PHILADELPHIA – Michael Vick has reached the point in his comeback where he doesn't have to prove himself anymore.

In their contentious negotiations for a deal, cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Jets are close to the point of no return.

Darrelle Revis has been away from his team for five straight weeks and his grandmother, Aileen Gilbert, feels this is incredibly unfair.  

In the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, Revis was under contract to make one million dollars.  Wanting to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, he asked for a re-nogotiated contract.  The two sides could not make an agreement and have been in a holdout ever since.

With both Darrelle Revis and the New York Jets being silent about the situation of late due to a gag order, a close relative decided to sit down and speak out about the holdout with ESPN.com’s Jets beat writer Rich Cimini.

In the interview, a supportive Grandma Gilbert said, “I know he wants to play, but Darrelle understands contract negotiations.  Some players don’t get it, but Darrelle can read a contract.  I think he’s comfortable with his decision because he knows what he was told by the Jets and he knows what he’s worth.”

Talk around the NFL grew quickly in early August, when Jets owner Woody Johnson told the media that he doubted an agreement would come into place before the season opener because the two sides were extremely far apart.

Gilbert also told ESPN that her grandson’s contract dispute is “almost like a slap in face,” as if “he’s not appreciated.”  ”Darrelle does what he does because he loves it.  People are trying to portray him as greedy, but he has outperformed his contract [and] for them to put him in this position is just unreal.”  

It can definitely be argued that Darrelle Revis outperformed his contract by recording 54 tackles, 6 interceptions, and a touchdown.  He has also completely shut down some of the best receivers in the game, including Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, and Steve Smith (Panthers).

With no budges between Revis and the New York Jets organization, it looks like there will be no Revis Island for the Monday Night season opener at home, against the Baltimore Ravens.  Grandmother Gilbert, along with Jets fans across the world, will be hoping some kind of miracle occurs so Darrelle Revis can suit up in white and green as early as possible, doing what he does best.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Jet fans love Rex Ryan. He’s funny, speaks his mind, has no fear, and brings a personality to the Jets. Something they haven’t had in a while.

But I feel as if Jet fans are maybe talking him up too much, and here’s why.

Today after bragging to some friends who were Giants fans some more about Ryan, something hit me. It was a sense of deja vu, something didn’t seem right.

I then pieced it together, about three years ago, I was saying the same thing about Eric Mangini. It seems like decades ago, but Jet fans were once calling Mangini our coach of the future.

It seemed reasonable, he brought the 4-12 Jets to a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance. Jet fans put so much faith in this guy we started calling him Mangenious.

But that nickname is long gone; Mangini was fired after three seasons with the Jets and is now coaching the Browns. He almost got fired from that job too, but a late season rally helped save his job.

I then recollected on what I’ve said about Rex and realized that maybe I talked this guy up too much. I’ve been talking about this guy like he’s already won a Lombardi trophy with the Jets.

He is only in his second year and I was ready to label him the best coach in the NFL. And I am sure I was not the only Jets fan too.

Now, I am not saying that Ryan is going to end up like Mangini, they are in totally different situations, and have very different coaching styles.

But my message is, let’s not call him our coach of the future and the best coach in the NFL just yet. Let’s give him a couple more seasons.

Because maybe when we look back at this five years from now, we will be laughing at ourselves for what we said about Rex Ryan after his first season.

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

The Jets are entering their final preseason game against the Eagles tonight, and there is plenty to watch out for.

Here is what to look for in the Jets’ preseason finale.

The Two Left Guards

The two left guards were both criticized on Hard Knocks on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to see how they respond. Matt Slauson will take most of the snaps, as he will be the starter for Week One. He will most likely play between 2-3 quarters.

Vladimir Ducasse, on the other hand, has been under-performing and hasn’t quite adjusted to the NFL just yet. He was recently scrutinized badly on Hard Knocks by GM Mike Tennanbaum. So, watch if he can bounce back or if he continues to make mistakes on the O-line.

The Terminator

John Connor—The Terminator—has been really turning heads this offseason. He is known for his bone-crushing blocks and his quick development at fullback.

The Jets have been using him in special teams, so keep your eye out for him and see if he can take out more players this week. They also will use him more on offense, since it will be more about the second and third stringers rather then the starters.

Offensive Play Calling 

Mark Sanchez will reportedly make some play calls on offense.

Rex Ryan has a tradition of doing this and used to do this with the Ravens defense, letting Ray Lewis and Ed Reed call plays in the preseason. It will be interesting to see if Sanchez can make good play calls and how they will turn out.

Vernon Gholston

Gholston has been really improving this offseason and looking good at defensive end. So far, the move from linebacker to defensive end is looking like a very smart change for Gholston.

If Vernon can make a good enough impression in this last preseason game, he might take a decent amount of snaps in the first regular season game.

Chauncey Washington vs. Danny Woodhead

These two running backs are battling for a spot on the 53-man roster, and only one can make it.

Washington has performed well, showing power and the ability to contribute on special teams by forcing a fumble vs. the Panthers.

Woodhead has shown amazing speed and he has great hands. He could be a hybrid player for the Jets.

I think eventually Woodhead will get the spot and Washington will get signed to the practice squad. It could go either way, though.

This game is going to be a major factor in who makes the team and who doesn’t.

So, what do you think?

Will Washington and/or Woodhead make the squad? Will Ducasse be able to bounce back after being exposed on Hard Knocks? Can Slauson be a good fit at left guard?

Let me know down below!

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

This is it. The preseason is just about over, and we’re only about a week from the first game that means something.

But before then, every team, including the Eagles, must cut their roster from 75 to 53 players.

In case you’re mathematically challenged, that’s 22 guys who must be let go by 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 4th. You could field an entire team—offense and defense—with 22 guys, so it goes without saying just how difficult cutting loose that number of guys can be.

These are guys who have been a part of the locker room since March, April, or for some guys, even earlier than that. Some of the guys who will be cut have been with the team for years.

And if you’re lucky enough to have seen any of the episodes of Hard Knocks, regardless of the team, you understand what these teams go through when they let these guys go.

The players must show everything they can every time they touch the field, and Thursday night will be the very last time some guys wear an Eagles uniform. Let’s take a look at five guys who absolutely must make the most of their final opportunity.

Jorrick Calvin, CB

Calvin just came over from the Arizona Cardinals, so he probably has the most difficult job of any guy who will hit the field tonight. They’ve obviously seen what he can do on film, but there is no substitute for seeing what a guy can do with your own two eyes.

The rookie corner will play, obviously, corner against the Jets and will likely get an opportunity to return kicks and perhaps some punts as well. Chad Hall has been handling the punt return duties during the preseason, but his time might already be up.

There is a Mt. Everest sized mountain between Calvin and a spot on the final roster, so he’s going to have to show something that makes Andy Reid and company believe he’s got the potential to be a star in the near future.

Macho Harris, FS

Now that he’s back to safety, I think there’s a good chance Harris’ time with Philadelphia is already up, but that doesn’t have to necessarily be the case. I can’t think of a time Reid has ever had a rookie starter he released the next season. In fact, I’m sure that’s an incredibly rarity anywhere in the NFL.

Harris, however, has shown absolutely nothing in camp or the preseason. He’d been playing corner, which is his natural position, and couldn’t get anything going there, either. He proved last year he doesn’t have the hitting ability to play free safety and must have a huge game against the Jets if he wants any shot of sticking around.

Stacy Andrews, RG

For all the talk, Andrews really has not been that bad. He hasn’t been great, but he’s done well enough that the talk of cutting him is simply ridiculous. Even if he had been playing as poorly as what most are saying, he’s making $5 million off the Eagles in 2010 whether he’s playing in Philadelphia or elsewhere, so cutting him makes zero sense.

However, there is concern that Andrews could be outplayed by Nick Cole if Cole was actually healthy and on the field. I’m not a huge fan of Cole outside of his versatility and value as a backup on the interior of the line, and still believe Andrews will show up with the same sort of talent he displayed in Cincinnati.

Hank Baskett, WR

Surprisingly, most people believe Baskett will be the choice over Kelley Washington to be the fifth receiver. I’m not exactly sure what they’re basing that on, but I just don’t see it.

No matter which when makes the roster, neither will be asked to play receiver all that often unless an injury takes place. Baskett likely is the better athlete and receiver, but the fifth guy must be able to play special teams, and Washington is the clear-cut better play in that aspect.

For me, Washington’s ability to play special teams makes him indispensable to a team that will clearly struggle in the third phase of the game all season long.

King Dunlap, T

The Eagles look poised to keep undrafted rookie Austin Howard and appear ready to move on without Dunlap. So if King wants to stay in this castle, he’s going to need a monster preseason finale and really turn some heads.

Dunlap is actually underweight and seems a bit soft, so he must find a bit of a nasty streak if he’s going to convince the team he’s worth keeping and a guy they could trust were something to happen to either Jason Peters or Winston Justice.

Guys who could still earn a job include…

Tracy White, Moise Fokou, Kurt Coleman, Jeff Owens, Cornelius Ingram, Martell Mallett

Guys inevitably getting the boot include…

Eric Moncour, Boo Robinson, Jordan Norwood, Dobson Collins, J.J. Arrington, Dallas Reynolds

Read more New York Jets news on BleacherReport.com

Whether you’re a die-hard Jets fan or you have Tom Brady-like hate in your blood, there is no denying that HBO’s Hard Knocks makes for some very interesting television.

Last week, we learned that Mark Sanchez embraces his Hispanic heritage by sharing his love for Mexican food. He told teammates that he learned the Spanish language by reading menus at Mexican restaurants. Good to see that you’re representing your culture, Mark.

Episode four was just as compelling. For those of you who don’t have HBO, fear not!

Here we have the top ten takeaways from episode four of Hard Knocks.

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