Would you care to back that up? What in your drivel have I failed to comprehend? Exactly how many players in the NFL do you believe "just turn it on" on Sunday? All the good ones? It's only the chumps who work hard all week, right? Let's see if I can "comprehend" another of your posts, the one comparing Bryan Thomas to Eli Manning. Putz though he may have been through three seasons, no one in their right mind would dare accuse Eli of underacheiving during the work week. His errors were mental; the inability to process on-the-field information and act accordingly. Thomas isn't making mental errors; he isn't confounded by the exotic offensive packages he's facing week in, week out. HE'S JUST LAZY. He knows what he should do, he knows what is necessary to suceed, he just chooses not to do it. "The light" isn't gonna pop on for Bryan Thomas. Eli didn't just wake up before the Patriots game last season and say, "Gosh, I'm gonna stop underacheiving now!" Once an underacheiver, always an underacheiver. Alio, I'd love a thorough response so I can continue tearing you a new one. Unfortunately your rhetoric is poor. Very poor.
Really. OK, give me an example. Name a player who dogged it during the first half of his career, then suddenly transformed into a hard-working veteran.
I still can't believe anyone who has watched Thomas still defends the jets drafting him number 1 and then stupidly resigning him. He really wasn't even that great in 06--the jets played a weak schedule and Thomas didn't even make that many big plays in his "breakout" year.
I don't think anyone is defending the drafting of BT. That argument died several years ago. I think that all people are trying to say, including myself, is that just b/c a guy wasnt a great draft pick, doesnt mean he cant help your team. BT had pretty good production in 06...good not great. He got the big deal, b/c unlike guys like Vilma and D rob...he actually fits the scheme the franchise wants to play, he's still young, and the specific position he plays, is one that again, in this scheme, you want to load up on. Now say what you will about Gholston overtaking BT early to start at WOLB. That doesn't mean that BT doesnt have a place on the team. The Parcells/bellichick school of thought is all about stockpiling linebackers. You try to get guys w/ versatile skills, so that you can mix and match against the given opponent. There are things that BT is gonna do better than the other OLB's on the team...and obviously vice versa is also true.It also never hurts to keep your pass rushers fresh. Again, no one is defending BT being drafted..or aything of that nature. All we're saying is..rather than piss and moan about his selection 5 years back...realize that he DOES help the team, despite not living up to his draft day potential.
I'm sorry I'm just looking for clarification here,are you hoping for a 55-60 sack season for the Jets team as a whole? Because if you are, you need to pull your head back from the clouds.... we had 29 sacks last season as a team, and without looking up individual sack totals for guys that we lost (vilma, robertson coleman and whomever else) lets say none of the guys we lost got a sack last year, and we can reasonably expect the same sack totals from our DL and current LB's (except maybe Harris in half a year he had 5, so that could go way up, but for now keep it as it was last year) then we add in Pace's production from last year, (6.5 sacks in Zona) bringing us to a total of 35.5 sacks, so from Gholston and Jenkins you are hoping for a combined 19.5- 24.5 sacks of added production? God I hope your right... in the real world where numbers change, i wouldn't be surprised if we hit about 37 sacks, but 50+ is a pipedream. Sack totals don't tend to skyrocket for a single player from one year to the next (barring first year as a starter/breakout years) and most of our guys in normal pass rushing situations are vets or have had their "breakout" year already. so while i expect their totals to fluctuate adding or subtracting more than 2.5 sacks per person is highly unlikely....
Thomas is skating on thin ice, and a permanent spot on the bench is underneath that ice. Don't forget that not only did he lose playing time to Bowens last year, but Bowens actually performed very well in the time he was able to get in. He was a playmaker when he was in, something that no other LB (other than Harris) could say last year.
As much as I want to see him produce, I don't but it from him. He knew that he was an important part of the linebacker core, yet did not play up to his capabilities? I'm not expecting much from him this year.
if you're asking me if we should play Gholston or Thomas at WOLB, I could not say the word "Gholston" fast enough. Not only has Thomas underachieved for years, I believe if you draft a guy real high PLAY HIM FROM DAY 1. Say what you want about Jimmy Johnson, he drafted Emmit Smith in 1990 and started him from day 1 of training camp--the jets took Blair Thomas 15 picks earlier and rotated him with two other backs for 3 years--when you make that kind of investment PLAY HIM! Johnson did the same thing (played them from day 1) with Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor even when they were not picked that high.
I'd say the job is Gholston's unless Thomas makes such a compelling case against it (which is all good in the end if that DOES happen)
To even suggest that you are somehow sand bagging it during the season ,Training camp or at all is a major problem. Brian Thomas for one hasn't earned shit! The Break or preferential treatment , only goes to Real vets who have put in the work 5-6 year in a row. This also could be his way of saying I'm tired fella and ill Just play gingerly until my new contracts up. I really think the jets would have sufficient Beef to go to the NFL and recover some Loot for his sorry ass! It all about The jets Now. Individuals don't count now. It about the team!
Well, you're not really "tearing me a new one" since you're simply proving me right when I state that your reading comprehension skills are poor. So to answer you, I never said that guys like Manning, or Brady "simply turn it on on Sunday". What it was meant to say was that their natural talent and genetic makeup lends to their ability to capitalize on the effort they put in. The difference between Peyton Manning and Bryan Thomas, without factoring in any level of effort is the same difference as between myself and Vern Troyer both playing football. I'm going to be better, simply because I was more fortunate in the gene pool lottery. In terms of "comparing" Eli to Thomas, the comparison was situational, not apples to apples. Again, Manning is the beneficiary of a better gene pool, coupled with deep knowledge of the game from a young age. Thomas' errors are mental, just like Eli's. It's just a different place where it manifests. He was stupid to slack off in practice. He knows that now. Yes, he was lazy, no one is denying that. I don't understand how you can manage to say "The light isn't going to pop on for Bryan Thomas", when it seems quite obvious that him admitting that 1) he needs to practice harder, and 2) that he didn't do that last year, is actually the very definition of the "light popping on". The problem isn't due to a debilitating injury, it's entirely mental. That can be fixed. I'm not advocating a free ride, but given that he is already under contract, there is zero harm in giving him a chance to redeem himself.
Yea but you're forgetting the first round pick factor. The fact is, Thomas is a first round pick who has yet to notch 50 sacks. Most first round picks are locks to at least be really, really good players, and simply getting a useful player with upside is a burden no franchise and their fans should have to endure. The Jets were stupid for drafting him in the first. He sucked last season. Therefore, we have no use for him and that really monster contract we gave him is simply a sign that this franchise will never learn.
This is ignoring the point. Where he was drafted is not of concern to the current regime. They didn't draft him. First round players bust anyway. Ryan Leaf ring a bell? I don't concern myself with which round a guy was drafted in. Tom Brady was a 6th rounder. It's all a crapshoot. That said, the past doesn't matter one bit at this point. Well, that's not totally true. What does matter from the past is the contract they gave him after a breakout season. The question is: can he now make a return on the investment? If he does, then I don't see what the problem is with playing him. That's up there with people saying they wouldn't have liked to have had Randy Moss here. Talent is talent, and if Bryan Thomas shows himself to have more talent in camp than Gholston, then I want Bryan Thomas to be starting the first game. If he doesn't have the talent, he'll be cut in camp. No further harm done. This is why I can't understand this thinking that he should just be benched. Why? To "prove a point"? GTFOH. The Eagles "proved a point" with TO. That he could take a half season off, wind up with a division rival, and make the playoffs. This isn't high school. You're not "proving" anything by benching the guy for no reason. He gets a chance (with obvious extra scrutiny) to prove himself. If he comes out of the fire without a burn, I can't for a second understand why people wouldn't want him to play.
Really? Check out the first round of the 2005 draft and get back to me on that unless 50% conforms to your definition of "most" which would be highest percentage one could assign to that draft class as having produced simply good players and only a handful of really, really good ones. No logic to be found here. Tell you what. I'll make you a wager. If Thomas doesn't record at least 6 sacks this year, I will never post on this site again but if he does register 6 or more sacks, the you promise to disappear from here for good. Deal?
OK Alio, let's examine the difference between a "mental" mistake and an "attitude" mistake. Eli Manning made mental mistakes; when a blitzing linebacker came barreling down at him, he'd ignore his progressions, step up and heave one to someone in double coverage. This is a mental mistake; no amount of preperation or training could have prevented this mistake- it is simply something that would eventually remove itself from Eli's game through experience. Bryan Thomas makees attitude mistakes; on a Monday after gameday, when every other game-changing linebacker is dragging his sore ass to the weight room for a back-breaking workout, Bryan Thomas hit the snooze button. When every other blitzing OLB is staying late in the film room to analyze the tendencies of next week's RT, Bryan Thomas was on his way home. Now as I've already mentioned, this has been Bryan Thomas' MO throughout his ENTIRE career; he has had MANY opportunities to redeem himself. You say that "given that he is already under contract, there is zero harm in giving him a chance to redeem himself." BUT THERE IS HARM! It sends a clear, loud message to every other player on the Jets that says this: "Under a long-term contract? Sweet. Don't worry about this year then, guys. Phone it in. You can always turn it on next year." Bryan Thomas is a cancer. Good football give second chances to guys who get injured at work; not guys who say, "Whoops! Forgot to do my job! My bad! Can I have a do-over?" The only thing that frightens me more than BT on the team in '08 is BT having an 8 sack season and then phoning it in for '09. I repeat: once an underacheiver, always an underacheiver.
Toona I'm joking. I think it's borderline retarded that Jets fans will harp on a guy for not being an elite player if we draft him in the first round...it's entirely OK to be a solid player within a D. Thomas can and has fit this D, and I expect big improvement from him. I mean what reason is there to even cut him now anyway? It's stupid. It hurts our LB depth, some 3-4 team will def. snatch him up, and his contract is nowhere near as bad as some people are trying to make it sound.
You're an idiot. I say Bryan Thomas sucks, once an underacheiver always an underacheiver; you say that's not true all of the time; I ask for one example of it not being true; you say Bryan Thomas. You are an idiot. I realize that this was addressed to DWare, but I am personally holding you to this claim. When Bryan Cactus is riding the pine in Detroit, your ass better be nowhere near this website.
Just because a guy isn't starting doesn't mean that: 1. He's not going to play period. 2. He's unlikely to produce in a more limited role. Just sayin.
