The New York Jets have been awarded three players on waivers — offensive tackle Patrick Brown (from Minnesota), defensive tackle Marcus Dixon (from Dallas) and wide receiver Patrick Turner (from Miami) — and have waived wide receiver David Clowney and running back Chauncey Washington and released fullback Tony Richardson. The announcements were made by general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
Brown (6'5", 310) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Carolina in 2009, after starting 50 straight games at left tackle for Central Florida and earning All-Conference USA second-team honors. Last season he spent time with the Patriots as a member of their practice squad for the season's first two weeks, before joining the Vikings as a member of their practice squad for the final 13 weeks and the postseason.
Dixon (6'4", 295) spent his first two seasons in the league as a member of the Cowboys practice squad. An undrafted free agent in 2008, he played in 45 games at Hampton, notching 15 sacks, 38 tackles for loss, one interception and six forced fumbles.
Turner (6'5", 220) became a third-round draft choice of the Dolphins in 2009 after finishing with 138 receptions for 1,752 yards and 17 touchdowns in his four seasons at Southern Cal. Last season he appeared in two games on special teams for Miami.
Clowney (6'0", 188) initially joined the club after he was signed off the Packers' practice squad on Oct. 3, 2007. He joined the Jets practice squad three weeks later and finished the season on practice squad IR. He made the roster out of training camp in 2008 but played in only two games. Last season he appeared in 13 games with three starts. For his career, Clowney has played in 15 games with three starts and caught 15 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown, all as a member of the Jets.
Richardson (6'1", 238) appeared in 35 games (including three postseason) since joining the Jets as an unrestricted free agent on March 5, 2008. He has started 20 of those games, gaining 115 yards on 18 carries and 38 yards on eight receptions. Last season he was part of the ground attack that finished No. 1 in the NFL, the third time in his career he was part of a team that led the league in rushing.
"Each season, there are difficult choices when constructing the 53-man roster and this year is no exception," Tannenbaum said in a statement about Richardson. "We appreciate Tony's contributions and leadership over the past two seasons and have nothing but the highest respect for him as a person and as a player."
Originally an undrafted free agent by Dallas in 1994, Richardson spent his first season on the Cowboys practice squad before joining the Chiefs the following season. He spent 11 years as a member of the Chiefs before joining the Vikings in 2006 and finally the Jets for the past two seasons. For his career he has amassed 424 rushes for 1,714 yards and 15 touchdowns and 205 receptions for 1,512 yards and nine TDs.
Washington (5'11", 222) joined the Jets last season after he was signed off the Cowboys practice squad on Dec. 15. He entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Jaguars in 2008, playing six games in his rookie season. He joined the Cowboys the following season and was active for two contests before being placed on the practice squad. This preseason he gained 75 yards on 20 carries and 11 yards on one reception in four games for the Jets.
