NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

January 20, 2016

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Table of Contents

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................... 1

Jets need more game-changing plays out of linebackers (Rich Cimini) .................................................................... 1

Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick tells Rachael Ray (yes, really) it's tough to watch playoffs (Rich Cimini) ................................ 2

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................... 3

How Jets can carve out $30M for free-agent chess match (Brian Costello) ............................................................. 3

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA .............................................................................................................................................. 4

How does Mike Maccagnan plan to find a quarterback for Jets? (Dom Cosentino) ................................................. 4

Examining what the Jets might expect from their No. 20 pick in 2016 NFL Draft (Darryl Slater) ............................. 5

Mike Maccagnan: Jets can 'definitely' win with Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dom Cosentino) ................................................. 7

Jets' Leonard Williams earns another honor for his strong rookie year (Darryl Slater) ............................................ 8

Jets sign 2 more players to reserve/futures contracts, including N.J. native (Darryl Slater)..................................... 9

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 10

Kevin Patullo proves he's perfect guy to work with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jets QBs (Manish Mehta) ..................... 10

Watching playoffs 'difficult' for Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, he admits in interview with Rachael Ray (Justin Tasch) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 12

Jets roster: 3 positions where solution is in-house (Kristian Dyer) ......................................................................... 12

TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 13

ESPN NEW YORK

Jets need more game-changing plays out of linebackers (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York January 20, 2016

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58017/jets-need-more-game-changing-plays-out-of-linebacking-corps

Reviewing the 2015 New York Jets season, position by position:

Position: Linebacker

Overall grade: B-

Individual grades: David Harris B+, Lorenzo Mauldin B-, Erin HendersonB-, Demario Davis C+, Calvin Pace C, Trevor Reilly C-, Jamari Lattimore C-,Quinton Coples F.

Key number: 610 -- number of receiving yards by opposing running backs. The Jets ranked ninth in the league, probably a lot better than many assumed.

Summary: Smart, tough, savvy, strong -- they're all good words to describe this group. Once upon a time, those qualities would've made for one heck of a linebacking corps. Unfortunately for the Jets, the game

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has changed in recent years. It's a passing league, putting an emphasis on speed, quickness and the ability to make game-changing plays. The Jets fell short in those areas, as their aging linebacker unit produced only 14.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and not a single interception. Not a single interception! They were fantastic against the run (No. 2 in yards allowed), but they were pedestrian outside the box and rushing the passer.

Harris (team-high 67 solo tackles) delivered another solid year, playing every down and running the show. He got a few more blitzing opportunities in Todd Bowles' aggressive scheme, but his pass-rushing numbers didn't jump. Davis, who rotated with Henderson over the final six games, made a few glaring mistakes in pass coverage and missed a team-high 16 tackles. It was a disappointing year for Davis, who should've made more big plays with his athleticism. Henderson was better against the run than Davis, but he, too, was vulnerable in coverage. Pace, the graybeard of the group, saw his playing time gradually diminish. He did a competent job of setting the edge from his strong-side position, but his production dropped from the previous year.

The coaches didn't think Mauldin, a rookie, was ready to play in the base defense, so they limited him to pass-rushing situations. He managed four sacks in 212 pass rushes, according to Pro Football Focus. He has double-digit sack potential if he can become an every-down player, but he'll have to master the defense to earn that promotion. Coples was a first-round round bust and deservedly was released after 10 games. His lack of focus bothered some teammates.

Playing-time percentages (based on 1,056 snaps): Harris 92, Davis 81, Pace 50, Mauldin 24, Henderson 21, Coples 20, Reilly 7, Lattimore 5.

PT analysis: Harris dealt with a few bumps and bruises, dipping under 1,000 snaps for the first time since 2011. Davis, once an every-down linebacker, played only 45 snaps over the final two games -- his lowest two-game total since be became a starter in 2013. It certainly didn't help his value with free agency around the corner. The Jets got decent mileage out of Henderson, who played on a one-year contract for the minimum salary. The Jets should've left Coples in London after their Week 4 win. After that game, he almost didn't exist.

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Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick tells Rachael Ray (yes, really) it's tough to watch playoffs (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York January 19, 2016

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58031/jets-ryan-fitzpatrick-tells-rachael-ray-yes-really-its-tough-to-watch-playoffs

Two weeks removed from the New York Jets' crushing, season-ending loss, Ryan Fitzpatrick made an appearance on national television Tuesday morning to discuss ...

His chicken squares.

Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, were guests on "The Rachael Ray Show," taped in New York. The theme was Super Bowl Sunday eats (yes, already), and the Fitzpatricks shared one of their favorite slow-cooker recipes. Those that followed the Life of Ryan throughout his first season with the Jets will know he's a fan of crock-pot cooking, especially as a postgame meal at home.

Just one problem: Fitzpatrick showed up at the studio without his chicken squares. He and his wife prepared the dish at home, but they forgot it on the kitchen counter.

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That's a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct for a TV-show guest. (There's no truth to the rumor that Leodis McKelvin swiped the dish.)

Ray and guest co-host Jesse Palmer, the former New York Giants backup, roughed the passer throughout the segment, teasing Fitzpatrick about his faux pas. But it was all in good fun, as Palmer and Ray, who called herself a big Jets fan, complimented Fitzpatrick on his career year.

She asked Fitzpatrick if he likes to watch football on TV.

"I do," he said. "Right after our season ended, that next week was difficult to watch football, thinking, 'Ah, we could've been in it.'"

"It was a great season," Ray told him. "You did a hell of a job."

The studio audience applauded, although it's probably safe to assume that few, if any of Ray's fans knew that Fitzpatrick set the team record for touchdown passes in a season.

"I hope you enjoy your Super Bowl party because next year we'll be partying atthe Super Bowl, right Ryan?" Ray asked the quarterback.

Fitzpatrick smiled. With that, she made him pinky swear to it.

Not exactly a Rex Ryan Super Bowl guarantee, was it?

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NEW YORK POST

How Jets can carve out $30M for free-agent chess match (Brian Costello) New York Post January 19, 2016

http://nypost.com/2016/01/19/how-jets-can-carve-out-30m-for-free-agent-chess-match/

The Jets enter this offseason in a much different financial position than they did a year ago. Last year, new general manager Mike Maccagnan had money to shop for free agents who had Fifth Avenue price tags. This year? It should be more like the bargain bin.

The Jets are currently projected to have $10 million to $16 million in salary cap space, depending on the precise 2016 salary cap figure, which will be established next month. There are some ways to create more space through cutting players or reworking deals, but they also have a few high-profile free agents of their own they are expected to re-sign.

“It’s kind of a little different scenario from last year to this year,” Maccagnan said last week. “We’ll still have money to be active and do things with, but it ends up being like a puzzle and it’s not only trying to put all the pieces in different scenarios.

“There’s not a perfect answer to it, but what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to maximize your opportunity cost, so that’s where as we go through this, we’re going through all these different scenarios of how we’re going to attack free agency. The main goal is to keep as much of it in place on our team as we can, but the way free agency works itself out, eventually when players hit the market, you can’t determine where sometimes guys are going to be paid and you may have a certain point where you feel like that’s a little above where you want to pay.”

Before free agency arrives on March 9, Maccagnan has plenty of work to do. The first order of business is clearing some more cap space. He can cut or negotiate a pay cut with corner Antonio Cromartie ($8 million cap figure) and tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson ($14.1 million) to clear some room. Players whose roles

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were dramatically reduced this year, such as wide receiver Jeremy Kerley ($3.1 million) and tight end Jeff Cumberland ($1.9 million), also could be released.

Maccagnan should be able to get the cap space to around $30 million. Then the issue becomes how much to spend on the Jets’ own free agents and how much to save for those from other teams. If Maccagnan uses the franchise tag on defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, as expected, that would eat up around half of their cap space. The franchise number for defensive ends is expected to be around $16 million.

The other pending free agents the Jets are expected to try to re-sign are quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and nose tackle Damon Harrison. Running backs Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell are also set to become free agents. It does not seem likely the Jets can keep all of them.

“We obviously made progress from 4-12 a year ago to 10-6. We have some really good parts in place,” Maccagnan said. “We just need to kind of figure out what the best combination of all those things are going forward. The only difference this year would be that last year, we knew we were going to be more active because we had a lot of cap room. This year, we do have cap room still. It’ll have to be one of those ones where we determine if certain guys are available or not available, we may try to have contingency plans as the market kind of works itself out.”

The best avenue for the Jets to take may be to re-sign their priority free agents, then shop for bargains in free agency and wait until the draft to fill the remaining holes.

“The real driver in any team’s success, ideally, is the draft,” Maccagnan said. “From our standpoint, we always have an idea that we want to do things in free agency that can impact us and help us and help us along. But in a perfect world, it’s kind of the younger guys and, that’s where I think, it’s not just the guys that you sign in free agency and the guys you retain.”

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

How does Mike Maccagnan plan to find a quarterback for Jets? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media January 19, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/how_does_mike_maccagnan_plan_to_find_a_quarterback.html#incart_river_index

At his season-ending press conference last week, general manager Mike Maccagnan wouldn't reveal whether the Jets plan to draft a quarterback this year, which makes sense, considering Maccagnan has nothing to gain by showing his hand to the rest of the NFL.

But in a subsequent radio interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa, Maccagnan opened up a bit more on his philosophy for finding a quarterback. He did it by relating a story from when he interviewed for the job 12 months ago with a group that included former Washington GM Charley Casserly and Hall of Fame ex-Packers GM Ron Wolf, who assisted in the process as consultants.

"It's funny," Maccagnan told Francesa. "When Ron Wolf was in the interview process—I got a chance to spend a few days with him before I was actually hired. And Ron, he asked me a question in the interview about, hey, how do you go about finding a quarterback? What's your philosophy on finding or developing quarterbacks?

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"And I gave this very long, detailed answer; that was in the interview, actually. A couple days later, I was kind of waiting to find out what was going to happen. I was here on the weekend; this was after the second interview, and I went out to dinner with Ron and Charley, kind of waiting to see what happened.

"I remember asking Ron, 'Hey, you asked me that question.' ... So I asked him [the same] question; I thought I was going to get this long, complicated, like really detailed [answer]. And Ron sort of said, 'Well, you draft one every year.'

"And it was that simple kind of logic—now I'm not necessarily going to say I'm going to go out and draft one every year, but the thought process, when you really drill down on it, was it's such an important position, you do take them, but you also take them with the idea of developing them. And that's where the conversation proceeded."

Maccagnan had made it clear in his presser last week he's not into drafting a quarterback just to draft a quarterback. Rather, he said he would evaluate quarterback along with every other position and determine whether to take one based on where a given quarterback is on the Jets' draft board once the Jets get a chance to make any one of their six picks.

Quarterback is kind of a forever problem for the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick is due to become a free agent, but he and the Jets have expressed a mutual desire to stay together. Fitzpatrick is 33, and while his performance in 2015 was encouraging, his three interceptions in the must-win finale at the Bills left a lot of fans cold. The Jets also have Geno Smith and Bryce Petty, and Petty was selected in last year's fourth round specifically so the Jets could give him time to develop.

And that, more than anything else, is indicative of Maccagnan's quarterback philosophy.

"[It's] so often that young quarterbacks get thrown into the fire way too quickly," Maccagnan told Francesa. "Really, with Bryce, it was nice to have the ability to just let him kind of sit, soak, take it in, because it can affect their development. Now, on the flipside, we have an offseason with Bryce, and a lot of that's going to be very impactful with how he develops. And then we'll probably have more of a gauge of where he's at this coming preseason when he actually gets out there and has to play. But it's a guy we like."

So: If Maccagnan does draft another quarterback, don't look for that quarterback to get plugged in right away as some kind of instant franchise savior. Fitzpatrick will likely be back. But beyond that? This thing's going to take time. And that's the plan.

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Examining what the Jets might expect from their No. 20 pick in 2016 NFL Draft (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media January 19, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/examining_what_the_jets_might_expect_from_their_no.html#incart_river_index

We've already offered you a bunch of possibilities for who the Jets might draft this spring with the 20th overall selection.

But what sort of players, historically, have come from that pick?

Esteemed colleague James Kratch tackled that question, as it relates to the Giants, who have the 10th pick this year. An interesting idea from James. So we decided to copy it, from a Jets perspective.

Looking back at every No. 20 pick since 2000, here is what we found:

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• Four Pro Bowlers. Exactly one-quarter of the 16 picks have made the Pro Bowl.

Wide receiver Javon Walker made it in 2004, defensive end/outside linebacker Tamba Hali from 2011-15, cornerback Aqib Talib from 2013-15, and offensive tackle Kyle Long from 2013-14. (None of them has been a first-team All-Pro.)

While Walker was drafted in 2002, the other three guys are more recent picks. Hali was drafted in 2006, Talib in 2008, and Long in 2013. Of those four players, only Walker is no longer in the NFL. It's pretty clear that Hali and Talib (in that order) are the best No. 20 picks during the 2000-15 timeframe.

(Of course, as with all the information we are presenting here for the sake of historical context, this doesn't have any actual bearing on the NFL future of the player the Jets take at No. 20 this spring.)

• Biggest busts? Now that you know the Pro Bowlers out of the group, which of these players had the least productive NFL career?

Two offensive tackles didn't exactly pan out. Stockar McDougle started 56 games over seven seasons, George Foster 57 games over six seasons.

Defensive end Kenechi Udeze played just four seasons (47 starts and 11 sacks), but he was forced to retire because of leukemia. He is now an assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Southern California.

More recently, defensive end Adrian Clayborn (drafted in 2011) had two of his first four seasons in Tampa Bay cut short by injury, limiting him to just four total games in those seasons. He now plays for the Falcons.

• Offense/defense splits. Of the 16 No. 20 picks since 2000, eight have been offensive players — three offensive tackles, four wide receivers, and a tight end. The breakdown of the eight defensive guys taken at No. 20 since 2000: one strong safety, four defensive ends, and three cornerbacks.

• Any quarterbacks? No quarterback has ever been drafted at No. 20, which is a neat little piece of trivia. (Also, no quarterback has ever been drafted at No. 9 or Nos. 13-15, for what it's worth.) The closest quarterback to No. 20: Kyle Boller, who went 19th to the Ravens in 2003. No quarterback has gone 21st, either.

• Any Hall of Famers? Yes, two Hall of Famers have been drafted at No. 20: defensive end Jack Youngblood in 1971 and offensive tackle Forrest Gregg in 1956.

• The Jets' history at No. 20. You'll recall that the Jets drafted quarterback Chad Pennington at No. 18 in 2000. But when did they last select at No. 20?

It happened in 1965, 1970, and 1972. They got defensive end Verlon Biggs, defensive back Steve Tannen, and linebacker Michael Taylor in those years.

Biggs was a three-time Pro Bowler who won a Super Bowl ring with the Jets in 1968. He played 10 years in the NFL. Tannen had 12 interceptions over five seasons, but never made a Pro Bowl. Taylor lasted just two seasons in the league.

• All the No. 20 picks since 2000:

2000: OT Stockar McDougle (Oklahoma), Lions

2001: SS Adam Archuleta (Arizona State), Rams

2002: *WR Javon Walker (Florida State), Packers

2003: OT George Foster (Georgia), Broncos

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2004: DE Kenechi Udeze (Southern California), Vikings

2005: DE Marcus Spears (LSU), Cowboys

2006: *DE Tamba Hali (Penn State), Chiefs

2007: CB Aaron Ross (Texas), Giants

2008: *CB Aqib Talib (Kansas), Buccaneers

2009: TE Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State), Lions

2010: CB Kareem Jackson (Alabama), Texans

2011: DE Adrian Clayborn (Iowa), Buccaneers

2012: WR Kendall Wright (Baylor), Titans

2013: *OT Kyle Long (Oregon), Bears

2014: WR Brandin Cooks (Oregon State), Saints

2015: WR Nelson Agholor (Southern California), Eagles

*Pro Bowler

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Mike Maccagnan: Jets can 'definitely' win with Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media January 19, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/mike_maccagnan_jets_can_definitely_win_with_ryan_f.html#incart_river_index

Mike Maccagnan's philosophy on finding a franchise quarterback is that it takes time to develop a franchise quarterback.

But what about Ryan Fitzpatrick, the quarterback Maccagnan already has with the Jets?

Fitzpatrick is coming off a record-setting season, albeit one that ended with a gut-punch. The Jets blew a chance to make the playoffs in a year in which the AFC appeared to be wide open, and Fitzpatrick had just a bit of a hand in that.

Fitzpatrick's contract expires in March, and he and the Jets have both said they want to stay together (hint: they will).

But does Maccagnan think he can win with Fitzpatrick?

"I definitely think Ryan's a quarterback we can win with," Maccagnan, the Jets' general manager, told WFAN's Mike Francesa in a recent radio interview.

"Everybody kind of looks for that, whatever, if you call it franchise quarterback, or a very high-caliber quarterback, whatever the case may be. We had success this year, and had we played better at some point in time in one of those six losses, we could have been in the playoffs. And once you get there, anything could happen.

"The one thing I will say is this: I do think we can success with Ryan. But the thing I liked about our team this year was that, like I said before, they all kind of complemented each other well. So if you can build a good, solid team—and I'm not just talking, not just offense, defense, also special teams—we can go out

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there, hopefully, and be competitive, and compete for the playoffs. We can do it with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, and Bryce Petty as our quarterbacks."

Two ways to look at this:

1. Maccagnan obviously is going to say he can win with Fitzpatrick. He and head coach Todd Bowles want Fitzpatrick back, and they wouldn't feel that way if they didn't think they could win with him. They also recognize how much Fitzpatrick fit with all the pieces around him, from the offense coordinator Chan Gailey designed to the skill-set of the Jets' receivers to Fitzpatrick's ability to win the respect of his teammates, both with his toughness and his fun-loving personality. The Jets undoubtedly came up short in 2015, but for once, their offense consistently functioned. That's not something to dismiss because of one game (crucial though that game was). And don't forget: Fitzpatrick likely won't break the bank for the Jets this offseason.

2. Maccagnan has also said he's still keeping all of his options open. The free-agent market—which would be costly—isn't exactly brimming with enticing possibilities. And the plan for the draft is to treat quarterback like any other position: The Jets have the No. 20 pick, but they won't force the issue by reaching for quarterback with any of their six selections. Instead, they will try to draft the best player available, be it a quarterback or anyone else. And, as we saw last year, Maccagnan also isn't shy when it comes to making trades.

Maccagnan's stated goal, after all, is to win in 2016, but to set the Jets up to remain competitive in the years that follow, too. And this year, he won't have the bank vault of salary-cap space he had last offseason.

Maccagnan understands the hand he's been dealt, but he also sees just how successful and close the Jets were with the group they had in 2015. At the same time, Maccagnan is keeping an eye on having the entire roster—not just the quarterback position—stocked for the long haul, with sensible cap implications.

"But it's one of those things," Maccagnan told Francesa. "You're constantly trying to make sure you're making lots of decisions and trying to bring in talent into the team, and stockpiling young talent that hopefully [will] grow, develop, and then be impactful. But I do feel like we can be a competitive team with Ryan, and go out there and compete for the playoffs. And if we were able to get in, see what happens."

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Jets' Leonard Williams earns another honor for his strong rookie year (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media January 19, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/jets_leonard_williams_earns_another_honor_for_his.html#incart_river_index

Jets defensive end Leonard Williams on Tuesday earned another honor for his strong rookie season.

The Pro Football Writers of America named Williams to its all-rookie team. Rams running back Todd Gurley was the PFWA's offensive rookie of the year, while Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters was the defensive rookie of the year.

Williams previously was named defensive rookie of the year by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who also considered Peters and Bills cornerback Ronald Darby as his finalists for that honor.

No matter how you slice it, Williams had a productive rookie season, after the Jets drafted him sixth overall last spring.

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Though he finished with a modest sack total (three), Pro Football Focus rated him seventh among 3-4 defensive ends, including 13th as a pass rusher and fourth against the run.

While he didn't play as many snaps as other top 3-4 ends, Williams ranked third at his position with 19 quarterback hits. He also had the 13th-most hurries (27).

It sure looks like Williams has a bright future in the NFL.

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Jets sign 2 more players to reserve/futures contracts, including N.J. native (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media January 19, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/jets_sign_2_more_players_to_futures_contracts_incl.html#incart_river_index

The Jets on Tuesday announced the signing of two more players to reserve/futures contracts: offensive lineman Sean Hickey and running back Dominique Williams.

That brings the Jets' offseason total to 17 players added via reserve/futures contracts, as they build their 90-man roster.

Hickey was a three-year starter at Syracuse. He went undrafted last spring and signed as a free agent with the Saints. Hickey, who is 6-foot-6 and 306 pounds, was on the Saints' and Patriots' practice squads last season.

Williams is a New Jersey native who played at Bridgeton High School before starring at Wagner. He is 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds. He was an undrafted free agent pickup last summer by the Vikings. He was on their practice squad last season, and on Arizona's squad.

A reserve/futures contract doesn't guarantee a bottom-of-roster player much. Just a spot on the 90-man offseason roster, and a chance to audition for the final 53-man roster, once offseason workouts begin in April.

Here are the players the Jets have signed to reserve/futures contracts this offseason, plus links to more information about them:

WR Joe Anderson

LB Deion Barnes

TE Brandon Bostick

OT Jesse Davis

OL Jarvis Harrison

OL Sean Hickey

FB/LB Julian Howsare

CB Kendall James

OL Lawrence Okoye

TE Adrien Robinson

TE Wes Saxton

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CB Kevin Short

DT Deon Simon

LB Julian Stanford

OG Craig Watts

RB Dominique Williams

WR Chandler Worthy

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Kevin Patullo proves he's perfect guy to work with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jets QBs (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News January 19, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-kevin-patullo-jets-guy-article-1.2502592

The guy behind the guy behind the guy was the most important guy that nobody talked about during the Jets’ bounce-back season. He had energy, ideas and plenty to say about plenty of stuff.

“He likes to talk a lot,” Ryan Fitzpatrick said with a smile. “He is a good golfer… and he’ll let you know that he’s a good golfer.”

Quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo was also an important football voice for Todd Bowles & Co., an invaluable 30-something bridge for Chan Gailey and Fitzpatrick during the most prolific offensive season in franchise history.

Patullo’s familiarity with the play caller and quarterback he worked with both of them for three seasons in Buffalo set in motion a free-flowing exchange of information and ideas that took the Jets offense to new heights.

If this were a Seinfeld episode, Patullo would have been The Other Guy, the forgotten part of the team’s three-man offensive think tank.

Patullo, who also worked with Gailey for one season in Kansas City as an offensive quality controls assistant, was the conduit. He was interpreter and lobbyist for Fitzpatrick. He was the around-the clock intermediary that made everyone happy.

He should have been dubbed Elmer, because he was the glue.

Gailey’s game-plans delivered to Fitzpatrick early each week were always open to changes. If the quarterback wanted to make adjustments upon first glance, he talked to his offensive coordinator face-to-face at the team facility. Patullo’s role grew as the week went on if Fitzpatrick had more preferences or changes in mind.

The quarterback often reached out to his position coach from home after logging long hours at the team facility with ways to hone the game plan. If Fitzpatrick wanted to add a specific play or concept that he felt made more sense against the upcoming opponent, he’d call or text Patullo, who delicately lobbied Gailey to make the change.

“Kevin’s got a great feel for what I like, what I’m comfortable with and what I’m not comfortable with,” Fitzpatrick said. “He serves as a good buffer… So, Kevin will do the dirty work and try to get the play put in. He’s kind of the go-between of what I like and Chan’s vision. He brings it all together.”

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Patullo often got back to Fitzpatrick with a favorable response Gailey was on board with the rationale to add a particular play but there were times when the play caller stuck to the original plan. Fitzpatrick usually was pleased with Patullo’s ability to sway Gailey though. The quarterbacks coach’s understanding of Gailey’s scheme and Fitzpatrick’s strengths was critical.

“It’s been nice to have a familiar face that knows the system,” said Fitzpatrick, who set a franchise-record with 31 touchdown passes and came within 103 yards of breaking Joe Namath’s single-season mark of 4,007 passing yards. “He knows my game. I feel like he really knows the type of player I am.

When I screw things up, I know why, but he knows my game just as well as I do… He knows me, so he gives me constant reminders when maybe I’m not thinking about stuff. He puts me in the right place.”

On the surface, Patullo and Fitzpatrick don’t exactly seem like kindred spirits. Patullo’s volume is perpetually turned up. Fitzpatrick is mellow.

“I’m the kind of guy that could sit in silence for a half hour and be happy,” Fitzpatrick said. “Kevin would have a hard time sitting in silence.”

Patullo, a former quarterback and wide receiver at South Florida, is coach-fashion conscious. Fitzpatrick looks like he sleeps in the wilderness and doesn’t shower.

“I don’t know if they have this on Madden or not, but if you were trying to do the ‘Create-A-Coach,’ you would look at his style on gameday,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s got his visor. He’s got his shades if it’s a sunny day. His sleeves are pulled up. He’s definitely trying to look the part.”

Patullo has spent as much time helping the present quarterback as the potentially future one. His work with Petty has been beneficial to an organization searching for a long-term solution at the game’s most important position.

“Aside from being supportive of my growth and learning from Day One,” Petty said, “He and I have had significant one-on-one talks. Some of it might be me venting. He’s always been real positive of the things that I am doing well and the fact that it takes time.”

Patullo blended into the background, but there’s no denying his importance in this first season with the new everything on One Jets Drive. His understanding of Gailey and Fitzpatrick’s personalities was just as pivotal as the scheme that linked the three of them.

“There’s a ground for each of them to have an opinion,” Petty said. “When Kevin says something, it has merit with those guys. It’s definitely give and take. That’s the great part about Chan too. He listens to Kevin.”

The guy that nobody talks about did more than his fair share.

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Watching playoffs 'difficult' for Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, he admits in interview with Rachael Ray (Justin Tasch) New York Daily News January 19, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/watching-playoffs-difficult-jets-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick-article-1.2502057

It's been more than two weeks since the Jets' season ended, but Ryan Fitzpatrick was guilty of a personal foul on Tuesday.

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The quarterback and his wife Liza appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, featuring former Giants backup signal-caller Jesse Palmer. They were set to show off their Crock-Pot chicken squares for the episode featuring Super Bowl food, except the couple forgot the dish at home.

Palmer threw the flag on Fitzpatrick during the segment, joking about the leave-behind. Fitzpatrick told Ray that he likes to watch football on television, but lamented not being on the field.

"Right after our season ended, that next week was difficult to watch football, thinking, 'Ah, we could've been in it,'" he said, via ESPN.

Ray tried to encourage Fitzpatrick that he'd be making a run to the Super Bowl next season.

"I hope you enjoy your Super Bowl party because next year we'll be partying at the Super Bowl, right Ryan?" Ray said, to which the two pinky swore.

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets roster: 3 positions where solution is in-house (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York January 19, 2016

http://www.metro.us/new-york/jets-roster-3-positions-where-solution-is-in-house/zsJpas---fI995qewYtSvc/

Ahhh, silly season. Where every player in the NFL is seemingly linked to most, if not all of the 32 teams in the league. And for the New York Jets, it is no different.

“We’re getting a Pro Bowl left tackle!”

“Let’s sign this future Hall of Fame tight end!”

Reality flash here folks: It ain’t happening.

And in this mindset, perhaps it is worth taking a look at exactly who on the Jets roster might be ready to take a step forward. After all, these are players who have been groomed and developed in the team’s system and who might provide better value and longevity than someone currently set to enter free agency.

These are the players who understand the coaching staff, the locker room and the scheme.

Cornerback – There was plenty of angst throughout the season about the play of Antonio Cromartie, who the Jets signed as a free agent last offseason. Cromartie is beginning to see his physical skillset diminish, a concern that could lead to him to being cut or forced to sign a new, cap-friendly deal.

But it isn’t bad news here as the Jets can replace the former Pro Bowl cornerback with Marcus Williams. Over the past two years with the Jets, the former North Dakota State product (who went undrafted) has the look and feel of being someone ready to shine. He’s comfortable in press coverage, has above-average footwork and good hips.

We learned this year that safety is not a good position for him, but cornerback might be a great spot for Williams. He can easily step in with the first team and free-up money that would have gone to Cromartie.

Tight End – The production at the tight end position was negligible this year, a handful of catches to show for a position that once was one of strength for the Jets. When Jace Amaro went down in training camp

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with a torn labrum, the Jets lost their only true downfield threat at the position. Jeff Cumberland is a fine tight end and Kellen Davis is a good blocker but neither was dynamic this past year for the Jets.

The good news is that Quincy Enunwa emerged in the middle part of the season as a possible tight end option moving forward. He remains raw in terms of his blocking but he did a nice job getting open down field and becoming a bit of a threat in the passing game.

And then there is Amaro, who is just a season removed from 38 catches in his rookie year as well as Zach Sudfeld, another long and lean tight end target who missed last year with his own injury. Amaro has his flaws, notably small hands that have led to some bad drops and there is his blocking which simply isn’t good. But he is entering his third year and second offseason in the league. There is no reason to believe that he can’t learn from his lumps.

Sudfeld has sure hands and is an improving blocker as well, who also has a knack for getting yards after the catch. The return of both of these tight ends in 2016 dramatically changes the dynamic of the position.

Middle Linebacker – Fans expecting a bit more from the middle linebacker position have a very capable player in Erin Henderson, who can step in and start.

After missing last year following two DUI arrests, Henderson settled back into football with the Jets in a reserve role. Despite limited snaps, Henderson still compiled a relatively healthy 45 tackles.

He has the most mobility of any of the Jets current middle linebackers and in 2013, he had 112 tackles - a career high. There is also good news in terms of his durability: 2015 was the first time in his NFL career that he played all 16 games. Set to turn 30-years-old this summer, Henderson is a free agent himself but he could offer the Jets some value on the open market if they choose to retain him.

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TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE — Suspended Baltimore LHP Zack Dotson (Bowie-EL) 100 games, N.Y. Mets 3B Eudor Garcia (Columbia-SAL) 80 games and free agent 1B Tyler Williams 50 games for violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL — Promoted Sean Brown to chief financial officer, Jeff Lantz senior director of communications, James Dispanet controller, Michelle Heystek senior accountant and Cory Bernstine manager of strategy and analytics.

American League

CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Named Julio Vinas manager of Charlotte (IL); Ryan Newman manager of Birmingham (SL); Joel Skinner manager of Winston-Salem (Carolina); Cole Armstrong manager of Kannapolis (SAL), Tommy Thompson manager, Matt Zaleski pitching coach and Willie Harris hitting coach of Great Falls (Pioneer); and Aaron Rowand minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Agreed to terms with LHP David Huff on a minor league contract.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Agreed to terms with RHP Al Alburquerque on a one-year contract. Designated INF-OF Efren Navarro for assignment.

NEW YORK YANKEES — Agreed to terms with SS Didi Gregorius and RHP Nathan Eovaldi on one-year contracts.

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Agreed to terms with LHPs Justin Marks and Adam Wilk on minor league contracts.

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National League

LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Signed RHP Joe Blanton to a one-year contract.

MIAMI MARLINS — Agreed to terms with LHP Wei-Yin Chen on a five-year contract.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Agreed to terms with C Chris Stewart on a two-year contract. Claimed RHP A.J. Schugel off waivers from Seattle.

American Association

GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS — Signed INF Jose Sermo.

WICHITA WINGNUTS — Released C John Nester.

Frontier League

LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS — Named C.J. Thieleke hitting coach.

RIVER CITY RASCALS — Named Josh Ludy hitting coach.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association

DENVER NUGGETS — Signed general manager Tim Connelly and assistant general manager Arturas Karnisovas to multiyear contract extensions.

FOOTBALL National Football League

NFL — Named Joe Lockhart executive vice president of communications. Promoted Cynthia Hogan to executive vice president of public policy and government affairs.

BALTIMORE RAVENS — Signed DE DeAngelo Tyson to a reserve/future contract.

DENVER BRONCOS — Placed S Omar Bolden on injured reserve. Signed CB Taurean Nixon.

GREEN BAY PACKERS — Fired tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot and running backs coach Sam Gash. Signed DE B.J. McBryde.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Signed TE Ross Travis, LB Tyrell Adams, OL Michael Liedtke, RB Darrin Reaves, DT Jimmy Staten, WRs Da'Ron Brown and Fred Williams and OTs Reid Fragel and Laurence Gibson to reserve/future contracts.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed QB Zac Dysert and TE Dominique Jones to reserve/future contracts.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Placed LB Jerod Mayo on injured reserve.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Named Jim Schwartz defensive coordinator, Jeff Stoutland offensive line coach and Dave Fipp special teams coach.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Signed OT Matt Feiler, C B.J. Finney, TE Xavier Grimble, WR Shakim Phillips, DBs Jordan Dangerfield and Isaiah Frey and RBs Rajion Neal and Abou Toure to reserve/future contracts.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Signed RB Brandon Cottom, DT Justin Hamilton, C Drew Nowak, DE Will Pericak, CBs Stanley Jean-Baptiste and Trovon Reed and WRs George Farmer, Deshon Foxx, Antwan Goodley and Douglas McNeil to reserve/future contracts.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Named Nate Kaczor special teams coordinator, Mark Duffner linebackers coach, Jay Hayes defensive line coach and Jon Hoke defensive backs coach.

HOCKEY National Hockey League

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EDMONTON OILERS — Recalled LW Rob Klinkhammer from Bakersfield (ECHL). Placed C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the injured reserve list.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Placed D Jon Merrill on injured reserve, retroactive to Jan. 16. Activated F Michael Cammalleri from injured reserve.

American Hockey League

AHL — Suspended Manitoba LW Darren Kramer and Charlotte D Keegan Lowe one game.

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS — Recalled D Tyler Ganly from Florida (ECHL).

MANCHESTER MONARCHS — Announced F Alex Guptill was reassigned to the team by Ottawa (NHL).

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE — Recalled F Garrett Thompson from Fort Wayne (ECHL).

SAN DIEGO GULLS — Recalled G Matt Hackett from Utah (ECHL).

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS — Released F Jon DiSalvatore from his professional tryout agreement.

ECHL

ATLANTA GLADIATORS — Signed F Shawn Skelly to a professional tryout agreement.

SOCCER United Soccer League

LOUISVILLE CITY FC — Signed D Ben Newnam.

COLLEGE

INTERCOLLEGIATE TENNIS ASSOCIATION — Named Chris Eriksson championships and rankings coordinator.

FURMAN — Named Caroline Kingsdorf associate athletic director for finance.

HOFSTRA — Agreed to terms with women's soccer coach Simon Riddiough on a multiyear contract extension.

HOLY CROSS — Named Kirsten Britton associate director of athletics for facilities, operations and events.

LA SALLE — Named Paul Macht men's and women's water polo coach.

UNC GREENSBORO — Announced men's basketball G Justin Jordan has transferred from Milwaukee.

WASHINGTON — Named Jennifer Cohen interim athletic director.

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