Sheldon Richardson Still A Jet After Team Reportedly Shops Him Around
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Jets did not trade Sheldon Richardson by Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline, but it apparently wasn't for lack of trying.
According to ESPN, the Jets called the Cowboys to inquire about whether they'd be interested in the 25-year-old pass rusher.
Dallas is off to a 6-1 start, but ranks just 21st in the NFL in sacks with 14. The Jets, meanwhile, are 3-5, are a long shot for the playoffs and already have two other young, talented defensive ends in Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams.
Reports over the weekend had already said the Jets were fielding calls about Richardson, who is under contract through 2017 after the Jets picked up the $8.069 million option on his rookie deal.
"It's big business. That's what it is," Richardson told Newsday on Sunday, just after hearing about the trade speculation for the first time. "We've got a surplus of defensive linemen that are capable of being starters."
ESPN, however, reported Tuesday that the trade was unlikely to happen because the Cowboys viewed the Jets' asking price as too high. It was not clear what the price tag was.
In his fourth season, Richardson has 18 career sacks, but just 1½ so far this year. His best season came in 2014, when he recorded eight sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Richardson was voted the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013.
One road block in trade talks was believed to be Richardson's off-the-field issues. He was suspended for this year's season opener following his guilty plea to resisting arrest after police clocked him driving at speeds as high as 143 mph in Missouri in July 2015. He also was suspended for the first four games in 2015 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
