/te. And, a punter from an Aussie football team. That's never been done before.

Wait, I do recall there is a TE on SD named Gates that was a college basketball player. And, there was a guy named John Smith,Patriots kicker, who was an English soccer player. Maybe Magenius shoud be called Mancopycat.

Everyone always talks about how Tony Gonzalez was a basketball player too.