Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I highly doubt the Jets are going to put forward a serious effort to sign Thomas. He will be 30 when camp starts. I can't see the Jets throwing money at a guy entering the downside of his career. At most they get 2-3 years out of the guy. No way they are going to offer a 5-6 year contract for him...which is what they would need to do to be competitive. PLUS...the Ravens didn't franchise him and their FO is pretty astute. They probably realize there is no upside to signing a 30 yr old to franchise or longterm contract.
Or it could have to do with the fact that the Ravens simply cannot afford him. Their projected cap #'s put them at around 5-6 million under the cap. Only 5 teams are in worse shape then they are.
Actually he can, so your whole sarcasm thing didn't work there. We need one defensive lineman, and you can always use linebackers. That's not to say he can play it well, but he could play it if we forced him.
While it'd be nice to have him on the team, I dont think we should target him....this just seems like the typical player that people will 5-6 games in the season ''Where the hell has adalius thomas been thus far, we're paying this guy the big money and he's doing nothing!'' I hadent heard much of this guy until last year, which was his 1st pro bowl year and ironically it was in his contract year.... It also helps he plays with immense talent in that Balt D and a top notch coordinator in Rex Ryan. I wouldent cry if we got him, but I cant jump up and down like some of you guys would. Just rather play if safe and work through the draft and go from there.
The Ravens are only 3 mil under the cap, tagging Thomas would cost over 7 mil. Thomas is 29... that isn't all that old, and he's far from showing any decline in his level of play, in fact 2006 was regarded as the best of his career. He should be good for 3 to 4 years, barring an injury problem, possibly longer. There are plenty of 34 year old LB's who remain playing at a high level. The Ravens have said they are still very interested in re-signing him... yes, their FO is astute, they want him back.
You post doesnt make any sense at all. First of all if you havent heard of Thomas before you must probably live in a cave or something. He's the best pass rushing LB in the NFL as he leads all LB in sacks since he became a starter in 2004. He made the Pro Bowl in 2006, he shouldve made it in 2004 and 2005 as well. So dont turn him into a guy who had one good season because he needed a new contract. He had 3 Pro Bowl caliber seasons in a row while getting underpaid as hell. He never complained. And whats safe about drafting a LB in the first round?
You cant tell me he really stepped his game up last year And the last LB we took in the 1st round was pretty good, right? Besides we dont have a need for a LB....Barton and Hobson arent THAT bad.
Thomas was a hybrid DE/LB for several years, which affected his numbers some, but he's been playing at a pro bowl level for several years now. No, Hobson and Barton aren't horrible, but Thomas would be a major upgrade, and Barton is over priced at 3+mil this year. I have always thought Hobson was better suited to be an ILB anyway. Getting Thomas to play across from B Thomas would give the Jets a premier pass rush, one of the best in the league. A solid pass rush also helps the DB's. You severely under rate A Thomas here. He is a playmaker, a guy that can change the course of a game with a big play. He didn't just show up last year, he's been steadilly improving all along. He may not have even reached his ceiling yet.
He did, trust me. He's already one of the best defensive players in the game while 2 years ago he was just a guy who produced nice stats. He's the most versatile player in the entire NFL i believe plus he was a pro bowl special teamer as well. Whatever position you want him to play (on defense), he can do it. As for Barton and Hobson: No, they arent THAT bad. Barton is a pretty good player and i want him to play ILB next to Vilma with Adalius and Bryan playing OLB in the 3-4 and DE in the 4-3. Hobson is just too weak against the run as a 3-4 OLB. He's not good in coverage either.
Uh - I think what you are saying is open to debate. You said that Adalius led the league in sacks for the past three years. But Shawne Merriman trails him by only one sack and only played 2 of those three years. There really is no way that you can say that Thomas is "the best pass rushing LB in the NFL" so assuredly. Let's see what the market is for Adalius before passing judgement on whether or not the Jets need to sign him. Yes he would be an improvement over Barton/Hobson but let's make sure that it is a deal that makes sense not just on the field but also within the constraints of the salary cap.
That may be a fact - but him being the best pass rush LB in the NFL is not a fact. If you compare the last two years (in which Merriman joined the league) - Adalius isn't really that close to Shawne (20 to 27). You can use stats to support an argument but they don't make an argument 100% true. I am convinced that at this moment Merriman is head and shoulders above Adalius as a pass rush LB.
Good for you. I say once again, SINCE 2004. He leads all LB in sacks since 2004, i don't care what you say or think who is the better of the two. That's your opinion, it's not a fact. Wimbley had more sacks than Merriman as a rookie, so i guess Wimbley is the best pass rusher in the NFL right?
No thanks to a 30 year old OLB when we already have Bryan Thomas & Victor Hobson. Even if Vilma is traded or if Barton is released and Hobson is switched to the inside, there are 22 and 23 year old OLB who can make the transition to the 3-4 OLB role in the draft. No thanks on giving a 30 year old OLB $15 million guarenteed and what? Probably another $25-35 million over 5, 6 years.
I am not saying Thomas is old, I am just saying that I don't expect the Jets to spend big money on a 30 year old player with very little upside. The fact that the Ravens chose to let him test the FA market without the franchise tag means they don't think he is worth franchise money either. I understand that they are only $3 million under the cap, BUT if truly was a "franchise" player and must-have player for their defense, they would have found the way. You guys maybe right and we do end up signing, but I think the optimism is premature and not really in line with what to expect from this FO. Additionally, if you do sign him, then that means either Hobson, Vilma or Barton are gone.
Again, to split hairs, he's 29 right now. It would likely be a contract that makes him very cuttable after 4 years, front loaded. How old is Donnie Edwards? Or Farrior? Let's take a look at these over the hill LB's: Z Thomas-34 L Fletcher-Baker-32 Derrick Brooks-34 T Bruschi-34 Donnie Edwards-34 K Brooking-32 Farrior-32 S Quarles-36 R Lewis-32 All of these guys still have plenty of tread on the wheels, except for Quarles and perhaps Edwards. Yeah, he'd likely get a deal that includes a 15 mil signing bonus, and a low salary in the first two years, gradually increasing, which would make him pretty easy to release after 4 years. He's in his prime, not on the downslope. Our D could really use his ability to disrupt.
Little upside? VERY little upside? He is the premier LB in FA and it isn't even close. I don't want to start a flame war, but that comment is baseless. So is the statement that one of the other LB's have to be gone, we are 30 mil under the cap! The Ravens have flat out said they want to resign him, and will make every attempt to do so. They still need other help, mostly on offense, and given how good their defense is, could probably afford to lose him with Suggs and Lewis still there, not to mention that they have an otherwise outstanding group of LB's. The Ravens are under heavy cap pressure at 3 mil under. Yet you say we have to cut another LB if we sign him but we're 30 mil under the cap. Does that make any sense at all? The Ravens don't have enough cap to sign their draft picks, but you say they would have found a way to tag him for almost 8 mil? And I'll say it again... he's TWENTY-NINE. That is not old for an LB. He's got a good 4 years left. Why not just say you don't like him and don't want him, instead of siting a whole bunch of reasons that don't hold water? Why make up stuff like Barton, Hobson or Vilma have to go if he's signed? It's OK to over pay Barton at 3.5 mil, but not a much better FA LB? I need a break from this place.
