Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Catching up with four players from Jets' imperfect '10 team

Four members of the New York Jets' last good team -- the 2010 outfit, which reached the AFC Championship Game -- showed up in the news for very different reasons over the past several days. Here you go, a week in the life of an almost-great team:

Shonn Greene, running back -- He was released by the Tennessee Titans after two disappointing seasons. I wouldn't be surprised if Greene doesn't find another job. He never was the most motivated guy in the room and I suspect he's satisfied with the amount of money he's made in football. He was brilliant as a rookie (who can forget that 53-yard run against the San Diego Chargers in the playoffs?), but he was never able to match that electricity. He produced two of the quietest 1,000-yard seasons you'll ever witness, and then he was gone. The Mike Tannenbaum regime traded up in the third round to pick Greene because he was graded as a first-round talent on their board -- a gross miscalculation.

Wayne Hunter, tackle -- After two seasons out of football, Hunter, who turns 34 on July 2, auditioned for the Buffalo Bills this week. Rex Ryan, who has an affinity for his former players, said he expects to sign Hunter before training camp. My immediate thought: Wow, the Bills' line must be in bad shape. He was a valuable reserve on the Jets' 2010 team, but he crumbled when elevated to the starting right-tackle job, replacing Damien Woody. The fan and media ridicule got so bad in 2012 that he was shipped to the St. Louis Rams in quite possibly the most hilarious trade in history -- Hunter for Jason Smith, a huge draft bust. Hunter, of course, will be best remembered for jawing with Santonio Holmes in the huddle at the end of the '11 season. Ah, memories.

Kyle Wilson, cornerback -- To no one's surprise, the Jets let the former first-round pick leave via free agency without a fight. The New Orleans Saints signed him to a one-year, $825,000 contract, envisioning him as a nickelback, but already there are reports out of the Big Easy that his roster spot could be in jeopardy. You could almost hear a chorus of Jets' fans screaming, "We told you so."

LaDainian Tomlinson, running back -- The former Chargers great will have his No. 21 retired by the team during the coming season -- a well-deserved honor. People forget that Tomlinson, not Greene, was the Jets' leading rusher in 2010. He was a terrific addition for the Jets, but I'll remember him for the yards he didn't get. Needing only 86 yards for 1,000, Tomlinson rested with most of the starters in the meaningless, regular-season finale. Instead of playing for an individual milestone, he wanted to be fresh for the playoffs -- a truly unselfish move. On the flip side, he was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 at the goal line in the fourth quarter of the AFC title loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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