NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

February 19, 2015

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Table of Contents

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 1

Sullivan: Jets' braintrust facing crucial test (Tara Sullivan)........................................................................................ 2

Jets to meet with quarterbacks Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota at NFL Combine (J.P. Pelzman) ......................... 3

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

New Jets coach Todd Bowles not committing to turnover-prone Geno Smith (Kimberley Martin) ......................... 4

New Jets GM Mike Maccagnan not afraid to spend in free agency (Bob Glauber)................................................... 5

C.J. Spiller could be reunited with new Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey (Kimberley Martin) ....................... 6

Jets touch base with free-agent QB Josh McCown (Kimberley Martin) .................................................................... 6

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................... 7

Jets meet with QB Josh McCown (Rich Cimini) ......................................................................................................... 7

With deadline approaching, Jets non-committal on WR Percy Harvin (Rich Cimini) ................................................ 8

NJ ADVANCED MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 9

Jets still evaluating whether to keep Percy Harvin (Dom Cosentino) ....................................................................... 9

What did Jets' Todd Bowles learn from Andy Reid during awful 2012 season with Eagles? (Darryl Slater) ............. 9

NFL Combine 2015: Jets already met with quarterback Josh McCown, but ... (Dom Cosentino) ........................... 10

NFL Combine 2015: Why does Todd Bowles trust Kacy Rodgers to call Jets' defensive plays? (Darryl Slater) ....... 11

Jets' Todd Bowles likes Geno Smith's film, but is unsure about quarterback's mentality (Darryl Slater) ............... 11

Jets plan to meet with quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston at NFL Combine (Dom Cosentino) .... 12

NFL Combine 2015: Highlights of what Jets' Mike Maccagnan said at his press conference (Darryl Slater) .......... 13

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 14

GM: Jets ready to spend big and all QBs are on the team’s radar (Brian Costello)................................................. 14

Jets may try to get Percy Harvin to rework his contract (Brian Costello) ................................................................ 15

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 16

NY Jets GM Mike Maccagnan eyeing QB Josh McCown (Seth Walder) ................................................................... 16

Mike Maccagnan, Todd Bowles face tall task of finding new NY Jets QB (Manish Mehta) ..................................... 17

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 18

Maccagnan and the Jets Scour NFL Combine for Talent (Stu Woo) ........................................................................ 18

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 20

Source: Jets will go hard after C.J. Spiller in free agency (Kristian Dyer) ................................................................. 20

WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS............................................................................................................... 20

THE RECORD

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Sullivan: Jets' braintrust facing crucial test (Tara Sullivan) THE RECORD FEBRUARY 18, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/sullivan-jets-braintrust-facing-crucial-test-1.1273590

INDIANAPOLIS — There’s been no official declaration of surrender, no admission of buyer’s remorse over the second-round draft pick spent two years ago. But as the Jets’ new decision-makers began their first venture in charge at the annual NFL Scouting Combine, neither was there a ringing endorsement of incumbent quarterback Geno Smith, the man the previous regime believed would be a cornerstone of franchise success.

Instead, both general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles remained decidedly noncommittal regarding Smith’s future, offering the first concrete clues the Jets could be moving in a different direction. By confirming their scheduled interviews with the top two quarterbacks available in the upcoming draft, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, as well as revealing an already completed meeting with free agent veteran Josh McCown, Maccagnan and Bowles took the first steps into a future

of their own making.

“Every quarterback out there we’d have an interest in,” Maccagnan said.

That’s not a good sign for Smith, the turnover-prone former second-round pick who compiled an 11-18 record across two seasons as a starter. While he ultimately outlasted veterans like Mark Sanchez and Michael Vick, he never ascended to a level of consistency to make the job his own. That’s why the Jets wouldn’t — and shouldn’t — grant him any job security as the roster gets its latest overhaul. Bowles called it “possible” the Jets would add a veteran quarterback soon, and Maccagnan made it clear he wants Smith to earn anything he gets.

“Quarterback is one of the positions we’d like to increase the competition,” Maccagnan said.

Smith’s shortcomings can be most easily found in his turnover numbers — 25 as a rookie, 16 in his second year — numbers that are a direct reflection of his often rushed decision-making, of locking in on a primary target or of trying to force throws into obvious traffic. While he improved across the final games of the season, retaking his job from the worn-out Vick and actually turning in a perfect

quarterback rating to end the season, he offered that same tease at the end of his rookie year and those results did not carry over into this past season.

“You can’t win games turning the ball over,” Bowles said. “I think any quarterback in the league, going forward, has got to be able to protect the football. You can’t win without protecting the football. Every quarterback has to know that, Geno included.”

Like his predecessor Rex Ryan, Bowles is a former defensive coordinator who is new to running an offense. For that reason alone, he isn’t about to rush into any personnel decisions. The league rules prohibit Bowles from actually meeting with Smith until the next scheduled organized team activities, so for now, the only Smith education Bowles can get is through film work. We all know how ugly that can

be.

“Right now, just watching film, he has a good arm, he’s a good athlete, he can throw the ball and make all the throws,” Bowles said. “Without seeing the intangibles and not being able to talk to him personally, you’re not allowed to see what he knows, where his strengths are. So as we go forward and we get him

in there, we’ve got to sit him down and get to see what he can and can’t do, what he’s good at, what he’s not good at, what kind of intangibles he has going forward.”

At its core, this scouting combine is all about the future, a veritable window-shopping spree for league coaches and general managers alike, a tantalizing preview of football talent for the taking in the upcoming draft. But as much as everyone wants to dream of potential new additions, they cannot ignore how past decisions affect them. For every Jay Gruden, the Washington coach who declared former first-rounder Robert Griffin III the unequivocal starting quarterback of his team, there is a Ryan tempering enthusiasm.

The fired Jets coach was quickly hired in Buffalo, where he ironically inherits EJ Manuel as his starter.

Manuel, the only quarterback selected ahead of Smith in the 2013 draft and the only QB who went in

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that year’s first round, is fighting the same battle as Smith for his future as a starter. Ryan was left

touting Manuel’s “potential,” the same word he repeated ad nauseum regarding Smith.

“I’m excited about EJ Manuel though,” Ryan said. “I’ll tell you that much. I think he’s a young man with some potential. We’ll see how that pans out.”

The Jets are back in that same wait-and-see mode with Smith.

“We’re going to know Geno better when we get a chance to work with him going forward,” Maccagnan said. “He’s obviously in our mix, and we’re kind of committed to trying to make him successful. He’s ours, the team has invested a second-round draft pick in him, so we’re trying to do everything to try to make him successful. His success will be determined going forward based on a lot of other things — his ability to kind of work within our system, his work ethic, his approach, his aptitude, really.”

The test has only just begun. Long before the Jets can seriously consider questions about competing

with the Super Bowl champion and division rival Patriots — Bowles deftly handled that one Wednesday in saying “I don’t think that means anything to us right now … You can’t beat the Patriots in February,” — they have to answer their quarterback question first.

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Jets to meet with quarterbacks Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota at NFL Combine (J.P. Pelzman) THE RECORD FEBRUARY 18, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/jets-to-meet-with-quarterbacks-jameis-winston-marcus-mariota-at-nfl-combine-1.1273549

Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday that the team has scheduled interviews with quarterback prospects Jameis Winston of Florida State and

Marcus Mariota of Oregon this week.

Maccagnan, speaking during his news conference, declined to comment on Winston’s off-field behavioral issues. Afterward, he told reporters the Jets have met with free-agent quarterback Josh McCown, who was released by Tampa Bay earlier this month.

The Jets are looking for competition for incumbent Geno Smith, who has struggled for much of his first two pro seasons and was benched at one point last season. Winston, in particular, seems likely to be off the board by the time the Jets draft at No. 6. Winston has supplanted Mariota as the No. 1 prospect

among quarterbacks in the eyes of many draft experts. Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith indicated at the Combine earlier Wednesday that he would be comfortable with the Buccaneers drafting Winston. Tampa Bay has the No. 1 overall pick.

Maccagnan also indicated the Jets will be active in looking for cornerbacks in the draft and free agency. “You can never have enough good ones,” he said. “I’d be very happy if we had a surplus at that position.”

He noted that third-year corner Dee Milliner (torn Achilles’) still is rehabbing and that he expects Milliner back on the field “later on in the spring [or] early summer.”

The Jets are talking to veteran linebacker David Harris and his representatives about a new contract, a source confirmed.

“We would very much like to keep David in the mix,” Maccagnan said of the linebacker who will become an unrestricted free agent on March 10 unless the Jets reach terms with him on a new deal.

Both Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles were noncommittal on wide receiver Percy Harvin. The Jets must decide by March 19 whether to keep him under his current contract, which would pay him $10.5

million, or cut him and hope to re-sign him at a lower price. If he stays with the Jets, one way or another, they'll owe Seattle a fourth-round draft choice this year. If he is cut and doesn’t return to the Jets, the pick will be a sixth-rounder.

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NEWSDAY

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New Jets coach Todd Bowles not committing to turnover-prone Geno Smith (Kimberley Martin) Newsday February 18, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/new-jets-coach-todd-bowles-not-committing-to-turnover-prone-geno-smith-1.9953022

When it comes to the Jets' quarterback position, every possible scenario is in play heading into the draft.

The more general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles talk about Geno Smith, the more it becomes clear that they're not sold on him being the face of their franchise. Instead, the new regime is keeping its options open at quarterback -- via free agency and the draft.

The Jets met with free-agent quarterback Josh McCown on Wednesday, according to Maccagnan. The GM also said the team plans to interview Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota -- the top two quarterback prospects -- during this week's NFL Combine.

When given the opportunity to show confidence in Smith, the Jets again issued a tepid endorsement.

Bowles highlighted the fact that Smith is "a good athlete" who can "make all the throws," but he added: "Without seeing the intangibles and not being able to talk to him personally, you're not allowed to see what he knows and where his strengths are and how those things are. So as we go forward, when we

get him in there, we've got to sit him down and see what he can and can't do, what he's good at, what he's not good at, what kind of intangibles he has going forward."

Bowles then pointed out Smith's most glaring weakness: turnovers.

"You can't win games turning the ball over," Bowles said. "I think any quarterback in the league going forward has got to be able to protect the football. You can't win without protecting the football. Every quarterback has to know that, Geno included."

Asked directly if Smith will be the Jets' starting quarterback heading into training camp, Bowles said: "Without seeing him and without sitting down and talking to him and going through the process, it wouldn't be fair to him or us."

Quarterback may be the Jets' biggest area of need, but it's not their only focus. The Jets are scheduled

to talk to Percy Harvin, David Harris and Muhammad Wilkerson's agents while in Indianapolis.

Asked about the possibility of Wilkerson getting a long-term deal, Maccagnan said it's "something that's on our list of things to do." As for Harris, Bowles said: "He's a good player for us. Hopefully, we can get

him back."

Neither would give a definitive answer on Harvin's status, though. The team has until March 19 to decide whether the versatile receiver should remain on the roster. If he does, the Jets must surrender their fourth-round pick to the Seahawks, as per the terms of their trade agreement. If Harvin is released, the Jets would have to forfeit a sixth-round choice.

The Jets have only six draft picks this year, but they'll have more than $40 million in available salary-cap space. That's good news considering that they have several holes, particularly at cornerback, wide

receiver and edge rusher.

Asked which major areas he would like to address this offseason, Bowles listed several. "We're going to have accountability first and foremost when we get the guys in," he said. "Obviously, we want to get

better at the corner. We're going to solidify and have less turnovers at the quarterback position. We want to get bigger plays down the field. We want to be tougher up front on both sides of the ball. Going in, that's what we're going to try to do."

Some other tidbits from Wednesday's media availability:

The Jets aren't sure if cornerback Dee Milliner, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in October, will be healthy by spring workouts. "You get weekly medical updates about how he's doing and how he's coming along. But we'll evaluate that more as we go. It's a little too early to say whether he'd be ready for the spring or not," Bowles said. "If he's healthy and ready to go, we'll see if he's one of the best players. If not, we'll have to do it elsewhere."

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What's the biggest challenge in taking over a team that went 4-12 last season? "Belief," Bowles said.

"We've got to get them to play together. We've got to have accountability. We've got to jell as a team. They've got to be allowed to let the coaches coach them and we've got to understand what our players can and can't do. The faster we can get that done, hopefully the faster we can turn this thing around."

Unlike former Jets coach Rex Ryan, Bowles isn't fixated on beating the Patriots. Asked what the rivalry means to him now, he replied: "I don't think it means anything to us right now. Right now, we're trying to become the New York Jets and we're trying to become a winning ballclub. We're going to concentrate on us . . . Just beating the Patriots is not going to cut it if you lose to everybody else."

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New Jets GM Mike Maccagnan not afraid to spend in free agency (Bob Glauber) Newsday February 18, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/new-jets-gm-mike-maccagnan-not-afraid-

to-spend-in-free-agency-1.9953054

Say what you will about deposed general manager John Idzik and his ill-fated two-year run with the Jets, but he left his successor with a pretty sweet deal in his first year running the front office. If you're

Mike Maccagnan, you have to like what Idzik left behind.

Flush with more than $40 million in salary-cap room, which Idzik squirreled away by dumping Darrelle Revis' contract two years ago and being frugal with free-agent signings, Maccagnan says he'll be active on the open market to increase the talent level on a team that is better than their 4-12 record would suggest. And with the sixth overall pick and a shot to get a marquee player at the top of the draft --

possibly even Oregon's Heisman-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota -- this is heady stuff for a first-year general manager.

The trick, of course, is to make sound decisions about the players you do decide to sign and draft, which is no small feat in a league that is riddled with failed decisions on players. But it's all right there for

Maccagnan, who delivered what has to be music to Jets' fans ears when he proclaimed the following during an interview Wednesday at the NFL Combine:

"We will be very active in free agency. Whether that's with the high-dollar guys, I would think we're

going to be potentially in that market. We'll also be in the middle and lower-tier market. We have a lot of cap space. Our thing is to maximize the return on that cap space."

Idzik's big splash last year was a $36-million deal for wide receiver Eric Decker, who isn't a true No. 1 receiver and wasn't the dramatic upgrade the Jets needed at the position. Idzik wanted to draw from his experience in Seattle, which relied on a host of successful draft picks from GM whiz John Schneider and built a Super Bowl champion within four years. But Idzik didn't hit on quarterback Geno Smith like Schneider hit on Russell Wilson, and his two drafts weren't deep enough to make the Jets competitive

in a division dominated for more than a decade by the Super Bowl champion Patriots.

Maccagnan now has a chance to replenish the talent pool with a blend of free agents and draft picks. Flush with cap space, Maccagnan can make a run at Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas if Denver doesn't work out a deal with the Pro Bowl star. Or he can bring in dynamic running back C.J. Spiller

from Buffalo. Or Denver tight end Julius Thomas. Or Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. And maybe a veteran free-agent quarterback such as Josh McCown, whom the Jets met with Wednesday morning.

Or maybe even Revis, who is likely to test the market after playing on what was essentially a one-year deal with the Patriots.

Maccagnan doesn't have to overspend on free agency -- we've seen far too many teams make the mistake of trying to buy a championship -- but getting three or four quality players is certainly doable. And there's still money left over to re-sign core players such as defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and linebacker David Harris.

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"Overall, we're going to try to make every position as competitive as we can," he said. "We're still very

early on in the process, so whether it's via the draft or free agency, that's where we're going to focus our attention."

And even though Maccagnan isn't at a spot in the draft where he's guaranteed to come away with either

of the top two quarterbacks -- Mariota or Florida State's Jameis Winston, who appears to be the favorite to go first overall to the Buccaneers -- Maccagnan is in a good spot with a top-10 pick.

"The No. 6 pick is a nice pick to be at," he said. "At the end of the day, I don't think we're going to lock ourselves into looking at one position to go out and basically get. I think that's where a lot of teams become undisciplined and make mistakes because they force the picks. At No. 6, if someone slides down to you, you may be sitting there with a really good player, or another team may want to come up to your pick. Or, if you feel there's a player who is exceptional that you want to go chase, then you have

the ability to do that."

Maccagnan and new coach Todd Bowles will be looking carefully at the top prospects this week, and their hope is to come away with a franchise-caliber player with their top pick, and then hit on a few

players later in the draft. Maybe they get Mariota. Or a defensive star like USC tackle Leonard Williams, or a pass rusher like Nebraska's Randy Gregory or Dante Fowler Jr. of Florida. Or one of the draft's top receivers like Alabama's Amari Cooper, DeVante Parker of Louisville or Kevin White of West Virginia.

Plenty of choices, but most of them good for a first-year general manager who figures to benefit from what the last guy left behind.

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C.J. Spiller could be reunited with new Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey (Kimberley Martin) Newsday February 18, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/c-j-spiller-could-be-reunited-with-new-jets-offensive-coordinator-chan-gailey-1.9952808

Could another "C.J." be in the Jets' future?

The team recently parted ways with running back Chris Johnson, but according to a source, they're "very interested" in Bills free agent C.J. Spiller.

Spiller has a history with new Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who was the Bills' coach when the

organization drafted Spiller in 2010.

The running back recently praised Gailey and made it clear that he's intrigued by the possibility of playing for him again.

"There is that familiarity between me and him in that offense," Spiller told the Daily News in January. "So that would be a perfect match. Who knows what can happen, but I'd be foolish not to have those guys on my list. I had my best years in the league with Chan. So it'd be dumb not to give it serious thought."

Spiller, 27, was productive playing under Gailey, gaining 1,703 yards from scrimmage and scoring eight touchdowns in 2012. But injuries in recent years curtailed his production.

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Jets touch base with free-agent QB Josh McCown (Kimberley Martin) Newsday February 18, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-touch-base-with-free-agent-qb-josh-mccown-1.9952529

The Jets have their eye on Josh McCown -- again.

New general manager Mike Maccagnan said Wednesday that the team met with McCown, who is making the rounds as one of the top free-agent quarterback options.

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"I think I would say, simply, every quarterback out there we'd have an interest in," Maccagnan told a

small group of reporters at Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the NFL Scouting Combine.

"We did visit with Josh here at the Combine, so we had a little chance for him to kind of feel us out and us to feel him out a little bit. That doesn't necessarily mean that we're actively going after him. It's sort

of an inquiry process we're going through."

McCown, 35, had scheduled a free-agent visit with the Jets last March, but never made it to Florham Park. Instead, he signed a two-year deal with the Bucs. But his production plummeted in Tampa Bay last season when he completed 56.3 percent of his passes and threw 11 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.

Several teams are eyeing McCown after his release from the Bucs last week, including the Bills, whom he visited in Buffalo. McCown left without a deal.

"We did bring Josh in, so obviously there's some interest there on our part," new Bills coach Rex Ryan said Wednesday. "We wanted to bring him in just to get to know this young man and also for him to get to know us."

According to the Chicago Tribune, McCown had a two-hour breakfast meeting with new Bears coach John Fox, general manager Ryan Pace and offensive coordinator Adam Gase on Wednesday.

McCown spent three seasons in Chicago before signing with the Bucs. Filling in for Jay Cutler in 2013,

he posted a 109.0 quarterback rating in eight games, including five starts.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Jets meet with QB Josh McCown (Rich Cimini) ESPN.com February 18, 2015

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/12344465/new-york-jets-meet-free-agent-qb-josh-

mccown?ex_cid=espnapi_public

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Jets say they're not ready to give up on the turnover-prone Geno Smith, but they've already begun exploring other quarterback options.

Team officials met Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine with free agent Josh McCown, whom the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released last week.

"Every quarterback out there, we'd have an interest in," general manager Mike Maccagnan said.

McCown also met with the Buffalo Bills and the Chicago Bears recently.

Because the Jets have roughly $50 million in cap room, Maccagnan promised to be "very active" in free agency, but money can't buy a franchise quarterback -- at least not in this year's weak market.

As a result, the Jets' new regime will weigh several possibilities, including the draft. With the sixth pick, they could be in position to pick Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

The Jets have remained noncommittal on Smith, who has compiled an 11-18 record in two seasons as

the starter, but they're willing to let him compete for his old starting job.

"He's obviously in our mix, and we're kind of committed to trying to make him a success because he's

ours and the team has invested a second-round draft pick in him," Maccagnan said of Smith. "We're doing everything we can to make him successful."

A return to Smith wouldn't sit well with the fan base, but the landscape isn't filled with exciting alternatives. McCown, 35, is a well-respected leader, but he went 1-10 last season for the Bucs and would be nothing more than a stopgap measure.

The Jets are scheduled to meet individually with Mariota and Jameis Winston at the combine, Maccagnan confirmed. The Bucs could take Winston at No. 1, but Mariota could be on the board for the Jets.

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Maccagnan declined to comment on Winston and Mariota, saying he's still in information-gathering mode

because they're underclassmen. Maccagnan and new coach Todd Bowles also stopped short of giving an assessment of Smith even though they've had almost a month to study him on video.

Bowles praised Smith's physical attributes but added, "We've got to sit him down and see what he can

and can't do and what kind of intangibles he has."

By rule, that can't happen until early April, when the team's offseason program begins. By then, the Jets probably will have a veteran quarterback on the roster.

Maccagnan and Bowles, meeting the national media for the first time, both mentioned cornerback as a primary need. Their top returning corner is Dee Milliner, but he may not be ready until early summer. They're plotting their offseason as though Milliner won't be ready.

Wide receiver might have to be addressed, too, especially if they release Percy Harvin and his $10.5

million salary. Maccagnan was noncommittal on Harvin, hinting the Jets might ask the mercurial receiver to restructure his contract.

The Jets are prepared to spend big money to fix their 4-12 roster. Maccagnan said they might bid on the top free agents as they attempt to close the gap on the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. But unlike his predecessor, Rex Ryan, Bowles isn't consumed with overtaking the Patriots.

"We're going to concentrate on us," he said. "You can't beat the Patriots in February. Just beating the

Pats is not going to cut it if you lose to everybody else."

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With deadline approaching, Jets non-committal on WR Percy Harvin (Rich Cimini) ESPN.com February 18, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/49345/with-deadline-approaching-jets-non-committal-on-wr-percy-harvin

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Jets' new brain trust, commenting for the first time on Percy Harvin,

said nice things Wednesday about the dynamic wide receiver. But it wouldn't say if he will be on the team beyond March 19.

General manager Mike Maccagnan, who's planning to meet at the scouting combine with Harvin's agent, hinted that he may ask them to renegotiate the contract. Harvin, acquired last October in a trade with

the Seattle Seahawks, has four years, $41 million remaining on the deal, including $10.5 million for the coming season. None of it is guaranteed.

Maccagnan said the team has to decide whether to "carry the current contract or restructure to a more cap-friendly number." Actually, it's a multi-layered decision because it involves trade compensation.

If they release Harvin before March 19, the Jets owe the Seahawks a sixth-round draft pick, per the trade agreement. If he remains on the roster until March 19, it increases to a fourth-round selection -- a valuable pick for a team with many needs.

Because the deadline occurs a week into free agency, it allows the Jets a week to shop the wide-receiver market, determining if they can get a better, more cost-effective alternative.

"It’s a process we’re working through," Maccagnan said. "We’re going to talk to his agent. We do think Percy is a very good player, but that’s a process we’re working through right now."

Coach Todd Bowles called Harvin "a great talent." For all his ability, Harvin caught only 51 balls last season -- 22 for the Seahawks, 29 for the Jets.

Maccagnan said "a lot of [the decision] is how our new coaching staff views Percy, how they would utilize him." The Jets haven't provided any clues on the type of system they're planning to install, but coordinator Chan Gailey is known for his spread attack.

In other combine notes:

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Milliner update: Cornerback Dee Milliner, who ruptured an Achilles' tendon last October, may miss the

entire spring. There's a chance he may not return until "early summer," according to Maccagnan, who called the former No. 1 pick a "wild card" in the offseason plans.

"You have to kind of prepare for the worst-case scenario, but if you do get him back and he plays well

-- if we go out and address that position and he comes back strongly -- it just makes that position stronger," Maccagnan said.

Harris update: Bowles and Maccagnan made it quite clear they're interested in re-signing linebacker David Harris, the team's No. 1 free agent.

"We think David Harris is a very good football player," Maccagnan said. "We think he’s had an excellent career with the Jets. I think we would very much like to keep David in the mix."

Wilkerson update: Obviously, the Jets would like to sign defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson to a long-

term contract extension, but there doesn't appear to be a sense of urgency.

"I wouldn’t want to put a timetable on that, but it’s something on our list of things to do," Maccagnan

said.

Wilkerson is entering the final year of his contract.

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NJ ADVANCED MEDIA

Jets still evaluating whether to keep Percy Harvin (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/nfl_combine_2015_jets_still_evaluating_whether_to.html

INDIANAPOLIS — Percy Harvin is not due to become a free agent this year, but the Jets hold all the cards when it comes to his future with the team.

Harvin is slated to make a base salary of $10.5 million, but none of that money is guaranteed. The Jets can cut him without owing him a penny of what's left on the contract he signed two years ago with the

Seahawks.

At the same time, the Jets don't have a playmaking receiver other than Harvin and Eric Decker. And they have more than $40 million in cap space. The Jets have until March 19 to make a decision on Harvin, which is when their trade with the Seahawks requires them to forfeit a fourth-round pick in return if he's still on the roster, or a sixth-round pick if he isn't.

So what do the Jets plan to do? At the NFL Scouting Combine here, neither head coach Todd Bowles nor

general manager Mike Maccagnan provided any clues.

"We're still evaluating that process," Bowles said. "Percy's a great talent, obviously."

"We want to talk to his agent," Maccagnan said. "We do think that Percy's a very good player, but that is still a process we're working through right now."

Harvin caught 29 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown, rushed 22 times for 110 yards, and handled

kickoff return duties in eight games after being acquired from the Seahawks.

Maccagnan also did not weigh how the money and the compensation owed to Seattle would factor into

the decision, though he did say cutting Harvin and doing a new deal or restructuring his current deal were also options.

"You have to look at different options you can do, whether you clear him of his current contract, or try to restructure him," Maccagnan said. "A lot of it ends up being how our new coaching staff kind of views Percy, and how they would utilize him. These are the kind of conversations I want to have with Joel [Segal, Harvin's agent] and Percy."

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What did Jets' Todd Bowles learn from Andy Reid during awful 2012 season with Eagles? (Darryl Slater)

Daily Clips Cont.

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NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/nfl_combine_2015_what_did_jets_todd_bowles_learn_f.html

Tony Sparano's firing in Miami resulted in Todd Bowles needing to find a new job for the 2012 season. Bowles headed up to Philadelphia, to be the Eagles' defensive backs coach, the same job he had for four seasons with the Dolphins.

But Bowles' time in Philadelphia -- where he played his college ball, at Temple -- lasted for just one season, because head coach Andy Reid was fired, culminating an awful year for Reid, both personally and professionally.

Bowles landed on his feet, as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator from 2013-14, and he parlayed that job into becoming the Jets' new head coach. He also took plenty of lessons from that one rocky season with the Eagles.

"I think it helped me grow stronger," Bowles said Wednesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "Going

through all the adversity -- really, seeing coach Reid going through all the adversity, and him coming to work every day being the same guy, making sure the team is taken care of, the coaches are taken care of, no matter what happened around him. With all the things he went through, I learned more from him that year, from adversity and from a respect standpoint, than I have anybody that I've been around. Hats off to coach Reid for teaching me a lot about humility, a lot about leadership, a lot about character and determination. I think that helped me going forward."

The Eagles went 4-12 in 2012 -- the worst season of Reid's 14 with the organization. Defensive

coordinator Juan Castillo was fired in October of that year, and Bowles was named the interim coordinator. The season began on a horrible note, when Reid's oldest son, Garrett, died in his room at training camp, because of a heroin overdose.

It was a trying season, on many levels, for Reid and his coaching staff. But just as Reid found a fresh start as the Chiefs' head coach -- he went 11-5 in 2013 and 9-7 last year -- Bowles also managed to move past 2012, while remembering what that experience taught him.

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NFL Combine 2015: Jets already met with quarterback Josh McCown, but ... (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/nfl_combine_2015_jets_already_met_with_quarterback.ht

ml

INDIANAPOLIS — The Jets, you may have noticed, are in the market for a quarterback, and they're not just doing their due diligence by meeting with high draft prospects like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston at the NFL Scouting Combine here: General manager Mike Maccagnan also said Wednesday the Jets have already met with veteran free agent Josh McCown.

But!

Yes, there's a but. And it's a pretty big but.

"That doesn't necessarily mean we're actively going after him," Maccagnan said. "It's sort of that inquiry process we're going through."

Also: "Every quarterback out there, we have an interest in. We at least had a little chance for him to feel us out and for us to feel him out a little bit."

Head coach Todd Bowles, without getting into specifics, said it was "possible" the Jets could add a veteran quarterback to compete with Geno Smith, the incumbent.

So: McCown, a 35-year-old career backup who washed out less than one season into his time as the

Bucs' starter in 2014, is getting a look from the Jets, but it's a dotting of the 'I's and crossing of the 'T's cursory look.

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As with their plans to meet with Mariota and Winston at the combine, don't read too much into it. (Why

do I have a feeling I'm going to be typing the words "don't read too much into it" a lot between now and the draft?)

McCown had a Total QBR of 35.7 in 11 starts with the Bucs last year, which is just a shade better than

the 35.4 Smith posted as the Jets' starter. McCown won just one of those 11 starts, and the Bucs released him last week, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Bears and Bills have also met with him.

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NFL Combine 2015: Why does Todd Bowles trust Kacy Rodgers to call Jets' defensive plays? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/nfl_combine_2015_jets_todd_bowles_kacy_rodgers_def.ht

ml

Todd Bowles, the Jets' new head coach, has a defensive background. Most notably and recently, he thrived in two seasons as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator.

So the performance of the Jets' defense -- and its coordinator, Kacy Rodgers -- will naturally come under

close scrutiny this season. Rodgers has never been a coordinator before, though he has coached defensive linemen in the NFL since 2003 -- for five seasons in Dallas and then seven seasons in Miami.

On Wednesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Bowles explained to reporters why he decided to hire Rodgers as his coordinator.

Bowles said at his introductory press conference that his defensive coordinator would call plays during games -- something the Jets' previous defensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman, didn't do, because head coach Rex Ryan handled those duties.

"But I'll have a big hand in the defense, as far as understanding scheme and terminology and the way

we go forward," Bowles said at his introductory press conference, after mentioning that his defensive coordinator would manage in-game play-calling duties.

Bowles has known Rodgers for a while, so he trusts Rodgers to call a steady game.

"I had been with Kacy for seven years in Dallas and Miami," Bowles said Wednesday. "I've watched him grow. We kind of saw things the same way defensively. Schematically, we see things eye-to-eye and the same way. He's an outstanding coach. He understands the game, having played it. He can relate to

guys on and off the field. I thought he was the perfect choice to complement what I did in Arizona."

Rodgers played his college ball at Tennessee and got a brief stint with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1992. He overlapped with Bowles in Dallas from 2005-07 and in Miami from 2008-11. Bowles was the secondary coach in both of those stops, while Rodgers was the defensive line coach.

Bowles thinks that Rodgers having worked in the AFC East since 2008 will help the Jets.

"It will help with the familiarity of just being in the AFC East," Bowles said. "It's been a while (2011)

since I've been in there, but Kacy's been around there for about seven years now, so he should have a

pretty good handle on what people like to do."

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Jets' Todd Bowles likes Geno Smith's film, but is unsure about quarterback's mentality (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/nfl_combine_2015_jets_todd_bowles_likes_geno_smith.html

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Last month, Jets quarterback Geno Smith said that if the team's new offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey,

decided to run a spread offense (as Gailey has in the past), then that might bode well for Smith. At West Virginia, Smith thrived in a spread system.

Gailey's boss, new Jets head coach Todd Bowles, talked about his team's offensive approach Wednesday

at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. But Bowles didn't shed much light on the specific system Gailey plans to use.

Nor was Bowles able to say a whole lot about what he thinks of Smith's total game, as Smith prepares his third NFL season, and for the possibility that the Jets might draft a quarterback with the sixth pick this spring. (The Jets are meeting with both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota at the combine. They are the top two quarterbacks in this year's draft.)

"We're going to run it and throw it," Bowles said of Gailey's offense. "We're going to be very balanced.

It's not going to be a certain style of offense. As we get all our pieces in place, we'll kind of drift toward that as we go. But we're going to run the ball and we're going to throw the ball equally."

Last season, under offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, the Jets had a 507/498 run/pass ratio. The

year before, in Mornhinweg's first season, that ratio was 493/480. Mornhinweg wanted to throw more, but Smith's shortcomings didn't allow for it.

The Jets have been one of the NFL's worst offensive teams in recent years. The past four years, they

ranked 21st, 30th, 27th, 25th in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA. The Jets missed the playoffs in all four of those seasons.

The past two seasons, the Jets' offense sputtered along with Smith, who committed 25 turnovers as a rookie and 16 last season.

"Right now, just watching film, he has a good arm, he's a good athlete, he can throw the ball and make all the throws," Bowles said of Smith. "Without seeing the intangibles and not being able to talk to him personally, you're not allowed to see what he knows, where his strengths are. So as we go forward and

we get him in there, we've got to sit him down and get to see what he can and can't do, what he's good at, what he's not good at, what kind of intangibles he has going forward."

The Jets' new general manager, Mike Maccagnan, echoed what Bowles said about it being too early to

determine whether Smith can start in 2015.

"We're going to know Geno better when we get a chance to work with him going forward," Maccagnan said. "He's obviously in our mix, and we're kind of committed to trying to make him successful. He's ours, the team has invested a second-round draft pick in him, so we're trying to do everything to try to

make him successful. His success will be determined going forward based on a lot of other things -- his ability to kind of work within our system, his work ethic, his approach, his aptitude, really."

NFL rules prohibit Smith from sitting down with Bowles at this point in the offseason. But Bowles doesn't have to chat with Smith to know one thing about his game needs to change, if he wants to remain the Jets' starting quarterback.

"You can't win games turning the ball over," Bowles said. "I think any quarterback in the league, going

forward, has got to be able to protect the football. You can't win without protecting the football. Every quarterback has to know that, Geno included."

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Jets plan to meet with quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston at NFL Combine (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/jets_plan_to_meet_with_marcus_mariota_and_jameis_w.html

INDIANAPOLIS — This ought to surprise absolutely no one, but general manager Mike Maccagnan said Wednesday that the Jets have NFL Scouting Combine meetings scheduled with the top two quarterbacks in this year's draft: Florida State's Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota.

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Just don't read too much into it. Maccagnan, the first-year GM, stopped well short of committing to

drafting a quarterback with the No. 6 pick.

After all, it's still only February. The draft isn't until April 30. There's a lot for Maccagnan and new head coach Todd Bowles to process between now and then.

"I think at the end of the day, there's always a possibility of that," Maccagnan said of drafting a quarterback. "But I wouldn't put odds on it. We'll look at either moving up in the draft or moving back in the draft or sitting where we're sitting. The 6 pick is a nice pick to be at.

"But at the end of the day I don't think we're going to lock ourselves into looking at one position and thinking that's the one that we have to go out and basically get. I think that's where a lot of teams tend to be undisciplined sometimes, and they make mistakes, because they sort of force picks. So the real thing for us is to evaluate this draft class going forward, figure out how we have them ranked, and then

eventually figure out at the No. 6 pick, whoever the best player is available, that's probably the player that we're going to take."

So the Jets might take Winston. Or they might take Mariota. Or they might take just about anyone,

really. You weren't expecting Maccagnan to stand there and offer up his draft board, were you?

Maccagnan also said the Jets would continue to evaluate Winston's off-field problems just as they would with any other player. So not much to go on there, either. (Again, as expected.)

One of the knocks on Mariota is that he's a product of Oregon's spread system, which may hinder his ability to play in a pro-style offense. Maccagnan outlined the Jets' approach to that.

"We're seeing a lot more of that style of offense," Maccagnan said. "Really not to focus on Marcus, but I think what happens with a lot of players, especially the college aspect, there's more unknowns with them. So if you look at what he does in college and you try to project what he's going to do in the NFL, if you don't see him actually do those things, it's like anything in life you have more uncertainty about how he's going to develop or fulfill his potential.

"It's not really anything per se with the offense. You look at him and you kind of realize there's a lot of things that you don't really see on the college tape that you can put a value on, so you have to speculate about it a little. I think at the end of the day when you look at a lot of quarterbacks coming from those

systems to the NFL, a lot of it has to do with the intangibles about the player, in terms of his aptitude, his work ethic, his mental toughness."

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NFL Combine 2015: Highlights of what Jets' Mike Maccagnan said at his press conference (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media February 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/02/nfl_combine_2015_highlights_of_what_jets_mike_macc.html

The Jets' new general manager, Mike Maccagnan, just finished meeting with reporters at the NFL

Combine in Indianapolis.

Here are the highlights of what he said, about various noteworthy topics, including a couple that he addressed after his press conference, in a session with Jets beat reporters:

• The Jets met Wednesday with free agent quarterback Josh McCown. He struggled in his one season in Tampa Bay, but the free agent quarterback market is thin on talent this offseason. This might just be a case of the Jets doing their due diligence on the quarterback front, so don't read too much into the

McCown meeting right now.

• How likely are the Jets to add a veteran quarterback before the draft?

"I would say, not to put a probability on it, we are actively looking at both pro and college with any position -- and obviously, quarterback is one of the positions that we would like to increase the competition at that position," Maccagnan said. "We're looking at all options. There are potential options or scenarios where that may be the case."

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• The Jets have Combine interviews scheduled with James Winston and Marcus Mariota, the top two

quarterback prospects in this year's draft. Maccagnan, when asked about Winston's off-field behavior, said he didn't want to comment about specific players.

• Maccagnan would absolutely like to re-sign free agent middle linebacker David Harris. The Jets and

Harris's camp are meeting in Indianapolis this week.

"We think David Harris is a very good football player," Maccagnan said. "I think he's had an excellent career with the Jets. I think we would very much like to keep David in the mix. I would say that David is a player we would very much like to get back in the mix."

• Repeating what he said earlier this offseason, Maccagnan said the Jets "will be very active in free agency." He clarified that the Jets will "potentially be in that market" for high-priced players early in free agency, but will also explore the middle-tier and lower-tier free agency markets.

• Maccagnan would not say what the Jets' specific plans are for wide receiver Percy Harvin, who is due to receive a $10.5 million non-guaranteed base salary next season. The Jets' brass is in the process of evaluating Harvin's situation.

Harvin has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, so that means no future salary cap hits for the Jets, if they decide to cut Harvin.

"That is still a process that we're working through right now," Maccagnan said of evaluating Harvin.

• When asked about positional needs, Maccagnan mentioned only cornerback specifically.

"Cornerback would be a position we're going to probably address, whether it's in the draft or pro free agency," Maccagnan said. "With cornerbacks, you can never have enough good ones."

Free agency seems to have better No. 1 cornerback options this year than the draft does.

• Cornerback Dee Milliner, the Jets' top draft pick in 2013, tore his Achilles tendon last season. Maccagnan said Milliner's situation is "a bit of a wild card," because the Jets aren't sure yet how he will rebound from his injury.

"He's still in his rehabilitation process," Maccagnan said. "I think, right now, we're projecting him to be

back later on in the spring, early summer."

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NEW YORK POST

GM: Jets ready to spend big and all QBs are on the team’s radar (Brian Costello) New York Post February 18, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/02/18/gm-jets-ready-to-spend-big-and-all-qbs-are-on-the-teams-radar/

INDIANAPOLIS — New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan is ready to spend.

The Jets are expected to have around $50 million in salary-cap space once the cap is set for this year, and Maccagnan sounds like a man ready to write some checks.

“We will be very active in free agency,” Maccagnan said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Now that being said, let me make a little note there, whether that’s with the high-dollar guys that tend to be the first week or first-few-days guys, I would think we’re going to be potentially in that market. But

we’ll also be in the lower- and middle-tier market, too.”

The Jets have plenty of needs to address — from their dismal cornerback situation to finding another playmaker on offense and shoring up the offensive line. Then, there’s quarterback. The Jets met with free agent Josh McCown here on Wednesday, Maccagnan revealed. McCown was released last week by the Buccaneers. McCown is part of a thin free-agent quarterback class this year.

The Jets also may end up using the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft to select a quarterback. Maccagnan said the Jets will meet with Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the top two quarterbacks in the draft,

this week.

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“Every quarterback out there we would have an interest in,” Maccagnan said. “We did visit with Josh

here at the combine. We at least had a little chance for him to feel us out and us to feel him out a little bit. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re actively going after him.”

The decision at quarterback is the center of the Jets’ universe this offseason … again. Both Maccagnan

and new coach Todd Bowles remain cautious in their comments about incumbent Geno Smith, who they won’t get to truly work with until April, per NFL rules. But it sounds like Smith will get a chance to compete for the starting job no matter who the Jets sign in free agency or if they end up drafting a quarterback.

“We’re going to know Geno better when we get a chance to work with him going forward,” Maccagnan said. “He’s obviously in our mix. We’re kind of committed to try to make him successful because he’s ours. The team has invested a second-round draft pick in him. We’re trying to do everything to make

him successful. His success will be determined going forward based on a lot of other things — his ability to work with our system, his work ethic, his approach, his aptitude at the end of the day.”

Bowles mentioned cutting down on turnovers as one of his prime objectives for the 2015 season. That

starts with the quarterback and it’s an area Smith has struggled with in his first two years, turning it over 41 times.

“You can’t win games turning the ball over,” Bowles said. “I think any quarterback in the league going

forward has got to be able to protect the football. You can’t win without protecting the football. Every quarterback has to know that, Geno included.”

Bowles praised Smith’s arm and throwing ability, but said the key will be getting to know him.

“We’ve got to sit him down and see what he can and can’t do, what he’s good at, what he’s not good at, what kind of intangibles he has going forward,” Bowles said.

The expectation right now is Winston will go first overall to the Buccaneers, but Mariota may be there when the Jets are picking at No. 6. Maccagnan did not want to discuss either quarterback specifically.

But he did address the idea that quarterbacks who play in a system like Mariota did at Oregon will struggle in the NFL.

“I think at the end of the day, when you look at a lot of the quarterbacks coming from those systems

to the NFL, and some make the transition well, a lot of it has to do with kind of the intangibles about the players and his work ethic, his mental toughness, it’s all the other aspects that go into what makes him a good quarterback,” Maccagnan said.

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Jets may try to get Percy Harvin to rework his contract (Brian Costello) New York Post February 19, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/02/19/jets-may-try-to-get-percy-harvin-to-rework-his-contract/

INDIANAPOLIS — The clock is ticking for the Jets to make a decision on whether to keep wide receiver

Percy Harvin.

The team has until March 19 to determine whether to cut him or keep him. He is set to make $10.5 million this year. If he is on the roster on March 19, the Seahawks receive the Jets’ fourth-round pick

as a condition of the October trade. If Harvin is released, the Jets will send their sixth-rounder to Seattle.

“That’s a process we’re working through. We’re going to talk to his agent,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said. “We do think Percy is a very good player, but that’s a process we’re working through

right now.”

Maccagnan said one option is to ask Harvin to rework his contract. It is highly unlikely Harvin would want to stay with the Jets for less money. If he is going to take less, chances are he would rather go to a contender with a proven quarterback.

“You have to look at different options you can do whether you carry him at his current contract, whether you try to restructure him for a more cap-friendly number,” Maccagnan said.

Harvin had 29 catches for 350 yards and one touchdown in eight games with the Jets last year.

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In addition to the agent for Harvin, the Jets also plan on meeting with the agents for defensive end

Muhammad Wilkerson and linebacker David Harris. Wilkerson is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a long-term deal. Harris is set to be a free agent on March 10. Both sound like priorities for Maccagnan.

“I don’t want to put a timetable on that. I think that’s something that’s on our list of things to do,” Maccagnan said of a Wilkerson deal. “I would say since Todd [Bowles, coach] and I got on board, we haven’t really worked with Muhammad previously. It’s something we’re going to go through the process of evaluating and kind of see how it goes going forward. I would definitely say Muhammad is a player we like. We’ll see how this process unfolds.”

As for Harris?

“We think David Harris is a very good football player,” Maccagnan said. “I think he’s had an excellent

career with the Jets. I think we would very much like to keep David in the mix. It’s free agency so we still have to have a meeting between us and the agent and the player on where that value is, but I would say David is a player we would very much like to get back in the mix.”

Former Jets coach Rex Ryan loved to talk about chasing the Patriots. Bowles had an interesting answer when asked about the rivalry with New England.

“I don’t think it means anything to us right now,” Bowles said. “Right now, we’re trying to become the

New York Jets, and we’re trying to become a winning ballclub. We’re going to concentrate on us. You can’t beat the Patriots in February. Just beating the Patriots is not going to cut it if you lose to everybody else. We’ve got to have a growth process of how to win while we’re winning and trying to win and beat more than just the Patriots.”

Maccagnan said the Jets are projecting CB Dee Milliner to be back on the field in the late spring or early summer. Milliner tore his left Achilles tendon in October. …. The Jets are going to bolster the cornerback position, something they failed to do last year. “You can never have enough good ones,” Maccagnan

said. “I’d be very happy if we had a surplus at that position.”

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

NY Jets GM Mike Maccagnan eyeing QB Josh McCown (Seth Walder) The Jets badly need to upgrade at QB, and it seems logical they would want to bring in a veteran to compete with Geno Smith. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS February 18, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-maccagnan-eyeing-josh-mccown-article-1.2120786

The team met on Wednesday with the 10-year vet who was recently released by the Bucs, Jets GM Mike

Maccagnan said.

“I think I would say simply, every quarterback out there we’d have an interest in. We did visit with Josh here at the combine, so we had a little chance for him to kind of feel us out and us to feel him out a

little bit,” Maccagnan said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re actively going after him. It’s sort of an inquiry process we’re going through.”

The Jets badly need to upgrade at QB, and it seems logical they would want to bring in a veteran to compete with Geno Smith.

McCown put up big numbers with the Bears in 2013 while filling in for Jay Cutler, completing 149 of 224 passes and 13 TDs in eight games and five starts. That production fell off last season.

NO PAT ANSWER

The Jets’ biggest rival may be the Patriots, but new head coach Todd Bowles said he can’t be concerned right now about the defending Super Bowl champs.

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“Right now, we’re trying to become the New York Jets and we’re trying to become a winning ballclub,”

Bowles said. “We’re going to concentrate on us. You can’t beat the Patriots in February. Just beating the Patriots is not going to cut it if you lose to everybody else.”

PICKY SITUATION

The Jets have the sixth pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but Maccagnan said the team will explore all avenues with the selection.

“We’re not very far from the higher picks, so the cost for us to move up is a little less prohibitive than a team that’s picking in the teens. If we feel there’s a value there, that’s . . . it’s an option,” Maccagnan said.

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Mike Maccagnan, Todd Bowles face tall task of finding new NY Jets QB (Manish Mehta) The Jets’ path back to respectability begins with identifying the right guy at the game’s most important position. Although Bowles stressed competition at every position, there’s no doubt that not all positions are created equal. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS February 19, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-heat-jets-gm-coach-find-new-qb-article-1.2120837

INDIANAPOLIS — Woody Johnson likely took a softer tack when turning over his billion-dollar franchise to Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles last month, but the implied message was obvious: Best of luck, guys. Now, don’t screw it up.

The Jets’ new dynamic duo has more projects to tackle than the Property Brothers, but there’s no margin for error involving the most critical piece of this makeover. Maccagnan and Bowles simply have to make the right decision at quarterback. Best of luck, guys. Now, don’t screw it up.

The Jets’ path back to respectability begins with identifying the right guy at the game’s most important

position. Although Bowles stressed competition at every position, there’s no doubt that not all positions are created equal.

“Some quarterbacks can only take you so far,” Bowles said at the NFL scouting combine on Wednesday. “Everybody’s not going to have a top-flight quarterback. Everybody’s not going to have Aaron Rodgers, but you still have to have a good quarterback to make everything work.”

The Jets’ quarterback play has bounced between horrific and migraine-inducing in the four seasons since Gang Green went to back-to-back AFC Championship Games. Rex Ryan’s signal callers committed a comedic 99 turnovers over his final four seasons.

Bowles’ — and every other sane person’s — take: that’s unacceptable.

Bowles admitted that “everything is on the table” to find the right answer to the most important question confronting the new regime: Who will be the Jets 2015 starting quarterback?

Geno Smith’s grip on the job has loosened after two maddeningly inconsistent seasons that have generated concerns about his viability as a NFL starter. Although Maccagnan maintained that “we’re

kind of committed to try to make him successful, because he’s ours,” the organization is looking for upgrades through free agency, the draft or trade. Veteran Josh McCown, cut by the Buccaneers last week, met with Maccagnan on Wednesday.

The Jets would have been justified to bury Smith after 41 turnovers, a 51.7 completion rate and 71.5 passer rating in 30 career games, but Bowles insisted he’s not ready to discard the young quarterback yet.

“On film, you can see him make some mistakes,” Bowles said. “You can see him make some great throws. You can see the athleticism. But that’s all you can see.”

Bowles challenged an eternal football axiom: Apparently the film might lie (or at least tell a half-truth).

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“I don’t think you can draft a guy by just seeing film,” Bowles said. “You don’t know how a quarterback

thinks, how he learns, how he leads, what are his strengths, what are his weaknesses going forward. . . . So to say what he is or isn’t as a person or as a quarterback and a leader from an intangible standpoint, you can’t see that on film.”

Bowles raises a fair point, but the new brass must not be fooled like the old one was after Smith’s strong final month in his rookie season. Smith has shown flashes of ability, but has given no one any indication that he can string together even three of four games of consistent play. His longest winning streak in 29 career starts: two. The number of times he’s done that: one.

Smith’s up-and-down production had mitigating circumstances that shouldn’t be completely dismissed. Former offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg put too much on the plate for a young quarterback who played in a simplified spread college system. Madonna and Sean Penn had a healthier marriage than

Smith and the West Coast offense.

Smith cleared some of the physical and mechanical hurdles (footwork), but never conquered the mental obstacles in the complicated offense. New offensive coordinator Chan Gailey presumably would tailor a

more simplified scheme to suit Smith’s skills if Smith were the starter this season, but there are other concerns surrounding the erratic veteran of two seasons.

It was easy (and correct) to point to a lack of offensive weaponry in Smith’s rookie season for his

struggles, but he regressed with a better supporting cast last season. Smith’s self-confidence didn’t wane, but the confidence from coaches and teammates did.

Bowles believes that it takes “two to four years” to fully evaluate a young quarterback.

“Some show it very early, like Andrew Luck,” Bowles said. “Some are late bloomers. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The Jets haven’t hit the reset button on Smith, but time is clearly running out.

Bowles praised the Smith’s physical gifts, but unofficially stressed the need for intangibles 1,969 times

on Wednesday.

“If you’re lacking in arm strength, you got intelligence,” Bowles said. “If you’re lacking intelligence, you

got foot speed. You got to have something to make you a quarterback to help you win. There’s a ton of teams that go to the playoffs and everybody’s not going to have a top-flight quarterback. You got to win regardless.”

Bowles and Maccagnan must get this decision right.

Best of luck, guys. Now, don’t screw it up.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Maccagnan and the Jets Scour NFL Combine for Talent (Stu Woo) Cornerbacks, linebackers and quarterbacks top the Jets’ wish list for this coming season. Can they find them in Indianapolis? Wall Street Journal February 18, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/maccagnan-and-the-jets-scour-nfl-combine-for-talent-1424310576?tesla=y

INDIANAPOLIS—Snow flurried in the 10-degree chill outside the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, but the Jets’ new regime gave the impression that springtime was around the corner for

the hard-luck franchise.

General manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles conceded they were still trying to settle into the jobs they started just a month ago, but were eager to begin rebuilding a team that went 4-12 last year and hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season.

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19 | P a g e

The Jets may not be in the most enviable position, but they do have something that other NFL teams

should envy: money. The Jets have close to $50 million in salary-cap space, according to the contract-tracker Spotrac.com, and they need to use it to meet spending minimums set by the league and the players’ union.

Some of that money will go toward free agents. Maccagnan said Wednesday that the team will pursue big-ticket players as well as cheaper ones. A smaller portion will go toward drafting college players, whom the Jets will evaluate this week at the combine.

Where they do need help is— everywhere else. The roster may have too many holes to fill in 2015 alone, but with their ample salary-cap space, the Jets can set themselves up for an entertaining 2016 season.

Here are the three positions on which the team should be focusing here in Indianapolis:

CORNERBACK: Asked Wednesday where the Jets needed to improve, Maccagnan mentioned only one

position by name.

“Cornerback is a position we’re probably going to address, either in the draft or the pro free agency,”

he said.

The Jets ranked 19th in passing yards allowed last season, and it probably would have been even worse without former head coach Rex Ryan’s creativity; by the end of the season, the team was starting career backup Darrin Walls and undrafted rookie Marcus Williams at cornerback.

The Jets were unlucky when 2013 first-round draft pick Dee Milliner, was forced to miss most of the season with knee and Achilles’ injuries, and 2014 third-round selection Dexter McDougle missed the whole thing with a torn knee ligament. Maccagnan and Bowles said it was unclear whether Milliner would be healthy by training camp.

Meanwhile, two big-name former Jets could be available in free agency: All-Pro Darrelle Revis, should the Patriots decide to cut him, and Antonio Cromartie, who played with the Cardinals last year. But Revis will turn 30 in July and Cromartie will be 31 in April, and it makes little sense for a rebuilding team to

sign either of them. The Jets could look at younger free agents, such as Seattle’s Byron Maxwell.

Unless the Jets trade down from their sixth overall pick in the draft, they probably won’t take a

cornerback in the first round. Look for them to grab one between the second and middle rounds instead.

QUARTERBACK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday that he would be comfortable selecting Florida State star Jameis Winston with the draft’s first pick. After that, the teams that currently hold the second through fifth picks appear content with their quarterbacks, so Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota might be available to the Jets with the sixth selection.

Maccagnan said the Jets have scheduled interviews with both Winston and Mariota. He declined to comment on Winston’s off-field issues, saying it was too early in the process to do so, and that the Jets were still evaluating whether Mariota’s staggering statistics were inflated by Oregon’s go-go offense.

The Jets remained noncommittal on Geno Smith, their starter of the past two years. Bowles said Wednesday what every Jets fan already knows: Smith has a terrific arm, but needs to limit the turnovers. In two seasons, Smith has completed 58% of his pass attempts, thrown for 25 touchdowns and 34

interceptions. He has also lost seven fumbles.

The Jets are also looking at veteran quarterbacks. Maccagnan said the team met Wednesday with Josh McCown, the 35-year-old journeyman who played well with Chicago in 2013 but struggled with Tampa

Bay last season.

LINEBACKER: The Jets’ four starting linebackers in 2014 were undistinguished. According to Pro Football Focus, which grades players on every snap, outside linebackers Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace were among the league’s worst. At inside linebacker, Demario Davis was above average, while defensive

leader David Harris was mediocre.

Coples, Davis and the 34-year-old Pace will be back, while the 31-year-old Harris is a free agent. The Jets would be wise to try someone younger in the position, but they appear to be courting Harris to return.

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METRO NEW YORK

Source: Jets will go hard after C.J. Spiller in free agency (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York February 18, 2015

http://www.metro.us/sports/source-jets-will-go-hard-after-c-j-spiller-in-free-agency/zsJobr---fXIhYqdJQBins/

Replace one ‘CJ’ with another one. It’s that simple here in New York.

There’s no denying that the New York Jets need to make some moves this offseason if they are going

to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season, and one of those moves has to be an addition to the backfield. With the move on Saturday to cut ties with running back Chris Johnson, a story broken by Metro New York this past Friday, it appears that the team already has circled his potential replacement in red.

That name? C.J. Spiller, the Buffalo Bills running back, who is set to be a free agent.

A league source told Metro New York on Wednesday that the Jets “will have interest in Spiller when free agency opens next month. Very serious interest.

“Spiller will be one of the players the Jets pursue. Not just kick the tires on, but pursue,” the league source said. “Chan Gailey would like him here in New York. He’s the pass catching option out of the backfield that the Jets need for this offense and he’s a playmaker.

“The offense isn’t bad, it needs a spark. Spiller? He can do that for the Jets and don’t think that the Jets don’t know it. They will pursue him.”

Gailey, of course, is the Jets' new offensive coordinator and the man who was the Bills' offensive coordinator from 2010-12, Spiller’s first three years in the league. The Bills running back peaked during

Gailey’s final season in Buffalo when he rushed for 1,244 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. It seems to be a good fit for player and team.

With Johnson now gone, the top two players on the depth chart at running back are Chris Ivory, who had a very solid 2014 season, and Bilal Powell, under-appreciated by fans as well as the last coaching staff.

Spiller is set to enter his sixth season in the NFL and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2012, his lone year

where he topped 1,000 rushing yards. While his production hasn’t always been consistent, and he’s only played a full season twice in his career, he’s a big play option out of the backfield, in large part due to his blazing speed.

At the NFL Combine in 2010, Spiller ran a blistering 4.37 time in the 40. He also can return kickoffs.

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WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE — Suspended Cleveland RHP Tyler Sturdevant 50 games for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

American League

CLEVELAND INDIANS — Agreed to terms with LHP Bruce Chen on a minor league contract.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Agreed to terms with 1B Eric Hosmer on a two-year contract.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Agreed to terms with RHP Matt Lindstrom on a minor league contract.

National League

SAN DIEGO PADRES — Assigned RHP Aaron Northcraft outright to El Paso (PCL).

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American Association

AMARILLO THUNDERHEADS — Signed OF Jason Martin. Traded LHP Kristhiam Linares to Lancaster for a player to be named.

FARGO-MOORHEAD REDHAWKS — Signed RHP Chase Boruff.

GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS — Signed RHP Jessie Snodgrass.

ST. PAUL SAINTS — Signed RHPs Drew Gay and Dustin Crenshaw. Released RHP Andy Johnson.

WINNIPEG GOLDEYES — Signed RHP Coby Cowgill.

Can-Am League

TROIS-RIVIERES AIGLES — Signed INF Pedro Lopez.

Frontier League

JOLIET SLAMMERS — Signed OF Nate Roberts.

NORMAL CORNBELTERS — Signed SS Daniel Bick.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

DALLAS MAVERICKS — Signed F Amare Stoudemire. Waived G Ricky Ledo.

TORONTO RAPTORS — Assigned F Bruno Caboclo to Fort Wayne (NBADL).

FOOTBALL

National Football League

ARIZONA CARDINALS — Agreed to terms with WR Larry Fitzgerald on a two-year contract.

CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed DB Varmah Sonie.

DALLAS COWBOYS — Released LB Mister Alexander.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Released LB Shaun Phillips.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Claimed TE Brandon Bostick off waivers from Green Bay.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Named Brian Smith assistant linebackers coach.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS — S Ryan Clark announced his retirement.

Canadian Football League

MONTREAL ALOUETTES — Signed DT Khalif Mitchell to a three-year contract and DE Kris Redding to a two-year contract.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS — Signed WR Kurt Goodrich.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

DALLAS STARS — Recalled F Brendan Ranford from Texas (AHL).

EDMONTON OILERS — Placed G Viktor Fasth on injured reserve. Activated G Ben Scrivens from injured reserve.

MINNESOTA WILD — Called up F Michael Keranen from Iowa (AHL).

NASHVILLE PREDATORS — Reassigned F Viktor Stalberg to Milwaukee (AHL).

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS — Signed D Nick Schultz to a multi-year contract.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS — Reassigned D Steven Oleksy to Hershey (AHL).

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WINNIPEG JETS — Placed F Mathieu Perreault on injured reserve. Recalled F Carl Klingberg from St.

John’s (AHL).

American Hockey League

BINGHAMTON SENATORS — Assigned F Danny Hobbs to Evansville (ECHL).

CHICAGO WOLVES — Assigned D Jake Chelios to Kalamazoo (ECHL).

HAMILTON BULLDOGS — Announced Montreal (NHL) recalled D Jarred Tinordi.

ECHL

EVANSVILLE ICEMEN — Claimed G Branden Komm off waivers from Cincinnati.

FORT WAYNE KOMETS — Signed F Andrew Harrison.

KALAMAZOO WINGS — Released D Nathan Sherriff from his amateur tryout agreement. Signed D Travis Armstrong to an amateur tryout agreement.

ONTARIO REIGN — Signed G Adam Brown.

UTAH GRIZZLIES — Released G Justin Masterman as emergency backup. Added G Trey Johnson as emergency backup.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

D.C. UNITED — Signed M Miguel Aguilar.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY — Signed D Amadou Dia.

National Women’s Soccer League

SKY BLUE FC — Signed F Nadia Nadim.

COLLEGE

NCAA — Placed West Virginia’s athletic department on two years’ probation.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION — Announced the resignation of executive director Grant Teaff.

CHARLOTTE — Named Karen Weatherington volleyball coach.

CHOWAN — Named Melanie Chaussee assistant volleyball coach and Joshua Cue assistant football coach/strength and conditioning coordinator.

NOTRE DAME — Announced S Avery Sebastian is transferring from California.

THIEL — Named Matt Arshinkoff assistant football coach.

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