RealFootball365 ranks the Jets ninth on the their training camp power rankings list.

“9.) New York Jets - Consider the Jets lucky last season. They were able to win a lot of close games by virtue of a weak schedule, finish 10-6 and earn a playoff spot. This year, though, Gang Green should be the real deal. Unlike ‘06, the Jets have a legitimate RB, Thomas Jones, and a defense that ought to be very good. New York scored big with its top two draft picks in April — first-round cornerback Darrelle Revis and second-round linebacker David Harris.”

The interesting thing is the way they separate the teams into sections and what section the Jets fall into. At 9, the Jets are the highest rated out of four teams in the section: “On the cusp of the elite”.

If anything is true about this season, it is certainly going to prove a lot of people write and a lot of people wrong.

SportingNews has ranked the rushing attacks of all the AFC teams and the Jets come in fifth.

Here’s what correspondents had to say:

“5. Jets After a season of Curtis Martin withdrawal, the Jets have Thomas Jones to carry the load. Leon Washington is an ideal change-of-pace back, and Darian Barnes is a thumper at fullback.”

The Jets were behind the Chargers, Jaguars, Chiefs, and Steelers but ahead of the prominent rushing attack in Denver.

• Jerricho Cotchery really is “a Mangini guy.”
• Jusin Miller may just make it as a defensive back after all.
• Judy Battista updates the Pete Kendall situation and Dave Hutchinson reports Kendall may go Daunte Culpepper on Mannenbaum.
• If Kendall does go, TJB (yeah, I know, a blog on the Link Machine, so sue me) has a list of destinations and odds on where the guard could end up.
• However, don’t fear Jets fans–yet. Dan Martin of the New York Post postulates that Adrien Clarke may be up to the task of replacing “Brick and Nick’s” mentor.
• Speaking of Ferguson, the franchise left tackle has put on some muscle this off-season.
• One of the guys expected to replace Asante Samuel in the New England secondary is out for the year.
• Teddy Atlas is no longer a training-camp invite (Thanks to TJB for the link).
• Free-agent important Eric Hicks talks about trying to make the team, a role he’s unfamiliar with.
• Ian O’Connor warns that Man-genius did a remarkable job last year, but it’s still only one year.
• The classical music continues at Hofstra, even over the screaming thongs of Chad Pennington fans.
• Word within this Rich Cimini column that the holdout by first round pick Darrelle Revis is the longest since Keyshawn Johnson’s in 1996.
• Finally! An update on the new stadium, no matter how small it is (Props to JetsCentral).

• Mangini’s Tuesday press conference featured a lot of questions about holdout rookie Darrelle Revis.
• Mangini made the offense run a penalty lap because he knows how important it is that the team gets it right.
• Randy Lange reports the offense was inconsistent in the morning.
• Bryan Thomas is ready to keep tormenting offenses this season.
• Rookie offensive lineman Joe Villani knows that this trip to camp is different than the ones he used to make as a kid.
• Jeff Weinstein talks about a bigger D’Brickashaw Ferguson and his new mentor.
• Erik Coleman is hoping his off-season vacation gives him an early edge in training camp.
• The Jets honored the passing of the legendary Bill Walsh.
• NYJ.com covered some of the Jets’ philanthropic interests. The Jets huddled off the field to rebuild a a park in 2006, Jets tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson is a spokesperson for eating right, and Chad Pennington won an award for being the Jets’ version of Walter Payton.

• Tuesday morning’s practice was a spirited session. JetNation reports there were some big hits and a rookie got Kellen Clemens all riled up.
• As an aspiring journalist, I’ve got a soft spot for my compatriots. Tom Rock has two interns, Katie Strang and Stephen Haynes, who posted some interesting thoughts from their first practices of the summer. Strang agrees with me and thinks second-year safety Eric Smith could take incumbent Erik Coleman’s job by the end of the season and Haynes talks about a dedicated D’Brickashaw, a movie idea and a struggling power forward.
• Rich Cimini writes that Kenyon Coleman is getting comfortable in the starter’s role.
• Inside this report on this morning’s practice, JetsInsider points out that rookie Danny Ware is in the backfield mix– and my adopted son, Brad Smith, is involved too.
• Jets blog NY Landing Strip points out that the Jets are 25:1 odds to win it all.
• Andrew Gross of The Jets Journal took in his first training camp practice of the summer.
• TheJetsBlog did a podcast with with New Era Scouting’s Matt Miller.
• As reported earlier, Gang Green will wear throwback New York Titans attire against the Eagles this season. Well, the rumor seems substantiated with news that the Jets shop will be putting old school merchandise on sale within weeks.
• I have no idea what a Webkin is and according to Tom Rock, that makes me out of touch.

Less than a week after signing Tony Fisher to compete for the third string running back role, the Jets cut the former Rams and Packers running back.

Fisher was attempting to return from a broken right forearm, but this move may have more to do with the Jets comfort with rookies Danny Ware and Alvin Banks. Both have had their spots at times during camp, so we’ll have to keep an eye on things.

Adam Schein of FoxSports and Sports New York visited Jets camp on Friday and gave his thoughts on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball as well as the Pete Kendall situation.

My favorite part was the quote Schein has from DE/OLB Bryan Thomas, “Eric Mangini saved my career.”

Here’s Schein’s summary:

“Final thoughts

Mangini runs a tight camp. It added great structure and collective savvy to the Jets last year. Tannenbaum has been brilliant as general manager and he really improved the team at running back and on defense this off-season. And the general manager did a great job signing Cotchery and Thomas to deals before the market exploded this off-season. Tannenbaum really gets it.

Now, did the Jets close the gap on New England? No. Will they once again be in the mix for the playoffs? Absolutely.”

A solid review if you don’t go in expecting a lot (I did, considering Schein is often featured on Sports New York as an NFL Insider) but still, a worthwhile read.

In what has become an ongoing mid-summer theme, FoxSports and FootballOutsiders have been ranking positions throughout the league and recently released their rankings of Special Teams(Tip of the cap to TheJetsBlog for the find).

And for Jets fans, I warn you, the following is not pretty… the Jets come in at 11 on the special teams list.

“11. New York Jets (30)

Field-goal success is highly variable from one year to the next, and rookie kickers are particularly unreliable. Mike Nugent was uneven in his first year, but rebounded nicely in 2006. He improved his conversion percentage by 10 points to 88.9 percent, and was 6 of 7 from 40-plus yards after making 7 of 12 as a rookie. Australian punter Ben Graham improved in his second year, and the coverage team improved as a consequence. Justin Miller represented the AFC in the Pro Bowl at kick returner, and his 103-yard touchdown return against the Colts in Week 4 was a team record. Tim Dwight and Leon Washington shared punt-return duties last year, but with Dwight landing on the IR, Washington, who averaged three fewer yards per return, will get first dibs at the full-time gig.”

To quote the Sandlot, “You’re killing me, Smalls.”

Miller is a dynamic kick return specialist, as demonstrated by the two kicks he brought back for scores last season. Graham as a kicker doesn’t necessarily possess the strongest leg in the league but his multiple drops and angles make the balls incredible difficult to catch, a boost to any coverage unit. Nugent is a developing franchise kicker and it’s a shame that he is being held back by his rookie struggles (which higher ranked kickers like Nate Kaeding, Robbie Gould and Josh Scobee all experienced. And in Nugent’s defense, it’s a lot easier to kick when half your games are 75 and sunny.) Special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff is one of the best in the game and it appears that FootballOutsiders discounts his impact on developing this unit of Miller, Graham and Nugent in its third year together. As far as punt returns go, an admitted weak point (as well as coverage), but the potential Washington showed in the little time he spent there (maybe that’s why he has a lower average?) and the potential of rookie holdout Darrelle Revis adds at least a spark of intrigue to a unit that should be ranked in the top 5 in the league.

(Quick Note: I don’t know if anyone else has noticed but NYJ.com has taken to linking to the “print” version of articles. Why? I have no freaking clue, but it bothers me as much as it does the rest of you.  Until they fix it, I apologize but I don’t have time to search for all the individual articles and having a central place where I can get them from in extremely helpful. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.)

Now, onto the Machine…

• Despite the headaches of the Revis and Kendall situations, training camp in 2007 is a much easier pill for Jets fans to swallow than the 2006 version and it’s all about the man behind center.
• Dave Hutchinson gets in on the Pennington love-fest.
• The Jets are leading the way in a developing N.F.L. trend.
• Word within this notebook that D’Brickashaw Ferguson was dedicated to his off-season work.
• Adrien Clarke is fitting in just fine (props to TJB).
• If you pay “read between the lines” as Jets analyst Greg Buttle likes to say, Jets fans can see that head coach Eric Mangini is starting to get upset.
• Thomas Jones isn’t the only new starter in the Jets backfield.
• Jonathon Vilma says he’s much better suited for the defense this time around.
• Justin McCareins is a true pro’s-pro and everyone on the Jets knows it.
• Kendall expects to be let go. *Yawn*
• Tell me it’s not true. Just please. Somebody, tell me it’s not true.

Coaching legend Bill Walsh passed away Monday morning following a battle with leukemia.

The legendary Walsh was the originator of the West Coast Offense and won three super bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. Under Walsh’s teaching, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice flourished on their way to hall-of-fame careers. Walsh was a two-time coach of the year in 1981 and 1984.

His coaching tree reads like a veritable list of who’s-who of the N.F.L. then and now. George Seifert, the man who took over for Walsh, Mike Holmgren, Dennis Green, Ray Rhodes and former Jets head coach Bruce Coslet were former Walsh assistants who became head coaches in the league. In addition to them, coaches such as Steve Mariucci, Jeff Fisher, Mike Shannahan, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, Andy Reid, and Pete Carroll came directly from the Walsh coaching tree.

The list of Walsh accomplishments is endless, including his integral role in a league that became N.F.L. Europa, and the establishment of the Minority Coaching Fellowship program. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is one of the prime examples of the program and the program itself became a league-wide directive.

I remember growing up a football fan in the late 80s and early 90s, the San Francisco 49ers were the league standard. Ronnie Lott, Montana, Rice, Steve Young and Dwight Clark epitomized football for me, even as I was a die-hard Jets fans. As a football fan, San Francisco was always second in my heart and Walsh was directly responsible for that. Every football fan around the world is hurt by this and those whose lives Walsh touched are undoubtedly shaken to their core.

Walsh was 75. He’ll be greatly missed.