The Red Bulls have traded Juan Agudelo.

After winning their fourth straight game and vaulting into first place in the East, the Red Bulls have made a puzzling move. With only one healthy striker available, Juan Agudelo has been sent to Chivas USA for Defender Heath Pearce.

A trade that allows Heath Pearce to come to the Red Bulls seems somewhat suspect, with only Kenny Cooper to play true forward. One has to think more moves are coming after this one. The Red Bulls now have three left backs.

It is reported that if Juan Agudelo is sold in a transfer move, New York would get a cut of the money.

Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning, arrives on the blue carpet at the Giants ring ceremony at Tiffany & Co.

It is about time the New York Giants received their Super Bowl XLVI Championship rings! Being mid May, the Super Bowl where the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21‐17 happened more than two months ago.

The team captains Eli Manning, Justin Tuck and Zak DeOssie along with team president John Mara, chairman Steve Tisch, general manager Jerry Reese, head coach Tom Coughlin, and Tiffany representatives had numerous meetings to design the rings. After weeks of anticipation, they have arrived.

The ceremony was held at Tiffany and Co. on 5th Avenue and 57th Street in NYC, Wednesday night, May 16, 2012. Dozens and dozens of big blue fans lined the street just to sneak a glimpse at the players as they walked into Tiffany on the blue carpet.

Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLVI MVP snuck onto the end of the carpet for a quick interview and pictures before proceeding into the ceremony.

Catching up with safety Antrel Rolle on the blue carpet as he gave inside thoughts about his first Super Bowl win.

“I think that, you know, that rings signifies a lot. A lot of ups a lot of downs. Perseverance. From a teammate stand point we never sell ourselves short. We went out there and made sure we had in our minds we had it won.”

He continued down the carpet, and posed for pictures while wearing a gray suit, white button up with a blue tie, looking sharp as ever.

Next to arrive was Victor Cruz; he couldn’t walk down the carpet without being stopped every couple feet. Will Cruz wear his ring?

“I’ll wear it to special events, and whenever I see it fits the bill. I’d like to put it up, and kind of give it to my mom. She loves these things double the time that I do. So ill probably give it to her.”

As all the players made their way down the carpet and inside for the private ceremony event sans media, where everyone received their rings, ate some small plates of hors d’oeuvers, and socialized while the music was bumping loud.

David Diehl was on the squad in ’08 when the Giants won their first Championship under Coughlin, and he is back for another ring.

“This is an unbelievable experience. Walking up to the podium and having somebody shake your hand, Jerry Reese and Coach Coughlin, and they hand me a box with your second Super Bowl ring, it’s something that you can’t even imagine. Playing football in the NFL was always my dream, and this is a dream come true, to be sitting here going into my tenth year with two Super Bowl Rings, it’s just, something that you can’t ever take away.”

“We’re defending Super Bowl Champs, unlike last year, were not sneaking up on anyone.”

Justin Tuck shows off the Super Bowl trophy as well as his two Super Bowl rings.

Now that the offseason practices have started, Diehl mentions this in reference to the other teams being aware that this is a talented and dedicated set of guys. The pressure will be even greater next season as opponents can prepare to defend against the champs.

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is another two‐time champ with this team.

“It’s the greatest feeling. It shows how hard we worked all year. Hopefully this is the second to the collection”

Giants QB and as I mentioned before Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning, was the last to address the media during the press conference.

“Tonight being around the whole team from last year all the coaches and players, everybody, and walking up there on the stage and obviously just getting the box, but also how quickly can you run off the stage and open up the box and get that ring and get it on your finger. That’ an exciting moment. Just a fun night to be here and kind of relive our accomplishments from last year.”

Manning continued, “Just to make the playoffs is difficult. Just a matter of you working hard to try to improve your skills, make sure your doing everything you can to become a better player, and hopefully things can turn out, and get hot at the right time, people stay healthy. There’ so many things that have to go your way to have the opportunity to win a championship, and when you face that opportunity and its staring at you in the face, you can take advantage of it.”

This night was one to remember for all of the players, coaches, and owners. I’m sure even the guys that didn’ voice their thoughts are feeling the same way as Bradshaw, Cruz, Diehl, and Manning, just to name a few.

Next season the slate is clean, it is anyone’ game.

The New York Giants were back to practice this Thursday morning, after a memorable night celebrating their amazing season that has officially just ended with the gift of a gorgeous ring.

They are in pursuit of the next…

Hamilton Farm Golf Club is hosting the Sybase Match Play LPGA event, May 17th - 20th.

After a strong start to the 2012 season, the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) comes to the east coast for three events in four weeks.   

The first two events take place in New Jersey: The Sybase Match Play Championship, taking place this week in Gladstone, N.J. and the ShopRite LPGA Classic, in Galloway, N.J. at the first of June.  After spending a few weeks in New Jersey, the tour goes to Pittsford, N.Y. for the second major of the year – the Wegmans LPGA Championship from June 7-10.

As previously mentioned, the Sybase Match Play Championship starts today and a strong field of players is on hand to win the first prize of $375,000.  In its third year, the Match Play is one of the tougher events on tour, for a player must beat six others head-to-head to win. 

Usually, most of the LPGA events are metal play, so total score for three or four rounds under par wins the tournament.  Match play usually has surprise results because if a player is off, they can be sent home that day.  For the top players, they have to be focused and on top form to win this tournament.  

Yani Tseng and Stacy Lewis are two players to watch this week.  Tseng, the number one player in the ROLEX Women’s World Golf Rankings, has won three events this season and is a heavy favorite to win the Match Play this week. 

Lewis, a former Kraft Nabisco Champion, won the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic at the end of April for her second tour win.  Lewis was coming off a second at this year’s Kraft Nabisco to 2010 Sybase winner Sun Young Yoo.

While the South Korean players and Taiwan (with Tseng) have dominated the tour, the American contingent is strong and is experienced in match play.  Former U.S. Women’s Open Champions Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer lead an outstanding group of players that has experience in the Curtis and Solheim Cup. 

Defending champion Suzann Pettersen and Yoo are among the 64 players in this year’s field.  Here are some interesting numbers to consider as the tournament starts:

6 – The number of first round matchups that involve two American players 

7 – The number of members in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings Top 10 rankings in the tournament, including number one player Yani Tseng.

18 – The number of players in the Top-25 in the ROLEX Women’s World Golf Rankings playing this week.

21 – The number of American players playing this week at the Sybase Match Play Championship.

Keep up with the Sybase Match Play Championship on DoubleGSports.com and on Twitter (@DoubleGSports, @philipgmathew).

Should the Knicks have tried to bring Phil Jackson in as head coach?

It looks as if the New York Knicks are close to making an official offer to bring back interim head coach Mike Woodson. Is that a foolish move with the Zen master available?

Should the Knicks make a full court press in trying to get Phil Jackson to coach the team, or has Mike Woodson proven that he is the man for the job? With an early first round playoff exit, the Knicks can only focus on next year and who should coach the team moving forward.

The tale of the tape is pretty simple in comparing Phil Jackson to Mike Woodson, 11 championships coached to 0, as well as an NBA season record of 72 regular season wins to 53. Now, we all know about Phil Jackson’s championships and wins, but the most impressive stat to me is that in his 20 seasons as a head coach, nine with the Bulls and 11 with the Lakers, he has never had a losing record.

Phil is arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NBA (along with Red Auerbach, of course.) While that is impressive, we must now analyze who is actually the better fit for the 2012-13 New York Knicks.

Woodson finished the season strong with the Knicks, going 18-6 in the regular season after taking over after Mike D’Antoni’s resignation, and leading them to their first playoff win in 11 years. His coaching directly reflected on Tyson Chandler receiving the Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Knicks played much more intensely on the defensive end and overall with more cohesiveness under Mike Woodson. However, with Woodson, the offense struggled at times. Woodson is not known for his offensive game planning and seemed clueless in the series against the Miami Heat.

Much like Woodson was brought in for D’Antoni as a defensive assistant, if Woodson remains as the head coach, then the Knicks should look to bring in an offensive assistant to help. Woodson’s offensive philosophy was simple in the playoffs: get the ball to Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks will need to have better ball movement and better set plays in order to compete at a higher level with Woodson retained as head coach.

There are several knocks on the Knicks team this year. They don’t play well together, their stars don’t hustle or play hard enough, and they’re not passionate enough about winning. Phil Jackson might be the only man that could correct those issues. Phil is a winner and the players would respect him, which may be the most important thing. The Knicks have the talent to compete with any team in the league on any given night.

Phil Jackson is able to get the most out of his players and, if anybody could inspire Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony to crash the boards and play ferocious defense on a nightly basis, then it would be Phil. I like Mike Woodson, but I think the Knicks made a big mistake not contacting Phil Jackson about the coaching position.

I personally do not believe that Phil would want to coach this Knicks team, but it would be worth a try to get one of the greatest coaches and leaders in the history of the sport.

That was, however, until the Giants defeated the Jets on Christmas Day and seemingly rolled to a Super Bowl victory after that match up. Since that December afternoon, the two teams have gone in completely opposite directions.

The Giants are viewed as the stable, humbled franchise with the hardware, while the Jets are seen in the public eye as a circus with a ticking time bomb ready to blow the roof off the big top at the first sign of trouble.

Last night the two franchises came together for a common cause at the 19^th annual Gridiron Gala at the Woldorf Astoria in Manhattan, where together, they helped raise over $1.5 million. The United Way of New York City honored Jets guard Brandon Moore and Giants guard Chris Snee as Hometown Heroes for their superb community efforts throughout the year.

“I am humbled to be acknowledged as a Hometown Hero for the work I do in my community,” said Moore. “I am proud to give back and hope that I can inspire others to do the same.”

“Hometown Hero is a badge I will wear with pride for the rest of my life,” said Snee. “It is so fulfilling to be able to give back to my hometown and I hope that everyone is able to join this effort and help those in need.”

With several key players and figures from both franchises on hand to show their support and gratitude for their teammate’s charitable efforts, Double G Sports caught up with some of them for their thoughts on the upcoming season.

Joe Namath speaks to the media at the Gridiron Gala on May 15, 2012.

When the Jets pulled off the shocking trade for quarterback Tim Tebow on March 21, nobody was more critical of the decision than Jets legendary Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Namath, when he publicly stated that he thought the Jets sole intent in trading for Tebow was to “grab headlines.” Since then, Namath has dramatically changed his tone in regards Tebow and the impact he could have on the teams Super Bowl aspirations.

When asked if he thought Tebow and Sanchez could function together, Namath answered, “Yes, I think it can work. I’ve got enough respect for Tony Sparano to believe it can work, it remains to be seen how they execute…At any rate, Tebow is a positive, in anyway you add him to your organization, he is a positive.”

Asked if he thought Sanchez was indeed the superior quarterback to Tebow, Namath stated, “There’s no doubt about it, there’s no doubt about it at all, at this point, certainly. And Mark’s going to get better. He’s going into his fourth year. Golly, I remember a team that won a championship with a quarterback in his fourth year. I hope it happens again.”

The critical remarks that Namath has dished out about the franchise that he brought their lone Super Bowl title to way back in 1969 has caused for a seemingly rocky relationship between himself and Owner Woody Johnson in recent months.

“It’s rough, none of us like to be critiqued or criticized in a negative way,” Namath said. “It gets bent sometimes. I don’t like feeling the vibes that I get back whenever I cross Woody’s path. Rex and I have been getting along well when we bump into each other, but I know there’s an underlying sensitivity there that the Jets have.”

Giants WR, Hakeem Nicks, talks to Double G Sports during the Gridiron Gala.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the much more collected and under control side, the Giants are set to receive their Super Bowl Championship rings tonight in Manhattan at Tiffany & Company. One of the key cogs in that championship run was receiver Hakeem Nicks, who spoke to Double G Sports exclusively about the Giants storybook championship run.

“To win a title in New York is a great experience, especially to get it so early in my career,” said Nicks. “It’s something I’ll always remember and I’m definitely ready to get to work and compete for another.”

Nicks caught 76 passes for 1,192 yards last season as the teams prime down the field threat. Lined up on the other side of Nicks was slot speedster, Victor Cruz, who went from training camp cut candidate to Pro-Bowl superstar almost overnight. Cruz exploded onto the scene last season for an incredible 82 catch campaign that saw him rack up 1,536 yards.

“It’s great playing with him, man,” added Nicks. ”I think we compliment each other very well. He does what he does in the slot, I do what I do on the outside and we compliment each other well; we play great team ball.”

Of course, to have two receivers with the gaudy numbers that Nicks and Cruz compiled, you have to have an elite quarterback throwing them the ball. Nicks believes that Eli is, without question, in the upper echelon of the leagues elite class of quarterbacks.

“I always felt like he was elite,” admitted Nicks. “The whole team felt like that. It’s just other people who have doubts, but that’s just the game we play; everybody doesn’t have to believe me as long as you believe in yourself and your teammates believe in you, then you can go out and get the job done.”

Frank Francisco has been shaky as the Mets closer this season.

Yesterday is a prime example to why the closer situation over the weekend is a big issue.

The New York Mets got their rear ends handed to them on a silver platter by the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-0. If the Mets had those two wins in their back pocket, they would have had a 6-0 road trip, fans would have backed the team a little bit more since they were expected to do nothing, and this loss wouldn’t have dropped them closer to .500 overall.

The Mets cannot tread water. They don’t have the horses. The National League East right now is ripe for the taking. Imagine the Mets got off to a hotter start like the Baltimore Orioles or Texas Rangers, they would be in the drivers seat and a loss would be a loss, but they can still put distance between them and the other teams. Instead, right now, they have to keep making up ground.

I know this team isn’t perfect, but they can make a run in a weakened division. This is why the Frank Francisco experiment can’t go on forever. Tell us he’s tipping pitches or whatever, we can’t prove it, but why was he only throwing his fastball which isn’t that great in the first place?

Mike Francesa went on a huge rant on WFAN about the Mets fans overblowing the situation, saying Papelbon is one of the best and he was beat by a rookie (Jordany Valdespin). The difference is that the Phillies were expected to be a good team while the Mets were predicted to finish in last place. The Mets don’t buy a World Series every year like his team.

No closers are perfect but Francisco has not looked good, even in some of the games he has actually closed. The Mets have other guys who can help out. Jon Rauch has closed, Bobby Parnell has closed with mixed results, but that was when he was just throwing and not pitching.

I just hope that Francisco doesn’t come back to hurt the team. This team has a chance to be decent and us Mets fans have been asking for that for a few years now.

After suffering a concussion in a collision, Mets catcher Josh Thole should be ready to return from the 7-day DL.

Josh Thole, the New York Mets starting catcher, has been on the 7-day concussion DL. He is finally looking like he’s ready to come back. He will need a handful of rehab games before returning to the Mets. Thole was swinging a hot bat before he got knocked out and may not come back swinging as well right away. With Nickeas giving us 0-3 with 3K games, the Mets need as much offense as possible, even if it’s from a singles hitter like Thole.

Ruben Tejada is not ready for rehab games just yet. There is no timetable set for the shortstop but with him down, you’d expect Jordany Valdespin to get some of the playing time since you don’t want him to rot on the bench. He should be playing every day to learn the new positions if you want him as a utility guy, though I think he could replace Tejada or Daniel Murphy who actually plays his best position of 2B. Murphy has raised his value back up yet again being the hit machine that he is, so he is a likely trade candidate if they were to do it.

Jason Bay…wish he was going to be away longer but he has been cleared to start baseball activities and will head to Port St Lucie on Friday. He poses a huge problem. Andres Torres came back from his own DL stint and has been on fire. I thought he’d kill the chemistry but he is looking like 2010 Torres and not 2011 Torres. With Torres coming back, Captain Kirk was moved over to LF which is Bay’s position. Kirk has been good and it would be a shame to see him lose playing time, the guy has been clutch, with a capital CLUTCH.

Murphy has always been that clutch guy but Kirk has topped that. Duda is Duda, you don’t want to stunt his growth. Jason Bay is also a lineup problem. When Ike Davis or Lucas Duda bat near him, they get nothing to hit which results in them trying to hit everything even close to the plate. I’d say make Bay the 4^th outfielder, but Mike Baxter has been hitting the cover off the ball when he gets a chance. Bay is also a right hand bat that the Mets really lack these days but it’s not a necessity.

I doubt they will give Bay the full 30-day rehab but right now they should be able to since he has produced nothing in over two years and he should accept it. That’s the one thing about Bay, he’s so damned hardworking and likeable. I want to hate the guy but he plays the game the right way everyday. Just don’t know what they can do with him and keep the team as it is now.

NJ native Jim Miller takes a hit from Nate Diaz during a battle at the IZOD Center

Despite a stacked card and impressive outing by the fighters at UFC on Fox 3 from the IZOD Center in NJ, the show drew its lowest rating since the growing company partnered with Fox Sports.

According to the Nielsen ratings, the May 5 show averaged 2.4 million viewers, landing it as the least watched UFC show on Fox in its very short history. The two shows prior drew strong ratings with a 5.7 and 4.67 million.

While the number of viewers was quite low compared to the previous shows there doesn’t seem to be an exact answer as to why. The show delivered from start to finish and had a mix of well-known names with some fresh faces.

The main card, which aired live on Fox, consisted of four bouts all from different weight classes. It was a smart move by opening up a national audience to a range of fighters, instead of just putting the focus on one or two weight classes.

Before the opening bout between Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson, both men promised that the fight was going to end in the first round and they were right. Once Johnson got Barry against the cage he came out swinging with shots to the head and body, including some hard-hitting uppercuts. With less than 30 seconds in the first round, a nearly gassed out Johnson just had enough stamina to win via TKO.

In a middleweight bout, Alan Belcher defeated Rousimar Palhares via TKO in the least competitive of the main card matches. Palhares seemed determined to win via heel hooking, locking it on several times, but to no avail as Belcher slipped out each time. Belcher won this fight in round one easily with little excitement.

In welterweight action, Johny Hendricks won via split decision against the always arrogant Josh Koscheck in close fight, where many disagreed with the outcome. After Hendricks appeared to have trouble seeing from one of his eyes, from an apparent poke to it that went unnoticed by the referee, he came back and took the fight to Koscheck.

In the main event, New Jersey’s Jim Miller took on Nate Diaz in a lightweight bout with major implications for the winner. Diaz destroyed Miller in his home state to become the number one contender for the light heavyweight title with a nasty guillotine choke in round two and won submission of the night honors too.

On paper the card had it all and it came off that way in front of the camera. In two hours, there were four different weight class fights with three different outcomes.

President of the UFC Dana White stood by the card which shows he believed the company gave the fans a night of solid fights. White comes off as an honest businessman, as he states publicly his feelings about a card or fighter.

Eventually, the ratings for anything have moments where they drop. It remains unclear why this show drew such a low number, but there are several logical reasons why.

Possible scenarios for the below average rating can be that the fight ran on Cinco de Mayo and had numerous TV challengers that day such as the NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs and the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto. Looking back at what the show was up against, perhaps it should have run on a different night.

The UFC returns to Fox on Aug. 4 and eyes will be on the ratings to see if they continue to slide or if the recent drop was simply an occasional occurrence that happens.

Some of the items up for auction as part of the Champions Golf Classic benefiting the Chris Canty Foundation.

May 14, 2012 marked a very special day for the Chris Canty Foundation (CCF). The first annual Champions Golf Classic to benefit this foundation took place at the prestigious Manhattan Woods Golf Club in West Nyack, New York. The rolling hills of the course provided a beautiful backdrop for this charity event, and, I have to say, Mother Nature didn’t completely misbehave.

Chris Canty, defensive tackle for the New York Giants, has developed a foundation that is dedicated to the youth of the community. They work with children from vast backgrounds on three major platforms‐ achieving excellence in education, athletics, and volunteerism.

Joseph Canty, brother of Chris Canty, also president and chairman of the foundation, was a major orchestrator in this event, yet he still managed to take a few minutes out of his chaotic day to give me some firsthand information about CCF and their amazing growth in the past few years.

I had mentioned to Joseph that I noticed this foundation is not like most other charities where they raise money for research for a disease or for a particular person who faced a tragedy. I asked him where the premise came from to start this foundation for the youth of our country.

“We have worked hard over the last five years really trying to pinpoint who we were,” said Joseph.  “We have been a non‐profit for all intents and purposes since 2007, but we just received our 501 c‐3 status almost two years ago now, and we had to figure out who we were. We started out as a youth football camp, naturally, we’re a family of athletes, me and my siblings played college sports, but we also excelled academically as well. And because of that, we always had an affinity for community service. So I just mentioned our three pillars, education, fitness, and service. It’s what our parents raised us on. It’s who we are as a family, and it’s what many parents teach their kids.”

Chris had the same underlying ideas about his foundation but he added…

“I have a passion for working with kids, and obviously I believe that the platform that I have been blessed with in sports and athletics translates well to influencing them in a positive direction. I play, and we are on television, I get the chance to be a role model for kids, so it’s really awesome to be able to give back to them, it’s really an honor and a privilege.”

As a foundation, Chris and his family are very committed to making sure they see success within the participating kids, they remain in contact to see that their approach to positively influencing the three main platforms is always on a steady incline.

While cruising the hills of Manhattan Woods Golf Club, periods of drizzle threatened the golf game success of many. Simeon Rice, defensive end who retired in 2009, playing during his career for Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Bucs (five seasons with this team, the longest with one team in his career), Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and the New York Sentinels, was not taking the misty air an excuse.

Rice said, “I mean it’s really cool, education, youth, the future, and to be able to stand by it. And for myself it was just sponsoring, because, I don’t golf. This is my first time golfing, I never golfed in my life! I just came in support of Chris and what he’s doing with his foundation. So for me that was really important. Anytime you can give back, it’s a situation of a call of duty.”

I wasn’t able to watch Rice play for long. However, the drive I saw at hole 5 was not so bad! Maybe he will have a new hobby out of his support for the CCF.

Chris had mentioned earlier in the day that golf is a hobby of his, and this was why he had chosen an adult day out on the course as a his charity event. Unfortunately, Chris did not play the charity round with his fellow teammates. He is currently in rehab from knee surgery that took place at the end of the 2011‐2012 season. “The rehab is going really well. I’m looking forward to being ready to go; obviously it’s a lot of work for me. But the doctors feel good about the progress,” he added.

Canty did say that Terrell Thomas, Giants defensive back, was probably one of the better golfers out of all the guys. Thomas’s chuckling response, “That’s a lie! LT is! That’s a total lie! Its hard for me, I got a two year old so I can’t get out as much, but I’m chopping away slowly!”

“It means a lot. When any athlete gives back to his community or is making strides to, I think that’s big. We are so blessed as individuals to be in the position that we are, so I think that every athlete should be able to give back, and anyone that’s doing it, I’m always here to support,” Thomas added about his participation in the CCF charity event.

Chase Blackburn, linebacker for the NY Giants, had mentioned his childhood when asked about what his time donation to CCF means.

“I never really had the opportunity to meet professional athletes, so I always wanted to do that when I was a kid, and never got the opportunity, so now that I have the opportunity to give back to see a little kid out there, and put my face out there, I try to brighten someone’s day.”

Chris had amazing support from his teammates and people in the community who love playing golf, and donating to a great cause. They raised money, portrayed the goal of the foundation to many people, hoping to build awareness of the CCF in the community.

Check out his organization at chriscantyfoundation.org.

Head Coach Rex Ryan working with the defensive line during Jets rookie mini-camp.

The New York Jets are going into minicamp with a lot of new faces and positions to fill. The 2012 draft was a gamble for the Jets, but that has been a reoccurring theme for the organization.

Drafting Quinton Coples with their first pick and Stephen Hill with their second pick were what many would consider to be risky selections. Both players are considered to be extremely raw talents with the potential to be star players.

Hill, who is 6’5” and 205 pounds, ran a sub 4.4 forty yard dash, but has never caught more than 38 passes in a season during his college career.

The rookie out of Georgia Tech is confident in his abilities and said, “I’m not nervous at all. I’m just making sure I got everything correct and just going hard, as much as I can…I want to take whatever I did in college and put way more emphasis on it now.”

The Jets also drafted Jordan White, from Western Michigan University, who was one of the best wide receivers in the sub division. He has great hands, caught 140 passes his senior season, and runs routes like a veteran, but he does not have the breakaway speed that many GMs are looking for. The Jets could really use a solid number two receiver after losing Plaxico Burress to free agency and hope one of these two receivers can be that guy.

Along with Coples, the Jets drafted outside linebacker Demario Davis, from Arkansas State University, to help with the pass rush. Davis is a talented pass rusher who does not have the best instincts, but is a gifted athlete with a high motor. According to Davis the strongest part of his game is his “speed and ability to run”.

Davis also stated, “The system the Jets run is pretty similar if not the exact same defense we ran in college, so that’s extremely beneficial.”

Rex Ryan will be moving Davis to the inside linebacker position, so understanding the defense gives Davis a great advantage. Davis was projected to go late in the second round, so he was a steal in the third round.

Running back was a big need for the Jets going into the draft and they hope they addressed it with their sixth round pick, Terrance Ganaway, out of Baylor University. Ganaway started for the first time as a senior and ran the ball 250 times for a total of 1547 yards. He also ran for 21 touchdowns and is a physical runner with his 6’1”, 240lb build. The Jets want to return to their “ground and pound game” and Ganaway looks to fit that role.

“I think Rex [Ryan] or Mike [Tannenbaum] used the term ‘A-back’ in one of their press conferences, and that’s really what we wanted to find,” said offensive coordinator Tony Sparano.

Ganaway has expressed great joy in playing for the Jets and hopes to help the team’s run game return to one of the best in the league.

Another issue for the Jets going into the draft was the safety position. Even with the signing of LaRon Landry they still needed to find another safety. The team took Josh Bush, from Wake Forest University, and Antonio Allen, from the University of South Carolina in the sixth and seventh round. Neither is expected to be a superstar at the next level, but Allen has the potential to take the starting job. He was a great player for South Carolina and was a crucial reason they had one of the best defenses in the country last season. He is considered slow and does not have great recovery speed, but he has superb instincts and is a hard hitter.

With their last sixth round pick the Jets select Robert Griffen from Baylor University…unfortunately he is the guard and not the quarterback. Although this Robert Griffen did not receive all the hype as his former teammate, he is expected to give Wayne Hunter competition for the starting job.

Notable rookie free agents brought into camp: