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)

At this point, 2?weeks into training camp, the chances of Bubba Franks regaining his starting tight end job appear to be next to nil.

The issue is whether or not he’ll even be on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster when they’re preparing for the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. With Donald Lee seemingly entrenched as the starting tight end, Franks didn’t help his situation when he dropped an easy pass in Saturday’s preseason opener at Pittsburgh. The drop was a drive killer. He whiffed on a third-and-8 play from the 50 that stalled what had been a productive series by the second-string offense. “Hopefully, he can rebound from that,” Packers director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie said on Monday. “I think he’s having a solid camp. He hasn’t been dropping a whole bunch of balls, so hopefully that doesn’t become an issue. Hopefully, he’s not pressing. You don’t need to press.”

GREEN BAY -- Bubba Franks was back at practice on Monday, wearing a shield under his facemask to provide additional protection for his injured eye.

Franks' new look didn't quite match the sinister black mask that was a hallmark of Jim McMahon's brief tenure with the Packers, but the big tight end didn't much care for it.

"I didn't like it, but I have no choice," Franks said. "I have to get used to it. It's going to be on there, regardless. I felt pretty good out there. After a while, I got used to it, but I still didn't like it. It's going to take a while longer."

Franks scratched his eye last week, and isn't sure how long he'll have to wear the shield.

"Let's just say it wouldn't be a good thing to get poked in the eye again, so I'm going to wear it as long as I have to," Franks said.

Green Bay - Bubba Franks is never going to be Antonio Gates, Todd Heap or Dallas Clark. Never was. Never will be.

The Green Bay Packers are more than aware of that. Finding a tight end with stretch-the-field capability will have to wait for another draft or two.

All they're really after in 2007 is a return of old dependable Bubba. And maybe, just maybe, that Bubba is back.

"I talked to him a little bit before practice today," Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said Tuesday. "He's excited. Looking more like himself."

Ten veterans were excused and at least nine players sat out most drills in Thursday's morning practice, leaving the Packers with about three-fourths of a roster.

Coach Mike McCarthy said it's the only time he plans to excuse any veterans during training camp. They had two days off last year, but next Thursday's early practice will be dedicated to game-planning for the preseason opener two days later at Pittsburgh.

"A few guys were disappointed that they weren't on the (excused) list," McCarthy said. "It's not based on their status on the football team. It's clearly based on how many years (six or more) they played in. It's where their bodies are at in their career."

All the veterans except tight end Bubba Franks practiced in the night session.

Franks, on a one-a-day practice schedule because of a troublesome knee, was scratched in the eye during a team drill Tuesday night. An exam Thursday showed the injury is 90 percent healed, McCarthy said, and the team hopes he'll practice today.

(packersnews.com)

GREEN BAY — Ascertaining exactly what went wrong for Bubba Franks last season is a difficult task these days.

Like politics and religion at a cocktail party, talking about why the veteran tight end struggled so mightily in 2006 is near the top of the list of taboo conversational topics — right below specifics about injuries — around the Green Bay Packers this training camp.

"Last year is last year," tight ends coach Ben McAdoo said after a recent practice. "I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about last year."

General manager Ted Thompson, meanwhile, would only say Franks "would be the first to admit he had a down year last year, and we're looking for a little bit of a bounce-back."

GREEN BAY - We would appreciate it if you would keep reading, but to understand just how meaningless some of the things coaches say in these position-by-position previews leading up to training camp are, one need look no further than at the Green Bay Packers' tight end position in 2006.

Entering camp, veteran Bubba Franks was convinced the tight ends would be more involved in the team's offense, having seen evidence during the club's offseason minicamp and organized team activity practices of the various ways he and his colleagues would be used.

On top of that, Franks was sure he would rebound from a disappointing 2005, when he missed much of training camp while negotiations lagged on a seven-year, $28 million deal and ended up with then-career lows in receptions (25), yards (207) and touchdowns (one) in 10 injury-plagued games. After all, his former position coach, Jeff Jagodzinski, had returned as the offensive coordinator under new coach Mike McCarthy.

"He's going to be more involved. He will be," said Jagodzinski, who coached Franks to the Pro Bowl in 2001 (36 catches, 322 yards, a career-best nine touchdowns), 2002 (career-high 54 receptions for 442 yards and seven TDs) and in 2003 (30-241-7). "Look at when I was here before. See if he was involved. He'll be involved. He doesn't need to worry."

How important is it for QB Brett Favre to throw to the tight end? It would seem very important for him to involve the Packers' tight ends in the passing game, especially in the red zone, but it isn't as important as you might think. There does not seem to be a relationship between TD passes thrown to the tight end and Favre's success over the course of an entire season.

Football Outsiders had a good post this week discussing the goal line pass to the tight end. The two plays described by Mike Tanier, the goal line rollout option and the gonzo corner, are both plays Favre has ran often in his career. Tanier might not be describing the exact same play from either Mike Holmgren or Mike Sherman's playbook, but Favre has usually thrown to the tight end at the back of the end zone, near the goal posts, and after some play action or a short rollout. What Mike McCarthy's preferred play call for the tight end is somewhat of a mystery because only two TD passes were thrown to tight ends in 2006, both to ex-Packer TE David Martin.

Favre has never used the tight end as a significant weapon to gain yardage. TE Mark Chmura only caught over 500 yards in two of his seven seasons. Since 2001, the leading tight end in receiving yards usually is the fifth leading receiver, far behind the top three WRs and slightly behind one of the running backs. Only in 2002 was TE Bubba Franks the team's 3rd leading receiver and he set his career high with 442 yards receiving.

Bubba Franks tried to fend off the question before it was asked.

Before a reporter reached Franks' locker on Thursday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers' tight end offered this: "I don't want to talk about being on the second team."

Yet on the second day of the voluntary organized team activities — and the first session that was open to reporters — Franks' apparent demotion stood out.

When the No. 1 offense took the field for the first time during a team period, Franks was on the sideline. The Packers opened in a two-tight end set, and the first reps went to Donald Lee and Tory Humphrey. On the next play, fullback Brandon Miree replaced Humphrey, leaving Lee on the field. Franks got only a handful of reps during the team periods of Thursday's two-hour practice.

When the Green Bay Packers lost tight end David Martin to the Miami Dolphins via free agency it seemed as if the departure boosted the stock of veteran Bubba Franks, who had lost ground to Martin at the position last season.

But not so fast. According to a recent report by the Green Bay Press Gazette, Bubba might be on the bubble. The story had the Packers considering making some cuts from among a group consisting of Franks, wide receiver Robert Ferguson, defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and strong safety Marquand Manuel.

It doesn't take long to fall from the penthouse to the outhouse in the NFL, and Franks is a good example.

Not long ago, Bubba Franks was viewed as the Packers franchise tight end. Now, Franks is fighting not only for playing time, but a roster spot.

There are no assurances that Franks, the Packers' first-round pick in 2000, will make Green Bay's final 53-man roster. In recent seasons, the Packers have sought to upgrade the position and, in the team's most recent minicamp, Green Bay had Donald Lee and Tory Humphrey working with the first-team offense.

The Packers also tried to work in this year's seventh-round pick, former Rutgers tight end Clark Harris, but he dropped a couple of passes.

Franks is coming off a season in which he dropped enough passes to jeopardize his standing this season. He was not as reliable as a team would like its tight end to be. It is the reason that, even before training camp begins, Franks is on the bubble. He needs to do a better job holding on to the football and to fend off the competition that the Packers are going to throw at him this summer.

(nfl.com)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says no starting jobs were won or lost during the team's three-day minicamp over the weekend.

That's good news for Bubba Franks, who had to share a significant amount of practice time as the first-team tight end with Donald Lee.

After failing to catch a single touchdown during a disappointing 2006 season, Franks knows he will have to compete for playing time this year and says he's returning with a fresh attitude.

The veteran went home to Miami to clear his head in the offseason. After some introspection, he admits he was being selfish last year.

"I'm more of a team player now," Franks said. "I think last year, it got to the point where I was thinking about myself. I was selfish. It comes a time in a person's career where you think you're the only one out there. But I wasn't. This year, it's going to be totally different."

GREEN BAY - Bubba Franks blames himself.

Sure, the Green Bay Packers' veteran tight end couldn't control a few things that happened to him last season - how often he was used as essentially an extra offensive lineman to help in pass protection, or how the new coaching staff took more of a liking to David Martin's skill set - but Franks admits it was his fault for not rolling with the changes better.

"It didn't matter (what the coaches did). It was the way I took it," Franks said during a break in the team's mandatory full-squad minicamp Saturday. "Regardless of what they throw at you, it's the way you take it."

Which is why Franks is apparently taking perhaps the biggest non-Brett Favre news of this camp - that he's no longer the Packers' starting tight end after holding the job since being taken in the first round of the 2000 draft - as a challenge rather than an affront.

Bubba Franks has been the Packers' starting tight end since his rookie year of 2000, but the coaching staff sent him a signal at minicamp Friday that he'll have to win back that job this year after his disappointing 2006 performance.

Donald Lee took the first snap of each drill with the No. 1 offense, and Tory Humphrey appeared to work ahead of Franks at times also. Lee, Humphrey and Zac Alcorn all have been taking part in the Packers' offseason workout program beginning March 19.

"They've been working all offseason; I don't have any problems with them in there right now," Franks said. "It's not a problem."

Franks, who caught only 25 passes and had no touchdowns last season, said he went back to the offseason workout program of his first six NFL seasons after staying in Green Bay and taking part in the Packers' offseason workout program last year. Franks is one of about 20 players who attended the University of Miami and return there in the spring and summer to work out in a competitive atmosphere with their college strength coach.

"You go back to doing something that works when things go wrong," Franks said. "… This year, I'm on a mission. There's nothing that's going to get in my way."

(packersnews.com)

Bubba Franks' lack of production the past two seasons has been perplexing, but the veteran tight end might have a bigger role in the offense in 2007.

Franks has 29 touchdowns and has been to three Pro Bowls in his seven years in the NFL. He became one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league when he signed a seven-year, $28 million deal before the 2005 season.

In 2005, injuries forced Franks to miss six games, and he had just 25 catches for 207 yards and one touchdown.

The 2006 season was worse. Franks, who gained notoriety because of his nose for the end zone, became more known for dropping passes and fumbling. He finished the season with 25 catches for 232 yards and no touchdowns.

Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers used to rely on tight end Bubba Franks every time they got near the goal line.
Now they can't even afford to have him near it.

Franks had a big thanks to extend to teammate Dave Rayner after he saved the veteran's bacon with a 44-yard field goal in the final minutes at

Lambeau Field, giving the Packers a 9-7 victory that should have been so much easier.

"He saved me at the end," said Franks, who came to Rayner after the game and thanked him for his heroics.

This week the Green Bay Packers were given quite the scare when Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks failed to show up for work. Repeat calls to his home phone and cell phone were made and still, no answer.

Franks is one of the most reliable players on the team — a solid professional who would never miss work much less show up late.

The Packers, fearing the worst, went so far as to dispatch a member of the team to Franks' house to investigate with the hope of getting to the bottom of it. The team official repeatedly banged on the door and a window to no response. Fortunately, Franks finally responded and it turned out his alarm clock never went off and he was just in a deep sleep.

Still, because Franks is the consummate pro the team feared the worst. Luckily, their fears never came to fruition.

(foxsports.com)

As Bubba Franks sat at his locker after Sunday's 38-10 loss to the New York Jets, the frustration came pouring out.

For most of the season, Franks, a three-time Pro Bowler, has been used primarily as a blocker.

On Sunday, Franks had what is becoming a typical performance. He had three catches for 18 yards, and while Franks did his best to take the high road, it was impossible for him to mask his frustration with his diminishing role.

"I don't even want to get into that," Franks said. "I don't feel like arguing or negotiating with nobody."

Mike McCarthy is a magician.

The Green Bay Packers' coach has managed to make a 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end disappear.

There is a better chance of Bubba Franks showing up on an Amber Alert, or on the back of a milk carton, than inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Franks has gone from invincible in the red zone to invisible in the red zone.

Once upon a time, Brett Favre joked that Franks might become the first player in National Football League history to have more touchdown catches than receiving yards. It was Favre at his wittiest, and it was Franks at his best, and it was smiles all around.

Meanwhile, Bubba Franks is clearly frustrated with his reduced role. Asked if he was on the field when quarterback Brett Favre got hurt in the second quarter, Franks said:

"No I wasn't, I was on the sidelines. Spending too much time on the sidelines."

It seemed like he regretted opening that can of worms, though, because when asked why he was on the sidelines, he wanted to drop it.

"I don't know," Franks said. "I'm just a player. Don't ask me. I don't even want to get into it."

Franks is one of the most emotional and bluntly honest veterans the Packers have, and he was clearly upset by the loss.
"I don't think they fear coming to Lambeau no more. We don't have that mystique," Franks said. "We've been trying to get it all year. We don't have it. At all."

He added that he had wanted to see how the Packers measured up against New England to judge their progress.

"It was a measuring stick to me," Franks said. "The teams we beat, they all have losing records. To come up against a team like this, it was a challenge. And we didn't answer the challenge - not today."

(jsonline.com)

For most of this season, Green Bay Packers tight end Bubba Franks has been the disappearing Pro Bowler.

Franks remains the Packers' starter and has been on the field all season. But in the box score, he's been a mirage.

In the last two weeks, Franks has been held without a catch. It's not that Franks hasn't had opportunities — he dropped two passes in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. In eight games this season, Franks has just 12 catches for 123 yards and no touchdowns.

GREEN BAY - What Bubba Franks is going through right now is essentially the grown- up, NFL version of your kid being demoted in the elementary school play.

Before, the Green Bay Packers' three-time Pro Bowl tight end had a key role. If the Packers' offense was "The Three Little Pigs," maybe he wasn't the big, bad wolf, but at least the second pig.

Sunday's trip to Miami is just the second for Bubba Franks as a Green Bay Packers tight end. The first trip was in 2000, Bubba's rookie year after being a first-round draft choice from the University of Miami.

His friends may have been asking, "Where's Bubba?" Packers fans are asking that now. The Packers enter Sunday's game ranked 29th in red zone offense after just five touchdowns in 14 trips.

The play was one the Green Bay Packers have run dozens of times.

It was a play-action pass, and quarterback Brett Favre rolled to his left. He found a wide open Bubba Franks in the flat, and the tight end looked like he was on his way to a big gain. But Franks couldn't make a cornerback miss, and he was stopped for a 9-yard gain.

It happened on first-and-10 from the Packers' 32-yard line on their second series of Sunday's 23-20 loss to St. Louis at Lambeau Field. The Packers scored a touchdown on that drive, but if they hadn't, a play like that might have stuck out even more. The 28-year-old Franks, who is in his seventh NFL season, couldn't find a way to get around cornerback Travis Fisher.

Once again, Bubba Franks displayed the outstanding leadership skills that make the seventh-year pro an integral member of the Green Bay Packers.

Unfortunately, Franks did so after the Packers’ 34-27 loss to New Orleans, rather than during it. Following a second straight loss at Lambeau Field, Franks addressed his teammates in the locker room to apologize for dropping passes and committing a costly unsportsmanlike penalty.

The gesture was classy and sincere, and it may make a lasting impression on the rookies and first-year players.

Franks wasn’t the only veteran who earned the right to apologize for substandard play.