Thursday, July 25, 2013

Jets sign first-rounder Sheldon Richardson

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Exactly one week ago, the New York Jets had yet to make any of their top three draft picks official.

As of Wednesday night, a majority of the problem had been taken care of.

According to Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News, the Jets signed defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (No. 13 overall), leaving cornerback Dee Milliner (No. 9) as the only Jets rookie without a contract. New York inked second-round quarterback Geno Smith at the end of last week.

The Jets are scheduled to report for training camp Thursday.

Richardson, a near-300-pound former Missouri Tiger, is slated for a primary role on Gang Green's defensive line right out of the gate, working alongside fellow first-rounders Muhammad Wilkerson (2011) and Quinton Coples (2012) on Rex Ryan's D-line-dependent defense.

According to Mehta, Richardson agreed to terms on a contract that included "offset language," something that is apparently impeding the progress of Milliner's deal.

Follow Nick @NickStDenis
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily