The Jets may be dreaming of the ultimate shutdown cornerback tandem.
According to a source, the team on Tuesday contacted the agent for Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, considered the top free agent on the market. The talks with Asomugha create the possibility of a dream pairing of Asomugha and Darrelle Revis in the Jets’ secondary.
Signing Asomugha looks like a long shot for the Jets because he’ll command a monster salary, and the Jets have several free-agent needs. But there have been rumors Asomugha wants to play for the Jets and might take less money to join them.
Asomugha, ESPN reported yesterday, wants to be an actor and might be interested in New York because of those aspirations.
Asomugha, 30, has spent eight seasons with Oakland, where he has become one of the most feared cornerbacks in football.
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Braylon Edwards could learn his legal future as soon as today. The free-agent wide receiver had his court hearing in Cleveland on whether he violated his probation moved up from Aug. 8 to today.
“The sooner to deal with it, the better,” Edwards’ lawyer told the Associated Press.
Edwards faced up to six months in prison if a Cleveland judge finds him in violation. Edwards, who spent the last two seasons with the Jets, pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated last September. He was on probation in Cleveland after pleading no contest to aggravated disorderly conduct in January 2010.
Edwards may not find out the judge’s final decision today, and may have to return.
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Jets players returned to work yesterday, and are already talking about winning the Super Bowl after falling short in the AFC Championship Game the last two years.
“We feel very strongly we can do that,” tight end Dustin Keller said, “and we feel the same way as Rex [Ryan] that we are going to win a Super Bowl, and we have all the ability in the world to do it. It’s just a matter of getting over that hump. Third time’s a charm, and then hopefully win that game and we’ll win a Super Bowl at the same time.”
Center Nick Mangold said he likes Ryan’s Super Bowl talk.
“I would be really disappointed if he came out here and said, ‘You know, we just want to get to .500, and we’ll call that a good year.’ ” Mangold said. “I would probably try to find a different team if Rex did that. You want your coach to expect to win the Super Bowl.”
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The Jets will announce their training-camp schedule today, and when fans will be permitted to watch practice. Camp will be held at the team’s facility in Florham Park, and begins with the players reporting Sunday.
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The Jets won’t just have competition for free-agent receivers Santonio Holmes and Edwards. Brad Smith also drew heavy interest on the first day of free agency, according to a source.
The Jets were one of several teams to express an interest in Smith. CBS Sports reported that nine teams, including the Jets, talked to Smith’s representatives.
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Jets draft pick Greg McElroy wore No. 12 at Alabama to honor Joe Namath. With that number retired by the Jets, he settled on another former Jets quarterback who went to Alabama. McElroy tweeted he will wear No. 14, the same number former Crimson Tide quarterback Richard Todd wore with the Jets.