‘What’s really going on with the situation?’ They wanted my agent’s number.
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“It was a little bit of both”, Fitzpatrick said.
Full beard, mini fro, wide receiver Eric Decker joked. It’s nearly important to remember that we’ve seen plenty of receivers show out all training camp that were never able to contribute significantly during the regular season, but again I can only report what I see on any given day and this offseason Marshall has stood out on far more days than he hasn’t. “I don’t know if it would have helped or not”.
The Jets certainly wouldnt mind a repeat of Fitzpatricks statistical performance from last season, when he set the franchise record with 31 touchdown passes and helped lead NY within a victory of the playoffs.
“Somewhere about halfway through first practice I started feeling a lot better, seeing things better, the ball was coming out of my hand better”, he said.
But just because Smith isn’t likely to get the chance to start doesn’t mean we can just ignore what we see in camp, otherwise there’s no reason for reporters to be there. If Marshall keeps up this level of play when the pads come on, and the preseason rolls around, he should make this roster but the expectations for his year-one contributions should be limited to as a returner on special teams and a handful of big plays in the passing game sprinkled throughout the season. Thats not who I am. But Im doing OK financially, so it was just a risk I was willing to take..
A deal appeared to be a better possibility two weeks ago, when NY signed defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson to a five-year contract extension. So, the two sides worked throughout the day and finally ended the contract stare down.
Fitzpatrick will be paid $12 million this season, after which the contract will be voided, making him a free agent again in 2017.
“Anywhere I went”, he said.
“Yeah, some of them were trying to feel it out and like buddy me up to get the answer”.
While Geno Smith has had a solid offseason, Bowles made it clear that there is no quarterback competition. Fitzpatrick will be the starter against Cincinnati in Week 1 “unless something drastic happens”. He shrugged off a nifty long ball to Brandon Marshall – “Some of the chemistry with Brandon is ‘Hey, Brandon, run deep, I’ll throw it up.’ ‘I’ll jump and get it.’ He’s a freak of nature”.
“They’re a little more mature than past year”, he said. “It was because you guys kept putting me on ESPN”.
“Geno’s done an incredible job developing as a man off the field, a leader and a teammate”, Marshall said.
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Fitzpatrick agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with the Jets on Wednesday and signed the contract minutes before the team’s first training camp practice Thursday. “I’m feeling OK, don’t worry”. Ive got to go out and perform for all of those guys in that locker room..
