Jets deny rumors of interest in JaMarcus Russell

Monday’s initial report, which came from The Star-Ledger, said some members of the organization had some “exploratory, informal discussions” about Russell. Those discussions, however, appear to be nothing more than the team doing its due diligence on every available free agent. While soon to be unrestricted free agents on current NFL rosters draw the most interest in free agency, teams often sign players who have been out of the league to fill out their offseason roster.

Most street free agents, including Russell, are unlikely to help a team anytime soon, but landing just one impact player makes it more than worth the time to hold informal discussions. While it shouldn’t be a surprise that New York is not interested in signing Russell, it also shouldn’t be a surprise that they would at least discuss the possibility. Few doubted the talent of the former No. 1 overall pick, instead, it was Russell’s lackluster work ethic that led to his exit from the NFL.

A team with an unsettled quarterback situation like the Jets should be checking in on anyone, including former first-round busts like Russell, who could potentially help them. This isn’t likely to be the last time the Jets kick the tires on a player like Russell. New general manager John Idzik comes from Seattle, a team which continually brought in players off the street to see if they could help the team.