TRT - Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Florham Park, NJ

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The play happened in the New York Jets' next-to-last practice. In a 7-on-7 period, rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson ran an intermediate crossing route and made a twisting catch on a pass from quarterback Zach Wilson that was behind him. It wasn't a textbook route by Wilson, slightly out of position, but he demonstrated such concentration and body control that he was able to adjust and make a big play.

A play that could serve as a harbinger for the ballyhooed Class of '22: Their top four draftees, learning on the fly, might veer off script at times, but they can compensate with pure talent.

"Playmakers, baby," general manager Joe Douglas said on draft night.

Douglas' comment, captured in the Jets' new, in-house documentary, "Flight 2022: New Heights," came after the selection of running back Breece Hall in the second round. The Jets believe they got playmakers in Hall and Wilson, along with two dynamic defenders in cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and defensive end Jermaine Johnson II. All four are expected to play significant roles as rookies, combining with last year's draft class to form a foundation.

After wrapping up four weeks of non-contact practice last Wednesday, each rookie has made their initial on-field impressions on teammates and coaches.

Gardner (Round 1, fourth overall)

With D.J. Reed and Brandin Echols sidelined with injuries, Gardner got a lot of reps with the starting defense. A permanent promotion is only a matter of time.

Beyond the obvious physical traits, Gardner impresses with his intangibles, according to the coaches. They like his football aptitude and his willingness to learn. When he makes a mistake, he goes immediately to his position coach for an explanation. In one open practice, he wore puffy gloves -- picture oversized oven mitts -- as a way to improve his hand placement and to prevent grabbing. He started that practice in college, where he accumulated nine penalties over his final two seasons.

"They call a lot more stuff in the league," Gardner said. "I thought it would be the other way around, but it's not."

Safety Jordan Whitehead said Gardner reminds him of former NFL star Richard Sherman because of their similar build. Gardner is 6-foot-3, with 33 1/2-inch arms. When he intercepted a Zach Wilson pass in the end zone, he reached up and snatched it out of the air.

Despite his inexperience, Gardner has enough raw talent to stick to top receivers in man-to-man coverage. Like any rookie, he will get confused by certain route combinations and formations, but he displayed an uncanny ability in practice to adjust midplay to situations where the offense purposely tried to throw him off.

"He’s going to have his lumps and his rookie moments, which they all do, but at the same time there’s not going be a lot of them," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. "Probably less than most."

Garrett Wilson (Round 1, 10th overall)

The Jets made an offer for San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel and looked into A.J. Brown, who was dealt from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles, before taking Wilson -- the top receiver on their draft board. Long term, Wilson could turn out better than both, if he reaches his full potential.

The Jets like his versatility because he can play inside and outside, a huge plus in a scheme that demands receivers to master more than one position. Wilson is smooth and fast with sticky hands.

The coaches like the focus he shows in meetings rooms. The pre-draft vetting process is intensive, but you never really know a player until he's in your building. Wilson has exceeded their expectations in that respect. In fact, he's planning to remain in Florham Park during the six-week break to work with the conditioning staff.

The big question: How will he respond when the game gets physical? There was no bump-and-run in offseason practices, providing easy releases for the receivers. It's a different world when there's a cornerback in your face, looking to knock wideouts off their route. At 6-foot, 183 pounds, Wilson isn't the biggest receiver.

"He’s going to have to continue to learn how much more physical this level is, and that’s going to be especially when we put on the pads, and you go through that daily ringer going against our secondary," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.

Barring injury, Wilson will have a big-time role in the receiving corps.

Johnson (Round 1, 26th overall)

Because the offseason was basically a passing camp -- no run game, no live pass-rushing drills -- it was difficult to get a good read on Johnson. This much we know:

On a deep defensive line, he worked mainly with the second and third teams, often as the wide-9 defensive end. That is the key pass-rushing position in the Jets' four-man front, and they believe he's ideal for that spot because of his size (6-foot-5, 254 pounds), explosiveness and motor.

Nearly two months after the draft, the Jets still can't believe Johnson fell to 26th. In the documentary, Douglas reveals that Johnson told him before the draft, "Trade up to get me." And they did.

"He’s got explosion, he’s got speed, he’s got bend -- all the stuff that rushers need to have from a physical standpoint," Ulbrich said. "Now it’s just learning his game, learning the intricacies of the position, learning how to strain on a daily basis, learning the grit that’s necessary to be successful on the line."

Hall (Round 2, 36th overall)

Even though he lasted until the second round, Hall is viewed by the organization on the same level as their top three picks. The only difference is he plays a position that has been devalued in recent years. In their eyes, he's a big-time talent, a three-down back who can make an immediate impact as a runner and receiver.

Hall didn't get a chance to show off his rushing skills in practice, but he excelled as a pass-catcher. He seemed comfortable swinging out of the backfield or running sharp-breaking routes over the middle. He was such a prolific runner at Iowa State that his receiving skill was overshadowed (36 receptions last season).

The Jets love his home-run potential, a dimension sorely lacking in their running game. Hall is 220 pounds, so there's a power element to his game as well. He and Michael Carter figure to be the one-two punch for an offensive that relies heavily on the ground game.

"He’s a fluid mover," LaFleur said. "He sneaks up on defenders more than I guess you could say watching on tape. When you’re there in person, it’s just a different movement style that guys aren’t as used to, I guess you could say."

Playmakers, baby.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. QB evaluation: Robert Saleh is a media-savvy coach who knows how to control the message, and that's exactly what he tried to do with this comment about quarterback Zach Wilson: "He doesn't need to be Tom Brady this year."

It was an exaggerated way of saying it's unfair to expect stardom in Year 2 even though he was the second pick in the 2021 draft.

Perhaps trying to contain outside expectations, which have grown amid a bountiful offseason, Saleh provided a reality check at the conclusion of the offseason. It also may have been a notice to Wilson, who too often tried to play hero ball as a rookie.

"People are forgetting that he’s got a young offensive supporting cast," Saleh said as minicamp wrapped up. "His receivers are young, his backs are young, the O-line is just jelling together. He's young."

That led to the Brady quote.

"Now if ends up being [Brady], that’s awesome, but that’s not the expectation for him," Saleh said. "The expectation is for him to continue to climb that mountain."

Over four weeks of practice, Wilson delivered some Tom Brady, with a little Brady Quinn mixed in. In other words, his performances ranged from very good to choppy.

His decision-making, command and overall feel for the progression-based passing scheme are significantly better than last season, according to the coaching staff. He looks like a different quarterback than the rookie who was so overwhelmed at times that he wasn't able to recognize his own mental mistakes. Now he doesn't need the coaches to point out when he messes up; he knows it immediately. That shows a greater understanding of the position.

On the flip side, Wilson still misses too many routine throws. This was an issue last season, when his completion rates on throws behind the line of scrimmage (74%) and within 0-9 yards (62%) were the worst in the league, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Saleh called it a "rough" rookie year. The coaches believe those numbers will increase as Wilson improves his eye discipline, which is a fancy way of saying he needs to do a better job of getting his eyes in the right spot at the right time. That's atop his to-do list. A quarterback can't afford to miss that many lay-ups.

Don't be alarmed. It's only June, but Wilson's consistency level should spike as the year progresses. No one expects a miracle turnaround, but he has to be better than a 56% passer, his overall completion mark.

"I really do have a lot of confidence in myself," Wilson said. "Obviously, I think I can be one of the best. If anybody doesn't say that, they're not a true competitor."

2. Unstoppable? The fans are excited about the team, and so are the players. Speaking of the receiving corps, Elijah Moore said "there's no way teams should be able to guard all three of us." He believes they have three potential WR1s, adding, "The way we're going, the way we're flowing, I just feel like it's going to be unstoppable."

You love the enthusiasm, but let's tap the brakes. The receiving corps is very young. Corey Davis is a seasoned pro, but Moore (11 games) and Garrett Wilson (rookie) are developing players. The same could be said of the running backs, Michael Carter (14) and Breece Hall (rookie). Four of their top five backs/receivers are under 24. Ditto, the quarterback.

There will be growing pains.

3. Camp Wilson: In mid-July, Wilson and his receivers will gather at an undisclosed location for a couple of days of pitch-and-catch. It won't be all work, no play. He said fun activities are planned.

4. Money position: The Jets are keeping their Mekhi Becton-George Fant plan close to the vest. Offensive-line coach John Benton said it doesn't matter which one plays left tackle because the two tackle spots are interchangeable. Easy for him to say; the amount of his paycheck doesn't depend on it.

Fact is, there is a difference in the positions when it comes to salary. The five highest-paid left tackles average $21.3 million per year; the five highest-paid right tackles average $18 million, according to Over The Cap. So even though Becton said he'd be fine with a move to right tackle, you can bet he wants to stay put. He has two years left on his rookie contract, but his fifth-year option for 2024 must be decided by next May.

Fant, who has made it clear he prefers left tackle, is in the middle of contract talks for an extension. Maybe that explains the team's secrecy. It would give him more leverage if he's anointed the left tackle. It also could be a way to keep Becton motivated during the break for a looming left-tackle competition.

It would be a defeat for the front office if Becton goes to the right side. The Jets drafted him 11th overall in 2020, in part, because they viewed him as a potential franchise left tackle. That, in their eyes, was one of the factors that separated him from Tristan Wirfs, whom they envisioned as a right tackle or possible guard.

Wirfs, picked 13th overall, is a right tackle, all right -- an All-Pro right tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

5. Becton turnaround 2.0? One last thought on Becton, who has six weeks to drop weight and get his body right for training camp: Yes, there's frustration within the organization about his conditioning, but there's also hope that he can rebound and reach his potential, the way he did at the University of Louisville.

After two lackluster seasons, Becton made a quantum leap when the Cardinals brought in a new coaching staff in 2019. That seemed to ignite his fire. While Saleh & Co. are beginning their second year, they're kind of new for Becton, who played only one game for them in 2021.

Becton, planning to make haters "eat their words," already has reached a pivotal stage in his young career.

6. Here comes Mims: Another highly scrutinized player in training camp will be wide receiver Denzel Mims. The feeling inside the building is that Mims, coming off a disappointing year, has turned the corner. The 2020 second-round pick is physically in a better place than a year ago, which bodes well for his chances of making the team.

Mims was drafted as a classic X receiver (split end) who, after the coaching change, was forced to learn all three receiver spots in a new scheme. It was an adjustment, and he struggled. Now he seems to be buying in. Unfortunately for him, it might be tough to get on the field because of the upgrades at the position.

7. Under-the-radar standouts: A handful of lesser-known players stood out in practice, including wide receiver Jeff Smith (one-handed TD catch in minicamp), tight ends Trevon Wesco and Lawrence Cager, fullback Nick Bawden, safety Jason Pinnock and cornerback Isaiah Dunn.

Keep in mind, there was no contact, no running game and no bump-and-run coverage (well, maybe a watered-down version). June stars can fade in August. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton said it best. Referring to Cager, a converted wideout who made a lot of catches, Middleton said: "When we get the plastic on (shoulder pads), that's when you have to show you belong."

8. Ravenous prep: When do NFL teams start preparing for their season opener? The Jets' defensive coaches already have given their players a taste of the Baltimore Ravens, their Week 1 opponent.

The defense "faced" about 25-30 Baltimore running plays during walk-through periods in the course of the offseason, according to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. The Ravens have a unique running game, with quarterback Lamar Jackson and a wide array of gap schemes. You can't prepare for it in a few days, so the Jets got an early start.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton, nicknamed "Big Ticket," delivered a big message Wednesday to his critics.

"I'm going to make them eat their words," he said at the conclusion of a two-day minicamp.

Becton, who has battled injuries and a weight problem since his promising rookie year in 2020, sounded determined to change the narrative. In his first media availability since last September, he showed up wearing a blue T-shirt that read: "Big Bust."

Encircling "Big Bust" was a list of perceived negatives: "Fat ... Lazy ... Out of Shape ... Bum ... Sucks ... Overweight ... Injury Prone." "A lot of words I've been called my whole life, so I put it on a shirt," he said, adding that he has a chip on his shoulder.

Becton, listed at 6-foot-7, 363 pounds (his weight from the 2020 scouting combine), has a lot to prove in 2021 after missing 16 games last season due to knee surgery.

After skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason -- he trained in Texas, where his girlfriend delivered the couple's first child last month - Becton was held out of practice at the mandatory minicamp. That state of his knee was a key question, as was his overall conditioning.

Neither Becton nor coach Robert Saleh divulged his exact weight. Saleh, usually effusive about players in great shape, was noticeably lukewarm on Becton. He wasn't critical, but he didn't go out of his way to compliment him.

"He has 40 days to continue to work and get himself ready to play football," Saleh said, referencing the start of training camp.

Becton, whose weight ballooned as high as 400 last season, didn't sound concerned, saying he's "satisfied" with his current weight. As for his surgically repaired knee, he said it's "getting better." He didn't wear a brace or a sleeve as he worked with the performance staff during practice.

Saleh, without hesitation, said he expects Becton to practice when training camp starts July 27.

"Structurally, he's fine," Saleh said. "It's just a matter of him getting back into overall football movements, which he's progressing into."

The Jets have been careful not to criticize Becton, although it's worth noting that Saleh made a public appeal recently for him to attend the voluntary workouts. Becton was overweight last training camp, but he was in the 360s at the time of his injury, his nutritionist told ESPN recently.

"His weight will fluctuate incredibly over the course of, like, three days," Saleh said. "It's fascinating."

Becton, drafted at No. 11 in 2020, has played only eight complete games out of 33, raising concerns about his durability. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2021 opener. Initially, the team called it a six- to eight-week injury, not ruling him out for the season until Week 17. The fluid timetable fueled speculation that his injury wasn't significant, angering people in the Becton camp.

Becton said he tried to return but "hit a wall. I couldn't get the strength I wanted."

After the season, Saleh made headlines by proclaiming that Becton would have to win back his starting job from George Fant, who did an admirable job at left tackle. Since then, the Jets have been evasive about their plans at tackle, hinting that Becton could go to right tackle. Becton said that he'd be OK with a position change and that he doesn't mind competing.

"It's football," he said. "We're always going to compete no matter what. I'll just have to go out there and get my job back."

The Jets could've drafted a top tackle in the first round, but they decided to roll with Becton and Fant as their starting tackles. Like Becton, Fant, who had an offseason knee procedure, didn't practice in minicamp. He's expected for training camp.

"Obviously, we're all aware of the talent he possesses -- the size, the athleticism, the physicality, all of it," Saleh said of Becton. "And he's smart. ... If he takes care of his business like we know he can, he can become transcendent."

MADISON, NJ - Officers from various local municipalities, including Madison and Florham Park, came together to pass the torch as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey.

Madison and Florham Park joined their brethren from the Hanovers in running Leg 1D of the Torch Run. Hanover started at the Hanover Township Community Center before passing it off to East Hanover at the Red Bulls Training Field. Florham Park picked up the torch at the intersection of James and Ridgedale, and they passed it off to Madison at the American Legion on Ridgedale, who wrapped up the Leg at Hartley Dodge Memorial.

Leg 1D was one of five Legs in Morris County and one of 26 Legs across New Jersey, which saw officers run in support of the Special Olympics New Jersey. This organization is tasked with bringing sports training and competition to New Jerseyans with mental and/or physical disabilities free of charge.

“It’s our responsibility to stay in shape in case we ever have to respond to a call that requires us to use up a lot of energy, whether we have to run into a building and pick up someone or something like that”, said Florham Park Officer Kevin Langereis about his 3.2-mile run, “This is something I should be ready for, that’s my mentality”. Langereis, a school resource officer, raised several thousand at his school through T-shirt sales and other fundraising techniques.

“One of our big priorities is investing back into the community”, he continued.

This is the 39th Annual Torch Run in support of the Special Olympics. In its first year, the run covered 43 miles and raised about $7,000. This year, the Run covered about 750 miles, involved over 3,000 officers, and is expected to raise over $2,000,000. Leg 1D covered 12.3 miles.

“We’re not just out here writing tickets, we’re here to serve. We want to help people and put them in better positions than when we found them. That’s what mainly anyone who takes this job has in mind”, said Madison Officer Sean McCarthy.

*To see more photos visit https://www.kcozzphoto.com/ **

Get your local news delivered to your inbox for FREE each day. Sign up to get all the news as it happens at www.TAPinto.net/enews and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MadisonTAP/ and on Twitter at @MadisonTAP to get all the news as it happens

Celebrating Something Special? Showcase Your Wedding, Christening, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Graduation, Reunion and MORE on TAPinto Milestones

For years, reality show fans suggested “Jersey Shore” standout Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi as a prime candidate to join the “RHONJ” cast.

But could she really run with the table-flipping crew?

The Bravo show’s executive producer, Andy Cohen, recently addressed the notion on his late-night show “Watch What Happens Live.”

In his estimation, mixing Snookis and Teresas has never been a good idea.

Cohen, key architect of the network’s universe of “Housewives” shows, explained why he was never sold on the concept when speaking to Polizzi’s friend and podcast partner, Joey Camasta, who appeared as a “bartender” on Tuesday’s episode of “WWHL.”

First, Cohen, 54, took the opportunity to dispel any notion that he might have beef with Polizzi, 34.

“I am in a fake fight with Snooki that is not a real fight,” Cohen told Camasta. “I looove Snooki, OK? I feel like people keep trying to poke her or prod her into something and then it gets in the thing where she and I are in some fight.”

In explaining that he doesn’t have any conflict with the MTV reality star, Cohen also broke down why he’s never supported a potential “Jersey Shore”-”RHONJ” cast crossover.

“Will you please tell her that I love Snooki and the issue is that I’ve been asked, would we ever put Snooki on ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’?” Cohen said. “My only thing is, she is so identifiable with ‘Jersey Shore’ and MTV. She built MTV reality shows, so in my mind, I just thought it’s like putting a Kardashian on another show that has nothing to do with it. It’s like two different worlds. That was my only thing, it was nothing personal.”

Camasta asked Cohen if he would have Polizzi back as a guest on “WWHL.” (She was last on the show a decade ago.)

“I would love it,” Cohen said. “I love her.”

Polizzi shared the “WWHL” clip on Twitter.

Her verdict:

“Lmao yasssss.”

Of course, local reality TV stars may live in bubbles while they film their shows (especially in the case of COVID-19 quarantine), but they often move in similar circles off camera or encounter each other out in the wild, like when “RHONJ” mainstay Teresa Giudice ran into Polizzi’s friend, “Jersey Shore” fixture Jenni “JWoww” Farley, and other “Shore” regulars in Atlantic City.

Camasta told Cohen that Polizzi is friendly with Giudice and her sister-in-law and co-star Melissa Gorga. But he agreed with Cohen’s “different worlds” assessment, and seemed to hint that Polizzi wouldn’t be sold on joining that cast anyway. She previously denied rumors that she had signed on for “RHONJ” or had been filming with Giudice ad Gorga.

For her part, Gorga, 43, has spoken in support of Polizzi becoming a part of “RHONJ.”

“She has kids now, she’s maturing,” she said, making the argument to Cohen during the show’s season 11 reunion in 2021. “It’s time for her to come to the ladies, the women.”

Like members of the “RHONJ” cast, Polizzi, who hails from Marlboro, New York, lives with her family in Morris County (Florham Park).

The mother of three — Lorenzo, 9; Giovanna, 7; and Angelo, 3 — who owns Snooki Shop boutiques in Madison, Seaside Heights and Beacon, N.Y., married her husband, Jionni LaValle, in 2014 after they met on “Jersey Shore” (they first welcomed son Lorenzo in 2012).

Polizzi rose to fame in her 20s with the debut of the fist-pumping MTV reality show, which arrived in 2009 just months after “RHONJ” premiered on Bravo. After the Seaside Heights-based series came to an end in 2012, Polizzi and Farley continued with their “Snooki & JWoww” spinoff on the same network until 2015.

Now, Polizzi, Farley and most of the original “Jersey Shore” cast star in “Jersey Shore Family Vacation,” which premiered in 2018 and is continuing June 23 with the second half of its fifth season on MTV, partially filmed in San Diego.

Polizzi briefly left the show in 2019 and 2020, in part because she wanted to spend more time with her kids. She was back in action in episodes that aired in 2021.

Now Snooki and her fellow “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” cast members are speaking out against MTV’s planned “Jersey Shore 2.0″ reboot with a younger cast. MTV is taking a chance on a new generation, but Polizzi and her co-stars argue that the original lineup is irreplaceable.

“We are not in support of a version that will exploit our original show, our hard work and authenticity to gain viewers,” the cast said as part of a group statement.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at [email protected] and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.