Role reversal for soaring Jets, struggling Pats

By Dennis Waszak Jr. / Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Rex Ryan challenged the rest of the NFL during training camp, asking if there were any teams other than his New York Jets good enough to beat the New England Patriots.

Well, Buffalo answered the call in Week 3. Pittsburgh and the Giants did, too, in the last two weeks. Now it’s the time for the Jets to back up their brash coach’s big words.

“The two years I’ve been here, obviously New England has won the division both times,” Ryan said. “They’ve beat us already. So, we know what this game represents. We’re not afraid to talk about it. It’s not one of these, “Well, if we don’t, there’s still a lot of season left.’ We’re approaching it like we have to have this game.”

The suddenly soaring Jets (5-3) take on the struggling Patriots (5-3) in a showdown for first place in the AFC East on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium. The winner will have at least a share of the top spot, with Buffalo (5-3) taking on Dallas earlier that day.

“We want to win our division,” Ryan said. “We think it goes through New England. That old saying, “To be the champ, you have to beat the champ.’ And they’re sitting right in front of us. I respect the job that Pittsburgh and the Giants and Buffalo did in defeating New England. That’s no easy task. And right now, we’re going to say we think we’ve improved as a football team, and we’re going to find out on Sunday, because this is a measuring stick right here.”

That’s how most teams approach playing Bill Belichick’s Patriots, given their consistent winning ways during the last decade. But, Ryan’s No. 1 charge when he took over as the Jets coach was to knock the Patriots off their pedestal. New York has made it to the AFC championship the past two seasons, but has done it the hard way by playing all of its postseason games on the road. Winning the division is the only way to guarantee to have at least one home game, and this one could go a long way to determining who’ll be hitting the road when the playoffs start.

“This is right where we want to be,” quarterback Mark Sanchez said, “and there’s no better team that we’d want to play than a division rival and a divisional opponent, for a game that looks to set us up real nice in the division if we win.”

The last time these teams met back on Oct. 9, the Jets were sent to their third straight loss and appeared to be in disarray. Meanwhile, the Patriots were cruising along with a high-powered offense behind Tom Brady.

Funny how things change in just a few weeks.

New York has won three in a row, beating Miami, San Diego and Buffalo along the way. New England has lost two straight and is in danger of its first three-game skid since 2002, when the Patriots lost four straight, finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs.

“No doubts around here, and that’s me being honest,” wide receiver Deion Branch said. “We see in the film what we’re doing wrong.”

So did the Bills, Steelers and Giants, who were all able to come up with game plans that worked — and won. It’s a simple but not easily executed formula: Put pressure on Brady, take away the edge and shut down the running game and let the defense — ranked 32nd in the league — make its mistakes, especially in the shaky secondary.

“They’re not invincible,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “They’re a great football team, but they’ve got beat by some pretty good teams, as well. I don’t think they’re going to panic up in New England, and we’re not going to feel sorry for them, either.”

Beginning with the last meeting, the Jets have gone back to their run-first “Ground-and-Pound” approach on offense, and having Nick Mangold back from a badly sprained ankle has certainly helped. So has the defense, which is starting to show signs of dominance again with forced turnovers, quarterback pressures and confusing offenses.

“They’re a tough team to prepare for,” Brady said. “They’ve got a lot of stuff, they’ve got a lot of really good players, good scheme. They play well at home. It’s a great challenge.”

Brady is having another typically good season, but his interceptions are unusually high. After throwing four all last season, he’s got 10 this year — including four in his last three games.

“Just decision making,” Brady said. “I’ve just got to make better decisions.”

And that won’t be easy, especially with a secondary led by Darrelle Revis, who’s off to another All-Pro-caliber season with four interceptions. Brady has a 15-5 record against the Jets, including the playoffs, but is 3-3 in the last six with 10 touchdowns and five INTs.

“The guy is a tremendous quarterback, clearly,” said Ryan, refusing to say Brady looks vulnerable. “Without Peyton (Manning) playing, I’d say he’s the best quarterback in the league right now.”

After all, the Jets know better than to get too overconfident against Brady and the Patriots. Not in a rivalry that has been so intense and evenly played lately — the series is tied at 52-52-1. The teams have alternated wins and losses during the last six games, starting with the Jets’ season-opening win in 2009 and including New York’s 28-21 playoff victory last season.

“Oh, it’s fantastic,” Mangold said. “The New York-Boston rivalry, it spans across different sports. We’ve been going back and forth since my time coming in. We’ve had some great games and that’s what makes sports awesome when you get rivalries going. It makes for exciting football.”

Especially when the foes are so familiar and played each other only a month ago.

“It’s one of those deals,” Belichick said, “where they know that we know that we know that they know that we know.”

Got it?

“I said it right after we played them that they were the better team then,” Ryan said. “We’ll see who the better team is now.”

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Jason Taylor is back with teh Miami Dolphins and will face his old team – the New York Jets – tonight. / Lynne Sladky/AP

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DENNIS WASZAK Jr. | Associated Press

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Rex Ryan and the New York Jets want a win in the worst way.

Three straight losses and rumblings about possible locker room disharmony have many fans and media speculating that the Jets could be on the verge of falling apart. It’s just Week 6, but New York’s game against the winless Miami Dolphins is being considered by many as a must-win — and Ryan remains confident his team can turn things around.

“We haven’t performed to our expectations, our fans’ expectations and all that,” Ryan said. “We certainly understand that, but this season’s not over. And people want to throw some dirt on us, well, we can affect how this season ends.”

On the surface, a 2-3 record is far from a near-crisis situation. But, the fact the jokes haven’t been flying as frequently from the usually brash Ryan and his bunch of chatterboxes fuels the feelings that this Jets team isn’t as loose as past groups. Getting back home after a brutal three-game stretch on the road could be exactly what New York needs.

“I think Monday night is the time to definitely turn it around,” wide receiver Santonio Holmes said. “The spotlight’s on us, everybody’s watching. It’s time to really play some football and turn this organization around.”

Except for the fact the Dolphins (0-4) are coming off a bye-week break and hungry for a win, too.

“Quite honestly, you’re talking about a caged animal, so to speak, in the Miami Dolphins and they’re looking at one when they see us,” Ryan said. “Both teams have not performed to expectations and can’t wait to play this game, so it should be a physical game.”

Just as most of the other matchups between these two AFC East rivals have been over the years. That includes “The Monday Night Miracle” in 2000 at the old Meadowlands, when the Jets stormed back from a 30-7 fourth-quarter deficit and beat the Dolphins 40-37 in overtime.

Miami has also won both road games between the teams in Ryan’s first two seasons as New York’s coach.

“When the Jets and Dolphins are playing, you can kind of throw out the record books sometimes,” said newly signed Dolphins quarterback Sage Rosenfels. “I know we’ve had a lot of success going up there and playing these last few years, it’s been some great rivalries. There’s a reason they put this game on Monday night because the entire Eastern seaboard is interested in this game.”

It also might mean a little more than usual. For the Jets, it’s a chance to prove that the last three weeks — losses at Oakland, Baltimore and New England — were nothing more than a bump in their Super Bowl road and not the start of an ugly spiral.

“Nobody feels desperate,” tight end Dustin Keller said. “We just have to stick to our game plan and stick to what we do individually, and that’s worked for us in the past.”

For the Dolphins, it’s an opportunity for coach Tony Sparano to turn his team around after a miserable start. He’s already working without his starting quarterback after Chad Henne was lost for the season with a separated left shoulder. Matt Moore replaces Henne — for this week, at least.

“There’s no pressure on him,” wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. “We’re under, under, under, under, under, under, under, underdogs. so there ain’t no pressure on anybody.”

Moore will also become the 16th quarterback to start for the Dolphins since the Dan Marino era ended at the beginning of the 2000 season, the most among NFL teams in that span.

“Obviously, Marino was a great one,” said Moore, who was 10-13 as a starter with Carolina. “It doesn’t matter who’s back there, the guy who’s going to make the plays and win ballgames ultimately is going to be the guy. Whether that’s 15 guys in 15 games, or one guy, they’re going to find the right guy.”

Sparano’s job might depend on it. Miami is in danger of starting 0-5 for first time since losing its first 13 in 2007, en route to 1-15 season. There has also already been speculation about Sparano’s job security.

“That’s a hard place to be, 0-5,” he said.

Sparano says he has been through this before, including as an assistant for Marty Schottenheimer’s Washington Redskins in 2001. That team won eight of its last 11 to finish at .500, giving Sparano some hope for this Dolphins team.

“It just takes a win to get yourself going and right now that’s all we’re worried about,” he said. “We’re worried about making our football team better, using this time to develop some of our players here and figure out how to win a game.”

While the Dolphins’ offence is trying to regroup after the loss of their starting quarterback, the defence has perhaps been an even bigger disappointment. Miami is ranked 28th in overall defence, and 31st in passing defence — despite having two of the best young cornerbacks in the league in Vontae Davis, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and Sean Smith.

New York has had its share of problems on defence, too, giving up an unexpectedly large number of big runs and being anything but dominant. But the offence has been the consistent trouble spot, with Sanchez taking lots of hits behind an inconsistent offensive line, a running game that is slow to get going and a group of wide receivers still trying to jell with the quarterback.

Sanchez has one less receiver this week after the Jets traded veteran Derrick Mason to the Houston Texans after not making as big an impact as expected.

“We thought we had a pretty good group of guys here, and it’s unfortunate that the organization felt another way,” Holmes said. “We have to deal with the punches that are thrown at us and continue rolling.”

Otherwise, the Jets could suddenly find themselves just a half-game ahead of the Dolphins in the standings. Not that Ryan is even entertaining any of those thoughts. In his mind, his team still has its sights set on the Super Bowl.

“I can guarantee that we’re going to chase it, that’s for sure,” Ryan said. “Do I think we’ll win it? Yeah, absolutely.”

___

AP Sports Writer Steven Wine in Miami contributed to this report.

Via Rant Sports:

While New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is not in the same class as Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts or even Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, Sanchez is certainly getting paid like them—actually getting paid more than them as the third-year signal caller from Southern California is slated to make a salary of $14.75 million dollars in 2011.

Because of that, Forbes Magazine just recently named Sanchez the most over-paid player in the NFL.

Brady, Manning and Brees have a combined five Super Bowl rings compared to Sanchez’s zero, and have appeared in more combined conference championship games—with ten, five by Brady, three by Manning and two by Brees—to Sanchez’s two.

Since being acquired in the 2009 NFL Draft—via trade with the Cleveland Browns— Sanchez’s record as a NFL starter in the regular season is a impressive 29-12 and 4-2 in post-season.  Sanchez’s has four playoff wins—all on the road—his 0-2 record in the AFC Championship Game is one reason why his $14.75 million dollar salary may be less than justified.

The main reason why Sanchez is over-paid is his career accuracy of 55.1% of and sub-par QB rating of 71.4 in a “passing league” is less than acceptable.

For all of his talent and potential, Sanchez’s penchant to date Hollywood actresses and pose in men’s fashion magazines such as GQ, makes you question if New York’s $14.75 million dollar investment in Sanchez is sound.

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“I’m like, forget support — how about some concern?” Burress said. “I did just have a bullet in my leg. And then I sat in his office, and he pushed back his chair and goes, ‘I’m glad you didn’t kill anybody!’ Man, we’re paid too much to be treated like kids. He doesn’t realize that we’re grown men and actually have kids of our own.”

He also told the magazine, which hits newsstands next week, that Coughlin is “not a real positive coach.”

“You look around the league, the Raheem Morrises and Rex Ryans — when their player makes a mistake, they take ‘em to the side and say, ‘We’ll get ‘em next time,’” Burress said. “But Coughlin’s on the sideline going crazy, man. I can’t remember one time when he tried to talk a player through not having a day he was having.”

Coughlin said at Giants camp Friday that he wasn’t aware of Burress’ comments in the magazine.

“I am really not all that concerned,” he said. “I’m sure it was lots of grandiose statements. I don’t know anything about that. I am really not interested in it, either.”

Burress said he was disappointed Manning never visited him or tried to communicate with him while he served his 20-month prison sentence.

“I was always his biggest supporter, even days he wasn’t on, ‘cause I could sense he didn’t have thick skin,” Burress said. “Then I went away, and I thought he would come see me, but nothing, not a letter, in two years. I don’t want to say it was a slap in the face, but I thought our relationship was better than that.”

Burress met with Coughlin and the Giants’ front office when he was a free agent — after the interview with the magazine — and has maintained it was a pleasant conversation that helped clear the air between them and provided some closure. Coughlin, though, said the meeting was for another reason, at least from his perspective.

“We were trying to decide whether and to what extent we were going to try to make an offer,” Coughlin said. “It wasn’t about closure. It was about business. It is about going forward, which this is about.”

Coughlin added that he never got the sense in the meeting that Burress would not want to sign with the Giants despite their previous differences.

While the wide receiver didn’t speak with Manning at that time, the two recently ran into each other at a movie theater and had what Burress said was a nice chat.

When asked about his comments in the magazine article, Burress said: “I was just being honest.”

The article mentions how Burress was nearly robbed at his home in Totowa, N.J., a few days before the nightclub incident and how the murder of his friend and former Washington defensive back Sean Taylor helped shape his decision to carry a handgun — and how he nearly left his gun in his car that night.

“I had a conscience about it — but said, ‘Nope, I’m takin’ it with me,’” he said. “And that changed my life.”

Burress talked about the way New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg treated him — calling for the receiver to be punished to the fullest extent of the law — “was totally wrong, stacked those charges so high, I had to go to jail.”

While in prison, Burress said he was treated “like a … axe murderer,” and got many letters from people that were less than positive.

“I was a human pincushion,” Burress said. “They were like, ‘Yeah, we finally got you.’”

Burress said he now gets loads of positive letters from people, a complete change from what he was getting just a few months ago.

“It’s like I’m more popular now for shooting myself than winning a Super Bowl!” he said. “Maybe they see a guy who made a mistake, but didn’t hurt no one but himself. I mean, if you can’t root for me, you must not own a mirror. All of us have made a big mistake, right?”

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, N.J., contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Having already beaten melanoma in 1968 and ‘80, and another form of the disease earlier this year, the 80-year-old Ryan said this was “less serious” except that “whenever you go under anesthesia, you never know what’s going to happen.” So he told doctors to postpone the operation until he returns from the Meadowlands to see Rob and the Cowboys play against Rex and the Jets. He said he’ll fly to New York on Friday and will return to his home in Kentucky on Monday.

“They said to go ahead and go,” Ryan said during a telephone interview. “I’ve got to be able to do something” while waiting for the operation.

Rob Ryan said his dad’s approach to fighting the disease is typical.

“That’s just the way he is,” he said. “This is a big thing for him, a big thing for the Ryans. He’s just about the only guy that’s beaten cancer about every time. He’s been through it about four or five times. I’m sure the prognosis is great for him because he always wins.”

He said his father’s illness will be more motivation than distraction.

“All he taught us is ‘Do the job,’” Rob said. “That’s the way he is, so it’s not that difficult. Obviously, (we’re) praying a lot for him and things have to go well because that’s what it is. But he raised us to do the job. Whatever we do, we’re going to be the best at it — and that’s what we are.”

From Jets camp, Rex added: “It’s going to be great having him here. I know this is huge for him. He’s looked forward to it for a long time.”

Buddy Ryan was as outspoken and boisterous as his boys are, a persona he could back up with his team’s success on the field.

He was defensive coordinator of two renowned Super Bowl champions, the Joe Namath-led Jets who pulled off the huge upset in 1969, and the 1985 Bears who ran his 46 defense to perfection. He is also known for throwing a punch at the offensive coordinator while he was running the Oilers’ defense. Ryan also had entertaining stints as the head coach of the Eagles and the Cardinals.

Both sons were on their dad’s staff with the Cardinals in 1994 and ‘95. They’ve since made a name for themselves, with Rex leading the Jets to the AFC championship game the last two years, and Rob winning two Super Bowls as an assistant coach for the Patriots’ Bill Belichick. This is Rob’s first season in Dallas after working as defensive coordinator of the Browns and Raiders the last four years.

The brothers have squared off before, and every time is special for the Ryan family, especially the patriarch.

“This game’s important to him,” Rob said. “He wants to see these two rams bat heads.”

____

AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. in Florham Park, N.J., contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

HOUSTON – The return of Plaxico Burress will have to wait. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has work to do with his other receivers anyway when New York opens the pre-season against Houston on Monday night.

The Texans, meanwhile, are eager to see how well they’ve learned Wade Phillips’ new 3-4 defensive scheme. Houston’s defence can only improve after ranking last against the pass last season (267.5 yards per game), the main culprit in a 6-10 record.

Monday’s game would’ve been notable for the resurfacing of Burress, who signed with the Jets on July 31 after serving a 20-month prison sentence on a gun charge. But Burress won’t even make the trip to Texas after spraining his left ankle in practice last week.

The other stars on both teams aren’t expected to see much action, either.

Jets Pro Bowl centre Nick Mangold will not travel, either, after hurting his neck Thursday, and Arian Foster, the NFL’s leading rusher in 2010, is also not expected to see action because of a hamstring strain.

In his limited time Monday, Sanchez can focus on building chemistry with free-agent pickup Derrick Mason, who was brought in to essentially replace Jerricho Cotchery, who was cut.

New York also lost Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith in free agency, but re-signed go-to receiver Santonio Holmes.

“I’m well prepared. I think this team has the potential to surpass what we did last year,” Sanchez said, “but it starts with this first game.”

Mason, entering his 15th season, has been hastily learning the playbook after spending his last six years in Baltimore.

“It’s going to take a lot of work,” the 37-year-old Mason said. “It’s going to take countless hours in the classroom. And then once we get into the classroom, we got to make sure that we take what we learn in the classroom onto the field.”

The Jets ranked 22nd in passing offence last season (202.6 yards per game), and Sanchez ranked 27th in passer rating among starters (75.3). Mason is projecting major improvement in the passing game, though he acknowledges that it may take some time to click.

“It’s not going to happen overnight. I wish it did,” he said. “It’s going to take a minute, but I think me knowing the system the way I do, I think it’s going to be quicker than what a lot of people anticipated.

“And then Plax, he’s only been here a week or two, and he’s picked up on the offence very well,” Mason said. “Once I get the nooks and crannies of the offence, I think we’re going to be very good.”

The Texans are hoping for a dramatic turnaround, too.

Houston overhauled its defensive personnel, acquiring cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning in free agency, and using six of eight draft picks on defensive players, including end J.J. Watt in the first round.

And with no off-season to spend with his players because of the lockout, Phillips has been working overtime to teach his new scheme.

“Defensively, I think Wade is very basic in what we’re fixing to go do Monday night,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “We just want to see guys play, make sure they’re in the right spot. We’ve come a long way here in the first two weeks and we’ve got a grasp of the base stuff. That’s what we’re looking for.”

At the moment, Kubiak has more concerns on the offensive side, specifically at running back. Along with Foster, backups Steve Slaton and Ben Tate are also nursing hamstring injuries. That will leave most of the carries Monday night to Derrick Ward and former Texas star Chris Ogbonnaya, who’s impressed coaches in camp.

Kubiak says Matt Leinart will take the bulk of the snaps for the Texans. Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, was a free agent and chose to return for a second season in Houston because he was comfortable with Kubiak and familiar with the system.

Leinart is expected to back up Matt Schaub this season, but openly says he wants to work his way into a starting role in the near future.

“I hope to carry over what I’ve been doing in practice to the game, just move the ball and score some points and play confident,” said Leinart, who didn’t throw a pass in 2010. “I want to get the guys in the right situations.”

Jets backup quarterback Mark Brunell travelled with the team but won’t play after injuring a finger on his left hand during practice Saturday. With the starters likely just going a quarter, that should leave most of the snaps to Greg McElroy, the team’s seventh-round pick, and undrafted free agent Drew Willy.

___

AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed from Florham Park, N.J.

NEW YORK — Plaxico Burress was walking up the stairs in a Manhattan nightclub three years ago when his life changed with a single gunshot.

The wide receiver, now with the New York Jets, recounts that night in November 2008 when he accidentally shot himself and the 20 months he served in prison as a result in an interview for HBO’s “Real Sports” that airs Tuesday. It’s the first time he has fully detailed the events of the past few years.

“It was dark,” recalled Burress, who was then with the Giants. “And I kind of, you know, missed a step. That’s when I felt my gun start to slide. I went to grab it to stop it from falling. Pow!”

He didn’t realize he had shot himself in the right thigh – until he looked down.

“I had some Chuck Taylors on and they were, the white was all red,” Burress said, showing a small scar on his leg. “I said, ‘Oh, I’m in trouble.’”

But he didn’t realize how much. His wife, Tiffany, is an attorney who told her husband that he was going to end up serving jail time because he was going to be made an example of. Burress vehemently disagreed with her because “I own the gun, it’s mine, I bought it. How much trouble can I really be in?”

The interview includes Burress’ attorney, Benjamin Brafman, and his new coach, Rex Ryan. Burress, who turned 34 on Friday, signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Jets two weeks ago – the start of an NFL comeback that seemed unlikely a few years ago.

Brafman said a bail agreement was worked out for Burress to be released on his own recognizance or $10,000 bail. But New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for Burress to be prosecuted to the fullest extent in a press conference. Twenty minutes later, Brafman said, the prosecutor asked for $250,000 bail.

Brafman told Burress there was a problem and relayed Bloomberg’s comments.

“You know what I said after that?” Burress said. “I said, ‘Who’s Mayor Bloomberg?’”

“Come on,” says interviewer Bryant Gumbel.

“Dead serious,” Burress says.

The wide receiver later asked the grand jury for compassion, but was indicted because, “My name is Plaxico Burress and my career and my life hasn’t always been squeaky clean.”

Burress was sent to Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York, where he “lost count” of how many times he cried while in prison. He worked various jobs such as mopping stairwells and serving meals while he was there.

“To be living in that cell for 16, 17 hours a day, you go from being able to do just about anything that you want to do,” Burress said, “to basically putting you in a cage, putting you in a box. It gets your attention.”

Burress temporarily lost his NFL career and missed the birth of his daughter.

The former Super Bowl star is currently nursing a sprained left ankle and won’t make the trip with the Jets for their preseason opener against the Texans in Houston. The team expects him to practice fully next Wednesday for the first time since he signed, and Burress believes he can be an elite receiver again.

“I just have that confidence and belief in myself that I’m going to go out and play at a high level,” he said. “Then everybody is going to go back to scratching their head again: How does he do it? How did he not practice and do it? He’s been away for two years. How does he do it?”

Burress also acknowledges that he no longer owns any guns.

“Nah, man,” he said. “I just don’t want to be around anything negative. I walk around everyday with my head held high. ‘Yeah, OK, I’m the guy that shot myself.’ People always ask me if I would change that situation. I say, ‘Hell yeah. Nobody wants to go to jail.’ But, the person that I am and where I’m at at this time, I wouldn’t change the person.”

Smith was a free agent after spending his first five NFL seasons with the New York Jets, where he was a threat as a receiver, rusher and making the occasional pass while taking snaps out of the quarterback spot in wildcat formations. He even threw his first and only career touchdown pass — a 3-yarder to Dustin Keller — in a 38-14 win at Buffalo last October.

It’s that type of versatility that should complement Bills coach Chan Gailey’s wide-open offensive philosophy.

“I think it’s a great fit,” Bartelstein said. “He’ll bring a real dynamic factor to that offense.”

Bartelstein added his client was open to re-signing with the Jets, but knew he would have to wait while New York focused on attempting to sign high profile free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

“The more he thought about it, the more he thought what a great opportunity this was,” Bartelstein said. “It was time for a change and him wanting to be able to control his situation, other than waiting for something he couldn’t control.”

Smith was excited with the deal.

“Very glad to be joining the Bills!!” Smith wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “Excited about the opportunity to play for Coach Gailey and the entire Bills organization!”

ESPN.com first reported Smith’s deal with the Bills.

The Bills have also agreed to a three-year contract to re-sign eight-year veteran cornerback Drayton Florence, who completed his second season in Buffalo last year. Florence had 58 tackles but no interceptions in 16 starts last year, while proving to be the Bills’ most dependable cornerback.

Under NFL rules applying to all veteran free agents, Smith and Florence aren’t allowed to sign their contracts until Friday. That’s the same day Bills players are set to report for the start of training camp in suburban Rochester.

Smith is a dynamic player, who was a star quarterback at Missouri before being selected by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2006 draft.

For his NFL career, he has 557 receiving yards, 767 rushing yards, and 51 passing yards. He’s also a special teams threat in returns and coverage. Last season, Smith returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Entering his second year as coach, Gailey toyed with using the wildcat during training camp last summer. The Bills hardly used it during the season. Smith’s presence is expected to change that, joining a roster filled with speedy threats, including running back C.J. Spiller and receiver Roscoe Parrish.

The Bills also announced they have signed rookie seventh-round pick, hulking defensive tackle Michael Jasper.

Drafted 245th overall out of Bethel University in Tennessee, Jasper is listed at 6-foot-4 and 385 pounds. Though he played offensive guard in college, the Bills are planning to convert him into a defensive tackle.

Jasper is the first of Buffalo’s nine rookie draft picks to sign.

The Bills also announced signing 19 undrafted college free agents, including cornerback Domonic Cook out of Buffalo.

Also signed were: defensive backs Rajric Coleman (Utah State), Sidney Glover (West Virginia), Loyce Means (Houston), Doyle Miller (Nevada-Reno) and Joshua Nesbitt (Georgia Tech); linebackers Robert Eddins (Ball State), Brandon Hicks (Florida) and Brad Jefferson (Georgia Tech); running backs Emmanuel Moody (Florida) and Vai Taua (Nevada-Reno); receiver Kamar Aiken (Central Florida), defensive end T.J. Langley (Arkansas Tech), tight end Zack Pianalto (North Carolina), center Michael Switzer (Ball State), guard Isaiah Thompson (Houston), punter Reid Forrest (Washington State), kicker Chris Hazley (Virginia Tech) and long-snapper Danny Aiken (Virginia).

___

AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak in New York contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ralph Vacchiano, DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

There may be “no chance” of Plaxico Burress returning to the Giants, as Brandon Jacobs said last week, but there’s at least some chance that the big receiver could continue his NFL career in New York.

See interview with Burress’ agent at NYDailyNews.com >

That’s because the Jets could be in need of a receiver when the 2011 NFL season finally begins and they have not definitively ruled out pursuing the 33-year-old Burress, according to several NFL sources. It’s possible that Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith could all be unrestricted free agents when the NFL lockout is over.

If that happens, the 6-foot-5 Burress — who was released from prison Monday and who hasn’t played in an NFL game since Nov. 23, 2008 — could end up being an ideal replacement.

Of course, Burress would have to want to play there and according to sources close to him that isn’t likely to be the case. Several people who have spoken to him in recent months say Burress knows he needs to get away from New York, where he’s known as much for catching the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII as he is for shooting himself in the leg in a Manhattan night club nearly 10 months later. Jacobs, his best friend on the Giants, even said last week that Burress wants “a new start.”

See how NFL players and other celebs on Twitter reacted at NYDailyNews.com >

Monday, outside the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y., Burress’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus wouldn’t rule out Burress ending up with any NFL team — including the Giants. Several sources have said the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins are atop Burress’ wish list. Last Thursday, Jacobs said Burress believes he’ll end up in Philadelphia.

Could that change if the Jets get involved? Maybe. However, the Jets still prefer to keep both Holmes and Edwards as their top receivers, if possible. Also, as previously reported by the Daily News, they would also consider receiver Randy Moss if either Edwards or Holmes aren’t re-signed.

Whoever gets Burress won’t be sorry, according to his former teammate, DE Osi Umenyiora.

“I think he’ll be able to make an impact immediately,” Umenyiora said Monday on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “Obviously, a guy with that kind of physical ability and that kind of talent — he’s tall, he’s rangy, he’s long — I think all you have to do is throw up the ball to him and he’ll make the same plays that he was able to make before.”

Meanwhile, many of Burress’ former teammates and colleagues took to Twitter Monday (at right) to express their happiness that Burress was finally a free man. His release from prison, according to Giants co-owner John Mara, was “long overdue.”

“Time well over due,” wrote former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was with Burress the night of the shooting. “Great teammate, friend, person and better yet Man. Always a Champ.”

“So happy for him and his family,” added Giants receiver Steve Smith. “(Thank) God for this day”

- With Manish Mehta

NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the front-runners to be featured this summer.

The New England Patriots aren’t the kind of organization to give cameras access to their inner workings. Same can be said for the Miami Dolphins. The Buffalo Bills would be the only other AFC East team fathomable for the show.

A Jets spokesman confirmed the Jets declined to pursue a second season.

Based on ratings for the training camp reality show, the Jets would have been a hot contender to repeat. Head coach Rex Ryan’s profanity-laced speeches and an assortment of entertaining storylines such as Mark Sanchez’s development, Darrelle Revis’ lockout and Antonio Cromartie’s children made “Hard Knocks” must-see TV.

No team has been chosen for consecutive seasons. The Dallas Cowboys were the only team to be featured twice, in 2002 and 2008.

“We will give Rex and the Jets the year off from ‘Hard Knocks.’ But you never know what the future holds,” HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said in a statement to the New York Post a few weeks ago. “It took many years before there was a ‘Star Wars’ sequel. Hopefully someday Rex and the New York Jets will be back on HBO.”

He said the words “Can’t wait!” and now he owns them.

New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott, who introduced “Can’t wait!” into the sports lexicon during a celebrated, postgame interview in January with ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, revealed Friday on “ESPN First Take” that he has trademarked the phrase.

“It took on a life of its own,” said Scott, appearing as a guest at ESPN the Weekend at Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla. “It really took off on ESPN, it took over on YouTube. My wife said, ‘You should trademark it.’ Once I started to hear people were trying to make T-shirts, I said, ‘I tell you what, if anybody is going to benefit off ‘Can’t Wait’, it should be me.’ “

Scott said he has yet to make any money from the trademark, joking that any “Can’t Wait” T-shirts might have ended up being sent overseas to “keep someone warm” — a practice used by the NFL with pre-made championship T-shirts for the team that loses the Super Bowl.

Scott blurted his now-famous slogan after the Jets’ stunning 28-21 upset of the Patriots in the AFC divisional playoffs. In an on-the-field interview with Paolantonio, he delivered a classic rant, mocking the Jets’ critics and claiming the Patriots’ defense “can’t stop a nose bleed.”

When Paolantonio wished him luck against the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, Scott barked: “Can’t wait!”

The interview became a YouTube sensation. As of Friday, it had attracted more than 1.2 million views. If the Jets hadn’t lost to the Steelers, the “Can’t Wait” phenomenon probably would be more profitable to Scott.

On Friday, Scott provided some background to the interview, saying he was trash talking with the Patriots’ mascot when a Jets’ public relations person asked if he could speak to Paolantonio.

“When he came over, I was arguing with the Patriots’ mascot, so he should’ve known I wasn’t in the right frame of mind,” Scott said.

Scott became the second Jets player in the past year to trademark a phrase. Cornerback Darrelle Revis last year did the same with “Revis Island.”

Rich Cimini covers the Jets for ESPNNewYork.com.

Follow Rich Cimini on Twitter: @RichCimini

NewsCore – The New York Jets will not be doing another version if their HBO series “Hard Knocks” in 2011, but the network would welcome an encore at some point, the New York Post reported late Saturday.

“We will give [coach Rex Ryan] and the Jets the year off from ‘Hard Knocks.’ But you never know what the future holds,” HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said.

“It took many years before there was a ‘Star Wars’ sequel. Hopefully someday Rex and the New York Jets will be back on HBO.”

Ryan on Thursday told NFL Network he did not think the team would be picked again for the behind-the-scenes, training camp reality show.

“I think we’re done with it,” Ryan said from the league’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

The Jets made headlines weekly during their five-episode run last summer, which started with a memorable, profanity-filled speech about the Jets reaching the Super Bowl. They fell one game short again, losing in the AFC Championship to the Steelers.

Read more: NY POST