NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

May 8, 2016

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 1

Australians Edwards, Hackett take aim at Jets' punting job (Dennis Waszak, Jr.) .................................................... 1

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Jets have a Down Under battle for punting job (J.P. Pelzman) ................................................................................. 3

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Jets linebacker Darron Lee tackles bright future (Kimberley Martin) ....................................................................... 4

Freddie Bishop brings his pass-rushing resume to Jets (Kimberley Martin) ............................................................. 6

Jets have their own Beckham in camp: Distant cousin Terron (Kimberley Martin) .................................................. 6

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

Darron Lee, Jordan Jenkins and the Jets' squeaky clean 'Wonder' boys (Rich Cimini) .............................................. 7

Freddie Bishop hopes Canadian Football League experience leads to Jets opportunity (Colin Stephenson) ........... 9

LB Darron Lee shows off eagerness during Jets rookie camp (Colin Stephenson) .................................................. 10

Time waits for no man, but will Jets wait for Ryan Fitzpatrick? (Rich Cimini) ......................................................... 11

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 12

Meet the roommate faces of Jets’ revamped LB corps (Brian Costello) ................................................................. 12

Jets hope one of these Aussie Rules players is their next punter (Brian Costello) .................................................. 13

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 14

6 Christian Hackenberg observations, Jets rookie minicamp, Day 2 (Darryl Slater) ............................................... 14

How Jets' Darron Lee expects to cover tight ends like Rob Gronkowski (Dom Cosentino) .................................... 15

Jordan Jenkins finding Jets transition not overwhelming so far (Darryl Slater) ...................................................... 16

Why Freddie Bishop could provide edge-rush boost for Jets (Darryl Slater) .......................................................... 16

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 17

Aussie punters Tom Hackett, Lachlan Edwards battle for job at Jets minicamp (Pat Leonard) .............................. 17

Todd Bowles tells energetic first-round pick Darron Lee to ease up at Jets minicamp (Pat Leonard) .................... 18

SATURDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................. 20

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Australians Edwards, Hackett take aim at Jets' punting job (Dennis Waszak, Jr.) Associated Press May 7, 2016

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/australians-edwards-hackett-take-aim-jets-punting-job

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Lachlan Edwards and Tom Hackett are two laid-back guys from Down Under trying to get a leg up in the New York Jets' punting competition.

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The Australian-born players are squaring off this offseason for a job in the NFL after successful college careers in the United States.

"It's the Aussie showdown in New York City, I guess," Hackett said with a smile during Jets rookie minicamp.

Across town, the Giants have their own Australian punter in Brad Wing, who is from Melbourne, like Hackett. Australian punters are becoming increasingly more common in the NFL. The Jets had Ben Graham a few years ago, and Wing, Darren Bennett, Sav Rocca, Mat McBriar and Chris Bryan have all kicked in the league.

"The Jets got jealous," Hackett joked. "So, I guess they'll end up with one, too. Me or Lach will win the job and hopefully have a good year."

Edwards was a seventh-round pick of the Jets last weekend after playing three years at Sam Houston State, where he never had a kick blocked while establishing himself as one of college football's most powerful punters. Before New York drafted him, it had no punters on its roster after letting incumbent Ryan Quigley sign with Philadelphia as a free agent after three mostly inconsistent seasons.

"I just want to be the new guy," said Edwards, who's from Hastings, Australia. "I know the Jets have struggled recently with their punting, so I'd like to be that new guy coming in to fix that problem."

Jets coach Todd Bowles said the competition will "definitely" go into training camp.

"Obviously, you have two young guys that haven't done it in the league before," he said. "We will see what they do when they get under pressure and we get to rush a little bit and see if they can boom them out of there."

The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Edwards signed a four-year contract worth about $2.4 million, but he's no lock to make the roster. Especially with Hackett around.

The former University of Utah star was a two-time Ray Guy Award winner as college football's best punter and signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent. He provides a contrast to Edwards in both size — he's listed at 5-10, 198 pounds — and style, with a directional approach.

"I put the ball out on the sideline and it's not going to go 60 yards, but when the ball's on the ground, it's the same as the ball being in the air," Hackett said. "If you've got Devin Hester back there, I'm not going to let him touch the ball. I just won't let that happen. It didn't happen in college. Same thing in the NFL."

The two never met before they worked out for NFL teams at the combine in Indianapolis in February, but had heard of each other. They'll be roommates for the next few months — all while trying to win the same job.

"I said, 'Lach, we better become good friends because the next seven weeks could be hell if we don't,'" Hackett said with a grin. "We'll get along well."

Edwards agreed, adding that he'll try to focus more on what he's doing than on Hackett.

"We're teammates right now and we'll probably be teammates until one of the last games of the preseason," Edwards said. "It's not like we're going to be out there trying to kill each other."

Edwards, 24, and Hackett, 23, share similar backgrounds, with both having played Australian Rules Football while growing up, and gradually gaining interest in the American game.

Edwards recalled being bored one day in December 2012, when he was hanging out with a buddy a few hours before having to go to their jobs as bartenders. So, they headed to a park and started kicking around a football.

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"It was one of those toy ones you get from Walmart," Edwards recalled. "I ended up kicking the bladder out of it the next week and had to get some leather ones. Six months later, I was in Texas playing for Sam Houston State."

Well, in between all that, one of Edwards' professors, Dr. Scott Talpey — an American from Connecticut — at Ballarat University (now Federation University) saw him booming kicks all around the park and got Edwards in touch with OzPunt, an Australian punting, kicking and holding academy. OzPunt helped him put together some highlight videos, and that led him to Sam Houston State and, now, the Jets.

"I didn't grow up thinking I would play in the NFL," Edwards said.

Hackett's journey began when he was watching a TV feature on an Australian Rules Football star who was trying to make it to the NFL. An inspired Hackett went to a park and started kicking a ball around.

"I just shanked it everywhere," he said.

But Nathan Chapman, a coach from Prokick Australia, an academy similar to OzPunt, saw Hackett and thought he had some potential.

"I thought he was drunk or something because I didn't know what I was doing," Hackett said, laughing. "But it was tricky, though, and it took me a good six months to get the hang of it all and put some film together."

Hackett persuaded his father David to pay $4,000 for a year of punting lessons, and then got an opportunity to walk on at Utah.

"I made a deal with him that I'd pay for half of the four grand that it cost him, but I haven't paid him yet," Hackett said. "I don't know if I'll be able to afford it with my $5,000 signing bonus, either, but, I guess, yeah, eventually maybe I'll be able to pay him back. But he laughed at me when I told him I was coming up and giving it a crack.

"Look who's laughing now, I guess."

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THE RECORD

Jets have a Down Under battle for punting job (J.P. Pelzman) The Record May 8, 2016

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/a-down-under-battle-1.1568492

FLORHAM PARK – At an unassuming 5 feet 11 and 195 pounds, Tom Hackett says that, "I blend in with society pretty well."

Well, that is until he opens his mouth, and his Australian accent becomes apparent. Plus, there aren't many people in this country who have two Ray Guy Awards, emblematic of the best collegiate punter at the FBS level, on their mantles.

"It's been a bit of a journey and I guess we'll see where it goes," said Hackett, whose path has taken him from Australia to the University of Utah to the Jets. He is competing with a fellow Aussie rookie, Lachlan Edwards, for the Jets' vacant punting job. Edwards, who played at Sam Houston State, was drafted in the seventh round.

Coach Todd Bowles said Saturday that the competition between Edwards and Hackett is "definitely going to go on into training camp. Obviously you have two young guys that haven't done it in the league before.

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… We'll see what they do when they get under pressure and we get to rush a little bit and see if they can boom them out of there."

"It's the Aussie showdown in New York City, I guess," Hackett said. "The Giants got one [Brad Wing] and the Jets got jealous and I guess they'll end up with one, too. Me or 'Loc' will win the job and hopefully have a good year."

"I know the Jets have recently struggled" with punting, Edwards said. "I'd like to be the guy to come in and end that."

Ryan Quigley had been the Jets' punter for the past three seasons, but his net average fell from 39.9 yards in 2014 to 36.5 last season, and he was not re-signed.

Hackett and Edwards played Australian Rules Football back home before trying the American game. Hackett indicated he was inspired when he saw a television show about an Australian Rules star trying to make the NFL, and Edwards said he took up the sport out of "complete boredom" when he and a friend started kicking an American football in a park.

The two have contrasting styles, which should make for an interesting competition.

Hackett, noting his 195-pound frame, said the NFL likes 6-5, 225-pounders "who can smack it, and that's not who I am."

Instead, his specialty is directional punting.

"I put the ball [toward] the sideline and it's not going to go 60 yards," he said. "But when the ball's [rolling] on the ground, [the distance] is the same as in the air. … I'll try and change the way the NFL punts the ball if I win the job."

"One [Edwards] has a very strong leg," Bowles said. "The other is a very good directional punter."

"I've got the long legs, so I can hit those big balls," Edwards said. "And I've got good control over it when I'm coming [toward] the end zone.

"If I can keep honing in on my placement of the ball," Edwards added, "I'll be the guy."

The two are rooming together.

"We better become good friends," Hackett said with a smile, "or [for] the next seven weeks, it could be hell if we don't."

"It's not like we're going to be out there trying to kill each other," Edwards said. "It's going to be a friendly battle."

Between two guys many thousands of miles from home.

BRIEFS: The three-day minicamp concludes today, although there will not be any media availability. … Bowles said he is "not sure" if second-year WR Devin Smith, who suffered a torn ACL in December, will be ready for the start of training camp in late July. He's hopeful TEs Jace Amaro (shoulder) and Zach Sudfeld (knee) will be ready for the start of spring practice later this month.

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NEWSDAY

Jets linebacker Darron Lee tackles bright future (Kimberley Martin) Newsday May 7, 2016

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-linebacker-darron-lee-tackles-bright-future-1.11773589

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Before he even made it to his feet, Darron Lee heard a voice call out from the distance.

It was Todd Bowles. “Darron, come here,” his coach beckoned.

Lee, the former Ohio State linebacker and Jets’ first-round pick knew immediately what he had done wrong. He had forgotten one of the cardinal rules on Day 1 of rookie minicamp: No tackling. And fullback Julian Howsare bore the brunt of Lee’s forgetfulness.

“Coach Bowles was saying, ‘Keep him up. No tackling. You don’t have any pads on, you can’t get anybody hurt,” Lee told Newsday on Saturday, a day after his innocent on-field faux pas. “I was like, ‘I know. My bad, Coach.’

“I’m just so used to what we did at Ohio State. I’m always going full-speed at everything that I do.”

He can fly to ball, that’s for sure. But along with the knocks on his size, the 6-1, 232-pound Lee also was criticized for his tackling during the pre-draft process. NFL.com’s scouting report noted that he was “involved in too many arm and shoestring tackles” and was “charged with 21 missed and five broken tackles over the last two seasons” with the Buckeyes.

According to a source, the Jets tried numerous times to trade up from No. 20 attempting to steal free-falling Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil during Round 1. But they were forced to bow out of potential trades because the asking price for compensation was too high. Instead, the organization took Lee, a young, athletic inside linebacker whom they believe has a bright future.

The learning curve is steep for all NFL rookies, but Lee isn’t worried about making another tackling mistake in practice. And if he does, he has Bowles and his mother, Candice, to answer to.

“She actually texted me and said, ‘Hey, take it easy. Don’t be tackling your teammates,’” Lee said, smiling. “It wasn’t even really like that. It was a complete accident.”

Slow goings

Rookie quarterback Christian Hackenberg had another so-so day in practice. He flashed his strong arm again, but took several “sacks” and delivered a few offline throws. One of Hackenberg’s deflected passes turned into a pick 6 for tryout safety Alex Wells. Asked for a Day 2 assessment of their second-round pick, Bowles said: “We had a new install today so today was a lot like (Friday). They learned a whole bunch of different things. I didn’t see much difference.”

And, so far, no one “in particular” has stood out. “Right now, I am just looking to see if they know what to do as opposed to who is sticking out,” Bowles said. “You see some speed, you see some big guys out there, but no one in particular.”

Jet stream

Devin Smith’s return is still to be determined. The Jets’ 2015 second-round pick is still rehabbing his torn right ACL, which he suffered in Week 14 against the Titans, and it’s unclear if the former Ohio State receiver will be back by training camp. “Coming off an injury like that we will just have to wait and see,” Bowles said, referring to Smith, who also broke a few ribs during a training camp practice collision last summer . . . The youth movement at 1 Jets Drive is alive and well, but the door “is not closed” on re-signing aging veterans Calvin Pace and Antonio Cromartie, Bowles said.

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Freddie Bishop brings his pass-rushing resume to Jets (Kimberley Martin) Newsday May 7, 2016

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/freddie-bishop-brings-his-pass-rushing-resume-to-jets-1.11773370

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Freddie Bishop wouldn’t waste time speculating. But somewhere beneath his sly smile was the true answer to the question.

The former Canadian Football League pass rusher collected 14 sacks in 25 games and a Grey Cup championship over the past three seasons. But deep down, he knows his stats could have been even better.

Before heading out to practice Friday, Bishop shared a little-known fact: In Canadian football, the distance between the line of scrimmage and the defensive team is a full yard. And that means one thing for guys like Bishop. “It gives the offense a little bit more of an advantage,” he said on the second day of Jets rookie minicamp practice.

But no longer does the 6-3, 255-pound pass rusher have to worry about that 1-yard handicap. Now, he’s free to unleash his speed and agility in the NFL, and more specifically as an outside linebacker in Todd Bowles’ defense.

So what can Jets fans expect to see? “Just speed off the edge,” said the 26-year-old, who played for the Calgary Stampeders. “I have good hands, I’m able to get the edge on guys well and I play to my tool . . . know the things I do well and that’s what I use.”

Though he was “strictly a D-end coming off the edge” in Canada, the Inkster, Michigan native said he’ll be playing “a little bit of both” for the Jets. “I’m playing the WILL position right now, so pretty much coming off the edge, pass-rushing doing a little bit of coverage and things like that.”

The Jets jettisoned former first-round pick Quinton Coples, a converted outside linebacker, last season and have thus far shown little interest in re-signing 35-year-old free agent Calvin Pace (though Bowles said Friday that the door “is not closed” on the veteran outside linebacker returning). But the organization has taken measures to revamp their linebacker corps by infusing some youth and speed.

“It was a priority for us to get better [as a team],” Bowles said. “We didn’t know which position we were able to get [in the draft]. We just happened to be able to get the linebackers that were available to us. We are happy with the guys that we got, obviously. We’re younger, there is a lot of experience that they have to replace and they have to learn a lot of things but we are happy with the guys that we got.”

Asked specifically about Bishop, he said: “We saw some things in Freddie, ”not just the sacks, but as far as him playing the position and knowing how to play the position that made him appealing to us and made us want to sign him.”

Bishop said he was told that the chances of getting an opportunity to contribute “would be good . . . And in this game, that’s all you can really ask for. An opportunity to come in and show your worth and put your best foot forward.”

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Jets have their own Beckham in camp: Distant cousin Terron (Kimberley Martin) Newsday May 7, 2016

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-have-their-own-beckham-in-camp-distant-cousin-terron-1.11771908

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — In a locker room littered with NFL hopefuls desperate to don green and white for the rest of 2016, Terron Beckham was rocking another color: blue.

The distant cousin of Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. turned heads on Day 1 of Jets rookie minicamp not only for his physique, but also his dyed hair.

So what’s the inspiration behind his colorful coif?

“Dragon Ball Z,” he said with a smile, referring to the Japanese anime series.

Beckham, one of 22 players invited to try out during the three-day practice session, said he hasn’t played in a football game since 2010. But despite his limited experience, the 6-foot, 225-pound running back doesn’t lack confidence.

“I think I can offer an every-down back type of deal,” the 23-year-old said before Friday’s practice, noting his trifecta of speed, power and explosiveness. “I know everybody is waiting on me to get into pads, to see what I can do, and see if I can take a hit, which I believe I can, of course. I definitely think I’d be a big fit. [Former Jets running back] Chris Ivory just left and I see myself as kind of that Chris Ivory type of back, how he runs.”

Strength is his strong suit. He worked as a personal trainer and fitness model for several years. But his dream always was to make it to the NFL.

“The dream never left,” said Beckham, who attended Division III Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Maryland, briefly.

He garnered attention earlier this month when he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, posted a 4.28 short shuttle and benched 225 pounds 36 times at a pro day workout. But he’s going to need more than a chiseled physique and quickness to stick.

On Friday, Beckham fumbled the handoff on one of his first carries in practice.

“I can do it all, as far as catching, running, be powerful, be explosive, use my strength,” he told reporters before hitting the field. “Everybody knows that I’m a strong guy.”

He may be a long shot to make the team, but coach Todd Bowles appears to like what he’s seen.

“He looks like he knows how to play football,” Bowles said after practice. “He’s studious, he pays attention to detail and he understands what he’s doing.”

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ESPN NEW YORK

Darron Lee, Jordan Jenkins and the Jets' squeaky clean 'Wonder' boys (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York May 7, 2016

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60250/darron-lee-jordan-jenkins-and-the-jets-squeaky-clean-wonder-boys

A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. Lucky 13: One of the themes that has emerged from Mike Maccagnan's first two drafts is that he prefers intelligent football players with no off-the-field issues. He has picked a total of 13 players, and not one

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has a known red flag in his background -- unusual in the current NFL. This is the right approach for a new regime. Once you've established a locker-room culture, it becomes easier to gamble on a character risk. For now, it makes sense to fill the room with solid citizens -- and smart players.

Most of the current draft class posted above-average scores on the Wonderlic intelligence test (max grade: 50). In fact, Jordan Jenkins (33) and Darron Lee (31) were among the highest for linebackers. (Joe Schobert, drafted by the Cleveland Browns, led with a 36.) I spoke to scouts from two different teams, and they both described Jenkins and Lee as quality individuals. Lee is mature and polished, which came through in his first news conference at the Jets' facility. Jenkins is "a classy kid," one NFC scout told me.

Cornerback Juston Burris (27) and punter Lachlan Edwards (30) also scored high for their respective positions. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg (24) and wide receiver Charone Peake (18) were average, and tackle Brandon Shell (17) was below average, based on their positions.

2. Exception to the rule: By now, you probably know the Jets tried to trade up for Laremy Tunsil, the tackle who fell to 13th because of the bong-smoking video that surfaced as the draft started. Clearly, Maccagnan was willing to deviate from his goody-two-shoes philosophy for Tunsil, who was rated as one of the top players on the Jets' draft board. A double standard? Here's how I see it: Maccagnan was so confident in his prep work on Tunsil that, unlike some GMs, he didn't freak out upon seeing the video. I know of one team in the top 12 that did an about-face on Tunsil as soon as the video made it to their draft room.

Let's be honest, though: Maccagnan didn't try to trade up for Tunsil as much as he tried to steal him. He thought he smelled a fire sale. He offered the New York Giants, picking 10th, a second-round pick to swap places in the first round, according to the New York Daily News. That was a Ryan Fitzpatrick-type of offer, meaning below the market price, based on the draft-trade chart used by teams. He called other teams, too, finding no takers.

3. Always thinking big: Another two-year trend has developed with Maccagnan's drafting: He's not a small-school kind of GM, as 11 of the 13 picks came from the Power 5 conferences. The only exceptions were seventh-round picks: Nose tackle Deon Simon (Northwestern State, 2015) and Edwards (Sam Houston State, 2016).

4. Attack on Hack: Wow, the analytics people are really down on Hackenberg. Football Outsiders, which cooked up a formula that uses college stats to project NFL performance, essentially says Hackenberg will be a bust. It has a ranking system called QBASE (Quarterback Adjusted Stats and Experience), and no quarterback in QBASE's database (top-100 picks since 1996) has succeeded in the NFL with college stats similar to those of Hackenberg. Other top-100 picks who completed under 55 percent in the final college season were Brock Huard, Dave Ragone, Kyle Boller, Marques Tuiasosopo and Quincy Carter -- all flops.

Like I said during the draft, I think the Jets reached for Hackenberg in the second round, but they looked past the numbers, relying on their scouting instincts. Time will tell if they're right. If Hackenberg succeeds, he will be a statistical anomaly.

5. Hack vs. Geno vs. Bryce: In their seemingly endless search for a franchise quarterback, the Jets have accumulated three high-profile former college passers. I asked ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay to compare Hackenberg, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty, based on their draft grades.

"I think [Petty] has a lower ceiling than Hackenberg," McShay said. "Ultimately, Hackenberg, from a pro-style system and his skill set, has the greatest upside of that group. But he's the furthest away in terms of accuracy of those three."

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McShay said Petty "had the best leadership and football character of all those guys," which I found interesting. Basically, the Jets have three players with different strengths and different weaknesses, and they have to hope one of them has enough good stuff to develop.

6. Fitz-Hackenberg connections: If Fitzpatrick and Hackenberg end up in the same quarterback room, they will have two common denominators -- Bill O'Brien and Jordan Palmer.

Both quarterbacks played for O'Brien, Hackenberg in 2013 (Penn State), Fitzpatrick in 2014 (Houston Texans). Fitzpatrick told me last season he learned more in one year under O'Brien than under any of his previous coaches. Fitzpatrick is close friends with former Cincinnati Bengals teammate Carson Palmer, the older brother of Jordan Palmer, Hackenberg's personal QB coach during the pre-draft process.

Small world, right?

7. Looking for a hybrid: Maccagnan said in a radio interview the Jets looked into signing safety-turned-linebacker Mark Barron as a free agent. That should've been an indication they were in the market for a big safety/small linebacker, and they found it with Lee. Barron ended up re-signing with the Los Angeles Rams.

8. Fountain of Youth: Maccagnan made it a point of mentioning that Lee and Hackenberg are relatively young for incoming rookies. He's right. Of the 31 players drafted by AFC East teams, Hackenberg (21 years, 91 days) and Lee (21 years, 200 days) are the second- and third-youngest. The youngest is Miami Dolphins tight end Thomas Duarte (21 years, 38 days). What does it mean? I'm not sure. All I know is, Hackenberg and Duarte were born when I was covering the Rich Kotite Jets, and that's rather scary.

9. Keeping the light on: Todd Bowles said he hasn't shut the door in re-signing linebacker Calvin Pace and/or cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Right now they have a greater need for Pace because of the inexperience at outside linebacker. The smart play: Evaluate the kids through the June minicamp, and perhaps into the early of portion of training camp. If they're struggling, summon the graybeard from the bullpen.

10. The last rookie camp? Bowles admitted he considered the possibility of cancelling on-field drills in favor of classroom work, a growing trend around the league. He decided to stick to a traditional minicamp because of Hackenberg.

"If we didn't draft a quarterback, I wasn't going to have one, either," he said, adding that rookie quarterbacks need the mental reps on the field.

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Freddie Bishop hopes Canadian Football League experience leads to Jets opportunity (Colin Stephenson) ESPN New York May 7, 2016

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60290/freddie-bishop-hopes-canadian-football-league-experience-leads-to-jets-opportunity

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- After two successful seasons in the Canadian Football League, Freddie Bishop is looking forward to playing in the NFL this season with the New York Jets.

“The CFL, it’s a lot of fun,’’ said Bishop, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound outside linebacker who played collegiately at Western Michigan. “It’s a different game of ball up there, things are a little different, it’s a little faster game. I’m happy to be back down here, I’m happy to get that yard back.’’

The yard he’s referring to is where defensive linemen are allowed to line up. In the NFL, linemen line up even with the edge of the football. Not so in Canada.

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“Up there, you’ve got to be a yard off the ball, so that hinders a defensive lineman, especially a pass-rusher,’’ the 26-year-old explained. “So being back down here, it’s good to get that edge back and kind of even up the playing field.’’

Even playing a yard off the ball, Bishop managed 11 sacks for the Calgary Stampeders last season, plus another in the CFL playoffs. That number was enough to get the attention of Jets and several other NFL teams.

“I don’t know if you compare the number [to the NFL], but 11 sacks is 11 sacks,’’ Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “I was in Miami when Cameron Wake got there, and we took him from Canada. Sometimes it takes a couple guys some time to develop, and you can develop over there and then come back over here and be good players, or you can develop over there and have a career over there. So hopefully, we saw some things in Freddie, not just the sacks, but as far as him playing the position and knowing how to play the position that made him endearing to us and make us want to sign him.’’

Bishop chose to sign with the Jets because he felt “a good vibe’’ from Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan and because the team, which parted ways with veteran rush linebacker Calvin Pace after last season, offered him the opportunity to earn playing time.

Bishop said he played mostly as a stand-up defensive end in Canada, so playing as a rush outside linebacker in the Jets’ 3-4 defense should be similar. He said the primary thing he’ll bring to the Jets is speed off the edge.

“I have good hands; I’m able to get the edge on guys well, and I play to my toolbox,’’ he said. “I don’t try to go outside of my toolbox. I know things that I do well and that’s what I do.’’

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LB Darron Lee shows off eagerness during Jets rookie camp (Colin Stephenson) ESPN New York May 7, 2016

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60284/linebacker-darron-lee-shows-off-eagerness-during-jets-rookie-camp

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Linebacker Darron Lee, the New York Jets' first-round draft pick, said he got a little carried away when he tackled fullback Julian Howsare during the team’s 11-on-11 drills in Day 1 of the team’s three-day rookie minicamp.

“That was -- I just got a little overaggressive and the guy happened to be there," said Lee, a 6-foot-1, 232-pound linebacker out of Ohio State. “It wasn’t a big deal; he wasn’t overly mad. So it was, just, you know -- next play."

Howsare gave Lee a look after the play, but said nothing and jogged away. Jets head coach Todd Bowles did call Lee over and reminded him the camp is supposed to be non-contact. Months from now, though, when the hitting is live and the ball carrier plays for a different team, the Jets will be counting on Lee to make as many tackles as he can.

After taking Lee with the 20th overall pick, the Jets then added a second linebacker when they grabbed 6-foot-3, 259-pound Jordan Jenkins of Georgia in the third round. The two, along with free-agent pickup Freddie Bishop, are giving a new look to the team’s linebacking corps this offseason. Lee and Jenkins are rooming together during the minicamp and have talked about potentially being big parts of the Jets’ future.

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“It’s actually something we thought about," said Jenkins, who added that the pair have also bonded with quarterback Christian Hackenberg, the team’s second round pick. “We actually talk about -- me, (Lee) and Hack -- we actually talk about moving near each other when we finally get to that step of the process, maybe getting an apartment or getting townhouses near each other."

Right now, the two linebackers are busy learning the Jets’ system, which both say is not that different from what they did at their respective colleges. Lee, a former defensive back who did a lot of things in the Ohio State defense, is working as an inside linebacker and hoping his speed and pass coverage skills can provide an upgrade for the defense. Jenkins is working as an outside linebacker, primarily learning the strong side position, but he is also ready to work on the weak side when needed.

Bowles said the Jets weren’t specifically looking to improve their linebacking corps when they drafted both players.

“It was a priority for us to get better," Bowles said. “We didn’t know which position we’d be able to get. We just happened to be able to get the linebackers that were available to us."

While Lee said his transition from college to the pro game has gone smoothly so far, Jenkins admitted he’s still adjusting to his new circumstances.

“It’s been an eye-opening experience for me," he said of joining the Jets. “I didn’t know what to expect coming in. I mean, I’m still in awe. It’s still hard to believe that this is actually happening."

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Time waits for no man, but will Jets wait for Ryan Fitzpatrick? (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York May 7, 2016

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60255/time-waits-for-no-man-but-will-jets-wait-for-ryan-fitzpatrick

Reaching into the post-draft mailbag for a hot-button issue involving the New York Jets:

Christian @gonziii3

When's the absolute deadline for this standoff? The organization has to have a timeline and action plan. #jetsmail @RichCimini

2:47 PM - 6 May 2016

@RichCimini: You're referring, of course, to the Ryan Fitzpatrick standoff. And, yes, I believe the Jets have a plan. Todd Bowles said last weekend that he'd like to have it resolved by the start of training camp in late July. There's an element of posturing to this, of course. The organization wants to project a "We're-not-in-a-hurry" attitude because it doesn't want to come across as desperate. The reality is, they'd like to have it done as soon as possible.

If the Jets wait until July and decide to move on from Fitzpatrick, they will have wasted an entire offseason, precious time that could've been used to prepare another veteran quarterback. Maybe, in their minds, they've already decided their post-Fitzpatrick plan includes only Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. If that's their plan, it's a bad one. If they wait that long, they're basically handing the job to Smith.

There will be a couple of key dates to watch along the way. May 24 is when they start practicing for real, albeit on a voluntary basis. (Ha!) Actually, there would be an upside to Fitzpatrick's absence; it would

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create more practice reps for the others. After that, the next key date is June 14, the mandatory minicamp. It wouldn't be mandatory for Fitzpatrick; you can't violate a contract if a contract doesn't exist.

Some people think the Jets have all the leverage because Fitzpatrick has no other suitors, but Fitzpatrick has some power here, too. He knows he's the preferred choice; GM Mike Maccagnan makes that abundantly clear every time he opens his mouth. No matter how they spin it, the Jets don't want to start Smith -- and Fitzpatrick knows it. Sure, maybe they could swing a panic trade, but would someone like Josh McCown be the answer?

The NFL is a deadline business. Deals usually don't get done until the 11th hour, so that's why it wouldn't surprise me if this drags into July.

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NEW YORK POST

Meet the roommate faces of Jets’ revamped LB corps (Brian Costello) New York Post May 7, 2016

http://nypost.com/2016/05/07/meet-the-roommate-faces-of-jets-revamped-lb-corps/

New Jets draft picks Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins are rooming together during this weekend’s three-day rookie minicamp.

The two linebackers represent a changing of the guard for the Jets at a position that got slow in recent years. Between practices and study sessions, Lee, a first-round pick from Ohio State, and Jenkins, a third-rounder from Georgia, have talked about this being the beginning of a long partnership.

“We talk about, ‘Hey, let’s be the future of this organization,’ ” Lee said.

The Jets can only hope so. Linebacker was a position identified by general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles as needing a remodeling. Gone are familiar names such as Calvin Pace, Demario Davis and Quinton Coples, who formed three-fourths of the starting linebacking corps since 2013. Now Lee, Jenkins and second-year player Lorenzo Mauldin are vying for starting spots and trying to give an already-powerful Jets defense some speed.

“I thought we wanted to have overall team speed,” Bowles said. “Linebacker, you always want to be a little faster at each position. We thought we got better in the draft at overall team speed.”

David Harris is the only holdover from last year’s starters. The 32-year-old is going to feel like an old man in the linebackers room with 21-year-olds Lee and Jenkins and the 23-year-old Mauldin. The makeover at the position began last year with the selection of Mauldin in the third round out of Louisville. He played sparingly as a rookie, but Bowles has said the team expects a big increase in Mauldin’s role this year.

The Jets dumped Coples, a 2012 first-round pick, last November and then let Davis and Pace leave as free agents. Davis signed with the Browns. Pace remains unsigned, and while Bowles said the door is not closed to a return, that seems unlikely.

Lee is going to start out playing inside linebacker behind Erin Henderson but is expected to have a big role in sub packages, which NFL teams now play almost 75 percent of the time. He has blazing speed and plenty of confidence. Coverage has been an issue for the Jets’ linebackers for years. Remember the loss to the Eagles last year and Ryan Mathews running wheel routes around Davis? The Jets hope Lee, a high school safety, can solve that problem and help them cover tight ends.

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“I bring speed,” Lee said. “I still have a defensive back background. I can bring some of those concepts into covering guys, covering tight ends. Tight ends are getting faster in this league, so I feel like I can bring that to the table in helping this defense with my speed and coverage ability.”

Jenkins will compete for the strong-side linebacker position vacated by Pace. The Jets have some other unproven players on the roster such as Trevor Reilly, Mike Catapano and Freddie Bishop who are fighting for the two outside spots, too.

Jenkins was the less heralded of the two Georgia linebackers. Leonard Floyd was taken ninth overall in the draft by the Bears. Jenkins was not a sack machine at Georgia (four in 2015) but is solid against the run.

“It’s been an eye-opening experience,” Jenkins said of the rookie camp. “I didn’t know what to expect coming in. I’m still in awe. It’s still hard to believe that this is actually happening. I saw one of the pictures from the practice yesterday and I said, ‘Wow, this is me. This is my new number. I’m no longer a Bulldog. I’m a Jet. This is crazy.’ ”

The new Jets have a lot to learn. Pace, Davis and Coples had deficiencies, but they had 237 combined NFL starts and all the knowledge that goes with those.

“[We have] a lot of youth, a lot of inexperience,” Bowles said of his outside linebackers. “They’ve got a lot of things to learn in a little bit of time. There’s a lot of talent, but nothing takes the place of experience, so they have a lot of work to do.”

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Jets hope one of these Aussie Rules players is their next punter (Brian Costello) New York Post May 7, 2016

http://nypost.com/2016/05/07/jets-hope-one-of-these-aussie-rules-players-is-their-next-punter/

The Jets competition at punter has a very distinct Down Under feel to it.

The team drafted Lachlan Edwards in the seventh round of the draft and signed Tom Hackett as an undrafted free agent last week. Both are from Australia, and both are vying for the punting job with the Jets after the team let Ryan Quigley leave as a free agent. The competition began this weekend with the Jets’ three-day rookie minicamp.

“It’s the Aussie showdown in New York City, I guess,” Hackett said. “The Giants got one [Brad Wing], and the Jets got jealous, and I guess they’ll end up with one, too. Me or Loc will win the job and hopefully have a good year.”

Both players are from near Melbourne but did not know each other until they met at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. The players may be from the same place, but they look very different. Edwards is 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. He earned a reputation at Sam Houston State as a distance punter. Hackett is 5-foot-10, 198 pounds and made his name at Utah as a directional punter. Hackett went undrafted, but he won the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s best collegiate punter, twice.

“You’ve got two young guys who haven’t done it in the league before,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “One has a very strong leg. The other one is a very good directional punter. We’ll see what they do when they get under pressure and we get to rush a little bit and see if they can boom out of there.”

Both played Australian Rules Football before learning to punt American footballs. Hackett was inspired by seeing something on television about an Aussie Rules player trying to make it in the NFL. His father gave him $4,000 for kicking lessons, and he eventually landed at Utah.

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Edwards decided to go to a park one day when he was bored and try to kick an American football. One of his college professors, who was from Connecticut, saw him and told him he should try learning to punt. He wound up at Sam Houston State.

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg had another uneven day at the rookie minicamp. His arm strength is obvious. He throws some beautiful deep passes, but his accuracy is shaky on intermediate passes. In his defense, the players have been thrown together and asked to learn an offense in two days, so it is difficult to discern who is at fault when plays go wrong. He threw one interception on a tipped pass.

Bowles said he is unsure when second-year WR Devin Smith can return to the field after tearing the ACL in his right knee in December. … Bowles said he expects TEs Jace Amaro, who missed last season with a shoulder injury, and Zach Sudfeld (ACL) to be full speed for OTAs in two weeks.

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

6 Christian Hackenberg observations, Jets rookie minicamp, Day 2 (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media May 7, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/xx_christian_hackenberg_observations_jets_rookie_m.html#incart_river_index

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets on Saturday held their second day of a three-day rookie minicamp, and the last day that was open to reporters.

Here are six things we observed about second-round quarterback Christian Hackenberg, with the obvious caveat that this was one rookie minicamp practice in early May, so don't be a fool and freak out about any of this.

• The bad sideline throws. In a basic drill (the quarterbacks throwing to wide receivers), Hackenberg missed badly on three consecutive sideline throws, overthrowing them all. He connected on the fourth in this series. Overall, Hackenberg had mixed results on his sideline throws Saturday. He connected on some, but missed on others. Something to watch, maybe, for future practices.

• Rebounded well. On his first pass of 11-on-11 team periods, Hackenberg sailed a pass high over the middle for Charone Peake. But then he connected on his next five passes to close this portion of team period plays. The first of those five completions was a pretty throw, from the far hash to the opposite sideline. The pass traveled about 30 yards and landed in Montario Hunter's hands.

• Fantastic deep ball. The last of those five completions was a beautiful deep ball, about a 45-yard completion, to Robby Anderson. This was the first deep ball Hackenberg attempted Saturday afternoon. Hackenberg clearly has prodigious arm strength. Throwing these deep balls is not a challenge for him. Hackenberg dropped this pass right in there for Anderson.

• Quick release. Hackenberg looked just fine with the quick-release stuff in 7-on-7 work and team periods. Hackenberg's quick trigger was most notable on a 7-on-7 pass that actually fell incomplete. But Hackenberg uncorked the thing about 50 yards, to Anderson. And this probably would've been a completed pass if cornerback Kendall James hadn't grabbed Anderson, and drawn a penalty flag. This was a picture-perfect spiral pass from Hackenberg, deep down the sideline.

• Impressive velocity. Hackenberg has a strong arm, as you know, so he throws the ball very hard. He zipped a pass over the middle to Quenton Bundrage that should've been caught, but was dropped. It was

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a fairly challenging deep throw over the middle. Hackenberg put it right on the money, but Bundrage couldn't come up with it. He's an undrafted free agent, like Anderson. Hackenberg also put nice zip on the ball during his final throw of practice. He stepped up in the pocket, avoided pressure, and hit Peake over the middle. A well-placed ball.

• The interception. Hackenberg on Saturday threw his first interception of rookie minicamp. It came on a quick, short pass to running back Romar Morris. The ball was high. It deflected off Morris' hands, and safety Alex Wells hauled it in for a pick six. This — like pretty much everything else that happened Saturday — is not a big deal.

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How Jets' Darron Lee expects to cover tight ends like Rob Gronkowski (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media May 7, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/how_jets_darron_lee_expects_to_cover_tight_ends_li.html#incart_river_index

FLORHAM PARK — One of the knocks on Jets first-round pick Darron Lee during the pre-draft process was his lack of size—"undersized and plays small," according to Nolan Nawrocki's draft preview—but Lee has no qualms about his ability to cover bigger tight ends.

"No," Lee said before Saturday's rookie minicamp practice. "None whatsoever. I went against some pretty big tight ends when I was at Ohio State."

The Jets plan to play Lee at inside linebacker, albeit in a hybrid, quasi-safety role.

Lee measured 6-feet, 230 pounds at the combine, but he insisted the day after he was drafted that he's keeping his weight "between the 235 and 240-range."

Still, that would mean he's giving up six inches and roughly 30 pounds to a tight end like Rob Gronkowski (6-6, 265) of the rival Patriots.

Gronkowski has long been a riddle the Jets haven't quite solved. Then again, this isn't exactly a problem that's unique to the Jets. The entire NFL has long had trouble solving Gronkowski, which is exactly what makes Gronkowski Gronkowski. But the Patriots also added Martellus Bennett (6-6, 273) this offseason, thus making for all sorts of additional matchup nightmares.

Last year, their first under head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets used a variety of defenders to stick Gronkowski, with safety Calvin Pryor being the most effective; in fact, the Jets' biggest struggles against Gronkowski last season came after Pryor was injured early in the second half of the teams' first meeting.

The Jets no doubt will continue to mix up their coverages against every opponent. But how would Lee approach defending bigger tight ends like Gronkowski and Bennett?

"Studying them and seeing what their tendencies are, for sure," Lee told NJ Advance Media. "What type of routes they like, what type of routes they normally run, and how they get open in those routes. That's the key.

"If you pick up on those types of things, you can eliminate"—Lee caught himself here, no doubt realizing who he was talking about—"or try to take away those things. They're going to get theirs, but you can try your best to take away what they do."

Lee said "being physical and not backing down" can also work. But against Gronkowski, this can be like playing with fire for a defensive back. How to handle that?

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"It's a mentality," Lee said, drawing back on the confidence he gained playing against bigger tight ends and wideouts in college. "We'll see, once we cross that bridge, but we're got to come in with the right frame of mind."

Pryor, after all, is just 5-11, 207. And the Jets obviously thought enough of Lee to turn down a tempting offer to trade the pick they eventually used to take him.

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Jordan Jenkins finding Jets transition not overwhelming so far (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media May 7, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/jordan_jenkins_finding_jets_transition_not_overwhe.html#incart_river_index

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets' third-round draft pick, Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, knows there will be obstacles as he transitions to the NFL.

But so far, he is adjusting well, at the team's rookie minicamp this weekend. Based on what he's learned about the Jets' 3-4 defense, he sees a lot of similarities to the 3-4 scheme Georgia ran.

"There's actually not a lot of difference," he said. "A lot of plays are pretty much the same thing we ran at Georgia, just with a little bit different nomenclature. I played the Jets' version of 'will' at Georgia, but I learned the 'sam' as well. A lot of it is just memory, and I just have to get used to the new terminology."

He said his specific role with the Jets is "not well-defined yet," and that he is learning both the strong-side (sam) and weak-side (will) outside linebacker positions. He is currently slotted as a "sam" outside linebacker.

The Jets have holes at both spots, with Calvin Pace and Quinton Coples gone. Second-year pro Lorenzo Mauldin and CFL signing Freddie Bishop (who are both working at the will spot right now) also will factor in to the outside linebacker situation. Their specific roles, at this point, remain flexible.

"Nothing is set in stone," Jenkins said.

In addition to playing the 3-4 "will" outside linebacker spot at Georgia, Jenkins said he also got some work as a defensive end in the nickel package.

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Why Freddie Bishop could provide edge-rush boost for Jets (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media May 7, 2016

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/05/why_freddie_bishop_could_provide_edge-rush_boost_f.html#incart_river_index

FLORHAM PARK — At Freddie Bishop's first Canadian Football League practice, he situated himself along the defensive line, as he normally would.

"Back up," his coaches told him.

Bishop wasn't sure what they meant. He had no idea, until this moment, that CFL rules require the defense to line up one yard off the line of scrimmage.

"I had to change my whole rush patterns up, my rush angles," he said.

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Bishop still managed to thrive with the Calgary Stampeders. The Jets signed him this offseason, and he is participating this weekend in their rookie minicamp. He could be the edge-rushing solution they're looking for.

The Jets have holes at both outside linebacker spots, with Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace gone.

Bishop is getting some action as a defensive end (the position he played in the CFL), but he is primarily a weak-side outside linebacker. Though the pass coverage parts of that job are new to him, the edge-rushing duties are quite similar.

Plus, Bishop now doesn't have to align a yard off the line of scrimmage anymore.

"I'm happy to be back down here, get that yard back," he said Saturday. "To have that yard back is amazing."

Bishop, 26, is 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds. He went undrafted out of Western Michigan in 2013, was with the Detroit Lions that spring, and then initially landed as a practice squad player in Calgary. He had a team-best 11 sacks last season.

You have to wonder how many sacks he would've made, if not for that yard-off CFL rule. Bishop declined to speculate.

But he did admit the obvious about the rule: "That hinders defensive linemen, especially a pass rusher."

With the Jets, he has returned to the more traditional pass-rushing techniques he used in college. Except now, because of his time in the CFL rushing from a yard off, he has a more diverse skill set.

"You have to use your hands a lot more [as a CFL pass rusher]," he said. "That's going to give me the advantage and give me more [of a] skill set coming back down here."

Bishop almost always rushed from a stand-up position in the CFL, which is what he's doing now (a two-point stance). So that part of his NFL transition is "nothing new to me," he said, as he moves from defensive end to outside linebacker.

"Playing will [weak-side linebacker], it's pretty much playing the stand-up defensive end, what I was doing the last three years up in Canada," he said. "It's just rushing the edge. The only thing now is, I'm doing a little bit more coverage."

As for his strengths, Bishop said, "Just speed off the edge. I have good hands. I'm able to get the edge on guys well."

Could Bishop find a role on the Jets' defense, considering their needs at outside linebacker?

"They told me the chances were good," Bishop said of the feedback the Jets offered when they signed him. "They told me it was going to be an opportunity."

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Aussie punters Tom Hackett, Lachlan Edwards battle for job at Jets minicamp (Pat Leonard) New York Daily News May 7, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/aussie-punters-hackett-edwards-battle-job-jets-minicamp-article-1.2628990

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The Jets can’t spell teammate without “mate,” certainly not at this weekend’s rookie minicamp where fellow Australian punters Tom Hackett (Utah, undrafted free agent) and Lachlan Edwards (Sam Houston State, seventh-round pick) are competing in the second NFL down-under-punter competition in two years.

Aussies Brad Wing (now of the Giants) and Jordan Berry (Steelers) also competed in Pittsburgh’s 2015 camp. Hackett, 23, of Melbourne, said he will “enjoy” carrying the mantle while battling Edwards, 24, of Hastings.

“It means I’ve got someone I can relate to and have a yarn with,” said Hackett, the reigning two-time Ray Guy Award winner as the nation’s top Division I punter, in his thick accent Saturday afternoon at Florham Park.

To “have a yarn” means to have a conversation, or chat. At 1 Jets Drive, Hackett knows he occasionally will require translation, and not just when he speaks.

Hackett, who learned to punt in the pro style with coach Nathan Chapman of ProKick Australia, transitioned to a rugby style punter at Utah. NFL teams were wary, and he went undrafted.

“I always asked the head coach, I said, ‘Mate, can I do a little more pro style because it’s gonna hurt my NFL shot (if I don’t),” Hackett said. “But he said whatever’s best for the team, and I didn’t seem to have an answer to that, so we went with it, I guess.”

He’s well aware how strong a first impression he must make to fill the vacancy left by Ryan Quigley’s departure to Philadelphia.

“It just means that I had a question mark and still have a question mark over my head for the head coach and the special teams coach and the GM and the front office, and it’s about erasing that question mark and competing against myself,” Hackett said.

He said he intends to stay “mentally grounded,” and he certainly hasn’t let being the second punter ever to win consecutive Ray Guy Awards go to his head.

“What happens in college stays in college,” Hackett said. “The game’s not the same. It’s a new beast in the NFL. The second you let something like that get to your head, generally you’ll fall on your ass.”

There is a refreshing, unmistakable air of casual confidence surrounding Hackett, though, punctuated by that famous Aussie phrase he uttered to close his interview: “No worries.”

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Todd Bowles tells energetic first-round pick Darron Lee to ease up at Jets minicamp (Pat Leonard) New York Daily News May 7, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/todd-bowles-tells-darron-lee-ease-jets-minicamp-article-1.2628986

Characterizing Darron Lee as eager during his first Jets rookie minicamp would be an understatement.

The former Ohio State linebacker and 20th overall draft pick tackled a teammate during Friday’s no-contact practice, earning him a light scolding from coach Todd Bowles for failing to control the speed that convinced the Jets to take him in the first place.

“It was cool,” Lee said Saturday in Florham Park. “He said, ‘Hey, there’s no contact, there’s no tackling,’ which I knew. I just got a little over-aggressive and the guy just happened to be there. It wasn’t a big deal. He wasn’t overly mad. There was no motive behind it.”

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Bowles said the Jets “don’t want the aggressiveness out of pads” and “have plenty of time to hit people.”

He said, “(Arizona Cardinals) Coach (Bruce) Arians always taught me it’s better to say, ‘Whoa,’ than ‘Sick ’em.’”

Lee said even his mother texted him to “take it easy and don’t be tackling your teammates,” but publicly she used it as an opportunity to defend scouts’ criticisms of her son’s physical play. The NFL’s draft profile, for example, says Lee’s college tape “shows few authoritative tackles.”

“So much for the theory that he’s afraid of contact,” his mother tweeted from the account @candicenbc4.

“Draft scouts are crazy!”

This much is clear: While Lee, 21, is behind veteran Erin Henderson on the depth chart at inside linebacker, the 6-1, 232-pounder should see the field plenty this fall due to his coverage abilities and speed. So should Lee’s new roommate, 6-3, 259-pound outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, 21 (Georgia, third-round pick), who has a glorious opportunity to step in with both Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace gone.

“We talk about, ‘Hey, let’s be the future of this organization, put our best foot forward, go out and work,” Lee said of his and Jenkins’ aspirations, while sporting a right biceps tattoo of Ohio State’s “Silver Bullets” defense.

Bowles said the Jets didn’t intend specifically to bulk up the linebacker position but wanted to improve their team speed and saw opportunities to do that for the middle of their defense. That included taking a flier on free agent edge linebacker Freddie Bishop, 26, a 6-3, 255-pound pass rusher out of Western Michigan who had 11 sacks for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders as a defensive end last season.

“To be in the city of New York, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” said Bishop, who clearly knows his Sinatra.

Bowles would not close the window on bringing back Pace, who is currently a free agent.

“No, it’s not closed,” Bowles said. “We just haven’t done anything right now.”

But the coach is clearly prepared to heap as much on Lee and Jenkins as they can handle, envisioning the need for rapid learning due to the inexperience, especially on the outside.

“A lot of youth, a lot of inexperience, a lot of things to learn in a little bit of time,” Bowles said. “A lot of talent but nothing takes the place of experience, so they’ve got a lot of work to do.”

As owner Woody Johnson and GM Mike Maccagnan watched practice Saturday, though, they could feel especially encouraged that Lee and Jenkins were already bonding with the team’s highest-profile 2016 draft pick: Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, or as Lee called him, “Hack.”

Jenkins said he, Lee and Hackenberg have “already talked about moving near each other when we finally get to that step of the process and maybe getting an apartment or townhouses near each other.”

Lee, a Buckeye, even defended the frequently-criticized Hackenberg, a Nittany Lion – even if he couldn’t do it without throwing in a dig about the recent one-sided nature of the Big Ten rivalry.

“Regardless of what all the naysayers say, he’s a heck of a QB, an exceptional quarterback,” Lee said. “He wasn’t necessarily on the best team (at Penn State), but he was a leader for that team, and I felt he was a great quarterback. So it was fun. He probably didn’t think it was fun because we were always beating up on him, but I’m happy he’s on my team (now).”

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SATURDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

American League

CLEVELAND INDIANS — Recalled RHP Cody Anderson from Columbus (IL). Optioned OF Tyler Naquin to Columbus.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Placed 3B Mike Moustakas on the 15-day DL. Recalled INF Cheslor Cuthbert from Omaha (PCL).

TEXAS RANGERS — Agreed to terms with OF Drew Stubbs. Opioned LHP Alex Claudio to Round Rock (PCL). Transferred OF Josh Hamilton from the 15- to the 60-day DL.

American Association

KANSAS CITY T-BONES — Released OF Kyle Robinson.

Can-Am League

OTTAWA CHAMPIONS — Signed RHP Tyler D. Wilson.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES — Fired coach Dave Joerger.

FOOTBALL

National Football League

CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed WR Cody Core.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed WR Jakeem Grant and CB Jordan Lucas.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

NEW YORK RED BULLS — Waived D Zach Carroll. Lent D Karl Ouimette and G Kyle Reynish to the New York Red Bulls II.

COLLEGE

FLORIDA GULF COAST — Signed men’s basketball coach Joe Dooley to a two-year contract extension through the 2019-20 season.

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