Jets' Scott excited as training camp begins

They've spent the past five months scouring the market for deals like a shopaholic, loading their bags with a Super Bowl MVP, a future Hall of Fame running back and the player their fan base probably despised the most.

Now the Jets' eventful offseason is about to give way to what could be the franchise's most highly anticipated training camp in a half-century. The players report to SUNY Cortland Sunday and begin practicing at 8:20 a.m. Monday for what they hope is a run that ends with them holding the Lombardi Trophy Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium, site of Super Bowl XLV.

"We've definitely, definitely increased our chances of being successful with the amount of talent that we've amassed and I think we are looking forward to the opportunity," linebacker Bart Scott told Newsday. "You have a lot of players who are in the latter part of their careers, you have young guys that are too stupid to know, and you have guys in the middle that don't want to wait to the last minute to win a Super Bowl.

"So I think you've got a great mesh of situations - guys that are playing for contracts, guys that want to stay with the team, re-sign with the team, guys that want to make the Pro Bowl. All those individual agendas are all on the line for the team agenda, because if guys are able to come in and perform and all those things happen, winning heals everything."

The Jets, though, have a few things that bear monitoring, specifically the contractual situations revolving around Pro Bowlers Darrelle Revis and Nick Mangold. While Mangold made it clear in an NFL Network interview that he isn't going to be a training-camp holdout, Revis' status remains up in the air.

After virtually no new dialogue for weeks, the two sides reopened communication late this past week, according to a league source.

Revis, due a base salary of $1 million in 2010, wants to be the highest-paid player at his position. The short-term solution could be to agree to do something similar to what the Titans did with running back Chris Johnson, moving money in escalators from later in his contract to his 2010 salary, increasing it by roughly $1.5 million.

Scott thinks the contract squabbles and uncertainty surrounding a bevy of Jets playing for deals beyond this season actually could turn out to be a good thing.

"That's when individual goals and team goals kind of mesh," he said, "because if you play well, then you are going to get paid. But if you play well, you are also going to help your football team. It works hand in hand and it's a part of the business."

The Jets made several splashy offseason moves, signing LaDainian Tomlinson and old nemesis Jason Taylor and trading for Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes. They've stacked the deck and look as if they have all the pieces for a deep postseason run, something that's drawn attention around the league.

Jets sign first-round pick. The Jets have one fewer holdout to worry about.

First-round pick Kyle Wilson has agreed to a five-year contract, a source with direct knowledge of the deal told Newsday. The cornerback, whose deal maxes out at about $13 million, is expected to be in training camp when the veterans report today.

Wilson is slated to be the starting nickel back and is expected to contribute on special teams. He was the last of the Jets' four draft picks to come to terms. Running back Joe McKnight, offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse and fullback John Connor have been signed.