NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

March 15, 2015

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Table of Contents

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 1

AFC East has made all the right moves (Bob Glauber) .............................................................................................. 1

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................... 2

Sunday notes: Ryan Fitzpatrick could put Geno Smith on bench (Rich Cimini) ........................................................ 2

Marcus Mariota says he'd 'love' to play for the Jets (Rich Cimini) ............................................................................ 4

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................... 5

How Jets’ Maccagnan fixed Idzik’s biggest error in 1 week (Brian Costello) ............................................................. 5

Revis, Cromartie, take heed: The flameouts, thrills of going home (Mike Vaccaro) ................................................. 6

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ........................................................................................................................................ 8

Darrelle Revis is back with the Jets, but it’s all about the money (Mike Lupica) ...................................................... 8

With Darrelle Revis back on the island, Jets need to do what it takes to draft Marcus Mariota (Gary Myers) ...... 11

SATURDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................. 13

NEWSDAY

AFC East has made all the right moves (Bob Glauber) Newsday March 15, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/afc-east-has-made-all-the-right-moves-1.10061556

It remains to be seen whether the AFC East is the best division in football, but this much already is certain: After a dizzying series of transactions in the first week of free agency, it is the most interesting.

While the Patriots remain the class of the division and continue to look down on the competition while boasting the fourth Super Bowl title in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era, the Jets, Bills and Dolphins took significant steps to close the gap between them and the defending champs. Not only that, but the Patriots' roster is not as good today as it was when they beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

That's not to say the Patriots shouldn't be the divisional favorites heading into next season. But with all three divisional opponents making major moves via free-agent signings and trades, this should be a much closer race than it was in previous years.

Start with the Patriots themselves. They did re-sign free safety Devin McCourty, a mainstay of the defensive backfield. But they said goodbye to veteran defensive tackle Vince Wilfork in a salary-cap dump, and both starting cornerbacks from last season are gone. Darrelle Revis signed a five-year, $70-million deal with the Jets and Brandon Browner signed a three-year, $15-million deal with the Saints.

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Belichick no doubt will replace the two as best he can, whether it be with second- or third-tier free-agent cornerbacks or draft picks. But Browner and Revis proved to be huge additions last season, and the Patriots will be hard-pressed to replace them.

The Jets already look like a much better team now than they were just a few days ago. First-year general manager Mike Maccagnan went on a spending spree, helped by former GM John Idzik's salary-cap bonanza, and the Jets have addressed the defensive backfield in dramatic fashion. Maccagnan came away with cornerbacks Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine, safety Marcus Gilchrist, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and guard James Carpenter. He also re-signed linebacker David Harris and running back Bilal Powell.

The Jets still are challenged at quarterback with Fitzpatrick and incumbent Geno Smith, but the supporting cast already is much better than it was last year. And there's still the draft, where the Jets might have a shot at Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Rex Ryan must be shaking his head seeing the Jets sign all those cornerbacks, because he could have used a few good ones last season. But the new Bills coach has to like what he has in Buffalo, especially with newly acquired running back LeSean McCoy. Ryan also traded for quarterback Matt Cassel, who can be the game manager for Ryan's "Ground & Pound" offense. Ryan also has inherited an already terrific defense off the Bills' 9-7 team last season.

Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum has wasted no time in showing his aggressiveness with the Dolphins as the team's top football executive. The Dolphins landed prized free-agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and signed Browns free-agent tight end Jordan Cameron. The man known as "Trader Mike" also acquired Saints wide receiver Kenny Stills in exchange for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick.

Lots of moves in the AFC East, and plenty more to come in a division that suddenly just might be the most compelling in the league.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Sunday notes: Ryan Fitzpatrick could put Geno Smith on bench (Rich Cimini) ESPN.com March 15, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/49905/sunday-notes-ryan-fitzpatrick-could-put-geno-smith-on-bench

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

1. Finally, a real competition: Incredibly, the Ryan Fitzpatrick trade was overshadowed by Darrelle Revis and the flurry of other free-agent signings, but it was the second-most significant move of the week, behind Revis. That's because Fitzpatrick could be the starting quarterback.

2. Team officials haven't commented, but I've talked to people who believe Fitzpatrick was acquired to be more than a mentor/insurance policy for Geno Smith. In other words, we could have a truly fair and open competition this summer, not a repeat of last summer's charade. You could make the argument that Smith is the underdog. Consider:

The new bosses, Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles, have no loyalty to Smith. The Jets are in win-now mode, judging by the big bucks in free agency, so they won't tolerate Smith's growing pains

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the way the previous regime did. The Jets haven't had an open dynamic like this since 2006, when it was a Chad Pennington-Patrick Ramsey-Kellen Clemens competition. (That lasted about a week.)

Fitzpatrick has a distinct advantage because he already knows Chan Gailey's system from their three years together in Buffalo. Smith will be in catch-up mode, and it's hard to catch up these days because field and classroom time are limited under the collective bargaining agreement. Smith faced a similarly experienced quarterback last summer, Michael Vick, who had four years in Marty Mornhinweg's system, but it was different because Smith already had a year under Mornhinweg. Now he's starting from scratch.

The Jets gave up a draft pick for Fitzpatrick, showing they weren't willing to risk losing him to another team on the open market. Granted, it was only a conditional seventh-round pick (2016), but teams don't give away draft picks for nothing.

Quite frankly, Fitzpatrick is a better quarterback than Smith, based on the last two seasons. He has a better starting record (9-12 to 11-18), a better passer rating (88.3 to 71.5) and a better Total QBR (55.4 to 35.7).

So, yeah, Fitzpatrick could end up being a stop-gap starter. Said one source: "That's what he's been in these situations. His knowledge of the system and the Gailey offense will allow for a more seamless transition, but it's also what he can be as a resource to Smith. That's valuable for Geno to watch and learn from."

2. Revis tries to buck trend: Clearly, the Jets expect Revis to remain an elite player for at least the next three years. They're paying him $48 million over that span, including a fully guaranteed $39 million. Revis celebrates he Big Three-Oh in July. How many 30-and-over cornerbacks dominate in the NFL? It happens, but rarely longer than a year.

Since 2005, only 11 cornerbacks have made the Pro Bowl at the age of 30 or older, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Of those, only five have made multiple Pro Bowls -- Champ Bailey (four), Antoine Winfield (three), Brent Grimes (two), Al Harris (two) and Charles Tillman (two).

Let's take it a step further. Only one player in that age group, Tillman, has made the All-Pro team -- only once. Once.

If Revis can maintain his excellence, he'd probably approach Deion Sanders' level. The Hall of Famer, generally regarded as the premier corner of our generation, was an All-Pro at the age of 30 and 31.

3. Big weekend for Revis family: Revis' uncle, former NFL player Sean Gilbert, is running for executive director of the NFL Players' Association this weekend in Hawaii, where the vote will occur Sunday at the union's annual meetings. Gilbert is one of eight challengers to DeMaurice Smith.

Gilbert, in a speech Saturday to the membership, was sharply critical of Smith, whom he believes created a "$10 billion problem" by agreeing to an unfair CBA in 2011. Gilbert said the players will lose $10 billion over the life of the agreement. He's also in favor of free agency after three years, three-year rookie contracts, 57-man rosters and the elimination of compensatory picks.

He also claimed the league's funding rule, which requires teams to fund fully-guaranteed contacts, is a form of collusion because it dissuades owners from spending money. He has a point. Example: Woody Johnson is required to put $39 million in escrow to cover Revis' guarantees; it's not a pay-as-you-go situation.

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Interestingly, Gilbert mentioned Revis twice in his speech, saying he "helped navigate the waters" for Revis after studying the CBA in 2010. His nephew has made $85 million in his career. That's what you call a successful navigation.

4. Traveling men: Four of the seven new players added by Maccagnan have played for at least three teams -- Revis (three), Antonio Cromartie (three), Brandon Marshall (three) and Fitzpatrick (five). And we're not talking about a bunch of old geezers here; they're all under 33. Such is the nature of the beast in the NFL. As Marshall noted, "It seems like the business side is starting take over more and more every single year." True, but the draft remains vital. You fill holes in free agency, but you find the future stars in the draft.

5. And with the sixth pick ...: After obtaining a receiver and four defensive backs, there's a feeling the Jets will use the sixth pick to take a pass-rusher. There are a few good ones that could be available. My question is: Can you pass on wide receiver Amari Cooper if he's there? That would be tough.

6. A question about Marcus (not Mariota): I wonder if safety Marcus Gilchrist is an ideal scheme fit for Todd Bowles' defense. The Jets needed a true free safety to play opposite Calvin Pryor, but Gilchrist was used more at strong safety than free safety last season by the San Diego Chargers, according to ESPN Stats & Info. One personnel director told me he didn't think Gilchrist's ball skills weren't as good as the other hybrid safeties on the market.

7. A wet blanket: The Jets have doled out more than $160 million in free-agent contracts, but spending money doesn't buy happiness. A year ago, the teams that spent the most money -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and New York Giants -- all saw a drop in in their win total, according to Spotrac.com. It's hard to be worse than 4-12, so the Jets figure to improve their record

8. Gunning for Brady: Tom Brady can't be loving this offseason. The Jets stole Revis and revamped their secondary, the Miami Dolphins signed Ndamukong Suh and the Buffalo Bills hired Rex Ryan. The defenses are getting better in the AFC East. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots lost their starting corners (Revis and Brandon Browner) and run-stuffer Vince Wilfork. They picked up pass-rusher Jabaal Sheard, who will help.

9. Rex being Rex: So, Ryan has Percy Harvin and Richie Incognito in the same locker room. Who's next, Santonio Holmes?

10. Fireman Who? So now Jets' fans are clamoring for the return of Fireman Ed? Don't they have more important things to worry about?

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Marcus Mariota says he'd 'love' to play for the Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN.com March 14, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/49899/marcus-mariota-says-hed-love-to-play-for-new-york-jets

Marcus Mariota was in New Jersey on Friday night. No, he wasn't house-hunting. He flew to Atlantic City, where he attended the Maxwell Football Club awards banquet and told reporters he wouldn't mind calling New Jersey his home. "I'd love to play for the Jets," the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback said. "Meeting with the offense coordinator and quarterbacks coach was awesome. It was an opportunity for me to introduce myself and it seems like a great organization."

Mariota was referring to Chan Gailey and Kevin Patullo, respectively, both of whom attended his pro day Thursday in Eugene, Oregon. In fact, Patullo spent several minutes with Mariota before the workout,

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chatting on the field. General manager Mike Maccagnan also was there to watch what was generally described as an uneven workout.

No matter. He's still expected to be a high pick in next month's draft, most likely anywhere from second to fifth. The Jets own the sixth pick.

Don't read too much into Mariota saying he'd "love" to play for the Jets. For all draft prospects, it's a fill-in-the-blank answer. Sure, I'd love to play for (insert team name).

Mariota, who picked up the Maxwell Award as college player of the year, also has been linked to the Philadelphia Eagles. Chip Kelly, who coached Mariota at Oregon, tried to douse the speculation a few days ago by claiming he won't mortgage his future by trading up from No. 20 to pick Mariota.

His former player isn't totally buying that.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Mariota said, "but Coach Kelly and the Eagles are going to do what's best for that team, and we'll see what happens."

Mariota is scheduled to meet Monday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who own the first pick. They're thought to be leaning toward Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the other Heisman-winning quarterback in the draft.

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NEW YORK POST

How Jets’ Maccagnan fixed Idzik’s biggest error in 1 week (Brian Costello) New York Post March 14, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/03/14/new-jets-gm-makes-splash-using-cash-trades-to-fill-gaps/

Take a bow Mike Maccagnan.

In one week, the new Jets general manager remade the team’s roster, addressing the glaring holes that doomed the 2014 season, and rejuvenated a disgusted fan base in the process.

Maccagnan made two trades, signed five free agents and re-upped a few of their own crucial free agents. The big remodel came in the secondary where Maccagnan signed three cornerbacks and a safety.

The biggest splash was the return of superstar, shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets doled out a five-year, $70 million deal with $39 million in guaranteed money to wrest him away from the Patriots.

Maccagnan also swung trades for wide receiver Brandon Marshall and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, hoping to bolster a passing attack that was the worst in the NFL in 2014.

With the first wave of free agency over, here is a recap of where the Jets stand.

What they’ve done

The Jets allowed 31 passing touchdowns last year after former GM John Idzik ignored the cornerback position. Mike Maccagnan fixed Idzik’s errors in one week. It was costly, but the addition of Darrelle Revis ($70 million), Antonio Cromartie ($32 million) and Buster Skrine ($25 million) give new coach Todd Bowles pieces to use in his defense. The Jets already were strong up front, and now their defense should be one of the best in the NFL.

Before free agency even started, Maccagnan made a big splash by pulling off a trade with the Bears to acquire wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The Jets only gave up a fifth-round pick and received

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the Bears’ seventh-rounder, too. Marshall, who had his string of seven straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons snapped last year, turns 31 this month leading to questions of how productive he remains. But he is an upgrade over Percy Harvin and is cheaper. He should give the Jets a nice red-zone target and open things up for Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley by drawing attention.

The trade for Ryan Fitzpatrick does not solve the Jets’ quarterback issue, but he was the best option out of a bunch of weak ones. They only surrendered a late-round conditional pick for him and they get a smart, experienced player who knows offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s system and can compete with Geno Smith for the job.

The signings of guard James Carpenter and safety Marcus Gilchrist are not as splashy as the other signings, but these filled some holes for the Jets. Carpenter is expected to start at left guard, an upgrade over the Brian Winters/Oday Aboushi tandem last year. Gilchrist should give the Jets a safety who can allow Calvin Pryor to play closer to the line of scrimmage, his natural role.

What’s left to do

The big moves are over. Now, Maccagnan must fill out his roster with some depth players. Leger Douzable and Kenrick Ellis are free agents. If they don’t return, the Jets will need some backup defensive linemen. They also need a backup offensive tackle and some cheap wide receivers would be nice.

Muhammad Wilkerson must be watching all of this money flying out of owner Woody Johnson’s wallet and wondering, “Where’s mine?” Wilkerson is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is seeking an extension. The expectation is the Jets will get it done this spring.

Maccagnan filled the Jets’ biggest needs. Now, he can enter the NFL Draft and select the best player available on the board when the Jets pick. That was the goal in free agency. He can turn his attention to Pro Days and draft prep as he figures out what to do with the No. 6 pick.

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Revis, Cromartie, take heed: The flameouts, thrills of going home (Mike Vaccaro) New York Post March 14, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/03/14/revis-cromartie-take-heed-the-flameouts-thrills-of-going-home/

These things aren’t unprecedented, of course, but there’s a reason why noted sports columnist Thomas Wolfe once opined, “You can’t go home again,” because it really isn’t that easy to go home again, even if the home you are defining is a sports team you once played for and will now play for again.

The Jets welcomed Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie back to the fold this week — Revis after a two-year exile wandering through the hinterlands of Tampa and Foxborough, Cromartie after a one-year desert stopover in Phoenix. And it is hard to find even one Jets fan who isn’t down with putting that band back together.

It should work, too. Revis is still the best at what he does, and even if Jets fans serenaded him with boos during his annual visits the past two years, that was as much out of angst as of anger, and now that he is back he almost certainly will become the Jets second-most-notable Hall of Famer when he is done, his No. 24 joining Joe Willie’s 12 (and sparking Jets numerologists to speculate who the future immortal wearer of 48 will be). And Cromartie, though he can be maddening to watch, is, conservatively, 475 percent better than any cornerback the Jets employed last year.

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It’s tricky, though. Athletic careers are finite things, and it often is unusual for regimes to change so quickly and so completely, so whatever reasons prompted the exodus in the first place — unhappy player, unhappy GM, something in between — are usually still in place.

The most famous MacArthurian return around here was Tom Seaver, who left the Mets amid acrimony so vast it nearly tore the franchise to shreds. Six years later, M. Donald Grant was gone, the Mets were trying to emerge from a suffocating tunnel of failure, and if you were in the ballpark for Opening Day ’83, Seaver versus Carlton, you remember how important that was for what soon became of the Mets.

Of course, even that feel-good ending turned out to be a fouled-up ending, the Mets leaving Seaver unprotected a year later, losing him to the White Sox, setting up one last, forgettable reunion attempt in 1987 when the pitching-poor Mets tried Seaver out and Seaver famously allowed Barry Lyons to go 6-for-6 in a sim game.

Usually, reunions range from being slightly feel-good (Lee Mazzilli returning to the Mets in time to share in the ’86 glories, Bobby Murcer spending his twilight years in the same Stadium where he had blossomed into an All-Star) to uncomfortable (Mark Messier II didn’t exactly conjure many images of Messier I) to a combination of both (Alfonso Soriano, David Wells, Laveranues Coles) to downright comical (Billy Martin II, III, IV and V).

Two of them worked out brilliantly. Claude Lemiuex was an integral part of the Devils’ first Cup-winning team 20 years ago this spring, was exiled to Denver (where he won another Cup the very next year) then brought back early in the 1999-2000 season, where his grit and guile and not altogether-sensical leadership were summed up perfectly one playoff face-off, when he was staring down Flyers captain Rod Brind’Amour.

“Hey,” Lemieux purred, just before the puck dropped, “what’s the ‘C’ stand for? Selfish?” He won the draw. The Devils won a second Cup a few weeks later. His teammates told that story for years.

There was also Andy Pettitte, who left The Bronx for three years following the 2003 season, returned in time to win a fifth ring as a stalwart on the 2009 Yankees, and not only reclaimed his spot in the mystical “Core Four” grouping, but his years with the Astros have somehow been wiped clean from many a Yankees memory, the way many a fallen general has been deleted from Russian history books.

So sometimes you really can go home again. The Jets, for one, certainly hope so.

Whack Back at Vac

Franey Donovan: Mike, thanks for making all of us Terriers feel a little bit better after that tough St. Francis loss. We really thought this year was Next Year.

Vac: One of the nicest parts of the Terriers’ run was seeing so many alums gather to witness possible history — including Karen Erving Scheria, who holds the combines men’s and women’s school records for points (1,929) and rebounds (1,049).

Alan Hirschberg: Thanks for the Matt Harvey column. But you know it won’t be injuries that steal Harvey away from Mets fans — it will be Scott Boras and the Yankees.

Vac: Remember Opus’ closet of anxieties in “Bloom County?” This is the thing that keeps Mets fans’ closet of anxieties overstuffed these days.

@avventually: I hereby dub Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan (your separated-at-birth brother) “the Blues Brothers.” They’re on a mission from God. Getting the band back together!

@MikeVacc: Hidey hidey hidey hey!

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Brian Roman: I’ve never missed an episode of “The Americans.” I’m sorry you were not in the loop. I assume you’ve caught up with the first two seasons. It’s a superb show.

Vac: I can’t be alone in believing that binge-watching a show has officially become the best way to enjoy a show, right? It’s also how I came to “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad.”

Vac’s Whacks

Here’s the reason I’m so grateful for the Atlantic 10 Tournament being at Barclays the past few years: For a few days, anyway, I completely remember and understand what you go through as a fan as I live, die, hyperventilate, and generally act completely unhinged watching my feisty Bonnies in person. One of these days, by the way, someone from a power conference is going to wise up, hire Mark Schmidt, ruin my day, and make their program a whole lot better.

Mark Teixeira on the Yankees sharing the Stadium with NYCFC: “It’s going to suck.” Yankees fans on Year 7 of the Mark Teixeira contract: see above.

It’s only a matter of time before the Jets bring back Randy Beverly and Shafer Suggs, right?

What’s the more surreal sight: seeing the reigning Best Supporting Actor hawking insurance in commercials, or seeing the reigning Best Supporting Actress slogging away in the 36th “CSI” spinoff?

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Darrelle Revis is back with the Jets, but it’s all about the money (Mike Lupica) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS March 15, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/lupica-darrelle-revis-back-green-article-1.2149704

A year ago, almost exactly, the romance was that Phil Jackson came back to the Knicks because they were a team that he loved, a team on which he had won championships, back when his Knicks were one of the famous teams in the history of New York City sports. The reality was a bit different, of course. The reality was that Jackson came back because Jimmy Dolan threw so much money at him, $60 million over five years, that he couldn’t turn it down.

“I took the money,” Dudley Moore’s character says at the end of the movie “Arthur.” “I’m not an idiot.”

Now the romance with Darrelle Revis, who did a lot more for the Jets when he first played for them than Jackson ever did in his life coming off the bench for Red Holzman’s Knicks, is that No. 24 followed his heart back to Florham Park. Revis’ reality? His reality is that he did what he has almost always done in his career, here and everywhere else, which means he followed the money.

He just doesn’t want to say that, or can’t say that, because then the whole thing doesn’t sound like another kind of movie, which means the Hallmark kind. So suddenly the most meaningful thing that ever happened to him was the Jets moving up 11 spots in the draft to grab him when he came out of college, now that he comes back for five years and $70 million, nearly $40 million of that guaranteed.

There may have been better cover corners in the history of the National Football League. Richard Sherman is better now. Not one of them will ever make the kind of money Revis made before the age of 30 and will now make after the age of 30 in pro football, even with one knee surgery in the books. Not only is he on his way to the Hall of Fame in Canton, there really ought to be a plaque honoring his agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, right next to his when he gets there.

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Are you kidding? No non-quarterback in the history of the National Football League has ever been represented better than Revis has by Schwartz and Feinsod. They have always made sure their guy got paid, and paid big, here and in Tampa Bay and in New England and now back here. It has all been rather brilliant to watch, now more than ever as he makes a hero’s return.

When Revis was asked the other day to explain his decision to leave the Patriots, champions of the whole wide world, this is what he said, and with a straight face:

“A number of teams, once I got released and became a free agent from (New England), a number of teams called. (Inaudible) It was a no-brainer to come here because I know the organization. They drafted me and I have a lot of history here. I love being around the people I’ve met in the organization and I just have a lot of ties here. This is where my heart is.”

There is probably some truth to that. Just not a lot. A greater truth is that this is where the most money was, and the most guaranteed money was, and good for him. You know there isn’t the kind of guaranteed money, in a violent sport, that there is in baseball or basketball. Revis and his agents have never lost sight of that for one minute.

They saw how quickly things changed for him when his knee exploded. But they had made sure from the start, from when they first renegotiated with the Jets, to make business decisions about his career that have never had anything to do with following his heart.

Listen, Woody Johnson had money to spend, and he spent it on one of the best football players the Jets have ever had, and the best they have right now. Maybe someday, if the Jets ever want to win another Super Bowl, their best player will be their quarterback. Just not yet and, who knows, maybe not ever. For now, Johnson generates tremendous goodwill with his fan base by bringing back a popular player, turns a weakness on his team — the secondary — into a strength, not just with Revis, but with another ex-Jet, Antonio Cromartie as well.

Woody does the right thing. Revis says all the right things, about heart and home and winning titles. But that’s not really the deal here. The deal here IS the deal. It always has been for Darrelle Revis. Same as it was for Phil Jackson. They’re not idiots.

It's Ben-Vereen, Wheeler of misfortune & where is the Love?...

-The Giants made a smart pickup this week in Shane Vereen, who caught 11 passes in the Super Bowl and who fits Ben McAdoo’s offense perfectly.

But Giants fans must be wishing that their defense improved in the first couple of days of free agency as much as the Jets’ has.

Wait, maybe there’s nothing to worry about.

Maybe Beckham can play safety, too!

I saw Notre Dame’s victory over Duke in the ACC Tournament described as “shocking,” and I’d kind of like to know why.

Mike Brey, the Notre Dame coach, has a team that doesn’t turn the ball over, can shoot, has a ton of veteran leadership, and is exactly the kind of tough out nobody wants to face in the tournament that starts next week.

Boy, just going off some of the coverage Chip Kelly has been getting lately, imagine how shocked Kelly is going to be when he finds out Ryan Mathews and DeMarco Murray, two free agents he signed this week, are both African-American.

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One more thing on Phil Jackson:

Somebody needs to explain a couple of things to him before he makes his next jokes about “destroying” a team he loves.

One is that he’s not nearly as witty as he thinks he is.

Two?

Knicks fans have sort of lost their sense of humor.

The best part of Phil’s monthly media mind meld the other day in Los Angeles was when he tried to explain those tweets after the Knicks-Cavs game about displeasing the basketball gods. By the time he finished, he started to sound like John Idzik in that rambling State of the Jets press conference in the middle of the last football season.

The thing to understand, as Masahiro Tanaka tries to pitch through, and with, that minor tear in his elbow ligament, is that guys who have managed to do that in baseball, without Tommy John surgery, are the rare exceptions, rather than the rule.

And while we’re on the subject of elbows and such?

Here is what Mets fans did not need to hear this week:

They did not need to hear, or read, about tenderness in Zack Wheeler’s right elbow.

Because in the world of Matt Harvey and Tanaka, maybe the reality is that every young pitcher on the planet is just one pitch away from calamity.

I wasn’t nearly as excited about Alex Rodriguez making his first spring road trip as I thought I was going to be.

Even in the second week of March, Harvey vs. big Giancarlo Stanton was big fun the other afternoon in Jupiter, Fla.

There is no time when you pass Vero Beach and don’t think about the time when Vero was one of the capitals of the baseball spring.

Letters to “Voice of the People” in the Daily News are better written, and more well thought out, than that letter Republican senators sent to Iran the other day, one that made them sound like dropouts from the Famous Writers School.

You wonder why a war hero such as Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the front man for that letter, allowed himself to be used like that, not just in front of the country, but in front of the world.

Gee, an email account for a Secretary of State being run out of her home in Chappaqua — what could possibly go wrong with something like that?

Mikhail Prokhorov, the big guy who owns the Nets, has sort of become this year’s winner of the Forgotten But Not Gone Award, hasn’t he?

If you gave Kevin Love some kind of truth serum, what would he really say about playing on a winner now with LeBron and them in Cleveland?

I mean, now that he’s playing the part of Chris Bosh there on Lake Erie.

Here is what the NCAA Tournament committee shouldn’t do on Selection Sunday:

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It shouldn’t put Kentucky and Wisconsin in the same region, just because Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, if it happens this year, should happen in the same place it happened last year:

The Final Four.

Unless the committee is hoping unbeaten Kentucky gets knocked off before it makes it to Indy, that’s another way of looking at things.

If you love golf, or great sportswriting, or just love Dan Jenkins, you better buy “Unplayable Lies,” which comes out on Tuesday.

It is described as the only golf book you’ll ever need, and that pretty much works for me.

And I know I have written about the book before, but please pick up a copy of “The Top of His Game,” which is a collection of the best sportswriting of W.C. Heinz.

My friend Bill Heinz was not just one of the great columnists, for the old New York Sun, and great magazine writers.

He was a great American writer, period.

This book honors his talent as well as any collection of his work ever has.

Being a silly old romantic, I was just happy seeing the Zen Master (of Disaster) and his Jeanie looking so happy the other night at Staples Center.

Maybe because they’re doing such good jobs with the Knicks and the Lakers.

It is always kind of fun, incidentally, when you hear the Knicks described as some kind of iconic franchise, just because they’ve won as many NBA championships in their history as the Detroit Pistons have.

I’m just frankly wondering how any emails that Hillary Clinton could have sent are better than the one Jimmy Dolan sent to Irving Bierman.

When Henrik Lundqvist is ready to play and Cam Talbot has to go sit down, Talbot will probably be wondering what he did wrong. Right?

***

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With Darrelle Revis back on the island, Jets need to do what it takes to draft Marcus Mariota (Gary Myers) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS March 14, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/myers-jets-takes-draft-marcus-mariota-article-1.2149295

The Jets are red-hot. Now they must go get Marcus Mariota.

In a perfect Jets world they would be rewarded for their awful 2014 with the first pick in the draft and there would be a can’t-miss quarterback prospect like Andrew Luck waiting to take them to their first Super Bowl in nearly 50 years.

Instead their 4-12 record was bad enough to get Rex Ryan and John Idzik fired and only good enough to get them the sixth pick in the draft. There is no can’t-miss franchise quarterback. Mariota did everything you can ask of a quarterback in college, except of course take a snap under center or actually be in a

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huddle. Those things are kind of important in the NFL. He ran the no-huddle offense at Oregon from the shotgun.

He’s a big risk, but the potential reward is great.

What should the Jets do? All I’ve heard since new GM Mike Maccagnan’s great week of signing Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, trading for Brandon Marshall and re-signing defensive signal caller David Harris before Ryan could bring him to Buffalo is “Okay, fine, but what are the Jets going to do at quarterback?”

Does the new regime need to see any more from Geno Smith to reinforce that he stinks? Ryan Fitzpatrick, from Harvard, immediately raises the IQ in the locker room, but he’s 32 years old and the Jets are his fourth team in four years and sixth overall. He is the classic Bill Parcells “hold the fort guy,” to keep things respectable until reinforcements arrive.

Mariota played in a wacky offense at Oregon, but with the Bucs locked in on Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, Maccagnan has three choices:

Take him at No. 6: If he’s available here, the Jets have to take him. It’s hard to project how QBs who play conventional offenses will do in the NFL, so Mariota’s case is even more complicated. The Jets were at his pro day at Oregon last week and apparently he didn’t perform as well as he did at the combine. If the Jets are really interested, they will request a private workout. The bust factor for QBs is so high and the Jets invested a first-round pick on Mark Sanchez in 2009 (sending their first- and second-round picks to Cleveland to move up to No. 5) and a second-round pick on Smith in 2013. But unless Maccagnan can find Russell Wilson in the third round, he should take Mariota.

Trade up for Mariota: The Titans could take him at No. 2 or bluff that they will. Maccagnan could tempt them with a trade or just sit tight. The Jaguars, Raiders and Washington follow, but none are in the market for a QB and could potentially trade down to a team that would want to move up for Mariota. The one thing Maccagnan should not do is trade down with Mariota still on the board.

Take a pass and a deep breath: Can Maccagnan and Todd Bowles expect the Jets to suffer through a season of Smith and Fitzpatrick with no hope at QB and be content watching teams throw away from Revis?

Mariota would provide hope. Chan Gailey is an excellent offensive coordinator and he made a player out of Kordell (Slash) Stewart in Pittsburgh and got to within one game of the Super Bowl with him in 1997. Mariota is a much better player than Stewart. Fitzpatrick, who played for Gailey in Buffalo, can help teach Mariota the offense and help him make the transition to a pro-style attack. Mariota is smart, has a good arm and is fast. He’s an electric player.

This NFL is a quarterback league. The Jets need one.

OPENING FIGHT?

The vastly improved Jets are going to be in the conversation to play the Patriots in the Thursday night season opener on Sept. 10 in Foxborough. ... Robert Kraft loves his players, but the Patriots Way is to run the team like a business and that leads to cold-hearted financial decisions. It doesn’t often end pretty for Patriots stars (Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, Logan Mankins, Wes Welker, etc). Well, last week, the Patriots got a taste of the Revis Way. It’s all about business, and this time the Pats were on the receiving end. No matter what, Revis gets paid. His love of New York is genuine. He loves the bright lights. His love of the Jets, I believe, is directly related to getting $48 million over the next three years from Woody Johnson, with $39 million guaranteed. Revis turned into a one-year rental in New England. It worked out well for both. Revis gets his Super Bowl ring and was a key to the Patriots ending their 10-year title

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drought. But unless the Jets get a quarterback, Revis’ first Super Bowl will be his one and only. … The Patriots could have prevented Revis from even making it to the open market if they broke their word to him and exercised the $12 million option last Tuesday by 4 p.m. He would have made $20 million this year with a $25 million cap number. The second year of the two-year $32 million deal he signed last year was just a placesetter, which allowed the Pats to split Revis’ $10 million signing bonus over two years for cap purposes. Although the option was in the contract, sources say Bill Belichick promised Revis it would not be exercised. Of course, Revis would have made $20 million this year instead of the $16 million he’s getting from the Jets, but would have had no security past the 2015 season. … I would think now that the Jets have signed Revis that the Patriots pending tampering case against the Jets and Johnson is strengthened. The Jets could wind up losing a draft spot or having to flip spots in a middle round with New England. Remember what Johnson said on Dec. 29 when he was asked about Revis, “I’d love Darrelle to come back.” He apologized to Kraft, but apologies are not as valuable as draft picks. … Now that the Steelers have signed Big Ben to a five-year $99 million deal when he was going into the final year of his contract, will the Giants get around to locking up Eli Manning, who is going into his final year, or wait and see how he plays this season?

SMITH UNDER FIRE

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith ran unopposed for re-election three years ago. On Sunday in Hawaii, he faces eight challengers when the 32 player reps vote. There is no winner until someone gets 17 votes. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated after each round. The CBA signed in 2011 runs 10 years and this many candidates indicates discontent with Smith. …The NFLPA reported that in the first 48 hours of free agency last week 66 contracts were filed to the union totaling $1.085 billion with $477.46 million guaranteed.

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SATURDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

National League

COLORADO ROCKIES — Optioned INF-OF Rosell Herrera and RHP Jorge Rondon to their minor league camp. Reassigned RHPs Justin Miller, Jose Ortega and Gus Schlosser; LHPs Buddy Boshers, Yohan Flande and Jason Gurka and C Tommy Murphy to their minor league camp.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Optioned INF/OF Jeff Kobernus to Syracuse (IL).

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

NBA — Suspended Portland C Joel Freeland and Detroit F Shawne Williams one game apiece for head-butting each other during a March 13 game.

FOOTBALL

National Football League

BALTIMORE RAVENS — Agreed to terms with S Kendrick Lewis on a three-year contract.

BUFFALO BILLS — Agreed to terms with DE Jarius Wynn.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Released WR Greg Jennings.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS — Assigned F Luke Adam to Springfield (AHL).

DALLAS STARS — Assigned D Ludwig Bystrom from Farjestads (Swedish Hockey League) to Texas (AHL).

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American Hockey League

AHL — Suspended Hamilton D Joe Finley one game after receiving his third instigating misconduct of season during a March 13 game at Rochester.

HAMILTON BULLDOGS — Recalled D Bobby Shea and D David Makowski from Wheeling (ECHL).

ECHL

ECHL — Suspended Alaska’s Greg Wolfe pending a review and fined him an undisclosed amount for his actions in a March 13 game against Colorado.

ELMIRA JACKALS — Signed Fs Stephen Buco and Matt Harlow to amateur tryout agreements. Released F Evan Haney from his standard player contract.

SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS — Agreed to terms with F Brett Cameron.

SOCCER

United Soccer League

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 2 — Signed D Aaron Long and F Sam Garza.

COLLEGE

BIG TEN CONFERENCE — Suspended Penn State hockey student-athlete Scott Conway one game for receiving a major penalty for contact to the head and a game misconduct in a March 13 game against Minnesota.

AUBURN — Suspended men’s basketball F Cinmeon Bowers one game for a potential rules violation.

DEPAUL — Announced the resignation of men’s basketball coach Oliver Purnell.

VIRGINIA — Announced baseball coach Brian O’Connor will serve an automatic four- game suspension for making contact with an umpire during a March 13 game at Virginia Tech.

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