He's not one of the best TE's in the league. I think we can all agree on that. We all have varying opinions as to how good he is, but I don't think anyone would call him one of the best in the league. He was part of an abysmal offense last season on a team that went 4-12. If you haven't seen, the team that just won the superbowl just got rid of one of the best TE's in the league for a couple of draft picks. That should say a lot about how much a bitching and moaning TE is worth in this league. Baker JUST redid his contract for more money last year and is bitching for more again. He hasn't received a raw deal at all.
Baker presented this strategy to the CS as a gift with his bicycle antics at OTAs. It is now up to the NYJs' doctors whether Chris Baker comes off the PUP list or not. The problems with one's back represent a notoriously subjective diagnosis issue for MDs. How is the doctor to know that the player just wants to do anything to get back on the field? Maybe he isn't telling the doc just how badly the pain has become... Baker can't ask for a trade from the PUP list, and with his playing time in doubt, he has a hard time making a case for a brand new contract -- after all, he is getting his full salary without doing a thing for it on the field... Chris Baker should never have gotten on that bicycle...bad idea. You have to hand it to Mangini and Tannenbaum...that's some evil genius stuff to counteract this Pete Kendall strategy, huh?
Nonsense with the raw deal. First, I feel he is a good player but not one of the best. I am sick and tired of players adjusting their perpective the year after their contract was accelerated and then claimed they are underpaid. He signed a contract. What the new rookies are making now has nothing whatsoever to do with it. The best for him to renegotiate his contract was for him to play his heart out this year and not act like a major disturbance which is what got him in the dog house in the first place.
I stand by what I said. These last few seasons, Baker has been one of the best and most consistent Jets. Is he Tony Gonzalez? No, but I want to see him playing with the Jets this season. I don't think he should be traded. I think we need him. We have the 1 and 2 receivers and a rookie TE.
^ I don't think he should be traded either. That would be giving him exactly what he wants and telling every player on the Jets the Kendall blueprint works great if you want a ticket out of town. Keep him on PUP all season and let him try and find a better contract next year. Let's see what Neil Schwartz thinks of that.
I just hope he plays cause you can never have enough quality dept and he is a good blocker with the little dept. we have a ol.
Baker is in the bottom third of the league when it comes to TEs. Last year was his best season by far. He has been a 20-25 catch 200-300 yard TE. TEs like that are a dime a dozen. He is fairly paid for his mediocre performance and if he wanted a big contract he shouldn't have signed a four year deal two years ago. He should have put his ass on the line with a short contract and entered the market. As for being one of the best Jets, that is quite puzzling to me, even with a 4-12 team. Of the 22 starters on the team right now, I'd say there are at least 15-16 players that I would take over him in a heartbeat. With the TEs on the roster this year, he is one of the most expendable and easily replaced starters on the roster. Should the Jets pay every player who wants more money? People complain about the price of tickets but want to pay players like Baker millions of dollars for being competent. I agree with Baker that NFL rookies are grossly overpaid compared to veterans. There is an easy solution to that. Back Goodell's plan to put in an NBA style cap on rookie salaries and save more money to pay veterans. Why don't the NFL veterans and the NFLPA get behind this? Think about how great it would be to be done with these ridiculous first round draft pick hold outs and huge contracts. Why should fans believe Baker over management? Because Kendall, who has worn out his welcome on three teams already, said the Jets lied last year? It is no coincidence that Baker and Kendall now have the same agent and that Baker has the same gameplan that Kendall had last year. Complain loud enough and you get a trade. I don't respect either Baker or Kendall. Keep him on the PUP as long as possible until the preseason games start and the media becomes more concerned with positional battles and football then some below average NFL player's contract.
I'm sorry, but I think this is a terrible analysis. Bottom third? That's insane. I remember his performances in the games the last few years, and the analysts were praising him. He is not bottom third. The Jets have had a number of bottom third TEs over the years, and he is not one of them. Expendable? What are you going to get to replace him? You're gonna depend on the rookie who can't block, who plays more like a receiver? You're gonna depend on Coles, who came off a lasting injury? We have two good receivers, one of which is prone to injury. That's what we have. Chris Baker is needed on this team, he plays his heart out on the field, yes his crying has gone a little long, but he needs to be a Jet. He is not expendable. Not in the least. The Jets are thin, as it is!
out of curiosity, I thought PUP meant Physically Unable to Perform. So technically dont the Jets need Baker to have some kind of injury to place him on the PUP list? I only say this because I don't want to be blind sided if the Jets did anything wrong here by placing a player on the PUP list seemingly without an injury...
Baker said he was injured, and couldn't practice during mini camp. For his own protection the Jets are going to require him to prove to them he is not injured. He can sit on the exercise bike and watch his starting job peddle away, and probably his career, or he can go out there and win his job back. It's his choice. He's under contract.
flgreen is right, I think the Jets are fully within their rights in this one. Baker has stated that he cannot play due to an injury, but has failed to submit to a NYJs medical specialist to prove it. The reason they wanted to do that is because when a player holds out without the injury excuse, they are fined for missing camp/practice. He's trying to play games and he just has no leverage. The Jets had previously stated that they wanted him examined for proof and he would not submit as far as I know. What is the next step? Well, if the player is too injured to participate, you place him on the PUP list. If he wants to play this season, he either shows up at camp or he is inactive until week 6. All he can do is ruin his own career. And he's doing a damn good job of it.
well thanks for the heads up, I managed to miss Baker telling the Jets he was hurt. Well thanks for the updates guys. Hopefully Baker gets his ass in gear, and comes to play come camp, because if he loses his starting job to Keller, I think he might never get another shot in the NFL.
The threat to Baker really isn't Keller, it's Franks. Keller is a totally different type TE then Baker. Keller will be almost a receiver/H-back. Franks has been to, I believe, two pro bowls. The risk for the Jets is that he has been hurt two years in a row. There is no doubt in my mind that he still has the physical skills. The big risk for the Jets is can he stay healthy?
I feel slightly retarded after reading this nonsense. You have a lot of holes in your argument. I doubt I can possibly hit all of them, simply because I just got off work and I'm lazy. Bottom third of the league? Really? Out of all the terrible TE's in the league, you want to try to associate Baker in that list? Do you actually watch this guy play or are you that biased to the current situation? Your arguement with his stats are flawed. He was asked to be a primary blocker (especially last season due to our God awful line) for the last couple years, which has taken away from his true potential for this team. The times his number was called, he was able to deliver for us 90% of the time, with a lot of big time plays that a "mediocre" player would never be able to pull off. If he was used proper on this offense, he would shine. He is more then capable. He does not get paid what he should. He has done everything the Jets' have asked out of him, yet he gets the short end of the stick? He has paid his dues for this team, so this franchise should act accordingly. How can you possibly name 15-16 guys that are better then, Baker? How do you compare that many people to Baker, when only four of those positions are even remotely close to what Baker does. Which is blocking and catching. WR, TE, RB, OL. Those are the only positions close. Out of those positions, I only have a hand full of people that are better then, Baker. I don't think that is all that shabby, considering the lack luster TE's we've had in the past. That is all the more I feel like typing, good day, sir.
Whether Baker is being compensated accordingly or not is not the issue....the bottom line is he signed a contract and should honour his committment to the team. If he didn't like the terms of his current deal....he shouldn't have signed it then. It's not like he's getting paid minimum wage. Any player that played for the Jets during that 4-12 vomit fest last season, has no right to complain about their compensation...they should be so lucky that they still have a job.
He's actually on the Publicy Unable to Pout list. Which means he's grounded and won't be able to leave the rookies dorm.
