RC Raceway

FLORHAM PARK Devin White Jersey , N.J. (AP) — The tempo at New York Jets practice is in midseason form.So is the intensity on the field, with guys flying around from sideline to sideline.t’s still only May, but there’s a noticeable — and audible — buzz around the new-look Jets.“That’s one thing I’ve been loving so much about this year so far is the competitiveness, and it starts with the coaches,” defensive end Leonard Williams said Wednesday. “Adam Gase is a crazy offensive coordinator and Gregg (Williams) is obviously a crazy D-coordinator. So, having those two go at it in practice, it kind of trickles down to the players, and the players go at it, too.“But it’s in a healthy way. Just a competition, getting better.”And, just to be clear, Leonard Williams wasn’t questioning his coaches’ sanity.“Yeah, when I say ‘crazy,'” he said, laughing, “it’s in a good way.”The combination of Gase as the head coach and mastermind of the offense, and Gregg Williams as the ‘mad scientist’ of the defense has been an intriguing storyline this offseason — particularly how the two would co-exist as they try to make their sides of the ball better than the other.“It’s fun to be out there,” Gase said. “There’s some juice in the air.”So far, the pace of practices during organized activities has been quicker than most at this time of year, when teams usually ease into their offseason programs before minicamp and then training camp.“I think it’s going to help a lot because we’re not waiting to compete,” Leonard Williams said. “We’re not waiting to get into pads L.J. Collier Jersey , not waiting for the season to start, not waiting for like some big moment to get going. We’re trying to take it day by day — and it starts now.“I feel like that’s the mentality that’s running through the whole team and there’s a lot of fire in everybody right now.”Especially the men in charge.Gase, hired as coach of the Jets in January, had no qualms about bringing a strong-minded alpha-type leader such as Gregg Williams aboard to run the defense.Williams came with a reputation for being loud and, well, colorful with his language — and he hasn’t disappointed. The veteran defensive coordinator isn’t shy about letting his players know when they screw up. He also enjoys trying to frustrate quarterback Sam Darnold and the rest of the offense with blitzes from all angles.“I’m sure you guys have heard it from other dudes, but it’s just a lot more aggressive, like an attacking front,” defensive end Henry Anderson said. “It’s definitely a fun defense to play in.”Similarly, Gase has the offense working at a more rapid pace through the OTA practices than some players are used to. That not only has affected that side of the ball, but also the guys trying to defend against the Jets’ offense.Williams has his players focused on trying to get the ball away from the offense, whether that’s up front or way down the field on a long pass.“We’ll be flying downfield to get after the ball and we have to go right back to line up,” Leonard Williams said. “It’s helping us with conditioning and it’s helping us with everything, like when it comes down to third- or fourth-quarter and clutch situations when you have to push through when you’re tired and stuff like that. It’s great.”The whole vibe reminds Leonard Williams a lot of his college days at USC, where Ed Orgeron was his demanding defensive line coach.“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had in my life, I would say,” Williams said of Orgeron. “The reason why I say that is because he was so intense, it brought the best out of me. I’d be in meetings and hear his voice and I’d sit up straight. Or, he’d tell me something with so much intensity that I know how much passion he has behind it, and it makes me have the same type of passion and fire for it.“We’d just feed off of each other and I like that passion he has.”Just as he and the rest of the Jets are experiencing with the new coaching staff.“Me, personally, I’ve loved it because every day is a challenge Johnathan Abram Jersey ,” Gase said of preparing for Gregg Williams’ defense. “You’re not really sure what you’re going to get.”NOTES: Gase said the Jets are being cautious with first-round pick DT Quinnen Williams, who has been sidelined with a calf issue. Williams participated in individual and positional drills Wednesday, but not in team drills. … Leonard Williams is entering a contract year, but said he isn’t focused on trying to get a new deal before the regular season begins. The 2015 first-rounder believes he could thrive in the Jets’ new defense for years to come. “I definitely would want to stay here,” he said. “I feel like I’m a loyal type of player, like I never thought about transferring when I was in high school or college or anything like that. It’s kind of the same now. I’d like to stay on the team if I had the opportunity to.” OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)The Baltimore Ravens provided quarterback Joe Flacco with two new potential targets Wednesday, agreeing to terms with wide receivers Ryan Grant and John Brown on the first day of free agency.Addressing a position that is a top priority this offseason, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome added a pair of 27-year-olds he hopes can improve a passing attack that last year ranked 27th in the NFL.To help make room for the newcomers, Newsome freed an estimated $5 million in salary cap space by cutting receiver Jeremy Maclin.Grant has played in 64 games, including 15 starts, with the Washington Redskins. The 2014 fifth-round draft pick out of Tulane set career highs in 2017 with 45 catches for 573 yards and four touchdowns.Brown has played four NFL seasons, all with Arizona. Selected in the third round of the 2014 draft, Brown has 173 career catches for 2,515 yards and 17 TDs.The contracts are pending the passing of physicals. Grant reportedly received a four-year contract and Brown agreed to a one-year pact.The Ravens are counting on Grant to continue the improvement he showed last season. Though he has never had a 100-yard receiving game and has scored only six career touchdowns, he ranked second on the Redskins in 2017 in catches and TD receptions.Brown’s best season was in 2015, when he had 65 catches for 1,003 yards and seven scores.After a season in which Baltimore’s wideouts totaled 11 touchdown receptions, the team made no secret of its desire to bolster the receiving corps.”We will be exploring all options in free agency and in the draft for targets for Joe (Flacco),” owner Steve Bisciotti said.That was a focus last season, too, but Maclin did not live up to expectations.Baltimore signed Maclin as a free agent in June Maxx Crosby Jersey , hopeful the accomplished pass catcher would regain the form he showed in 2015 with Kansas City, when he had 87 catches for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns.But Maclin missed two games with a shoulder injury, two more with knee issues, and finished with only 40 catches for 440 yards and three touchdowns.That, along with the poor performance of 2015 first-round pick Breshad Perriman (10 catches, 77 yards, no TDs), left the Ravens looking for speed outside after finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs for a third straight season.Mike Wallace, who had 52 catches for a team-high 748 yards in 2017, became a free agent Wednesday. It is unclear whether the Ravens will attempt to bring him back the 31-year-old, nine-year pro.Newsome’s pursuit of top-tier free agent receivers has been hindered by a tight salary cap, which likely contributed to Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins signing with other teams.In an effort to free up salary-cap space, Newsome earlier this week cut running back Danny Woodhead and did not pick up the option on right tackle Austin Howard.Maclin, Woodhead and Howard were all acquired before the 2017 season.Also on Wednesday, the Ravens extended tenders to seven exclusive-rights free agents, the most notable running back Alex Collins, the team’s leading rusher last year. The players still have to sign their tenders, but cannot negotiate with any other teams.—