The New York Jets have spent a ton of cash acquiring and re-signing major talents like Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie, while also signing Plaxico Burress. Combined, that trio has played 27 games for Gang Green, but they were able to sign contracts worth $50, $32 and $3 million, respectively.
That’s a lot of green spent on players that are relatively, well, green to the franchise.
But how much have the Jets spent on two franchise players in wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and defensive end Shaun Ellis?
Zero dollars.
Combined, the two (both drafted by the Jets) have played in 273 games for New York, but Ellis has yet to get a new deal, and according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, Cotchery was released Thursday to reportedly make room for veteran wideout Derrick Mason, who is familiar with head coach Rex Ryan after their time together with the Baltimore Ravens.
While Cotchery has moved on, nothing is official yet in regards to Ellis.
The Jets offered the 11-year veteran a one-year, $910,000 contract (the league’s veteran minimum), Cimini reported on Wednesday.
Now, according to a tweet by ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss, Ellis worked out with the Patriots on Thursday.
In an interesting little twist, the Jets were only able to draft Ellis back in 2000 because they traded the first-round pick that they received from the Patriots after Bill Belichick famously resigned as head coach of the Jets, by writing “I resign as HC of the NYJ,” and then proceeded to take the job with the Pats.
