Report; Jets Looking To Re-Sign Thomas Jones After Release

A league source has told Pro Football Talk that the Jets plan to cut running back Thomas Jones on Friday, then try to re-sign him. 

If the Jets had decided not to cut Jones, they would have owed him a near $3 million roster bonus.

With the possibility of Leon Washington being signed to an offer sheet, the absence of Jones and Washington would leave the Jets with one running back, second-year man Shonn Greene, out of the NFL’s best rushing unit in 2009. 

It’s uncertain if a team will take a chance on Washington and send a second-round pick the Jets’ way, but the Jets will still need another running back, preferably a veteran, to help carry the load with Greene. 

The release of Jones caused a stir in Jet land, but it was a financial move. Re-signing Jones would allow the Jets to fill other needs this off-season without worrying about getting another running back. It also allows them to wave goodbye to Washington (if a team really wants him) and happily accept a second-round pick for him in order to fill other concerns through the draft or even sign a tendered player from another team. 

I’m interested in seeing if Thomas Jones personally wants to come back to the Jets. Once he’s released, the ball’s in his court. The Browns and former Jets coach, Eric Mangini, are rumored to be interested in Jones. If the Jets released Jones in order to sign him for less money, and Jones decides to bolt to another team, the Jets may have created a hole in their roster that could have been avoided by just putting up the cash.