Link: Thomas Jones to New England? Unlikely, But Worth Talking About
Tom E Curran of Comcast New England is licking his proverbial chops at the thought that maybe the Patriots should take an interest in adding Thomas Jones to their roster.
… given the impassioned response of his Jets’ teammates, maybe the Patriots should take a longer look at him than I figured.
The cons are obvious. He’s 32 and played in a run-oriented offense with an outstanding run-blocking line. He hasn’t cashed in with a big deal in his career between Chicago and New York and his agent Drew Rosenhaus won’t want him settling for less this close to retirement. The Patriots have enough cotton-topped RBs already.
But the lure of competing against and sticking it to New York could be a draw for Jones and the Patriots could see his passion and motivation as something they could capitalize on in 2010.
Jones might not get the money he’s looking for from a team like New England, they’re notoriously cheap, even Randy Moss says so!
80 Responses to Link: Thomas Jones to New England? Unlikely, But Worth Talking About
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head_coach says:
IF and only IF Leon comes back to full strength we will forget about TJ. Well at least i will….
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mole57 says:
Drew Rosenhaus is his agent. This is the last contract TJ is going to get. Whoever gives him the most guaranteed money is where he’ll end up.
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sexy rexy says:
damnit Im sure Thomas Jones would reach his full potential if he go to NE…you know him and Brady gonna have to get awfully close if he does…he wouldn’t mind…
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Pdubbs says:
This is stupid. he Jets will fill his spot with a younger faster RB and everyone will forget about TJ faster then we did whoever ran before him.
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Brendan says:
sexy rexy,
You think he can do better than what he did last season? Really?
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Jim says:
TB – every single NFL team does business this way. its not just the jets. yes, TJ was a great player and has been for the three years hes been a jet but look at westbrook and LT who have spent entire careers (and more productive careers, no offense TJ) in one city and have been cast aside like yesterdays news. when RB’s reach the age of 30, their production needs to be questioned, simply because of the abuse they have taken over the course of their career. it can;t be understated that TJ took a downturn at the end of last year. could it be an injury or could it be him just running out of gas? who knows. what we do know is we have a stud in shonne green, who while he may not be experienced, would be our primary ball carrier next year, with a sprinkling of leon for a change of pace. TJ would simply be a back up or 3rd option and why pay a back up/3rd option 6 million dollars? i understand its an uncapped year but this is business, its not personal, and TJ knows that. if he wanted to play for the jets so badly, he would have accepted a pay cut, so in that sense its a business form his end as well. thats why i dont see him going to the pats to “stick it to the jets”. he wants his payday and the pats arent going to give it to him. i’d be very surprised to see him take a discount to play for the pats, when he refused to take a discount to play for the team he’s led for the past 3 years. just doesnt make sense.
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Craig says:
Jim,
You use Westbrook and LT to plead you case. The clear difference between them and TJ is that they are done and did little last year. TJ is coming off back to back monster years. TJ has at least 1 good year in him. He is a workout warrior and the early part of his career he was not used.Game on the line in San Diego, ball went to TJ. He is a good short yardage back and never fumbles. This move to cut him is an unnecessary gamble. Hopefully, we are ok with an unproven young back (greene) and I guy coming off a career threatening injury.
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clint says:
If Jones wanted to be here more than anything he would have made it hurt. Look at other players who want more money but don’t complain, Nick Mangold but we don’t see him holding out. We can find another running back in FA or the draft. The decisions might not make sense now but we have to trust the organization.
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Marvel says:
I’d pay “Shane Lechler” 6 mill before I payed TJ 3 mil to play on my team.Never I’m my life (22years) have I seen a 1400yard RB praised as if it wer 2000yards. You no why Tanny an Rex aren’t making a big deal over this,it’s because they no it’s not that serious.
You no why the Giants won’t give “Steve Smith” big money… It’s because stats don’t tell the whole story .he’s a #1 wr by default..and TJ didn’t get 1400 off raw talent..333 carries with a OL like ours .. You get 1400 yards by default ..
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TB says:
Not sure if he’ll do better than last year but here is what we loose! A veteran hard working leader whom does not fumble the ball. We loose leadership and we loose a guy in the locker room that shows the young guys how to prepare for games on Sunday. With that being said I would not expect to much of drop off in his play if he were to remain a Jet. If he were to become a Patriot I think there would be larger drop off in his play due to their O line is not as strong but I will bet you this he will work extremely hard to stick it to us twice next year. I am curious to know what you guys think our main priorities should be this offseason? Cover corner, DE/pass rusher, slot receiver, youth on the O line, soon to be RB and soon to be Safety? Rank them from most important to least! Maybe it’s just me but I think we’ll have a tough time filling all these holes and some I think were unnecessary!
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His locker room presence will be missed more than his production.
I like TJ but he is 32 and was going to be a split carry back. He will get beat twice by us next year if he plays in NE
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Okay I’ll stop beating the dead horse but I would still like to know what you all think our main focus should be this offseason then?
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pass rusher
corner
o line depth
d line depth
cheap veteran RB
slot wrwe wont need a safety, rhodes isnt going anywhere
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Ben Nevis says:
TB-
You write: “I am tired of everyone saying anyone can produce 1400 yrds and 14TD’s behind our O Line. . . Thats not proven and I am not willing to bet the 2010 season on [it]. Leon’s coming off a serious leg injury, Greene has not proved he [can] withstand and entire season and had fumbleits. . .”
I agree. I posted this (below) on another thread, but thought you might be interested in reading it:
what Joe Caporoso at TOTJ has to say on whether or not Shonn Greene is ready to replace Thomas Jones:
_________________________________________With the release of Thomas Jones coming this Friday, the torch is being passed to Shonn Greene as the Jets #1 running back. Greene took the NFL by storm during the first two rounds of the NFL playoffs last season. In the wild-card round against Cincinnati, he rushed for 135 yards on 21 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and had a 39 yard touchdown run. In the divisional round against San Diego, he rushed for 128 yards on 23 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and had a 53 yard touchdown run.
Those were two terrific performances that were somewhat foreshadowed at other points during the Jets regular season. Greene racked up 144 yards on only 19 carries during a week 7 win against the Raiders. He put up solid efforts against the Bills (11 carries, 59 yards), Bucs (6 carries, 41 yards), Colts (16 carries, 95 yards), and in the regular season finale against the Bengals (13 carries, 62 yards). These weren’t earth-shattering games but they showed Greene’s natural talent. He has a tremendous burst through the hole, is rarely tackled by the first guy who hits him, and has a second gear that allows him to rip off long runs.
There is no reason not to be excited about Greene’s potential to be franchise running back. By any account, he had a very good rookie year but let’s take off the green and white shades for a moment and look at some facts you can’t ignore:
—Greene came off the bench last season and gashed defenses after Thomas Jones had softened them up. He rarely received carries in the 1st and 3rd quarter. His production was absolutely enhanced by having a bruising back in front of him.
—Despite only having 108 carries in the regular season, Greene dealt with multiple injury issues in his rookie year. He missed nearly all of the pre-season and was inactive week 1 because of a rib injury. He was knocked out of the AFC Championship Game with a rib injury after only having 41 yards on 10 carries (a 4.1 average, which is down from the previous two playoff games). During training camp he also had an ankle injury and late in the regular season, he was on the injury report with a shoulder injury.
—Greene lost three fumbles during the regular season. He lost a fourth one in week 17 but it was called back because of a penalty.
—Greene had zero receptions during the regular season and only one during the playoffs.
—Despite the previously mentioned impressive stat lines, he also had these not so impressive outings against Miami (8 carries, 18 yards), Jacksonville (7 carries, 26 yards), New England (3 carries, -1 yard), Carolina (10 carries, 36 yards), Atlanta (8 carries, 30 yards).
I hate to take off those green and white shades and be so negative but the reality is Greene still has plenty to prove. There is big difference between coming off the bench and having a couple of great games and being a #1 back week in and week out for entire season. He needs to work on his consistency, ball protection, and receiving skills. You can’t have a #1 back who fumbles and who goes through the entire season without catching a single pass. . . .
The torch has been passed to Shonn Greene, let’s all hope he is ready to take it.
_________________________________________
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He’s a rookie hes going to make mistakes, look at L.T rookie year he fumbled a lot more and see how he turned out. Shonn will do good,plus Schotty already said he wants Sanchez to throw the ball more it will cut down his carries.
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This would have been my order
Pass rusher
cover corner
O line depth
D line depth
slot receiveras for RB I am just not sure where to place it due to the uncertainties that lie ahead with Leon and Greene. Jim I have one more question for ya! Which veteran RB would you go after?
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david i says:
Q: Do you know what the Patriots see in Thomas Jones?
A: Fred TaylorAnother great back in his prime that is at the age where he has slowed a step, gets nicked, wears down and is not worth giving alot of money. So, they would only take him on the cheap, which TJ will have no interest in. If that was the case, he could re-sign with the Jets, which I refuse to cast doubt on as remote possibility, until he signs elsewhere. He would be a great back-up, if the price was right for Mean Machine Greene!
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Dylan says:
Finding a 3rd RB won’t be a problem. All we need is a guy who can carry the ball 5 or 6 times a game, and step in if one of our other backs gets injured. I like TJ a lot, but there is no way he runs for 1400 yards on any other team. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry, which is an good but not overly impressive. Shonn Greene can do everything that TJ does but better. He is basically Thomas Jones 2.0. If he can stay healthy, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran for 1600 yards. He needs to be getting 20+ touches a game, and that wouldn’t be possible with TJ here.
Last year, the Jets ran the ball approximately 38 times per game. If the Jets have a more balanced offense, it will probably be closer to 32 or 33. If Greene gets around 20 carries per game and Leon 8-10 carries per game, that means that Jones would only be able to get about 5 carries per game. He is too good a player for that. All we need is someone who can carry the ball a few times to spell Greene. Someone like Mike Bell, who the Saints reportedly did NOT make an offer to.
This team is going to be very different on offense next year. They did not bring in Braylon and draft Sanchez in order to run the ball 50 times. This offense should be very scary next year, when Sanchez is able to make better throws and can read defenses better.
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I wouldn’t mind having Chester Taylor if we could get him cheap.
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originalJetFan says:
i love TJ, but I agree , its business equations
2009— yds tds att Ypc rec yds TD
TJ 1402 14 331 4.2 10 58
SG 540 2 108 5.0 0 0
LW 331 0 72 4.6 15 131
2010
SG 1350 9 300 4.5 8 40
LW 675 4 150 4.5 30 231 2
X 262 0 75 3.5 0 0 0
Those are very conservative projections for leon too and with TJ instead of X both Shonn and leaons carries would go down The numbers don’t show it’s worth keeping him for $5.8 million, might even hurt if it means less work for leoon and Shonn. If he was x , it’s worth it, but for the right price as 3rd option back. -
C Low says:
Hey, very off subject but…..how come there is no risk of an owners lockout before the 2010 season starts?
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@ Brendan o yea he’d be like a corey dillon for them. and plus Brady’d probly be banging Meagan Good on the side so thats a plus for NE too.
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I love TJ also but I remember how we kept Curtis Martin an extra year or two. Curtis was the man but the Jets let emotion get in the way of business with him. They are not doing the same with TJ.
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tyrone says:
Greene will become our emmit smith he kind of reminds me of him
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sorry to get off topic but to all my Knicks fans, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwZXX0PwsOI
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TB – i would say chester taylor as clint just mentioned or maybe a mike bell. a 2nd tier vet who can produce if the worst case were to happen, i.e. greene getting injured.
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@ Jim people forget how good Chester the Molester was before A.P. got there im sure he’s still got some pretty fresh and angry legs being A.P.’s bridesmaid.
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Dylan-
You talk about Green getting “around 20 carries per game” next year.
Last year, Shonn had 10 or more carries in only FIVE GAMES, and 20 carries or more in ZERO GAMES during the ENTIRE 2009 regular season.
SG had TWO GAMES with 20 or more carries in 2010, and both of these came in the playoffs.
(By contrast, Thomas Jones had 10 or more carries in SIXTEEN GAMES, and 20 or more carries in ELEVEN GAMES. Plus another THREE games in the postseason with 15 or more carries.)
I think Joe Caporoso’s point (at TOTJ) is that Shonn is still unproven, in terms of whether or not he can take a pounding over the course of sixteen NFL games, and not get injured (he was injured several times in 2009), and not fumble (he lost three fumbles in 2009, and lost a fourth that was called back due to a penalty).
Caporoso also makes the point that it was TJ who got the difficult yards in the first and third quarters of all sixteen regular season games, and it was only late in the game—after the opposing D had been softened up considerably by our O line during the early quarters—that Shonn was able to put up any numbers.
All of which is to say, right now we just don’t know what Shonn is going to be able to do for us in 2010.
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sexy rexy, i totally agree with you. he’s definitely solid back. if he’d sign with us i’d be extremely happy. the only thing that worries me is that he’ll be looking for an opportunity to be a starter somewhere, which we obviously cant offer him.
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ron2473000 says:
Jim,
I dont’ think you can explain it any better than that….
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all I’m saying is this…when i play Madden on xbox live. My rotation is: 1. Shonn Greene 2. Leon 3. TJ
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Harvlis says:
TJ is much more important to us than he would be to New England. At 32, he is an older back. He would have to be the starter for NE. For the Jets, he would be the security blanket for Shonn Greene. He would have less carries than in the past three years and, as a result, would be there for us down the stretch. If Greene got hurt, he could step right in and, the team would not miss a beat. I don’t really care what they pay him, in the same way that I could care less about the Yankees payroll. Without him, our backfield goes from league-leading to unknown.
As for those who make light of TJ’s 1400 yds and his 14TD’s — you really don’t know much about pro football. Any team would creme, to have TJ’s numbers in their backfield. He averaged 300 carries a season, two fumbles a season, and never missed a game for the Jets. You should be kissing his butt, on his way out the door.
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Bent says: Yeah, he’s unproven. Let’s be positive though…if SG is going to be a 20 carry a game back, that was one heck of an audition, against some fine teams.
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sjfalcon2001 says:
So let’s say for arguments sake that instead of releasing TJ, we sign him to a new 3 year contract for the money he wants on the open market as a #1 RB.
Most of us think he has enough left in the tank for one season, but what do you do about years 2 and 3? We’d be stuck with a player who can’t live up to his contract again.
I don’t mind cutting TJ loose, even if he winds up with the Pats and has a great season next year, because I know he will eventually wear down. We have bigger needs and maybe TJ comes back at a cheaper contract number when he realizes he probably won’t get the payday he is looking for elsewhere.
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GP says:
Wasn’t Shonn Greene at or near the top of the pack during his last year at Iowa, in terms of total carries? This isn’t some scat back here. He’s a dude who earned his way to the pros and won the Doak Walker by wearing defenses down over the course of 4 quarters. Obviously, college and the NFL are two different animals, but I’m just not as worried as some people are that Greene might not be able to shoulder the load as a featured back (or in a 2-back system as might be the case next year).
And let me just say, I’m a big Chester Taylor fan. Is he even a possibility? I’d assume he thinks he can start somewhere and will try to stick with a team with whom he could be THE guy.
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I New York I says:
Sign A.Rolle. Trade Rhodes, Ghost, and a pick for Aso. Draft a DE with our first remaining pick. Oh and a punter with the next.
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Harvlis,
How can you say he’s more important to us than NE if he’d be starting for them and backing up for us? That makes no sense.
Sexy Rexy,
I don’t know what you’re even trying to say, but TJ will not have a better season next year than he had this year.
___
Also, if anyone is wondering who Joe Caporoso is, you may know him by his more well known name…God (if you ask Ben, at least).
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Ben Nevis,
Here are Greene’s stats (including the playoffs) when he has 15 or more carries.
Week 7: 19 ATT 144 YDS 7.6 AVG 2 TD
Week 16: 16 ATT 95 YDS 5.9 AVG 0 TD
WC: 21 ATT 135 YDS 6.4 AVG 1 TD
DIV: 23 ATT 128 YDS 5.6 AVG 1 TDThe Jets won all of those games.
I know Greene isn’t 100% proven, but it is impossible for him to do so unless he gets the opportunity too. When he did play last year, he was better than anybody could have expected.
Greene also averaged over 23 carries per game during his senior season at Iowa. I am confident in his ability to handle the carries. Greene was an old rookie last year (he will be 24 in August) so he is entering the prime age for running backs.
I like TJ, but to be honest I have a lot more confidence in Greene next year then I would in TJ. TJ is going to be 32 next year. Running backs are not generally still in the league at this age. TJ only has a few more years left at the most.
If TJ was willing to take a paycut and backup Greene, then I would be happy to have him back. That was never going to happen though. TJ’s career is almost over, and he is going to want to start wherever he plays. I think he deserves to have that opportunity as well. It didn’t make any sense for the Jets to bring him back this year. 6 mil is WAY too much to pay for a 3rd string RB, and a guy who rushed for 1400 yards isn’t going to want t backup a 2nd year player.
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| New York |,
Glad to see you’re realistic. That trade won’t happen and Rhodes is better than Rolle.
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Kyle says:
Check out this WR may be someone to take a look at.
Taylor Price
*
Height:
6’0″
*
Weight:
204 lbs.
*
Arm Length:
31 1/4 in.
*
Hand Size:
9 1/2 in.
*
College:
Ohio
*
Conference:
Mid-AmericanPrice has rare speed for a bigger receiver and has garnered a lot of attention as his senior season progressed. He is explosive off the line and breaks down the cushion on defenders before they know it. He can avoid the press and shows the ability to get in and out of his breaks with the kind of burst that separates from even the best of cover corners. He makes acrobatic catches and looks very comfortable when reaching out to pluck the ball away from his body. He still needs some work on setting defenders up and selling fakes, but there is a lot to work with on this guy, and some team is apt to take him earlier than the public expects.
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kc says:
I think we are gonna trade for Cromartie so we got the other corner problem solved. The next TWO glaring holes are pass rusher and wide reciever. Address those and then it should be o-line and d-line depth.
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brendan, I wasn’t serious. Hense the punter remark. But I would be thrilled if those things happened. And if I have to downgrade in safety to get aso. Ill do so. Considering rolle is no slouch. And who knows. Maybe he thrives in rexs system. Glas to see you’re a pessimist.
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Last Comment– last nine games taking out 3 longest runs from each (Greens 9 games were any over 10 carries)
TJ– 5 of 9 under 3.0 yds/carry
2 of 9 at 3.0 yds/carry
1 at 3.4 and 1 at 3.7SG 1 6.0/carry
1 5.8/carry
2 4.8/carry
1 4.7/carry
1 4.9/carry
3 between 3.4 and 3.8
can’t keep TJ for anything but 3rd back and can’t pay a 3rd back 5.8 million, end of story, Thanks, and we wish you luck , but youth must be served. -
Brendan
I think Harvlis’s point was TJ is more valuable as a insurance policy for Leon/Greene than a fulltime starter and just another old back in New England…at least thats how i read it.
For all of those looking to replace 1400 yards and 10+ tds….TJ wasnt going to get close to 300 carries this year so those numbers are not what we would need to replace.
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Sfalcon,
There is no need to sign TJ to a three year deal. One, with an option, would be the most he should get. The Jets did the right thing, last season. They picked up Shonn Greene and worked him in slowly. They found out that he had the ability to be a great back. They should have done the same thing, this season. Draft a RB in the fifth or sixth round and find out if he can step in for TJ. Or, give Chauncey Washington an opportunity and save the draft pick. This way, the new back has the luxury of getting used to the NFL grind, learning the playbook, learning the team, and getting used to the OL. Then, in 2011, we would know if Greene can stay healthy and hold on to the ball, we would know if Leon can come back from his injury, and we would know what our rookie (or Washington) could do for us. Instead of not knowing what our backfield will look like, which is what we have now. We would know exactly what we have there.
This theory of, “don’t worry, any back could step in and have success, behind our O-line”, is garbage. The Jets are turning into the Mets. Let’s rely upon our injured players, who are coming back, and pick up some cast offs from around the league, and hope that all will be well. I would rather KNOW than HOPE.
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Bent says:
Dylan – Wow.
Just for fun, let’s extrapolate those stats over 16 games:
I make it 316 carries, 2008 yards and 16 TDs. I’d settle for that!
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I think Ben Nevis has broken a TJB record for most words posted on a particular subject.
Maybe Ben Nevis is Thomas Jones?
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Dylan-
I think you just made my point:
Shonn had 15 carries or more in ONLY FOUR GAMES out of the NINETEEN games (including the playoffs) that the Jets played last season.
And SG had 20 or more carries in ONLY TWO GAMES out of nineteen. And the game after those two 20-carry games, he got injured again: a rib injury, the SAME injury he had at the beginning of the season.
To cite his college stats doesn’t tell you very much, Dylan: SG wasn’t being pounded by NFL Ds during any of those games.
So the point is: we still don’t know yet if Shonn has the ability to take 10 or more carries in NINETEEN GAMES (as TJ did last year), or 20 or more carries in ELEVEN GAMES (as TJ did last year) and take a pounding—and not get injured, not fumble—over the course of an entire NFL season.
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SackDance99 says:
Greene in his last college season won the Doak Walker Award at Iowa, never fumbled, and never had less than 100 yards rushing in a game. In his rookie NFL season, was the leading RB in the playoffs and he finished the season with 0 fumbles in his last 91 carries…all of them pressure packed. I guess if you use some of the logic on here, the Yankees should’ve kept Wally Pipp around because that Gehrig guy was unproven.
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Harvlis,
Nobody is devaluing what TJ did for us. He was a great player and a great guy in the clubhouse. But he isn’t going to want to stay as the 3rd back, and even if he did the Jets would be crazy to pay him 6 million. And TJ has a lot more options than the Jets or the Patriots. How about San Diego? They don’t have ANY proven running back and they are going to be contenders. Oh yeah, and they play in San Diego. -
Bent,
Haha you never know right? -
To play the other side of the TJ / Greene debate….there is always the chance that Shonne Greene is just another Lamont Jordan. A great split carry back but couldnt hold up for a full season and 250+ carrries. Now I dont believe that but they do run the same.
Even is saying that the correct move if TJ wouldnt restruct his contract was to release him and hand the keys to Greene/Leon.
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the jets and mets are complete different situations. please don’t even say that. the mets are coming off a 92 loss season, while the jets are coming off the AFC championship game. the mets have one of the most disfunctional front offices in all of sports and the jets have one of the best in the NFL. you may not like the release of TJ but tanny knows what he’s doing. please do not even go there with that comparison.
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Bent-
You write: “Yeah, [Shonn Greene is] unproven. Let’s be positive though. . .”
I’d rather be realistic, Bent. TJ was the core of our offense in 2009.
I’d love to see Shonn get 1,400 and 14 TDs in 2010. I’d love to see take a pounding, and not get injured, not fumble, over the course of 16 NFL games.
But I don’t think it’s wise to count on it.
And I don’t think it was wise for Mike T to cut Thomas Jones.
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“a rib injury, the SAME injury he had at the beginning of the season.” Hm….so a lingering rib injury (which are very painful) knocked him out of a game. He’s a bust!
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Ben Nevis,
What would you suggest? That we pay 6 mil for TJ to backup Greene? That the Jets start TJ even though Greene is clearly more talented? Cutting TJ is tough, but its obviously the right decision. -
The ideal situation would involve TJ taking less money and staying on as the 3rd back but there is no way that was ever going to happen. The Jets tried to get him to take less money but he refused. The only option was cutting him. I like TJ but keeping him wouldn’t have made sense.
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Drew,
Thank you for clarifying. That is what I meant. We know that TJ could be a great back-up and be able to step in, if necessary. For us, he is a given. NE has no idea if TJ can learn (and fit into) their system and handle the starting job.
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Dylan-
What I’d suggest is (and I’ve said this before on too many threads already, I’ve had this discussion way too many times)—what I’d suggest is that we keep TJ around and let Shonn prove himself over the course of the 2010 season.
If Shonn proves he can take 20 carries in eleven games, then it’s obvious: TJ is not a Jet in 2011.
But if Shonn gets injured again, if he fumbles his way onto the bench, if he just can’t take a pounding from an NFL D over and over and over again, well, then our season doesn’t go into the toilet. We stil have Thomas Jones.
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I could not post the link and my comment for some reason, but there’s a good article that I can’t link to about how much abuse an RB can take before he breaks down. The author used 400 touches (carries and receptions) as a benchmark and had 2 interesting conclusions. First, if an RB gets over 400 touches in his late 20s, his effectiveness as an NFL RB after that season is OVER. Second, no matter how many touches in a single season, once an RB reaches 2,800 touches, he’s done.
TJ had a little more than 370 touches in the regular season and playoffs last year. Adjusting for his age, he is probably over the 400 touch line that would indicate the end of an RB’s effectiveness at 27 or 28. And, for his career, TJ is at 2,700 touches. So, at 32, he would be 100 touches away from being done. However, the author predicated his theory on the bulk of the touches occurring when an RB is fresh out of college. TJ had well over half his touches starting in his late 20s and in to his early 30s. Judging from how TJ went out last season, there’s both statistical and eyewitness proof that he might be done as an NFL RB. So, all of you who trumpet his great consistency also have to recognize that each season, more gas in his tank was being used AND that gas gets guzzled the older an RB gets.
So, if the Pats want him, I’m not scared. The Jets defense is tough to run on, the Pats OL is weak and TJ’s effectiveness as an NFL RB may be over.
Also, before TJ came to the Jets, he was never a feature RB; but, his reputation as being a potential workhorse came from his stellar playoff performance in the Bears Super Bowl losing campaign. Hmmmm, doesn’t that sound like Greene, who was the most dynamic playoff RB? The Jets won’t know whether he will be a bona fide workhorse until he is used as the workhorse and that was going to happen whether end-of-the-line TJ was around or not.
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Bent-
I’m running out to a meeting now, so this will have to be my last post on this thread for a while.
But here’s something I think we can agree on: I think we’d both like to see Shonn Greene be All Pro in 2010.
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Ben,
$6 million is too much to pay an insurance policy. Would you pay $6 million for Jeff Garcia? That’s pretty much the same thing. Aging veteran, can still play, but not going to get reps.
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Dylan,
If another team is willing to give him six million – go with g-d. I don’t think that will happen. If someone offered four million, as long as it is an uncapped year, what do you care, if the Jets paid him that. Do you think Yankee fans care what they pay players? It is all about getting the RING. One year, to make sure we know what our backfield can give us. Why go into a season hoping that we put together a running game. If it was so easy, how come half the teams in our division can’t run.
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next topic please….
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Ben Nevis,
6 mil is too much to pay for an insurance policy. We could get a guy like Bell for 1/3 of the price, and he could easily rush for 1000 yards behind this line. Greene has already proven that he can play. If the Jets weren’t confident in his ability they wouldn’t have given up 3 draft picks to get him. Like Brendan said, he had a lingering rib injury throughout the season, but that does not make him injury prone.
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Harvlis,
Because none of the teams in the league have our offensive line, let alone half the teams in our division.
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Harvlis,
The Yankees obviously do care about money or they would have brought Damon back. In this economy teams are much less willing to throw around money. This isn’t a baseball thread though so thats all I have to say on the Yankees.Back to TJ, there is nothing stopping the Jets from bringing him back. But if they didn’t cut him they would have had to pay him 6 million because he has a 3 mil bonus coming up. According to Adam Schefter, they did try to renegotiate but TJ refused.
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Bent says:
Sack – that comment and link did post (via sPam).
If you want to see it, refer to the post titled “anonymous jet states TJ something something” (can’t remember the exact headline).
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WallaceWright says:
I know we’re all bias here because we love our team…but Antrel Rolle is probably better than Rhodes…he can play both corner and safety and isnt one dimensional like Kerry…c’mon lets be fair
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Wallace,
What’s funny is if anything, being a Jets fan would cause someone to be harder on Rhodes, rather than playing favorites.
I still support Rhodes, but the majority of people that talk about the subject on here want him gone.
Rolle can’t play two positions. He can’t play CB which is why he was switched to CB. And he is kind of one dimensional because he isn’t very good in coverage.
Rhodes is definitely a better safety.
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If anyone is interested, here’s the link I alluded to earlier:
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_3157_Stop_running_back_abuse!.html
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tjmax says:
Ben Nevis and other pro-TJ backer’s, thank you for your great common sense defense of one of the best back’s the NY Jets will ever have.Don’t waste anymore time trying to convince these guy’s.They have it all figured out.The fact is TJ’s record speak’s for itself.
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Why can’t we find a team leader in any other player on this team ?? Why can’t Sanchez who in his rookie year LEAD his team to a AFC championship ? Why can’t Dustin Keller or Mangold be the leader ?? Enough with Thomas Jones….it’s done.
Also, Leon’s leg injury while gruesome was not as bad as everyone is saying. It was a broken bone which can heal easily…. no ligament “repaired joints” or anything…. Did anyone see what Willis McGahee’s leg looked like ??? he ran for a bunch of td’s in the NFL.
He’s 32 and not worth 5.8 mil….we have to sing Revis, Mangold and others….
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Eddie DiGio says:
TJ better know one thing, if he goes to New England, have fun running behind that finesse offensive line.
It aint going to be like Faneca swinging around on a pull and ripping someone’s face off, or Brandon Moore pancaking someone, or Mangold destroying LBs at the second level.
TJ is an awful fit in that New England offense and would be largely ineffective IMO
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PDubbs- 100% right on my man. This is Revis, Mangold, DH, Brick and Chez’ team now. Those are OUR GUYS
BTW-The Yanks capped THEMSELVES this year, and STUCK TO IT. That is the shape of our economy, so if Woody doesnt want to spend almost 6 million on a 32 year old RB that slowed down at the end of the year and would be coming back in a reduced role, I cant blame the guy. I love TJ and will always root for him, but business is business.
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Here’s yet another stat guy (Aaron Schatz from Football Outsiders posting on ESPN Insider’s Rumors Blog) that looked at TJ’s career stats and see warning signs:
Football Outsiders
WARNING!“Thomas Jones had career highs in carries, yards, and touchdowns last year, but what’s most important going forward is the stat where he had a career low: receptions. Research shows us that older running backs usually see a big dropoff in receiving totals 1-2 years before their rushing totals crash. Statistically, to give just one example, Jones is very similar to Emmitt Smith from 1998-2000. Smith dropped from 27 receptions in both 1998 and 1999 to 11 in 2000. After 2000, he never averaged 4.0 yards per carry in a season again.” – Aaron Schatz
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gangreen4ever says:
No offense to Tj, but if he faced us, he would run for 40 yards max
I am starting to get sick to my stomach over the way management is handling this offseason. They are creating new and unnecessary hole that will very difficult to fill. I don’t understand the TJ move? I do understand everyones argument that this the nature of the beast in the NFL for a 32 year old RB but its not. This is an uncapped year which we have not faced before pay the man the money he deserves. I am tired of everyone saying anyone can produce 1400 yrds and 14TD’s behind our O Line because I am not sure about that and that was most of our offense last year. Thats not proven and I am not willing to bet the 2010 season on that accusation. Leon’s coming off a serious leg injury, Greene has not proved he withstand and entire season and had fumbleits in the beginning of the season. Lastly were going to trade Rhodes for what a 3rd or a 4th round pick? Is that adequate value. I am not sure about that especially with our limited draft picks and the final 4 handcuffs. Be careful what you ask for I feel the Jets are starting to look like the Met’s. Any descent Vet will think twice about signing with us for even if they perform they might not get paid for we’ll cut them before their pay day comes through. Sorry I just needed to vent for I am getting pissed off for all we needed this offseason was to upgrade a couple of positions. Now I am not so sure!