Leon a Possible TC Holdout

I'm still in the no big deal camp. If he said, "I'll absolutely be at training camp regardless," there'd be no incentive for the Jets to give him a new contract, so it makes sense he'd hedge on that.

If the report is accurate -- that the Jets are offering $2 million per and he wants $6 million per -- maybe they can split the difference and move on. Because there is no way, no how, no chance of the Jets or any other team giving Leon Washington a multi-year contract worth $6 million a year. And at some point he and his agent are going to have to realize that if he wants to play NFL football again.

 

5-6 mil is about right.

Leon had 2300 all purpose yards last year and 9 TD's....And still we have not utilized him enough.

 

He's not going to be a full-time running back. He hasn't been to this point, and there's no evidence that he can be. (Or can't be, but clearly the team isn't going to use him that way.)

Talking about his "all-purpose yards" is great, but the fact is that virtually anybody the team puts back to return 40 kickoffs in a season is going to put up over 1,000 return yards. Allen Rossum put up almost 1600 "all-purpose" yards last season, and he's probably not making more than the veteran's minimum.

$5-6 million a year is not "about right" unless the guy is close to a full-time running back. The only part-time running back in the league who will make $6 million next year is Sproles, and that's just the one-year deal that the franchise tender dictates -- notice how the Chargers aren't giving him a multi-year deal at that salary. If Leon wants to keep playing until he's eligible to be franchise tagged, like Sproles, maybe he'll get his $6 million for one year.

 

^that's pretty much it right there

I think I said somewhere 5 years 25 mill, 10 in the first two, and I think that's still right, but maybe 15 mill the first two. I just think it'll get done, I'm not too worried - Tanny just wants to delay so he's in the news a bit. I'm telling you, he loves the spotlight.

 

Why the fucking Jets haven't solved this conflict by know is beyond me. I know we could just sign him next year and save money, but do you really want to take the risk of Leon being pissed and having a bad season; or worse leaving NY.

 

Just pay the man and stop pissing me off. He is the biggest impact player on the team, the only guy who can change the game in one play, and he's still young. On a team that plans to win with mostly defense, you need Leon to give you those 2-3 plays that keep you in or win the game for you.

I don't see what the problem is. Pay. The. Man.

 

I'd guess they "haven't solved the conflict by now" because he wants to be paid $6 million a year.

I like Leon, a lot, but he doesn't deserve that kind of coin and there are zero teams in the NFL that would give it to him.

 

I agree with everything except I do see the problem. His agent is trying to get too much money. He deserves to get paid, but not at the franchise tag rate over a long term deal. That's just silly.

 

+1

Leon is an integral part of the offense and special teams unit..and I do want to keep him on board...but 6 million a season?

I'm a firm believer that HB is the most "replaceable" position on the offense. Leon certainly deserves a raise.....but not franchise money.....not even close.

 

Maybe, I'm not great with the finances of the cap, etc. It seems to me he's one of the most important players we have, I don't see why he shouldn't be one of the highest paid players on the team. He's earned it, unlike Gholston and Sanchez to date.

 

That's a valid point, too.

 

I totally agree that he's earned a paycheck here, I just think that what his agent is asking is out of line with what other running backs are making on average.

QB's and pass rushers tend to be the highest paid positions on the field - that's just the way the NFL market works. The problem is that they need a rookie salary cap to prevent unproven guys from getting paid more than proven guys.

There is a problem with the way the system works, we shouldn't base the salary of our vets off that problem, especially when comparing one position to another. That would only cause another problem.

 

We need to get this situation resolved quickly. I would like to have him in camp, and hope that Schotty has a large package of plays for him this year. He needs to be on the field on offense more and I think they will. He should get about $4 Million a year with incentives that could push it up to $6/ year. He is our biggest impact player we have on offense.

 

I agree with that and I understand about QBs and end rushers, but I think people get too locked in on positions and theories about how they should be paid. People who want to define Leon as not a full time back, special teamer or easily replacable haven't been watching the games. A simple look back since he's been here and you can rattle off a bunch of games he's either saved, kept us in or locked away for us with a huge return, run from scrimmage or taking off with a simpe screen pass. Great runners should take priority over moneyball theories of how much you should pay for a certain position, is all I'm saying.

The Jets have no problem asking fans for every last dime we have, how about keeping the best player they have so the fans who can still afford to go might see a TD every once in a while. Am I crazy to expect that much?

 

All of these are not the same. It's easy to define Leon as "not a full-time back" because he's not, he hasn't been, and most likely he won't be. He certainly isn't just a special teamer; in fact, special teams is probably the area where the team would be most likely to come up with an adequate replacement -- other players have had success returning kicks for the Jets in recent years.

He is a great running back and receiver and weapon as part of a committee. That's not an insult; that's what he's actually done and been and will continue to do, and that's how he should be paid. And that's not $6 million a year.

I want the team to pay him like the team's best running back, which he most likely is, but to me that's about $3-4 million a year, tops. And that's pretty good money for a guy who most likely will get about 1/3 or maybe 40 percent of the snaps at running back, with Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene also having roles.

 

Fair enough. I just don't like looking at the amount of snaps he gets as a factor, it's what he does when he gets the ball, however he gets it. He should get more action than he gets, and we certainly need the other guys for every down, but he's a proven weapon as a returner, rusher and receiver. If he gets more than the average #1 RB it's because he does more over the course of a game and makes a bigger difference.

 

You make fair points, and if there were no salary cap than I'd say, yeah go ahead and make him the highest paid player on the team. But there is a salary cap and Tanny needs to be able to put all the other guys around leon that help him succeed. We need to be able to pay our top o-line, our future franchise QB and all the other guys on the team and we need to be able to pay them fair market value or they'll go elsewhere. If you pay one guy above fair market value that leaves you open to not being able to pay someone else fair market value.

Leon is one of my favorite Jets and I hope he gets a long term deal. I just think his agent is being unreasonable with the price tag.

 

That's the best argument the Jets have for dragging this out, and it's understood. All I'm arguing with is trying to pigeon-hole Leon into a definition of a role player, which he far exceeds on the field. Some players are exceptions to the conventional rule and Leon is one of them. I guarantee if they let him leave we will regret it for a long, long time.