Fixed it. We have no idea what Bob Sanders "is". We know what he "was". What have you seen in the past 3 seasons that makes you so certain he's the same player?
I don't want the guy taking up a valuable roster spot even if he will be on IR in week 3, he still costs another guy a spot on the team. Imagine if he gets the next Woodhead cut?
So you'd rather have a couple of games of "better than 2010 Eric Smith or Brodney Pool" and then have Smith and Pool for the rest of the season? Personally, I'd rather sign a safety with lower risk and known current ability, even if he comes with a slightly higher contract.
Yeah, but is the risk of using a roster spot on a guy that is likely to end up on IR anyway worth the potential reward of having him as a backup? Is there no one else out there?
Sure there will be a risk of him getting injured, but I'm willing to see the Jets take that risk. We are thin at safety. Even if Sanders has an OK season compared to his '07 season, I'd be happy.
Yeah, but who exactly is that guy? I think safety is a position the Jets are trying to go cheap on, and they'd be fine with Smith/Pool back next year with Leonhard if they can't get Sanders with a cap-friendly deal. If they do get Sanders, and he does get hurt, then they'll fall back on Smith or Pool and probably be fine with it.
People are acting like he's the only option, like it's Sanders or roll with Pool and Smith. That's simply not the case. There are some good safeties on the FA list, and there's the possibility of drafting someone. I don't want to make a signing like this before the draft and free agency.
If we go THAT cheap, we'll get cheap. I'd rather spend a bit more on Landry or Whitner and/or draft a safety. Don't forget this will be year 2 of the Lowery move as well. Plus, if we sign Sanders, we HAVE to keep Smith/Pool, whereas at least one of them could be let go if we were to sign a better safety. That alone frees up some money to sign a more certain FA. If they want to sign him to a minimum contract with no guarantees and no bonus money so he can be cut easily, fine. From day one, though, I'd be dreading the bitching that would go on when he inevitably gets hurt early.
True there are other FA's. However, I wouldn't want to draft a safety right now. The idea of having a rookie safety and a 2nd year Kyle Wilson in our secondary isn't very appealing to me.
Should also mention that his injury last year put the Colts in a terrible position. He sucked up a roster spot almost the whole season because of the uncertainty surrounding his return. The guy got hurt in what, Game 1? He didn't go on IR until December, so the Colts were essentially operating a 52 man roster. I suppose that wouldn't be a bad situation, either.
While arguing with IJR, I looked at the available FA safeties (from about.com) Hamza Abdullah (UFA) - Arizona Husain Abdullah (RFA) - Minnesota Gerald Alexander (UFA) - Carolina Jordan Babineaux (UFA) - Seattle Josh Barrett (RFA) - New England Atari Bigby (UFA) - Green Bay C.C. Brown (UFA) - Detroit Courtney Brown (UFA) - NY Giants Josh Bullocks (UFA) - Chicago Tyrone Carter (UFA) - San Diego Sean Considine (UFA) - Jacksonville Reed Doughty (UFA) - Washington Abram Elam (UFA) - Cleveland Hiram Eugene (UFA) - Oakland Eric Frampton (UFA) - Minnesota Aaron Francisco (UFA) - Indianapolis Matt Giordano (UFA) - New Orleans Dashon Goldson (RFA) - San Francisco Deon Grant (UFA) - NY Giants Ken Hamlin (UFA) - Indianapolis Roman Harper (UFA) - New Orleans Michael Huff (UFA) - Oakland Michael Johnson (UFA) - NY Giants Dawan Landry (UFA) - Baltimore Michael Lewis (UFA) - St. Louis Bret Lockett (RFA) - New England Corey Lynch (RFA) - Tampa Bay Danieal Manning (UFA) - Chicago Brandon McGowan (UFA) - New England Jon McGraw (UFA) - Kansas City Quintin Mikell (UFA) - Philadelphia Lawyer Milloy (UFA) - Seattle Ryan Mundy (RFA) - Pittsburgh Chinedum Ndukwe (UFA) - Cincinnati Donnie Nickey (UFA) - Tennessee Paul Oliver (UFA) - San Diego Jarrad Page (UFA) - New England Charlie Peprah (UFA) - Green Bay Sabby Piscitelli (UFA) - Cleveland Bernard Pollard (UFA) - Houston Brodney Pool (UFA) - NY Jets Pierson Prioleau (UFA) - New Orleans Chris Reis (UFA) - New Orleans Gerald Sensabaugh (UFA) - Dallas Darren Sharper (UFA) - New Orleans]/b] Eric Smith (UFA) - NY Jets Matt Ware (UFA) - Arizona Pat Watkins (UFA) - San Diego Eric Weddle (UFA) - San Diego John Wendling (UFA) - Detroit Donte Whitner (UFA) - Buffalo Roy Williams (UFA) - Cincinnati George Wilson (UFA) - Buffalo Gibril Wilson (UFA) - Cincinnati Usama Young (UFA) - New Orleans I doubt the list is complete, but that's the first that came up. Not a whole lot of great options, and most of the ones out there will cost more than Sanders. I just don't understand people completely ruling out Sanders as a possibility. This is exactly the type of medium-risk, high-reward move that good GMs take a look at. Leave no stone unturned. Remember, the only safeties we have under contract this year are Leonhard and Lowery (if you count him). We need to bring in at least two safeties. And three receivers, a quarterback, a DT, an OLB, and a CB. We still have a lot of holes we need to fill, and it might not be easy to fill every spot with a good multi-year contract for solid players. My interest in Sanders depends largely on the contract. If the question is do I prefer Donte Whitner, Dawan Landry, or Bob Sanders under the same multi-year contract, give me Whitner or Landry. But if Sanders isn't looking for a big deal, I'd love to bring him in. You'd have to bring in or bring back another safety as insurance for Sanders for sure, but if he can play anywhere near the level he used to, he'd be worth it.
It's another option, and worth a shot. That would give the Jets Leonhard, Sanders, Pool, Smith, Lowery, and Ihedigbo as possible safeties. I would like to think that out of that group, one other guy would step up to be a legit guy next to Leonhard.
Few points to this, not really arguing either way, just responding. 1. If we're going to 18 games, the IR rules will be changed and more roster spots will be allowed. That would allow us to deal with this situation a lot better. 2. I wonder if when it comes down to it, the Jets have to choose Jenkins or Sanders. Which injury-prone guy do you want to risk your scenario happening to? Hard to carry two guys on the roster like that... 3. ...Then again, this is the same team that carried 4 QBs (3 who sucked) all year long. And that carried 2 punters for a significant period of time.
Last off-season was all about our terrible locker room chemistry. This offseason will be all about injury proneness. (is that a word?)
