Jets 2012 Offseason News, Rumors: Team Begins OTAs, LaRon Landry Absent

The New York Jets made two roster moves on Tuesday when they announced that they had waived linebacker Eddie Jones and safety DeAngelo Smith.

Jones (6-foot-3, 260 pounds) played one game for the Jets in 2011 after spending time on the Jets and Rams' practice squads last season. Jones was re-signed by the Jets to a reserve/future free agent contract on January 19.

Smith (5-11, 200 pounds) was a 2009 fifth-round draft selection of the Dallas Cowboys. Smith spent time with the Cowboys, Browns, Bears and Lions. Smith also played seven games for the Lions during the 2009 season. Smith was signed as a free agent by the Jets on April 16.

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New York Jets defensive end Kenrick Ellis entered an Alford plea to a charge of assault and battery and will serve a 45-day jail sentence beginning on June 15, Ellis' attorney told Brian Costello of the New York Post.

The sentence was originally 179 days, but 89 days were suspended. In Virginia, the 90 remaining days are cut in half, leaving Ellis to serve 45 days. He had been facing up to 20 years in jail and/or deportation if convicted of a felony count of malicious charging, but entered a plea to a lesser charge. An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt.

Because of the timing of the jail sentence, Ellis is not expected to miss any OTAs or the team's mini-camp.

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Despite earlier announcing his intentions to participate in the New York Jets offseason activities as often as possible, LaRon Landry was absent from the start of organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday, according to a Newark Star-Ledger report.

The OTAs are not mandatory, but Landry said he would participate in as many as he could when he signed with the Jets in March. It's unclear why the safety missed Monday's workouts or whether he plans to participate in later sessions, but he normally worked out by himself during his five seasons with the Washington Redskins.

Landry has struggled through two consecutive injury-riddled seasons. He still might not be 100 percent after undergoing offseason rehabilitation to repair an Achilles injury that ended his 2011 season prematurely.

Knowing the health risks that follow Landry, the Jets added Yeremiah Bell this past week to further strengthen their secondary.

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Yeremiah Bell has chosen the New York Jets over the Philadelphia Eagles, according to NBC's Pro Football Talk.

Bell, a 34-year old safety, notched 107 tackles, two sacks and one interception for the Miami Dolphins in 2011. Over eight NFL seasons, all with the Dolphins, Bell has 562 tackles, 11.5 sacks and six interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2009 after amassing 114 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three interceptions.

The Jets spent the offseason looking to solidify their secondary with an upgrade at safety. They signed LaRon Landry in March, but have still been looking to build more depth, especially due to Landry's injury concerns. Bell was ranked the second-worst defensive player on the Dolphins last season by Pro Football Focus, but he has not missed a single game in the past four seasons.

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The New York Jets are one of the final two teams in the running for free agent safety, Yeremiah Bell's, services. Reports come from Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

I can confirm reports that the #Eagles are now serious players to sign S Yeremiah Bell. It's between them and the #Jets, per an NFL source.

Pro Football Focus assigned a grade of negative 12 to Bell's performance last season, ranking him as the second worst player on the Miami Dolphins defense. The 34-year-old was thrown at 40 times in 2011, allowing 26 catches for 333 yards and three touchdowns. Opposing quarterbacks accumulated a cumulative QB rating of 105.5 when throwing in Bell's direction.

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New York Jets nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, who was facing a felony charge for malicious wounding and who could have faced up to 20 years in prison or even deportation if convicted, reportedly reached a plea deal in Hampton (VA) Circuit Court on Thursday (via ESPN New York).

Ellis agreed to misdemeanor assault and battery in a pre-trial hearing. Ellis, who was born in Jamaica, looks to have gotten around the potential to be deported. The Jets and Ellis both declined comment on the case.

The district attorney's office wasn't immediately available to comment on potential jail time, but the victim's attorney, S. Howard Woodson, told the Star-Ledger of Newark the plea deal means six months of active jail time.

Under Virginia law, Ellis would have to serve only 90 days, but time served could be applied.

The assault charge stemmed from a 2010 incident at Hampton University. Ellis claimed he was defending his girlfriend. Beyond the criminal case, Ellis also faces a civil suit brought by the victim who wants $3 million in damages.

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The New York Jets have reportedly agreed to terms with their first-round draft pick Quinton Coples (via New York Daily News).

The deal with the defensive end out of North Carolina is for four-years (fully guaranteed) with the team option for a fifth season. With the signing of Coples, the Jets have just two unsigned 2012 NFL Draft picks remaining: third-rounder Demario Davis (77th overall) and seventh-rounder Jordan White (244th overall).

Coples was selected 16th overall in the draft after back-to-back first-team All-ACC seasons in 2010 and 2011 for the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a senior, Coples had 55 tackles and 7.5 sacks after recording 59 tackles and 10 sacks as a junior.

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The New York Jets have signed seventh-round draft pick Antonio Allen, according to the New York Post.

A source told the Post that the deal is for four years with a signing bonus of $45,896.

Allen played both linebacker and safety during his career at South Carolina, but projects as a safety in the NFL. The Jets were excited that he was still on the board when they picked at No. 242 because they feel he has the talent of a mid-round selection.

With the Allen signing, the Jets have now inked five of their eight picks from the 2012 NFL Draft. Quinton Coples, the team's first-round choice out of North Carolina, has yet to sign.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

New York Jets nose tackle Kenrick Ellis is scheduled for trial on May 22, and could face up to 20 years in prison or deportation if he is convicted on a felony charge of malicious wounding.

Ellis is also facing a civil suit stemming from the same 2010 incident. Dennis Eley accuses Ellis of breaking his nose and jaw during a fight that took place in April 2010, and is seeking $3 million in damages.

Ellis is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Thursday for the criminal case.

People close to Ellis told ESPNNewYork.com that Eley came at Ellis and his girlfriend with a baseball bat, and Ellis only acted in self-defense.

Ellis could face deportation if convicted because of his status as a "permanent resident" of the United States. He moved from Jamaica to the United States at the age of 11.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is known for his loud mouth and defensive intelligence. He couldn't hide the former, but he didn't use the latter during the 2011 season as much as he usually does.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis and a few of his teammates told the New York Post that Ryan didn't spend as much time with the defense last season. But they say it's already evident that Ryan plans to boost his attention to the defense in the coming year.

"He did fade off a little bit," Revis said. "I don't know the reason for it. He's a head coach. He has a lot on his plate. It's a lot of pressure. It's just something that maybe he thought he put more trust in the coaching staff and seeing that it kind of hurt us a little bit last year. Not to frown (on) any coaches or how they coach. It's good to see your head coach being involved and maybe just putting his two cents in, just hearing his voice every now and then in the meeting room. I think it's good."

"He's been in our defensive meetings a little bit more so far," linebacker David Harris said. "It's still the offseason but in our installs the last two weeks he's been more hands on coaching little points here and there and asking guys if they understand it, younger guys. I think it's going to be a plus for us."

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

Former New York Jets vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales has been named the Director of Personnel for the Oakland Raiders and will be in charge of all pro and college operations for his new team, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Clinkscales spent 17 seasons with the Jets, and was in charge of their NFL Draft decisions for the past five. The Jets reportedly wanted to keep him around for the future despite a couple shaky drafts in the recent past, but he is close friends with Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie and will also receive a promotion in Oakland.

Clinkscales interviewed for the St. Louis Rams' general manager opening earlier during the 2012 NFL offseason.

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New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told reporters Thursday that he is "cool" with his current contract and pushed away talk about a possible contract holdout prior to the 2012 NFL season.

Per Newsday's Tom Rock, Revis said, "Let's quit talking about the holding out and holding in."

"I am. I'm cool. I signed it two years ago," Revis added when asked if he was happy with his contract, as quoted by Bart Hubboch of the New York Post.

Revis did add that the contract paid him fairly "at the time," which could be a white flag even as the cornerback was on his best behavior Thursday.

Revis did not back away from his comments that Bill Belichick is a jerk, saying the New England Patriots coach is sometimes disrespectful to the Jets.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

New York Jets vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales is leaving the team to take a position in the Oakland Raiders' front office, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter reports that Clinkscales, who has led the Jets' draft process for the past four years, is a lifelong friend of Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie and will have a "prominent" role in Oakland's front office.

Clinkscales' most magnified moment with the Jets came in 2009, when he helped convince the organization to trade up to select quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez helped lead the Jets to two AFC title games, but has largely failed to live up to expectations. His progress, or lack thereof, remains a sore spot with many Jets fans.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets and defensive end Mike DeVito have agreed to restructure the final year of his contract (via New York Post) which he signed in 2009.

DeVito will take a pay cut from $3.11 million in 2012 to $2.5 million.

The details of his new contract are: $700,000 base salary, $950,000 signing bonus, $500,000 roster bonus and $350,000 workout bonus. His base salary dropped from $2.26 million. The roster and workout bonuses were paid out earlier this offseason. The contract includes a $750,000 escalator based on playing time that could help DeVito recoup the money.

The Jets selected Quinton Coples in the draft which made it necessary for DeVito to take a pay cut or face possibly getting cut from the team altogether. The veteran has started 22 games over the last two seasons for the Jets after originally joining the team out of Maine as an undrafted free agent.

- See Gang Green Nation for more about the Jets, while this SB Nation New York StoryStream has everything on the Jets offseason.

The New York Jets began their 2012 rookie mini-camp on Friday. Here is some of what coach Rex Ryan had to say after seeing his young players on the field for the first time.

“It is always fun to really go back and start on the very basics of things. That is where we are at with this group. I liked the enthusiasm. Some of the guys were flying around out there,” Ryan said. “Obviously some of the guys just jumped out at you when you looked at (Quinton) Coples and you look at (Stephen) Hill, the way they can run and (Damario) Davis. It is kind of fun to watch.”

On Coples saying he picked up the majority of the playbook…
We love the fact that he thinks he has it down. This is one practice and he has like four defenses in and our library is a little more extensive than that.

On what his expectation is for this rookie mini-camp…
That’s an interesting question, because some of the tryout guys, as I told them today, I was very honest with them, I told them, ‘This may be your last football.’ That’s the facts. So some of these guys are trying to get to where they can go to the OTAs and to training camp. There are some guys where that is not guaranteed. There are (56) guys here and it’s not guaranteed that all of them will be there. So that might be a little different for them. Obviously, the drafted guys, you just want to see them move around and really start learning the system a little bit.

On if he was surprised by Stephen Hill…
Let’s face it. I’m not going to get excited about drafting a wide out. That isn’t my deal. (smiling) So I want to see it to believe (it), because everybody was talking about it. Then you watch him on that field and you’re like, ‘Wow.’ That’s a big, fast guy. There’s no question about it. It just jumps out. Obviously, the first thing you notice is that size he has, but then when you are seeing him down the field it’s like, ‘Wow, this dude really can run.’

The New York Jets' rookie class of 2012 will take to the practice field for the team's rookie minicamp this week, starting on May 4. The rookie minicamp runs for three days until May 6.

The entire team holds a three-day minicamp from June 5-7.

Minicamps are punctuated with organized team activities, which run through the early part of June, before wrapping up to give players some semblance of an offseason over the summer. Time allotted for offseason work is limited by the collective bargaining agreement the NFL and the NFL Players Union reached in 2011.

The dates for the Jets' OTAs are as follows:

May 22-24, May 29-31, June 4, and June 6-7.

Training camp starts at the end of July. New York starts the regular season on Sunday, Sep. 9, with a division game against the Buffalo Bills.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

A New York Jets backup quarterback made news Friday. No, not that Jets backup quarterback.

Third-stringer Greg McElroy, whose comments shortly after the season about the Jets' dysfunctional locker room helped bring the mess into the public eye, said during a public engagement at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, N.J. that his words were "overblown" and taken out of context.

"I mean, I think it just started going out of control and really what I was trying to say was I was trying to reinforce the fact that I had so much faith in the organization," McElroy said at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, N.J. "I thought we would have a great year the following year because of everything we'd learned from. I have full faith in (coach) Rex Ryan and full faith in (GM) Mike Tannenbaum. I love being part of this team and I love being part of the Jets organization, it's a first-class organization from top to bottom and I'm so, so fortunate to be a part of it."

Maybe McElroy's comments to 97.3 The Zone in Alabama were taken out of context slightly. But it's tough to say he was "trying to reinforce the fact" that he had "so much faith in the organization" when his quote from early January so directly stated his unhappiness with New York's locker room:

"It's definitely not a fun place to be, I can assure you," McElroy told the station in January. "It's the first time I've ever been around extremely selfish individuals, and I think that's maybe the nature of the NFL. But there were people within our locker room that didn't care whether we won or lost, as long as they got their ... they really had good games individually. That's the disappointing thing, and it's going to take a lot to kind of come together."

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

Dealing with more offseason roster issues than most NFL franchise do in one decade, the New York Jets might have one more issue to add to their list. Reports from a charity event in Manhattan, have corner back Darrelle Revis thinking about another possible preseason holdout that might earn him the largest contract among NFL corner backs.

"I just don't know," he told a group of reporters at a charity event in Manhattan. "I'm not saying I am going to hold out; I'm not saying I'm not going to hold out. Right now my focus is just being on the team. ... I'm getting ready for the 2012-13 season. That's all I can do."

Just 19 months ago, Revis held himself out of Training Camp and most of the the preseason schedule to try an earn himself more money. The strategy worked, and now, after watching Nnamdi Asomugha and Brandon Carr ink better contracts over the last two seasons, Revis may want more money.

NFL Football Post's Joe Fortenbaugh pondered Tuesday, whether the Jets would pay Revis this time around.

Revis had three years remaining on his contract the first time these two parties butted heads. This time around, the 26-year-old has two years left. This raises an interesting question. Should the Jets be willing to pony up the greenbacks once again this summer, what’s to stop Revis from demanding another new contract two years from now?

In all likelihood, the answer is nothing.

All-in-all, chalk this up as more off-the-field drama to watch for after the NFL Draft ends and Training Camp begins in Cortland, NY in August.

For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

The New York Jets are continuing their free agency period by taking a gander at Yeremiah Bell, the ex-Miami Dolphin strong safety, according to Mike Florio or NBC Sports Talk.

Bell, 34, was cut by Miami this offseason and is looking for a home. The Jets already signed LaRon Landry who is younger and by all accounts the more talented player at this point in his career.

However, Bell could serve as nice depth and someone to have as an insurance policy should Jim Leonhard be re-signed and then get injured again.

All of this activity could point to New York passing on Alabama safety Mark Barron in the NFL Draft on Thursday. Barron has been linked many times over to Gang Green but it appears as though the spot might be filled by a veteran.

Perhaps the Jets are trying to lock up a safety so they can more aggressively pursue a pass-rusher once they're on the clock.

For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

New York Jets star cornerback, Darrelle Revis, has two years remaining on his contract and Jets GM, Mike Tannenbaum, does not want to discuss it further.

"Darrelle is under contract," Tannenbaum said. "Darrelle is obviously a really important part of our team, and we look forward to the 2012 season and hopefully accomplishing a lot of great things together."

Asked again if he would be receptive to a new deal for Revis, Tannenbaum said, "I said all I'm going to say about his contract."

The 26 year old corner is widely regarded as the best corner in the league. He allowed only one touchdown in 2011 and quarterback's had a cumulative ratings of 45.6 when throwing his way.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan says that his team will be more focused on picking the best player available over addressing a team need during next week's NFL Draft (via New York Post). The Jets pick 16th in the draft.

Ryan said about his draft approach:

"If you just try to reach for need and all that kind of stuff, sometimes that's not the best thing to do," Ryan said Wednesday. "Taking the best player, that generally works out the best for you. When we traded up to get Shonn Greene, we already had three running backs, but Shonn Greene was a great player. That was a great move for us."

Recently, ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. said that the Jets have a good number of holes to fill for next season, as many as any team that could make the playoffs. Many mock drafts have New York selecting a defender with the 16th pick, such as Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw or his teammate, safety Mark Barron.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.

The NFL Schedule for 2012 was released Tuesday. Here are some thoughts on the slate of games facing the New York Jets in the upcoming NFL season.

• The Jets face three 2011 playoff teams in their first five weeks. Not an easy start for a team trying to recover from the fiasco of last season. Or, for Mark Sanchez as he tries to hold off Tim Tebow for the starting quarterback job.
• Start re-arranging those Thanksgiving plans, Jets' fans. You won't want to miss the Thanksgiving night game against the New England Patriots.
• Tebow might not be looking forward to the December 9 game in Jacksonville against the Jaguars. Jacksonville fans most likely are, though.

Jets Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m.
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Miami, 1 p.m.
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, San Francisco, 1 p.m.
Week 5: Monday, Oct. 8, Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, at New England, 4:15 p.m.
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, Miami, 1 p.m.
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at St. Louis, 1 p.m.
Week 12: Thursday, Nov. 22, New England, 8:20 p.m.
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Arizona, 1 p.m.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Week 15: Monday, Dec. 17, at Tennessee, 8:30 p.m.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, San Diego, 8:20 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Following the NFL's release of the 2012 schedule as a whole at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, we've put together the 2012 Sunday Night Football schedule for you.

The Giants and Jets will get NBC's Sunday Night crew twice each during the 2012 season. The New York Giants will visit the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 before hosting the Green Bay Packers in Week 12 in a matchup of the last two Super Bowl champions.

The Jets get primetime treatment for Thanksgiving Day against the New England Patriots. They close out the Sunday Night schedule with a home game against the San Diego Chargers in Week 16.

Here's the complete 2012 Sunday Night Football Schedule:

Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos

Week 2: Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 3: New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 4: New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 5: San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 6: Green Bay Packers vs. Houston Texans

Week 7: Philadelphia Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 8: New Orleans Saints vs. Denver Broncos

Week 9: Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 10: Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears

Week 11: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 12: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (Thanksgiving)

Week 12: Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants

Week 13: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 15: San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots

Week 16: San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets

See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.

The NFL released the 2012 schedule at 7 p.m. on Tuesday on NFL Network and NFL.com. We've blocked out just the Monday Night Football games to give you the schedule for those games.

The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants play just once on Monday night this season. They will head down the road to Washington D.C. to take on the Washington Redskins and their by-then broken in rookie starting quarterback.

The New York Jets, meanwhile earned two spots this year. They will host the Houston Texans in Week 5 before hitting the road to play the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. The Bears wound up with the most Monday night appearance with three.

Here's the full Monday Night Football schedule (all games on ESPN):

Week 1: Bengals vs. Ravens

Week 1: Chargers vs. Raiders

Week 2: Broncos vs. Falcons

Week 3: Packers vs. Seahawks

Week 4: Bears vs. Cowboys

Week 5: Texans vs. Jets

Week 6: Broncos vs. Chargers

Week 7: Lions vs. Bears

Week 8: 49ers vs. Cardinals

Week 9: Eagles vs. Saints

Week 10: Chiefs vs. Steelers

Week 11: Bears vs. 49ers

Week 12: Panthers vs. Eagles

Week 13: Giants vs. Redskins

Week 14: Texans vs. Patriots

Week 15: Jets vs. Titans

Week 16: Falcons vs. Lions (Saturday)

See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.

The NFL released the 2012 NFL schedule on NFL Network and NFL.com at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

As every team gets a shot on Thursday night at some point both, the Giants and Jets will play on Thursday. The Giants have a Thursday night game against the Panthers in Week 3. The Jets are not part of Thursday Night Football per se, but will play on Thursday against the Patriots on Thanksgiving Day at 8:20 p.m.

The Thursday Night Football Schedule will look like this:

Week 2: Bears vs. Packers

Week 3: Giants vs. Panthers

Week 4: Browns vs. Ravens

Week 5: Cardinals vs. Rams

Week 6: Steelers vs. Titans

Week 7: Seahawks vs. 49ers

Week 8: Buccaneers vs. Vikings

Week 9: Chiefs vs. Chargers

Week 10: Colts vs. Jaguars

Week 11: Dolphins vs. Bills

Week 13: Saints vs. Falcons

Week 14: Broncos vs. Raiders

Week 15: Bengals vs. Eagles

-- See Big Blue View for more discussion and analysis of the Giants. For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation.

The New York Jets released their 2012 NFL Schedule on Tuesday night after it was revealed by NFL Network and NFL.com at 7 p.m.

Here's what the Jets' 2012 schedule looks like:

9/9 Sunday Buffalo 1:00 p.m. CBS
9/16 Sunday at Pittsburgh 4:15 p.m. CBS
9/23 Sunday at Miami 1:00 p.m. CBS
9/30 Sunday San Francisco 1:00 p.m. FOX
10/8 Monday Houston 8:30 p.m. ESPN
10/14 Sunday Indianapolis 1:00 p.m. CBS
10/21 Sunday at New England 4:15 p.m. CBS
10/28 Sunday Miami 1:00 p.m. CBS
11/4 Bye
11/11 Sunday at Seattle 4:05 p.m. CBS
11/18 Sunday at St. Louis 1:00 p.m. CBS
11/22 Thursday New England 8:20 p.m. NBC
12/2 Sunday Arizona 1:00 p.m. FOX
12/9 Sunday at Jacksonville 1:00 p.m. CBS
12/17 Monday at Tennessee 8:30 p.m. ESPN
12/23 Sunday San Diego 8:20 p.m. NBC
12/30 Sunday at Buffalo 1:00 p.m. CBS

In terms of marquee games, the Jets will play on Thanksgiving Day against the Patriots. New York will also have a pair of Monday Night games against the Texans (10/8) and Titans (12/17). The Jets also have a Sunday Night Football game against San Diego on Dec. 23.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets will be like "two separate teams" depending on who's under center, according to left guard Matt Slauson.

"It's like we're going to be two separate teams, but as far as I know, Mark (Sanchez) is still going to be our guy," Slauson said of new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's plan to deploy both Sanchez and new acquisition Tim Tebow.

"You guys will be really surprised by what Mark's going to do this year," Slauson said. "The way we're going to be running things plays right into Mark's strengths, running the ball. It'll be very similar to what we did in Rex's first two years, very much a style like that -- heavy run, heavy play action and whipping out a deep ball every now and again. That's all the stuff Mark does really well."

Coach Rex Ryan maintained that Sanchez will be the team's starter, and Tebow will be used to spell him during certain situations.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets 2012 schedule along with the rest of the schedules for NFL teams will be released on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on NFL Network and NFL.com (via NFL Network Twitter). While the opponents are known, the order in which they will be played will come out tomorrow.

Here are the Jets' home opponents for 2012: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets' away opponents will be: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The order in which these teams are played could have a big impact on the Jets' fortunes in 2012. How will New York have to travel (last year's team went 12,322 miles during the regular season), for example?

For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

After a 2011 season of turmoil, the New York Jets began their offseason program Monday in hopes of creating a culture more conducive to winning.

Coach Rex Ryan told reporters during a conference call that he wants to build "a brotherhood, tribe or whatever" and forge his club into more of a cohesive team this season. The first step began Monday, when all but three players -- who the Newark Star-Ledger reports were safety LaRon Landry, running back Joe McKnight and tight end Jeff Cumberland -- attended a voluntary workout session.

Ryan also had a team meeting to discuss what he called a "new beginning," according to Nick Mangold.

"I guess there are 32 teams, but we want to be even more than that," Ryan said today on a conference call with reporters. "I don't care what you call it -- a brotherhood, a tribe or whatever. We want to be special, and I think that starts right now with the offseason program, and the conditioning, and the OTAs and the mini-camp."

For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

The New York Jets have been a busy bunch on this Monday morning.

Just over an hour after word broke that Aaron Maybin will be back in the fold officially, the New York Post has reported that DeAngelo Smith will be joining the team.

Smith is nothing more than a depth safety to provide some competition on the back end of the roster. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round back in 2009 and has bounced around since then. Smith has been a member of the Browns, Bears and Lions in addition to the Cowboys.

This move shouldn't hinder the Jets from bringing back Jim Leonard if they want. Leonhard has expressed serious interest in returning and is clearly the better player here.

Smith is 25-years-old and has signed a one-year deal to join New York.

His greatest contribution would definitely be on special teams for Gang Green.

For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

The New York Jets are feeling good on a Monday morning, something not normally said.

Aaron Maybin has agreed to sign his restricted free agent tender of $1.26 million to stay with Gang Green, according to Manish Mehta.

Maybin, who was a total bust in Buffalo after being drafted 11th overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2009, was somewhat of a revelation in New York. Under Rex Ryan, Maybin flourished in a pass-rushing role. He ended the year with six sacks which was good enough to lead the team.

The Penn State product just turned 24-years-old a few weeks ago, so it's very possible that the Jets might have a legitimate player just starting to bloom.

Maybin was expected to be a major-impact player for the Bills right away, but looked overwhelmed more often than not.

Now, New York is hoping to reap the benefits of a young player finally finding his way in the NFL.

For more on the Jets, please be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

Can the fractured New York Jets put Humpty Dumpty back together again? We begin to find out Monday when the Jets open OTAs, beginning their preparation for the 2012 NFL season.

The big story surrounding the Jets, of course, is Tim Tebow. The newly-acquired backup quarterback will trade in the New York Yankees cap he was wearing at Yankee Stadium Sunday night for his workout gear as he begins his work with his new team. How will the dynamic between Tebow and starting quarterback Mark Sanchez unfold? For that matter, how long before Tebow unseats Sanchez as the starter? We start to learn about that Monday.

For the Jets, though, the Tebow-Sanchez intrigue is just part of the story. New York is coming off a season during which it missed the playoffs for the first time in three years, a year that ended in turmoil with head coach Rex Ryan admitting that he was not aware of the divisions in the team's locker room.

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, at the heart of many of the issues, will return. Receiver Plaxico Burress and running back LaDainian Tomlinson will not.

No matter what happens, the Jets are always good for headlines. Beginning Monday, they start providing more.

-- See Gang Green Nation for more discussion and analysis of the Jets

Tim Tebow will be at the New York Jets facilities bright and early Monday morning when offseason training activities (OTAs), he told the New York Post.

“I’m going to be there early – as in ‘crack-ofdawn’ early,” the lightning-rod offseason acquisition said. “This is what I’ve been waiting for since the trade happened, and I want to make a good impression.”

Tebow doesn’t yet have the Jets playbook because of restrictions the NFL has on interacting with players in the off-season, but says he’s been studying a playbook that Jets offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, gave Tebow at the Senior Bowl a few years ago.

Another interesting tidbit from the Post’s article, is that Tebow did not receive an invite from Mark Sanchez, to work out with him and other teammates.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

Jim Leonhard has been the New York Jets free safety for the last three years, but now finds himself as a free agent, rehabbing a patellar tendon tear. He still won't rule out a return to the Jets.

"There's still a very good possibility it could be the best situation for me," Leonhard said in an interview before the appearance, to promote Verizon's contest for customers to announce a pick at the NFL Draft. "You never know. Things could change in the next two weeks with the draft; things could be better here, better there. It's just hard to try to predict the future, and that's been the hardest part."

Leonhard started 13 games for the Jets in 2011 and recorded one interception. He did not allow a passing touchdown. The Jets have signed veteran safeties LaRon Landry and Eric Smith already this offseason.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said the club benefited from being on "Hard Knocks" and that he would like the chance again this season, but it appears the hit HBO show on NFL training camps will go in another direction.

ESPN New York's Rich Cimini reports that the Atlanta Falcons are emerging as a front-runner for the show, although an HBO spokesperson refused comment, citing that it's against company policy to discuss potential candidates during the selection process.

The Jets were the entertaining focus of "Hard Knocks" in 2010 -- and with Tim Tebow now wearing green and white, it would seem they would be very attractive to HBO yet again.

But even if HBO does want the Jets to appear on the show for a second season, it's unclear whether coach Rex Ryan would appreciate the offer.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets are interested in signing free agent safety Yeremiah Bell, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus (via New York Post).

However, the Jets are not alone in their interest. The Patriots and Eagles were also named by Rosenhaus as potential suitors for Bell. What is certain is that Bell will not play for the Dolphins again.

Bell is an eight-year veteran out of Eastern Kentucky who has played for the Dolphins his entire NFL career. Bell has recorded 100+ tackles in each of the past four seasons with Miami. Bell, unlike the Jets' recent safety acquisition LaRon Landry, has not had health issues. Bell has missed only one start in the past four seasons.

For more coverage on the New York Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also check our StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets are reportedly going to sign an Australian rugby player, Hayden Smith (via New York Daily News).

Smith has been trained by former Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Tim Brewster. Smith (6-7, 240) played Division II basketball before making the U.S. National Team Rugby roster. Brewster also helped Antonio Gates transition from basketball to football. Like Gates, Smith is expected to be a tight end. Smith worked out for the Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins and Saints in recent months.

Brewster was excited in announcing the signing (the team has still not made an announcement).

"Hayden Smith has signed with the Jets!" Brewster, who used to be the head coach at the University of Minnesota, tweeted on Tuesday. "Really think this guys upside in the NFL is huge!"

For more on the Jets, be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

Add Amani Toomer to the growing number of people who believe Tim Tebow will supplant Mark Sanchez as the New York Jets quarterback sooner rather than later.

According to Joel Schwartz of the New York Post, Toomer feels that Tebow is the future for the Jets behind center.

It's certainly not a hard scenario to see playing out. If and/or when Sanchez struggles early on, fans will be screaming at the top of their collective lungs for Tebow. Forget that Tebow barely completed 46 percent of his pass attempts last year, he's a winner they'll say.

It also stands to reason the Jets love the limelight, and what better way than to throw Tebow into the starting lineup? Head coach Rex Ryan has already talked about putting Tebow in for as many as 20 plays per game. Considering an average game sees each team have about 70 snaps, that's a pretty high percentage.

It remains to be seen what happens when New York hits training camp this summer. It will most definitely be a circus.

For more on the Jets, be sure to check out our blog Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio's most recent numbers, the New York Jets are currently in the middle of the pack. According to Florio, they are $7.6 million under the salary cap right now, which ties them with the Redskins and places them ahead of teams like the Steelers, Chargers and division rival Miami Dolphins, but behind the Broncos, Colts and AFC East rivals the New England Patriots.

The Jets haven't been very active in free agency this year. They have only signed a few players after they re-signed a couple of their own guys, including Nick Folk and Bryan Thomas. The players that they've brought in include LaRon Landry, Chaz Schilens and Drew Stanton.

They have also lost a few players, including Brodney Pool and Jamaal Westerman, and Marquice Cole and Matthew Mulligan, who were both released.

For more on the Jets, head to Gang Green Nation, and for more offseason Jets updates, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

A simple game of word association played by New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis on SportsCenter Wednesday morning turned into the latest evidence that problems exist in New York's locker room.

Given the phrase "locker room" during the game, Revis responded, "Disarray right now."

The Jets were admittedly a fractured club by the end of last season, and adding Tim Tebow as a backup quarterback only added to the concerns that New York will have continued locker room problems in the upcoming season.

Revis did not expand on his answer, but earlier described the rift that grew between Santonio Holmes and Mark Sanchez.

"There were a lot of things going on with guys wanting the ball," Revis said. "When it's like that and you're losing it gets a little bit more frustrating, that's all. People were just trying to find ways to win. Santonio wanted the ball. It wasn't negative, I think he wanted to be the guy who wins games for us. And then it blew up out of proportion and then it was Santonio is not siding with Mark, and it just blew out of proportion. And then (then-offensive coordinator Brian) Schotteheimer was in the mix of it too with the play-calling."

Revis also discussed what type of impact Tebow will have, and was careful not to step on anybody's toes.

"I think (Tebow will) have a big impact on (Sanchez) in terms of just trying to maybe push him a little bit more," Revis said. "Not to say that Mark needs to get pushed, but in a way that you know, Tebow is a winning quarterback. Mark is a winning quarterback too, you got to understand that Mark took us to two AFC championship games.

"I think both of them will just have to feel each other out. We're probably going to try to figure that out during OTAs. And going into training and see how comfortable both of them are going into the season."

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets will hold an introductory press conference for Tim Tebow on Monday, and before Tebow even steps in front of a microphone it has become obvious some of his new teammates are not welcoming the former Denver Broncos quarterback with open arms.

From the New York Post:

Several current Jets, who spoke with The Post on Saturday, asked not to be quoted but expressed disbelief at the team bringing in Tebow.

The idea of a backup quarterback having a press conference is something they can't wrap their heads around, and they know it's just the beginning.

Former Jet and current ESPN analyst Damien Woody did not have to couch his opinion.

"How do you manage a natural disaster?" Woody said. "People say they're preparing for an earthquake. No, you're not. There's no way to prepare for it. Once it happens, it creates devastation. It's the same thing here. They talk about being prepared for it. No, you're not because you've never experienced it before. They have no idea."

Jets owner Woody Johnson today reacted angrily to the opinion that the acquisition of Tebow is a marketing ploy."Let me be really clear about this, we work for the fans and the fans want us to win games," Johnson said from the NFL owners meetings in Florida.

"So all of the decisions we make regarding the team are just for football. It's hard to predict other things. If you get confused in term of what your mission is, you're not going to accomplish your mission. And our mission is to win games pure and simple. We think that Tim Tebow has been a winner all his life."

The New York Jets traded backup quarterback Drew Stanton to the Indianapolis Colts on Friday, according to a report.

The Jets have traded QB Drew Stanton to the Colts #nyj

— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) March 23, 2012

The Jets did not disclose the terms of the trade.

Stanton was acquired by New York last Friday on a 1-year, $1.25 million deal. Stanton was supposed to be the team's No. 2 quarterback behind starter Mark Sanchez. Then, the Jets picked up Tim Tebow in a trade with the Denver Broncos.

Stanton was asked to be traded or released following the Tebow acquisition. With the trade of Stanton, that leaves Sanchez, Tebow and Greg McElroy on the Jets roster at the quarterback position.

For more coverage on the Jets, be sure to check out Gang Green Nation and SB Nation New York for all your needs. Also return to this StoryStream for updates on 2012 New York Jets offseason news.

The New York Jets have intensified their interest in trading for Tim Tebow, two sources told ESPNNewYork.com on Tuesday night. The Jets began internal discussions about acquiring Tebow as soon as it was reported Monday that the Denver Broncos may be interested in trading him after signing Peyton Manning.

The Jets are in need of quarterback depth behind Mark Sanchez, but they have reasonable concerns about the potential media circus that would follow in the wake of signing Tebow. Still, he would fit nicely in the Wildcat packages that new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano found some success running with the Miami Dolphins.

The Green Bay Packers and the Jacksonville Jaguars have already been connected to Tebow, among other teams. It's unclear whether the Jets have actually contacted the Broncos regarding a possible deal. The Jets recently signed Drew Stanton to be their No. 2 quarterback, but at the moment appear willing to at least send out feelers on Tebow.

For more on the Jets, head to Gang Green Nation, and for more on the Jets' offseason, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

Throughout the week March Madness started, Linsanity ended and Andy Pettitte wrapped up by emerging from a short-lived retirement, the NFL proved football still reigns supreme in the sporting world.

Friday morning began with a steady stream of breaking news updates regarding Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen boarding his private jet with coach John Fox to fly to Durham, N.C., where Peyton Manning is working out with his former college offensive coordinator from Tennessee and current Duke coach, David Cutcliffe.

That development, as well as the first sign of contract talks (all involved teams are reportedly comfortable working around Manning's previous five-year, $90 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts), seemed to position the Broncos ahead of the competition in pursuit of the 11-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLI MVP.

That sentiment only lasted so long, however. Shortly after the reports of the Denver contingent traveling to Durham were confirmed, news broke that Manning had already threw passes Tuesday night and taken a physical Wednesday for the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman reportedly witnessed a "very impressive" showing from Manning, leading the 49ers to conduct the physical the next day.

Of course, before anyone even made it to lunchtime, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi then reported that Manning would also work out for the Tennessee Titans, though a date has not been set. Somewhere in between it all, ESPN also reported that Manning will provide any team that signs him with ample financial protection in the event he suffers a setback in his rehabilitation from neck surgeries.

Consequently, the lone certifiable conclusion that can be drawn from Friday's events is that "Peyton Manning's Magical Mystery Tour," as SI.com's Don Banks wonderfully termed it, as narrowed to a three-team derby between the Broncos, 49ers and Titans.

For more on the Jets, head to our blog Gang Green Nation. For more on the Jets' offseason, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

Mark Sanchez' recent contract extension by the New York Jets has apparently given him shot of confidence. The fourth-year quarterback fired back against his anonymous teammates who criticized him during the offseason. In a 25-minute interview with "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN1050, Sanchez called these teammates "gutless." He also explained why he has remained quiet for nearly two months now.

"Whether I come out and try to defend myself or not, it doesn't matter unless you go win games," he said. "That's the ultimate goal. That's the ultimate defense, winning games. Go win games next year and this is all a distant memory and a great lesson. That's the plan."

Sanchez also said that the rift between him and Santonio Holmes is no longer, and that two had met up for a few days in February.

"It was something where we just kind of smiled," Sanchez said. "When I first saw him, it was like, 'Man , this kind of took on a life of its own.' He said, 'You're telling me.'

"It got blown out a little more than it really needed to, but after underachieving -- as competitive as we are -- we were frustrated. That's fine; there's nothing wrong with that. But learning from that is most important."

For more on the Jets, head to Gang Green Nation, and for more on the Jets' offseason, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

Though New York Jets did look into the possibility of acquiring Peyton Manning, signing Mark Sanchez to a three-year extension (which means he's now signed for the next five years) takes the organization out of the Manning sweepstakes.

"As everyone knows, when Peyton Manning, a first ballot Hall-of-Famer became available, just like I do every day, and I'm committed to it, we looked into that possibility as someone to add to our team," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Friday night during a press conference. "We looked at it, we had discussion internally. We've monitored the situation. But as events continued to unfold, we kept pushing the extension with Mark in terms of the negotiations with him and his representatives, and we're really excited where it ended, which is Mark is going to be our starting quarterback and has signed an extension for years to come."

Tannenbaum would not address how seriously the Jets pursued Manning, but said the Jets began discussing an extension with Sanchez's representatives three weeks ago.

"A highly competitive, highly talented person that winning football games is really important," Tannenbaum described Sanchez. "And I don't think it matters who the backup quarterback is. That's Mark's DNA. That's his constitution, and that's why we're excited about him, and that's why we were able to get this extension done."

For more on the Jets, head to Gang Green Nation, and for more on the Jets' offseason, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

According to ESPN New York's Rich Cimini, the contract extension that the New York Jets and quarterback Mark Sanchez agreed to earlier on Friday night will guarantee Sanchez $27 million over the next two years.

It appears that despite frustrating Jets fans and leading the team to a mediocre 8-8 record in 2011 after two straight appearances in the AFC Championship game hasn't scared the team away from making a long-term commitment to their young quarterback. It would appear that Sanchez will be playing in New York for the Jets for the foreseeable future.

-- For more on the Jets, head to Gang Green Nation, and for more on the Jets' offseason, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

New York Jets general manager Mike Tannebaum would not comment directly on Peyton Manning during a Thursday WFAN interview, but noted that New York's quarterback situation could look different in 2012 than it did during the past season.

Tannenbaum wouldn't give his take on the quarterbacks, who are currently under contract, but did say the position "has a reasonable chance to look different by opening day."

The Jets GM called Mark Sanchez "far from perfect" in 2012, noting that "he put everything into it, it just didn't work out as well as we had hoped."

And after Sanchez' disappointing season, which revealed little progress from prior years, the Jets could look to add a veteran quarterback -- if not to replace Sanchez than at least to give him some competition in training camp.

Two prominent names being mentioned as potential Jets targets include Manning and Chad Henne.

For more Jets offseason coverage stay tuned to our storystream. For more Jets coverage, visit SB Nation New York and Gang Green Nation for all the latest news and updates.

New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott has received permission to seek a trade from the team, according to a New York Daily News report.

The size of Scott's contract -- he signed a six year, $48 million deal in 2009 that includes a base salary of $4.2 million in 2012 -- could make it difficult for the Jets to find another team interested in dealing, especially since Scott's production has slowed considerably.

Once worthy of his big salary, the 31-year old Scott slowed down in 2011. He played fewer snaps than any of his previous seasons in New York and notched just 66 tackles, easily his fewest since 2004. Though he's still an important, productive piece in New York's defense, Scott no longer deserves the type of big money the Jets are slotted to pay him.

Scott's price tag likewise makes it unwise for the Jets to simply cut him, since the linebacker's 2012 salary is fully guaranteed.

For more Jets offseason coverage stay tuned to our storystream. For more Jets coverage, visit SB Nation New York and Gang Green Nation for all the latest news and updates.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan spoke to the media today from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and admitted that guaranteeing a Super Bowl victory a year ago was a "huge mistake."

#EA "I really thought it would be a thing that would actually motivate our team," says Coach Ryan of the SB guarantee."But in hindsight..

— New York Jets (@nyjets) February 23, 2012

#EA "I think it put undue pressure on our team."

— New York Jets (@nyjets) February 23, 2012

"It contributed to the season we had," Ryan said of the guarantee. "It's something I've been thinking about a great deal."

Related: Ryan does not close the door on Peyton Manning

Ryan is being forced to re-examine a lot of things about the way he has gone about his business this offseason. The Jets not making the playoffs while the New York Giants -- who Ryan tweaked continuously over the past couple of seasons -- won the Super Bowl. Added to that all of the locker room turmoil Ryan admitted he wasn't aware of his left Ryan doing some soul-searching this offseason.

It will be interesting to see how long the new, humble, Ryan lasts.

The New York Jets have reportedly re-signed wide receiver Patrick Turner to a one-year, $650,000 deal (via New York Post). Turner was due to become a restricted free agent. The Jets had five players set to become restricted free agents before the re-signing of Turner.

Here are the rest of the Jets players who will be restricted free agents:

TE Matthew Mulligan
LB Aaron Maybin
LB Jamaal Westerman
CB Marquice Cole

In addition, the following players will become unrestricted free agents:

QB Mark Brunell
QB Kevin O'Connell
RB LaDainian Tomlinson
WR Plaxico Burress
OL Robert Turner
DT Sione Pouha
LB Bryan Thomas
CB Donald Strickland
S Jim Leonhard
S Brodney Pool
K Nick Folk

Both of the above lists come from Mac's Football Blog.

Turner has only made one start in two seasons for the Jets. His career numbers (all with the Jets) are 10 catches for 122 yards and 1 touchdown.

For more Jets offseason coverage stay tuned to our storystream. For more Jets coverage, visit SB Nation New York and Gang Green Nation for all the latest news and updates.

New York Jets fans better warm up to the idea of having Santonio Holmes around for a while.

According to reports, Holmes future with the team just became much more stable because as of Wednesday morning, he's guaranteed $7.5 million of his 2013 salary.

Holmes has been a point of contention among the Jets faithful, many whom are sick of the attitude his brings to the field. The star wideout was benched in the final minutes of the Week 17 game against the Dolphins after constantly complaining in the huddle.

With this money now becoming guaranteed, it's a certainty Holmes will be around in 2012. With all of the issues New York had down the stretch in 2011, this will be a huge story to keep an eye on going forward.

Holmes is certainly the Jets most talented receiver, but also their most volatile. With Plaxico Burress most likely gone, the ex-Steeler becomes even more important next year.

New York will need him to be focused and driven this time around after signing him to a five-year, $45 million contract in the 2011 off-season.

For more Jets coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation New York and Gang Green Nation for all the latest news and updates.

Plaxico Burress does not sound like he has much interest in returning to the New York Jets for the 2012 season. Burress answered questions during a Wednesday autograph show with clipped non-answers that, in reality, spoke volumes.

Here are some examples:

"Mark Sanchez is Mark Sanchez."

"They [the Jets] used me the way they wanted to use me."

"The Jets locker room is the Jets locker room."

Those are answers that say everything without really saying anything.

Burress caught 45 passes for 612 yards and eight touchdowns for the Jets after signing a one-year contract. The former New York Giants wide receiver had, of course, missed the 2009 and 2010 season after being sentenced to prison for shooting himself in the leg while illegally carrying a handgun in a New York City nightclub.

New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, a close friend of Burress's, said on Wednesday that Burress could still be interested in a return to the Giants.

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told NFL Network in an interview that head coach Rex Ryan did not have a feel of the Jets locker room and was unaware of the discontent that was brewing among some of the players (via New York Daily News).

"After the season, we talked," Revis told the NFL Network on Thursday after the AFC Pro Bowl practice in Hawaii. "Basically, he didn't know a lot of things that were going on behind the scenes. It was just so much stuff. I'm really not going to get into it because some of the stuff is real deep. But he didn't know a lot of the things. He wanted people to say things to him. But obviously it didn't come out. It came out on the field (late in the season)."

Revis thought that the discontent was going to be settled during the season.

"This past year was very frustrating for not just me, but for the team as a whole," Revis said. "There was a lot of stuff going on... behind the scenes that I figured we would have (fixed) it (at the time). Then everything would have been cool and we could have moved on. Obviously we didn't. The season kind of spiraled late during the season."

After what happened, Revis says he still supports Rex Ryan and his quarterback Mark Sanchez. With Ryan, the support seemed to come with a bit of a caveat.

"We're behind Rex," Revis said. "If he says the Super Bowl, that's cool. That's why we play this game. But if we're not winning games, then I think we need to figure out ways to win games instead of just out there talking and just saying whatever you want to say."

See all of the Jets Offseason News on our Jets' 2012 Offseason News Hub Page. For everything on the Jets, visit the SB Nation blog Gang Green Nation.

The New York Jets have named Dave DeGuglielmo as the team’s offensive line coach. DeGuglielmo joins the Jets after spending the last three seasons with the Miami Dolphins as their offensive line coach (2009-11).

Under DeGuglielmo in 2011, the Dolphins offensive line blocked for a running game that gained 1,987 yards and produced Reggie Bush’s first career 1,000-yard season. Dolphins tackle Jake Long has been selected to the Pro Bowl during each of DeGuglielmo’s three seasons in Miami.

Prior to the Dolphins, DeGuglielmo spent five seasons with the New York Giants. He was the assistant offensive line coach (2005-08) after being the assistant offensive line and quality control coach in 2004. Under his tutelage in 2008, the Giants set a franchise record and led the league with 2,518 yards rushing and 5.0 yards per carry. He also helped guard Chris Snee and center Shaun O’Hara earn Pro Bowl recognition in 2009.

According to Jim Thomas of Rams Report, the St. Louis Rams have officially hired Brian Schottenheimer as their offensive coordinator, who will operate under new head coach Jeff Fisher's direction. Sources say that it came down to Schottenhemier and former Raiders coach, Hue Jackson, who coach Fisher was equally impressed with.

The Rams also hired former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, to run their defense for the 2012-13 season.

Schottenheimer is the son of longtime NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer and has been the New York Jets offensive coordinator for the past six seasons. He had his ups and downs during his tenure with the Jets – the team went to back-to-back AFC title game – but this past season the Jets ranked 25th in total offense.

See all of the Jets Offseason News on our Jets' 2012 Offseason News Hub Page. For everything on the Jets, visit the SB Nation blog Gang Green Nation.

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan doesn't always shower his crosstown rivals with love. But Ryan said Friday that he expects the New York Giants to win the NFC Championship Game and earn a bid to the Super Bowl.

Ryan told WFAN's Mike Francesa that he believes New York should be able to disrupt the San Francisco 49ers using a four-man pass rush, and he predicts the Giants will meet the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl.

Reminded that he guaranteed that the Jets would be in the Super Bowl this season, Ryan responded, "When I said that I truly believed it was our time."

After finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs, Ryan said he expects to change aspects of his coaching philosophy. Specifically, he noted that his famed bravado might have seen its last days.

"I try to put things on me, my back. ... In actuality I might have been putting more pressure on my guys," he said. ...

"I want to be a great head coach. I want to be. Am I there yet? No, I'm absolutely not there yet, but I am willing to work to get there."

For more New York Giants coverage, visit our team page or our blog Big Blue View. For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

In a surprise after the amount of criticism levied toward Santonio Holmes during the New York Jets' brief offseason, team owner Woody Johnson said the wide receiver would return to the Jets in 2012.

Holmes' contract makes it difficult for the Jets to release him, but Johnson said there are other reasons to keep the wide receiver in New York.

"He may be one of the best players we've ever had here," Johnson said. "You could look at his talent level and he's extraordinarily talented." (via the New York Post)

Talented, yes. But Holmes has been criticized for his bad attitude, and he developed a deep rift with quarterback Mark Sanchez that hindered the team as it fell to 8-8.

Johnson said he is concerned about the receiver's relationship with Sanchez but confident they can repair their differences, adding that a small amount of locker room tension might even benefit the team.

"Absolutely I'm concerned, but I'm confident that it can be [repaired]," Johnson said of the relationship between the two. "They've won a lot of games together and one is good for the other. Santonio makes the quarterback a lot better and vice versa. They have a good reason to iron this thing out and I think he can do it." ...

"I didn't feel the toxicity of the locker room," Johnson said. "I respect LaDainian at the highest level, but I don't think the whole locker room was toxic. I think there clearly were a few players that had conflicts. ... You've got 53 individuals in that locker room. At any one time, there are going to be arguments and altercations and so on. Would you love to have total harmony? Maybe. But maybe it's good to have a little disharmony also. But they have to care about each other."

-- See all of the Jets Offseason News on our Jets' 2012 Offseason News Hub Page. For everything on the Jets, visit the SB Nation blog Gang Green Nation.

New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson made an appearance on Showtime's "Inside the NFL" on Wednesday night. The veteran player and free agent dished on a locker room environment that he called "as bad as I've ever been around." He also had a few words about quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Tomlinson countered whispers from elsewhere inside the Jets' locker room calling their quarterback "lazy." He did say that Sanchez needs to be pushed, threatened with a little competition for the starting job, even calling Sanchez pampered.

"Yes he is (coddled), I would say a bit pampered because he has no competition," Tomlinson said. He has no real threat to say 'This guy may take my job'."

The Jets' backup is Mark Brunell, a 40-year old veteran with two seasons in that role.

As far as the locker room environment, LT placed the blame squarely on the feud between Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

"I've been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not," Tomlinson said. "But it was as bad as I've been around. You know it was at the point where I think the players could no longer do anything about it. There was nothing that the players could do. So when it gets to that point there are certain changes that need to happen ... they're going to have to make some tough decisions."

Tomlinson, 32, is contemplating retirement. The Jets will have some soul searching of their own to do in the offseason.

Brian Schottenheimer has been offered the offensive coordinator position with the St. Louis Rams under Jeff Fisher, and is expected to accept, according to a report from NFL.com. According to a league source, the only thing standing in the way of an official announcement are the details of the contract.

Schottenheimer left the New York Jets organization last Tuesday after six years in charge of the Jets' offense. Fired Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano was announced as the Jets newest offensive coordinator almost instantaneously following Schottenheimer's departure.

Few would argue that Schottenheimer was a rousing success in New York. This season, the Jets finished 25th in the league in total offense and quarterback Mark Sanchez took some anonymous heat from teammates recently for his poor play this season.

For more on the Jets, head over to the SB Nation blog Gang Green Nation. Be sure to check out SB Nation New York's Jets hub as well.

New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson joined ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown Sunday morning, and talked with reporter Suzy Kolber about the turmoil surrounding the team which stemmed from anonymous comments said about quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Tomlinson said that to call Sanchez 'lazy' isn't accurate because Sanchez works very hard. However, Tomlinson did admit that maybe the Jets may need to bring in some competition to push him.

"I think with all of us, as athletes, we play our best when we are pushed," said Tomlinson. "Competition brings that out of us. Mark hasn't had that competition to push him. I do think, he would be a better player if he had somebody to push him."

When asked about where all these comments about Sanchez are coming from, he said::

'I think that where this is coming from," said Tomlinson was asked about what could have spurred on the comments, "(is) some of the disconnect that happened throughout the year. Maybe, some of the arguments that you guys heard about throughout the year.

"There's always locker room tension between guys. I mean lets face it, you have 53 guys with strong personalities you're not always going to get a long with each other, but you do have to respect each other."

When asked why he think players decided to say something Tomlinson answered:

"I think it happened because of the losses that we had toward the end of the season and once that starts happening you get guys that come out to the media, saying things that they're not happy about certain situation. And, so, that's the issue here. You have guys anonymous that are saying things that are bringing this team down and you can't have that."

Tomlinson will be come a free agent in the 2012 offseason and is still pondering retirement.

-- See all of the Jets Offseason News on our Jets' 2012 Offseason News Hub Page. For everything on the Jets, visit the SB Nation blog Gang Green Nation.

The New York Jets have named Sanjay Lal as the team’s wide receivers coach. The announcement was made by head coach Rex Ryan.

Lal joins the Jets after spending the last five seasons with the Oakland Raiders, three as the wide receivers coach (2009-11) and two as an offensive quality control assistant (2007-08).
Under Lal in 2011, Oakland’s wide receivers finished sixth in the NFL with an average of 15.0 yards per catch. 2011 fourth-round draft selection Denarius Moore ended the season with 18.7 yards per reception, fourth among all wide receivers in the NFL. In addition, former first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey enjoyed his most successful season, totaling 64 receptions for 975 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs.

Prior to the Raiders, Lal spent three seasons as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach at California and another season at Saint Mary’s College as quarterbacks and strength, speed and conditioning coach.

Lal played wide receiver at both UCLA and Washington during his college career. He was a member of Washington’s 1992 National Championship team and earned selection to the school’s athletic hall of fame. Following college, he signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams in 1998 and played for NFL Europe’s Scottish Claymores in 1999.

Nick Mangold isn't the only person defending Mark Sanchez. New York Jets owner Woody Johnson stood up for beleaguered quarterback Sanchez, telling the New York Daily News he disagreed with the Jets players who hid behind a cloak of anonymity and called Sanchez "lazy."

"I've never heard that," Johnson said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program on Thursday. "He's the first guy in the building every morning and the last guy to leave. So, the last thing he is is lazy. ... He's an NFL quarterback. That's what you expect from an NFL quarterback....I think everybody is a little frustrated."

Johnson noted that the Jets "should be" in turmoil because New Yorkers don't like losers and an 8-8 record shouldn't be considered acceptable. But he believes Rex Ryan needs to do a better job of reading his team. Ryan has acknowledged that he did not have a good "pulse" on the team this season.

"I think he does," Johnson said. "How do you correct that? That's alchemy. Inside the locker room is one of those things that every year is a little different. Thirty percent new players. The fact that we didn't go to Cortland maybe hurt us... Every team didn't have an offseason. So maybe it hurt us a little more than some others."

-- See all of the Jets Offseason News on our Jets' 2012 Offseason News Hub Page

New York Jets center Nick Mangold has come to the defense of his quarterback, Mark Sanchez. A report which cited anonymous Jets players and members of the organization came out earlier today in the New York Daily News that characterized Sanchez as 'lazy'. Some of those unnamed players called for the team to acquire Peyton Manning and get rid of Sanchez.

Mangold said during a radio interview with 1050 ESPN that he thought criticism of Sanchez' work ethic was off-base.

"That's the thing that really bothered me about the article," Mangold said. "It was saying that he was lazy and didn't put the work in, felt complacent. It couldn't be more further from the truth. The guy puts in more work and more time, cares more about the team than anybody else in that locker room. For someone to come out and say that and not put their name behind it really bothered me." (via New York Post)

Mangold also said he was comfortable having Sanchez as his quarterback going forward.

"Mark Sanchez is my guy," Mangold said. "He's the one I want to go into battle with. I wouldn't be too keen to see that being changed."

-- See all of the Jets Offseason News on our Jets' 2012 Offseason News Hub Page

The New York Jets' Joey Clinkscales will interview to become the St. Louis Rams' general manager, ESPN reports.

The Rams asked and received permission to interview Clinkscales for the vacancy. Clinkscales has been with the Jets for 17 years and now serves as the team's vice president of college scouting, a role that has him oversee most of the team's draft proceedings, including pre-draft meetings.

Along with assistant general manager Scott Cohen and senior personal exec Terry Bradway, according to ESPN, Clinkscales is one of the executives on whom general manager Mike Tannenbaum leans the strongest.

The Rams' opening at general manager isn't the most desirable in the league. St. Louis has won 10 games in the past three seasons combined and just finished a 2-14 season, leaving a big rebuilding project for whoever decides to take the job. There's also a question of how much authority any general manager will have -- the Rams are rumored to be interested in hiring long-time head coach Jeff Fisher, who would presumably want at least some measure of control over personnel decisions.

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

After the Jets season cam to an end, New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan sat down with the media to discuss the season and the team's plan for the offseason. In that press conference, Ryan said that he felt offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had a 50/50 shot of coming back to the Jets in 2012 because he could take a head coaching position.

I'll say this, I hope Brian the best as he goes for the interview here in Jacksonville. I mentioned last week, I think it's a 50/50 deal whether Brian is back here or not because I think he'll be a head coach. He's got everything it takes to be a successful head coach in this league. I think it starts with pedigree, but more importantly, here is a guy that's been successful. He knows how to develop players, and we have gone to back‑to‑back AFC Championship games. A lot of that is due to his work ethic, which I think is tremendous.

According to ESPN New York's Rich Cimini, Schottenheimer has interviewed with the Jaguars and has a "legitimate chance" at becoming the new head coach in Jacksonville. The Jaguars are likely looking for an offensive minded coach that will be able to help quarterback Blaine Gabbert make a better transition from college to the NFL in his second season.

Cimini also believes Schottenheimer could get the job because of his possible competition.

Plus, it's not like he's competing against a who's who? of coaching candidates. Various reports have linked Mike Mularkey (Falcons), Mike McCoy (Broncos), Rob Chudzinski (Panthers) and Jay Gruden (Bengals) to the vacancy. Interim coach Mel Tucker also interviewed.

For constant updates on this situation, watch for Jets news on Gang Green Nation and for Jaguars news head to Big Cat Country.

The New York Jets continued signing players to reserve/futures contracts on Friday, adding two more players to their offseason roster for 2012. Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum today announced the signings of wide receiver Royce Adams and punter Travis Baltz.

Adams, a 6-foot, 190-pounder, is an intriguing story. He played the 2011 season with the AFL’s Pittsburgh Power. He converted from cornerback to wide receiver prior to his senior season at Purdue in 2009. Adams played in 46 games for the Boilermakers, also spending time at both kick and punt returner.

Baltz, 6-3, 210 pounds, was waived by the Indianapolis Colts in September of 2011 after being signed by the team as an undrafted free agent in July. He played four years at Maryland where he punted 224 times for an average of 41.2 yards and earned all-conference honors in 2008.

— See more Jets news and discussion at SB Nation’s Gang Green Nation.

The New York Jets offseason continues to provide worrisome sound bites, and it seems that anyone with ties to the franchise feels the need to chime in.

Former Jets wide receiver Derrick Mason became the latest to discuss New York's troublesome chemistry on Friday during an appearance on "The Colin Cowherd Show" on 1050 ESPN New York, saying he felt that leaders didn't do enough to prevent bad feelings from taking over the locker room.

"The offensive linemen stood up and they spoke to the team, Mark (Sanchez) did it as well, but some of the other guys, the older veterans, they needed to step up and try to right that ship and I don't think it happened on a consistent basis. Sometimes it's hard when you're losing because everybody is trying to figure things out and everybody is pissed."

Mason was pointed about Sanchez's play, saying "guys didn't listen to Mark because his play was up and down" and "judging by the way he has played, the window is closing on him to be a franchise quarterback."

Despite criticizing his former quarterback, the wide receiver supported his former coach Rex Ryan.

"People, deep down, love that because he was able to back it up," he said. "Now if you can't go out there and do all these things that you say, then people get tired of it. Either you start winning games or you shut up, basically that's how it was. But I love Coach Rex, he's a good guy, I think he's a good coach. His thing, I guess, is like what Frank Sinatra(sang): He's going to do it his way. And that's the way he's been doing it. Win or lose, he's going to continue to talk, that's his personality. I just think this year they just didn't back up. Once you start it, you can't stop it."

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

Around this time last season, New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott was telling Sal Paolantonio he couldn't wait to see him in Pittsburgh for the AFC East championship game. Now, the Jets will have to watch the playoffs from home and Scott is out $10,000.

A source told the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta that Scott has been fined $10,000 by the Jets for giving the middle finger to a photographer in the team's locker room on Monday.

The Jets ended their season in disappointing fashion, losing their final three games to finish 8-8, and things have hardly gotten better since the season ended. Backup quarterback Greg McElroy said the team was filled with "extremely selfish individuals" and general manager Mike Tannenbaum admitted that "chemistry was certainly a factor this year." Santonio Holmes was labeled a "cancer" by one of his teammates and former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason ripped Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan.

Oh, the Jets.

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

Shortly after fourth-string quarterback Greg McElory told a Birmingham, AL. radio station Wednesday that the New York Jets locker room was filled with "extremely selfish individuals", general manager Mike Tannenbaum took to the airways to respond.

"Some of the things that happened this year, they can't happen again. I've talked to a number of players besides Greg McElroy, a number of coaches ... and we're going to fix a lot of these problems," he told WFAN. "Chemistry was certainly a factor this year. We haven't denied that. When we put a team together, which is my responsibility, you need talent, character and chemistry -- and we didn't get it done. We were 8-8."

Tannebaum added: "I don't think we have a corrupt locker room. We have a lot of good people, we've won a lot of games with (coach) Rex (Ryan) and this nucleus and we're going to get the problems fixed."

On Sunday, the Jets lost their regular-season finale, 19-13, to the Miami Dolphins and were eliminated from the 2012 NFL Playoff race.

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

It seems like everyone these days has something to say about the New York Jets, and Wednesday fourth-string quarterback Greg McElroy made his opinions about the 2011-12 season clear to everybody in the Birmingham, AL area -- or, so he thought.

"It’s the first time I’ve ever been around extremely selfish individuals," McElroy told WZNN-FM, as transcribed by NFL.com. "I think that’s maybe the nature of the NFL. But there were people within our locker room that didn’t care whether we won or lost as long as they got their … they really had a good game individually. And that’s the disappointing thing."

McElroy's comments have now become national and come the offseason season it will be interesting how head coach Rex Ryan will handles the backup quarterbacks comments.

"It’s going to take a lot to kind of come together next year," McElroy said. "I think the fact that we struggled at times this year really led to a really corrupt mind-set within the locker room. But I think we’re going to regroup and I know that we’ll be a better team because of the trials and tribulations this year."

McElroy was a seventh-round pick by the Jets and spent the year on injured reserve after undergoing preseason thumb surgery.

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

Joe Namath isn't the only former New York Jets quarterback willing to bash the new Jets regime. Boomer Esiason held nothing back during an interview with WEEI on Wednesday, taking a blow torch to Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez, Mike Tannenbaum and Santonio Holmes.

"I think that Rex Ryan's ways have come back to haunt him," said Esiason. "And Mike Tannenbaum, the general manager down here, has a lot of responsibility in this regard, because they have put a lot of bad guys together in this locker room. There's a good core of players for the New York Jets. But unfortunately, all it takes is one guy. And Rex Ryan giving Santonio Holmes the captain's 'C' on the chest was an absolute embarrassment. It's a slap in the face of all the good guys in that locker room.

"They have a major problem with him, because they're going to owe him $15 million guaranteed over the next two years if, in fact, they keep him on the roster next year. They can't cut him, I don't think. And I don't think anybody's going to want to trade for him. So, they've got themselves a handful.

"And then this morning in the paper, Jets fans don't want Mark Sanchez back. But this is the world of the Jets. It stays together for a little bit, and then all of a sudden it spirals out of control. And then they have a head coach that kind of exacerbates all of it."

Asked about the possibility of the Jets adding Peyton Manning, Esiason said the Jets would likely look into it because they don't feel comfortable with Sanchez at the helm.

"But first of all, we don't even know if Peyton's able to play," said Esiason. "If Peyton is able to play and the new general manager and whoever they hire to run that team out there decides to go without Peyton Manning, then I'm sure that the Jets will be sniffing around. Because that's what the Jets do. They're trying to find their Tom Brady. They're trying to find their Aaron Rodgers. And I don't think in their mind they think that they feel like they've found the kid.

"If you watched Mark Sanchez the last month of the season, he was like a chihuahua standing on Madison Avenue and 36th Street entering the Midtown Tunnel, eyes bigger than you-know-what, and just so shaky."

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page or our blog Gang Green Nation.

The New York Jets signed two more players to reserve/futures contracts today, general manager Mike Tannenbaum announced. Running back John Griffin and offensive lineman Matt Kroul have been added to the Jets’ 2012 roster.

Griffin, 5-foot-8, 208 pounds, played three seasons at Northeastern before the school eliminated football and finished his collegiate career at Massachusetts. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals prior to the 2011 season, but was waived during the preseason.

Kroul is a 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman who spent most of the 2011 season on the Jets practice squad. After the 2010 season, the former defensive tackle was signed to a reserve/future contract for the 2011 season. He spent the first 15 weeks of the 2010 season on the active roster, seeing action in six games and recording two tackles. Kroul originally joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent in May of 2009 and spent the season as a member of the practice squad.

The New York Jets have signed six players to reserve/future contracts, general manager Mike Tannenbaum announced on Monday.

All six of the players were on the Jets' practice squad at the end of the 2011 season: wide receiver Michael Campbell, tight end Dedrick Epps, wide receiver Dexter Jackson, tackle Dennis Landolt, cornerback Julian Posey and wide receiver Eron Riley.

The reserve/future contracts mean the six players will be present when the Jets begin their OTAs (organized team activities) and mini-camps prior to the 2012 season.

The Jets stumbled to the finish line during an 8-8 season that ended with a 19-17 defeat against the Miami Dolphins in a must-win game. Coach Rex Ryan admitted after the season that he did not have a "pulse" on his team, and addressed his troops the day after the season ended during an emotional speech in which he noted that the team needs to improve its chemistry next season.

For more Jets coverage visit Gang Green Nation.

The plot thickens when it comes to Santonio Holmes and the New York Jets. ESPN New York is reporting that Holmes and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez clashed in the week prior to the Week 17 game against the Miam Dolphins, which turned into a season-ending loss.

Rich Cimini of ESPN wrote that a source told him he felt the situation was "going to explode."

It did, of course. Holmes, frustrated by not catching a pass, had a shouting match in the huddle with a teammate near the end of the game and would up benched. Earlier today a player referred to him as a "cancer," and Jets running back LaDainin Tomlinson was also highly critical of Holmes.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said today that he thought Holmes would be back with the team next season, but that if he is he will not be a captain. ""We're not going to have those anymore. We built a team and I think that pulls away from the team a little bit," Ryan said.