By get all the tough yards, I didn't mean convert every 3rd and short all season long. He didn't get them all, but he was always the guy we sent in there to do it. Who do we send in on 4th and goal at the one next year if Jones is gone? Washington isn't built for short yardage; Greene's big enough, but I think it's idiotic to cut Jones based essentially on two great games in the playoffs. The point about ditching veterans at the right time is well made, but I could just as well make the opposite point. New England staffed an entire team with productive veterans for their Super Bowl run (if they pick up TJ, I'll be absolutely sick). Pittsburgh kept Bettis around when he was all but crippled, and yes he took a pay cut, but not in the year after setting a career high in rushing, he was getting paid until there was no doubt he was finished. Indy cut Edge, but they kept Harrison around even after he shot a guy. Perhaps most importantly though, all those other decisions came in capped years. With no cap, you can afford to hand out a mil or two more than you'd like to your teams spiritual leader. There's no spending limit, how can you approach the hardest worker on the team and ask him to give up money? I can't help but think this is happening because LT got released and Tannenbaum has stars in his eyes again, just like when Favre became available.
1.) I don't think the Chargers game is indicative of Jones getting tough yards. I think it was more of Ryan/Schotty knowing they could have run Woodhead and gotten those 2 yards at the end. The O-line was dominating the Chargers at the LOS and anybody running at that point would have gotten the first down. If the Jets have an adequate plan B for saying sayonara to Jones then I am fine with that. However, I think Jones has been great for the Jets. 2.) I find it strange how Tanny kept reiterating how Edwards needed to be in Florham Park. That doesn't sound encouraging in the respect that it raises some troubling questions to me. Is Edwards balking or unwilling to put in training time?...... weird.
2) That really worries me. Braylon made a great point when he first got here about developing a "Peyton/Wayne" relationship with his quarterback. He also CLEARLY needs practice to become a true number one for this team. If Tanny has to publicly implore Edwards to get to the practice facility, that's not a positive sign. 1) That play always smacked of placation to me. Especially afterward in the locker when Rex said, "We said, 'hey, TJ: run our play!'" Greene was the star of that game and I'm sure Jones didn't feel too confident about that. Any back in the league could've picked up those two yards. Nothing but love for Thomas Jones, but if TJ, Leon and Greene are all healthy for the entire season and TJ gets more than fifty percent of the carries, that's too much. His skill set just isn't twice as valuable as Greene's or Leon's.
I agree completely with that statement. We've got two young guys on the upswing, and one older guy who may be approaching the downswing. But that doesn't mean you can't keep Jones. Unless he's going around demanding 300 carries, which I doubt he would do given what we hear about his camaraderie with Leon and Greene, a 5 mil price tag just isn't a good enough reason to cut the cord.
I understand where everyone's coming from with the uncapped year spending spree, but it's just not that realistic. Yes, there won't be a salary cap. Yes, that is very convenient for teams like the Jets. But it doesn't mean that Woody Johnson is just going to open up his checkbook and put George Steinbrenner to shame, nor do I think it should. It's still a business, and good business suggests that if you've got a running back making double, triple, quadruple the money that two younger, better running backs earn, rework the contract or find a cheaper replacement.
NFL Network just reported that there is talks to restructure TJs deal, but it doesn't seem likely. Jones will be on his way out.
We've had a front row seat this year as to why it's important the Jets can't afford to have just 2 backs. I don't really care whether we keep Jones or not as long as he's replaced with a comparable, solid back. Doesn't need to be a pro-bowler, just a tough, sure-handed runner. I doubt you're going to get a comparable back for the same price as Jones. Maybe we get someone who's a little lower on the talent ladder for less money and hope Greene and Washington stay healthy. If you forced me to choose, I'd say to resign him because at least you know what you're getting with the exception of him being a year older.
The problem with spending like a drunk sailor with an uncapped year is what happens if a cap is reinstated? Any team that spends is going to get fucked like $10 hooker. I do not think teams are going to spend like crazy, as the future ramifications can be killer. The NFL isn't stocked with dummies. If/when the cap comes back they will certainly account for some techniques that come to mind that would circumvent the uncapped year........ Cutting guys to accelerate past salary/bonuses, giving a huge signing/roster bonus with a relatively small salary to offset future cap hits and possibly monetizing big non-guaranteed money. Again who the hell knows. Edit: Those Edwards comments are really bothering me. If he was committed and going to do it, there is no way in hell Tanny is making those comments in public.
Giving 5 mil to a halfback coming off a 1400 yard season hardly qualifies as going on a spending spree. We're talking about honoring the final year of a contract signed 4 years ago. And it's hardly a case where the final year is some elevated number to force a decision, its a 4 year, 20 million dollar deal, and I believe he's slated to get just over 5 mil. If we release him, you can assume we'll end up spending 2 or 3 million on somebody like Clinton Portis or Chester Taylor, neither of whom would I prefer to have over Thomas Jones, so you aren't just pinching pennies (sorry, but in the scope of an NFL franchise's budget, that's pennies), but the team doesn't improve, it gets worse. Under a cap, you could at least argue that the team improves by better allocating cap dollars to other players, but we all know that's out.
I think it's not a very comforting situation, but I'm not as worried as you are. The Jets knew they were getting an unfocused player in Edwards, it was a calculated risk. And they are tendering him instead of negotiating with him to get him to put in the work and try to reach his potential. I'd be much more worried if they had negotiated a new contract before the Browns trade.
