By blinking in their dispute with receiver Laveranues Coles and guaranteeing the next two years of his contract in order to make him “happy,” have the Jets helped themselves?

Yes, but only if they now plan to take similar steps to placate any other veteran player who decides to run his mouth.  The fact that Coles picked up $11 million in guaranteed money as a reward for his pissing and moaning is all the incentive that any other veteran player needs to make similar demands.

For example, the Jets by all appearances plan to string quarterback Chad Pennington along, squeezing him into taking a lower base salary than the $6 million he’s due to earn only after Kellen Clemens makes it through training camp and the preseason both healthy and in possession of the top spot on the depth chart.

Pennington, as some Internet hack pointed out on SportingNews.com today, has played along.  But with Coles getting a significant concession by making it known that he wants more money, Pennington should consider doing the same.

That’s why we disagree with Mark Cannizzaro’s assessment that the Jets “smartly avert[ed] the ugly public situation they allowed to fester and implode last year with left guard Pete Kendall, who was seeking $1 million added to his contract.”  This time around, the Jets have invited Pennington and others to follow Coles’ Oliver Twist routine by asking for more.