Keller will certainly get more money than Walker. Pitta will probably get a second round tender and isn't worth that.
It baffles me how some Jets fans vastly overrate Keller. The guy can be effective but he's nowhere near this game-breaking game-changer so many are thinking. A better QB makes Keller more effective. Because a better QB makes EVERYBODY more effective. Jets should offer Keller an extension but he's not worth much & the offer should reflect that. If they feel he's not worth keeping, it's no biggie.
Its easy to let a player go but harder to find their replacement. Who you going to replace him with should be the GM's first question.
Why is Keller different than any other player? Who should replace Greene is the GM's first question. Who should replace Slauson and/or Moore is the GM's first question. Who should replace Landry is the GM's first question. If Jets draft a TE in the second round, they'll have a rookie who's already better than Keller. Good TE prospects in 3rd & 4th rounds also. I'd like to extend Keller but let's not act like Jets are gonna be left with some huge void that's impossible to overcome if he leaves.
See this the sentiment that's going around from some of the more optimistic posters and then when it doesn't work out your gonna want to fire the GM all over again. Not because the GM didn't do his job, but because you have unrealistic expectations. Very rarely does a GM "hit" on every pick in the draft. Especially in such a way that these guys will be impact guys immediately. You need to get used to the fact that there are going to be holes in places that weren't there last year due to the mess Tannenbaum made, and unless TE is top priority for Idzik, that will likely be one of the places. I don't think Keller is "great" but on the spectrum, of guys who end up being out of the league to hall of famers, he is definitely above average. It is going to be hard to replace that in year one with a rookie. My point is that going into next season thinking that your going to magically come away with an upgrade over Keller, Slauson, Moore and others and acting like it is a given, is going to leave you disappointed unless you have a monster draft.
All the successful teams should be putting a cap on how much they're willing to pay each player. There's a balance between retaining FA & drafting their replacements. The biggest factors affecting that balance is age, injury history & salary Everybody says keep Keller but these comments are all meaningless because they don't put down a dollar amount. Heck, I wanna keep Revis, Landry & Keller but when the dollars start adding up I can see it's not happening. http://www.spotrac.com/top-salaries/nfl/tight-end/ The 10th highest TE made $3,256,000 last season. I've already said, I'd offer 2.5M per (maybe even 3M). That's the limit. That's the market for TE. If he wants more then he can walk. Take a shot @ the draft or grab a JAG.
Based on his injury issues of late Cumberland has been more valuable then Keller; however, no question Keller has more talent. If he doesn't return to the Jets I would be very happy if he landed in South Beach with Fasano being resigned.
I agree with everything you posted here. My response was not suggesting you should keep Keller and/or overpay him. Letting him go may very well be the smart move in the long run. But in the short run, not so much. Just pointing out that expecting a better player day one from the draft with a 2nd or 3rd is destined to leave you disappointed unless you get really hit on a guy who happens to be pro ready.
keller is so overrated he runs suspect routes, never adjusts his routes to account for blitzes (how many times has he been hit in the back of the helmet with a pass??), has inconsistent hands, and is one of the worst open field runners in the game today (his only move is a hurdle) let someone overpay him and then collect the comp pick next year
Please stop. I agree, the Jets can't give much for Keller, but really? Cumberland better than Keller?
Keller is a much much more talented player than Cumberland. Better at every facet of the game other than being tall. With that said, the combination of injuries and the price demand should be the reason we let him walk.
This is a good test for our new GM. Not signing Keller last year was the best move Mr. T has made in years. Surprised we did not give him 4 years, 28 million with 10 mill bonus. I would resign Keller because we need some many bodies this would be one less we have to find. Sign Keller to a one year performance based contract and draft or sign a real blocking TE. If Keller balks, fuck him, we have Cumberland and Keller sucks as the season goes on, he can't block and he's not big enough to take the hits over the middle. Ray Lewis made him shit in his pants, not been the same since.
http://www.spotrac.com/top-salaries/nfl/tight-end/ The 10th highest TE made $3,256,000 last season. I've already said, I'd offer 2.5M per (maybe even 3M). That's the limit. That's the market for TE. If he wants more then he can walk. Take a shot @ the draft or grab a JAG.[/QUOTE] I completely agree with the 2.5-3M range. I don't think that Keller is lined up for a big payday after this past season and, even if he does walk, I'm sure that Fred Davis or any of the other FAs would be happy with that amount.
