Jets promote Jacqueline Davidson to dir. of football admin.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets have promoted long-time executive Jacqueline Davidson to director of football administration, making her one of the highest-ranking women in an NFL front office.

Davidson is in her ninth season with the Jets and has been a chief negotiator of player contracts for the team, including the signing of cornerback Darrelle Revis during the offseason.

She was previously the team's manager of football administration, and replaces Rod Graves, who was hired last month as the NFL's senior vice president of football administration and club services.

''Jackie has served as an integral part of our football administration efforts under Rod Graves this offseason,'' general manager Mike Maccagnan said. ''She's bright and talented, and she has earned this opportunity.''

Davidson's other responsibilities include managing the team's salary cap and player budget, and forecasting trends for the cap and ensuring the Jets are in compliance with the NFL's collective bargaining agreement and league player personnel rules.

She joins a list that includes Katie Blackburn, Cincinnati's executive vice president; Dawn Aponte, Miami's executive vice president of football administration; Jeanne Bonk, San Diego's executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Hannah Gordon, San Francisco's vice president of legal and government affairs, as high-ranking women in NFL franchises.

The Arizona Cardinals recently made headlines - and history - by hiring Jen Walter, believed to be the first female to hold a coaching position of any kind in the NFL. Walter was hired for a six-week internship coaching inside linebackers for the Cardinals, which includes training camp and four preseason games.

Davidson first began working with the NFL in 2004 as a legal intern with the NFL Management Council. A member of the New York State Bar with a juris doctorate from Cornell, Davidson has also worked as staff attorney for the U.S. District Court in Alabama and as a judicial law clerk for Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

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