NFL

Releasing Jones could be costly mistake for Jets

Keep an eye out for this transaction on Friday: Jets release running back Thomas Jones. Don’t be fooled by the small print. This could become a big deal.

The Jets officially announcing yesterday that they’ll part ways with Jones, leaving him with the requisite canned empty verbal bouquets from general manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan, is a dangerous roll of the dice that has potential to haunt them this year.

There was no need to make this move for a number of reasons.

Sure, Jones is due a $3 million roster bonus on Friday that, along with the $2.8 million base salary he was scheduled to make in 2010, was going to give him $5.8 million this year.

So what?

There’s no salary cap this year. And, because this was the last year of Jones’ contract, keeping him for one more year — keeping a good thing going by keeping the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense intact — wasn’t going to compromise the future for the Jets when a new cap is in place.

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And, after Jones rushed for 3,714 yards and 27 TDs the last two seasons, including career highs in yards (1,402) and touchdowns (14) in 2009, doesn’t he deserve that $3 million bonus?

Let’s also remember that Jones was angling for a new deal during the offseason last year, but played without one and did so for a $900,000 base salary.

All players know this is a business and tough decisions are made every day, but this was a demoralizing message Jets management just sent through that locker room.

Unless the Jets know something about an undisclosed injury that will affect Jones’ future, they’re making this move based solely on saving a few dollars.

That could be a costly mistake.

Aside from eliminating Jones’ massive production, management is messing with a significant piece of team chemistry.

Jones, who was an invaluable mentor to rookie Shonn Greene, is revered like a god inside that Jets’ locker room, and news that he’s going to be released to save a few dollars does not sit well with his teammates.

Messing with team chemistry, which is more important in football than in any other sport, can blow up in your face.

The Jets seemingly are basing this decision on the fact that Jones was slowed late in the season after he banged his knee, rushing for only 117 yards and a 2.6-yard average in three playoff games.

They’re basing this on the fact that Greene looked like a difference-maker while rushing for 304 yards, a 5.6-yard average and two touchdowns in three playoff games.

The Jets are ignoring the fact that Greene was injured in training camp, also during the regular season and again in the AFC Championship game and hasn’t proven he can handle a 16-game NFL season. He also lost three fumbles.

They are acting like they are positive that Leon Washington is going to return to Pro Bowl form after a double fracture in his right leg.

Chauncey Washington, a free agent quietly signed during the season, is the third running back on the depth chart.

Ryan talks and talks and talks about the “ground and pound” philosophy he wants to employ on offense. What’s he going to ground and pound with if Greene proves unable to handle the load and Washington doesn’t return to form?

Why not keep Jones for one more season and keep a good thing going?

The moment they release Jones on Friday, the Jets will be doing exactly what they took painful strides to avoid doing last year: putting too much on the plate of Mark Sanchez.

Now they have left themselves dangerously vulnerable to pay the consequences because they opted not to pay a few dollars to Jones, who was as deserving of that bonus money as his teammates were deserving of having him back for one more year.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com