By MARK CANNIZZARO
Jets running back Thomas Jones, disgruntled about a contract he believes he’s outperformed, finally showed up at the Jets’ organized team activity sessions this week. His first appearance was Wednesday and he was practicing today as well.
Jones was sporting his usual cut-off-sleeves jersey to show off his large guns and he looked very much in shape.
Whether he plans to return for the OTAs when they conclude next week is unknown because Jones ducked reporters after practice, purposely not appearing in the locker room during the 45-minute period that it’s open to reporters.
That was yet another in a line of poor form Jones has displayed when dealing with the media. Here he’s been making his big statement about his disdain over his contractual situation be boycotting the offseason program and when he finally arrives he hides from reporters.
This only a few months removed from publicly blaming Brett Favre for blowing the Jets’ playoff chances with his late-season swoon on a radio interview.
“Thomas told me he’s happy to be here and I’m certainly happy he’s here,” Rex Ryan said.
“I’m under the assumption he’s going to be here,” Jets LG Damien Woody, a close friend of Jones, said.
Rookie QB Mark Sanchez met Jones for the first time Wednesday and was taken aback by the look of his lead RB.
“I asked the guys about him before (he arrived) and they said, ‘You’ll know when you see him,’ ” Sanchez said. “He’s a stud. This dude is massive, rocked up, chiseled.”
Jones, who won the AFC rushing title last season, wants to secure one last large contract. He’s in the third year of his four-year, $20 million contract from which he’s already cashed some $13 million.
He’s due to make a $900,000 base this season and is due a $3 million roster bonus in March of 2010. Jones, who’ll be 31 in August, has a pretty good idea he’ll never see that $3 million.
So he’s lobbying for more security. The problem is, NFL teams don’t make a habit of doling out lucrative long-term deals to 30-plus-year-old running backs. And, the Jets spent their third-round draft pick on Shonn Greene last month.
While Jones ended his boycott, RB Leon Washington, also unhappy with his contract, extended his and was not here for this week’s workouts.
Ryan and the rest of the team, however, believe both Jones and Washington will be present when the mandatory camps begin. The Jets have a mandatory minicamp beginning June 9.
“I certainly hope (Jones) is here for the rest of the (offseason program); that would be great,” Ryan said. “Thomas is under contract. This is a voluntary camp. When it’s mandatory he’s going to have to be in here. I truly believe that.”
The Jets, who finish the OTAs next week, have a mandatory minicamp June 9-11 and then their training camp begins on July 30 in Cortland, N.Y.
“There is some importance to having everyone practicing together, but guys have to do what they have to do and we don’t hold that against anyone personally,” C Nick Mangold said. “It’s nice having ‘TJ’ back and we look forward to getting Leon back.”
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Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, whose name came up in a rape allegation that allegedly took place at his Morristown, N.J. home last weekend, spoke publicly today on the matter for the first time, though there wasn’t much he could say.
“It’s a pending legal matter and I can’t talk about it right now,” he said.
Rhodes, however, did say he “appreciated” the prosecutor for saying publicly that Rhodes is not a part of the investigation.
“You never want your name to come up in anything (negative) in any situation,” Rhodes said. “That can be a damper. You always want to have a positive image on how you take care of yourself and how you go about your life.”
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Rookie QB Mark Sanchez made significant strides from last week’s OTAs to this week, according to Rex Ryan.
“We’re throwing him right to the wolves and I like the way he’s responding,” Ryan said.
Sanchez yesterday called his progress “a huge jump” from last week to this week and he raved about having to go up against the Jets’ aggressive and complex defense.
“As a rookie this is the way you want it,” Sanchez said. “You want to be thrown into the fire right away. You want it to be tough.”
Sanchez, who said he was here until 10 p.m. Wednesday after practice, joked that he’s “made friends with the cleanup crew” in the facility he’s been staying so late.
“I want to know it,” he said of the offense. “I want to master it by tomorrow. I want to master it 10 minutes ago.”
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Kellen Clemens raced off the field before the end of practice and he was informed that his wife, Nicole, went into labor with his second child.
“The best play today had to be Kellen Clemens’ wife. Like any good football wife, she waited until after practice to go into labor, so we’re proud of her,” Ryan joked.
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Jets LB David Harris took a Jim Leonhard helmet to the mouth at the start of practice when Leonhard was trying to field a punt near the sideline and collided with him. Ryan said all of Harris’ teeth were intact and he was OK.
