They tried out former UCLA kicker Justin Medlock, former Illinois defensive end Jerry Brown and former Northwest Mississippi Community College wide receiver Michael Lindsey.

None of the players was immediately signed to a contract, though.

Medlock kicked for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season after being traded from the Edmonton Eskimos last year.

He has also kicked for the Omaha Nighthawks in the UFL and has had NFL stints with the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs.

If you were hopeful the Jets would find a way to dump moody WR Santonio Holmes, it appears your not going to get your wish.

The receiver is going to be sticking around with the Jets, something they had said would happen from the moment they walked off the field in Miami the final day of the regular season as they were kicked out of the playoff race with an 8-8 mark.

With a lot of fans putting a lot of the blame for the Jets missing the playoffs on Holmes.

By remaining on the roster through the second day of the NFL’s waiver period Tuesday, the wide receiver will get $15.25 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons. A clause in Holmes’ five-year, $45 million contract, signed last offseason, kicked in Wednesday morning.

Holmes’ future appeared to be in doubt when he was benched during the Miami game for arguing in the huddle.

Still, owner Woody Johnson, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan all insisted that Holmes would remain with the team despite the squabbles.

Holmes, already guaranteed his salary for next season, had a $7.5 million guarantee for the 2013 season kick in after Tuesday. While the Jets could still theoretically cut him or try to trade him, the financial commitment makes that an unlikely scenario.

So, New York is stuck hoping that Holmes can work out his issues with his teammates—primarily Sanchez—and return to the playmaking form that Ryan and the Jets became so enamored of when they re-signed him last July.

“To dismiss some of the good things that Santonio has done for the two years he’s been here, he’s been a tremendous player for us,” Ryan said on Jan. 2. “He’s won a ton of games for this franchise. And he’s been a good teammate.”

Johnson said a few weeks ago that the team intended to bring Holmes back, and it had nothing to do with his big contract.

“He may be one of the best players we’ve ever had here,” Johnson said. “I think you could look at his talent level as extraordinarily talented.”

Holmes, acquired from Pittsburgh in 2010 for a fifth-round draft pick, played a key role in the Jets’ run to their second straight AFC championship game two seasons ago. But things turned sour for the former Super Bowl MVP this past season.

He openly criticized the Jets’ offensive line for not giving Sanchez enough time to throw downfield, and ESPNNewYork.com reported that the two clashed at a late-season meeting. Several players questioned Holmes’ captaincy throughout the season.

The capper came during the Jets’ loss to the Dolphins, when former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer benched Holmes after he argued with teammates in the huddle. The television broadcast caught Holmes being restrained by tight end Dustin Keller on the field as the wide receiver and right tackle Wayne Hunter yelled at each other. Holmes sat on the bench sulking late in the game while the Jets came up short in a bid to beat the Dolphins.

He finished with 51 receptions for a career-low 654 yards, while also catching eight touchdown passes.

Ryan acknowledged he made a mistake by not having “the pulse” of the locker room and for naming the team’s six captains, including Holmes. He said no one will wear the captain’s “C” on their jersey anymore, adding that it’s imperative the take a larger role on the offense and instill the team chemistry that was clearly lacking as the Jets finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

“There’s a lot of positive things about Santonio,” Ryan said. “Are there some things that we need to get corrected? Absolutely. And it’s not just with him, but others as well.”

Ryan told reporters last week at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis that Sanchez and Holmes spoke by phone and were planning to get together soon to try to work things out. Neither player has spoken to the media since the season ended, although Holmes sent a message on Twitter the day before the Super Bowl to Sanchez and nose tackle Sione Pouha saying: “Hope your getting as antsy as me for the 2012-13 season to start. One more day til we start to make that journey.”

Now that the 2011 season is officially over following the Super Bowl, now we can all look ahead to free agency.

The Jets have a number of players that will be unrestricted come March 13th when they can sign with other teams. You can see the complete list below, and give your thoughts about what players the team should keep, and what ones they could let go.

Restricted Free Agents (4)

TE Matthew Mulligan
LB Aaron Maybin
LB Jamaal Westerman
CB Marquice Cole

Unrestricted Free Agents (11)

QB Mark Brunell
QB Kevin O’Connell
RB LaDainian Tomlinson
WR Plaxico Burress
OL Robert Turner
DT Sione Pouha
LB Bryan Thomas
CB Donald Strickland
S Jim Leonhard
S Brodney Pool
K Nick Folk

Ellis was charged with malicious wounding after an incident at Hampton University in April of 2010 and was scheduled to take place today. This is the fourth time the trial has been pushed back, with the new dates scheduled for May 22-23.

Despite his arrest, the Jets used the 94th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft on the 6-foot-5, 346-pound Ellis, who had seven tackles in five games, including two starts, as a rookie.

The deal, agreed upon about 10 days ago, is worth $875,000 with a $250,000 signing bonus, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the signing.

The 24-year-old Turner was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next month. A former college teammate of quarterback Mark Sanchez at Southern California, Turner had eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown last season.

The Jets claimed him off waivers in 2010 from Miami, where Turner played under newly hired New York offensive coordinator Tony Sparano. The former third-round pick of the Dolphins has 10 career catches.

Former Jets running back Curtis Martin and four linemen have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with one senior committee choice.

Martin is the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history. He is joined by Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf, Dermontti Dawson, and senior selection Jack Butler.

Jerome Bettis, Cris Carter and Bill Parcells are among those who failed to be elected Saturday.

The inductions will be in early August in Canton, Ohio.

Jets LB Jamaal Westerman, Rex Ryan’s “designated pass rusher,” just underwent surgery in the past two weeks over a torn groin, according to Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger. Westerman played all 16 games with the tear, not realizing the severity of it until after the season was over. Westerman recorded 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Perhaps this helps explain why Westerman was not able to develop into the pass rushing force that Rex had initially declared him to be. Westerman is a restricted free agent now, so it will be interesting to see how the team deals with him after the poor season he had.

The relationship between Manning and the front office is definitely unstable, as it seems war of words has sputtered between Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay. Though today Irsay took some of his comments back, as did Manning.

“I don’t think it’s in a good interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don’t,” Irsay said. “He’s such a big part of that and everything else, but the horseshoe always comes first.”

Naturally Jets fans eyes light up when they think Peyton Manning possibly coming to New York and becoming a Jet. Lets take a deep breath here, the New York Jets didn’t finish 8-8 only because of Mark Sanchez. Even with a tough year that I will agree he had, he still threw 26 touchdowns which was a career high and threw for more yards then he has in each of his first two previous seasons.

Bringing in Peyton Manning would mean the Jets would have to gut their whole roster and basically build the team around the 36 year old quarterback who by the way didn’t play all of last season because of serious neck injuries.

The Jets have bigger issues on their team believe it or not, besides quarterback. Linebacker, safety and defensive end are top priorities. These were the reasons why the Jets didn’t make the playoffs for the first time under Rex Ryan. They were slow on defense all year and couldn’t tackle in the open field.

Obviously Sanchez needs to improve but a lot of that goes to the offense he was in under Schottenheimer and now that Sparano is here, Sanchez deserves a chance to preform under a new system.

Which brings up another point with Sparano in to run the offense, Manning coming in would contradict everything the Jets want to do in running the football and being physical. Any team that brings in Peyton has to also understand that his offense that he’s run for the last 14 years comes with him.

There is just too much risk in bringing in Manning if this was 6 years ago and Manning was healthy no brannier, but the fact that if this move doesn’t work out it can sets the Jets back 2-4 years is too much of a risk for the Jets to take considering they want to be contenders every year.

Westhoff signed a one-year contract extension with the Jets in Aug. 2010, running through the 2011 season. Westhoff said in September that he would like to coach one more season, running up to his 65th birthday.

“All I have a contract for is this year,” Westhoff said back then. “I really think I would like to go this and one more, that’s my goal. Then I’ll be 65, that might be enough. But trust me, I don’t think that far ahead.”

Consistency a reliability or uniformity of successive results or events. Consistency a word the Jets should study up on.

The fans will blame Mark Sanchez, and he deserves his share after his three-interception debacle Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Blame Mark Sanchez all you want, because so much of the season-finishing loss to the Dolphins was specifically on No. 6.

The 19-17 defeat at three-quarters-empty Sun Life Stadium seemed to be Sanchez’s year in a microcosm – tentative, with the lows far outweighing the highs. It certainly offered plenty of evidence to back up his detractors’ stance that the Jets should think about replacing their “franchise” quarterback in what surely will be a drama-filled offseason. -Bart Hubbuch, New York Post

Is Sanchez why the Jets finished the year with nearly $9 million in room under the salary cap when they had so many glaring holes to fill?

Is Sanchez why the running game ranked near the bottom of the league all season?

Is Sanchez why Brian Schottenheimer called 59 passes against the Giants in a close game against the NFL’s 22nd-ranked run defense?

Is Sanchez why Rex Ryan’s defense allowed a 21-play drive to the Dolphins today that took up an astounding 12 minutes, 29 seconds, and appears to be the longest  in NFL history?

The blame starts up front in management with general manager Mike Tannenbaum. It’s Tannenbaum’s fault because the roster still has two major problems: an inability to rush the passer and a passing game that lacks playmakers. In an era where passing is the way to win, the Jets can’t throw it well enough and they don’t knock the quarterback down enough. The offensive line was among the worst in the league. Tannenbaum allowed Wayne Hunter to be this teams starting right tackle without any capable backup on the roster. On multiple occasions this season Wayne Hunter has been the reason Mark Sanchez has been almost killed on the field.

Very few of Tannenbaum’s personnel decisions this year paid off, and several of them  particularly the signing of Derrick Mason and the decision to give Santonio Holmes big money – blew up in the Jets’ faces. Not bringing back important veteran leaders also contributed to the turbulent locker room.

It doesn’t help Sanchez that Tannenbaum made the decision to actually get older and slower at receiver this summer. They let Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery go. Derek Mason and  Plaxico Burress replaced them. That’s two players in their mid-30s, one playing after two years in prison, and neither was fast when they were in their prime.

Blame must of course be giving to the coaching staff and of course head coach of the Jets, Rex Ryan. Ryan and his bragging, look-at-me, take-no-prisoners way doesn’t bother me. No games are ever won or lost by what is said, and why wouldn’t he say he expects his team to win a Super Bowl, banging his chest in the process? The problem I see with the Jets as it relates to Ryan isn’t the hot air he blows, but it’s that his team seems to lack discipline.

What is worse after the game neither Ryan or Holmes would assume responsibility. Not what you want from your teams captain and head coach.

“I looked out there and was wondering why he wasn’t out there myself,” Ryan said. “So I did not bench Santonio. You’ll have to ask him. I was trying to follow the play and I noticed he wasn’t in there. Somebody told me he was on the bench.”

Ryan might not change that cocky style, and said as much, but he needs to tighten the reins on his players.

Rex Ryan’s “vaunted” defense was only ranked 7th best in football this year far from in the top three like this team promised. On to many occasions they wet bet and squandered a late lead. A defense can never be called elite if they can not close a game out.

Since Mark Sanchez has been here the expectations for him have been to win the super bowl or bust. Mark Sanchez has played three seasons and in two of them he took his team to 30 minutes away from the super bowl. He has won big game after big game for this team. Over the last two seasons no quarterback in football has more come from behind 4th quarter victories than Mark Sanchez. You don’t win four road playoff games in your first two NFL seasons – against group that includes Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, it should be noted – by accident.

Jets fans need to watch one more year where they can see if Sanchez can succeed with  a good offensive coordinator before everyone declares him a complete bust. Just remember Drew Brees was a failure as a quarterback too until he joined up with Sean Payton. Bree’s was even benched in a game during his 3rd season in the league. I am not comparing Mark Sanchez to Brees’ but I am just trying to prove a point that a offensive coordinator  can make that big of a difference in quarterbacks development.

Like it or not Mark Sanchez will be this teams starting quarterback for at least the 2012 season. Peyton Manning will not be with Gang Green next year, despite all the rumors. The Colts say Manning isn’t on the market. And there is no reason for one AFC team to help another get to the Super Bowl.

Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III? That’s not happening, either. The Jets aren’t close to being in position to draft either quarterback. Trading up wouldn’t make much sense with all that is invested in Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez has two years left on his five-year, $44 million rookie contract. The Jets won’t make him an expensive backup in 2012 and they can’t trade him. Instead, the Jets will do all they can to support Sanchez and make him better.

“You’ve got to ask yourself the tough questions and figure out how you can help this team,” Sanchez said. “You’ve got to ask yourself the tough questions and figure out what you did well and reinforce that, but obviously what you can clean up.”

For the Jets one thing is for certain, major changes are needed to get this team back to where Rex Ryan has publicly said he expects this team to go, Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 in New Orleans.