Chatecke » a big smile on his face

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan bolted out of his office the moment he heard Ed Reed was cut. He wanted to make sure general manager John Idzik knew one of his favourite players was available for the New York Jets to pursue. "Its only a rumour that I pulled a hamstring," Ryan said, grinning. "Thats not true." The Jets signed the nine-time Pro Bowl safety Thursday, bringing one of the NFLs greatest playmaking defensive players to a secondary on a defence that ranks 24th against the pass. The 35-year-old Reed was released Tuesday by Houston, cleared waivers Wednesday and joined less than 24 hours later. "John had a big smile on his face," Ryan said about the Jets GM. "I think he anticipated it, but he had already beaten me to the punch. He had already set it in motion with our scouts." Reed joined his new Jets teammates on the practice field wearing a green No. 22 jersey; his familiar No. 20 is currently worn by cornerback Kyle Wilson. Reed laughed when he was asked if he thinks hes got anything left. "I dont think Id be here if they didnt think that," he said after his first practice with the Jets. "I know what I know. I know how I feel and I know what Ive put in my off-season workouts. Im ready to go. Youll see. "You guys can be the judge of it." The Jets released outside linebacker Ricky Sapp to make room on the roster for Reed. Ryan and defensive co-ordinator Dennis Thurman coached Reed for eight years in Baltimore. Reed has always been a favourite of Ryan, who once labeled him the greatest safety to play the game. While his physical skills no longer make him one of the games elite players, Reed will be able to serve as a leader in the secondary and help bring along young safeties Antonio Allen, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Josh Bush. "This had nothing to do with sentiment," Ryan said. "We believe that Ed will be a great signing for us and hes going to help this football team, without question." Reed said New England also showed interest, as well as one other team, but everything seemed right about coming to the Jets. "It just fits," he said. "I know the system. Rex was like, Go ahead and lets see what youve got." The fact that the Jets (5-4) are in the playoff hunt was also a plus. "Thats a huge factor," Reed said. "It was a huge factor in playing this year, in general, being with a team that was going to contend and be in the playoffs." Theres a good chance Reed will be ready to play Sunday at Buffalo, at least in certain situations, and it is a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Jets. "Weve had some issues with the deep ball," Ryan said. "Let them throw it there now." Reed would like to start, of course, but added that hes fine with whatever the coaches want him to do, including playing in dime packages or special teams. "They had a good thing going before I came," Reed said. "I dont plan on rocking the boat." That was a bit of an issue in Houston, as Reed missed the Texans first two games after off-season hip surgery and was relegated to a backup role, making just 16 tackles with no interceptions. He was unhappy about not starting after signing a three-year, $15 million deal in the off-season following 11 years in Baltimore. Reed also criticized the team for being outplayed and outcoached after the Texans seventh straight loss last Sunday. "To put it simple for you," Reed said, "it wasnt a good fit." Texans defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips said Thursday that Reeds criticism was not why he was released, but rather because the teams younger players were performing well and Reed wasnt getting a lot of playing time. Phillips laughed when he was asked if the Texans thought they were going to get more out of Reed when they signed him. "Yeah, I think thats probably an understatement," Phillips said. "We all thought he was going to be J.J. Watt in the secondary. And things didnt work out that way." Reed, who won a Super Bowl last season with the Ravens, was the NFLs top defensive player in 2004. In 11-plus seasons, the ball-hawking Reed has 61 interceptions, including seven returned for touchdowns. Hes a five-time first-team All-Pro who also holds the NFL record with 1,541 yards on interception returns. His nine career post-season interceptions, including one in the Ravens Super Bowl win, tie him for the league mark. Reed said recent criticism of him has come as a result of being held to higher standards than most safeties. "I created that monster, and Ive been blessed to create that monster," he said. "I love it." Reed had a whirlwind 24 hours, which began with him working out in Georgia when he cleared waivers around 4 p.m. Wednesday. Less than six hours later, he was on a plane to New Jersey. "We had him at hello," Thurman said. Reed met with Idzik before going to bed around 2:30 a.m., and then heading back to the facility after a few hours of sleep. "We put him in some defences just to see what he could remember with his partner (Dawan) Landry out there," Ryan said. "It was like, Whoa, here we go. "It was like he hadnt missed a beat." Clearance Shoes Online Australia . TSN 1290s Jordan Cieciwa, Big Marv and Toby are here to give their predictions on who will leave with the belt and who will take some of the other key bouts on the card. Johny Hendricks vs. Shoes On Sale Australia . Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff underlined the squads enormous potential on the Rettenbach glacier in Austria. http://www.cheapshoesaustraliasale.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap Wholesale Shoes Australia . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Wholesale Shoes Australia Online . The Professional Referee Organization, which manages game officials for the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS, notified the Professional Soccer Referee Association of the lockout and said replacement officials will be used.PHOENIX - Infielder Nick Punto has agreed to a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks that includes an invitation to spring training.Arizona announced the deal Wednesday.If the Diamondbacks add Punto to their 40-man roster, they will only have to pay him the major league minimum of $507,500 — or a prorated share if hes added after opening day. Punto is guarannteed $2.dddddddddddd.75 million from the Oakland Athletics, who released him in December.Punto has played for six clubs in parts of 14 major league seasons. He has a career .243 batting average. Last season, he appeared in 73 games with the As, hitting .207.Punto spent time with Philadelphia, Minnesota, St. Louis, Boston, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland. ' ' '