NFL

Harris must adapt to Jets’ new look

When Jets linebacker David Harris walked into the team’s first defensive meeting of the spring, it hit him.

Most of the guys he played with for years were gone. As part of new general manager John Idzik’s housecleaning, he got rid of seven defensive starters from last year’s 6-10 team.

“It was expected when you have a six-win season and a new general manager,” Harris said. “Pretty much they destroyed it to rebuild it.”

Harris took time to speak with reporters at his golf outing yesterday at Green Brook Country Club in Caldwell, N.J., that benefits the Give the Kids Hope foundation. It is the third straight year Harris has held the event, which helps underprivileged children through educational and recreational programs.

Idzik released 2012 defensive starters Sione Po’uha, Bart Scott and Bryan Thomas as part of the salary-cap purge. He then let Mike DeVito, LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell leave via free agency. Finally, he shipped Darrelle Revis to the Buccaneers rather than pay him big money.

“It was weird the first day, to be honest,” Harris said. “You’re so used to seeing certain guys in the same room with you. One thing I’ve learned about the NFL is just like the real world, the more you stay around the more your friends start disappearing. It’s no different.”

Harris lost two of his closest friends on the team — Scott and Revis. Harris and Revis were both selected in the 2007 draft and roomed together during training camp in Cortland. Harris said it was tough to take when the team traded Revis to the Buccaneers last month.

“That was hard to see,” he said. “He came in the same year as I did. We built a real good relationship with each other. That’s just one of the nasty sides of pro football. It’s a business like everything else.”

Harris also must adjust to not playing alongside Scott, who played inside linebacker with him since 2009.

“That was one of the tough losses, not having Bart there,” he said. “He was there so long. He was my right-hand man. I was his right-hand man.”

Harris said he watched the Floyd Mayweather fight with Scott last week and that Scott, who remains unsigned, is fully recovered from his foot injury and ready to play. One other change on defense has been Dennis Thurman taking over for Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator.

Coach Rex Ryan also has taken a more hands-on approach with the defense, getting back to his roots. Harris said Ryan’s increased role is noticeable.

“Especially in installations and meetings, he’s way more involved,” Harris said. “He’s the architect of the defense, nobody knows it better than he does so why not teach it? The way it was taught to him and the way he sees things it’s priceless, but we also have a good defensive coordinator in Dennis Thurman who earned that title.”

ers came back for it.”

As for reports he was on his cell phone during pre-draft interviews with teams, Smith says it’s not true.

“I know better than to be texting in front of general managers and guys who ultimately will be my bosses,” he said.