Thoughts on the Return of Thomas Jones
The announcement that Thomas Jones will be returning to the offseason workouts next week had me thinking. I’m glad that he’s planning on coming back but here are some thoughts on what I’d like to see him address when he talks to the media next week …
Explain the Radio Silence — Yes, these offseason programs are voluntary, but he’s been radio silent for months, with just bits and pieces getting leaked through anonymous sources that he’s upset with his contract. If he’s upset, I’d like to hear him say so. If he was focusing on other businesses, that’s fine, I don’t care, but he needs to give a reason why he and his agent have been unresponsive to the media for more than a month.
Discuss the Reasoning for the Return — Is he coming back because he hopes it will lead to a new deal? Is he resigned to the fact that he won’t get a new contract?
Explain His Goals — I’d like to hear what his thoughts are on what the future holds for him. How many more years is he thinking of playing? Can he provide value to the Jets while meeting those goals?
Have Realistic Expectations — Does he understand that Running Backs over 30 aren’t exactly in high demand in the NFL? How do his contract expectations match with the reality of what the market will bear for him? Even in the unlikelihood that he can run for 1200+ yards every year for the next three years, if the Jets bump him up this year, and lower his salary next year, who’s to say he won’t do the same thing every year from here on out?
26 Responses to Thoughts on the Return of Thomas Jones
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Maybe since he sees that Leon contract is being worked out, maybe he wants to see about his, and I do belive that Greene is on his mind, since they r basically the same type of running back
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Glenn_G says:
I think this happened for the following reasons.
1. Jones knows he is on the tail end of his career and wants to cash in now on the outstanding season he had in 08.
2. He is coming back because he is under contract and abiding by it. Under the contract he was not required to participate in the past OTA’s so in reality he is not holding out even though that is what the media has been saying he has been doing.
3. As far as his goals, does it really matter? I think it matter more what the Jets plans are for him, not the other way around. -
john r says:
why does he have to go on the radio and tell the world he is pissed about not getting paid
he is actually professional and so is working with his agent and the team. this is how sports should be done. i am so sick of the to’s of the world and espn covering all this crap
thank god jones is a man and just one more reason why we should try to keep him
god, remember the jets are a team and we are fans.
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Lafflin says:
I Agree with John R for the most part.
I’m not sure airing out dirty laundry is the thing for a player to do. Especially when all you’re doing is trying to squeeze more money from the team just because you had a good year despite the fact that you just signed a contract two years prior.
On the flip side this is a dangerous game and many men and their families suffer the effects for the rest of their lives. Wayne Chrebett, Denise Byrd etc.Although opposiite that, as an ex soldier I can tell you war is dangerous. When the time for you to go comes you can’t really decide that the risk isn’t worth the reward. That’d be considered deserting, punishable by death.
All in all, fulfill your contract. You did have a team of experts go through it with a fine tooth come before signing it, so you definately understood exactly what you were agreeing to.
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LWSquad says:
I don’t care what happened, I’m grateful he’s back. Let’s go TJ!
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RKNYC says:
I for one felt all along that any OTA was no reason to get down on a player for not showing. Maybe on a team that just missed the SB by a cheap playoff loss on a controversial play; then it would bother me that everyone wasn’t on the same page. But the Jets, they were exciting last year but that is it. They lost the starting QB and WR and head coach – I’m surprised that anyone showed.
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Oh and additionally I don’t think anyone has any obligation to speak to anyone about their own finances and issues. I don’t need explaining I need him to play or be gone.
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vinnywasthebest says:
i think that this is a huge positive, i let out a sigh of relief.
No, he does not have to share anything. He didnt miss any mandatory training camps right? if anything, the YOUNGER holdouts should do the explaining. Why should a veteran 30 year old player explain himself?
Good for you TJ. Get paid!
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richss25 says:
im happy hes back. no matter the reason with the way ryan wants to run the ball we need an experienced back who can handle bulk of the load so we can ease shon greene into that role. we could have the best rb group in the league between jones washington and greene
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Harvlis says:
I think TJ knows that Rex Ryan would move on without him, if he held out. Rex uses guys who want to play football. That is why he has taken undrafted free agents and molded them into players. You win with the type of guys who would play for free. Notice how the primadonnas and the money grabbers never seem to win anything. TJ is doing the right thing. I hope the Jets work things out quickly, so he can get his mind back on football.
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dakar says:
as long as TJ is back who cares…i dont…as long as he’s back thats what matters…unlike most i do think TJ can run for 1200 a year for the next 3 years…but i also think LW can to…regardless of his size as so many said before…if we went with 1 of these guys i would like to see leon get a real shot as our #1 back…but to be honest…i want both back…leon deserves a new contract and to get paid…TJ on the one hand deserves what he signed 2 years ago…but on the other hand i wouldn’t mind if the jets restructure his contract for 09 and 2010…but no more money added…just my thoughts…
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head_coach says:
who said greene and jones r the same rb. They r not. Do some research.
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StvDoe says:
As I’ve been saying for 2 months now TJ’s “holdout” was, and is, a non-story. He’ll be here and he’ll play his ass off in hopes of getting paid next season, (either by the Jets honoring next year’s deal, or by signing with another team..)
He doesn’t need to tell me his plans, because I’m pretty sure I already know what they are.
Play hard, hope for the best. It is and always has been, his only option.
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Organized Chaos says:
I’m telling you that this situation is not nearly put to bed. TJ is back in camp to start negotiating his new deal, not stop. He knows (like we all do) that the Jets seem to have this policy that you dont get a new contract while holding out. TJ and Rosenhaus ain’t done yet at all. Period.
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miketaliaferro says:
Bassett,
With all proper and due respect to the professional chair you currently man at SNY.com, those questions you pose are moot. I know you have a job to do, but Jones or Washington, or any other professional, owes you squat, I’m afraid.
Keep in mind, the football beat writer once closed up shop after the Championship Game/Super Bowl and disappeared until training camp opened. Then, it was wall-to-wall stories on everybody in camp. A contract wasn’t a story, because all of this nonsense occurred in quiet, in the teams’ offices, between the player/agent and front ofc. personnel. Now, if Paul Hornung stays out of camp in July while his teammates sweat their Xs and Os off, well, now you’ve got a story.
But until the teams decide to demand a full year’s mandatory workday from their players to match most people’s work experience, then the wall-to-wall need to fill 24-hour cable time or multiple daily blog posts simply does not align with the possible available actual football news. It then becomes nothing more than nonsense, and just made-up stories, just to keep the customer satisfied and fill dead air. Fine, nothing wrong with that, but let’s remember that that’s what we’re dealing with here. I’m as guilty as anyone else of wanting a daily fix of football “stuff,” but at least I know it’s filler until July.
Under the current system, the business dealings of a team and their players during off-season downtime is their business and theirs alone. I, for one, don’t give a crap what Jones does or doesn’t do until training camp. If he’s not there in July, then I’m upset because now he’s harming the team. But May? Geeeesh.
Now you guys do a great job, don’t get me wrong — but from February on, there’s really nothing happening that the regular beat writers couldn’t handle until training camp, when you specialized team beat guys have something to do. You wanna come in for special stories when the FA market opens? Fine. A couple of days for the draft? Fine. A couple for mini-camp or OTAs. Fine. But, after that it’s all filler until camp. So, no — neither Jones nor any other player owes you anything just so that there’s something to read on here. Or in the papers or for the local or national TV guys. Wishing will not make it so.
Plus, besides your questions above being invasive, the answers are self-evident in any respect. If your boss had recently fired two different high-profile guys in your office that YOU used to work closely with because they bitched loudly about not getting raises around the watercooler and sucked all of the air out of the room, so that normal work couldn’t get done, would you take their place at the watercooler and let loose with your gripes, or would you simply slip into the boss’ office after 5pm when everyone had left, and try to plead your case directly to him/her? I believe any of us would take that route in that case. Jones is no fool. You need copy; he wants a raise. In Jetsville, the two are mutually exclusive.
So can we stay with stories on players’ abilities, and the physical needs of this team, and bypass the paycheck stories? Especially since no athlete nor any owner deserves the money he makes from this game. It’s just a nasty sidebar to the game we all love. So just ignore it and let’s focus on the playing of the game.
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neauone says:
Goodbye T.J, either this year or next, OTA’s were not manditory, but why not spit in your new coaches face, L.W. is another story, but I hope he doesn’t go down the same road. L.W. got paid 2 million the past 4 years, hes due and it is due him. T.J. got 23 million up front he will not see that money the rest of his NFL career.
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Dean Barbella says:
Trade Thomas Jones back to Mangini and throw in Brad “Wildcat” Smith as lil’ sweetener.
In return, Jets get another disgruntled vet, Braylon Edwards. I know he’s got a case of the dropsies, but we need a legitamate number one receiver. Let’s take a chance!
On the flipside, TJ’s days are numbered. Tony Richardson and Offensive Line and responsible for Jones’ breakout year and his hotwheels will soon be cooling down – too old.
We’ve Shonn Greene the wrecking machine and Leon Washington crossing the Delaware for long-term contracts and a whole lotta Benjamins!
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Paul says:
Jones has kept his mouth shut, which is a good thing, because he doesn’t have a leg to stand on to open it. He signed a contract and received a majority of the money up front. Get over it, and and move on. He’s only making $500,000 this year. I’m sure all those people who are out of work and losing their homes would take the measly 500 G’s.
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NickP says:
he really doesnt have to expalin squat..he had the best season of his career, and set the scroing record for the Franchise..its really not a big deal that he missed some practice time. the mans not an idiot he knows what he has to do and whats got to be done. hes just looking out for himself towards the end of his career, nothing wrong with that. plus its better for Woodhead and Greene they get more reps at practice.
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fonzie says:
We still don’t know why so any reason to speculate just twists the issue even more. What we do know is that we are not the same team without him. He is an integral part to the offense and provides the leadership and experience at his position to become successful. We need that more now especially with the future qb of the jets lolly gagging around. You know vince lombardi wouldn’t allow this circus that Sanchez brings with him.
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GoalieTJ1 says:
Acknowledge your contract!!! No future deals, no hard feelings. It is what it is.
He missed voluntary workouts, i have no problems with that!!
Thanks for coming back T.J., now lets see what you can do.
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Still would like a wr though
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All right… I’ve had enough! Here’s another stupid story from the NFL’s silly season. And it’s not just the Jets, it’s the entire NFL.
It’s now beyond time for the NFL to drop this ungainly sham of “voluntary workouts.” That’s a concept from a long-ago, gentler time, when very large, tough men came together each July, made bad-to-OK money, pounded the snot out of each other until the end of December, then went home.
Today, there’s nothing “voluntary” about these “voluntary” workouts. There is every pressure brought to bear on the athlete who chooses to skip the “voluntary” phase and wait for the “mandatory” camp, or even, god forbid, “training camp.”
Yes, for how the game has changed — with the humongous salaries, year-round conditioning, the high-stakes competition fueled by all the money sloshing around pro sports, the intense peer pressure from terrified teammates who have “volunteered,” voracious 24/7 coverage from cable sports nets and blogs, the mounting attacks on non-”volunteers” from their coaching staffs, and the ages-old total lack of regard for any human being inside a pro football uniform on the part of owners, press or fans on any plane other than his ability to move the chains (see North Dallas Forty), it is now way past time to just drop the pretense and have these guys show up for 48-50 weeks out of a year, with the rest for vacation.
I’m sure that while paying these guys between $250,000 and $12 million a year, teams can find something for players to do during the off-season. They can leisurely install new offenses or defenses, spend extra time drilling on the playbook or in the film room or on the practice field, assign them to community outreach programs or events — or maybe just have the players empty out the wastebaskets around the offices.
But this drivel about “voluntary” workouts must absolutely stop! If it’s a job — if you expect them to jump when you say, “Frog!” — then drop the pretense and tell them when and where to show up, period, and be done with it!
Then, if they don’t show up for work, fire them.
Just like in America.
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miketaliaferro:
Great comments and right on the money. It is a sham to call these “voluntary’ practices then chide (threaten?)a player for not showing up. Everyone knows there is nothing “voluntary” about them when the coach says you are falling behind and weakening you chances of starting !!
the reason he is returning is because he doesn’t want to lose his job to Shonn Greene. He is scared of being cut and be left with no team willing to pay him as the #1 running back. Of course he won’t admit that.