The general conscientious around here upon hearing of TJ's contract dispute seems to be "Screw him, he'll be 31". The level an NFL player can play at is NOT determined by his age. It is directly correlated to the amount of wear-and-tear his body has endured over his career. That being said, keep in mind these interesting statistics: Thomas Jones "eased" into his career and has only played 5 NFL seasons in which he got over 200 carries. And, on the contrary: Curtis Martin was thrown right into the fire his rookie year and had at least 220 carries in each and every one of his 11 NFL seasons, and I think we can all agree that he was effective as a ball-carrier right up until his retirement as a Jet. Sure, TJ may turn 31 this year, but for his age, his mileage is relatively low and after his performance last year I think he should get a little more money if it keeps his morale up. I firmly believe that he has at least 2 or 3 more solid seasons left in the tank, especially if he splits an increased number of carries with Leon, and using a draft pick on a RB this year simply because we feel we have to given the TJ situation would be a mistake. Just food for thought. TJ's numbers: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5036/career Curtis' numbers: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3164/career
Good point, when we picked TJ up we knew that he wasn't the youngest guy, but he didn't have many miles on him. He had his best year at the age of 30, it's not like he's Sean Alexander or an old man.
TJ Will be fine for this season and the next... however I wouldn't mind bringing in a new RB in the 3-4 round so that if anyone gets hurt we have a backup. Shonn Greene would be a dream... I think he needs a year to develop anyways plus he's a NJ boy
Agreed but it is a big deal to invest big $ in a guy his age no matter how many miles he's got on his body. I for one love TJ, but i don't want him to put us in a position where we are handcuffed and cannot do other things to improve the team. This is really no way to start off with a new HC, either.
I agree completely.. I've brought this up a few times and I think he's still in the prime of his career for this reason. A RB would be a nice idea in the early-mid rounds because we need depth and this is going to become a running team..
I think TJ still has something left in the tank, but not for more money. He's going to continue to want starting RB money for being the veteran back in a RBBC. Not worth it. If he was more explosive than the cutback type of runner that he is, I might not feel the same way.
Not necassarily. As you get old it becomes harder and harder to recover from pain. Whether you're a 31 year old NFL running back or a 31 year old accountant, you're not recovering from stuff as quick as when you were 22.
I think that argument is a stretch when talking about someone in his 30's. You make it sound like TJ is an old man.
It may not be the deciding factor but it plays a role. Plus yes, he's only had 5 seasons of over 200 carriers but those have been his most recent 5 seasons. I'm not a TJ hater but I don't think at this junction it's a prudent move to extend a 31 year old while he's coming off the best year of his career.
What's your point? I'm not comparing the two in terms of who is the better back - his carries were merely used as a reference. You can insert the back of your choice who got a ton of carries starting his rookie year. TJ is known for keeping himself in A1 condition and for people to write him off at 31 is absurd.
TJ is worth exactly what we are paying him. $20 million over 4 years with 2 still left on his contract. That's it.
Good post, I have to also add in that most people retire due to injuries...and TJ is very durable and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember him EVER being injured throughout his career.
You can't have blinders on and simply look at his age. Go back and re-read the initial post. In terms of carries, TJ is still a spring chicken.
I'm not sure how old you are but I'm 31 and can definitely feel the difference in how my body bounces back from athletic activities. Every year it takes a little longer to bounce back. Granted I'm not anywhere close to as in shape as NFL players are, but I can definitely feel the difference from 5-10 years ago. I'm not an old man.
So... I have blinders on because I'm simply looking at his age, but you are seeing clearly by simply looking at his number of carries. Are you for real with this?
Who would you rather have as the RB of your team: A.) A 30 year old who has carried the ball 1000 times so far in his career? or B.) A 30 year old who has carried the ball 2500 times? This isn't a difficult logic to follow.
