Totally agree. That's the point, right there - he really needsw to establish himself in the offense. Who the hell wants a guy making $6M a year running back kickoffs?
when your only getting paid $400K per year, the franchise tag of $3,000,000/yr must sound pretty good to 'lil leon.
Come on. Letting Kendall go with no backup plan was a collosal blunder. It killed the OL, and in turn the season.
I'd say offer him up to 5M per year for 3-5 years. If you don't think he's worth it, compare his stats to Sproles who was hit with the franchise tag this year at $6m plus.
I'm not opposed to some of the decisions the Jets have made, although the Kendall decision was a poor one in retrospect. I *am* opposed to how they have acted after making those decisions. There's somebody in the Jet's front office that does not know how to handle interpersonal relations particularly well once things get a bit choppy. As a result we keep getting contentious holdouts that turn into a lot of news and bad blood before they get resolved one way or the other. I'm hoping the somebody was Eric Mangini. I guess we'll get to see one way or the other now since Mangini is no longer around.
You're making a big leap that this is something unique to the Jets, it's not. Here is last years OTA hold out list based on contract issues. http://lloydvance.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/2008-nfl-training-camp-holdout-watchlist/
Who said he must have 300 carries a year in order to justify receiving starter money? Westbrook is getting about $7M per year and he's averaged less than 200 carries over his career as he catches the ball quite a bit (just like Leon.). Jones-Drew is getting $5M+ per year and had averaged 176 carries over his three year career (11 carries per/game). Marion Barber is getting $6.5M for 7 years. When he signed his deal last may, he was averaging 159 carries a season (9.9 per game). 176 carries translates to 11 per game. Leon is easily good for 10-15 carries a game, particularly since he will no longer be performing KO return duties. Brandon Jacobs averaged 138 carries per year (8.6 carries p/game) by the time he got paid his $6M per year (4 years) deal. Washington is more of a scoring threat than any of the backs above based on his scores per touches ratio and there is no reason whatsoever to believe he can't handle a 10-12 carries per game average. Again, is not Leon's fault he was used so little. Its not like the rationale behind his limited use was based on any injury history. If you have a Ferrari but only use it sparingly, does that make it worth any less?
You make a compelling argument. I expect Ryan to use Leon in a multitude of ways and formations this year. I'm a little shocked that people can't see how valuable this guy is to this team. Our #1 gamebreaker, most explosive and doesn't mind mixing it up running north-south (not that I want to expose him to this aspect too much). With more touches I expect the whole league will be very familiar with LW's name by the end of the '09 season.
Leon was an unpolished rookie in '06 running behind two rookies and the immortal Anthony Clement. Washington will be the first to tell anyone that he has exerted a tremendous and dedicated effort to improving his strength and conditioning as well as all aspects of his game since he has arrived, here. From the standpoint of his physical and mental development, Leon is not the same football player today that he was in 2006. Not even close. He has prepared himself to carry a far bigger load than he will ever be given. He just wants the damn ball and the damn money that goes with it but he's too polite to write a book about it.
Brandon Jacobs averaged 17 Carries a game in 07 and 17.3 per game in 08 he had over 20 carries 7 times last year and 4 times in 07 he had over 15 carries 9 times last year and 10 times in 07. Leon Washington had over 10 carries once in 08 over 10 carries once in 07 over 20 carries twice in 06 and over 10 4 times in 06. His YPC in 06 were signifcantly lower than they were in both 07 and 08.
Perhaps you should have also mentioned, however, that Jacobs missed 5 games due to injury in 07 and 3 games in 08 which I find ironic seeing how Jacobs, despite his great size and strength, is considered unable to carry the load offensively due to the punishment he endures with his unpright running style.
1) Leon was a rookie 4th rounder in 06. It's not unusual for a developmental RB in his style to have a tough time adjusting to the pro game. Most of the plug n play backs go in the first and second. 2) Our line that year consisted of 2 rookies and Anthony Clement. Our two worst run blockers were at the tackle position. Leon came in a much better edge rusher than a between the tackles back. He improved his game in 07, and in 08 got the OL he needed. I'm not sure why you'd automatically jump to the increased carries as the cause of his lower 06 numbers.
I'd rather Leon write a book than give the middle finger to his coaches and teammates by not showing up to work with them. As I mentioned, Leon said/did all the right things up until the point he got a number he didn't like. Now he is acting just like every other selfish player. No one is above the team. I gave up caring about specific players a long time ago and only root for the jersey. Put an offer on the table until the start of training camp. Leon can sign it or the Jets should pull it, focus on the season and franchise him if he deserves it.
I'm not jumping to anything. I like Leon, I would love to see him get more carries however Leon is a change of pace back who is excellent in space. He is not excellent between the tackles he goes down hard from arm tackles. His biggest assett is his quickness in the open field. If you pound him he may well lose that? You can't conclude that he can take 15 carries a game because he has never done it effectively. I think there is a reason he wasn't over worked. It may just be that Mangini or Shotty are morons and didn't have a clue how to use him but it may well be that they have good metrics on him and feel he isn't as good when he isn't fresh. Some backs improve with more carries and usually those are backs that live off contact. Leon doesn't live off contact he excells at making players miss.
Just pointing out that your use of stats was completey bogus. Marion Barber was also hurt last year for several games but before he was hurt he carried the ball a ton. It's not ironic at all it's just further proof that a change of pace back isn't at the same kind of risk that a back who's job is to pound and both take punishment and inflict punishment is and they aren't worth the same coin.
Actually Leon is very good between the tackles. He hits the holes very quickly. He just doesn't move piles.
Agreed if there is a hole he can get through it he has yet to prove that he can take serious contact or dish out serious contact which is what the big time backs who carry teams do.
No one is looking for him to carry the team, and perhaps that's the fundamental difference of opinion here. 15+ carries/touches is hardly a feature back number, but that's exactly what we'd like to see Leon get. Shonn Greene was drafted as a long term compliment to Leon. I'd love to see a situation like Carolina, with them splitting 30 carries per game between the two of them. Look at how much better DeAngelo got as the season went on because he was kept fresh by the presence of Jonathan Stewart. It's an approach that they've used for years now, although this past season their personnel took a big jump.
