Jets #1 whiner released (Coles)

New York Jets release wide receiver Laveranus Coles
by Dave Hutchinson/Star-Ledger Staff
Wednesday February 25, 2009, 4:13 PM
The Jets released veteran wide receiver Laveranus Coles this afternoon -- but both sides left open the possibility of his return to the team.

Coles, who was scheduled to earn a guaranteed $6 million salary for the 2009-10 season, wanted a long-term deal with the team. But when the two sides could not reach an agreement, they reached a compromise, giving Coles the right to find his own deal on the open market on the eve of free agency.

"We didn't leave on bad terms,'' Coles said. "It's not out of the question that I could come back."


Coles, 31, is taking a gamble , as his contract for the upcoming season was guaranteed, something unusual in the NFL. Coles, however, feels a long-term deal is more important to him than they guarantee.

"I look at it as a long-term thing,'' he said. "It's something my agent (Roosevelt Barnes) and I (discussed) for a long time. I trust my agent. He's been in my corner for a long time. He gave me his opinion. He said he truly believed we could get a long-term deal on the open market and I took his word for it.

"I want to go somewhere where I can finish my career. I don't want to bounce from team to team. I hope to play another three or four years."

The Jets and new coach Rex Ryan told Coles a new deal was not going to happen with them right now.

"Rex and I had a good talk,'' Coles said. "He explained to me that he didn't want to give veterans who are in their second contract a new deal before their current deal was completed.

"I explained to him that my situation was a little bit different because this situation has been ongoing. But I understand what Rex is trying to do and I don't want to jeopardize what he's trying to put in place. He has been honest with me from the word, 'Go.'"

Coles was drafted by the Jets in the third round of the 2000 draft and has played on the team for seven of his nine seasons in the league. He signed a free-agent deal with the Redskins before the start of the 2003 season, but was traded back to the Jets two years later.

Last season, Coles had 70 catches for 850 yards and seven touchdowns. For his career, Coles has 459 catches for 5,941 yards and 37 touchdowns.

The free-agent signing period begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday morning.

"My time with the Jets was great," Coles said. "I love the fans, my teammates and my coaches. I always wanted to finish my career in New York, but I've always said this is a business."