people don't know how to let go of the role players. Its some odd weak fan trait that infects people.
We will NEVER regret letting Baker go, he was average at best in every measurable that you value in a TE .... Except for the money he wanted which was more in the premier category ... TE's like him are easily replacable ...
All I keep hearing from some fans whenever there is a contract dispute is "pay him." What about the cap? We have all heard this refrain before. The sky fell the day Lamont Jordan signed with Oakland. How did that work out for Jordan? Did the Jets really miss him? Was he worth the $35+ million contract he received? An NFL team simply can't afford to pay starter money to two or three players at the same position. Keller is the starting TE. The Jets just need to find a back up TE who can block and catch an occasional pass. Do you $4 million for that? I think not. Good-bye Baker.
i think most fans. especially Jet fans, are scared about not be able to replace a JAG player or a player who plays a little bit above the JAG level like Baker did. Its fear. There are other fan bases that could give a shit, because they know their team will replace that guy.
While it would be a bit odd to cut Alex Smith after you guys gave up a draft pick for him, I'd be happy if that were the situation. He played well in TB and could be a decent 2nd TE for us. Still, it wouldn't surprise me that much if they kept all 4 for some reason and just let the 5th guy (Tyson something?) go. I'm not sure anyone's going to give up a draft pick for Benjamin Watson at this point, knowing that someone has to go from that TE group. Stranger things have happened, and it's possible someone drops a 6th or 7th for him, but it seems somewhat unlikely.
It's fear, but it's still frustrating that fear for a football team can motivate people to such irrational decisions. Even after pointing out the terrible logic in paying average starter money to the 4th or 5th most important backup on the team, they still insist he was worth it. Huh?
I had a sig that said I was rooting for ratliff when Chad and Clemens were battling it out before Favre got here as a joke, and then he had the huge preseason against 3rd stringers and he became the sensation. To my defense I just wanted to see how he could do against a vanilla 1st string defense in preseason, but everyone else was ready to crown him the starter. Its just the want to find the diamond in the rough, but when a player had been in the league for 4 years and they haven't broken out, then the writing is on the wall.
giving baker 4 million was the stupidity of the front office! the front office seems to have a problem of making promises they can't or never intended to keep. but the jets would be a better team with baker than we are now. we needed baker and the front office screwed the pooch. we seem to have a front office that drafts well, but does not work well with the players they already have.
too much koolaid for you. the pats collect first and second round picks like no other team i've ever seen. they have top talent throughout the roster. hell, they used 4 second picks in the last draft and all are going to be starters this year or next. the jets on the other hand, give away draft picks to get talent, which in hindsight, is hurting the depth of this team. i have serious doubts about us smashing the pats. i would not bet the farm on that pipe dream... i've been reading up on our competition, the pats draft is turning out to be a gem, from what i've been reading. dolphins didn't do too badly either. our jets are not keeping pace with these two teams, talent wise, and it will show this season.
the talent around him makes a world of difference, along with the guy throwing him the rock. teams were able to cover baker tight because noodle shortened the field so much it helped the opposing defense's a ton.
Not pointing at your directly, its jsut been funny over the last couple of seasons. First Ratty was the big thing, now after 1 preseason game against the third stringers of one of the worst defenses in the NFL Ainge is suddenly a good QB to many on the board.
we're moving to a power running game and we let a good tightend go that this team is now in desperate need of. everyone makes too much of keller, when in reality, he sucks the big one as a blocker. gonna hurt the running game a little, yea?? i agree baker was not worth 4 million, but it was the front office that failed there. it's every players goal to get the most he can and baker out did tanny to the point tanny had to let a good player go because he did not handle the negotiations very well from the begining.
^ but if Baker was never going to move from his demands, what is the FO going to do? Baker is a casualty of is own greed. Keller improved his blocking this year. Baker and keller aren't Becht type of blockers but as long as Keller can seal off a CB or LB for 1 second the Jets'll be fine. And Baker is the one who parked his car in the Presidents space. That's one way to not get what you want.
Uh, that's an awfully big assumption. You're assuming the Pats allow Light to walk this offseason because Vollmer fully develops and that Ron Brace somehow breaks into that formidable starting lineup on the DL. I don't see either happening, although I would agree they had great 2nd round pickups. No, we're not going to smash the Pats this season. I'll be ecstatic if we manage to eke out a split. It's impossible to say how good a draft is for a few years, but I'd argue the Pats had the right approach for this draft. Either trade down and secure a few picks next year, or slide up (as we did) to get one of the few truly worthwhile players from this draft. Either way, 2010 is the important draft to look at.
sorry, but i haven't seen all that much improvement. he still sucks the big one as a blocker. sure he's been working on improving as a blocker, but that could take years. it's not something everyone can just say "i'm going to improve" and then go on to become proficient in one off season. baker was a good all around tight end. but it's water under the bridge now! time to find a couple more good ones if we're truly going to become a power running team...
where did i say a single word of cutting baker? the team could have waited baker out. how many players will actually sit out for a season and lose all that money. next to none. teams give in to whiner too easy. tanny has no long term plan, he keeps getting caught with his pants down. baker, og a couple years ago and leon this year. every year it's somebody. as far as drafting. i was referring to getting talent in the draft. they find it alright, but are paying too much for it. vollmer takes over the right side this year! kazur, according to pats fans, is a turnstyle. brace take's over for wilfork or seymore. they can't keep both by the looks of it.
