03/16 – On the day that new tailback LaDainian Tomlinson's Jets contract was officially signed, fullback Tony Richardson returned to the Green & White fold. Richardson has agreed in principle on a new deal to return for his 16th NFL season and his third with the Jets, the team announced tonight. No terms of the new contract were announced. The man most often called "T-Rich" became an unrestricted free agent last week. His 15-year numbers — 424 carries for 1,714 yards (4.0 avg.) and 15 touchdowns, 205 receptions for 1,512 yards (7.4 avg.) and nine TDs — are still impressive, even though for he's averaged less than two touches a game for the past six seasons. But with the Jets, the 6'1", 238-pounder has been more known for being one of the integral parts to the growing, meshing machine that the Jets' offensive line, tight ends and backs have become under coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and OL coach Bill Callahan. Last year, of course, he was the blocking fullback on the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense and the franchise's most productive rushing unit (2,756 yards). And with No. 49 leading the way, the Jets averaged 4.7 yards per carry in 2008 and 4.53 yards in '09, the first- and third-best season averages in franchise history. "We hold Tony in the highest regard for what he does on and off the field," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said last week. "I wouldn't rule anything in or out at this point. Whoever he's with next year, he'll make them better on the field as well as off." Much has changed already in the Jets' backfield this offseason with the departure of Thomas Jones to Kansas City, the arrival of Tomlinson, and the plans to have Shonn Greene shouldering the load for the ground game in 2010. But one piece will remain constant and that is Richardson, who will turn 39 in December, getting him one year closer to matching his uniform number.

Old Kid on the Block: Richardson Re-Signs

03/15 – Coins are tossed with the flip of a thumb. “The Coin Toss Story” that appeared on newyorkjets.com on Saturday night had legs that carried it into the next two days of news cycles. Today the NFL responded to the story with a release that explained what the league will do about the Jets’ and Giants’ shared desire to play in the first regular-season home NFL game in the New Meadowlands Stadium in the fall. And the league’s response prompted a response by Jets owner Woody Johnson this evening. The news in the NFL’s release is that the Jets and Giants both will play at home in the new stadium on the opening weekend of the 2010 regular season. The Giants will play first, on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12, and the Jets will play in the first nationally televised Monday night game of the season on Sept. 13. The opponents for both of those games will be announced soon. Commissioner Roger Goodell explained the decision to give the Giants the first game and the Jets the second game to be played in the NMS. "After extensive discussions with both teams," Goodell said, "we have come up with what we believe is a unique approach for celebrating the opening of the New Meadowlands Stadium." Goodell said both Jets and Giants ownership felt passionately for their fans about being the first to play at home on the opening weekend of the regular season and couldn't agree on how to resolve the issue, including whether to conduct a coin flip. The commissioner said he concluded that the fairest resolution would be to play both teams at home on the opening weekend and to make his decision on which team plays on Sunday by flipping a coin. Goodell flipped the coin last Friday with his staff at the NFL office. He then notified both teams Friday of his decision and that he flipped a coin to determine the team that would be playing on Sunday. Johnson explained his thoughts on this procedure in a statement released by the team this evening. "An NFL coin toss has a few fundamental elements that are missing here, most notably the presence of the teams involved. That's how it's always done in the league, whether it's determining the order of the draft or deciding who's going to kick off the game,” Johnson said. "When the issue of which team would be hosting the first regular-season game could not be resolved on the merits, I suggested a coin toss as the fairest way to resolve this issue. The league rejected that idea. Then, I was told on Friday that a coin toss had taken place at the league office and that the Jets had lost. “We rejected a process in which neither team was present. The league departed from our time-honored tradition and declined the opportunity to set the matter straight with a transparent process." Besides revealing when the stadium mates would be playing their regular-season openers, the NFL also announced that the Jets will host the first NFL game of any kind at the new stadium during the preseason in August. The opponent for that game will also be announced soon.

NFL's Jets-Giants Ruling, Johnson's Response

03/16 – LaDainian Tomlinson, in his first remarks with Jets reporters following his signing with the Green & White, first announced Sunday night, sounded perhaps a little tired on his conference call this morning. Was it the 8 a.m. Pacific Time he was operating on, or the process of his free agency tour, or just the low-key way this humble man from Waco, Texas, expresses himself? But the player whom many know as LT spoke loudly regarding his hopes as the newest member of the New York Jets after officially signing his contract. "The Giants got to cheer on their LT for so long. Now the Jets get their chance," Tomlinson said, referencing Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor. "I'll tell you one thing. I come here to win a championship. I believe this team has the ability to do it." And Tomlinson, on a HOF pace himself with his 12,490 rushing yards, 16,445 yards from scrimmage and 153 touchdowns, made it clear that he is ready for whatever role he gets and he makes for himself with the Jets, even if that is as a role player and mentor to second-year back Shonn Greene. "The way I approached the situation was like I was leaving high school, going to college," he said. "You've got to fit in and find a role on the team. I don't expect anything to be given to me. I'm going to work for it. Wherever I fit in, I fit in. "I have no ego. At this point it's all about the opportunity to win a championship. ... The Jets made it to the AFC Championship without me. How can I come in here and demand to be the starter. They were very good without me. I just want to be able to have a role on this team and contribute." Tomlinson visited with the Minnesota Vikings before he came to North Jersey to meet the Jets officials who hosted him at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center during the day and then wined and dined him at dinner Friday night. He said the indecision over whether Brett Favre will return to the Vikings in 2010 didn't factor into his decision but that the possibility of lugging the leather more on the Jets than behind Adrian Peterson on the Vikes did. "I thought I definitely may have an opportunity to get more touches with the Jets," he said. "Obviously, Peterson being in the third year of his career, it's just a different situation. And I thought being behind the 8-ball also in learning a new offense would be tough at this point. I've been in this type of offense the Jets run my whole career." A major reason for that is because Jets coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was the QBs coach for four of Tomlinson's first five seasons with the Chargers. "I think the majority of the decision came down to having to learn a new offense vs. playing in an offense I already know and with somebody I already know in Brian Schottenheimer," he said. Many of the reporters' questions, to Tomlinson and to general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who preceded LT on the conference call, had to do with LT's recent production, a downturn in some key statistics for the past three seasons leading to last year's career-low numbers. Why should fans feel he'll be an upgrade at 31 years of age on opening day to Thomas Jones, who'll be 32 and in Chiefs red and gold in KC's opener? Both the GM and his new old back said they see some winning leaps forward, not some steps back. "People are going to speculate what they want. That's not my concern," said Tomlinson, who added that he'll be on hand for the start of the Jets' offseason strength and conditioning program at their complex next Monday. "I love to play this game. I'm very passionate about playing. This is a new opportunity for me. I'm very excited about the opportunity and I can't wait to get started." "We always say the best players play, and we expect LaDainian to play a lot and touch the ball a lot," said Tannenbaum. "We can't say he's going to carry it eight times or 28 times. We do know one thing. We're going to run the ball a lot this season. I wouldn't rule out adding another back in the draft if that opportunity presented itself. But with LaDainian, the type of man he is, I think he's going to be a great representative of our organization and we're really glad he's here." For more on Tannenbaum's comments with reporters, you can check out Eric Allen's Radar entry this afternoon.

LT Speaks About His New Role, Title Designs