05/15 — Bubba Franks made his presence felt at today's OTA practice.

Every time you looked up, Franks, the 6'6", 265-pound tight end who came over from the Packers as a street free agent in March, was snagging a pass for six.

There were some nice snatches at helmet level or above from Chad Pennington in red zone drills. There was No. 88 reaching for a "touchdown" in the corner of the end zone on a zip from Kellen Clemens, then grabbing a pass over the middle past S Eric Smith from No. 3 QB Brett Ratliff in 7-on-7s.

Franks wasn't alone on the receiving end of some sharp Clemens throws. KC also hit WR Chansi Stuckey past S Kerry Rhodes at the goal line on a ball Stuckey made a nice adjustment on. Then in 11-on-11s, he found fast WR David Clowney for a leaping grab over the middle and sure-handed David Ball on a leaping snatch down the sideline.

Pennington showed nice touch and even a little zip on his throws. He hit Laveranues Coles on an out, then came back with a flip to Thomas Jones, with his rolled-up jersey sleeves, that would have gone for big yardage.

Even though the passing game is a major component of these OTAs, the defense showed up, too, against the pass and the run.

Second-year LB David Harris showed nice early range, reaching to break up a pass to TE Jason Pociask and then running to the ball for what would have been a tackle (these are no-pads-no-tackling drills) as Leon Washington darted around end.

S James Ihedigbo, the first-year man back for his second off-season with the Jets, was the recipient of a Ratliff batted ball, which he intercepted and took off with for what would've been a long return.

Special teams also got their sessions, and as is becoming routine, Mike Nugent ended the main portion of practice with a 48-yard field goal straight down the middle and high into the net on the Jets' upper grass field.

New Jets defenders Calvin Pace and Kris Jenkins each was spotted running a penalty lap. And for those who've asked about CB Justin Miller, he's not working in defensive drills yet but was doing a lot of running.

The Run for the Rhodes

I checked in with Kerry Rhodes about the football camp he and Dallas Cowboys WR Terrell Owens held during the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.

"It was the first Kentucky Derby Youth Football Camp/Clinic," Rhodes said. "I was able to do it back at Louisville, at the indoor stadium there. And I was able to get T.O. to come aboard and help me out. It was a good event. We had around 200 kids and we had fun."

It seems Rhodes and Jerricho Cotchery are in competition for the most camps sponsored by Jets players. The two Alabama natives co-hosted one camp last year and Cotchery had a second camp in Wayne, N.J. Now Rhodes is up to two.

The 'Bama connection was also at work with the Rhodes-Owens odd-couple team.

"I wouldn't say we're great friends but we're good friends," he said. "We're both from Alabama. I've seen him. He opened up a spot in Birmingham."

And now the two have opened up a clinic beachhead in horse country.