No way he hasn't even produced anything to make him a million dollar man yet 13 million dollar man, he is in shape right now because if he fails this year he won't get another contract or make league minimum. Even if he has a probowl type year which 99% won't happen, no team will give him a long term contract. Because he has shown he lacks discipline and commitment of a Nfl player.
Upon reflection, if we're only obligating ourselves to one year, then yes, pick up the option. But if we're talking about extensions, no way until he proves himself on the field.
While I agree with your comment about the risk, and it being better to have to pay him more once he proves that he can stay healthy and play at a high level than sign him to the extension and then seeing him reverting, I don't think that will happen (his reverting). I truly believe that he wants to be great. I think immaturity played a part in his rookie season, realizing that he could no longer just get by on his natural size and ability, as well as adjusting to life in the NFL. I believe that the injuries showed him that he has to get in shape and stay in shape if he had any hopes of staying in the NFL and reaching his potential. He has apparently gotten into fantastic shape. Now we have to see how lucky he can be and whether he can avoid any more freak injuries.
I think if they'd already decided no, then they would have said so. Next year they won't have either a 1st or a 2nd and with both Brown and Becton gone, they might have a desperate need for a good tackle and they may not have the cap room to get a good free agent starter (if there's one even available). Keeping Becton for 2 years solves that timing problem and gives the Jets the opportunity to draft a replacement next year or the year after. I think the smart move is to exercise the option rather than have a big glaring hole in the OL next year.
What's the hurry? Even if he plays 17 games and does well, I don't see a lot of teams eager to get in a bidding war that would jack up his price a whole lot more than the $13.5M option after his experience the past two years. The Jets have the advantage over the others of seeing him every day and the ability to make him an offer to extend his contract at any time. And I say this as a long time Becton supporter and defender here who does not believe he's due to be hurt again simply because he had two unrelated injuries here.
You're making a few assumptions - (i) that he'll go to whoever pays him the most money and (ii) that if he plays well and stays healthy next year, nobody else will be willing to pay him a lot of money. He'll likely be pissed off if you don't exercise his 5th year option and won't want to play here, even if we are the highest bid. I suppose we could just franchise him, but then we'll have to pay him a lot more than $13.5 million. I do not want to have to give Becton a long-term contract because I do not trust his motivation to stay at the right weight to be healthy and effective, but if we need him after next year and we don't franchise him we may have to if we want to keep him. We don't have the ability to easily replace him next year - its worth $13.5 million to buy an extra year to get a starting tackle. The only tackles we have on the roster for next year are Mitchell and Warren. I suppose we could move AVT to tackle, but they really want to keep him at guard.
Tough call but I say pick it up. I think that decision would motivate and inspire Becton and if he turns his career around it is a steal at that price anyway
I thought we do have our 2nd next year…in fact thats the one we traded to GB, that will most likely escalate to a first so that we’ll keep our second rounder
The issue with Becton is not the injuries, it's what he didn't do to avoid them and that's stay in football shape and keep his weight down. Becton always seemed to me to be entitled because of all the praise he got as a rookie. BTW - he played well for a rookie but got schooled by a couple of DE like that big star Clelin Ferrell and was getting beat like a drum in camp by Carl Lawson. So in my mind he still has something to prove. Throw in he never attended any mini camps last year citing that his wife was pregnant. How many of us had to work and travel right up to our children being born. Again, it's about attitude and willingness to go the extra mile. Perhaps he's maturing but I would let this year be his "prove-it" year.
His mom runs a catering bizz so he grew up with all-you-can-eat fish, chicken, roast beast, salad with unlimited dressings, rolls, and deserts...oh those deserts! I'd way 400 pounds too. Maybe getting away from home and on his own with a team nutritionist, a wife, and now a child he's finally eating healthy.
I'm in the pick it up camp. Dude had a kid, sees his career slipping away and put the work in. I did that at 22, it completely changes a person. He's been working his ass off, I'm a fan, 13m will be a steal next year.
Im in favor of picking it up. Worst case scenario we have a $13 mil backup in a year where we have plenty of ways to create cap space. You can open up almost $20 mil by cutting Mosley and Tomlinson which I feel like is a lock... or they play well enough that we don't want to cut them and that's an even bigger win. Pick it up.
JD has never missed a chance to waste Woody's cash and I'm pretty sure he won't miss this chance either.
I say "hell no" to this. Bacton has done absolutely nothing to deserve $13 million next year. Make him earn it on the field this year.
It makes sense. Nothing more dangerous than a player playing for a contract. If he stays healthy and plays great, work out a long term deal or franchise tag.
I understood both sides of the argument on this issue. At the end of the day though, it's a really tough sell to give a guy who's essentially not played at all in the last 2 years 13M guaranteed. I'm pulling for Mekhi though. He looks to be in fantastic shape and has put forth a lot of effort this offseason to get to where he's at. If he plays well and stays healthy this year, I could see the Jets offering him a short-term "prove-it" deal next offseason.
