Jets create room for Ray Lewis

INDIANAPOLIS - The Ray Lewis rumors got a lot louder Thursday night.

The Jets left themselves perilously thin at inside linebacker, releasing veteran backups David Bowens and Brad Kassell - moves that could mean they're clearing the deck to pursue Lewis or Ravens teammate Bart Scott, another inside linebacker.

"They must be targeting a linebacker, probably from Baltimore," Bowens said in a phone interview.

New coach Rex Ryan, previously the Ravens' defensive coordinator, knows Lewis and Scott as well as anyone. Ryan has only one experienced inside linebacker under contract, David Harris, so it doesn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Lewis and Scott will be free agents on Feb. 27, although the Ravens are expected to make a push to sign Lewis before he hits the open market. The Ravens used their franchise tag on outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, effectively removing him from the market. Scott wants to stay in Baltimore, but he doubts that will happen.

"If you're able to keep all three of us, you'd almost have to be a miracle worker," he said Wednesday on Sirius Radio.

Lewis is a future Hall of Famer and has said he'd enjoy being reunited with Ryan, but Scott, 28, makes more sense to the Jets because he's nearly six years younger than Lewis. Scott will be one of the most coveted free agents in the league, but the Jets have $18 million in salary-cap space after gaining an additional $3 million with the release of Bowens and Kassell.

Jets' brass arrived here at the scouting combine with several pressing issues. They will meet Friday night with the agent for right guard Brandon Moore, who is due a $7 million roster bonus. The team poured a lot of money into the offensive line last offseason and wants to renegotiate his contract. Failing that, the Jets may release Moore, their best run blocker. He'd immediately become one of the top free-agent guards.

They also may part ways with tight end Chris Baker, another financially motivated decision. If he's on the roster March 5, the Jets would have to guarantee $9 million in salary over the next three years - a prohibitive amount at a position where they invested a first-round choice in Dustin Keller.

The Jets can use some of the savings for running back Leon Washington, whom they'd like to sign to a long-term deal. Washington, entering the final year of his contract, is likely seeking Darren Sproles money; the Chargers' all-purpose dynamo received the franchise tag - a cool $6.6 million for one year.

Meanwhile, the Jets lost a respected leader in Bowens, who started five games when Harris was hurt. Bowens recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

"My knee was messed up since training camp," he said. "I could've sat down, but I sucked it up for the team. Was it worth it? Yeah, it was. I put the team ahead of me."

(nydailynews.com)