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JETS CONTINUE MAKING TRANSACTIONS
Posted by Mike Florio on March 4, 2008, 4:11 p.m.
The New York Jets have announced that they have signed cornerback Andre Woolfolk, and that they have cut starting right tackle Anthony Clement.
Clement was signed by the Jets in 2006, and he started 32 regular-season games and one postseason game in New York. He likely will be replaced by free-agent acquisition Damien Woody.
Woolfolk was a first-round pick of the Titans in 2003, but was out of football in 2007.
Meanwhile, the free-agent splurge that resulted in the payment of more than $67 million in guaranteed money on contracts with a maximum value of $137.75 million is raising eyebrows around the league, especially since it's a dramatic departure from G.M. Mike Tannenbaum's professed approach to building a team.
Said Tannenbaum in February 2007: "Our core philosophy is to build the team through the draft and develop our own players, building the team as much as we can from inside."
As to the practice of signing free agents to big-money deals, Tannenbaum said, "There are consequences."
It's possible, in our view, that Tannenbaum opted to change his approach after watching the Patriots get so much better after making a big splash in free agency last year. Regardless, the Jets' seemingly desperate attempt to acquire veteran players doesn't fit with the philosophy, and we wonder whether the change resulted from a fear that an underachieving team could trigger the ultimate consequences for Tannenbaum and coach Eric Mangini -- termination of employment.
