Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Projected starters: Demario Davis, Darron Lee

Projected backups: Bruce Carter, Connor Harris

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson says head coach Todd Bowles has been more strict than in the past, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com. 

Bowles has been left with a young team following the Jets' roster purge that including veterans like C Nick Mangold and LB David Harris. With his job possibly in jeopardy, he has been putting emphasis on working harder.

"It's completely different from the last couple years," Richardson said at minicamp. "A lot more strict now. We weren't loose [in the past], but it's a lot more strict now. It's even more enforced than what it has been in the past."

Former Jets LB David Harris has agreed to a two-year deal with the New England Patriots worth $6.75 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The Patriots offered Harris more than the Jets offered him earlier this month prior to his release, reports Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

Harris visited with the Patriots on Wednesday after speaking with head coach Bill Belichick (and coaches from five other teams) earlier this week, notes Florio.

The Jets concluded their open OTAs on Tuesday at Florham Park, but the news was made off the field...

LB David Harris, who had been with the Jets since 2007, was cut after participating in full during Tuesday's OTAs, after which Harris' agents sharply critcized the Jets >> Read more from Ralph Vacchiano

Bent took a look at how the departure of Harris will impact the Jets' defense in 2017 >> Read more

After cutting Harris, it was revealed that the Jets will either trade or release WR Eric Decker >> Read more

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

The surprising release of David Harris is inevitably going to create big changes on the Jets defense. Harris has been a three-down player over the last decade, missing just six games in total. We're not going to dwell on the timing of the move or the financial aspects here. Instead, we shall focus on how they can replace his contributions.

As the middle or "Mike" linebacker, Harris played three downs, wore the headset, and primarily played a sideline-to-sideline role against the run. In coverage, he was typically employed in underneath zone coverage, reacting to tackle the receiver on short passes and occasionally latching onto receivers on crossing routes or following them into the flat.

The Jets' most effective inside linebacker pairing in recent years was when Bart Scott was alongside Harris from 2009 to 2012.  Demario Davis was drafted to replace Scott but he didn't fare as well at taking out lead blockers or in terms of the direct coverage assignments. As a result, he was sometimes employed interchangeably with Harris both in Rex Ryan's system and while playing for Todd Bowles in 2015. Therefore, Davis does have limited experience in the Mike role.  

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The Jets' offseason purge has unexpectedly claimed another victim -- and Todd Bowles doesn't seem happy about that at all.

David Harris, a 33-year-old linebacker and perhaps the last remaining veteran leader on the Jets' increasingly young defense, was released on Tuesday, shortly after participating in what turned out to be his final practice with the team. He was cut after what Bowles described as a "breakdown" in talks about a pay cut from the $6.5 million salary he was due this season.

Jets linebacker David Harris was surprised when the Jets selected safeties in the first two rounds of last month's NFL Draft.

"It's very odd to have two safeties get drafted in the first and second rounds," Harris said to Connor Hughes of NJ.com. "All you can do is trust [the front office's] decision and try to move on." 

New York selected LSU's Jamal Adams at No. 6, and 33 picks later, took Florida's Marcus Maye. It marked the first time in franchise history the Jets selected two safeties, and also defensive backs, with its first two picks.

While he expected the team to draft one safety, Harris said management "surprised everybody" by doubling down and selecting two. 

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

They have watched as the roster has been dismantled around them, and they've surely heard the dire predictions. The Jets are in rebuilding mode this season.

But the players left on the roster still believe they can do some winning, too.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

For the first time in three years, Muhammad Wilkerson showed up for the start of the New York Jets' offseason training program.

The big defensive lineman was pictured at the Jets facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, on Monday morning, as the team officially kicked off its voluntary workouts. Last year, Wilkerson declined to participate because he wasn't happy with being tagged as the Jets "franchise player." He skipped them in 2015 as he hoped to pressure the Jets to give him a new deal.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

The free-agent market has thinned out a bit, but the Jets still have plenty of holes to fill. Yes, they still need a quarterback. But they have many other needs, too.

The good news is they still have a decent amount of salary-cap space and there is still help available. Here's a look at some of the non-quarterbacks still on the market who could be a fit:

CB Morris Claiborne (Cowboys) - The former sixth-overall pick (2012), he was long considered a bust before he began to finally play up to expectations last season - right up until he injured his groin. He's still only 27 and as the Jets begin a youth movement in the secondary it might be worth giving him a chance to prove his start last season wasn't a fluke. They'd need to move fast, though, since word is he could soon end up with the Ravens.

Latest Updates (Mar. 13)

4:25 p.m.: The Jets concluded their visit with free agent LB Dont'a Hightower on Monday afternoon.

11:10 a.m.: After visiting the Jets, Hightower is scheduled to visit the Steelers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

INDIANAPOLIS - It's hard to imagine a worse spot for Todd Bowles. The glow of his first-year success evaporated in last year's 5-11 disaster. His job could be on the line this season, for real, with no promises from his owner of the future. His team has no quarterback. It's shedding many of its past leaders.

In other words, Bowles might very well be in a win-now position as his team is in the midst of a total rebuild.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

SNY's weekly look at the top players on board for the Jets as they prepare to make the sixth overall pick of the NFL draft on April 27, complete with who's rising and who's falling throughout the process and as the Jets' potential needs change:

1.) CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State - The ides of the Jets taking a cornerback sixth overall seemed logical even before Darrelle Revis was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor after a street fight in Pittsburgh 10 days ago. He probably wasn't coming back anyway, certainly not as a corner, but the incident amplified the need at his position. The combine next week will help solidify Lattimore's status as a Top 10 player. It even could push him out of the Jets' reach and into the Top 5. (Last week: 1)...

We've looked at some of the roster decisions facing the Jets as we head into the offseason over the past few weeks. Readers overwhelmingly voted to keep Eric Decker, Nick Mangold and David Harris and to dump Darrelle Revis, but were torn on Brandon Marshall and Sheldon Richardson. How about some of the other decisions facing the front office and coaching staff?

Of course young players like Leonard Williams and Darron Lee or players that performed well in 2016 like James Carpenter and Bilal Powell will return in 2017, but that about those whose performance was more disappointing?

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

THE GAME: The Miami Dolphins (8-5) at the Jets (4-9) at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8:25 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER: The good news, I guess, is that there probably won't be many people showing up to endure this, so there'll be plenty of places for you to take cover inside the stadium. The bad news? The day will be an ugly mix of rain and snow and wind. Probably mostly rain on Saturday night as temperatures actually warm up into the low 40s. But the rain should be pretty steady. So … enjoy!

WHAT IT MEANS: For the Jets, it's nothing but a glimpse of the future. It's Start No. 2 for QB Bryce Petty, who got off to a rough start last week in San Francisco but ended up with decent numbers and an overtime win against a truly, truly awful team. The Dolphins are quite the step up in class.

The Jets were crushed by the Colts, 41-10, on Monday night at MetLife Stadium as they fell to 3-9 on the season. Bryce Petty replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick during the game and will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Here's insight and analysis regarding the Jets' awful Monday night performance...

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance speaks for itself. He only completed one pass beyond the first down marker, had a completion percentage below 50 percent, and punctuated his performance with an interception on the kind of forced throw he's been unable to get away with all season.

The New York Jets lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 9-6, Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Here is a position-by-position analysis of the game that dropped the Jets to 3-7 on the year heading into a bye week.

In this week's BGA, Bent analyzes Week 9 performances by Todd Bowles, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty, Brandon Marshall, Ben Ijalana, Matt Forte, Bilal Powell, Jalin Marshall and the Wide Receivers, Leonard Willians, Julian Stanford and the Special Teams, among others, all which you can read here...

Is it time for the Jets to trade Sheldon Richardson? SNY.tv's Brian Bassett and Bent discuss...The Jets got their second win last Sunday over the Baltimore Ravens and might slip the surly bonds of two wins with a Week 8 matchup against the Browns. So with the potential of being 3-5 after eight weeks is it already time to start breaking up the dynasty? There's been some discussion this week about who the Jets most tradable player is, and ESPN's Rich Cimini suggested the name of Sheldon Richardson as a potential target for acquisition by other teams.

Jets LB David Harris, who had played in 121 consecutive games at linebacker, will have his streak come to an end Monday night, as he is inactive against the Cardinals. Harris was listed as doubtful in the team's final injury report before the game, as he had been dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained in Week 5 against the Steelers.

THE GAME: The Jets (1-4) at the Arizona Cardinals (2-3) at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Monday, Oct. 17, 8:30 p.m. ET.THE WEATHER: The stadium has a retractable roof, so it may not matter, but the forecast calls for temperatures around 90 during the day and dropping into the 60s -- pretty typical for the desert this time of year. No rain or wind either, not surprisingly.WHAT IT MEANS: I don't know if it means anything anymore because the Jets are pretty much done at 1-4, but at 1-5 maybe even Brandon Marshall will believe it. Remember, it's going to take a record of 9-7 to get into the playoffs, maybe even 10-6. If the Jets lose this and fall to 1-5 … well, does anyone think they'd be capable of finishing on an 8-2 run? Right, Brandon Marshall. I mean besides him.PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Quincy Enunwa. It's his ballgame now. Eric Decker is going to have shoulder surgery and won't be back until next season, which means Enunwa is the unquestioned No. 2 receiver and the man responsible for taking some of the heat off Marshall. So far he's been a decent receiver this season, but it's obvious he's not really worrying anyone given all the attention Marshall is receiving from opposing defenses. If Enunwa can even do a little of what Decker did, Marshall's life will become a lot easier and the Jets won't have to rely on one of their rookies to emerge as a third option.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - For the first time in the 11 days since he pulled his hamstring, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis did individual drills at practice and ran full speed. The good news is he "felt good," even if he still has no idea whether he'll be ready to play in Arizona on Monday night.

"I think I feel better than I actually did last week," Revis said. "Today was actually the first day I ran at my top speed and actually it felt good. (No setbacks) at all. It was good to be back on the field."

Jets CB Darrelle Revis did not practice with the team Wednesday as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury. 

Revis missed Sunday's game against the Steelers with the same hamstring issue. 

Center Nick Mangold (knee), LB David Harris (hamstring) and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (ankle) also did not participate in practice. 

C Nick Mangold and LB David Harris suffered injuries during the Jets' loss to the Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Mangold injured his knee during the second half and is expected to have an MRI.

Harris injured his hamstring late in the first half and did not return.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

THE GAME: The Jets (1-1) at the Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 4:25 p.m.

THE WEATHER: Wet and windy. The forecast calls for thunderstorms throughout the day, winds up near 15 miles per hour and temperatures around 70 and dropping through the 60s as the game goes along. The good news is the rain is supposed to come early, so maybe it stops or slows down in time for kickoff.

As expected, Erin Henderson was in the starting lineup alongside David Harris. Also as expected, Darron Lee entered the game on passing downs, which translated to more snaps than Henderson because the Jets were in nickel or dime the majority of the time -- mostly 4-2-5.

Lee's first game was interesting to review. He made some encouraging contributions, including a couple of tackles in the flat. However, there were a handful of plays where he had a blink-and-you-miss-it momentary hesitation and ended up getting there just too late. If he could've made quicker reads and arrived at the ball quicker, then there were at least three plays he potentially could have prevented from being a first down or touchdown.

Here's one of them, on the game-winning drive. It's nit-picking to the nth degree because Lee obviously stays at home until he's certain the ball hasn't been handed off to the back. But that false step in the other direction and his pursuit angle made all the difference in terms of him being able to make the stop short of the marker or maybe even close to the line of scrimmage.

New York Jets linebacker David Harris is expected to play in the team's season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 11 after leaving Saturday's preseason game with a shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Harris, who underwent X-rays on Saturday and an MRI on Sunday, suffered a bruised shoulder that will likely take two weeks to heal, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Harris sustained the injury on the final play from scrimmage in the first half, according to Cimini. He was buried under a pile on a run play and was immediately taken to the locker room.

Jets players reported to training camp on Wednesday. Here's what some of the players had to say…

--Nick Mangold said he is feeling "great." Mangold spoke to Ryan Fitzpatrick on Tuesday, he said, but didn't talk about "business," just family.

--Matt Forte said that the Jets "expect to be in the playoffs" and that he was impressed by Geno Smith's decision-making and accuracy this offseason.

Between now and training camp, we've been looking at some of the veteran players on the Jets roster to assess their potential contributions to the team in 2016. Today, we're going to share the first part of a two-part look at the six players still with the team who were part of last year's rookie class but have yet to make their NFL debut. Which, if any, of these players can we expect to make contributions this season?

Part one saw us take a look at the three offensive players that fit into this category; Quarterback Bryce Petty, offensive lineman Jarvis Harrison and fullback Julian Howsare. Here in part two, we'll look at the three defensive players; defensive lineman Deon Simon and linebackers Deion Barnes and Taiwan Jones. 

In between now and training camp, we've been looking at some of the veteran players on the Jets roster to assess what kind of contribution we might expect from them in 2016. Today we're going to share the second part of a two-part look at the six players still with the team who were part of last year's rookie class but who have yet to make their NFL debut. Which, if any, of these players can we expect to make contributions this season?

Brian Bassett, theJetsBlog.com Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TJB Posts

Over the next few weeks we will be looking at each position on the New York Jets roster and seeking your input on who you think should stay and who you think should go. Up next, the Jets inside linebackers.

Overview: This is a unit where a partial reboot is likely coming this offseason. David Harris should remain thanks to decent play in 2015 and a contract which doesn't lend itself to cutting Harris. Meanwhile, Demario Davis' 865 snaps in 2015 (sixth most for the Jets defense) could be walking out the door since it appears the Jets current coaching staff and front office aren't as impressed with his play as Rex Ryan was. Behind Harris and Davis, there's no obvious player waiting to step into a larger role … or is there?

Demario Davis and Erin Henderson have been splitting time at the will position recently, but this week it was Henderson who got the majority of the snaps there for the first time. Henderson produced well, with 11 tackles, including one for a loss.

However, David Harris was even more productive, as he had 14 tackles. That's the most he's had since 2009. Harris was also credited with two sacks - both on scrambles - and had a tackle for a loss and a pass break-up.

For Davis, who is now out of contract, he did stuff three runs, although two of those were late in the game when the Bills were trying to run out the clock. I'd imagine the fact that Rex Ryan went after Davis with good success in the previous Bills-Jets game factored into his reduction in playing time.

Welcome to BGA Extra, where I draw a line under the previous weekend's game by responding to your questions from BGA during the week which you can read here. After the jump, I respond to your questions about the game against the Cowboys.

Richard R. (via e-mail): I know that the Jets won the flip in OT against the Giants, but I swear they have lost every other coin flip this year, including 2 on Sunday! True or not?

No, it's not quite as bad as that, although it is pretty bad. They have won five of 17 coin flips this season, including the overtime game against the Giants that you cited. They actually won three in a row in Weeks 3, 4 and 6, but the Houston game is the only one in which they've won the opening coin flip since that time (a span of 10 games).

David Harris returned on Sunday and the struggling Demario Davis had a productive game, but there were still some breakdowns in the linebacker corps.

It was good to see Harris back in the lineup and he mostly played well, although he did blow the coverage on the game-tying touchdown. Harris perhaps expected there to be someone inside to help out, but that wasn't the case as Rontez Miles had vacated the middle to double-team Rob Gronkowski on the outside.

Harris had six tackles -- one for a loss -- and made one good play in coverage. However, he was beaten for two first downs in coverage on a third-down and a fourth-down and was also blocked out of one running play. He did miss a tackle, although he slowed the runner up for a teammate to make the stop at the line.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Cornerback Dee Milliner is doubtful for the New York Jets' game against the New England Patriots on Sunday with a strained hamstring.

Milliner did not practice this week after being hurt in the Jets' 19-16 victory at Dallas last Saturday.

Linebacker David Harris, who left the game with a bruised back, is probable after being a limited participant in practice Friday. Fellow linebacker Calvin Pace (abdomen) is also probable.

Welcome to BGA Extra, where I draw a line under the previous weekend's game by responding to your questions from BGA during the week which you can read here. After the jump, I respond to your questions about the game against the Cowboys.

Lamjones (via e-mail): On the Thompkins play, which I agree pretty much decided the game, was Fitzpatrick making a read in your opinion that the safety wasn't going to come over or was it a fortunately timed breakdown in coverage? It seemed like he threw the ball before the safety committed. So was he consciously taking advantage of a mistake or just a lucky SOB?

A review of the footage seems to indicate he was waiting for Thompkins to get behind the defender and released his throw as soon as he took off with the cornerback flat-footed, so it seemed like it was well-timed and well-anticipated. I don't think he had time to look at the safety, other than his initial checks, because he got hit as soon as he let it go. However, it wasn't a risky pass based on the safety's initial position. If the safety had better position it still would have been completed. It just would have been a 25-yard gain instead of 43, so that was the extent to which the play was lucky.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- David Harris wants nothing to do with self-promotion, and he's downright uncomfortable with any of your praise.

Try to get the New York Jets middle linebacker to talk about himself, and you might as well be trying to run for an extra yard against him.

"I just do my job," Harris said flatly.

The Jets have continued to rotate Demario Davis and Erin Henderson, with Jamari Lattimore also getting some reps on passing downs. The biggest change this week was that the Jets were employing Davis as an outside linebacker in their nickel package, with Lattimore also on the field alongside David Harris. This meant Davis was effectively operating as an edge rusher at times.

Davis was productive in this role, with one sack and four pressures, two of which came as he was unblocked off the edge. Davis also had three tackles, including one on a third-down scramble to force a punt. He did give up a 16-yard reception, but that was on third-and-30.

Henderson had a couple of nice run-stuffs, but left a receiver all alone at the goal line on the Texans' two-point conversion, while Lattimore played a season-high 28 snaps and avoided making any mistakes.