Rich Cimini

  (2:05 PM)

Hey, everybody, thanks for stopping by. We're loaded with questions, so I'll get to it.

Rich (New Jersey)

Looking forward to the Giants - Jets game. Wouldn't you rather see the game during week 3 of the preseason when the regulars could go deep into the 3rd quarter instead of seeing the regulars for less than a half?

Rich Cimini

  (2:06 PM)

Absolutely. Always more juice when the game was the 3rd one. The league changed it to get Jets-Panthers on Sunday night football.

John (Boston College)

Hey Rich, question on Kyle Wilson. We've been hearing nothing about him really this camp, and with Rex if he's not singing your praises it means you're underperforming. What's the deal with him? What are the coaching staff / front office expecting from him? What type of leap should we hope for? Thanks as always

Rich Cimini

  (2:08 PM)

You're right, there hasn't been a lot of Wilson chatter, but he has made a few plays. I think the organization considers him a starting player. He'll play 50 to 60% of the snaps as the nickel.

Alex (Anaheim)

What's the greatest strength of this Jets team?

Rich Cimini

  (2:09 PM)

Greatest strength? The writers that cover it. No. 2, I'd say the defense -- corners and front 3/4.

Rich Cimini

  (2:09 PM)

Greatest strength? The writers that cover it. No. 2, I'd say the defense -- corners and front 3/4.

Rich Cimini

  (2:09 PM)

Greatest strength? The writers that cover it. No. 2, I'd say the defense -- corners and front 3/4.

Perry T (New York City)

Hello Rich.How much will the special teams effect the playoff chances of the Jets? If the O is shaky and the D is solid, could the ST be the thing that helps them make the playoffs? (assuming the SP plays good)

Rich Cimini

  (2:11 PM)

Great point, Perry. Let's face it, the Jets will be playing low-scoring, ball-control, defensive-type games -- i.e. field-position games. When you play that style, special teams are critical. The return games will be important because the offense will need short fields.

IRA (Staten Island)

Rich, Well another camp in the books. Not like the old days for sure. Anyway we all now this team will be offensively challenged. Just your thoughts if and when Kerley gets healthy you add him to Keller who i think is going to have a 70 plus catch year and Holmes i think they will be ok at best. Who is that WR they will bring in? Camarillo seems like a no brainer since he knows Sparano's playbook.

Rich Cimini

  (2:12 PM)

Camarillo knows the offense, but the front office thinks they already have a Camarillo on the roster -- P. Turner. I'm not sure I agree. I think they need another vet in the mix.

marco (new jersey)

Rich, great work from Cortland. Thank you. Question: What is the chance that what the press saw of Wildcat will remain a secret? I am afraid that some opponents will find out details esp. from people who aren't too enamored of Rex or the team.

Rich Cimini

  (2:14 PM)

I'm sure details will eventually get out, but it's not like they were re-inventing football in those practices. There's only 1 ball and you can do only so many things. The Jets' paranoia bordered on hysterical.

John (NY)

Rich, With the problems at OT and WR I'm surprised the Jets didn't make a run at Eric Winston and Mario Manningham. Neither of them signed for a lot of money. Is Woody capping the budget due to poor ticket and PSL sales.

Rich Cimini

  (2:15 PM)

John, Manningham isn't that good. Yeah, he made a great player in the Super Bowl, but he's not a good route runner and he's inconsistent. S. Hill will be a much better player. Winston, they felt, was simply too costly.

Bill (Hoboken)

Hi Rich ? if the Jets fail this year, my thought is it?s time to get rid of Tannenbaum. My take from following the team over the years is that he?s great with contracts but not necessarily a talent guru, thus relies heavily on the HC when putting the team together. Not to say the HC shouldn?t or doesn?t have input, but the philosophy seemed to work well with a guy like Mangini, who had a hand in drafting many of the core players on the team ? along with some solid depth guys ? but not so much with a guy like Rex, who I think is a good head coach, but maybe not the best judge when it comes to chemistry/talent for the entire team. Am I off base here? If not, maybe it?s better to have a GM buy the right ingredients, and then let Rex do his thing cooking the meal? Thanks ? great job as always!

Rich Cimini

  (2:21 PM)

You're right, Bill, Mike relies heavily on the HC, and also other members of the personnel dept. Let's let the season play out before we throw anybody overboard.

Mark (NY)

Rich, I don't understand these players like Laron Landry and Brian Urlacher. When team doctors strongly suggest that you under go surgery isn't it in the players best interest to listen to that advice. It annoys me when players decide to rehab or try experimental surgery. Now the whole season the Jets have to monitor Landry's health.

Rich Cimini

  (2:23 PM)

Sorry for the delay, folks, just did a few minutes with Stephen A and Ruocco. I can walk and chew gum at the same time. Anyway ... players have the right to seek second opinions. It's part of the CBA. So far, Landry looks good, so we'll see.

Zach (RI)

Rich, what are your predictions for a defense as a whole this year? Will the linebackers be able to keep up with speedy backs in coverage?

Rich Cimini

  (2:24 PM)

Obviously, Bart Scott had a problem vs. the Law Firm in Cincy. Yeah, it's going to be an issue, but it'll be up to the coaches to camouflage those problems. You'll see more Demario Davis and Josh Mauga on the field.

James (Syracuse, N.Y.)

What is your opinion of Bilal Powell? I remember him being sort of an afterthought in his rookie year but it seems like he's had a strong camp. Is he the real deal (solid NFL caliber running back, who can produce in the Jets' "ground 'n' pound" style offense)?

Rich Cimini

  (2:25 PM)

Powell looks much improved to me. Right now, I think he'll be the 3rd down back over McKnight. He's a better blocker than McKnight. He runs hard, good balance, not a lot of elusiveness but good enough speed. He'll be a factor.

LoC Gremlin (Newtown, PA)

Do you think Tebow is the best left-handed QB in Jets history?

Rich Cimini

  (2:26 PM)

Ha! Without a doubt, it's Mark Brunell.

Mike Sutter (West Islip, NY)

Do you think Jeff Demps will be a major threat to the Jets this year? Also, will Brandon Jacobs ever shut his mouth?

Rich Cimini

  (2:28 PM)

Btw, I was teasing about Brunell. No doubt, my man Boomer is the best lefty. Demps? This will be interesting. Dude can fly but he has only straight-line speed. You won't see him elude tacklers. He'll either blow past them or get crushed. Greatest impact will be KOR. That's why Belichick got him, I think.

Andy (Huntington, NY)

I'm taking my son to his first Jets game tomorrow night. I've never been to the new stadium - what should we eat?

Rich Cimini

  (2:29 PM)

Actually, I've never eaten the food there, but I'd bring extra money or the CC. It ain't cheap.

Bill (Hoboken)

Hi Rich... with virtually the same offensive unit in tact from last year (I'm not including the inexperienced Hill just yet), do you see this team successfully reverting back to the 09 & 10 running attacks? Even with the scheme change from Sparano, those teams had Fanecca, Woody, Jones, and LT, not to mention a much better group of WRs.... some quality guys.

Rich Cimini

  (2:31 PM)

FYI: Hill will play a lot. They ran 60 pct of the time in 2009. I don't think we'll see that, but this will be a ground-oriented attack. But let's be clear, the current cast isn't as good as the '09 cast. No TJ, no Braylon, no Woody.

Jim (Hartford)

Rich - two things that are good/bad trends coming out of camp - 1) defense getting lots of sacks - is that cause defense is getting tremendous pressure or are we not blocking2) back/tight ends are catching lots of passes - is this the same story as last year we aren't covering them yet?

Rich Cimini

  (2:33 PM)

Good observations, Jim. A lot of those sacks came vs. second-team line. Some came vs. first-team line when Schlauderaff was at center. Maybin flashed early, but he faded. Coples isn't a good practice player, period. TEs were a factor because of the issues at WR. Someone had to catch the passes!

Darsh (CT)

Howdy Rich. Great job keeping tabs on the team during TC. Why is it that everyone seems to be freaking out over a poor offensive performance in a preseason game that didn't involve any gameplanning? It's just a preseason game for crying out loud. I don't get what all this "the sky is falling" hoopla is about.Furthermore, why does everyone think we need to add a veteran receiver? It's not like anyone tore an ACL. Everyone looks like they'll be back week 1. Let's say the Jets do sign someone like Greg Camarillo, once week 1 rolls around and Holmes, Kerley, and Schilens are all back, along with Stephen Hill still there, and guys like Patrick Turner and Jordan White, Camarillo would have no place on the team.

Rich Cimini

  (2:35 PM)

You make some great points, Darsh. The over-reaction to last week was ridiculous. Now, if they stink again vs. the Giants ... well, we might have an issue. I see where you're coming from on the WRs, but you're talking about a rookie (Hill) and a guy who might not make the 53 (Schilens). I think they need a vet.

kman (NYC)

Rich, great work as always.Last year, you correctly stated on several occassions before the season that the Jets biggest weakness was lack of defensive speed over the middle. What do you see as the biggest weakness this year?

Rich Cimini

  (2:37 PM)

Defensive speed over the middle. It's better than last year, but still suspect. Lack of explosiveness on offense also an issue, plus depth on OL.

Fred (Fred)

Is McKnight the odd man out if we sign Demps?

Rich Cimini

  (2:37 PM)

Demps is signing with NE.

Greg (New Jersey)

Are any veterans on the bubble that we may not know about? Do you see any surprise cuts?

Rich Cimini

  (2:40 PM)

As I said earlier, I don't think Schilens is a lock, but Jordan White's knee injury could push Schilens on the 53. Jay Richardson is on the bubble. Obviously, one of the kickers will go. I don't think Cumberland is a lock.

Sean (Bergen)

Is the fix in with Tebow as Stephen A always says?

Rich Cimini

  (2:41 PM)

There's no fix. We should call him Fixin A.

Derek Hamilton (The Great White North)

After seeing Laron live in action is he going to be a liability in coverage?

Rich Cimini

  (2:42 PM)

Great question. Haven't seen enough of Landry yet. I do know this: A lot of his pass breakups will happen because he blasts the receiver.

Peter (New York, NY)

Rich - how bad is this o-line going to be? are the Jets eyeing anyone that they expect to get cut that could come in and play RT? How about a blocking TE?

Rich Cimini

  (2:43 PM)

I think people need to relax about the O-line. This is a vet group, and they've been together. Yeah, RT is a concern, but I don't think the situation is as dire as some people think.

John (Long Island)

Keep up the good work Rich! Two part question. How are you healing (both mentally and physically) from the brawl a couple weeks ago? And besides the brawl (assuming it is) what has been your favorite/more memorable moment of training cap?

Rich Cimini

  (2:45 PM)

The brawl story got blown out of proportion. I got a scrape on my shin, not a gash. Favorite moment: sticking a 7 iron yesterday a few feet from the cup at the Cortland CC.

Greg (Phoenix, AZ)

OK Rich, I'm officially worried about the season. The defense will be very good, possibly elite and the special teams should be fine, last week's hiccup notwithstanding. But the offense is riddled with problems. The pass protection was really bad in Cincy and Mark can't be effective under constant pressure. They don't have an elite running back and the pass receivers are all hurt. Santonio will be facing double/bracket coverages each week which means he won't get the ball. We know how he'll react to that. They'll have to win a lot of 13-10 games with very little margin for error.

Rich Cimini

  (2:45 PM)

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

Fred (NYC)

What do you think the odds are of us signing up a blocking TE before the season begins?

Rich Cimini

  (2:46 PM)

Don't think so. They're going to use Austin Howard as the "jumbo" TE.

Fred (NYC)

How bad is Pouha's injury? How much of an effect will it have on the defense?

Rich Cimini

  (2:47 PM)

This is a concern, Fred. When you're 33 years old, 330 pounds and play NT, a bad back is a concern. You know it's bad if they're already writing off the preseason. Ellis better be ready because a lot will fall on his shoulders.

Vin (Long Island)

Given Mark Sanchez's familiarity and comfort level with Patrick Turner coupled with a rash of injuries that will likely nag the rest of the receiving corps, What are the chances Turner sees extended playing time (Red Zone work, being Subbed in frequently, etc.) during the regular season? He was very productive in college, he was a 3rd round pick in 2009 for Tony Sparano in Miami, and seemed to really pick up his game at the end of last season. I think his size (6'5) could make him a serious red zone threat like Burress was for us last year.P.S. Im currently a HS student an Im looking towards becoming a sports writer, any tips for good colleges in the field (in the North East) would be greatly appreciated.

Rich Cimini

  (2:49 PM)

Hey, Vin, you're question is longer than some of my blog posts. Good points on Turner. No doubt, he and Sanchez have a good rapport. They're good friends, work out together and have the same agent (Sanchez's brother). As for college, I'm biased, but Syracuse is the best. Period.

Rich (San Diego)

Rich, who do you think is currently ahead in the Folk-Brown competition?

Rich Cimini

  (2:51 PM)

By the way, Vin, enough already. You're done here. (you know what I mean.) Without a doubt, Folk has outkicked Brown in camp in terms of FG pct. Problem is, Folk doesn't have a long leg on KOs. I think they end the competition after the coming game. I'd say Folk right now.

mike (brooklyn)

is the O Line as bad as advertised from the last game?

Rich Cimini

  (2:52 PM)

Talk to Tony Sparano, and you'd think the Jets had the old Raiders line of Shell and Upshaw.

Asher (NY)

Hey Rich,In all seriousness, why are you always so negative on the jets. Wouldnt it be more fun, as a writer who covers them exclusively, to be a bit more positive?

Rich Cimini

  (2:53 PM)

I don't try to be negative and I don't try to be positive. I just try to be.

Raj (Morrisville, NC)

Hi Rich, I am really disappointed that Jeff Demps did not sign with the Jets? Do you think he can really be a difference maker in the Pats running and return game?

Rich Cimini

  (2:53 PM)

Maybe in the return game.

JD (Suffern, NY)

Hi Rich, do you think the Jets will have any further interest in Jeff Otah if he can get himself healthy in the next few weeks?

Rich Cimini

  (2:55 PM)

It seems unlikely. The Jets like Howard and think he can push Hunter. But I'll tell you, the Jets thought they had something with Otah. They were blown away by how he dominated last yr vs Chic.

Conor (Binghamton, NY)

Are the jets serious about Percy Harvin? Where are we on that?

Rich Cimini

  (2:56 PM)

The rumors have taken on a life of their own. The Jets don't think the Vikes will deal Harvin. He's a good player on a reasonable contract. Teams usually don't trade guys like that.

Peter (New York, NY)

Rich - who has been the biggest surprise in camp? biggest disappointment?

Rich Cimini

  (2:57 PM)

I love these questions: Surprise -- Austin Howard. Disappointment -- Kerley.

Eric (San Diego, CA)

Rich, who are the leading candidates to return punts and kick-offs? Has Cromartie been returning kicks in practice?

Rich Cimini

  (2:58 PM)

Yes, Cro has been fielding punts. It'll be Kerley's job if he ever gets back. McKnight will handle KOs.

Nick (Mahwah, NJ)

It seems like Keller starts each season well, then defenses key on him and then he disappears. Any sense from Keller and / or Sparano on how they'll deal with this when it inevitably happens due to the Jets WR issues + chemistry with Sanchez?

Rich Cimini

  (2:59 PM)

Keller needs to be more aggressive at the line when beating the jam. Certain teams (i.e. the Patriots) take him out of his game when they hit him at the line.

Elton (Spring Valley, NY)

How did the rookies look to you in practice this week?

Rich Cimini

  (3:00 PM)

I liked Hill. Coples never does anything in practice. Bush made a couple of plays. Ganaway had a couple of moments.

Danny (Jersey)

Why won't the Jets let Maybin play the DE/LB role more like Kiwanuka does on the Giants?

Rich Cimini

  (3:00 PM)

He'd get destroyed vs. the run.

mike (brooklyn)

Coples, Hill. Davis, Allen, and White have all been getting a little bit of press from you during training camp. What impact do you see them realistically making this season?

Rich Cimini

  (3:01 PM)

Hill will lead in PT. Coples will play in 4-3, some sub packages. Davis will play in sub and special teams. Allen, special teams. White on the bubble.

Scott (Columbia, MD)

When the Jets experimented with a pass-heavy offense in Sept. of last year, Sanchez had a passer rating of 90.1. His numbers plummeted when they changed up their offense. Why didn't they go back to doing what made Sanchez effective? Do you think Sparano will be able to get Mark back to the way he was at the beginning of last year?

Rich Cimini

  (3:02 PM)

Honestly, I don't think he played well at the beginning of last year. Remember the Balt game? They went back to ground and pound, in large part, because of Sanchez.

Chris (Rutgers Grease Trucks, New Brunswick NJ)

Hi Rich! As I watched the game last Friday night against Cincy, I noticed a big positive and then a big negative. As for the Positive, I know that Couples hasn't had a blow away camp. However during the game, he was a machine. He got to the QB numberour times and drew a hold or two. He seems like a player who can be a major difference maker on D. As for the negative, that O-Line is going to get Sanchez killed! That O-Line is not going to keep any QB upright or give him any time to make plays. Thoughts?

Rich Cimini

  (3:03 PM)

Coples played very well, but he did it against backups. Let's hold off on the parade. O-line was a problem, no doubt.

Rob (Syracuse)

How has Marcus Dowtin looked in camp?

Rich Cimini

  (3:03 PM)

Who?

RICH FAN (NFL)

Is Shonn Greene still the bell cow? 5 carries for 11 yards didnt look very promising...

Rich Cimini

  (3:04 PM)

He's still your cow.

crashandburn (new york)

How often are reporters sworn to secrecy as they were on "wild-cat" days this week? Are you required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and what happens if a reporter breaches that agreement? Double secret probation?

Rich Cimini

  (3:04 PM)

Plus, they break our pencils.

Scott (Binghamton)

What's the word on Rickie Sapp. He seems protypical LB to help them with TE coverage but has been on the bike more than on the field. What are his chances of breaking camp with the team?

Rich Cimini

  (3:04 PM)

ankle injury. Needs to get right -- quickly.

Johnny-Oh! (Long Beach)

Hi Rich - thanks for your candor about the Jets - in your opinion, given the current state of the offense is there any REALISTIC moves that the Jets can make to improve what appears to be a severely limited and disappointing lot? Sanchez is going to take the hits for this, literally and figuratively but when does Mike T. get his fair share of the blame for this presumed mess?

Rich Cimini

  (3:05 PM)

if the offense implodes, Tannenbaum will deserve a large share of the blame.

Matt (Madison)

Hey Rich - Welcome home after a long tour of duty in Cortland!The WR corp is a mess. Lack of experience, depth, injuries, etc.Do you see them adding a WR? Dare I mention Plax? Maybe a less glamorous name liek Greg Camarillo? What do you think?

Rich Cimini

  (3:06 PM)

No way on Plax. Camarillo, maybe.

John (Chicago)

Biggest disappointment of camp? (non-injured player)

Rich Cimini

  (3:06 PM)

John Conner.

Rich Cimini

  (3:07 PM)

Sorry, I'm out of time. Appreciate all the great questions. Football is defintely back and this is a fun time of year, so keep reading ESPN NY for Jets/Giants coverage. Enjoy the game tomorrow and we'll chat soon. Rich