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The Jets have quietly, and inexpensively, done a solid job in free agency. Good quality for money that isn’t crazy . . .
Dawan Landry will start at one of the safety spots.
Antonio Garay is the leading candidate to start at nose tackle.
Antwan Barnes will compete for a starting outside linebacker job, and if he doesn’t win one, he will be the team’s situational pass rusher. He had 11 sacks in 2011 for the San Diego Chargers.
Willie Colon will start at one of the guard spots. This signing could be a major steal.
“He is tough, nasty and powerful,” a long-time offensive line coach told us. “He has great balance. If he stays healthy, a Pro Bowl level guard.”
Mike Goodson will compete for the starting tailback job, and if he doesn’t land it, he will play a lot as a change-of-pace back, and receiver out of the backfield.
And David Garrard will compete for the starting quarterback job, and if he’s healthy, would have to be considered the leading candidate for the spot right now.
Six players who will start, or play significant roles, all for very little money.
We will see for sure who this all works out in the fall, but on paper, this is a quality free agent class . . .
Surprisingly, the Tampa Bay Bucs were able to bring back starting cornerback Eric Wright at a huge discount.
After they won a grievance to erase his guaranteed money this year over a drug suspension, you would have thought he was a goner.
But he agreed to come back for a salary of $1.5 million. He was supposed to make over $7 million this year.
Wright is a starting quality corner. So will this impact the Buc’s pursuit of Darrelle Revis?
Probably not.
Wright is best suited to be a #2 corner. So if the Bucs can land Revis, they could boast the best secondary in football with safeties Mark Barron and Dashon Goldson, along with Revis and Wright at corner.
Speaking of Revis, the Daily News wrote the following earlier in the week – “The Jets have been looking to trade Revis this offseason after owner Woody Johnson made it clear to people in the organization that he’s unwilling to give the cornerback a top-dollar contract extension.”
“When did Woody say that?” somebody around the Jets asked me.
I’m not disputing the fact that Revis could be traded, but people around the Jets will tell you Johnson never issued this edict.
This whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
All Woody did was bring up the topic of Revis’ unclear future, with one year left on his deal, to perspective GM
candidates, during the interview process.
He was trying to get the take of candidates on this important Jets matter.
And one of the candidates leaked to the media Woody was looking to trade the corner.
He was just throwing out a scenario about a big upcoming decision to see how the candidates would handle it.
That’s it.
And it just blew up.
The Jets are clearly willing to trade Revis if they get an awesome package in return, but if they don’t, they aren’t averse to keeping him.
April 10, 2013
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