Bubba Franks was active for the first time in two months, and he got some of Keller's reps. Keller finished with three catches, including a 20-yarder. Chris Baker made a nice grab over Whitner for 19 yards.


(nydailynews.com)

Backup TE Bubba Franks, out the last four games with a hip injury, returned to the practice field for the first time. We'll get the participation report a bit later, but he seemed to be moving well. So perhaps there will be a Bubba sighting on Sunday. No sign of LB David Harris (groin surgery) and S Eric Smith (multiple concussions) at practice. WR Laveranues Coles was somewhat limited, so perhaps he's dealing with an injury issue.

(nydailynews.com)

Bubba Franks, for the second straight day, wasn’t anywhere near the practice field. Franks is listed as having a hip injury and with him missing Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions, it’s not a stretch to speculate he probably won’t play Sunday.



(amny.com)

Jets tight end Bubba Franks exited the game against Oakland in the first quarter with what appeared to be a hip injury.




(gridironfans.com)

The New York Daily News reports Jets TE Bubba Franks is not in danger of getting cut despite an uneven preseason. The Jets are deep at tight end, with Franks, incumbent TE Chris Baker, rookie TE Dustin Keller and TE Jason Pociask. "There's definitely a very good chance that all of them could stay," HC Eric Mangini said. Aside from Keller, who has a bright future, the only tight end with trade value is Baker, who complained about his contract before camp. Baker dropped his demand when the Jets refused to re-work his contract, and he claims to be happy even though his playing time probably will decrease.

(ffmastermind.com)

HEMPSTEAD - When Brett Favre arrived in Hempstead, most of the Jets didn't know what to expect. All but Bubba Franks.

The tight end had spent his career with Green Bay catching the tight spirals launched by Favre, and he had been a little bit wary in practice and afterward. Ever since his old teammate arrived, however, Franks has played better on the field, and has been smiling a lot more off it.

"I'm definitely more comfortable now, now that I know who's throwing the ball at me," Franks said. "He's been the only guy who's ever thrown the ball at me for eight years; let's go ahead and make it a ninth."

Franks was one of the Jets' offseason acquisitions, having been drafted by Green Bay in the first round of the 2000 draft. Favre was a veteran of the league even then, and Franks said he looked up to the quarterback to help him get used to his new team.

Now he is returning the favor. The two have lockers next door to each other, and Franks has been learning the Jets' offense since April in the offseason training opportunities and minicamp. In a game of communication, Franks can translate terms and plays, kind of a Berlitz course for football.

"If he has any questions, he knows who to ask," Franks said.

Targets such as rookie tight end Dustin Keller have been talking about how Favre's presence has changed the nature of the offense, even when it comes to being aware of the ball. When the play calls for one receiver, Favre can go to plan B without even looking.

"If you're not looking, you may get hit in the head," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said.

"There's no such thing as a decoy route, not as long as you have Brett back there," Franks said. "It's like I tell the guys: Even when you're covered, you're not really covered. If you have two hands and two arms, you're not really covered 'cause he's going to hit one of them. If you can see him, he can see you."

Favre didn't see Kerry Rhodes, however, and the lanky safety popped up and snatched one of Favre's passes, a 40-yarder intended for David Clowney, out of the sky with one hand. It was the first 11-on-11 interception for Favre in his four practices with the Jets.

That's the downside of improvisation. But yesterday's practice featured more penalty laps than touchdown passes, a day after Favre's penalty run with center Nick Mangold found its way onto YouTube.

But even with the errors taken into account, the Jets see the Favre effect as something beyond mere stats.

"Brett breathes great emotions going into the locker room," Frank said. "That lifts up the whole team. You can see how much energy there was today. The fans got involved, which makes practice a lot easier. I think that will help with the guys learning to know him, just from his energy and his practice methods."

(lohud.com)

HEMPSTEAD - When practice was over at the Jets' facility on the Hofstra University campus, Bubba Franks and Kellen Clemens walked over to the far side of the football field.

After missing on a pass earlier, the two started informally running a few patterns to get the rhythm down. When they finished, Franks jogged to the ball machine to catch a few more passes, and on the way passed by defensive coordinator Bob Sutton.

"I studied that defense last week," Franks called out, and the two talked strategy for a few minutes as most other players headed for the locker.

Franks has been a tight end in the NFL for eight seasons but, in his first year with the Jets, he has a lot of learning to do. The former Packer is in the process of learning to read the 3-4 defense he will often encounter in the AFC, and gaining inspiration from everything from the playbook to the Lakers game he watched Wednesday night.

"You see a basketball player make a move and you say, 'Maybe I can use this move on that play,' and then you're studying again," the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Franks said.

The idea, he said, is to do so much reading and thinking that when he is on the field watching the plays unfold, instinct takes over.

"That's one big thing that separates just guys from great guys," Franks said. "If you can recognize it as well as the quarterback does then you're way ahead of the game."

Franks played for the University of Miami - his two children still live in Florida - and was the 14th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He has 32 career receiving touchdowns and has 2,300 yards on 256 catches.

The Jets signed the 30-year-old Franks to a one-year contract. Since two of his last three years at Green Bay were marred by injuries, the three-time Pro Bowl selection has to pull all the pieces together and make a play for a starting spot.

"Bubba's doing a nice job," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "He was in one system for his whole career and now he's learning another system, and I think he's doing a good job with the information. He's doing a good job with the different spots we've asked him to play. He's got a lot of reps, which is positive ... I think he'll be in a much better position when we go to training camp to be in the best spot possible to continue to compete."

Franks is one of several veterans acquired during the offseason, and last year's roster players are giving them the benefit of the doubt, at least publicly.

"Just seeing them out here on the field, their work ethic, the way they go about practice, meetings," running back Thomas Jones said. "If they haven't played in the Super Bowl, they played in the playoffs, so they know what it takes to win."

That's certainly the kind of stardust the Jets would like to see settle over the entire team.

(lohud.com)

Bubba Franks’ practice wasn’t nearly as electric as the one we saw last week when he caught touchdown passes from Pennington, Clemens and Brett Ratliff. Franks did make a sliding 12-yard reception today on an underthrown Clemens pass but he also flinched several plays later and had to run a penalty lap.

(blogs.trb.com)

The star of practice was TE Bubba Franks, who shined in a seven-on-seven, red-zone drill. He made a nice, one-handed, falling-down grab in the end zone on a pass from Pennington, and Bubba came back moments later with a TD grab from Clemens. Later, in a full-team drill, he made a diving TD catch from Pennington.

Should no-show Chris Baker be worried? Whoa, let’s not get crazy here. Baker, not here because he’s unhappy with his contract, still is the best tight end on the roster. A few years ago, Franks was one of the best red-zone tight ends in the league - he and Brett Favre had a lot of success together in Green Bay - but one good practice in May doesn’t mean the old Bubba is back.

(nydailynews.com)

The Jets will open their offseason program Monday with several new faces, including former Packers TE Bubba Franks. The former Pro Bowler agreed to terms Sunday on a one-year, $1.65 million contract, according to an NFL source. But the Jets could be without at least two mainstays.

(nydailynews.com)

When evaluating the Bubba Franks signing, it’s important to remember one thing: They didn’t get him to be a starter. He will back up Chris Baker. I don’t have the contract figures yet, but I’m sure they didn’t break the bank.

Here are a few notables about Franks (6-6, 265), who turned 30 in January:

• From 2001 to 2004, he was one of the most productive red-zone receivers in the league. In that span, he had 35 receptions inside the 20, including 25 touchdowns. From 2005 to 2007, he was a non-factor in the red zone - seven catches, no TDs.

• In August, 2005, he signed a seven-year, $28 million contract. He played in only 10 games that year because of an injury. In 2006, he was awful. According to football maven Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Franks dropped six of 53 passes (the worst ratio of his career), fumbled twice, allowed 3 1/2 sacks and 9 1/2 pressures.

• In 2007, Franks lost the starting job to Donald Lee. As a backup, Franks participated in only 25% of the offensive snaps (he missed eight games with a torn PCL in his knee that didn’t require surgery). He had only one drop, zero penalties and no QB pressures. He finished with a career-low 18 receptions, including three TDs. According to my man McGinn, who knows everything about the Packers, Franks played reasonably well and did a decent job as a run blocker. That, I’m sure, will be his role with the Jets.

The Packers cut him because he was due to make $3 million in base salary this year.

(nydailynews.com)

Continuing their trend of signing size, the Jets have acquired a tight end named Bubba. Bubba Franks, a three-time Pro Bowl selection whose last few seasons were disrupted by injuries, has agreed to a free-agent contract with the Jets. He was cut by the Packers last month. The Jets had been looking for a blocking backup for Chris Baker and were in discussions with restricted free agent Ben Utecht last week. When Utecht, formerly of the Colts, signed an offer sheet from the Bengals, the Jets focused on and lured Franks. Franks (6-6, 265) caught at least 30 passes in each of his first five years with the Packers, in which he played in every game. Last year, though, he played in only eight games because of a knee injury and caught 18 passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns.

(newsday.com)

The Jets, determined to improve upon last season's 4-12 debacle, are continuing one of their busiest offseasons and are close to signing three-time Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations.

Those people spoke on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing. An official announcement could come as early as tomorrow, when the Jets begin their offseason program.

On Friday, the Jets missed out on tight end Ben Utecht (Colts), who signed an offer sheet with the Bengals. They immediately turned their attention to Franks, who was released by the Packers last month. He has already visited with the Jets.

Franks, an eight-year veteran whose given name is Daniel, has been plagued by injuries the past three seasons but remains a solid blocker and reliable receiver, especially in the red zone. He's viewed as a good complement to starter Chris Baker. The Jets have been searching for a quality backup tight end for several seasons.

Last season, Franks, 6-6, 265 pounds, had just 18 catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. He missed eight games with a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and lost his starting job to Donald Lee. He was due a $3 million base salary this season.

Franks, 30, was a starter for seven of his eight seasons in Green Bay. He recorded 256 career receptions for 2,300 yards and 32 touchdowns. His touchdown receptions are tied for the 10th-most in Packers' history.

A former first-round pick (14th overall out of Miami in 2000), Franks made the Pro Bowl in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Injuries, however, have slowed him in recent years. He has missed 14 games over the past three seasons with knee, neck and back injuries.

The Jets strongly considered drafting Franks in 2000, when they had four first-round picks and selected tight end Anthony Becht in the first round.

(nj.com)

Recently released tight end Bubba Franks will have a new home before the week is out, according to his agent, Eugene Mato.

The Packers released Franks on Feb. 20 and he has drawn considerable interest since then, Mato said. Though he wouldn't say which teams were interested or where Franks would land, Mato said he expected a deal to be done this week.

(jsonline.com)