he New York Jets signed free agent S J.R. Reed to the 53-man roster. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Reed (5-11/202/South Florida/Tampa, FL), a five-year veteran, was originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round, 129th overall, of the 2004 NFL Draft. In 40 games (four starts) he has accumulated 50 tackles (30 solo), 39 special teams tackles and 81 kickoff returns for 1,808 yards (22.6 per return). After spending the 2004-05 season with the Eagles, Reed had stints with the Rams, Falcons, and Giants. He re-signed with the Eagles on Sept. 2, 2007 and played in five games, recording three special teams tackles before being released on Oct. 21.

The New York Jets have waived RB Marcus Mason. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Mason (5-9/215/Youngstown State/Potomac, MD), who signed with the Jets off of the Baltimore Ravens practice squad Oct. 29., originally signed in the NFL with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2007. He was released on Sept. 11, 2007 and signed to the Washington practice squad on Sept. 12. Mason played all five 2008 preseason games for Washington and led the NFL with 317 yards rushing (4.8 yards per carry). He also caught eight passes for 56 yards (7.0 avg.) and one touchdown before he was released by the Redskins on Aug. 30. He signed with the Ravens practice squad on Sept. 3.

The New York Jets have re-signed P Ben Graham and waived WR Marcus Henry. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Graham (6-5, 235/Deakin (Australia)/Geelong/Victoria Australia) originally signed with the Jets as a free agent in 2005, and was waived on Sept. 16. He has appeared in 49 career games for the Jets, averaging 43.7 yards on 222 punts for 9,704 yards, with 24 touchbacks and 67 inside the 20-yard line. He played Australian Football professionally for the Geelong Football Club for 12 seasons before joining the Jets.

Henry (6-4, 207/Kansas/Lawton, OK) was the Jets sixth-round draft pick (171st overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft. Inactive for the first two games, Henry finished his collegiate career with 104 receptions for 1,598 yards and 13 touchdowns in 46 games.

Injury update: Punter Reggie Hodges (left thigh) has been downgraded to out for the game at SD, 9/22.

The New York Jets have signed eight players to the practice squad. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

All eight of the players spent time with the team during training camp.

WR Larry Brackins, (6-4, 221/Pearl River CC/Dothan, AL)
RB Jehuu Caulcrick, (6-0, 254/Michigan State/Findley Lake, NY)
OL Stanley Daniels, (6-4, 320/Washington/San Diego, CA)
DB James Ihedigbo, (6-1, 202/Massachusetts/Amherst, MA)
OL Matt McChesney, (6-4, 307/Colorado/Santa Cruz, CA)
DE Ropati Pitoitua, (6-8, 290/Washington State/Spanaway, WA)
WR Paul Raymond, (5-10, 185/Brown, Miami, FL)
LB Brandon Renkart, (6-2, 236/Rutgers, Piscataway, NJ)

While Trade was a No-Brainer, Let’s Not Anoint Him Broadway Just Yet

You can’t go home again. That old saying rang true when Brett Favre had the door to Green Bay slammed in his face. The same place where he used to walk on water – and the Frozen Tundra – at first tried to be subtle in telling the grizzled veteran quarterback that they were all better off if he stayed away. But Favre wouldn’t accept that and forced a trade, one that even he called “unique” and surprising.

Perhaps the most unlikely of suitors were the Jets, and that’s exactly how this thing played out. When Favre was introduced during a hurried press conference in Cleveland, he, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and team owner Woody Johnson all appeared as if they stayed at the biggest party of the summer too late – exhausted, but glad that they did it.

“Did I ever think that this scenario would present itself?” Favre asked himself. “No.” That may be attributed to the fact that the legendary signal-caller would have preferred staying a Packer or being dealt within the NFC North. Neither was in the cards, so he finds himself in New York…er, New Jersey. (more…)

The New York Jets have signed LB Vernon Gholston, the sixth overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Gholston (6-3/264/Ohio State/Detroit, MI), recorded 14 sacks in 2007 to set the Ohio State single-season record, while his 22.5 career sacks rank fifth in school history. He totaled 87 tackles, 30.5 tackles-for-loss, one interception and one fumble recovery in 34 games. Gholston was an All-American choice by The Associated Press and was named 2007 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches.

The New York Jets signed free agents WR Rudy Burgess, LB Jerry Mackey and waived P Joe Smith. The announcements were made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Rudy Burgess, (5-10, 186/Arizona State/Edwards, CA), originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 29, and was waived on July 28. A four-year performer who started 25-of-45 career games, he saw action at wide receiver, running back, defensive back, punt returner and kickoff returner. Burgess accumulated 4,379 career all-purpose yards with 19 total touchdowns on 446 total attempts. He totaled 229 carries for 1,093 yards and six touchdowns, 125 receptions for 1,536 yards and 12 touchdowns, 68 kickoff returns for 1,517 yards and one touchdown and 31 punt returns for 233 yards.

Jerry Mackey (6-1, 233/Syracuse/Freeport, NY) has served several stints with the Jets. Most recently, he was signed to a reserve/future contract on Dec. 31, and was waived April 25. He originally joined the Jets as a rookie free agent on Aug. 4, 2007. Mackey played four years with the Orangemen, recording 202 tackles (106 solo), three sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. He earned All-Nassau County and All-Long Island honors as a high school senior and is a great nephew of NFL Hall of Famer John Mackey.

Joe Smith (6-2, 195/Central Washington/Enumclaw, WA), signed with the Jets on June 10, 2008. A Division II All-America, he finished his senior season (2003) with a 44.2-yard average and served as the national leader every week of the NCAA’s statistical report. Smith spent the last three years with the Yakima Mavericks of the Evergreen Football Semi-Pro League. He averaged 42.8 yards per punt and was named the league special teams MVP in 2007.

The New York Jets have signed free agent LB Brandon Renkart and free agent DB Ron Girault, released DB Andre Woolfolk, and waived DB Darnell Bing. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Renkart (6-2/236/Rutgers/Piscataway, NJ), recorded six sacks over the past two seasons, along with 18 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 10 pressures for Rutgers. In his junior season, first as a linebacker, he ranked sixth on the team with 54 tackles (25 solo), 3.5 sacks, 11.5 stops for losses and two pressures in 13 starts. Renkart also excelled in the classroom, where he was a finalist for the prestigious Draddy Trophy, the academic version of the Heisman Trophy.

Girault (5-10/204/Rutgers/Montvale, NJ)), was a four-year starter at Rutgers. In 45 games (40 starts), he recorded 271 tackles (160 solo), 1.5 sacks (for -11 yards), nine tackles for loss, 10 interceptions for 204 yards, seven passes defended, four forced fumbles, four fumbles recovered and two blocked kicks on special teams. Girault originally signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on May 3, but was waived on July 27.

Woolfolk (6-2, 197, Oklahoma), who was originally selected in the first round (28th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, joined the Jets after being out of football in 2007. In four seasons with Tennessee, Woolfolk played in 39 games and made 11 starts. He totaled 94 tackles, three interceptions, 18 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Bing (6-2, 230, USC) was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft and spent the entire 2006 season on Injured Reserve. He was waived by the Raiders on July 25 and claimed by the San Francisco 49ers July 26. He spent the entire 2007 season on the 49ers practice squad. In 37 career collegiate games (35 starts), he recorded 182 tackles (120 solos), one sack and eight interceptions. An All-American first-team selection by The Associated Press as a senior, he originally signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets on January 15.

The New York Jets have waived RB Danny Woodhead with a designation of injured. The announcement was made by Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Woodhead (5-9, 200/Chadron State/North Platte, NE) was originally signed as a rookie free agent on May 2. He rushed for an NCAA-record 7,962 yards in four seasons as a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner for Division II Chadron State in Nebraska.