NEW IN TOWN: According to a source, the Jets yesterday agreed to deals with running back Mike Goodson (above), guard Willie Colon (inset) and nose tackle Antonio Garay. Gang Green did, however, lose tight end Dustin Keller to the Dolphins. (
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After three days of watching players walk out the door, the Jets finally jumped into the free agency fray yesterday.
The team agreed to deals with guard Willie Colon, running back Mike Goodson and nose tackle Antonio Garay, according to sources.
Colon signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract, according to a source, and should be one of the team’s starting guards. The Jets signed Goodson to a three-year, $6.9 million deal, according to a source. Garay signed a one-year deal, but the terms are unknown.
While the Jets started adding players, they continued to lose their own free agents. Tight end Dustin Keller was the latest to flee, signing a one-year deal with the rival Dolphins for a reported $4.25 million.
Colon, a Bronx native who played for Hofstra, spent the past seven seasons with the Steelers, first as a tackle and then a guard. He has been limited by injuries, playing just 12 games over the last three years. Colon turns 30 in a month, and could be a steal for the Jets if he is healthy. The Jets are looking at possibly losing both starting guards from last year – Brandon Moore and Matt Slauson — in free agency. Moore is definitely expected to leave. There is still a chance Slauson will return.
Goodson will take Shonn Greene’s spot in the Jets backfield after Greene signed a three-year deal with the Titans this week. Goodson will compete with Bilal Powell for the starting running back job. Goodson spent last year as a backup with the Raiders, rushing for 221 yards on 35 carries without a touchdown. He did have a receiving touchdown.
The Jets liked his playmaking ability and see the 25-year-old as a player with a lot of upside. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry last year and is known as an explosive runner.
“He’s a contributing backup,” an AFC scout said. “He has good size, some speed. He has good pass-catching ability. He’s an average blocker, so his third down value is more with the ball in his hand. He has perimeter run tools … is average inside run presence, not especially instinctive between the tackles nor is he a thumper but has some speed if he catches a crease. He’s also been a kick returner in the past.”
Goodson, a New Jersey native, briefly held a starting role with the Panthers in 2010 and rushed for consecutive 100-yard games. There were character concerns about him during the draft process.
Garay spent a short time on the Jets practice squad in 2009 and has been with the Chargers since December 2009. He had six sacks in 2010, but has not duplicated that output since. The 33-year-old probably will compete with Kenrick Ellis for the starting spot at nose tackle after the team released Sione Po’uha this week.
As the Jets begin to make deals, the cloud of a Darrelle Revis trade hangs over their heads. The team owes Revis a $1 million roster bonus if he is on the team at 4 p.m. today, but sources have said the Jets did not view that as any type of deadline. Action may heat up between the Jets and Buccaneers at the league meetings in Arizona, which begin tomorrow.
Keller became the fifth starter to depart the Jets when he went to the Dolphins. USA Today reported Keller turned down a four-year, $16 million offer from Miami, instead opting for a one-year deal to prove he’s healthy and try to get more money next year. Keller, 28, was a first-round pick of the Jets in 2008. He led the team in receiving in 2011, but had an injury-played 2012 season that hurt him in free agency.
Keller told reporters in Miami he chose the Dolphins over the Jets.
“They’re all about winning, and winning now,” Keller said of the Dolphins. “This is the time to win. That really excited me.”
As for possible Jets targets now, quarterback Kevin Kolb officially became a free agent yesterday when the Cardinals released him. The Jets have had internal discussions about signing him, according to a source.
The Jets had linebacker Antwan Barnes in for a visit over the last two days, but he departed New Jersey without a deal. They lost out on wide receiver Brandon Gibson, who visited this week. Gibson signed a three-year contract with the Dolphins.