SB Nation - Richard Owens

Kevin Brock Signed

John B — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:00:15 -0000

Free-agent tight end Kevin Brock, a Hackensack native, was claimed off waivers from the Carolina Panthers. He replaces Richard Owens, released after missing several practices with a leg injury. Brock had 49 catches for 541 yards and four touchdowns over the last two seasons with Rutgers.

Why not? The more bodies you have, the better the odds you find an overlooked player.

Smartline-8/3

John B — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:00:28 -0000

Smartline

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Bringing you all of the day's developments from Cortland, it's Smartline. Here's your host, Kent Brockman.

Sanchez on Fight Camp | Jets Journal
Mark Sanchez spoke about the fights today. Although on the field work is much more important, it's nice to hear the franchise quarterback sound so polished. He by nature needs to develop into a strong locker room voice.

Rutgers product Jamaal Westerman opening eyes at NY Jets camp - NJ.com
Jamaal Westerman continues to impress. I can't wait to see what Rex can do with a guy versatile enough to play inside linebacker and stick his hand down to rush the passer. Rex can stick this guy all over the field and confuse the heck out of blocking assignments if Westerman is half as good as advertised.

Jets Waive Owens - NY Daily News
The Jets waived tight end Richard Owens. The veteran's strong suit was blocking. So much for him taking the role of in line blocker at the position. Maybe Kareem Brown is impressing people. At defensive end, Brown's job was to hold the point of attack, similar to what a blocking tight end has to do. Anything he could add as a receiver would be a bonus.

Contract talks between NY Jets and Leon Washington are still ongoing - NJ.com
In good news, talks are still ongoing between the team and Leon Washington. That's at least better than nothing going on right now.

Packers recover pick - JSOnline
The Jets gave back the seventh round pick they got in the Favre trade. That deal just keeps looking better and better.

Taking the Pulse of Gang Green Nation: AFC Beast

John B — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:14 -0000

We're interviewing Jets writers here to get a feel for the upcoming season. Next up is our own Xander Diaz. You know Xander as one of my cowriters here. You might not know that he runs his own Jets fan site also, AFC Beast. Here are the questions and answers.

1. If you could go back to January, would Rex Ryan be your first choice to coach to 2009 Jets. If the answer is no, who would you choose? Eric Mangini? Somebody else?

Emphatically, YES! Rex Ryan would definitely be my first choice if I were to go back. I admit that I was (just like most Jets fans I think) completely wooed by the idea of possibly seeing Bill Cower come to New York, but when I heard about Rex landing the job I was overjoyed to say the least. I love the swagger Rex brings with him and I really feel his lively, animated way of doing things is truly a breath of fresh air in Jets land. Things like the email he recently sent his team to fire them up about being picked to finished last in the division, just make me love him even more. We haven't played a single down for this man and I am already a loyal supporter.

2. What are your thoughts on the offseason the team had? What did you like? Is there anything you wish the front office had done differently?

Three things stand out for me looking back at this off-season so far; the firing of Eric Mangini paving the way for "Brag-O-Saurus" Rex, the selection of Mark Sanchez in the draft, and the failure to adequately replace Laveranues Coles & Chris Baker. It goes without saying that I am huge fan of both the Rex Ryan move and the drafting of Mark Sanchez. I believe both men will play a huge role in helping this franchise finally turn the corner. Both have brought a certain air and attitude with them that is infectious in exactly the way you'd like to see.
I'm still scratching my head over the moves we've made, or haven't made to be more accurate, in the WR & TE areas. I would love to believe we have the WR corps we need to not only be competitive but to win our division, sitting on the bench staring back at me but with Randy Moss in hated Patriots country and now T.O. bringing his talents over to Buffalo, I am not even in the same zip code as 'convinced'.
As for the TE situation, I feel the team has made some moves to try and address the hole left by Chris Baker, but I'm not entirely convinced we have the answer we would have hoped for here either. I take nothing away from Dustin Keller, who I believe is a legitimate star in the league but his blocking skills come into question repeatedly and with a stated commitment to pound the rock this year, I find this worrisome to say the least. Here's hoping Richard Owens has one heck of a year!

3. What scares you the most entering the season?

I think I've made it pretty well known by now that I am not so confident in the WR & TE areas but truthfully what scares me most is lack of depth in the lines. Last season I believe the O line went without major injuries and this is something I think would be absolutely incredible to see happen 2 seasons straight. With a brandy new QB at the helm and only the likes of Kellen Clemens/Eric Ainge to back him up, the thought of a major loss to injury on the O line jolts me awake at night. The D line is in pretty much the same boat. Look at the ripples sent through Jets fandom when it was announced that Calvin Pace would be suspended 4 games. Our lack of options on the depth chart is our biggest Achilles tendon without equivocation.

4. The biggest difference between the 2008 Jets and the 2009 Jets will be...

In a word...ATTITUDE! Win, lose or draw this team will no longer be 'the same old Jets'. I think Rex and company will go a very long ways towards changing the culture in the locker room and with fans. I will be very surprised to see this squad quit on a guy like Rex or on each other with the new attitude permeating the locker room now.

5. Will the Jets make the Playoffs if they stay healthy?

Absolutely. A lot of that will depend on the play of our QB's, that "swaggerlicious" defense we've been promised and, of course, no key injuries but I truly believe they can do it. The biggest factor for me is the new attitude. Will and desire can be the difference maker for any team. This is why we hear so much about "bulletin board" material and avoiding providing any for the opposing team...will and desire can be a dangerous threat for opposing squads. The AFC East is easily one of the toughest divisions in the league but I firmly maintain that the only real beast of the east is the J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!

Jets Sign Richard Owens

John B — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:51:05 -0000

A day after releasing Bubba Franks, the Jets signed tight end Richard Owens.

The 6-4, 273-pound Owens was originally signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2004. The former Louisville product played 39 games in Minnesota from 2004-06. Owens, 28, played 14 games with the Rams in 2007 before getting his walking papers.

Owens may fit the bill for the in line blocker the team needs. I'm still not sure I like the trade of Owens for Franks. If anything happens to Dustin Keller, Franks would have been able to step in and play at a starting level. Right now, there is no backup tight end capable of doing that on the roster.

Rams sign Manning...not that one

VanRam — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:04:38 -0000

The Rams found their veteran help at corner back today, agreeing to terms with Ricky Manning, Jr., who was released from the Bears earlier in the week.

It looks like a good move. Manning had 14 career INTs, posting five working as the nickel with the Bears in 2006. The Bears have had a good pass defense the last two years, ranked 2nd overall in 2006 and 13th overall last season, according to DVOA. Having another corner that can/has played at a level doesn't hurt, and with Fakhir Brown's status for week one still up in the air, this gives them a pro to use at nickel and slide Bartell to Brown's spot.

They also claimed a young safety off waivers from the Colts, Brannon Condren. Condren will most certainly work on special teams, a role he played with Indy in 8 games last season.

As surmised this morning, they released Richard Owens to make room for Condren. They'll have to let one more player go when Manning officially signs his contract.

The Manning signing seems smart, and it's already looking like having a personnel guru in Devaney is starting to pay off.