Jets Nation

The Jets have finished their “final” round of cuts, and there were really no big surprises. Thanks to Manish Mehta over at the Daily News, who I am lifting from generously here.

The Jets waived the following players: WR Larry Taylor, FB Jason Davis, S Emanuel Cook, LB Brashton Satele, C Robby Felix, S Keith Fitzhugh, LB Tim Knicky, DE Jason Lamb, LB Boris Lee, DT Ty Steinkuhler, OL Chet Teofilo, DT Martin Tevaseu, LB Ricky Foley, DB Bo Smith, WR Brooks Foster, T Dan Gay, OL Michael Turkovich, LB Cory Reamer, OL Charlie Tanner.

According to beat writer Jenny Vrentas, the Jets were originally going to keep WR Brooks Foster on the roster, but instead they wound up releasing him with an injury settlement. The roster as it stands looks like this:

QUARTERBACKS (3): Mark Sanchez, Mark Brunell, Kellen Clemens

RUNNING BACKS (5): Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson, Chauncey Washington, Danny Woodhead, Joe McKnight

FULLBACKS (2): Tony Richardson, John Conner

WIDE RECEIVERS (4): Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards, Brad Smith, David Clowney

TIGHT ENDS (4): Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock, Jeff Cumberland, Matt Mulligan

OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Brandon Moore, Damien Woody, Matt Slauson, Vladimir Ducasse, Rob Turner, Wayne Hunter

DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Kris Jenkins, Sione Pouha, Shaun Ellis, Vernon Gholston, Mike DeVito, Matt Kroul

CORNERBACKS (6): Antonio Cromartie, Kyle Wilson, Dwight Lowery, Marquice Cole, Brian Jackson, Drew Coleman

SAFETIES (4): Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith, Brodney Pool, James Ihedigbo

LINEBACKERS (8): David Harris, Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, Jason Taylor, Bryan Thomas, Jamaal Westerman, Kenwin Cummings, Lance Laury

SPECIALISTS (3): K Nick Folk, P Steve Weatherford, Longsnapper Tanner Purdum

All the RB’s on there really stand out. Danny Woodhead’s a swingman who can also play some WR. The fact that the Jets liked Brooks Foster, and the fact that they are thin at WR suggests that this might be one of the positions where the Jets are most active today. Hard Knocks viewers know that David Clowney has far from solidified his roster spot. The Jets will also look at depth on the DL with Pitoitua out for the year, and Rex is always interested in secondary help. Brian Jackson making it is a mild surprise, he of the rookie hazing incident. He wasn’t listening to his coaches prior to that, I guess he learned his lesson. Obviously someone on the CB list is gone the moment Revis decides to end his hold out. Be interesting to see if Jackson sticks over some favorite targets of Jets’ fans (and opposing QB’s), like Drew Coleman.

Keep in mind just how temporary this list is. Tannenbaum always plays with the bottom few spots on his roster, and this year figures to be no different. Practice squads will be decided upon after all the waiver claims are sorted out.

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On Saturday the New York Jets had to trim their roster down to 53 players, which resulted in the team waiving 21 players.  Here are some quotes from Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum as he discussed some of the roster decisions.  For the list of cuts click here.

On how the unknown with Darrelle Revis impacted the roster…
“We talked about that quite a bit. Darrelle’s not here and we’ve planned accordingly. We feel good about our depth at corner. We have six guys that we think can hold up and that’s who were going to be moving forward with.”

On the decision to keep Joe McKnight on the roster…
“With Joe, he was a little more inconsistent than we had hoped in the preseason, but he’s going to get an opportunity to be on the roster. We’re going to go from there. As we’ve done in the past, our 45-man roster is going to look different week-in and week-out and there are going to be a number of spots that are going to be up for grabs in practice. Joe is going to have to go out there and earn it. We feel good about the research we’ve done on him. He’s going to have to earn a spot on our 45-man roster. It’s going to be up to him to step up to that challenge.”

On what he liked from Chauncey Washington…
“(It was) really two things. The way he ran, (he’s) a very physical guy. He (is) a real powerful guy that can run through tackles. He’s remained productive in the kicking game. For a guy his size, he’s been very good in the kicking game. We’re really excited by how he played, especially towards the end of the preseason. Going back to last year and the decision to get Chauncey, we talked to (Mark) Sanchez and Mark felt really good about him going back to USC (University of Southern California) as a pass protector. To be a back-up running back in the league, you have to be good in the kicking game.”

On if they left themselves thin at positions by loading up on tight ends and fullbacks…
“Nothing is official. We’ll see what happens with the practice squad. With the tight end position, we just felt really good about the guys we have. We just feel dramatically better than where we were a year ago. We felt like we had Dustin (Keller) and then we wound up getting (Matthew) Mulligan and (Ben) Hartsock during the year. We feel really good about Jeff’s (Cumberland) future. We know how hard they are to find and how much time and effort we put in as an organization to find tight ends . We just felt like hitting on Jeff we have a key fourth.”

On if they are prepared to play without Revis…
“We’ve said that all along. Organizationally, we have to move forward. We’re playing Baltimore in a little over a week and that’s what we’re prepared to do. We feel good about the roster we have and we feel good about our coaching staff. Over the course of a 16-game season, there are going to be a number of players that aren’t going to be available. Traditionally, it’s for injuries, this one happens to be a contract issue. If you look at the opponent we’re playing in Baltimore, Ozzie Newsome does as good a job as any at replenishing the roster over the course of a season and giving his team a chance to win. They’ve dealt with free agency departures and injuries. For us to have sustainable success, which we’ve all talked about, we need to be able to do the same.”

On if he considers the team whole without Revis…
“I don’t know if anyone is ever whole. You look at Ed Reed and Calvin Pace. Those are two really good players that both were given game misconducts (and) both are out for the first week (as another way to look at it). They are down a great player and we’re down obviously two really good players as well, so I don’t know who’s whole in the NFL over a 16-game season. I look at organizations that I admire and I think they just do a good job of replenishing on the fly.”

On if he has hope that a deal with Revis could get done before playing Baltimore…
“We have a confidentiality agreement and I’m going to honor that and not comment on the negotiations.”

On how fortunate he is to have two first-round cornerbacks in Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson…
“We feel really fortunate. I think some of it was by plan (and) I think, quite frankly, some of it was by luck. When we ran all our scenarios in the draft, we never had Kyle Wilson anywhere near where we took him. We feel really fortunate, but fundamentally it goes back to the fact that as you guys know Rex (Ryan) wants to play man-to-man on the backend. We need depth at that position. I’m proud of guys like Marquice Cole and Drew Coleman. They’ve gotten better. Over the course of the season, if Darrelle had a high ankle sprain or something else, guys are going to get nicked up and we need depth there. (Antonio) Cromartie, Kyle and even adding Brodney Pool, depth at that position was a necessity. Obviously, without Darrelle here, that necessity gets exacerbated.”

On keeping Erik Ainge on roster…
“Right now we have Erik’s rights. He does not count on the 53-man roster. Neither does Santonio Holmes nor Darrelle (Revis) so Erik Ainge is not on our 53-man roster.”

On keeping Ainge with the team…
“We have his rights right now, so if and when there’s a decision to be made, we’ll address it at the appropriate time. Right now, there is really not much to discuss there.”

On David Clowney and his status on the roster…
“He played well the other night. Obviously, I think we want to see some more consistency in the kicking game because, and you have to go back a long time and look at Jerricho Cotchery, but Jerricho was not an accomplished receiver, but he was dynamic from day one in the kicking game when he came out as a fourth-round pick. I think David, if he can become more consistent in the kicking game, even replacing a guy like Wallace Wright, I think his security would be enhanced. With that said, he provides an explosive element for us and we’re moving forward with him. What happens after that, we will see.”

On if the roster is finalized…
“(Joking) We’re about 2,000 to 3,000 calories from finalizing this roster. I’m very optimistic that’s on the low end of what the number is. It’s amazing the number of pretzel M&M’s that have been shipped in here by Mars Candy.”

On if the team has put in any waiver claims…
“I would expect that we would. Those are due tomorrow at noon, so we’ll be here for quite a while tonight. I’m sure of that, then it’ll be a quick turnaround to tomorrow morning.”

On if he feels good with Steve Weatherford as his punter…
“What’s interesting about that (is we are happy with him), not only from his punting, but for his holding. The feedback from Nick (Folk) has consistently been that he feels very confident with Steve as a holder. We were looking at (Mark) Brunell for a while to be our holder, but Nick feels really good about Steve from a holding standpoint, which is not where we were a year ago. He’s been very consistent. I think (on) his plus-50, he’s been excellent. Hopefully, in those three guys, Nick, Tanner (Purdum) and Steve, that’s a nucleus we can keep together for a while. Typically, those (positions) get a little transient, but we have three guys here that we feel good about and can grow and develop together.”

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The New York Jets completed their preseason with a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.  Here are some notes from the game.

1) Sloppy play continues- I wish I had a dollar for every time Rex Ryan used the words “disappointing” and “ridiculous” when describing the team’s play in the preseason.  But then again I would love to have five dollars for every time he uses the f-bomb in practice.  In all seriousness the Jets continued to play very sloppy football with costly turnovers and penalties in the redzone.  I am ready for Rex to pull out an old Herman Edwards quote: “We don’t practice turnovers.”

2) Should McKnight make the team? Once again rookie running back Joe McKnight struggled (fumble in 3rd straight game), which is making it very hard for the Jets to justify his spot on the team.  It is one thing to have talent, it is another to display heart, intensity, and willingness to play smart football.  At this point it seems like McKnight is going through the motions and is a beaten player.  Do the Jets have to guarantee McKnight a spot on the final roster just because he has potential?  Or is Gang Green too prideful to admit that their fourth round pick that they traded up for is not panning out?

3) Woodhead and Washington make their case- Heading into Thursday night’s game both Danny Woodhead and Chauncey Washington were on the bubble to make the Jets roster.  Both players made plays on offense and special teams and deserve to be on the team.  Washington should be penciled in as the third string running back as his physical style of running is a perfect fit for the Jets.  Woodhead is somewhat of a jack of all trades on offense and special teams, and is almost the complete opposite of McKnight.

4) Brunell moves the chains- Mark Brunell threw two touchdown passes on Thursday night (including a sweet 51-yard bomb to Holmes), but still looks very slow moving around the pocket.  I am not sure what to expect from Brunell at this point, hopefully we do not need to find out in 2010.

5) Should the starters have played?-  The Jets starting offense has been stuck in mud all preseason, yet Rex Ryan decided to give them the night off and look forward to the regular season.  It is hard to go against this decision as you do not want to risk an injury in a meaningless preseason game.  Just ask the Steelers who lost Byron Leftwich Thursday evening.  At the same time several teams, including the Giants and Patriots, played their starting units a series or two just to get the players some reps.  It is interesting to see how each coach handles his team.  I am sure if the Jets start out slow, most of Ryan’s moves will be questioned.

6) Roster cuts due on Sat- The Jets must get their roster down to 53 players on Saturday.  Once the roster cuts are done, the team will be able to put together a practice squad of up to eight players.  Any chance the Jets try to pick up a veteran offensive lineman that gets cut?

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Darrelle Revis is on the clock.  JetNation.com has issued the final ultimatum to Darrelle.  He has until 7pm (eastern time) on Tuesday 09/07/10 to return to the New York Jets.  If he does not, he will be removed from the http://JetNation.com banner.

This move won’t impact his financial status.  We are hitting him in his ego, we know and understand that a fragile man like Darrelle Revis seeks validation from anonymous Jets Webmasters.  This has been proven time and time again.  What we refuse to do, is give Revis that validation.

So he is on the clock.  He returns or gets removed.  I ask you this JetNation, who should he be replaced with if he doesn’t return?

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Another episode of Hard Knocks just aired on HBO and it was a frustrating one to watch for New York Jets fans.  The prevailing themes of this episode were money issues and lack of team leadership.  If the Jets have leadership issues look no further than this list and the players that the Jets chose to waive.

Thomas Jones: Was a team leader of offense last season and he was let go in a cost cutting move this past offseason.

Alan Faneca: There was plenty of talk about diminishing skills.  Yet in an uncapped year, why wouldn’t you bring Faneca into camp and let one of the young guards (Slauson, Vlad) try to beat him out?  Another cost cutting move.  This episode showed that they guards lining up to replace Faneca are raw.

Laveranues Coles: He was waived this week but Rex Ryan spoke highly of him.  Definitely gave the impression that they wanted to bring him back in week 2.  This is yet another cost cutting move.  By bring Coles back in week 2 they don’t have to guarantee his veteran minimum salary.

Kellen Clemens: The Jets wanted him to be the 3rd QB this season.  Yet they told him they would waive him if he didn’t agree to restructure his contract.  He outplayed Kevin O’Connell by a wide margin this preseason.  Were the Jets willing to gamble a 500k savings at the QB position?  Yes he is a backup (3rd string) but does 1999 ring a bell for anyone?

Rex Ryan gave a speech and chastised the team for their lackluster attitudes and asked for leadership.  During the practice at Hofstra the defense thought it was a good idea to eat cheeseburgers.  Life rule # 62, when Santonio Holmes tells you it is a bad idea, it is a really bad idea.

With the team being as close to the Super Bowl as they were last year it is just frustrating to see money be such an issue.  Granted you can’t cave in and pay players whatever they want (Revis) when they are currently under contract.  But anyone who thinks the Jets aren’t having cash issues right now just isn’t paying attention.

Woody Johnson was nowhere to be found during any of the money talk.  He did chime in with this timeless bit of football wisdom, “You have to play good 100% of the time.  You can’t blow it.”  Somewhere Leon Hess just realized that clean toilets aren’t all that important.  Playing good is what matters.  Who knew?

Highlights from this show:

• Tony Richardson is the leader of this team.  As impressed as they are with John Conner, they gave the impression that T-Rich has a roster spot locked up.
• Mike Pettine on Bart Scott, “there is a difference between passionate and stupid”.
• Apparently offensive coordinator Baby Schott realized this week that the offense has to, “have fun” and that is the key.
• Jason Taylor has no sense of direction.  He got lost going to the Redskins game (at home) and was late for the practice at Hofstra.
• Several players were shown as they were told they were being waived: Rodrique Wright, Aundrae Allison, Marcus Henry, Kevin O’ Connell as well as Coles.

The final episode airs next Wednesday night and will be interesting to watch.  The final cuts will have been made and players on the bubble like David Clowney, Launch and Danny Woodhead will know their fate.

What did you think of the episode?  You can comment in our NY Jets forum, here is the discussion thread.

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On Thursday night the New York Jets head down to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in their last preseason game (7:30 EST).  Most of the starters for both teams will not dress for the game, therefore it is all about the backup players jockeying for a position on the roster.  Here are some players/scenarios to watch during the game.

1) Play of the running backs - After Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson the Jets have a question mark in terms of whom will take the third string running back position.  Look for backs Joe McKnight, Chauncey Washington, and Danny Woodhead to all get a shot to showcase themselves.  Many believe the spot will be given to McKnight, but at this point he has far from earned it.

2)Wide receiver competition- With the departure of Laveranues Coles the Jets opened up the competition for the third,fourth, and fifth string wide receiver positions (Holmes is suspended first 4 weeks). Look for players like Danny Woodhead, Brad Smith, Larry Taylor, and David Clowney to get ample opportunities in the passing game.  At the same time these players will also have to earn their spots on special teams, as that may be the best way to finalize their place on the roster.  I think Smith is a lock to make the team for obvious reasons, but Clowney could be walking a fine line.

3) Linebacker play- The injury to linebacker Calvin Pace has opened up opportunities for some of the Jets backup linebackers.  Keep an eye on backers Kenwin Cummings, Jamal Westerman, Lance Laury, and Tim Knicky as they try to make an impression on the coaching staff.  As with the receivers, these guys will also be responsible for holding their own on special teams as well.

4) Quarterbacks- Rex Ryan has repeatedly stated that veteran Mark Brunell is the second string quarterback for the Jets.  Based on Brunell’s performance thus far many are starting to wonder if Kellen Clemens can take over that spot if he performs at a higher level.  I continue to think that Gang Green dropped the ball with the handling of the quarterback position and hope it does not come back to haunt them in the end.

5) Tight end battle- As of now the Jets are carrying four tight ends (Keller, Hartsock,Mulligan,Cumberland) which has raised many eyebrows in terms of roster composition.  Ryan has stated that the team will be keeping all four on the roster, but that could be posturing in terms of trying to negotiate a trade.  Keep an eye on this position, in both the passing and running games.

One sidenote for the game: Quarterback Mark Sanchez will be given the chance to call some offensive plays during the game.  It will be interesting to see if Sanchez opens it up or follows Ryan’s “ground and pound” philosophy.  Either way I think it is a great idea by Rex, and could help the young quarterback learn a thing or two.

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Hello Jet Nation!

This has been a busy few weeks now that we are  in the 4th week of preseason.  There has been lots of movement in the rankings so let’s get to it.  Here is the updated Top 200.

Let’s start with Mr Favre again.  We have moved him back up the rankings a bit but I would stay far away as the Vikes do not have good mojo right now.

The biggest downgrade again this week is Sidney Rice, which is based on his hip surgery.   They are saying 8 weeks at this time, stay away.

We had a few other players downgraded as well;

• Calvin Johnson-  I just don’t believe he will stay healthy.
• Larry Fitzgerald-The unsettled QB situation and his down turn in yards the last 2 years will keep him as a mid level WR.
• Desean Jackson-The offense will not revolve around him now that McNabb is gone, you cannot live year to year on just long touchdowns.
• Cedric Benson-  The hype is real on Bernard Scott, I say Benson loses his job by midseason.
• Joseph Addai-Has a guy ever been ranked so high with such a low YPC?   Donald Brown will be taking this job this year.
• Steve Smith- He is still a quality WR but Nicks will take away from of his production and could outperform him for the season.
• Jay Cutler- If int’s count as a negative in your league, do not go here, Martz may get him injured by midseason.
• Chad Ocho Cinco-  TO is now the #1 Wr, this ranking maybe lower by the start of the season.

The biggest risers we have this week is again led by Arian Foster.  He is clearly the #1 back in a high octane offense.

Here are some other players who have risen in my draft rankings;

• Javid Best-  He keeps moving up and looks like CJ lite.
• Michael Turner-Mike Smith of the Falcons has said they will be run heavy next year, Falcons RB’s led the NFL is carries over 20 yards and averaged 1 TD per game.
• Ryan Matthews-He has the job all by himself; no way does he not get 1 td a week.
• Steve Smith-He was very productive with Matt Moore last year and is on pace to be ready for week 1.
• Tony Romo-He could be the #1 QB this year, the Cowboys offense looks unstoppable.
• Pierre Thomas-  They do not have that goal line back this year which mean more opportunities to fulfill these high expectations.
• Wes Welker-Looking healthy and running free.
• Cadillac Williams-2 years off surgery and with a rookie FA backing him up, he should have a vg year.
• Terrell Owens- He is moving on up in Palmer’s eyes but they are still a poor passing team.

We have also provided auction values based on a 10 team league with $100 salary Cap.

Later this week we will have who will overachieve or underachieve based in their average draft position.  Do you have a question on a player?  Visit this thread in the JetNation forums and I can provide updates as needed.

Fantasy Mike

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On Monday New York Jets linebackers Bryan Thomas and Vernon Gholston discussed replacing the injured Calvin Pace.  Here are their quotes courtesy of the New York Jets.

Bryan Thomas

On what he will be taking over for Calvin Pace…
“(I’m taking over) just a lot of the covering he was doing out there, as far as, man-to-man and doing some of that stuff. I’ll be taking over a lot of the things that JT (Jason Taylor) is still trying to learn, (so) it won’t be so complicated (and he can) just go out and do his thing.”

On if he will be moving to Pace’s actual position…
“It’s not like that. It isn’t flip-flopping. It’s not just, ‘Ok, I’m going to play Calvin’s side.’ I don’t know if you all have noticed, but Calvin and me, a lot of times, we just switch sides. Once the formation breaks, (you) just stay on your side and go from there because we both knew both sides (of the formation). Now, I have to do a lot of stuff, (but) JT knows a lot of that as well, so we’ll just go from there. It’s just having JT step up faster than most people expected.”

On how having interchangeable parts on defense helps in an injury situation…
“That’s when it really works. When you first come in, Rex (Ryan), Mike Pettine and all the defensive coaches have you line up (on) both sides. Just in case something like this happens, you already know both positions (and) both sides-the strong and the weakside outside linebacker position. JT knows a lot
of that stuff anyway. Calvin going down is a big void in the defense, but still you know you have someone that can step up and fill that role.”

On having to fill Pace’s role...
“I was going to go out there and play my position, regardless. Now, there’s a lot of things that Calvin was doing that I wasn’t doing in the defense that I have to take Calvin’s responsibilities for, which is a big responsibility. I don’t know how we’re going to game plan, as far as with the Ravens, what we will
do differently without Calvin in there. Whatever Mike Pettine and Rex (Ryan) put in, I just have to fill that role.

On whether having to play without Calvin Pace last year will help in this situation…
“As you can see, when Calvin did go out, it wasn’t really a big void, I don’t think. Vernon (Gholston) came in and did a pretty good job at that. When Calvin came back, he was training while he was out, and he was ready to go. It’s not like he was injured and couldn’t train. He was there still working out, so he came back and was able to go back to his position. I don’t know how it’s going to work (this season).”

Vernon Gholston

On how the defense will miss Calvin Pace while he is out…
“He’s a key player for us in terms of dropping in coverage and rushing the passer and battling those big, strong guys. At the same time, we have guy that can step in (and) fill that void. It’s not the first time that it needed to be done.”

On what losing Pace means to his playing time…
“You never want to lose a guy, obviously, of that caliber. For me, if it means more playing time or subbing in on a different role, I welcome that opportunity.”

On if he will be stepping in for Pace…
“That directly hasn’t been told to me, but it’s one of those things where I’ve been working at defensive end and all of a sudden, I’m playing rush (linebacker) in the preseason (games). Early on, they talked to me about doing both, so that’s where I am right now.”

On if he feels more confident this season…
“Definitely. It’s the second year in the system so you have confidence in where you’re supposed to be. That’s the biggest thing. It’s all about how you get in there. (Those) are the things that you’re working on now. I moved up to defensive end (and I’m) working on my techniques. (I’m) using these preseason
games to get better.”

On playing in the last preseason game...
“I welcome the work. Rex (Ryan) kind of told me that I’d be out there a little bit, so it’s good work for me. With Calvin being out, I have to step in a little bit more.”

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1) O’Connell waived- On Tuesday the New York Jets announced that they waived quarterback Kevin O’Connell.  O’Connell was viewed by many as the fourth string quarterback so this move comes as no surprise.

2) Clemens restructures and stays- Quarterback Kellen Clemens has reportedly restructured his contract in order to stay with the New York Jets.  Clemens, who is believed to be the Jets third string quarterback, will be making less than his $1.1 million dollar tender, but above the veteran minimum.  Not for nothing but what exactly has Mark Brunell shown to have Clemens screwed around with like this?  According to reports Rex Ryan stated that if there was a team interested in making Clemens their starter, the Jets as an organization would make a deal happen.  I think the New York Jets are doing a terrible job handling their quarterback situation and this could come back to haunt them.

3) Pool continues to miss practice- On Tuesday safety Brodney Pool missed his third consecutive practice with what is being called an ankle sprain.  This is an injury that you definitely want to keep an eye on.

4) Jets sign Ricky Foley- Several media outlets are reporting that the Jets have signed linebacker Ricky Foley, who was released by the Seahawks on Monday.  Foley was considered one of the CFL’s best pass rushers, so it makes sense for the Jets to give him a look.  I guess Gang Green will try and explore every other cheaper option before bringing Adalius Thomas in?

5) Another day, no Revis- The Darrelle Revis holdout continues and at some point you have to wonder what type of shape the All-Pro is in.  In my eyes the longer Revis is out, the greater the risk of injury goes up.

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