Scratch DE Ellis off your FA wishlist
 

DE Ellis signs six-year deal to stay with Jets


NFL.com wire reports

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 29, 2004) -- Shaun Ellis signed a six-year deal to stay with the New York Jets, making him one of the highest-paid defensive ends in the league.

Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

"I could have tested free agency, but I didn't," Ellis said. "I felt my home was here. I feel this is where I belong."

Ellis, a first-round pick in 2000 out of Tennessee, made his first Pro Bowl appearance last year after getting 12½ sacks and 109 tackles. After starting this season slowly while dealing with the death of his father, Ellis has picked up his play recently.

He has 4½ sacks so far and countless hurries, and has been one of the biggest reasons the Jets have improved their play against the run. Ellis also is consistent and durable, having missed just one game in his five-year career, three weeks ago against Baltimore.

The Jets made re-signing Ellis a priority in the offseason, along with quarterback Chad Pennington, who signed a seven-year deal before the season started. Now they must turn their attention to re-signing a host of other key players -- defensive end John Abraham, right tackle Kareem McKenzie, running back LaMont Jordan and defensive tackle Jason Ferguson.

"We've had priorities, Chad and Shaun were two of those priorities," general manager Terry Bradway said. "We're fortunate to be able to get both of those done. It's probably going to be impossible to keep everybody, but this was a big one for us. We have a chance to continue to develop that defense to the point where it is a championship-type defense."

Abraham is having another monster season, with 9½ sacks after a 2003 season filled with personal problems and injuries. When Ellis emerged, it became clear the Jets would keep just him. But now that Abraham is playing so well and staying healthy, he might be in their plans again.

The bookends came to the Jets together in 2000, and Ellis would like to see his friend stay.

"Whatever Abraham's situation is with the Jets, I'm pretty sure the Jets will come to the best decision to handle that," Ellis said. "I'm going to leave it up to the organization to deal with it."

Then there is the matter of Ferguson, an eight-year veteran who is having one of the best seasons of his career. The Jets have a tough choice to make there, considering he is the oldest player on a unit that also includes Dewayne Robertson.

But Ferguson is the emotional leader of the defense, and that might make him more valuable to keep. Jordan is almost certainly gone after backing up Curtis Martin the last four years, while McKenzie probably will test free agency.

Getting the Ellis deal done clears one thing off their plate.

"My mind is free, I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulder," Ellis said. "I'm able to breathe again knowing I'm going to be here."

No surprise here...

Not surprised. It makes sense to sign your own when they have talent. It makes no sense to do what the Chiefs did last off season with their _efensive players... :shake:

we wouldnt of signed him even if he hadn't gotten the extension.


Ellis would of been a quick signing, premiere FA and we would of still been on vacation.

I'm beginning to think you have to suck ass to fit the Vermeil profile.

except for this was SOP before Vermeil even got here



:hmmm: :hmmm:

Yea, I know. I just wanted to stick with the profile that Vermeil is famous for talking about. Believe me, I know the root of the problem, too.

I wish someone would call Vermeil out on this vacation bullshit.

There are 2 months between when the Chiefs played and the start of FA, why didn't he go on one then?

The whole Chiefs organization is ass-backwards.

CP and DV wouldn't have signed him anyway...they don't have any money and he probably doesn't meet the profile. ;)

Why try and sign a Defensive End FA when they just signed Eric Hicks to a new deal last year? :hmmm:

this is a carl peterson thing... he started it a few years back when he found out that the media and fans wouldn't/couldn't get into such an uproar about the lack of FA activity if the chiefs personnel people were on vacation.

i believe this started BEFORE vermeil got here as well.

cause he sucks

I think you just answered your own question. :p

The more I think about how this past-off-season went down, the more it infuriates me. Carl's arrogance put us in this mess and that MoFo is nowhere to be heard from now.