This has to be the funniest poll ever done :lol: View Poll Results: Do you like the Trade for Jones? Yes -MC-, 10Pennington10, 24McNeil, 3lixer., abyzmul, alngtheway, AlToon4prez, al_toon_88, amsingh, Angry Teste, ATL-JET, ATLgreen, baamf, bada bing crew, BCSUPERFAN, Bear66, Benny the Jet, BIG COUNTRY, Big Poppa Naich, Bigoljetairliner28, billo83, BlairThomas#1, Boba Jett, boogerstyles, boomer, bowleggedwonder, Br4dw4y5ux, camp80, CapoStatus27, Chad Vs THe World, Chaser56, Coach K, ColoradoJets, CYensePHIction, dabrowsk1, daking231, dBLitzer28, Devildread, djure, dwalsh, e-x, englishron, fake_crs, faree, fenwyr, fireguy404, GangGreen04, Gmo41, Green Guy, Green Hurricane, Green Lantern 80, GreenGreek, GreenHornet, greenlantern1094, GreenMachine, gustoonarmy, HackettStillSux, Hemi, HeyNow, hwismer, hydro51, IBleedGreen66, iceman, IIMeanDeanII, Infinite125, islesfan, J-E-T-S Fan 2006, Jabba the Jet, jasonjets, jcjet, Jet Blue, JetFanRI, JetFighter, JETfrmWOMBtoTOMB, JetGreen83, jetmatt12, JETS, Jets18, jets526, jetsaholic10, Jetsetter, jetsfan119, JetsIn2004, JetsTillDeath, JetsUK, Jetzz, jlee499, Joe Will E 69, JoeJet, Joeyd223, Jollygreenjet, JonathonVilmaPwnsnub, Jtuds, k.Rhodes25, kbgreen, Kev-Jets, Khan, King Koopa, klecko73, KSJets, l3ol3o, Lawbot, Long & Winding Rhode, luckiestman, maglex, Maguel, mainejetsfan, MAJORPAYNE, Mantana Soss, MarcoV, MarionBarber31, Martin is the man, Mavericknyc1980, MiamiJet420, MikeSLTJ23, MisterMoss, MN_Jet_Fan, MobiusOne28, MParty7441, MrElectric29, mrjet80, mudman, Murrell2878, Namath2Kolber, namath4ever, Nesquik, Nighthawk, NJJets, Nomad, NY2MD_FS, NYJ EcKo151, NYJ2K07, NYJets38, NYJetsPenny10, nyjetsrule, nyjunc, NYSackXchange, ollie, Paddock, pajetsfan, PennyPeak, Petrozza, PF4JETS, PinPointPenning10, plasticsloth, RapZiLLa54, rickjet, rillo, Royal Tee, SackExchange69, Scikotics, ScotsJet, sec314, Sect120, SettlerDawg, SigmaXJet, silent scream, Sixto, skipper, Slagan7, slimmjim45, southwestjet, SOWELLisGOD, statjeff22, SteelCurtain96, steJ, supersonic, SydneyDon, Tennessee Jet, The Green Dude, The Predator, The Screed, The U, thegoldengod, themantda, Toon is God, Toon88, Trend, twombles_62, ukjetsfan, VaBchJet, vanyjetsfan, VickBlows, Vilmathegreat51, vilmazing51, vinsjets, Vision, Welcome to J-Ville, WhiteShoeWillie, wildthing2022000, winstonbiggs, Wolfe Tone, xxedge72x, Yisman, youraveragejoe29, Youth Is Served, Zach, Zcore, _AG_ 199 98.03% No FOURTHANDLONG, NYJATW, QueensBearsFan, TheBlairThomasFumble
I hear what you're saying, I just have problems reconciling it with the reality of what happened in Chicago. When Benson was drafted Jones was very much an unproven back. He had one decent season for the Bears in 2004 and they drafted Benson because they clearly felt that Jones was not the long term answer despite being in his prime (26 years old) and coming off his best season. A rookie back who was going to be a star in the NFL would have just brushed Jones off like like a piece of lint on his shoulder and taken the job. It's not like Jones was expected to be among the rushing leaders going into 2005. Instead what happened was that Jones took his game to the next level and became a feature back of decent proportions and held Benson off. That the Bears might have chosen to wear some of the tread off of Benson's tires by using him as the pound it/change of pace back seems just ludicrous given the value the franchise had wrapped up in him. I don't doubt your description that this is what happened but if so it was a monumentally bad decision by the Bears CS/FO. Now two years removed from that first camp and the holdout that might have set all this up I find the Bears very much unprepared for the transition that they just initiated. They have a feature back who has yet to prove he can feature and who also has a reputation as being fragile, even among his teammates. Jones would have given the Bears another option in training camp if something happened with Benson. This was his walk year, which would have made him doubly motivated to leave it all on the field each game. The only thing that I can surmise from the trade is that Angelo and Smith were worried that Jones would hold off Benson for another year, greatly diminishing any chance that he would become a star. Honestly, if I were them coming off a Super Bowl loss that would be the last thing on my mind. I would want the best possible RB out there for 2007 to make another real push at the trophy. Promoting stars is a very valuable thing to do for an NFL franchise. It's what gets you to the top. But once you are there you better claw and scratch to stay there and star promotion at the cost of production is very counter productive at that point. One last thing: Jones clearly has the Franco Harris mindset. He's going to get out of bounds and avoid contact if at all possible. That is a feature of him that the Belichik/Mangini branch of the Parcells tree would find very valuable. Those guys think injuries are the worst thing that can happen to a football team and trading off 50-100 yards a year out of a back who is looking for the sidelines or dirt diving when he sees heavy contact coming is a small price to pay for keeping him on the field.
Smart football. If I were a Bears fan I would have serious issues with the FO letting Benson be the man. He will get injured and then what? The Bears will be us last season if that happens. I hope it doesn't but you know football...
Absolutely. As Jay Marriotti of Chicago wrote: Jets got the Bears best offensive player for some lint. If it was just Jones for 2nd straight up, it still would've been a good deal. But to ALSO get the Browns 2nd?? That's just robbery. Moving down 20 spots? Nothing for a player like Jones. The draft is not about where you draft but who. Guys like Colston prove that year in and out. If the scouting department are either winners or losers, no matter where they pick.
