Ten Story Lines Emerging From Jets, Giants Camp

Separately, the Giants and Jets are trying to figure out what they are made of. The heat is rising, and the battles are becoming more interesting by the day, but a week’s worth of practice is only the beginning of determining what players will win jobs at several spots.The Jets are your typical team coming off a 4-12 season in that there could be a lot of changes. But the Giants potentially have a lot more change than your typical Super Bowl winners. Here is a look at the five most interesting story lines in Jets and Giants camps one week in:JetsRookies Catching UpThe Jets made bold moves in the draft to take Vernon Gholston, who is switching positions in the NFL, at no. 6 and trading up for TE Dustin Keller at the end of Round 1. So far, the results have been inconclusive. Head coach Eric Mangini admitted that Gholston has been “swimming” so far, trying to make up for missing some early practice time. Keller has been worked into the regular offense and has been impressive early, but he’s being used more as a flexed-out receiver than an in-line tight end, which the Jets lack.Quarterback DerbyChad Pennington appears to have taken the lead in the quarterback competition over Kellen Clemens. It has been interesting to hear Pennington talk openly about his injury troubles last season — Mangini usually has a gag order on injuries — but it’s possible that Pennington really is the best option. Clemens has thrown more interceptions in practice, though his receivers haven’t helped him out in a few cases. Forget the Brett Favre talk for now — Pennington is the slight favorite to win the job as it stands now.Cornerback BattleSome observers feel Justin Miller has the edge at the right cornerback spot over David Barrett and others, but Drew Coleman made a pair of deflected passes in yesterday’s practice that caught onlookers’ eyes. Most likely, Miller will earn a starting spot and Coleman will get a chance to win the nickelback job. If that happens, don’t be surprised if Barrett is a candidate to get cut. He makes too much money to be a fourth corner, and the Jets could turn to one of the other journeymen on the roster — Hank Poteat, Ahmad Carroll, or Andre Woolfolk — to take that spot.Depth at ReceiverRookie WR Marcus Henry has looked pretty good in the red zone, which was why he was drafted. But can he be a consistent third option? The pecking order behind Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery is far from decided, and several players will challenge Henry for the third spot. Among them: Brad Smith, Wallace Wright, David Clowney, and Chansi Stuckey. Some have even suggested that the Jets could keep six, even seven wideouts on the roster, with Smith, Wright, and Clowney likely to be key special-teamers should they stick.Nose JobThere hasn’t been much talk of the play of Kris Jenkins, whom the Jets traded two draft picks for and are paying a lot of money. The change of defensive principles from an attacking, upfield system like the Panthers used in their 4-3 alignment to the holding-the-point, two-gap style of the Jets’ 3-4 is dramatic. So far, the transition appears to be terrific, and it hasn’t hurt that Jenkins has shed 25 pounds since minicamp. In one-on-one drills, he has proven to be nearly unblockable. One observer likened Jenkins’s play to that of a combination of Keith Traylor and Ted Washington, who both made the transition from 3-4 to 4-3 defenses without issue.GiantsSafety DanceThe early star of Giants camp has been rookie Kenny Phillips, who has started to get first-team reps at safety and appears to be in line to start from day one. He had a terrific summer before reporting to Albany, making a diving interception that the coaches are still talking about, but he has backed that up with aggressive, strong play in camp. Coaches report that Phillips has had to back off from killing several wide receivers who have come across his path in noncontact drills and appears to be itching to get the chance to clock a few people. He could make the loss of Gibril Wilson, a key contributor, far less of a concern.Meet the New BossKevin Boss has been one of the other bright spots. He appears unfazed by the challenge of replacing Jeremy Shockey and has said all the right things to the press. But his best work has been on the field, where he looks sleeker, stronger, and more confident than he did as a rookie. Boss has made some terrific catches in camp and appears to be working very well with QB Eli Manning. If there’s one area of his game that the Giants might need to see more improvement, it’s in Boss’s blocking. He has the potential to be good in that department but hasn’t always shown it consistently.A Leg UpMathias Kiwanuka has been a big element of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s off-season plans, and it’s easy to see why. Kiwanuka has shown few, if any, ill effects from the broken leg that ended his 2007 season and has earned the praise of head coach Tom Coughlin, who called him perhaps “the most focused player on the team right now.” And the better news is that Kiwanuka has been as impressive in pass coverage as he has near the line of scrimmage, which is likely to make him that much more versatile and dangerous in his third season.Receiver IssuesQuick, name the Giants receiver who hasn’t missed a practice during training camp. If you said Sinorice Moss, you’d be right. Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and David Tyree all have missed time with injuries, which has opened a door for Moss — a disappointment thus far — to show his stuff with the first team. So far, his performance has been acceptable to this point, but he hasn’t wowed people play to play. That’s Moss’s biggest issue: consistency. And if he wants to make the team, he’ll have to take advantage of all the injuries and not just show occasional flashes as he has to this point of his career.Backup BluesDavid Carr hasn’t eased anyone’s nerves so far. He routinely has rushed through plays in the face of pressure, but he has played better of late. When he’s given time, Carr can be an effective QB, but when rushed or flushed out of the pocket he can struggle, despite decent athleticism. Right now, it’s not clear if Anthony Wright or rookie André Woodson have played well enough to assume the backup role if Carr struggles more. Manning is tough, but the team wants more insurance in case he goes down.Mr. Edholm, a senior editor at Pro Football Weekly, can be reached at eedholm@pfwmedia.com.

Ten Story Lines Emerging From Jets, Giants Camp

Ten Story Lines Emerging From Jets, Giants Camp

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