Updated, 3:45 p.m. ET
The first skirmish in the numbers wars is over as today we've learned that newly signed WR Eric Decker will wear uniform No. 87 and TE Jeff Cumberland will shift from 87 to 85.
Decker wore 87 his first four pro seasons with the Broncos. Cumberland has been a Jet those same four seasons but has bounced around the mid-80s, wearing 86 from 2010-12 and 87 last season.
"I reached out to Jeff and asked him how dedicated he was to the number," Decker said after he came aboard as an unrestricted free agent two weeks ago. "I guess we are going to kind of negotiate what we are going to do with the number. Obviously, he has been there for his four-year tenure. Otherwise I will have to find a new home, a new number."
Obviously the negotiations were concluded successfully. Cumberland, from his new Twitter handle, @Cumberland85, recently tweeted:
I can confirm that my new number will be #85 and @EricDecker87 is getting #87. #Jetlife and #BigTen #brotherhood — Jeff Cumberland (@Cumberland85) April 1, 2014
So my new handle is officially changed to @Cumberland85 now. #jets #nyj #jetsnation — Jeff Cumberland (@Cumberland85) April 1, 2014
The other major determination is what number QB Michael Vick will wear. Vick's been No. 7 all 13 of his pro seasons, but that of course is the digit that Geno Smith put on his back for his rookie season as the Jets signalcaller last year.
Vick in a conference call last week said the Battle for Seven was over before a shot was fired.
"Geno is going to wear No. 7. I'm changing my number," Vick said. To what? "It's undecided. Who knows? I'm going to come up with something in the next week."
No word yet and in fact we may not know for a while. What can Vick possibly come up with? Maybe he's conferring with Prince on a symbol rather than a digit. We'll keep you posted.
Trivia question, no prizes involved: Who was the last Jet to wear No. 87 for more than one season? We'll let you know later this afternoon.
Trivia answer: The last Jet to wear No. 87 for more than one season is WR David Clowney, who wore it for 13 games in 2009 and three games in '10 before his release. But my good friend Ira from Staten Island wished to register a contrary opinion because Clowney's 2010 wasn't a complete season. If that's your stance as well, then Laveranues Coles was the last to wear 87 for more than a season for us, from 2005-08.
