Mike Tannenbaum proved last offseason he wasn’t afraid of big-mouthed coaches. This offseason, the Jets’ general manager is proving he won’t shy away from big-time troublemakers either.
Santonio Holmes, who the Jets acquired from the Steelers for a fifth-round pick late Sunday, enters the organization with just as many blemishes as he does accolades. The 26-year-old receiver has a handful of run-ins with the law since being drafted in 2006 and will serve a four-game suspension to start the season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
“We understood that was part of it, but we just felt like even with that, it was worth it,” Tannenbaum said yesterday. “The risk and the price was reasonable for us.”
The risk is substantially lowered by the cheap price and Holmes’ contract, which expires after next season.
He’ll essentially have a 12-game audition for his new team. If he puts up another career-year like he did last season where he caught 79 passes for 1,248 yards and five touchdowns, there’s a good chance he’ll be sticking around an offense that includes Mark Sanchez, Braylon Edwards and Shonn Greene.
“I don’t think I need to dig myself out of any hole,”?Holmes said of his checkered past. “These guys have opened their arms to me right now and all I have to do is walk into them.”
Holmes busted into the spotlight in 2009 after earning MVP honors in Super Bowl XLIII. Holmes certainly has an opportunity to find himself in a similar situation with the Jets.
“[He] is a dynamic play-maker,” Tannenbaum said, “[but] we’re not going into this with our eyes closed.”
