Two former New York Jets -- John Conner and Greg Salas -- signed free-agent contracts Wednesday with the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, respectively.
Conner -- a.k.a. the Terminator -- will be reunited with former Jets coach Rex Ryan, who always had an affinity for the hard-blocking fullback. Ryan likes to tell people he was responsible for picking Conner in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. Conner got plenty of exposure in his rookie training camp as he was one of the featured players on HBO's "Hard Knocks," which camped out with the Jets that summer.
He was released by the Jets after two seasons, spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants and returned last season when Tommy Bohanon went down with a broken collarbone. Conner carried the ball six times for 20 yards and caught two passes for 35 yards.
Salas played for the Jets in 2013 and 2014, making 16 receptions for 310 yards. He missed significant time last season with wrist and leg injuries.
The timing of their new contracts wasn't a surprise. Starting Wednesday, unrestricted free agents no longer count toward the computation of compensatory draft picks, making minimum-salary players such as Salas and Conner more attractive to teams.
So far, only four of the Jets' 16 free agents have yet to sign contracts -- quarterback Michael Vick, running back Chris Johnson, safety Dawan Landry and linebacker Jermaine Cunningham. As you can see from the list below, only one player made a big score -- linebacker David Harris, who returned to the Jets with a three-year, $21.5 million contract.
The others:
Phillip Adams, cornerback -- Atlanta Falcons (one year, $745,000)
Nick Bellore, linebacker -- San Francisco 49ers (two years, $1.69 million)
Willie Colon, guard -- Jets (one year, $950,000)
Leger Douzable, defensive end -- Jets (one year, $1.2 million)
Kenrick Ellis, defensive tackle -- New York Giants (one year, $1.475 million)
Ben Ijalana, tackle -- Jets (one year, $760,000)
Bilal Powell, running back -- Jets (one year, $2 million)
Tanner Purdum, long snapper -- Jets (two years, $1.9 million)
Kyle Wilson, cornerback -- New Orleans Saints (one year, $825,000)
