The New York Jets announced today the signing of veteran cornerback Ray Mickens, as well as the signings of wide receiver Reggie Newhouse and cornerback Reed Rayshun. The Club also announced that quarterback Kliff Kingsbury and cornerback James Taylor have been waived. The announcements were made by Jets’ General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.
Mickens, a 5-8, 180-pound cornerback, was selected by the Jets in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft out of Texas A & M. At the time of his release, on August 8, 2005, Mickens was the longest tenured member of the Jets’ defense and trailed only wide receiver Wayne Chrebet (11 years) for the longest tenure on the team. Mickens has appeared in 126 regular season games for the Jets, making 36 starts, and accumulated 365 tackles, 79 passes defensed, 11 interceptions for 30 yards, six sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. In addition to his regular season contributions, Mickens played in five postseason games for the Jets, making two starts, and adding 15 tackles and a pass defensed. Mickens scored the lone TD of his Jets’ career in 1997 (9/21) when he scooped up a Cole Ford field goal attempt that had been blocked vs. Oakland and scurried 72-yards for the game winning TD to complete the scoring at 23-22. Mickens played the 2005 season as a member of the Cleveland Browns and recorded 30 tackles, recovered one fumble and defended 13 passes.Â
Newhouse, 6-1, 191 pounds, played two seasons in NFL Europe as a member of the Cologne Centurions. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2003 with the Arizona Cardinals. Newhouse, a native of Dallas, TX, left Baylor as the school’s all-time leading receiver with 183 receptions. His father, Robert, was a member of the Dallas Cowboys from 1972-83 and played a role on three Super Bowl winning teams. His father currently serves in the Cowboys’ Human Resources department.
Kingsbury was signed to the Jets active roster on September 28, 2005. In week 11 he made his NFL debut relieving injured quarterbacks Brooks Bollinger and Vinny Testaverde late in the fourth quarter. Kingsbury completed one of two passes for 17 yards. He was allocated to NFL Europe this past winter and played for the Cologne Centurions where he passed for 633 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Taylor, a 6-0, 205-pound product of Kentucky’s Georgetown College, originally broke into the NFL in 2004 as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Green Bay Packers. He began his collegiate playing career at Ohio University in Athens, OH before transferring to NAIA Georgetown, where he played at safety, cornerback, wide receiver and wingback.Â
The Jets also completed the first day of organized team activity. Head Coach Eric Mangini said, “I was pleased with the turnout for our organized team activity and excited about the group’s energy level and focus both in the classroom and on the field. Our entire team participated. Today’s session will serve as a stepping stone for the mandatory camp we will host in mid-June.”