There was a moment early in Tuesday's practice when New York Jets coach Rex Ryan walked over to Tony Richardson and pointed to all the photographers and TV cameras on the sideline.
"All those guys are here to see you, T Rich," Ryan said.
Richardson laughed. Obviously, Darrelle Revis was the focus, but it also marked a return for the starting fullback, who spent one day in unemployment limbo after being released late Sunday. It was the first time since 1994, his rookie year with the Dallas Cowboys, that was he cut by a team.
"It definitely caught me off guard," Richardson said. "Obviously, there are no guarantees in the NFL ... It wasn't upsetting. It's the nature of the NFL. The NFL stands for 'Not for Long.' You can't let things get to you."
Clearly, Richardson was uncomfortable discussing the reason behind his release, saying his conversation with team officials would remain confidential. What probably happened is this:
The Jets needed to create a roster spot Sunday, so instead of cutting a younger player that would be exposed to waivers (i.e. CB Brian Jackson), they terminated Richardson's contract. As a vested veteran, he's not exposed to waivers; he simply became a free agent. The Jets didn't want to cut Jackson because they wanted to keep six cornerbacks until they were sure the Revis deal was finalized.
On Monday, they released Jackson.
So, basically, Richardson got a day off, and it didn't cost him anything. Because he's on the opening-week roster, his $855,000 salary will be guaranteed. He will be the starting fullback Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
What did he do on the unexpected day away from football?
"I went to visit Revis Island," he joked, "but it was kind of empty since he was back."
"All those guys are here to see you, T Rich," Ryan said.
Richardson laughed. Obviously, Darrelle Revis was the focus, but it also marked a return for the starting fullback, who spent one day in unemployment limbo after being released late Sunday. It was the first time since 1994, his rookie year with the Dallas Cowboys, that was he cut by a team.
"It definitely caught me off guard," Richardson said. "Obviously, there are no guarantees in the NFL ... It wasn't upsetting. It's the nature of the NFL. The NFL stands for 'Not for Long.' You can't let things get to you."
Clearly, Richardson was uncomfortable discussing the reason behind his release, saying his conversation with team officials would remain confidential. What probably happened is this:
The Jets needed to create a roster spot Sunday, so instead of cutting a younger player that would be exposed to waivers (i.e. CB Brian Jackson), they terminated Richardson's contract. As a vested veteran, he's not exposed to waivers; he simply became a free agent. The Jets didn't want to cut Jackson because they wanted to keep six cornerbacks until they were sure the Revis deal was finalized.
On Monday, they released Jackson.
So, basically, Richardson got a day off, and it didn't cost him anything. Because he's on the opening-week roster, his $855,000 salary will be guaranteed. He will be the starting fullback Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
What did he do on the unexpected day away from football?
"I went to visit Revis Island," he joked, "but it was kind of empty since he was back."
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Rich Cimini
Rich Cimini, longtime Jets beat writer for the New York Daily News and a Syracuse University graduate, now covers Gang Green for ESPNNewYork.com.
Jane McManus
Jane McManus has covered sports in the New York area since 1998, and began covering football just before Brett Favre's stint with the Jets. Her work has also appeared in Newsday, USA Today, The Journal News, The Cincinnati Enquirer and The New York Times.
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Mark Sanchez
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| RUSHING | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | ||||||||
| S. Greene | 253 | 1054 | 4.2 | 6 | ||||||||
| L. Tomlinson | 75 | 280 | 3.7 | 1 | ||||||||
| RECEIVING | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | ||||||||
| D. Keller | 65 | 815 | 12.5 | 5 | ||||||||
| S. Holmes | 51 | 654 | 12.8 | 8 | ||||||||
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