FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ With one week to go until mandatory minicamp, the Jets have decided to release their longest-tenured player, veteran inside linebacker David Harris.
"It was an organizational decision," Jets coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday, adding that talks about a salary reduction broke down.
Last week, the Jets traded underperforming safety Calvin Pryor to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for inside linebacker Demario Davis, their third-round pick in 2012. Now, the Jets are saying goodbye to Harris, an 11-year veteran who was their second-round pick in 2007.
Harris has been called "the glue" of the Jets defense by Bowles, but his departure leaves Davis and second-year linebacker Darron Lee as the starters at inside linebacker.
Harris, 33, was the last remaining player on the roster from the Eric Mangini era (2006-08) after D'Brickashaw Ferguson retired before the start of the 2016 season and Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis were released in March.
