Via ESPN Sacramento yesterday, PFT is confirming a report that the Niners are talking to Leon Washington.
Per a league source, Washington has spoken with the Niners. There is some interest; however, no visit has been scheduled yet.
Other teams are also interested, we’re told. We don’t currently know who they are.
By tendering Washington at a second-round level only, the Jets have invited teams to sniff around the all-purpose tailback. The leg injury could scare some of them away. With the deadline for signing restricted free agents to offer sheets coming eight days before the April 22 draft, it might be that no one will be ready to take a chance on him before it’s too late to do so.
Keels has been mum on the subject, maybe he’s getting more savvy with this stuff.
We’ve asserted that the Jets tender to Leon was a move made to see what interest they could garner for the running back, and so far it seems like it’s been a smart play on their part if they wanted to drum up the option of more draft picks. Currently, the Niners hold the 49th pick in the second round.
Alex,
I was actually calling people out for saying Leon’s injury is minor. For people to think that snapping the lower half of your leg is minor, I suggest asking someone who have had to deal with it.
This injury is not to be confused with the one Darren Sproles went through. Sproles only broke the fibula, which is the smaller of the two “shin bones” or bones that, together, comprise the lower portion of your leg. Leon, on the other hand, broke his fibula as well as his tibia, which is the larger, weight-bearing bone. Leon went through a much more serious injury.
And as Alex points out, the biggest part of Leon’s game that will be affected is his ability to stop on a dime, change direction, cut…basically what makes him unique and valuable, are in jeopardy.
I’m an optimist, so I feel he can come back and be a good player again, but it’s not like he sprained an ankle or broke his wrist. This is a very serious injury for the position he plays and for his most valuable attributes as a palyer.
We gotta sign Vargas, even if Leon stays. A backfield of War Machine, JV, and Leon or the most explosive RB at #49 would be awesome behind the NFL’s best line.
Not to mention that i feel like we are going to be shying away from last years “Ground and Pound” mantra. I think Sanchez is gonna go off this year. I feel like no one has even talked about Marky Mark this whole offseason.
Without a joint injury there should be no long-term impact on Leon’s play.
spin-
Why do you keep saying this as fact? Can you at least try to explain why? maybe give an example of a player?
BiggKatt- Im all for signing Fargas too. hes a big downhill runner, i know people will probably throw a temper tantrum here but I feel he is talented enough to have gained 1400 yards last year on this line.
don’t forget we’re talking about a running back here. they take a pounding day in and day out. its a crap shoot every yr who your starter is going to be 6 games into the season. the name of the game in the nfl is depth now. stock up you backfield with guys that can do multiple things
green= all around runner
c.washington= power back
woodhead= check down shifty runner
if leon comes back you just add him to that list
ps: there is no way we don’t add another back to our team in this draft or before training camp
BigKatt,
My biggest concern coming into this offseason wasn’t losing or gaining players. It had nothing to do with personnel. It was “are the Jets going to make the same mistake that Atlanta & Baltimore made?”
Baltimore and Atlanta went on similar paths as the Jets last year, making the playoffs with a rookie QB. But what both teams did this season was put more responsibility on their QBs.
Not to say that the Jets should keep Sanchez on his leash. I think they HAVE to open up the playbook if for no other reason than to keep teams honest. But what happened with Flacco & Ryan was obvious early in the season. They were passing too much and the teams struggled. Once both teams realized they were foolish for putting too much on their young guns’ shoulders they scaled back the passing and ran more. And both teams did better.
I just don’t want the Jets to put TOO much of the onus on their young QB.
Spindoctor, that just is not true.
maybe with 2nd rounders we can trade up for berry. but might not be a good move since this team is just creating more and more holes.
spindoctor – you’re the only one who actually read my post the way it was intended.
Brendan – I said his injury wasn’t “major” if by “major” we’re talking about joints, knees, etc. I’m not downplaying the severity of a compound fracture–let’s be real. Of course that type of injury is severe, and as the real Dr. pointed out, he’ll have difficulty with his balance and shiftiness.
However, it’s a bone break, and bones can heal stronger than they were originally. Once LW is 100% fully, completely healed and rehabilitated, he’ll have a much better chance of becoming what he was–shiftiness and all–opposed to players who suffer major knee injuries (ligament tears)
john l, Cotchery had a better than avg. punt return# , i think you should check the stats.
Bilal — Bones are just bones. Joints(hips/knees/ankles) are involved in mobilty, flexibility, balance, speed, etc. Joint injuries heal with scar tissue that can limit activity, predispose to future injury, and lead to arthritis. I am not an orthopedist but I am a surgeon. If there is a orthopedist out there, I will defer to his or her expertise.
This should put the matter to rest (for now, at least).
Beat writer Matt Maiocco hears the 49ers have not shown interest in Ravens OT Jared Gaither or restricted free agent Leon Washington.
The Gaither speculation was shot down immediately, and Maiocco has heard nothing about a reported interest in Washington. The Niners, like most teams, are leery of paying an above-market contract while also handing over an early-round draft pick.
Furthermore, according to Hutch: “The organization loves him as a player and person and truly believes he’ll make a full recovery,” explained Hutchinson. While he does concede that the Jets could lose Washington to a “poison pill” contract, that’s a highly unlikely scenario.
Drew — clear as crystal!!
Drew & Spin,
If his bones were going to heal as good as new why does he have a lower leg littered with screws? It’s not realistic to assume he’ll be 100% because he broke a bone. If you break a femur, you’re never the same. A hip is a bone, break it and see how close your new movement is to your old one. It’s just not as simple as “bones heal, he’s fine!”
Guys,
I’m not a Doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express! lol
I don’t think anyone will know until Leon actually gets out there so this should be a mute point right now
Brendan – i totally agree with you on that front. While i do think, as do you it seems, that 6 is gonna have a little more freedom/responsibility, I still believe that we’re going to lead the lead in rushing again. I definitely think that Rex/Schotty are going to look at how Bmore/ATL handled things with their sophomore QB’s and realize they can’t put too much on Sanchez. I still think he’s going to have a big year though, not a pro bowl year, but a big one. And he won’t even be able to go to the pro bowl any way, because we’re going to the ‘ship this year.
Kewpie to Mole who is the only poster who gets it.
The reason for only the second round tender is to expose Keels and to force Leon to learn his actula market value.
We want to encourage someone to make an offer. A first round tender would have discouraged an offer. The second encourages one.
If Leon signs, it will likely be for a lot less than we offered last year. Keels screwed him; but Leon listened to Keels.
Either he comes back for the tender offer (a lot less than we offered last year) or we can decide to match another team’s offer. My guess is that we take a 2nd instead only if it is from a team with a very early second round pick or if another team does something really stupid like offering Leon Sprowles’ money.
The market does not seem to be moving in that direction though.
In a month or less we will find out for sure.
harlan
Harlan,
I do think that could be the case. But there’s also a chance the Jets think he might be damaged goods also, no?
Brendan – I totally agree with you on that front. I still think that we are gonna lead the league in rushing (not only yards but attempts too), but like you said, we need to open up the playbook to keep other teams from stacking the box on us. Especially after losing TJ and possibly Leon, i don’t want to have a second year player (WM), a recently released vet (Vargas, Fast Willie, B West, whoever Tanny brings in) and a rookie RB running against 8 in the box. If Sanchez can become a true threat to opposing D’s, which i believe he most definitely will, our ground game just gets that much better.
I think this is a great strategy imployed by the Jets… by forcing another team to offer him the L/T deal he’s been looking for, the Jets can sit back, evaluate the deal, and either match it, or, if they decide it’s too much money, they can let him walk and obtain another 2nd round pick.
I love Leon as a player and leader, but he was asking for way to much money prior to his injury. It would hurt to lose him, especially with TJ gone, but that extra 2nd rounder would’nt be too bad either.
Another thing… Mangold, Revis, D’Brick, Harris, Edwards, Cromartie (and potentially others) will all be looking at new contracts next season… $4.5mm a season to a part-time RB (allbeit an explosive talent) coming off a broken leg, isn’t necesarilly the best way to budget the bank.
Take him for a second and no one mentioned the money aspect. The team has been saving money all offseason and letting Leon go would avoid a massive contract (because of keels) they would have to pay or they would just see Leon leave on his own next year. Take a second round pick in a deep draft and keep the money you would have to pay Leon and pay Revis Mangold Dbrick and Harris
Scott – you hit the nail on the head with that one brother
Unless another team just breaks the bank with an offer to Leon, if they let him walk with a competitive offer out there, its just plain dumb
I loved the way the offseason started but Im not to happy with what has happened since then
A team that was 30 mins from the Super Bowl and more holes have been made then filled
Just hoping and praying that there is a plan behind all the moves Tanny has made so far
@ Eddie DiGio
Why so down? We lost Rhodes… he’s a wuss and wanted out anyway… he would have turned into a Kendall/ Baker/ Coles situation which is what we don’t need… plus, we still have Leonhard, Smith and Digs, as well as Lowery, who was projected as a NFL caliber safety.
TJ’s 32 and was looking at $5.8mm this year alone, and wanted another 3-4 year deal worth $3-4mm p/ year… No Way!
Nobody knows how Leon will be rebounding this year, so we’ll let the market dictate whether or not he comes back.
And we’ve gained a lock-down corner in Cromartie.
The only move that really irked me so far is letting Wallace Wright get away; but, as a special teamer, he would have been too expensive anyway.
Cheer up… Trader Mike will make it all better!
I read the first 10 comments then just skipped to the bottom so sorry for probably adding something already said:
For a 2nd, I’d trade Leon. If I thought he would be the Leon of old, I absolutely wouldn’t. However, I would be shocked if Leon came back from his injury the same (or better) than before.
And of course my analysis is based on the ZERO classes I’ve taken on anything on the human body, but I’m trying to learn as much as I can from the sport articles.
They should take the 2nd to use as comp for signing another RFA, possibly Landry S BAL.
Cimini and Hutch are reporting the Jets will match for Leon
JJets,
reporting where?
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/03/forecasting-leons-future.html
http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/03/ny_jets_running_back_leon_wash_2.html
i REALLY think letting Leon Washington go is a HORRENDOUS idea.
Scott
I guess we all have our moments of doubt…
Im one of the biggest green Kool Aid drinking guys around and I guess I just thought with the uncapped year we’d have everything locked up and go into the draft just looking to add more firepower on defense…but then again I dont write the players check or know what Woody’s bottom line
I really can almost see the shine on the Lombardi Trophy with this team and this coach…
But you are right in the sense that Mike T and Rex probably have this all thought out on where they going next or how the guys we do have are going to be used.
Dont worry, we get a pass rusher via trade, FA or the draft, Ill be a happy go lucky idiot again…lol
The 49rs are just “window” shopping at this time. So, will other teams. The biggest question about Leon is his recovery from the horrendous leg injury he suffered in Oakland. If you catch any comments from the players about the injury – it wasn’t pretty at all (bone was protruding out). To those who say he will be the same old Leon – I tend to doubt it. If you think so, then just call Joe Theisman and ask him how his career progress after he suffered his devastating leg injury.