Kris Jenkins Tears Left ACL Again, Career May Be Over

The New York Jets star defense took another hit last night, as DT Kris Jenkins tore his left ACL on the sixth defensive snap. It's the same knee that required reconstructive surgery last October, putting Jenkins' career in jeopardy. His season is over, and his career may be as well.

"Obviously, that's going to be a huge blow for us," coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday. "Again, we're about the team, but I just feel really bad for Kris."

Jenkins, 31, a former Pro Bowl selection, was hurt in a first-quarter pile-up. He left the game and didn't return. After the game, the Jets anticipated the possibility of a season-ending injury, with one source telling ESPNNewYork.com there was a 50-50 chance it would end his season.

Jenkins went for an MRI exam Tuesday morning, confirming the tear. The previous injury to that knee also involved the ACL. It was repaired in October with a graft, using a tendon from his hamstring. He made a strong recovery, dropped more than 30 pounds and reported to training camp at 359 pounds.

"I just spoke to Kris and he's down, but I think he'll battle and come through this," Ryan said. "But, it's a big loss."

Ryan said surgery had not been scheduled yet.

Jenkins was looking forward to a bounce-back season, but it lasted only six plays.

Ryan said Jenkins hadn't spoken to him about his long-term plans.

"I think he's going to get away from it, and then he'll make a decision," Ryan said.

Jenkins, one of the team's leaders, entered training camp in terrific shape after using a so-called cookie diet to help win a weight-loss competition among himself, Ryan and right tackle Damien Woody. He was eased back into the lineup in the preseason, and said he felt 100 percent entering the regular season.

"We lost a heck of a football player," Ryan said. "The thing is, we did overcome him last year. Our defense rallied around the guys who were out there."

A year ago, the Jets compensated for Jenkins' absence and still finished No. 1 in overall defense. Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito stepped in and were solid in Jenkins' place.

Both players had good games Monday night, but the Jets are not particularly deep on the line. But now their depth will be tested. In the preseason, the Jets lost defensive end Ropati Pitoitua (Achilles tendon). Ryan said the Jets might explore bringing in a veteran to help.

"We'll consider that, for sure," Ryan said.

Jenkins, in his third season with the Jets, also tore the ACL in his right knee in 2005 while with Carolina.

"He's got a physical mismatch against anybody he plays against," Ryan said. "There's not too many people walking the face of the Earth that are like that, just a big, powerful man that's athletic, who's hard to block one-on-one. Impossible, really."

This is just outright unfair, to say the least. Not even nine months ago the big fella was starting rehab on the same injury. This is also one of the toughest injuries to rehab because most of it is trusting the ability of the reconstructed knee once it has been through enough rehabilitation.

This will now fuel the speculation on what the Jets will do to replace him, with Albert Haynesworth's name now entering the fray; however, Haynesworth probably is not a good fit for the Jets because he has already been fighting with Coach Mike Shanahan about not wanting to play the nose tackle position in the 3-4 defense, which is exactly what he would be doing with the Jets.

But now this big injury begs the question: will Vernon Gholston now play a bigger role in the Jets defense? Now that the Jets need more defensive line depth, Gholston at his new defensive end position could become a key component to the Jets defense for the rest of the season.

The Jets did just fine against the run last night without Jenkins, as Baltimore finished with 35 rushes for just 49 yards (1.4-yards per carry). Even last season when the Jets were without Jenkins, the jumped up to finish sixth in rushing defense as he missed the last ten games of the season.

I do think this year is a little different, though, in the fact that the line depth is thinner this season than it was last season for Gang Green, but I think Rex Ryan can figure anything out on defense and Jets fans must have faith in the best defensive mind in the game.

Yanks to Skip Vazquez Again, This Time Probably For Good

The New York Yankees plan on bouncing Javier Vazquez from their rotation.

With Andy Pettitte on target to return from the disabled list next Sunday in Baltimore, a team official told ESPNNewYork.com that the Yankees plan to use Thursday's off day to skip Vazquez's next turn.

CC Sabathia will start in Tampa on Monday. He will be followed by rookie Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes. A.J. Burnett will start Friday in Baltimore. On Saturday, Sabathia will go again, followed by Pettitte, who will return Sunday against the Orioles. Pettitte still needs to get through his final minor league rehab start in Altooona on Tuesday.

When the specifics of the Yankees' plan were laid out to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, he declined to confirm it.

"It could line up that way," Girardi said. "Like I said, I'll announce it when I have it."

Girardi prefers to wait to announce such moves in case Pettitte has trouble on Tuesday or another injury changes the team's plans.

Girardi did confirm that Vazquez will be available out of the bullpen on Monday. He did not throw a full side session on Sunday, which is his normal routine after starting on Friday. Vazquez said the Yankees have not yet told him he is out of the rotation.

"I would love to find out, but I'll find out eventually," Vazquez said.

This would be the third occasion on which the Yankees have skipped Vazquez. Vazquez has returned to the rotation each time, but this may be it. If there were an injury to one of the aforementioned five starters, it is unclear whether Vazquez or Dustin Moseley -- who pitched well in Sunday's loss to the Rangers -- would earn the next start.

Vazquez has shuttled in and out of the rotation all year, which he admits is largely because he is only 10-9 with a 5.09 ERA.

"If I were throwing lights-out, it wouldn't be a question," Vazquez said.

Brodney Pool Likely Out for Season Opener Against Ravens

From all indications, it looks as if Jets safety Brodney Pool won't play in the team's season opener Monday night against the Ravens.

Pool has yet to complete a full practice since he sprained his left ankle in the Jets' 16-11 exhibition loss to the Redskins on Aug. 27. He is listed as questionable by the team.

Rex Ryan said Saturday that the team is deciding between playing Pool on Monday night -- and putting him at risk to aggravate the injury -- or sitting Pool to give him a chance to return to the field completely healthy.

"He's almost at that point, where [we say], 'Do we push him through it and risk him [having a] more longer, nagging injury? Or do we give him a little time off so he gets to one hundred percent?' " Ryan said. "That's what we're weighing right now."

Pool sat out of drills during the portion of Saturday's practice open to the media.

The safety said afterward he still feels a stiffness in his ankle that limits his ability to cut and change direction.

"I feel better than I felt then when I first did it [but] it's going to come down to Coach's [decision]," Pool said, adding that the stiffness needs to subside before he feels "comfortable enough to cut on it."

The 26-year-old Pool said he injured his ankle when a player fell on it during a fumble recovery against the Redskins.

The Jets signed Pool in the offseason to replace departed safety Kerry Rhodes. In theory, the hard-hitting Pool is a better fit than Rhodes for Ryan's blitz-heavy defense. Pool, who played five years in Cleveland before signing with the Jets, was limited to 11 games in 2009 due to a concussion.

Reserve safety Eric Smith likely would start in Pool's place Monday night against Anquan Boldin and the Ravens.

"It's one of those things that's probably a game-time decision but I'm preparing like I'm the starter right now," Smith said.

Slauson Wins Battle for Starting Left Guard Position

Matt Slauson will be the starting left guard for the New York Jets when they host the Baltimore Ravens to open the regular season Monday. Jets coach Rex Ryan made it official Thursday.

Slauson does not expect it to be an easy debut.

"I just got to know what to expect, I know they're going to be coming after me because they consider me the weak point now in the line," Slauson said. "But it's my job to not just win the starting job, it's to play at the same level as Nick [Mangold] and D'Brickashaw [Ferguson] and Brandon [Moore] and [Damien] Woody and all those guys so I've just got to study and prepare and get it done."

Mangold, the Jets center, said it will be a high-profile moment, but that's not a bad thing.

"It is going to be difficult for him but I think you want that as a player, you want that on your shoulders, you want to prove that you know what you're doing," Mangold said. "And I'll be there as a guiding force as best I can."

Slauson was vying with second-round draft pick Vladimir Ducasse for the left guard spot that opened when the Jets cut Alan Faneca.

Slauson's biggest moment of training camp might just have been during the second preseason game of the year, when his missed block led to a sack that came dangerously close to Mark Sanchez's surgically repaired left knee.

Nonetheless, his linemates think Slauson will be fine.

"I think he's ready; preseason is preseason," Woody said. "Everybody wasn't crisp in the preseason but he has been working hard at this all offseason. He's been waiting for this moment so I have all the confidence in the world in Matt Slauson and his ability to go out there and perform at a high level."

Slauson came to the Jets by way of Nebraska, where he was recruited by Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Callahan recommended Slauson to Ryan during the sixth round of the 2009 draft. Slauson has the advantage of many years in the current system and one year under Faneca, who is now playing for the Arizona Cardinals.

The move to cut Faneca stunned some fans. Former quarterback Joe Namath, who came out during the first week of training camp in Cortland, arrived full of praise for Sanchez but was so preoccupied with the offensive line that several questions led back to the same point.

"I'm more worried about our left guard position than I'm worried about anything," Namath said. "The offensive line is a major factor in letting the offense produce."

As a high pick, Ducasse was expected to put up more of a fight, but he was ultimately too raw. He may not have won the job this time, but the rookie with the prototypical LG frame will be looking to improve as the season goes along.

"Right now I've just got to keep working hard," Ducasse said. "That's what I can do, that's what I can say right now."

Slauson will be flying his parents in for the game, so they can see him play in front of a sold out New Meadowlands Stadium and a "Monday Night Football" viewing audience.

"It's a dream come true being able to play on the best offensive line in the NFL," Slauson said. "I couldn't be more pleased right now."

Andy Pettitte Nearing Return to Yankees

If all goes according to plan, New York Yankees starter Andy Pettitte could return exactly two months after he first went on the disabled list with his injured groin.

Pettitte's pain-free minor league rehab outing at Double-A Trenton on Thursday was a step in the right direction, and the Yankees hope that one of their farm teams is still playing on Tuesday so Pettitte can pitch at a lower level before starting again for the Yankees.

If all goes well, Pettitte would then return to the majors on or around Sept. 19 when the Yankees host Tampa Bay. Pettitte has been on the disabled list since July 19.

The Yankees have not fully fleshed out what they will do with Pettitte if there are no minor league games Tuesday. The most likely scenario would be for him to pitch a simulated game.

"I would lean more toward a simulated game, but my mind could change," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

The other option would be to bring Pettitte to the majors to start on Tuesday, which seems very unlikely.

Wherever Pettitte pitches next, the plan is to rev him up to five innings and 85 pitches. Ideally, Girardi would like him to reach that number before throwing in the majors so he could get up to near 100 pitches in his return to the big leagues.

In his minor league rehab start Thursday, Pettitte pitched well and, more importantly for him, didn't feel much, if any, pain in his groin. He threw 51 pitches, 37 of which were strikes. In all, he fired four shutout innings and felt very good afterward.

This is a great sign for the Yankees, who seem as though they desperately need him in order to maintain their AL East lead over the Rays. Everyone not named C.C. Sabathia has seemed to struggle as of late and the return of Pettitte would become a huge addition to the rotation, as he would be able to bring a stable presence to the mound every fifth day. The Yankees will need him to be the Andy Pettitte that he was before his injury if they plan on having a shot of repeating as World Champions; hopefully they get him.

Richard Park Signs with Swiss Team

NHL veteran Richard Park has signed a three-year contract with Swiss club Geneva-Servette.

Coach Chris McSorley says the 34-year-old winger chose Geneva-Servette over NHL and European teams.

Park has played 722 games in 16 seasons in the NHL, including the past four with the New York Islanders.

McSorley tells The Associated Press he spoke with the Islanders' Swiss defenseman Mark Streit about Park before making him the top offseason acquisition. The club lost to Bern in the Swiss playoff finals last season in game seven.

Park previously played in Switzerland with Langnau in 2004-05 during the NHL lockout season.

Yanks Shut Down Aceves and Marte

Joe Girardi confirmed on Wednesday morning what has been obvious for quite some time now: Neither Alfredo Aceves nor Damaso Marte will be seen in a Yankees uniform again this season.

Aceves, on the disabled list since May 12 with what is officially termed a "strained lower back," has been shut down and was being evaluated by a back specialist Wednesday, with surgery a possibility.

And Marte, who went on the DL on July 17 with left shoulder inflammation, hasn't thrown a pitch since and said, "It feels bad."

Both Aceves and Marte are relief pitchers.

Marte missed four months of the 2009 season but returned in time to pitch well in the postseason, allowing no runs in 10 appearances, including four against the Phillies in the World Series.

But while continuing to hold out hope he could recover in time for the upcoming postseason, Marte acknowledged his shoulder pain was a lot worse this season. "It hurts when I bring my arm to here," he said, raising his hand above his head.

Marte's role in the Yankees bullpen, a left-hander specializing in retiring left-handed hitters, has been assumed this year by Boone Logan, and Aceves' role as a right-handed long reliever by Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre.

"We would love to have them both back, because we saw how important they were to our bullpen last year," Girardi said. "Fortunately we have some guys who have picked up the slack, but you can never have too many arms out there."

Yanks' Hughes to be Skipped Again Due to Innings Limit

Phil Hughes' turn in the New York Yankees starting rotation will be skipped this weekend in Texas in conjunction with the innings limit the team has placed upon the 24-year-old starter.

Hughes (16-7, 4.29 ERA) has pitched 155 1/3 innings so far this year and is believed to be on a 175-inning regular-season limit, a number the Yankees have refused to make public.

But it is expected that Hughes will make his final three starts of the season, beginning next Wednesday in Tampa, and at an average of six innings per start would finish up just below the 175 innings threshold.

Then, the Yankees have said Hughes' odometer would rest for the postseason.

"I had a feeling this was coming," a mildly disappointed Hughes said at his locker before Wednesday afternoon's Yankees-Orioles game. "I wasn't 100 percent sold it was coming but I knew it was a possibility, so it's not really a surprise."

Still, Hughes, who was also skipped just before the All-Star break, did not seem thrilled with either the decision or the timing. "I usually pitch pretty decent in Texas, so I'm kinda mad that I get skipped out of that start," he said with a laugh.

Hughes has never been beaten at The Ballpark in Arlington, nor has he even allowed a run. He is 2-0 in two starts with a 0.00 ERA in 14 1/3 innings pitched there. In fact, it was there as a rookie that Hughes took a no-hitter into the seventh inning only to leave with a hamstring pull -- suffered while pitching to future teammate Mark Teixeira -- an injury that cost him three months of the season.

On Sunday, Dustin Moseley will start in Hughes' place, drawing the unenviable task of facing the Rangers' ace, Cliff Lee.

"I don't think any starter likes to get skipped," manager Joe Girardi said. "But when I told him, he just said, 'OK.' That's about all the emotion you get out of Hughsie."

"There's nothing I could say, so it's not worth the fight," Hughes said. "They have a plan in mind and it's kinda what they're going to do. I don't really have a say in it, so I just kinda deal with it."

Hughes isn't the only Yankees pitcher taking a seat. Girardi confirmed Wednesday morning what has been obvious for quite some time now: Neither Alfredo Aceves nor Damaso Marte will be seen in a Yankee uniform again this season.

Aceves, on the disabled list since May 12 with what is officially termed a "strained lower back," has been shut down and was being evaluated by a back specialist this morning, with surgery a possibility.

And Marte, who went on the DL on July 17 with left shoulder inflammation, hasn't thrown a pitch since and said, "It feels bad."

Hughes started the season extremely well, his record 10-1 and ERA 3.17 after beating the Mets on June 19. But since then, he has gone 6-6 and his ERA has risen by more than a run.

Two of his most recent three starts were probably his worst of the season. On Aug. 25, he couldn't make it out of the fourth inning against the Blue Jays, allowing five earned runs, and on Sunday, he was shelled by Toronto again, surrendering six runs, and three homers, in six innings.

Asked if, at this point in his first season as a full-time starter, he felt as if he needed a break, Hughes said, "No. Simple answer."

He's getting one Sunday in Texas, whether he likes it or not.

Pettitte to Make Rehab Start for Trenton on Thursday

After throwing another successful bullpen on Monday, Andy Petttitte is headed to Trenton on Thursday to start a Double-A playoff game for the Yankees affiliate. If that goes well, then he may start one more minor league game before pitching for the Yankees.

Originally, Yankees manager Joe Girardi thought Pettitte -- who has been on the disabled list because of an injured groin since July 19 -- might just need the one minor league start before returning to the majors, but now Girardi is more on the fence. If Pettitte needs a second minor league start, then his return to the majors could be pushed back from around Sept. 13 to around Sept. 18th.

Right now, the likely date for his return is Sept. 18th at Baltimore.

Originally, the Yankees were going to have Pettitte start on Wednesday, but they changed it to keep him online with his normal work week. With the Yankees off on Thursday, it also may give them more flexibility to where and when they want Pettitte to pitch in a major league game.

Pettitte said he felt great after his session on Monday. He will face New Hampshire in a Double-A playoff game on Wednesday. Pettitte will throw 60 pitches. He seems like an unfair advantage for a playoff game.

"I told them I'd go down there and ruin the poor kids' season," said the self-deprecating Pettitte as he referred to Trenton, not New Hampshire.

The Yankees just hope he is fine for their October playoff games.

Jets Resign T-Rich a Day After Releasing Him

After one day of unemployment, fullback Tony Richardson returned to the New York Jets, re-signing Monday after being cut Sunday in a procedural move.

"I know there were a lot of nervous people," said coach Rex Ryan.

The Jets needed three roster spots Sunday after acquiring three players on waivers. They cut wide receiver David Clowney, running back Chauncey Washington and Richardson -- a move that stunned and angered some players. Those players weren't aware of the team's strategy when they made comments to ESPNNewYork.com.

As a vested veteran, Richardson wasn't exposed to waivers. He became a free agent and the Jets were "very confident" they'd be able to re-sign him, Ryan said.

To make room for Richardson's return, the Jets waived rookie cornerback Brian Jackson. They didn't want to release Jackson on Sunday; they wanted to wait until Darrelle Revis' contract was finalized before cutting a cornerback.

By midday, it was apparent that Richardson was coming back. His locker at the Jets' training facility was intact. Everything was still in it, from practice jerseys to shampoo to toothpaste. It didn't look like the locker of a player who was gone for good.

In the end, the one day in limbo didn't cost Richardson any pay. If he had been re-signed after Week 1, he would've lost one game check ($50,000) and the balance of his $855,000 wouldn't have been guaranteed.

Ryan said Richardson will play against the Ravens in the opener.

Some players still were upset that Richardson was used as a pawn in the unconventional chess game. One player said it was a "[crappy]" thing to do. Several said they were stunned when they heard the news late Sunday.

"It was jaw dropping," said tight end Dustin Keller, who has the locker next to Richardson. "I couldn't believe it. He's our top veteran on offense. If we become the Super Bowl team we want to be, to do it without him would be tough.

"T. Rich has been a mentor to so many guys on this team, especially myself."

Revis Comes Off His Island, Signs Deal and Returns to Jets

After a seven-month stalemate often marked by acrimony, the New York Jets and holdout cornerback Darrelle Revis agreed in principle Sunday night on a new contract, the team announced early Monday morning.

Revis, whose holdout lasted 35 days, is expected to fly to New Jersey Monday to sign the contract. Barring any holdups, the All-Pro will be on the field in time to have a full week of preparation for the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, a week from Monday.

"I'm coming home baby!!! Revis Island. Let's Go," Revis tweeted shortly after midnight.

Revis will sign a four-year contract, GM Mike Tannenbaum announced. He declined to discuss the amount, but a source said it's a $46 million deal, including $32 million in various guarantees.

Under his old contract, Revis was due to make $21 million over the next three years, all of which was guaranteed until he didn't show up for training camp, voiding the guarantee. After a long holdout that resulted in $578,305 in fines, Revis secured $11 million in additional guarantees while committing an extra year to the team.

Tannenbaum wouldn't say if Revis will be responsible for paying the fines. He called it an internal issue, adding Revis and Ryan would discuss how to handle it.

"This is an intermediate step to what we hope will be an entire career of Darrelle as a Jet, for him to retire as a Jet and for him to hopefully go to the Hall of fame as a Jet," Tannenbaum said in an early-morning conference call with reporters.

Tannenbaum admitted that he explored possible trades for a cornerback over the weekend. While he did that, coach Rex Ryan and owner Woody Johnson took a spur-of-the-moment trip to South Florida on Saturday afternoon to meet with Revis, his mother and his uncle, former NFL defensive lineman Sean Gilbert. Gilbert once sat out an entire season in a contract dispute with the Washington Redskins.

The meeting was first reported by the New York Daily News.

Ryan met most of Sunday with Gilbert and Revis. By the time the meeting ended, both sides felt that progress had been made and their differences could be bridged.

At that point, negotiations heated up between the Jets and Revis' New-York based agents.

"Those guys going down there was a huge step," Tannenbaum said.

Revis has a home in South Florida, which he went to last week after spending more than a week with family in his hometown, Aliquippa, Pa. Ryan and Revis have a good relationship, and the Jets were counting on Ryan's persuasiveness to change Revis' stance.

"I really wasn't optimistic, I really wasn't," Tannenbaum said. "It was a hard set of dynamics. I'm optimistic by nature, but gosh, this was really hard. There was a lot of heavy lifting. This honestly and truly was really, really hard."

Despite the upbeat meeting in Florida, the two sides didn't have "a significant breakthrough" until around 10 p.m., according to Tannenbaum. That's when they agreed to the length of the contract and the total amount.

With Revis still in Florida, Tannenbaum negotiated by phone with the cornerbacks' agents, with Johnson available on speaker phone. Asked to describe Ryan's reaction when the deal was finalized, Tannenbaum said, "I think I had to medicate the head coach."

Revis made $15 million in his first three seasons. He wanted to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league, seeking about $16 million per season. According to family members, he was angry at the organization because he believed it reneged on a promise to make him the highest-paid corner.

Initially, the Jets offered Revis a 10-year, $120 million contract and a four-year, $40 million deal, but there was only a small amount of guaranteed money in each proposal. Revis' agents countered by asking for $162 million over 10 years, with more than $40 million guaranteed.

On Friday, several players told ESPNNewYork.com they were resigned to starting the season without Revis. One player said it was "a tragedy" that the stalemate got this far.

Sometime around 11 p.m. Sunday, Tannenbaum said, employer and employee found "a landing spot that was good for both sides." That landing spot would be identified as $46 million.

"I'm comin home baby!!!" Revis wrote on Twitter.

Suddenly the GM who helped script the fairy tale that his team would be fine without Revis was talking about the corner ending up in the Hall of Fame -- as a Jet, of course.

"I think it's a win-win," Tannenbaum said.

The Jets haven't won anything yet, other than Revis' commitment to sign a four-year contract. Finally the franchise that forever leads the NFL in empty promises has made good on a pledge.

The Jets will make for a credible contender on Opening Night. Darrelle Revis, who makes a living cutting the field in half, just made his team whole.

Jets Cut Richardson

Continuing the purge of veteran leaders that began six months ago, the New York Jets released well-respected fullback Tony Richardson Sunday -- an immediately unpopular move in the locker room.

The announcement came only four days after the latest episode of "Hard Knocks," in which Rex Ryan and his assistants bemoan a lack of leadership on offense. According to a league source, the Jets hope to re-sign Richardson after Week 1, when the balance of his $855,000 salary wouldn't be guaranteed.

Dumping Richardson, even if only for a week, means rookie fullback John Conner will have to block All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis in his first assignment.

"Terrible," one player said of Richardson's release, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another player said, "[It's] f------ ridiculous."

The Jets are taking an interesting approach to their season opener.

While they have solved the Darrelle Revis problem, the Jets are prepared to face the Baltimore Ravens with a shortage of veteran wide receivers, having released Laveranues Coles because they didn't want to guarantee his $855,000 contract. They also won't have Santonio Holmes, who will miss the first four games due to a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy.

In the offseason, the Jets unloaded running backs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington and guard Alan Faneca, all popular leaders. Cost-cutting factored into each decision. If the Jets re-sign Richardson, 38, after the Baltimore game, they will have saved $50,300 -- one game check.

In last week's "Hard Knocks" show, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan seem at odds on what to do with Richardson. Tannenbaum, citing Richardson's salary, seems in favor of cutting the 16-year veteran. Ryan defends Richardson, saying the team needs two fullbacks to implement his "ground-and-pound" rushing philosophy.

Publicly, Ryan gave Richardson several strong endorsements, saying he'd be "shocked" if the fullback was not on the roster.

"Each season, there are difficult choices when constructing the 53-man roster, and this year is no exception," Tannenbaum said in a statement. "We appreciate Tony's contributions and leadership over the past two seasons and have nothing but the highest respect for him as a person and as a player."

Richardson didn't return an e-mail seeking comment.

This move shocked me to no end. I couldn't believe the reports when I read them. Why would the Jets cut such a vital piece to not only their offense and the growth of Mark Sanchez as a quarterback, but to the team as a whole? I just don't understand the logic in this move. He was making $850,000, not exactly Peyton Manning-esque numbers.

I trust Tannenbaum, but he better not have made a mistake with this one because Tony Richardson was one of the key reasons why the Jets were the best rushing team in the NFL last season. I don't understand this move one bit, but we'll see what John Connor brings to the table once the regular season starts up next Monday night.

Ryan is smitten with Conner -- a.k.a. "The Terminator" -- whose crushing blocks have become one of the main storylines of "Hard Knocks." But, in the final preseason game, he lost a fumble and dropped a pass. Against the Ravens, he will face a defense that is the mirror image of the Jets' -- complex and unpredictable.

The Jets released Richardson and waived wide receiver David Clowney and running back Chauncey Washington on Sunday to make room for three waiver pickups -- wide receiver Patrick Turner (Miami Dolphins), defensive tackle Marcus Dixon (Dallas Cowboys) and offensive tackle Patrick Brown (Minnesota Vikings).

Turner will be reunited with quarterback Mark Sanchez -- they were teammates at USC in 2008. Turner was a third-round pick of the Dolphins in 2009; it's unusual for team to unload a relatively high draft pick after one season.

Clowney's roster spot appeared tenuous in recent weeks, ever since the coaches criticized him on an early episode of "Hard Knocks." They felt he never developed as a receiver, and they also had questions about his desire on special teams. The plan was to make him a "gunner" on kick coverage.

Thing is, Turner (6-foot-5, 220) has less special-teams potential than Clowney, according to an NFL personnel executive. As a receiver, Turner is strictly a possession type, with limited speed. He played in only three games last season and had no catches. In Miami, he was beaten out by two undrafted free agents.

The Jets play the Dolphins in Week 3, so it's possible they could pump Turner for information on his old team.

Clowney made positive headlines for his off-the-field efforts, taking trips on his own to Haiti and Ghana last offseason in relief efforts. On the field, Clowney had 15 receptions for 217 yards and one touchdown in two seasons.

The Jets have only four receivers on the roster. Turner will be behind Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. It's hard to imagine Turner receiving any early playing time, but if he impresses in practice, the Jets may decide not to re-sign veteran Coles after Week 1. They told Coles that was their intention when they released him last week.