If the Jets were willing to let Shaun Ellis walk, Kris Jenkins would have been a reasonable replacement to start at defensive end. The plan for the Jets in 2010 was to let Jenkins play at end with Sione Pouha at nose tackle. It begs the question of whether this is a sign the team wants to bring Ellis back.
While this question comes to mind, I do not think one is related to the other. For starters, we cannot say for sure whether the team might bring back Jenkins for a shorter term deal. Even if it does not, there are a lot of young defensive linemen on the roster the Jets are looking to develop and seem to like such as Ropati Pitoitua, Jarron Gilbert, Martin Tevaseau, and Marcus Dixon. Trevor Pryce might be a cheap option. Other free agents might be affordable.
I tend to think this will not serve as any indication the team is willing to spend big on a defensive lineman near the end of his career.