By Tom Rock
The Jets will be visiting with several players today, two of them restricted free agents and the third a potential first-round draft pick who could add even more depth to the defensive end stockpile.
Notre Dame’s Victor Abiamiri, who is projected as a late-first round or early-second round pick later this month, is scheduled to be in Hempstead for some interviews with the Green and White. Abiamiri would likely be another candidate to move to an outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. He had 10.5 sacks last season. He’s listed at 6-4, 267, but the word is he’s packed on a few pounds of muscle leading up to the draft.
Abiamiri might get a look at some of the NFL-sized talent he’ll be up against in September when he’s at the complex today because the Jets are reportedly also entertaining OT Stacy Andrews, a restricted free agent from the Bengals. Like Patriots CB Randall Gay, Andrews was given a one-year, $1.3-million tender by Cincy, meaning the Jets would have to fork over a second-rounder if they sign him to an offer and the Bengals don’t match it. Gay is also expected to be strolling the corridors of Weeb Ewbank Hall today.
GM Mike Tannenbaum had said he’d like to have the roster in place BEFORE the draft, and that going into Radio City without any glaring needs provides the team with the most flexibility. It’ll be interesting to watch these next few days to see how the pre-draft gamesmanship heats up and if the Jets are truly interested in these players or just creating diversions.