Yeah he is, but while he's healthy you'da thought he'd spell Westy more. I believe Hunt was cut during the season.
Nice try. Leon is 26. If Jones retires next year, he will be 27. In two years he will be 28. This is right around the age Tiki became a featured back. Dunn played at a high level at the age of 33 last year. I could easily see Leon being a feature guy for 4-5 years following TJ's departure.
The Pats rushed for more yards than the Jets did with the committee and Jones ran out of gas in December on limited carries. What makes you think he would get the bulk of the carries in NE?
His YPC dropped by a full yard, he's carries went down and his productivity went down and the level of defensive competiton went down all in the month of December the time when big time running backs step it up.
He's always been the type of back to get better with more carries though hasn't he? I tend to put more blame on giving him the ball less.
Thomas Jones is a beast, he doesnt go down easily, and he knows how to play the game. in the denver loss, he was the only one playing that day, he burned em for 2 long touchdowns. Leon should get a few more carries, but i dont think he's an every down back. When dallas had marion barber, and felix jones both healthy they were a powerhouse, and romo doing play action gave him the ability to make huge down field plays. The Jets should draft a rb and give us a three headed rushing attack, maybe not with their 1st rd pick, but maybe a 3rd. a core group of running backs is exactly what this team needs, especially considering our qb situation.
To add to the argument, if Leon is used more next season, which I expect to happen, then who will take over his kickoff and punt return duties? The guy can't do all these things. He is such a weapon in the return game that I would hate to revert the duties to a journeyman or rookie.
Hard to tell because they didn't show any confidence in him in short yardage situations late in the season. Is it Jones or the Shot? He isn't a young guy and running backs do fall off the cliff more so than any other position. I think Jones is solid but I don't see him as a stud running back who can carry the load.
Rex Ryan wants to run the ball more. Jones wants more carries. I don't think we're getting rid of him, and surely we're not getting rid of Leon who means so much more than just rushing yards. I'm just wondering what we have to trade during the draft to move up in the first round. Who are we willing to give up?
Jones is great, I sport his jersey, the only problem I have is he's a bit inconsistent at times, he doesn't find holes as some great backs do and he's a little slow. He was never the fastest guy, but when he was bit younger back in Chicago he was strong as hell so plowing through defenders like a bulldozer made up for it, he is regressing. If someone good is available we should think about getting them, we don't have to get rid of Jones, we just need solid support in case he shits the bed this season, because these things happen. PEACE
I don't think trading Jones is a bad idea, as long as we can get a 2nd for him. He'll be 31 before the 2009 season starts and it's entirely possible that he could hit that wall that all RBs hit at a certain age. I don't think he'll ever have another season as good as he did in 2008. No one said anything about cutting Jones. Learn to English.
I think thats part of a total team collapse Winston...not TJ's fault alone or him running out of steam..the team ran out of gas. Nobody can name one player that didnt seem to run out of gas..from Pace...Jenkins..Ellis...Favre...Coles...Cotch...it was a total crash of a team that probably had more to do with the Mangini factor (which will be studied in future years because I cant honestly pinpoint that type of collapse). Over his career..there is nothing to show that TJ is the type of guy that whithers as a season goes along. He must be grouped into the above players..plus another 10 or 15 that could be named that just statistically fell apart.
You've been wrong this entire thread. Jones rushed for 3.9 per carry in dec that's only .6 less per carry and he wasn't given the ball as much as he should have had it. Fact is the coaching staff screwed up not jones. His carries went down cause our cs made bad calls, I doubt jones asked them to give him the ball less. They had no business letting favre throw as much as he did during the seattle game. Jones is not an elite back but there are not many elite backs, I can count them on one hand. You obviously dislike jones which is fine, that's your choice. But do not post bs on here and say it's facts. Jones was consistant most of the year and during our 5 game melt down he averaged 4.9 per carry with 4 tds. He should have had more touches. 9-1 when he had 20 or more touches. This thread and your posts fail.
Agreed. I don't have a personal feeling of like or dislike for Jones. I think he is an average back who isn't very elusive, doesn't hit the hole hard or move the pile in short down and distance situations but is a productive 2nd tier NFL back who had some big games running out of a spread O where the focus was throwing the ball. Once Defenses stopped playing the outside in the passing games and pinched the middle the big runs stopped and Jones wasn't effective. The guy is going to be 31 which is ancient for running backs. We are building a defensive team and need a more productive pile driver than Jones. You obviously love the guy. I don't sorry you took it personally. No hard feelings on my side.
I have to admit, Winston's position throughout this thread really surprises me because his insights are generally on spot. Winston, you seem to blame the collapse on Jones. The whole team collapsed. Favre, the pass rush, the run D, everything. You seem to want to single Jones out inreasonably so. He DID carry the load, yet you say he did not. Jones is what he is. He is NEVER going to drive a pile. He will be patient and wait for a hole to develop, and sometimes he waits too long. He isn't the perfect RB, but he has a solid game. Earlier you mentioned Maroney (it's not Mulroney) of NE. That kid is dynamic, but never healthy, he can't hold up in this league. NE used Sammy Morris and even freakin Lamont Jordan! Jones isn't better than either of them? Lynch is a head case, can't pass block at all, and also can't move the pile. They have the other kid for short yardage. Miami has one of the best one-two punches at RB in the NFL. Not a fair comparison. Jets fans are whacky I tell ya. Dump Jones with only Leon left on the roster? :wink:
