Bart Scott talked to Mike & Mike today about Adalius Thomas.
Talkative Jets inside linebacker Bart Scott was a guest Tuesday morning on “Mike & Mike” and discussed his hope for reuniting with Thomas
. Scott played seven seasons in Baltimore before following Ryan to the Jets a year ago.
“It’s funny,” Scott said. “I was hanging with Adalius Thomas for Super Bowl weekend. We’re buddies from back in the day. He made it public that he’s expressed in interest in joining Rex. I think some of his better years of his career have been a part of the Ravens’ defense and under Rex Ryan’s tutelage. It’ll be exciting.”
The good news here is that Scott didn’t say a lot, particularly anything about whether or not he spoke to Ryan about the Adalius Thomas. I’m sure it’s been relayed, but at least they aren’t saying anything to the press, unlike the Nnamdi Asomugha incident.
More than anything about AD, when asked about what it’s like to play for Rex Ryan, Bart Scott said that “you have to have skin like an armadillo … it’s not always going to be easy … and guys with that deerskin don’t last long … they spaz out and it’s over with.”
An interesting point, in light of what I was thinking about earlier today.
You know. I was just writing something up on this, getting ready to publish. I guess I’ll share my thoughts here instead. Glad I checked again before I published.
I’m not buying it.
Even with Scott’s quote, the information is nothing that hasn’t been speculated upon by every passionate Jets’ fan who’s watched the ‘Adalius vs. the Pats’ saga unfold since his deactivation last October. With the March 5 deadline on the horizon, it’s professional speculation season and we must deal.
Adalius to the Jets would be predicated on too many factors. The first being how poorly kept this secret has been.
1. What’s the Pats incentive to make a move that will inevitably strengthen a rival?
2. How many outside linebackers are too many? B. Thomas, C. Pace, V. Gholston, a crop of youth with potential — and Adalius?
I’m not off the Westerman bandwagon yet.
3. What’s he going to cost? Are the Jets to expect a hometown discount since he loves Rex so much?
At this point I really don’t expect any shortage of players willing to line up outside Florham Park for a chance to play for Rex.
And just a thought — might be nothing, but worth mentioning:
We’re talking about an outside linebacker who will be 33 at the start of the season. We’ve seen Rex is a passionate guy who loves his players, but he’s also unafraid of a little age discrimination (see: last March when he waited at Scott’s home at midnight while fans speculated on Ray Lewis in Green & White).
As logical as it sounds, I don’t think he’s as high on the priority list right THIS minute. Regardless of what Scott said.
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6384866/20279889?tag=comBlogEntryListCnt;entry20279889
We cut TJ for this???
The criticism is coming in for the TJ move. Hope Tanny knows what he’s doing.
Mel, I wouldnt give up anything valuable for Cromartie.
Angel, I agree with you about the Pats. There’s a reason why he hasnt been cut yet. Its just all talk from writers. This move is just too easy to make up. The Patriots will find a taker who will give up like a 5th rounder for him instead of cutting him loose to join the Jets.
YEA MEL I AGREE WITH RONNIE
Under the new provisions governing the pending uncapped year, the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association have officially established how much money Final Eight teams can pay to free agents.
According to multiple league sources, Final Eight teams, which includes the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys, can pay one unrestricted free agent a first-year salary of $5.807 million.
And those four teams may sign other unrestricted free agents for less than $3.861 million in the first year of the contract while still following the 30-percent increase rule.
Previously, these figures were set at $5.5 million and $3.7 million, respectively.
Now, the teams can pay more to free agents.
And it’s nice to see the NFL and the NFLPA agree on something in these stormy times on the labor front.
Now, I wonder what about us in the Final Four……. or do we just qualify for the Elite Eight?
RJF – these exceptions only apply to the divisional round losers, so the Jets are not affected.
So the Patriots will keep a player that they have zero use for because of the fear of a rival signing him… Really?
He has clashed with Belichick and has never fallen in line with the Patriot way
He will probably be a Jet
Idk i agree with Ronnie and Angel i can see the patriots just sticking it to the jets and trading him for like a 7th round pick
I don’t mind Bart Scott running his mouth during the game, as long as he can back it up with his play. Off the field though, I wish he would just keep it shut.
I don’t think many teams would be willing to give up a draft pick for a guy that is going to get cut. I think Thomas is going to be a Jet.
As far as Cromartie, I wouldn’t be against trading for him, as long as we don’t have to give up too much. If we draft a CB in either the 1st or 2nd round, they are going to struggle at first, so having a capable starter like Cromartie might be necessary.
I agree with Ronnie. The Pats are going to do whatever they can to make sure AT does not land with the Jets.
AD would be a backup. Why go out and pick up another LB who can’t cover? another 30+ player is not what we need. IF we can hit in the draft like we have been, it’s going to be another hell of a year!
goddamnit, misleading title. when i saw adalius thomas joining jets i thought “NO WAY THEY SIGNED HIM?!”
All of these stories (AT, Cromartie, Asomugha) are defense players who want to play for Rex. It’s not the Jets wishful thinking; it’s the players’ wishful thinking.
I’m gonna go ahead and agree with Dylan, why would any team trade a draft pick for a guy where its been publicly established that he and the coach are clashing?
They’ll try to trade him, but will fail miserably. I’d laugh though if a team did trade for him, and swing him to the Jets. Similar to the Kevin O’Connell situation, with the Lions.
However, if by some chance Thomas does wind up on the Jets, I see a very interesting scenario on the table. This could possibly make Bryan Thomas expendable.
Package Bryan Thomas, Kerry Rhodes, Vernon Gholston with a 1st round draft pick (Just one, whether in 2010 or 2011), and send them out to Oakland for Nnamdi Asomugah and a 3rd round pick in 2010, since we gave ours up for Braylon.
Too much to give up? I’d understand that argument completely. But if Adalius Thomas lands on the Jets, and Bryan Thomas is determined to be expendable, then by all means send him along with a coach clashing player and a draft bust for a CB that would render opponents incapable of passing the ball.
I’m just spit ballin here haha
Jimmy Shnoogen
to sure up the fact that they will have him and not fight 31 other teams.
AD is going to be 33 next season, is coming off a bad year, has had trouble with his coach, and definitely wont be back with the Patriots. A team would have to be crazy to give up a draft pick for him. Lots of players that are better than AD are getting cut. If the Cards couldn’t get a pick for Dansby (100 tackles), the Jets couldnt get a pick for Jones (1400 yards), and the Dolphins can’t get a pick for Porter (9 sacks), why in the world would the Pats get a pick for AD?
Jimmy the problem with trading Kerry and Bryan Thomas because we could get AD is that we would be hurting our pass coverage underneath while also tying up a ton of money to one position.
To have Revis and Aso together would be a dream, but reality is you would also have the top 2 paid CB in the game on your payroll….
We don’t need a shutdown corner opposite of Revis. We need a good player who can stay healthy.
As for AD joining, I’d like it just because he’d be gunning for tom brady 2 games a year. Depth is important in this defense and having fresh guys to rush the QB is a luxury I’d like.
Would not be upset to see Thomas in a Jets uniform but might be more enthused to see the Jets look at an OLB in the draft. I really like Eric Norwood from South Carolina. I’ve been watching him the last 2-3 years and he is heads and shoulders the best player on a very good defense. He could be had in the second round and based on his size compares to a player like Jerome Harrison but he’s a little bit bulkier. He’s not the typical 6’3″ 3-4 OLB but I thionk he’d be a great choice.
Remember Pepper Johnson from the 98 Jets? The Giants cut him loose, and was thought to be done. But a guy named Bill Parcells and yes, I’ll even mention BB, came calling. Pepper came to the Jets & resurrected his career, and turned the Jets Defense into one of the league’s best.
I see AD being more of the AD that we remember throwing Favre like a rag doll when he is back with the man who made him a star, Rex Ryan
Yea no one is giving up a pick for AD. Not to mention they have to pay him 5 million for the next two years if they trade for him.
Scheffter said on ESPN that “many teams would be interested in AD, but just not for that price”. Adam S is one of the best football media guys Ive ever seen, and there always seems to be a thread of truth in everything he says, even when he is just speculating
If the Pats cut AD, he is going to be a Jet, mark it down, take a picture, but he is coming here if New England cuts him loose
Not to mention the only reason the Pats havent cut A Thomas yet is because similar to the Porter situation, if the Pats cut Thomas before Mar 5th, the move would be voided because they would be over the cap. *rotoworld.com
The thing missing from this story is that AD has also said he would LIKE to play for Rex.
Seems like that, combined with his subpar season last year could mean we could get him at a discount.
http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/10997/scott-adalius-thomas-wants-to-be-a-jet
Still, we seem pretty stacked at the linebacker posistion, but brining in someone of AD’s talent who knows and thrived under Rex’s system could be a help.
What it would mean though, with the Jets’ recent comments about Gholston not getting enough playing time to shine, if AD did come to the Jets it would be even harder to justify Gholston getting playing time
You can never have too many good linebackers.
As for Gholston, the team did talk about bulking him up to play on the line, where there is (currently) some playing time up for grabs with Green and Douglas free agents, Pouha not an every down player and Jenkins coming off an injury.
Angel,
I think the flaw in your “too many OLBs argument” is that the Jets do not have a real pass-rushing WILL, which has been a hole in the roster since 2006. Rex has said that he thinks Pace can be his pass-rusher, but Pace also has SAM duties because BT isn’t good at the SAM. AD, however, was a very good SAM with the Ravens. So, maybe Rex deals with the pass rush by having AD replace BT, but switch to the SAM with Pace as the WILL exclusively. Then, Rex can work in the other guys and see how they are progressing. I don’t think that Gholston can be an LB at all and while I like Westerman, he could benefit from learning the SAM (which I think is his future) from a guy that knows Rex’s system more than from guys (Pace and BT) who weren’t even LBs when they hit the NFL.
Ugh. Get Joey Porter. Please.
Another stellar post by SackDance
Right on with Pace. Calvin had 8 sacks in 12 games this year. He could have had about 12 in 12 games if he just took some better angles at the QB sometimes. If Calvin improves even a little bit in that department, he could be a beast pass rusher for us.
Its no secret how much I like Calvin Pace as a player and its not a secret how much I think that getting AD would help the defense as a whole.
Remember AD doesnt have to be the savior, just be a faster more athletic version of BT, which I think he is more than capable of doing.
Think about our LBs with DH, Bart, Calvin and AD in our base 3-4. They may not be the youngest but it would be hard to find a more established group in all the NFL
Brendan
I hear what you are saying with regards to Porter being a better pure pass rusher than AD.
But as a better fit in the grand scheme in our defense, AD fits the mold much better. Not to mention that he was ridiculous statistically in Rex’s defensive scheme
I know Porter has produced more sacks than AD in recent years, but he is completely one-dimensional and cannot drop off in coverage or hold up against the run.
BB is not the easiest guy to get along with. Unless you are Tedy Bruschi, he would sell out anyone if he thought it would help himself. The guy is an out and out scumbag, and more and more of his current and former players are coming out with that in the media. I think that was more of a factor to AD’s lack of production than AD being “done” per say. AD was never going to conform to the Patriot way, he is not a BB guy, and was born and bred to play LB for Rex Ryan in Rex’s D.
I think we draft AD’s eventual replacement with our first pick, and have the kid learn the ropes from the guy who did it better than anyone else for Rex from 04-07.
And anyway, if Rex decides to go with AD over Porter, who knows better than Rex right?
IT WILL B A GOOD FIT FOR THEY DENFENSE