Ellis exit exposes cruel side of business

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.

Before we go any further, Rex Ryan wants you to know this: He wasn't taking a shot at Shaun Ellis for thumbing his nose at the Jets' minimal contract offer and joining the rival Patriots for more than five times what the Jets were willing to pay.

Or at least not the kind of shot that Ellis thought he was taking, anyway.

Yes, Ryan did say when Ellis signed with the Patriots on Sunday that "there's no way I'm going to wish him well. There's no chance of that. I wish him to be healthy, but I don't want him to play that well."

And yes, those comments hurt Ellis, who told reporters on Monday that he had a lot of respect for Ryan, but added, "I guess it's not mutual."

But once Ryan realized this game of "telephone" had gone awry, he was concerned enough about the miscommunication that he went out of his way to say he had great respect for the 34-year-old Ellis, who was one of Ryan's best players down the stretch last season. To underscore that respect, Ryan said Tuesday he'd have said the same thing about his son, Seth, had his offspring been the one to bolt from the Jets to New England.

"I'll always have respect and admiration [for Ellis]," Ryan said. "It's so tough. You wish guys could play forever."

But Ryan and several of the players who helped him get to two straight AFC Championship Games are now confronting the cold and often cruel business side of the NFL. Although roster turnover is inevitable no matter where you coach or play, this has been a particularly painful transition for the Jets and some of their established veterans.

Ellis, not re-signed, gone. Jerricho Cotchery, released after Plaxico Burress was signed and Derrick Mason was courted and eventually signed. Brad Smith, not re-signed after the Jets decided to go after Nnamdi Asomugha. Braylon Edwards, gone, too.

"You hate to lose those guys, but I certainly understand it," Ryan said. "You've only got a certain amount of revenue . . . but that's why it's so competitive year in and year out. It's hard and I understand that."

It's hard for Jets fans, too, especially when they see a player like Cotchery released. The man played his entire career with the Jets, quietly going about his business as one of the NFL's most reliable receivers, and never creating even a scintilla of a distraction in those seven seasons. And that catch on third-and-9 in overtime against the Browns last year, when he somehow managed to get the first down after tearing his groin muscle? One of the most remarkable plays you will ever see. Will never forget it.

Ellis was the longest-tenured Jet before he took a deal worth close to $5 million to play in New England, and he gave his team so many terrific seasons in the trenches. No matter if he was a 3-4 or a 4-3 end, the former first-round pick showed up every Sunday and put in the kind of honest effort that any football fan can appreciate.

But with the Jets drafting Temple defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson in the first round and then defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis in the third, the Jets passed the torch and Ellis was only asked back on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $910,000. So even if his heart was still with the Jets, there was no choice but to follow his wallet to the Patriots.

"The longer you're around, you realize just how much business goes on," veteran safety Jim Leonhard said in explaining how difficult these things can be.

"It's tough when you lose leaders like that. Sean has been here for 11 years, and Jerricho for his whole career. Amazing people like that have so much respect in the locker room, and it's tough when you lose them. But the only thing constant in the NFL is change."