On April 29 the University of Miami will induct it's 2010 Hall of Fame class.

Bubba Franks and Jim Cox (football); Jason Michaels and Alex Santos (baseball); Sid Schwartz (tennis); Jenny Keim Johansen (diving); and Ed Morris (basketball).

Click here to order Bubba Frank's proCane Rookie Card.



(miamiherald.com)

The Jets have been in the market for a veteran blocking tight end for some time. They visited with such luminaries as Michael Gaines (who signed with the Bears on Monday) and Robert Royal, but missed out on both, which left them getting back together with a familiar friend. Bubba Franks has re-signed with the team, according to Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger.

The move is a bit of a surprise since Franks isn’t really known for his blocking skills. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he’s got the size, but he excelled as a red-zone option with the Packers, scoring 27 touchdowns from 2001-04. Injuries have limited him to just 16 games over the past two seasons, however, and he’s only caught 24 passes in that time.

Franks played with the Jets in 2008, but injuries limited him to eight games in the lineup. He had just six catches as a third tight end option behind Chris Baker and Dustin Keller. Baker’s departure may open more of a role in the passing game for Franks, although he\’ll need to stay healthy to take advantage of the increase in playing time.

It will be interesting to see if the Jets remain in the market for a blocking tight end since the offense figures to be focused on the run in 2009. With Baker and Alex Smith joining the Patriots this offseason, there\’s been some speculation that Benjamin Watson will hit the unemployment line and he’d be an interesting addition to the Jets roster. Not only does he fit their needs better than Franks, he’d also continue the long tradition of Patriots and Jets players swapping rosters every season.



(bags.modselling.com)

They Jets are hurting so much that Johnny Mitchell is considering a comeback. I jest. They will miss Chris Baker's dependability. Don't rule out Bubba Franks returning at a later date, if he gets healthy.




(nydailynews.com)

Tight end Bubba Franks was let go Monday by New York after playing with the organization for one year.  Franks caught six passes for 47 yards while serving primarily as a blocker.

Franks, who made three Pro Bowls earlier this decade in Green Bay, spent a few months on the free agent market before the Jets re-signed him in May.

Franks was too banged up to practice after the Jets signed him in May. Now 31 with bad knees, Franks' future is in doubt. If Franks is done, the longtime Packer will finish with 262 career catches and 32 TDs in nine seasons.



(profootballtalk.com)

Bubba Franks' 2008 was not the highlight of the venerable tight end's career. Even Bubba said so.

"I got hurt pretty early, so I was kind of like a fan. I had to sit back and watch," Franks told me last week after an OTA practice. "I disliked sitting on the sideline or even standing. It's something I really never had to do. Then all of a sudden you're on the sideline pretty much watching the rest of the games.

"That just didn't sit well with me. So I'm back here for unfinished business. I've got work to do . I've got a lot of things I need to prove."

It's hard not to like Franks. He's not afraid to converse in a vernacular that fans understand. A lot of players back away from talk about unfinished business and proving things. Franks embraces it.

And why not? The Franks we saw last year was not the Bubba of his first eight NFL seasons with Green Bay. His six catches and 47 yards were both career lows. He had no touchdown catches in a season for only the second time.
Then there was his health. In six of his first seven seasons, he rarely came off the frozen tundra. But last season, after injuring his hip on a slip in Game 6 at Oakland, he sat out eight of the last 10 games, getting in for about 20 plays without a catch in each of the December Buffalo and Seattle games.

Despite the understated debut in Green & White and his supposed venture into unrestricted free agency, there had always been a hint that he was coming back. For instance, his stall in the Atlantic Health Training Center locker room was never dismantled. Franks confirmed to me that he was figuring all along to return for Year 2.

"I was coming back all along. It was just a matter of I had to do some training down in Miami, clean up a couple of loose ends here and there," he said. "Then when they told me to come up here, I'm here. We had already discussed all that. I knew I was coming back."

The cleaning-up, head coach Rex Ryan said last week, involved another body part besides Franks' hip.

"Bubba has a little thing with his knee. We don’t think it’s serious. Obviously we wouldn’t have signed him if that was the case," Ryan said. "The thing I'm really impressed with is the kind of leader he is, a charismatic guy. You can tell that his teammates really like him and he's really a pro. Ed Reed called me about him, and he's a guy whose opinion I value, and he certainly wasn’t wrong with Bubba."

That's why Franks will probably continue to watch the Jets play some more from the sideline through the rest of OTAs and the June 9-11 full-squad minicamp, then begin practicing again at the start of training camp. For now, after the departure of Chris Baker for points northeast, he's tutoring the rest of the team's tight ends, a young lot consisting of second-year man Dustin Keller, newly converted Kareem Brown and undrafted free agents Andrew Davie, Rob Myers, Jack Simmons and J'Nathan Bullock.

"Most of them don't know too much about the position. They're young, just coming in now," said the grizzled vet. "Plus you're only as strong as your weakest link. They're going to be a part of this core group. We've got to be pretty close. They're a bunch of good guys. Some of them area little more talented than others, but I think it's all going to come down to how quick they can pick up the offense.

"You can't really show what you've got until you know what you're doing."

Franks knows what he's doing and what he's about, even though, as I kidded him, this will be his first NFL season without Brett Favre as his quarterback, whether as a Packer or a Jet.

"It's definite. He's not going to be back, so this'll be my first year without him," Franks said with a chuckle. "I don't know how it's going to feel, but hey, we'll see what happens."

(newyorkjets.com)

Spoke with Bubba Franks in the locker room and he told me he doesn't expect to do too much before training camp. In the meantime, he's getting treatment on his injured knee for about four hours per day.

"My main thing is getting healthy and staying healthy," Franks said. "I think that's really the only problem, is being healthy."

(newsday.com)

In a mild surprise -- and perhaps as a bit of insurance -- the Jets have re-signed veteran tight end Bubba Franks, according to a person with knowledge of the signing. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the Jets haven't announced the move.

Franks, a 10th-year pro, played last season with the Jets after spending his first eight seasons with the Packers. He missed seven games last season with a hip injury, finishing with just six catches for 47 yards and no touchdowns.
Franks, 31, is believed to have signed a one-year deal.

The move to retain Franks was unexpected, especially because the Jets need a blocking tight end to complement second-year pro Dustin Keller and Franks is known primarily as a receiver.

But since the Jets released veteran tight end Chris Baker (who signed with the Patriots) in February, they haven't found a good match in free agency despite bringing in several veterans for visits. The Jets brought in veteran Michael Gaines last week but didn't sign him.

Before signing Franks, the Jets had just one veteran tight end on the roster in Keller. They have signed three rookies: Andrew Davie, Robert Myers and Jack Simmons, who was impressive at last week's rookie minicamp.
For his career, Franks has 262 receptions for 2,347 yards and 32 touchdowns.

(nj.com)

Below proCanes.com analyzes the NFL U free agent market and tries to give you, the fans, a better idea of where these free agents may end up for the 2009 season. First off, here are the different types of free agents defined in case you don't now the difference:

Unrestricted Free Agents
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) are players who have completed four or more accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They are free to sign with any club.

Restricted Free Agents
Restricted Free Agents (RFA) are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until April 21, at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.

Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (ERFAs) are players who have completed between 0-2 accrued seasons of service whose contracts have expired. If tendered, they have no negotiating rights with other clubs and must sign their tender with their old club or sit out the season.

2009 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Phillip Buchanon CB 5-11 186 7th Season Buccaneers:
According to members of the Buccaneers organization, many from within believe Phillip Buchanon was their most consistent cornerback last year. At the beginning of the offseason many people thought the Bucs would let Buchanon go because of the coaching changes and and change in defensive philosophy. That looks to not be the case though. The Bucs will be talking to Buchanon's agent Drew Rosenhaus this week and hope to sign before he hits the open market. After a rough beginning to his career, Buchanon seems to have settled and become a vital part of the Tampa Bay defense. Look for him to remain a Buccaneer.

Vernon Carey OT 6-5 350 5th Season Dolphins:
Vernon Carey actually never hit the free agency market despite not being franchised by the Miami Dolphins. Once the Dolphins elected not to franchise him most people began to speculate that they no longer wanted Carey and both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings would go after him. One day later though, the Dolphins did sign Carey to a 6-year $42 million contract making him the highest paid right tackle in the league. Congrats to Vernon!

Bubba Franks TE 6-6 265 9th Season NY Jets:
Bubba Franks had a disappointing 2008 season despite being teamed up with Brett Favre again. Bubba's best seasons as a Green Bay Packer were with Favre, but they never seemed to to find that magic last year as Jets. Bubba fought through injuries during the season but missed 8 games. He finished the season with only six reception for 47 yards and no TDs. The Jets did released TE Chris Baker, which would create an opening for Bubba, but they do have Dustin Keller who they are pretty high on. If Bubba stays looks for him to be Keller's backup which is a possibility as long as he can show that he can stay healthy.

William Joseph DT 6-5 308 6th Season Raiders:
Joseph was signed last offseason by the Raiders to give them help along the defensive line with the loss of Warren Sapp. Joseph was cut right before the beginning of season, but was then signed in week 8 and played the last 7 weeks of the season accumulating 8 tackles. Since being drafted by the NY Giants in the first round in 2003, Joseph has not lived up to expectations. He will probably get signed by someone in need of DL depth and it very well could be the Oakland Raiders.

Ray Lewis LB 6-1 250 13th Season Ravens:
It is rumored that the Jets are making salary cap room to possibly sign Ray Lewis. The Cowboys have been rumored to be a destination Ray would potentially prefer as well. Ray has said before that he would like to end his career as a Raven and the Ravens would really like to sign him before the free agency period begins on February 27, despite being irked by his comments at the Pro Bowl which most people think were said to get him a bigger contract. This would be the first time Ray would hit the free agent market and the Ravens are afraid that if he does he will be gone. Look for the Ravens to sign him before he hits the market.

Darrell McClover LB 6-1 226 5th Season Bears:
McClover has been important cog in the Bears' special teams for the past few years, but he missed the last 6 games due to injury this year and the Bears do not seem to be interested in resigning him. He has been a career special teams player but also has the ability to play the OLB spot. If the Bears do not re-sign him, which looks unlikely, look for him to get picked up by a team with special teams needs like the Patriots, Chiefs, or Titans.

Jerome McDougle DE 6-2 2646th Season NY Giants:
McDougle has dealt with a lot of adversity during his short career and unfortunately has never lived up to expectations despite always performing well in training camps. More than anything, he is happy to be alive considering his near-death experience of being shot in the abdomen. McDougle didn’t contribute much to the Giants, and now Osi Umenyiora is presumably coming back to join what should be a three-man end rotation with Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka. Dave Tollefson (an exclusive rights free agent) figures to be the fourth. If there’s a fifth, it’ll come out of the draft. Look for McDougle to get one more shot in someone's training camp, he has shows great resiliency throughout his tough career.

Brett Romberg C 6-2 298 5th Season Rams:
Though a little undersized Romberg has been in the thick of the starting center position for the last few years in St. Louis. He started three games in 2006, nine games in 2007 and six games in 2008. Last year he broke his hand in training camp and lost the job to Nick Leckey. Romberg did end up starting the last 6 games of the season though. The Rams seems to like Romberg more than Leckey so look for them to re-sign Romberg.

Jonathan Vilma LB 6-1230 5th Season Saints:
Re-signing MLB Jonathan Vilma is the Saints' top priority. Vilma, who was traded to the Saints a year ago, is said to be very interested in re-upping with New Orleans, but the team will not strike a deal with him until Feb. 27 — the start of free agency — at the earliest, guaranteeing that Vilma will hit the open market. Signing him before then would force the Saints to give up higher draft picks to the Giants and Jets — first- and second-rounders, respectively, instead of second- and third-rounders — per the deals for TE Jeremy Shockey and Vilma. The Saints are optimistic he will be back and so are we. Unless someone throws a lot of money in Vilma's direction look for him to sign with the Saints as soon as he hits the market.

Nate Webster LB 6-0 232 9th Season Broncos:
Webster beat out free-agent Niko Koutouvides for the starting MLB spot last fall which was a huge surprise to many considering the large contract that was given to Koutouvides. The Denver defense last year was bad. Many people blamed Webster but the problems ran much deeper than him. The DL was atrocious and injuries took their toll as well with DJ Williams missing time as well as Webster. Koutouvides was recently cut by the Broncos, which could mean that the Broncos are interested in keeping Webster. If they do, look for him to be more of an insurance policy as he can backup all three LB positions or if Williams is moved back to MLB then Webster could find a spot on the outside.

2009 RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Rashad Butler OT 6-4 309 3rd Season Texans:
Butler is well-respected in the Texans organization because of his ability to overcome the disease: ulcerative colitis. This was the reason for Butler's inability to keep weight on during his days in Carolina. Since then he has been able to control the disease and played in 8 games in 2007. He didn't see much action in 2008, but look for the Texans to resign him for a league minimum resulting in 3 offensive lineman from the U on the Texans (Chris Myers, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler).

2009 EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

Orien Harris DL6-3 300 1st Season Bengals:
Harris was a standout in Saints camp in 2008 and was surprisingly released before the season started. The Bengals though, snatched him up quickly and Harris saw action in 14 games and started Week 6 against the Jets. He is an exclusive rights free agent; the team has already signed FB/TE Daniel Coats, who was the other player in that category. Look for the Bengals to re-sign him and in the off chance they don't, the Saints will be in the running for his services.

RELEASED

Ken Dorsey QB 6-4 215 6th Season Browns:
Dorsey struggled towards the end of last year when he was forced into action for four of the last five games of the season throwing zero touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Dorsey has always been limited physically but has been a great tutor for Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. If he lands anywhere it will probably be with Rob Chudzinski and the San Diego Chargers to mentor Phillip Rivers.

Najeh Davenport RB 6-1 247 7th Season Colts:
Najeh played 4 games for the Steelers last year in the middle of the season after being released in the offseason. He was then released by the Steelers and signed by the Colts where he played in two games before being released before the start of the playoffs. Davenports has shown he can still play both as a running back and also as a kickoff return man. In week 17 he had 8 carries for 26 yards along with four receptions for 54 yards. The knock on Davenport has always been his ability to stay healthy and stay in shape. Look for him to get signed by someone in need of RB depth and also special teams player.

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)