During lockout, Jets' Eric Smith moved back in with his parents

New York Jets veteran free agent Eric Smith has reacted to the lockout in a cautious manner.

He moved back in with his parents in Ohio.

And he works out a free suburban recreation center in Columbus to save money.

“We’re in a lockout,” Smith told the Washington Post.

As for moving back in with his parents, Smith was getting bored in New Jersey.

“It got to the point where I thought, ‘I’m going crazy in Jersey,’ ” Smith said. “I’d work out for a couple hours, go home, sit in the house and then what do I do? Walk around the mall? You can only do that for so long. Not a whole lot of nightlife around here, but I like it."

And the 28-year-old is keeping his options open for whenever football ends.

“It doesn’t last forever,” Smith said. “I know I need to do something else after football, and this has given me time to explore my options.”

Unlike several players who are taking part in unsupervised workouts, Smith thinks it's unsafe.

“I don’t understand why guys are doing this stuff. You’re risking injury,” Smith said. “And you got the rookies who aren’t getting paid any money, flying in to do these workouts. So they’re putting themselves in a hole before they make any money.

"Basically, we’re giving the owners all these practices for free. They aren’t spending any money, but their players are still practicing. So they’re making out.”

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Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for the Carroll County Times.