Dimitri Patterson’s Release the Right Move for the New York Jets

Jul 21, 2013; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback

(24) at training camp at the Doctors Hospital Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

We have been through this situation at length, this Dimitri Patterson saga. For anyone that missed it, Dimitri Patterson was released by the Jets yesterday, as the team brought the roster down to 53 players. We finally get to put a period on the situation. Well, it’s more like an exclamation point, because the Jets absolutely did the right thing.

Kudos to the team for not putting up with Patterson any longer.

The Jets could have kept him. Heck, the Jets could have justified keeping Dimitri Patterson quite easily. They went into camp with a lot of questions at the cornerback position. With the loss of Antonio Cromartie, they needed a veteran cornerback to lock down the opposite side of the field, working with Dee Milliner. With Milliner’s injury, as well as losing Dexter McDougle for the entire season, Patterson became more of a need for the Jets.

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At first, it seemed that the Jets were going to retain Patterson. He was suspended “indefinitely”, but was going to have the suspension lifted as of September 1st. It appeared that Patterson’s position was going to outweigh his transgressions off of the football field.

But, the players did not trust Patterson any longer. There were quotes that came out from guys like Willie Colon. Colon made the point that if you are not all in for the team, maybe you should be “left behind”. Other players came out with similar quotes. Clearly, the feeling was beginning to flow through the locker room that Dimitri Patterson can’t be trusted. When you are getting a group of players to rally in the “team” concept, each player must trust each other.

Had the Jets kept Patterson, a rift would have gone through the locker room. The opinion that behavior doesn’t matter would have become stronger. Patterson’s friends would have rallied behind him, and you would have the group that didn’t trust him anymore. We have all seen how the Jets’ have performed with a rift in the locker room. We don’t want to go back THERE, do we?

John Idzik, Rex Ryan and company came to the realization that Dimitri Patterson did not fit the “Play like a Jet” concept. He had to go, and great job for doing it.

How did you feel about the move?