The New York Jets have released RG Brandon Moore and RB Noah Herron and waived DE Sean Conover. The announcements were made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Moore (RG, 6-3, 295, Illinois) originally signed as an undrafted free agent defensive lineman in 2002 and was converted to an offensive lineman during training camp. He made his regular season debut for the Jets in late 2003 at left guard. The Gary, IN native started 73 consecutive regular season games at right guard since missing three games in the middle of the 2004 season due to injury. 

Herron (RB, 5-11, 225, Northwestern) was signed to a reserve/future contract in January. He was originally selected by the Steelers in the seventh round (244^th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He appeared in two games for the Steelers before being waived and signed to Pittsburgh’s practice squad. He was signed to Green Bay’s active roster on Nov. 30, 2005. He appeared in 21 games for the Packers and rushed for 271 yards on 82 attempts (3.3 avg.) and three touchdowns.

Conover (DE, 6-5, 275, Bucknell) signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets this month. He originally signed in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans as a rookie free agent on May 5, 2006, and was promoted to the active roster on Nov. 22, 2006. In two seasons with the Titans, he played in 11 games with two starts, totaling 25 tackles, one tackle for a loss and two quarterback pressures. He had stints on the Falcons and Ravens practice squads in 2008.    

The New York Jets have released LB David Bowens and LB Brad Kassell. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Bowens (6-3/265/Western Illinois/Detroit, MI) played in 32 games with seven starts in two seasons with the Jets and recorded 44 tackles (17 solo), 6.5 sacks, one interception, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In 2008, he played in 16 games with five starts at inside linebacker and recorded 31 tackles (14 solo), four sacks, one interception, two passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He originally signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in 2007 after spending seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins.  

Kassell (6-3/242/North Texas/Llano, TX) played in 32 games with two starts in two seasons with the Jets and recorded 32 special teams tackles in addition to contributing 43 tackles (25 solo) and one pass defensed. Kassell led the team in 2007 with a career-high 23 special teams tackles. He spent the 2008 season on injured reserve (knee). He originally signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in 2006 after spending four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

he New York Jets have signed the following players to reserve/future contracts: CB Tyron Brackenridge, CB Marquice Cole, DE Sean Conover, LB Nate Harris and DT Nate Robinson. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Brackenridge (CB, 5-11, 189, Washington State) originally signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie free agent on May 8, 2007. He saw action in 13 games with one start before being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 23, 2007. He registered 16 tackles (13 solo), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery which he returned 50 yards for a touchdown at San Diego on Sept. 30, 2007. The Pasadena, California native attended training camp with the Chiefs in 2008, but was released Aug. 31, 2008.

Cole (CB, 5-10, 190, Northwestern) was originally signed by the Oakland Raiders as a rookie free agent on May 4, 2007, and was waived on Sept. 1, 2007. He was signed to the Titans practice squad on Dec. 11, 2007 and was signed to the active roster on Feb. 11, 2007. Cole was released on Aug. 8, 2008. He was with the Titans for three regular season contests and one playoff game. He held a brief stint with the New Orleans practice squad from Dec. 9, 2008, until his contract expired on Jan. 5, 2009.

Conover (DE, 6-5, 275, Bucknell) originally signed with the Tennesse Titans as a rookie free agent on May 5, 2006, and was promoted to the active roster on Nov. 22, 2006. In two seasons with the Titans, he played in 11 games with two starts, totaling 25 tackles, one tackle for a loss and two quarterback pressures. He was signed to the Atlanta Falcons practice squad on Sept. 1, 2008, and was released on Oct. 29, 2008. He also had a brief stint with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.    

Harris (LB, 6-0, 230, Louisville) originally signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on May 15, 2007, and was waived on July 25, 2008. In 2007, he played in 15 games, tallying two solo tackles, and led the club with 20 special teams tackles.

Robinson (DT, 6-5, 315, Akron) was originally signed by the New York Giants as a rookie free agent on May 12, 2008, and was waived on Aug. 1, 2008. As a senior, he played in 10 games with six starts and was credited with 26 tackles (16 solo), five for a loss and two sacks.

New York Jets Chairman & CEO Woody Johnson

I had a great conversation with Brett this morning. Considering that he came from a totally different environment and joined our team during training camp, his performance last season was extraordinary. As I spoke with people throughout the organization, they all told me how much they enjoyed working with him. Brett Favre is a Hall-of-Fame player, but he is also a Hall-of-Fame person. Brett, Deanna and his family will always be a part of the Jets family.

New York Jets Executive Vice President/General Manager Mike Tannenbaum

When we acquired Brett, we knew we would get everything he had. He took the time to mentor younger players and his competitiveness and enthusiasm at practice and during games was contagious. I spoke with him this morning and told him that he will be a friend of the Jets for years to come and it was an honor to work with him.

New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan

It was an honor to coach against Brett over the years. If he’s not the best quarterback ever, then he’s certainly in the conversation. I have great admiration for him as a player and a person. I wish him only the best in his life after football.

The New York Jets announced the hiring of Quarterbacks Coach Matt Cavanaugh and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach John DeFilippo. The team also announced that it has retained Ben Kotwica as assistant special teams coach and Brian Smith as quality control – defense. The announcements were made by Head Coach Rex Ryan.

Cavanaugh (Youngstown, OH/Pittsburgh) joins the Jets after four seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Pittsburgh. Cavanaugh, who played 14 NFL seasons for four teams (Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Giants), has 11 years of NFL coaching experience, serving as an offensive coordinator for the Ravens (1999-2004) and the Bears (1997-98) and as quarterbacks coach for the 49ers (1996) and Cardinals (1994-95). He began his coaching career at Pitt as tight ends coach in 1993. As a player, he won a National Championship for Pitt in 1976 and Super Bowls as a backup quarterback with the 49ers in 1984 and the Giants in 1990. As a coach, he earned a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2000.

DeFilippo (Youngstown, OH/James Madison) joins the Jets after two seasons as the Raiders quarterbacks coach and two seasons as an offensive quality control assistant with the Giants. Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, he was the quarterbacks coach at Columbia University for two seasons and a graduate assistant coach at Notre Dame for two seasons, working with wide receivers and tight ends in 2001 and quarterbacks in 2002. He started his coaching career at Fordham University in 2000. DeFilippo was a four-time all-conference academic quarterback at James Madison while holding NFL summer coaching internships in 1997 (Panthers) and 1998 (Colts).

Kotwica (Tinley Park, IL/Army) has spent the last two seasons as a coach with the title of quality control – defense/special teams. He came to the Jets after two seasons as the defensive coordinator at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School.

Smith (Wilmington, DE/Massachusetts) moves to defense after two seasons with the Jets as a coach with the title, quality control – offense. He came to the Jets after three years as a coach at his alma mater where he tutored the linebackers for one year and the wide receivers for two seasons. 

The New York Jets announced the hiring of Kerry Locklin as defensive line coach and have retained Mike Devlin as assistant offensive line/tight ends coach. The announcements were made by Head Coach Rex Ryan.

Locklin (New Mexico State/Las Cruces, NM) joins the Jets after nine seasons as the defensive line coach at Fresno State. He has also coached collegiately at Eastern Michigan (1995-1999), Morehead State (1990-93), Utah (1989) and Western New Mexico (1988) and for Shreveport in the CFL (1994). As a player, Locklin was an All-WAC tight end at New Mexico State who played three years in the NFL (Rams, 1982-83, Broncos, 1987) and two seasons in the USFL (1984-85).

Devlin (Blacksburg, VA/Iowa) returns for his fourth season with the Jets. Before joining the Jets, Devlin coached collegiately at Toledo (2004-05) and in the NFL at Arizona (2000-03) after a seven-year NFL career with the Bills and Cardinals.

Linebacker James Farrior has won two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh

Where do you start? Super Bowl XLIII turned out to be a much better game than originally expected and included a momentum-swinging flurry in the waning minutes that rivaled a similar one a year ago. Both teams picked themselves up off the mat on more than one occasion on this evening in Tampa, but the Pittsburgh Steelers landed the final blow.

When Larry Fitzgerald went 64 yards on a pass from Kurt Warner to give the Arizona Cardinals a 23-20 lead with 2:47 left in the game, it appeared that the vagabond franchise would win it’s first championship since the days of the Nuremberg trials. But Ben Roethlisberger directed the Steelers to the game-winning drive by dissecting the Cardinal secondary along with game MVP Santonio Holmes. The wide receiver’s leaping grab over double coverage in the right corner of the end zone was even more impressive when considering that he was able to keep both feet in bounds. Holmes finished with 9 catches for 131 yards and one touchdown.

“It was a play that we drew up that we were hoping to get open in the back of the corner,” said Holmes. “The defensive back bit up on the short route and Ben (Roethlisberger) held onto the ball long enough to get it to me.”

Arizona fought back from a second quarter 10-0 deficit and were poised to go into the locker room at halftime either tied or in the lead. With the score 10-7 and only 18 seconds remaining in the half, Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison picked off a Warner throw intended for Anquan Boldin and rumbled down the field 100 yards for the score. It set a Super Bowl record for the longest interception return.

Many teams would have been deflated by the sudden turn of events, but Arizona held Pittsburgh in check and Warner directed them on an eight-play, 87-yard scoring drive culminating with a one-yard pass to Fitzgerald. A subsequent safety on a Jeff Hartwig holding penalty in the end zone made it a four-point game. The Cardinals received the free kick, setting up Fitzgerald’s long touchdown run and, unfortunately, false hope for many.

“Yeah, I was confident we were going to be able to get a stop and we were going to be champions,” the wideout said. “I never lost faith. Sometimes things just don’t go your way.”

The Steelers became the first franchise to win six Super Bowls, and head coach Mike Tomlin now has a title in only his second year at the helm. “I’m not concerned about my personal milestones,” he said. “I just want to contribute to the legacy that is the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

By accomplishing what he did, Tomlin now becomes an important part of that legacy.