When the Jets’ final 22 cuts were announced yesterday, there were several intriguing elements to Eric Mangini’s decisions.
* QB Marques Tuiasosopo made the team as what amounts to a fourth quarterback on the roster with Chad Pennington, Kellen Clemens and do-everything Brad Smith already locks to be on the team.
The final analysis there was two-fold. The Jets opted to have the insurance of another experienced backup and Tuiasosopo’s presence frees Smith up to do the receiving and kick returning things he does. Tuiasosopo’s performance leading the Jets back in the final seconds of the last preseason game cemented his roster spot.
* Mangini deleted two of his key veterans who’ve been significant locker-room influences – DT Bobby Hamilton and DE Kimo von Oelhoffen, who started last season.
* The Jets conceded their mistake of picking LB Anthony Schlegel in the third round of last year’s draft. Schlegel simply hardly ever got onto the field last year and was nudged out by a deep inside linebacking corps this year.
* After three undrafted free agents made the roster last year, only DE Mike DeVito, a New York native who went to college at Maine, made it this year.
* Two comeback stories were thwarted when LB Andre Wadsworth, attempting to return to the field after six years away from the game, 13 surgeries and a position change, and DE Michael Haynes, who hadn’t played since 2005, were cut.
For Smith, who was listed all summer as a QB, Mangini insisted keeping Tuiasosopo wasn’t a negative.
“Brad wears many hats and we’ve expanded his role,” Mangini said.
Mangini said all the cuts were difficult to make, but the conversations with Hamilton, Von Oelhoffen and Wadsworth were particularly hard.
“It makes it even tougher when you have a preexisting relationship,” he said. “Bobby’s such a classy guy and a pro, a good example. We had a good talk this morning, and he knows how I feel about him.”
Hamilton, in his 13th season, wants to try to continue playing, according to Mangini.
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Here’s the list of the other casualties: QB Brett Ratliff, RBs Alvin Banks and Danny Ware, LBs Jason Trusnik and Blake Costanzo, Evan Prall, WRs Frisman Jackson and Chris Davis, OLs Na’Shan Goddard, Dominic Moran, Marko Cavka, Joseph Villani, TE Iiro Luoto, Ss Raymond Ventrone, Jamie Thompson and CBs Manny Collins from Rutgers and Alphonso Hodge.