Position: Offensive Line
Height / Weight: 6’5” 320 lbs.
Age: 29 / Experience: 7
College: Hawaii

Analysis: Chemistry is key on the O-Line, but talent is pretty good too.  Generally backup offensive linemen only see the field when a starter is injured, but OC Brian Schottenheimer, in swiping a page from the Dolphins Wildcat offense two years ago, starting using extra linemen as tight ends in their “Seminole” offense … or “Wild Pig” as Mangini used to joke.  It’s a genius stroke, in using players like Turner who don’t do much other than special teams.  It also builds in some familiarity with the blocking schemes and running with the first unit.

Still, Hunter played well in his role as a backup lineman and extra blocker, but I don’t think he’s the sort of player that the Jets are looking to hand the keys to eventually.  In the short spans where he has had to play at Tackle, it’s not been all wine & roses.

2010 Projection: Hunter isn’t going anywhere, he’s the team’s best backup lineman, but if pressed into service for more than a game as a starter, might spell trouble for the Jets line and the team might have to adjust some protection schemes should he need to play extensively.

If you are in the Cortland area or heading there Sunday, the town of Cortland will be hosting a party to welcome the arrival of the Jets players from 3-5PM this Sunday.

The Cortland community will dress in green and white to welcome the team on Main Street Sunday, August 1st when the squad pulls in town for the start of this year’s summer Training Camp.

To participate in the Jets Touch-Down Party, head to Main Street between Court and Tompkins Streets. There will be music, food, can-jam, street games and giveaways. The party will be held from 3 to 5 p.m

I’ll be heading in Sunday night, but probably won’t be there for the party, hope to see you on Monday!

Rex Ryan made it quite clear that the Jets will give Mark Sanchez more opportunities to throw the ball in his sophomore year (those words would be supplemented by the additions of Holmes, Edwards and LT). For the time being, the Jets will remain a run-first team but Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports makes a strong case for Ryan to get some more playaction involved in 2010.

Sanchez had a lot to learn in his first professional season, but one thing he had from the start was a preternatural ability to sell play-action. This had its roots in Sanchez’s collegiate days on a pro-style offense at USC and blossomed with the Jets’ strong rushing attack. With defenses understandably tilted to stop the run, fakes to the backs were going to be very effective. Many young quarterbacks can turn those seemingly simple mechanics into a debacle. Not Sanchez, who was always fluid and convincing with the fakes. The Jets went with play-action on 25 percent of their pass plays, fourth-highest in the NFL, and they averaged 6.4 yards per pass play or scramble when they used it, as opposed to 5.5 when they didn’t.

[...]

On the play [vs. New England], the Jets had first-and-10 at their own 44-yard line. Cotchery (89) was lined up wide right, and the Jets had an offset-I formation with a six-man line. This was another aspect to New York’s successful use of play fakes – they’d frequently use run-action, firing their linemen out in run-blocking looks to add to the deception, and they did so on this play. The fake to halfback Thomas Jones behind the line of scrimmage gave [Guy] Guyton pause, and Cotchery the free release at the second level to haul the ball in at the New England 38. That’s about where safety Brandon Meriwether (31) and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite(notes) (24) crashed into each other as they converged on Cotchery, letting the receiver slip through and continue the play until Guyton finally brought him down at the 11. After a 2-yard Thomas Jones run, Sanchez used play-action again to find tight end Dustin Keller(notes) for a 9-yard touchdown.

The Jets’ aerial attacks won’t ever be mistaken for the Colts or Saints. That’s not what they’re good at, and it’s not what they want to do. The 2010 Jets want to marry their smashmouth approach to a passing game a bit better than “just good enough,” and putting Mark Sanchez in different play-action scenarios is key to making that happen.

Feel like being sick this morning?  No?  Too bad!! 

Manish Mehta of the Daily News checks the contracts and lists out who in the Jets defensive backfield is on the books to take home more higher salaries than Darrelle Revis.

Here’s the breakdown of the Jets defensive backs scheduled to earn more than Revis in 2010:

Antonio Cromartie: $1.7 million
Jim Leonhard: $1.625 million
Brodney Pool: $1.3 million
Eric Smith: $1.176 million
Drew Coleman: $1.175 million
James Ihedigbo: $1.101 million

When you factor in that first-round pick Kyle Wilson will certainly earn more than $1 million (signing bonus + base salary) when he signs his rookie deal, Revis is scheduled to be the eighth highest paid player on the Jets secondary this season.

Of course, every contract has high & low years, so we’re aware that it’s more about the total deal.  And it’s not always going to be equitable when you look at it in a one-year snapshot, but it’s certainly interesting to consider that Drew Coleman on a RFA deal is in line for more dough than Revis …