oops there goes that thought.... on a side note looks like Mickens was cut.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2128536
Updated: Aug. 8, 2005, 1:13 PM ET
Law joins Jets as Mickens is releasedESPN.com news services
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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Ty Law agreed to a contract with New York Jets on Monday, giving New York a Pro Bowl cornerback who helped the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls.
Ty Law
Cornerback
New England Patriots
Profile
2004 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int
28 23 5 0 0 1
The deal for the free agent was contingent on a physical, scheduled for the afternoon at the team's training camp.
"And if everything goes well, he'll be a New York Jet," coach Herman Edwards said.
The contract is expected to be for at least three years and could average $6 million per season, sources told ESPN.com. On paper, the contract might well be longer in term, but it is generally agreed that, for practical purposes, both sides anticipate that Law will play three seasons. What will be the most interesting element in the deal is its structure because the Jets must protect themselves against injuries or the possibility that Law is not yet 100 percent.
Law will give the Jets a shut-down defensive back who will start at left cornerback, which was vacated when Donnie Abraham retired shortly before training camp.
"He's an excellent player and helps us get better," said Edwards, who met with Law on Sunday night.
Law, 31, last year turned down a four-year, $24 million offer from New England, which released him in February for salary cap reasons. He was in the final season of a seven-year, $51 million, and was due $12.5 million this season. He had been adamant this offseason about not accepting a minimum-salary contract and has publicly stated he wants a deal commensurate to his status as a four-time Pro Bowl performer. Privately, though, Law has conceded to confidants that he understands he will probably not land a contract that meets all his demands. He was sought by a number of teams, including Detroit, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. It appears the Jets will pay him a signing bonus of at least $5 million as part of his deal.
"The thing he brings to the table is he has great instincts," Edwards said. "He understands angles very, very well and he's a physical guy, too. He has great hand-eye coordination and he's a student -- he studies the game, studies receivers."
To make room for Law, the Jets released Ray Mickens, who had been listed as a starting cornerback during the first week of camp. The team also let go of safety Derek Pagel, guard Dave Yovanovits, running back Delvin Joyce and cornerback Roosevelt Williams.
Law missed the Patriots' third championship with a broken foot. The 10-year veteran needed surgery in January to repair ligament damage after a season-ending fracture during an October loss in Pittsburgh that ended New England's record 21-game winning streak.
Law has four Pro Bowl appearances and holds Patriots records with 36 interceptions and six regular-season touchdowns on interceptions. He also scored on an interception when New England beat St. Louis in 2002 for its first NFL title.
"He's a competitor," Edwards said. "He wants to play the best guy every week."
Law is said to have great admiration for Edwards, a superior salesman and recruiter, and the two have spoken at various times in the offseason. Law has also gotten sales pitches from Jets tailback Curtis Martin and secondary coach Corwin Brown, both of whom were onetime teammates of his in New England. He also has a 5-year-old daughter who lives in New York.
Mickens, who played nine seasons for the Jets and was a fan favorite, missed last year with a torn knee ligament but looked good in camp. He started 14 games in 2003 when Abraham was injured and had been a key part of the Jets' nickel package.
"Ray will be somewhere else," Edwards said. "He's a good player and he'll play in this league with another team. It's tough when you have to let go of a player when you know you'd like to keep him."
Mickens was the Jets' longest-tenured defensive player and that the Dallas Cowboys, who had trade discussions with the Jets during the offseason about Mickens, figure to have some interest.
Second-year cornerback Derrick Strait will step into Mickens' spot as the main nickel back.
Pagel, a fifth-round pick in 2003, played in 19 games in two seasons with the Jets, mostly on special teams. Yovanovits, a seventh-round pick in 2003, appeared in four games in two seasons.
Joyce was signed by the Jets in April after playing two seasons with the Giants. Williams joined New York last Tuesday after being released by Washington.
