http://www.thejetsblog.com/2009/02/23/buzz-thomas-jones-looking-for-a-new-deal/ I'd be looking for a new deal after that season too ...
I am really sick of these athletes that sign big contracts with changing pay rates. The first season the pay dips, all of the sudden the players are complaining they are underpaid. Well what about the years you were being overpaid ? I didn't hear anything from the players then ! TJ signed a 20M contract for 4 years. That averages out to 5M per year. So what if next year is only 900K base salary. He got a huge up-front bonus earlier in the contract. And TJ knew the exact pay structure when he signed it. The overall deal is a fair one. So stop complaining about it.
He should not get a dime. Anybody can get 1300 yards behind a good line and 30 year old Rb's come a dime a dozen. LET HIM GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have to weigh the pros and cons here. He's very durable and a great receiver out of the backfield, and an excellent pass blocker. But he's getting up there in years and isn't a very dynamic runner, cutback runners usually never are.
You would be looking for a new deal after such a season? He had a bad year in 2007 and made up for it in 2008. Its pretty much even to me. He's making on average $5mil a yr. People look at his $900k base salary and say, damn thats it? Well it doesn't matter how you wanna put it in the books. What matter is how much is he going to be taking home at the end of the day. He will be 31 when the season starts. He probably has one more good year, plus one avg year maybe. Once he turns 33, he'll be hitting the wall just like most of the RBs at that age. Shaun Alexander had an nfl record breaking year in 06 or whatever. He's pretty much been on the streets ever since. All Im saying is, Jones is getting paid above avg and thats the type of player he is. His 13 rushing TDs and his 1300 rushing yards shouldn't all be credited to him. Its OL that made most of the difference. How come we didn't ask him to take a pay cut in 08? Because it happens. You'll have a bad year and you'll have a good year too. But you don't go asking for a raise after one good season (that too after having one of top 10 OL in the NFL IMO).
I didn't say I'd give him a new deal, I said I would be looking for one if I were TJ. He probably wants one last pay day before his body gives out. This just adds to the argument I had about trading him a couple of weeks ago. We should see if we can get a good pick for him.
That's because Shaun Alexander was a product of one of the best run blocking OLines at the time. Then he lost two OL starters and couldn't run for big yards anymore. Whoops! Not so easy to be league MVP without holes you could drive a truck through.
besides, with the cutting of moore we can expect jones to have half as good a season... (dumb move) ... if that happens
You know my initial reaction to your trade proposal was..What the *$%^ are you thinking? Then I thought about it and it made perfect sense to trade him while his value is up. There is a problem in doing so. First of all, the team morale will take a hit after such a season and then being traded. Secondly, not many teams will give up much for him while he's 31. A 4th rounder maybe. Now a days, if you draft couple of RBs deep in the draft, chances are they will be adaquate with a good OL. Why would a team wanna pay him $5mil when they can find a 23 yrs old 4th rounder in the draft and pay him rookie minimum wage? He had a lot of value when we traded for him couple yrs ago.
This is what's sick about the modern day athlete. A signed contract obviously means nothing. I'm not sure if it's the culture we live in now, with people walking about from their mortgage contracts?? You should play to what you signed for, and when the contract expires, you plead your case as to why you expect more. It's sickening, and I agree with someone else who said "you ran for 1,300yds behind a great line, and you're 30 years old"....BEAT IT if you don't like it. We can upgrade you in a heartbeat...I love TJ and think he had a great year. But I would keep my head down if I were him and play ball. I think if we draft a RB in the draft, it will send him a message. Hopefully this talk dies down, and TJ doesn't become a problem going into camp.
It can't hurt to shop him and see what people are willing to offer. Who knows what someone might offer until you ask. As for the morale thing, I wouldn't be too concerned with that. These guys are professionals and understand it's a business. We have plenty of leadership on the offensive with guys like Faneca, Woody, Mangold and Washington. Hopefully whoever wins the QB spot will be a natural leader too.
i think TJ is really looking for Leon to get more carries. keep talking it only means our best underutilized player gets more reps. i like TJ but I love Leon. play for the contract you signed. if he thinks hes good enough to hold us hostage in camp hes wrong. i thought we evaded this scenario when Wrangler Magic retired. maybe TJ's label needs more money to promote a new artist. i think thats what it is.
you guys really are douchebags. so when you guys come on here and say so and so needs to redo his contract... yeah thats right you are doing the exact same thing. you the guys who if your boss came to you and said we need to restructure your pay would ask for a pink slip instead.. are more than willing to ask someone else to take less money even though they have a contract. but then when a guy comes and says hey i did a good job i would like something extra. oh that guys an asshole. even though you bastards go into your boss every year and expect a raise. its really actually quite disgusting that you all come in here and talk this bullshit that you do every single time someone wants a new deal. bottom line is that the teams back load contracts and are not obligated to pay the backloaded part, most of the time the player never sees that money, yet nobody has any problem cutting a guy with a year or 2 left on his deal and saving a shitload of money. oh but god fuckin forbid that a guy ask for a raise. quit being douchebags and bitching about something that each and every one of you do. do these guys make too much money? sure they do, if you dont like it stop going to the games, stop paying for the nfl network, stop buying jerseys, stop watching the games on tv. then and only then can you bitch about how much they make because you are in fact the one who lets this piece of shit league make so much money and pay it to the players.
your right about the backloading of contracts, I understand that. but the reason people are laughing at Jones request is simply because of his age. i wouldnt mind giving him maybe an extra half a mil or whatever if its cap friendly. but with a underutilized leon washington and Jones approaching 31 he doesnt have a whole lot of leverage. thats just my opinion, am I calling him a bum for wanting more? no. but it is understandable why at this point in his career he wants more money. cause he doesnt know how much longer he'll have one in football. but im curious how much of his contract was a bonus or is guaranteed.? that might give better insight as to whether he has a leg to stand on or not.
I don't think he's an asshole for asking for money, like I said I would be too after last season. I also don't think it would be smart to give him more money considering his age. If he were 2-3 years younger than I'd be willing to give him more cash.
No one here held a gun to anyone's head to make them sign a contract. Obviously these guys thought it was a great deal at the time. If they had a problem with it, why didn't they speak up instead of signing the dotted line? If the contract didn't make sense to them, why sign it? If you thought you were better than what they offered, why not try your luck elsewhere? My point is that a deal is a deal...it's not a "deal until you feel it's time to change the terms of the deal". I'm not ripping you, I'm ripping the modern day athlete.
