Jets will save first-round pick for other positions than CB

Having traded for Antonio Cromartie from the San Diego Chargers, the New York Jets now have a powerful support to starting cornerback Darrelle Revis and save a first-round pick that could give them a choice in filling in other positions from next month’s draft.

“We thought corner was an absolute must,” Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said on ESPN New York. “We felt that we had to improve that position. So Cromartie was the key to the offseason because, looking at our options, it was the Cromartie trade -– or it was the 29th pick in the draft. To get that out of the way, we really enhanced our draft because now we can say that whatever happens in the draft, we can take whoever we want. Move up, move down we can get what we want. Without Cromartie, at the 29th pick in the draft, we would have taken a corner.”

Previously, Tannenbaum believed his only other option to upgrade the cornerback position was to use the team’s first-round pick, 29th overall. Now he could use it to target wide receivers who can help quarterback Mark Sanchez improve the team’s passing game. That could be a good news to the Minnesota Vikings who hold the No. 30 pick and need help in the secondary. It’s been expected that Rutgers CB Devin McCourty will put on the purple NFL jersey to start his NFL career.

RB Tomlinson joined Jets with a two-year contract

The overtime visit to the New York indeed indicated something and has made it unsurprising when free agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson signed a two-year contract with the New York Jets. Thus the aging star found a new job while the Jets had another boost to their rushing offense that already ranks top in the NFL.

“He wanted to go to a team that he thought had a chance to compete for the championship,” Tomlinson’s agent, Tom Condon told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “He wanted to go somewhere where he had a chance to have a significant role, and so with the Jets he also was going to be very familiar with the offensive system.”

The Jets made it to the AFC Championship game last season before ending the playoffs with a 17-30 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. With the potential to be a Super Bowl Champion indeed, the Jets attracted Tomlinson with their sincerity and efforts to go after him on free agent market despite his age. The 2006 NFL MVP is turning 31 years old and finished last season with career low production, but he still ranks eighth on the NFL’s career rushing list with 12,490 yards. If not a starter, Tomlinson would be a great backup to Jets’ second-year running back Shonn Greene after putting on Jets jersey.

Jets to RB Jones: Salary cut or leave

Although the New York Jets running back Thomas Jones has had two consecutive excellent seasons for the team, the Jets just consider that the 32-year-old running back is expendable and tend to release him if he is unwilling to accept a salary cut.

To keep Jones in his Jets jersey without salary cut, the Jets will have to pay him a $3 million roster bonus next month and $2.8 million in base salary for his service in 2010 season. It’s expensive to the Jets, and they are likely to have negotiation with Jones’ agent Drew Rosenhaus about the deal before any decision is made.

Although finishing 2009 season with career high 1,402 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, Jones still becomes expendable to Jets as he is turning 32 year old and will possibly surpassed by younger backs. Without Jones, the Jets still have good choices in rookie back Shonn Greene who gave excellent performance in the playoffs and four-year veteran Leon Washington, who is expected to return from his leg injury for 2010 season.

Jets LB Harris missed practice with ankle injury

The New York Jets linebacker David Harris skipped Tuesday’s practice because of his sprained right ankle, making it more unlikely that he would put on Jets jersey to play this Sunday’s playoff against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Harris is the Jets’ leading tackler and it would be a huge loss to the NFL’s top-ranked defense if he can’t play. He injured the ankle during the first half of the regular-season finale against the Bengals on Sunday, and watched from the sideline in the second half. Harris wasn’t in the locker room during media availability.

Jets Coach Rex Ryan wouldn’t specify whether it was a high ankle sprain and wasn’t sure if Harris would practice Wednesday, saying that the team will give Harris as much time as he needs. Good news is that Ryan Fowler, Harris’ replacement, is recovering well from a head injury and took part in practice on a limited basis Tuesday.

Jets QB Sanchez to practice Sunday to test injured knee

Remaining uncertain what rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez’ playing status will be for this weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, the New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan said he would have the quarterback practice Wednesday to see how well his injured knee can work.

“It may take a couple of days to figure this out,” Ryan said. “You know me, I’m not a guy who’s going to string it along and have no decision and not say anything about it. Clearly, if Mark is going to be playing, I want him to get the majority of the snaps, just like I would if Kellen (Clemens) is going to be playing.”

The No.6 Jets jersey did not appear during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kellen Clemens started at quarterback as the replacement to Sanchez, who was rehabilitating the sprained posterior collateral ligament in his right knee at the Jets’ facility.

As Clemens led the Jets to a 26-3 win over the Buccaneers, Ryan is hoping to split the snaps with the first-team offense between Clemens and Sanchez, if the latter is fine enough to play this weekend’s game.

Jets lost NT Jenkins to severe knee injury in loss to Bills

The New York Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins will have an MRI exam on Monday for his left knee, which was severely injured during Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, and Coach Rex Ryan did not speculate how long the injury would keep Jenkins out.


Before going down, Jenkins tackled Fred Jackson, a running back in Bills jersey, on a 4-yard run with just over 5 minutes left before halftime. Lying on his back, he ripped off his helmet and stayed on the turf on his back for several minutes as trainers checked on him. Then he walked slowly off the field to the sideline to be further examined.

Being in his second season with the Jets, Jenkins has been considered to be a centerpiece of Ryan’s aggressive defense. His injury was therefore a huge blow to the team.

Jets claimed WR Allison off waivers from Vikings, waiving WR Urrutia

The New York Jets made announcement on Wednesday that they have waived wide receiver Mario Urrutia and claimed wide receiver Aundrae Allison who was waived by the Minnesota Vikings.


Allison was a fifth-round pick out of East Carolina in 2007. During his NFL career, he has had 18 catches for 231 yards and no touchdowns. The 6-foot, 198-pound wide receiver also returned punts and kicks when he was playing with the Vikings. He made a 104-yard kickoff return touchdown in a game against the Detroit Lions and it became a Vikings record as the longest play in team history.

Urrutia was a a seventh-round draft pick by Cincinnati Bengales in 2008 before he was signed by the Jets on June 26.