The negotiations between the Jets and TE Chris Baker got a little more intense yesterday when Baker didn’t show up for the first OTA. The player’s agents have said Baker wants to have his contract adjusted to reflect his performance over the last two seasons. The Jets have said they won’t comment on the negotiations, and expect Baker to be on the team.

… In other news, Eric Mangini is hosting a charity bowl at Chelsea Piers on May 21. Doors open at 6 p.m. and a single ticket can be had for a mere $500. Check the Chelsea Piers site for more information.

… Hannah Storm is a new SportsCenter anchor at ESPN The Television Station. … I saw a very fun country band in Brooklyn this weekend called Alex Battles’ Whisky Rebellion. A lot of songs about drinkin’ and heartache. … Tickets are on sale for Suburbia Roller Derby’s opening bout, May 31 at E.J. Murray’s in Yonkers. They are $488 cheaper than Mangini’s bowling thing. … And lastly, ESPN announces that Disney’s sports complex is going to be branded! No, not with a hot cattle iron, but with ESPN propaganda. Yes, they are seeking to convert ‘em younger. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to buy ESPN infant gear and SportsCenter mobiles to hang over the crib. Boo-yah.

The Jets have signed kicker Mark Myers, a 6-foot-2, 195 pound player from Florida Atlantic University. He played briefly in the CFL, for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, where he made five of six field goals.

George Vescey had a great column today about the difficulties of life after football for the athletes who put their bodies on the line.

After the cameras were turned off, former Bengals LB Reggie Williams has struggled with his knees.

This is a bigger issue, and some people say the NFL isn’t doing enough to take care of men like Williams, whose health issues probably have a lot to do with the wear and tear of football.

Any thoughts on this?

The Jets announced their media availability days for May, while the team is in Hempstead for voluntary workouts. So you can expect news out of practice on the next two Thursdays, and May 28-29.

If you want to hang with D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Darrelle Revis and Leon Washington, and more importantly you have $250 for a ticket, then you can attend the Taste of the NFL benefit on May 22. it’s at the Edison Ballroom and starts at 7 p.m., and all the proceeds go to charities to feed the hungry. For more info, click here.

Truth is, I find it a little ironic that in order to feed the hungry, teams ask affluent people to spend a lot of money to eat expensive food. But if they don’t do the high profile events, they don’t make the same dolla.

Here’s my solution. You could donate your own $250 ticket to one of those hungry people, who could eat all the really good food they have lined up for the event. Win, win!

p.s. That’s not my cat. I was looking for a wine glass image to go with the charity event and found this cat on a www.mabot.com blog about string theory. No lie.

Today the Jets announced they have resigned DB Hank Poteat, who was an unrestricted free agent. He started in nine of the 16 games he appeared in last year, and had two interceptions, 45 tackles and five pass breakups. Poteat was originally drafted in 2000 by the Steelers in the third round.

In the final story off the Jets rookie camp, here are some of the invites talking about the pressure. Alan Turner was my lead. We’ll find out whether or not he and the other attendees will be on the roster by May 16.

Eric Mangini said even if they don’t add a player now, they keep them in mind. Mangini tells potential Jets to stay in shape and be ready to get the call.

I was checking out The Jets Blog, as always, when I saw a photo of Vernon Gholston stretching without pads. The dude is huge.

He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 258 pounds, but it’s not so much the size as what he has packed on by way of muscle. One of his former coaches addressed his size when I talked to him last week.

“He gets questions about abouts steroids and supplements,” said Cass Tech assistant agility coach Wright. “That young man won’t even take aspirin.”

The first roster moves have been made as a result of this weekend’s rookie minicamp.
The Jets have signed tryout player, Hofstra guard Shawn McMackin, and have waived two other unsigned free agents, Nebraska center Brett Byford and Wagner CB Al Phillips.

This morning’s paper has my story about Danny Woodhead, the 5 -foot-7 1/2 running back from Chadron State the Jets invited as a rookie free agent.

This picture is an AP shot taken when Woodhead got the Division II player of the year award in 2006. Here’s Woodhead on not being recruited out of high school:

Download:

This is the third and final day of camp, but it isn’t open to the media. The Jets will have to adjust the roster by May 16 to include any rookies they liked. Since the roster is currently full, with 80 players, any additions will mean another man has to come off.

Day two of the Jets rookie minicamp, and here are some snaps from the morning practice at the Hofstra HQ. Here is the defense lining up for agility drills. No. 43 is Nate Lyles, the safety from Virginia.

And here we have No. 35, Danny Woodhead, who is an unsigned free agent from Chadron State. He set the NCAA rushing record at his Div. II school, but you can tell from this photo what might have put off some scouts—he is listed at 5-foot-7.