Tannenbaum’s Annual Season Wrap-Up Presser
Some quick notes from the press conference, I need to take care of some stuff … but here’s the initial word … will flesh this out more later.
- Tannenbaum has noted that he would be open to “anything” on Chad Pennington being traded, but the plan is that Chad will compete against Kellen Clemens in training camp and that his cap number is manageable.
- He expects Jonathan Vilma to return to the Jets next year.
- Credit Tannenbaum for knowing when he’s made a mistake, he alluded to his handling of the Pete Kendall situation as not his best moment.
- He’s talked to Victor Hobson’s agent, but nothing is done.
- Concessions are likely to be made for Laveranues Coles in terms of a contract extension. Everyone on the team and in the front office knows that this guy means to the team and the Jets will probably honor his request, but in the process spread out his cap number at least initially.
27 Responses to Tannenbaum’s Annual Season Wrap-Up Presser
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muff says:
i don’t know how much confidence if any to put into this. i understand the logic to keep pennington but vilma has far more value on the trade market vs his value to this team.
what else is he gonna say a/b kendall. it was crap from the beggining and no coincidence kendall was run out of arizona and seaatle and now here. there’s alot more to the story that we don’t hear, this just happened to really stick our FO in the back side. so now fix the mess and it’ll be forgotten.
coles, has to be the biggest ??? heading into the offseason. i’m sorry, i love him as a member of these team, but i’m tired of seeing this guy restructure. penningtonj restructured to bring him back from washington. the remaining contract owes him $11 mill over 2 years and it should be left at that.
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Liam says:
Why is he talking to Victor Hobson’s agent??? Can someone please confirm that it is not about a contract. Please.
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If we’ve learned anything from this FO, it’s that they play their cards close to the vest — I assume a lot of this rhetoric is to mask whatever their true intentions are. You can’t get anything of value for Vilma or Chad or Coles if other teams think you’re just going to release these players anyway (see McCareins, Justin Butterfingers).
I think these guys say the most generic things, which wind up having a lot read into them (intentionally so) by the NY press. It’s all a smokescreen at this point, as far as I’m concerned, and WAY too early in the off-season to go too crazy. Let’s see how this all shakes out by draft time.
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subwayfare says:
Sounds like good salesmanship. I’ll be shocked if at least two of those three aren’t suiting up for another team by opening day.
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JP says:
Still not convinced that Chad will be here come opening day, but if he is, it’ll be interesting to see if they select a QB in the first four rounds of the draft; if so, its a sign that Clemens isn’t the guy in their estimation and Chad is a stopgap until 2010.
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Nikolas says:
I think Clemens is ok, he just needs time to learn and mature, he is too young to carry the team in his shoulders. Chad is the right man to lead the team till Clemens proves that he is better and ready. In the meantime with Chad at QB we will watching winning football (just do not mess the OL).
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mike says:
going 10-6 in ’06 raised the expectations to a level thats really not appropriate for the talent on this team. Jets must continue to look at it as a 4 year plan. as we all know, we have to raise the talent level all over the field, starting with the lines, and then add skill positions at WR.
with the Free Agents out there, the jets need to make moves to bring in 2 starting Offensive lineman, and draft the best pash rusher available with the #6.
We saw how poorly Chad and Clemens responded this year without any help, so unless they build the team around the QB, it won’t matter who’s handing the ball off.
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jetsgrumbler says:
Vilma and Chad are not 3 of the Jets best players. Coles might be.
In my opinion, Leon, Thomas Jones, D.Harris, and Rhodes are the best players on the team. They could get significant playing time on other teams in their current roles. Not many other Jets would get significant time on other teams. Coles yes, but maybe not as a number 1 wr; on other teams he might be more of a slot guy the way Chrebet used to be for us.
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Jeff says:
Coles is as good as a #1 in almost any team. We just use him as a possession receiver 99% of the time. Do you notice how much cushion DB’s give him? That like 9yds, he is a definite burner but we never throw it that far down the field. I believe that Coles is going to be like a Joey Galloway type receiver that even at his mid to late thirties he can still run like the wind.
Imagine if Clemens turns out to be the next Brees or Favre??? I hope so, since our luck at drafting QB’s sucks terribly.
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I wonder if Chad would ask for his release, and if he did would they grant it? I think Chad has been quite clear about that he doesn’t want to hurt the team, but that he wants to start in the NFL next year.
I believe that if he is with the Jets next year, he will be starting again before the end of the season.
I also believe that he will never get a fair shake with the current Jets regime…what a quandary.
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Tannenbaum sort of has to say that Kendall is a mistake, since he says at the same press conference that he’s going to give Coles a raise – is there any essential difference between the Coles and Kendall contract situations? Beyond everyone liking Coles?
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Joe.. Chad remains the heart and soul of this team. Rooting him out without a proven leader at QB will hurt this franchise for years to come. And this regime knows that. Now what is worrisome is that many Jets fans- who I think have a shallow view of the game – get blinded by the glitter of the potential and do not value the most important aspect of the game which if you do not have talent means nothing HEART.
Chad, Coles and Vilma have played injured repeatedly, puting their careers on the line, leading by example. The very same people who were saying that John Abraham had no heart, because he did not want to play hurt, are now the first ones who want to throw under the bus, Chad, Coles and Vilma because they have had injuries.
What hypocite Romans they are!!! -
SackDance99 says:
Joe, I think Coles, who made 1 Pro Bowl, is a better WR than Kendall is an LG. Also, WR is a skill position for which a premium is usually paid. Last off-season was unusual, with several LGs getting big money (Dockery, Davis, Steinbach, etc.) following on the heels of Steve Hutchinson. So, I think Tannenbaum was caught up in a situation where the market turned against him. But, like I’ve said before, it wasn’t letting Kendall go that was the issue, it was not having an adequate replacement on the roster or believing that one would come on the market.
Nikolas, I previously responded to your “too young to lead a team argument” by noting that the majority of the top-10 QBs (ranked by QB rating) started in their first 2 seasons in the NFL (or with Garcia, the CFL) and had a modicum of success. So, I’m worried about almost the opposite point, that Clemens should have performed better in his second season than he did.
Now, I agree that the OL was not a help, KC rarely had Jericho and LC, and he doesn’t have a zone-busting deep-threat. But, KC also had inadequate pocket presence (when given time, he often held on to the ball too long and then he started to develop “happy feet” and not wait long enough), was somewhat inaccurate with his passes, and he’s short for an NFL QB, which gives him problems when the pocket collapses.
With an offense tailored to his strengths, a better OL and a speedy WR, he might turn out to be a Drew Brees-like QB. I am concerned, however, that the back up would be Chad, who doesn’t have KC’s skill set. So, if there is a QB competition, all the QBs should run the same offense and whoever is best should win.
Fun fact (more criticism for Harmway), in 2001 the Jets took Santana Moss with the 16th pick, at 17 the Seahawks took Hutchinson.
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Bent says: Abraham’s situation is totally different to Chad and Coles, because they wanted to (and tried to) play through the injuries, whereas Abe refused to for selfish reasons.
Nikolas, sometimes your comments come across as though you think everyone who has a different opinion to you is an idiot. I’m sure this isn’t the case, so please try and relax a bit. Opinions may differ but we’re in this together.
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Bent… you missed the point. We want players to give it all and if they do and get injured we want to throw them under the bus. eg Chad, Coles, Vilma . If they do not… we want them out of town e.g Abraham.
Well if this is not hypocritical what is it?
And if it is not hypocricy then what? Do we treat them like meat as the Romans did?
I do not see it as an opinion issue …but one of principle; It is not about idiots.. it is about Romans and I am sorry if you got offended.. but pehaps you forgot the first game.. the cheering crowd of a MINORITY Jet fans… cheering what? The injury of their QB!
I stand by my statement and if I need relaxing let me decide on that. -
BaltimoreJet says:
I don’t think people want Chad and Vilma out because they gave it their all and then got hurt. Fans who want those players out feel that a) Chad can’t win in this league anymore and b) feel that Vilma doesn’t fit the current system. I don’t think it has anything to do with their injuries (unless you want to say that Chad’s past injuries are what’s limiting his success.) People who are concerned about Coles are probably concerned because he has been hurt the last a few times over the past three seasons and locking up money to a guy who gets hurt is dangerous. I love Coles, but I can at least understand this concern.
People probably wanted Abraham to leave because we couldn’t afford him, we were able to get decent value for him, and we all knew that he never played because he was constantly hurt. This is not being hypocrit, it’s taking every situation on a case by case basis, as you should.
I, for one, wish the best for Chad and really wish he could do it here in NY. However, you always have to keep your eyes open. As for Vilma, if he doesn’t fit in a 3-4 and would bring back decent value from a team that could use him, it’s something you have to think about.
Lastly, this has nothing to do with Romans, I don’t care what you say about that.
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I’ll repeat my opinion that I think it unlikely that Tannenbaum is doing anything but priming the market by saying Chad will compete for a starting job. What else is he going to do? Say that the Jets have no use for him so don’t bother even offering us anything since we’ll just cut him anyway?
The only way it makes any sense to have Chad back is if management has already decided KC is not the future and is going to draft a new QB prospect, trade for, or sign a free agent.
KC and Chad have completely different skill sets and should really have totally different offenses and personnel. Even putting that reality aside, the only way KC is going to accelerate his development adequately enough to compete in the league next year is to get all the first team snaps.
Chad’s experience and heart are tantalizing qualities but there is little evidence that he has the physical skills to lead the team to a championship in either the short or long term. Virtually every playoff contender features a vertical offense with a strong armed quarterback to execute it. It may just be that the speed and athleticism of contemporary NFL linebackers and safeties have made the short passing offense all but obsolete. Perhaps seanmac will soon appear with data to prove my theory wrong but, at least on the surface, it seems like the most successful NFL offenses feature QBs who stretch the field and throw touchdown passes.
I’ll be fine having Chad back if management feels KC is not the answer and we draft, sign or trade for another young prospect who needs a year or two to learn while we improve other areas of the team and let Chad reach his ceiling of 9 or 10 wins and a quick playoff exit.
I only care about legitimate, steady progress in building a consistently successful organization, not quick fixes that repeatedly set the team back like previous regimes have done.
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RAJ says:
“Why is he talking to Victor Hobson’s agent??? Can someone please confirm that it is not about a contract. Please”.
Hobson’s contract is up. He will be a free agent.
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jet4lif says:
Tru dat subway.
KC and Chad cant be in the same system together. It hurts the team coz the other players have to adjust in a big way. Due to this reason alone thwy should get any value for Chad. These days in this league QB is a hot property so getting an early 3rd rounder for Chad is not a bad idea.
What happened to those Chad to chiefs rumors? We can throw in Just McCantcatchanything in the deal. -
Nikolas, Vilma hasn’t been thrown under the bus by fans who thought he was injured. It just has been obvious that he was lost as a 3-4 ILB. The difference to the run D between Vilma and Harris was night-and-day. Vilma has a great skill set, but he’s undersized, has problems shedding blockers and is not a good straight on tackler. Having him take on OGs and Cs led to an injury, not surprising considering that Vilma is just not that big. We all like Chad and Vilma. But, what’s the use of having them on the team when they just can’t do what the coaching staff wants. As for LC, I’m concerned about his concussion issue, but he’s still the Jets’ best WR and, among the three, should be re-signed and/or extended with a cap-friendly contract.
By the way, I liked what I saw from Gholston, but Laurinaitis didn’t live up to the billing for me, and neither did Dorsey. Anyone else feel that way?
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sack or anyone – what is the contact situation with LC?
meaning what is he looking to do vs. is the FO looking to lower his cap number?
i said this above, i love coles, but it seems like all he wants to do is restructure his deals. if my info was correct and he 2 yrs $11 mill left, let him play out that contract and move on, unless of course his cap # is unmanagable.
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Bent says:
Yeah, nik, I guess I missed the point, but you can’t argue with what I wrote!
Don’t think I am arguing directly with you on these issues. I think you’ll find I haven’t actually expressed an opinion one way or the other. So, no…no offense taken by me.
Sack…I guess it wasn’t their best game, but hasn’t impacted my opinion of either and I don’t think it will hurt their draft stock. JL had a good series on that (failed) goalline stand. Dorsey was disruptive although he didn’t make many impact plays.
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Bent says:
That’s right muff. None of it is guaranteed so he could theoretically be traded or released with no cap hit. (Not that I’m suggesting they do this).
He wants to end his career here, maybe extending it to 5 years. That takes him to 35, which is not always too old for a WR, but for one who takes such a pounding for his size? Hmmm.
I guess it all depends how much he wants and how much will be guaranteed. Letting him play out the contract without rewarding him with some guaranteed money could potentially lead to another Kendall situation. Of course, one would hope not.
The fact he wants to stay is good news though and flies in the face of the concern that no decent players will ever sign here.
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Jack says:
I think Jets should as least try to trade Pennington just to see what they could get for him. I think as will it would wise to keep Chad because then there no back up for Clemens, Clemens would with out a doubt should be the starter. Then L, Coles I would make a trade for him I think the Jets will be fine with J, Cotchery and C, Stuckey I know we didn’t get to see much of Stuckey but I think he’ll be fine. and as for J, McCareins should be traded or cut. And I think the Jets should go out and get a WR, from F/A or inless they can make some kind of deal with Coles for a another WR, a pick and draft one.
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Ilan says:
Nikolas,
I agree with you to a point on Chad. I think he’s getting a little of a rough shake, but you can’t discount his decline (especially his tendency to throw interceptions in the red zone or on out routes that can easily become a pick 6). Clemens had his share of problems this year as well but if you look at their experience levels these are mistakes you can deal with from a guy with fewer than 10 career starts but not mistakes you can afford from a veteran.
As for Coles, he is a very good player and has the pulse of the locker room. In addition, he’s a much more difficult player to replace than Kendall. These are two very different situations, I say re-sign him.
I have to disagree with you on Vilma though. What has he done over the course of the last two seasons to indicate to you that he can be successful in this scheme. He is the size of a free safety, can’t take on linemen and gets thrown around like a teddy bear. The defense improved significantly when he went down and Harris was inserted as the starter. Vilma may be a good player when he can go sideline to sideline but he can’t do that in a 3-4. He is no longer the most integral player on this defense. In fact, I’d say that Harris, Revis, Coleman, Robertson (even though not a great NT) and maybe even Mosley after his late season play are more important members of this defense now. Are the Jets just supposed to hold onto him in the hopes that he grows 2 inches and gains 20 pounds or do they seek a trade and see what they can get?
I like everything that he said. Keep Vilma, Keep Coles, Keep Chad, our best three players. I like the fact that he openly admits his error with Pete Kendall. OK, now we may be going somewhere.
The Kids are back!!