The Jets kicked off their rookie minicamp on Friday and they also said goodbye to a veteran tackle.
The team announced that Corey Hilliard has retired. Hilliard, who signed with the Jets as a free agent in March, played in 47 games with the Lions and Colts after breaking into the league with Indy in 2007. He was expected to compete for a reserve role with the Jets this offseason.
Eight players are also joining the team as undrafted free agents. They are Penn State defensive end Deion Barnes, Syracuse safety Durell Eskridge, Clarion linebacker Julian Howsare, Michigan State linebacker Taiwan Jones, Florida International safety Demarkus Perkins, South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton, Lincoln defensive lineman Davon Walls and Tennessee defensive end Jordan Williams.
The Jets also announced that they’ve released tight end Chris Pantale and linebacker Chris Young and that 24 players will be trying out for the team this weekend. That group includes former 49ers first-round pick A.J. Jenkins, Joe Flacco’s brother Mike and former University of Miami quarterback Jake Heaps, who should be about 20 minutes away from his first endorsement as a starter by a caller to a sports radio station.
