Thomas Jones signs with the Chiefs
For those still holding out hope that Thomas Jones would return to New York, you can go ahead and pack it in. According to Adam Schefter, Jones just signed a two year $5 million deal with the Chiefs.
Filed to ESPN: Thomas Jones signs in Kansas City: two years, $5 million. Chiefs have their running back. No need for Willie Parker to visit.
As of right now it truly is all in the hands of Shonn Greene to keep the “Ground and Pound” philosophy intact (considering L. Washington status is still in the air while C. Washington has yet to have made an impression with the fans). Unless the Jets turn to free agency, I find it hard not to believe the the Jets will search for a RB with a late pick (James Starks anyone?).
It’s unfortunate to see TJ leave, he was a true leader and an example for everyone in that locker room. But alas, it is time to move on — good luck in KC TJ!
Hat tip to JJets
118 Responses to Thomas Jones signs with the Chiefs
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david harris says:
i believe the jets will draft javhid best.
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joe c from ct says:
I sure hope MT knows what he is doing. I better have a quality team on the field or I am not buying these tickets. We are not moving in the right direction. Again NO TEAM NO TICKETS!! PERIOD !!!
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JUST KIDDING. JET FAN FOR LIFE!!!!
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Anil Shah says:
are you kidding me?
We were not willing to give him $5.8 for 1 year and he goes and signs for $5 million for 2 years?
That is a CLEAR sign that the Jets:
a) clearly did not want him
b) know something about him that we do notI simply simply simply can not see the logic in NOT resigning him when those were the financials….
I know it’s a deep draft – but I personally find this pretty disappointing.
Anyone else agree?
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Fobi says:
anil,
that or, maybe what we were willing to pay him was significantly less than what he got with this deal…i would like to know what the numbers of him restructuring his contract looked like
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dtrain says:
Why is there so much tanny bashing? The guy is doing all the right things and is building this team, give the guy a break. Although i would of loved one more year of TJ the guy is old and look as worn down as could be from the falcons game on. Look at Denver, the way they operate with their running game. Remember Peyton Hillis gashing us for 100 yards 2 years ago? RBs are replaceable unless they have pure game changing ability. As much as TJ brought through leadership and consistency he could be replacing giving how much wear and tear and age he has. All this being said congrats TJ and enjoy the last few years.
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Harvlis says:
I am sick that we couldn’t match this contract and keep TJ. Our playoff team is falling apart. I hope that Tanny has plans on how to fill the void. He can start, by signing M Douglas.
I visited the new stadium and took a tour. My buddy has six seats upstairs on the fifty, about two rows up. Unfortunately, the stadium is so high up that his seats, in second row, are equivalent to sitting in the last row in Giants Stadium. On top of that, there is a protective metal grid, at the bottom of the staircase (so that fans don’t get pushed over the railing) that his aisle seat has to look through, in order to view half of the field. Can you imagine having 50 yard line, second row seats, upstairs, and you have to look through a metal grid, in order to watch the game. As these metal grids are all over the stadium, there are going to be alot of angry ticket holders. On a positive note, there are four big screens to watch the replays on.
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MEL31602 says:
Maybe we did offer TJ a similar contract but he turned it down thinking he would get more money elsewhere and was mistaken. Also with regards to the Rhodes comments, of course the coaches had the ex- Ravens show him the system because they were the ones who knew it.
And Harvlis- my parents took a tour of the stadium too and said it was great. OOf course they have club seats so they don’t have to worry about not being able to see
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nyj2010 says:
It was clear that TJ was willing to take less money but not less from specifically from us! that was the issue- he felt slighted by the Jets and was willing to take less somewhere else, just not by us. We have to assume that based on TJ’s attitude, the Chiefs gave him the most money.
But i want to bring up an even bigger point- what does it say about this guy- he wasnt willing to play for 2.5 mil for the Jets, a super bowl contender, while taking the same money from a team that has no shot to win more than 6 games. For all his leadership skills, to me this deal just supported what we know about most of these athletes- they care about money and fame, NOT winning. That, I’m afraid to say, is not the mark of a leader, its the mark of a guy who plays for himself.
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Marvel says:
Let’s see how many yards he rushes for without our OL … Naturaly they’ll be the excuse “he’s not the featured back” lol .. RB’s come a dime a dozen .. Give me Fargas/Bell/Leon/2nd round pick/etc it doesn’t matter..
E.week
I might be the only one who cares but are there any Punters with rocket legs in the draft ? Or FA ? Would luv a post ..We kneed an upgrade big time .. More than we kneed a 3rd RB or a special teams “gunner” (WW) .. With out D punter is A top kneed if I’m GM .. Hope Tanny feels the same .
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^with Our D
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Marvel, there is one I did a while back his name is Zoltan Mesko: http://www.thejetsblog.com/2010/02/10/prospect-watch-p-zoltan-mesko/
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Bent says: Harvlis (and Mel’s parents!) – thanks for the info about the slinky. I can’t wait to see it.
I think Rhodes perspective is kind of backwards, but he’s gone now so I no longer need to give a crap what he says. Very underrated element of that trade!
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brian311 says:
definitely thought he would get more. will only earn $3M in 2010. im sort of shocked the jets refused to pay him $3M. time will tell if letting him walk was a good deal. all i know is shonn greene better be ready to roll in 2010
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E.weeks
thanks imma check it out .. Hope he’s good
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Marc says:
I’ll bet we offered him more than $3MM for a 1-year deal, but maybe he demanded a 2 year deal, with all of the uncertainty of next year ahead. If we matched it, I would be shocked if he chose to go to KC.
I agree — they better have a plan. If we lose Leon too, this could be disastrous. I have confidence in Mike T and the FO that they will not let Leon go. Remember, it is very early on in the process. Let’s trust these guys, until they prove unworthy of it.
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Where did you see the Rhodes comments?
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E.weeks
thanks imma check it out .. Hope he’s good
I didn’t know the jets sighned a special teamer a while ago “Larry Taylor” if you did a post on him could I get the link .. Thanks again
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MookMan says:
It was all about the money for TJ.
Loved him while he was here….but, not a smart move to end your career on a crap team located in the middle of nowhere….
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Chrebookie says:
with jones gone and Leon up in the air…..
it leaves a BIG gap to be filled in.We all know things get interesting for the JETS this time of year, Mr. T always has tricks up his sleaves.
Trade up and draft another back? Interesting.
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WW85 says:
Greene was only effective because his legs were fresh in the last quarter. TJ did all the work during the season. The Jets need a workhorse to carry the load. Greene showed with the rib injury that he wont carry 16+games full load.
I understand losing Rhodes. I don’t understand Wallace Wright & TJ.
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Nyj2010- I thought someone mentioned them above but if not they are on ciminis blog
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Also Pats signed M. Murrell according to an interview with the owner on Boston radio
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Bent says:
Marvel – We did a brief post on him on 1/7. Enter his name in the search bar on the left sidebar of the frontpage to access it.
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brightfuture says:
And the pats resigned bodden this offseason is slowly getting bad after a great start
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Bent
Cool … Thanks
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Green Lantern "I WANT BERRY" says:
The Pats Kept BODDEN! Oh My God !!! Lookout hes going to shut Jerricho and Braylon Down! lol Bodden’s a joke.
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Eric in StL says:
i was pissed about this too, but i think they want to draft a young back. youth is what is critical when you have huge holes to run through. my wants:
1. safety (free agency/trade)
2. RB (1st round)
2a. WILL
3. LG to replace faneca eventually
4. slot WR
5. Nickel CB -
TJBfan (twitter @infresco4) says:
The Jets didn’t want to give him the 5.8 mil for 1 season so he goes and signs 5 mil for 2.
Now I think the Jets would have matched that but I don’t think TJ would have been willing to. He wanted to rework his contract last year and wasn’t coming back for less even if it meant he had to get less elsewhere.
Chiefs are actually getting some good pieces they may not be bad this year but I don’t see them going to the playoffs before TJ is gone from there.
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bodden’s not very good
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Eboozerrides says:
Thomas should have stayed w Jets, now stuck in KC. Bad deal all around. Pride is a killer. Mr T could have done better. In this deal Jets and Thomas lose.
K Rhodes is the prima donna. Jets will make Rhodes cry. -
Bent says:
Yeah, but think how good he’ll be with Murrell coming off the edge!
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James in TN says:
crap move not paying tj what he deserved. i bet he rushes for 2000yds in the next 2 seasons anybody going to be mad when he does? i know i will be. like draftin vg letting tj go was a bad move.
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Murrjet says:
Surprised he got so little but why does everyone say he was great in the lockerroom. He missed off season workouts last season. Does not seem like great laedership to me.
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JJets says:
getting rid of tj is not the end of the world, i love tj but i don’t think it is going to come back and bite us
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Gotta agree James. TJ. was an every day solid back who never got in injured & was a team leader. He should have been kept.
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hojo3 says:
I trust Tanny has some Special plans for us. There is no way the FO would risk pissing of fans by cutting one of the fan favorites, UNLESS they have a plan that would make the team better…Woody must finish selling PSLs. They are about 75 percent sold, have already lowered prices (some by 40percent), and need to gain interest in the club seats. This is why we snagged farve when we weren’t initially in the running. Then we move up in the draft to grab Sanchez. Tanny has something huge planned…maybe Brandon Marshall, maybe we move up and take Detroit’s #2 pick in draft, and grab Suh. Crazier things have happened, and Detroit would like to deal there 1st pick in the draft.
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BC says:
Yeah, Thomas Jones wants to be paid – no ****. He’s looking at the end of his carreer and has to get all the money he can while he’s still capable of earning millions as a football player. Tell me you wouldn’t do the same in his shoes.
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BubbyBrister/shovelpass says:
James in TN – I’m not worried…We have a great track record for having former Jets go to the Chiefs…see: Ty Law and Herman Edwards. The last time TJ wore a red jersey (with the Cards.) he sucked! I think his knee was a bigger issue then was led to be believed.
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i think last time we went up to draft a dt was baby sapp robertson
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i know this might not be a popular move right now but i think it will be ok
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any you guys live in MD?
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Dylan says:
Pride obviously got in the way of Thomas Jones coming back. The Jets probably would have given him a one year 3 or 4 mil deal. Two years for 5 mil is a steal for the Chiefs. I guess TJ doesn’t care too much about winning or he would have swallowed his pride and came back for less.
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i bet its the knee
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and remember we once traded herm for leon washington
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Ben Nevis says:
Dylan-
You write: “Pride obviously got in the way of Thomas Jones coming back.”
As I said on another thread, it’s a bit useless to speculate about TJ’s motives for signing with KC, and not resigning with us. We’re creating this whole pride story, when we have absolutely no evidence that it is at all true.
We don’t know, for instance, if Mike T matched KC’s two-year offer of $5 million, plus another $500,000 in incentives.
And we don’t know what the behind-the-scenes dynamic has been between the FO and TJ—mostly because Jones has too much class to talk publicly about that sort of thing.
So, as Bent said on another thread: We don’t know either way, so we can’t really bash or defend the FO or TJ, simply because we don’t know what happened behind the scenes.
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dakar says:
you guys act like we cant replace jones…please…he’s gone…so what…and it was his pride that kept him from coming back to the jets…not tanny…he can be replaced…he will be replaced…and it will be with some1 who can put a pounding on opposing defenses and greene will continue to be a beast…leon is my only concern as of now…
and with kerry…its a he said he said type of situation that neither side could handle anymore…so both sides are happier that he isn’t here anymore…like mangini’s 5 second rule…it happened…kerry’s gone…so the fans have to get over it already…tanny and rex will bring some1 in to replace him aswell…just my thoughts…
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reality jet fan says:
Why are we cutting 20 million in an uncapped year? hope its not because of unsold psls.
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Eddie DiGio says:
RealityJetFan
I was thinking the same thing-
It could be that OR they are going to try and move up in the draft again and wind up having to shell out mucho buckos
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Super T says:
As much as we’re all upset to see TJ go – losing a 32 y/o RB is *NOT* the end of the world. Look at the Patriots who really haven’t had a featured back going back several years now. If anything, I would rather see the Jets try and find another back either in FA or the draft to team with Greene and Washington.
Justin Fargas might be an option. If he averaged over 4 yards a carry behind the Raiders OL, imagine what he could do behind the Jets OL.
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Tj is definately worth 2 years 5 million. And i am not giving mup on leon and i better not see him in a pats uniform.
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leon will be a jet next year if you read hutch’s article about it seems to hint jets will keep him
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TB says:
Rumor from loud mouths: SF to offer Leon a deal
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I think they are planning to move up in the draft and are setting aside some money. I am sure they would give up future picks if we could grab Suh or McCoy. With Jenkins healthy, and Cromartie as #2 CB, if we could grab one of those guys to play with Scott, Harris, Pace…we would destroy offences
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Eddie i hope u are right my man
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TB-
After losing Thomas Jones and Rhodes and Wallace Wright and Murrell, if we lose Leon as well, I think I’m going to be sick.
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As i said i think the right loss is really a big deal
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jason ferguson resigns with phins
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I meant wright
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Bent says:
Ben – minor correction. That “too much pride” story came from Cimini last week. It wasn’t created from thin air.
However, I agree we have no idea how accurate it is.
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johnl says:
parcells loves ferguson always did
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Wright would make every special teams tackle
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Elroy JETSon says:
how bout we trade Braylon and our first for Marshall and thier second or third round pick?
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- Ben Nevis
I have been feeling sick to my stomach over our offseason moves! These risky moved were not needed. I just hope that they match what the deal that is offered and resign T-Rich please. I know everyone is saying the draft is deep in RB department but I think we need at least one vet back there toating the rock!
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maybe tanny is cutting 20mill is to give revis mangold and whoever really matters on this team alot of upfront money…..yes no maybe so…just a thought…
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Wallace Wright was one of my favorite underdogs…I think we have some guys who can step in…
But Im gonna miss him
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Bent says:
reality – slight exaggeration?
2010 ST tackles.
Digs 17
E Smith 16
Wright 16
B Smith 12 -
elroy
i dont know if we would make such a trade…and i would love to have marshall over edwards…but then again…we got edwards for a 3rd and 5th…so maybe we should…if both sides are willing…just my thoughts…
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dakar
Its not a bad thought. Why f@ck around with DH, Revis or Mangold right?
Like you said, “the guys who really matter”
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they are the core guys aren’t they…
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Just a thought
Never been so conflicted about a guy leaving as when TJ signed with the Chiefs
God knows we need two backs in our offense and TJ certainly did some great things
but
As productive as he was, he made it to 32 without having any signs of slowing down. What if this was the year the wheels just fell off, and he just flat out sucked like Shaun Alexander did?
Keep going back and forth in my head how I feel about this
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Hangar says:
Hate to see TJ go but his time here was over. Wonder if his agent showed him flim clips of the KC offensive line before signing. He is going to get killed. No blocking, no passing game…good luck TJ
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Bent says:
Last year’s end of season slowdown doesn’t represent “signs of slowing down”?
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to go from a playoff team to a disfunctional 1…TJ made a hugh mistake and a very very bad choice…and if it was his pride…well expect him to get humbled when the season starts…and lets not forget…jones was good but our o-line made him much better…just my thoughts…
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im confident we will replace jones with some1 who will help greene and washington in the back field…
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Um says:
He also could just have a grudge, and just accepted lower money from KC, cause he felt slighted by the jets.
If players don’t like their contracts, don’t sign them. Don’t sign front loaded contracts then complain when you reach the backend and feel you should be getting more. Don’t sign 5-6 year contracts. They are pretty much meaningless unless you get guaranteed money anyway.
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ramble914 says:
So far, of the players that really matter we’ve lost Kerry Rhodes and Thomas Jones. Two positions (players) that, IMO really needed to be upgraded. Jones because he was old, and Rhodes because he’s a pu_sy! Both players were not effective (being kind) in the AFC Champ. game, and need to be replaced.
Based on what I’ve seen from Tanny, I have complete confidence that he has a plan, and when it’s all said and done, we’ll be happy.
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He’s gonna be pretty much a backup in KC anyway. They have Jamal Charles who kicked ass after getting starting job.
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Um,
I agree, TJ just gave the Jets a big FU!
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jvsvn says:
This is the last thing I will ever write about Thomas Jones. It’s over. He’s gone. It was probably the right thing to do given his age and salary demands. However, I have no idea what the real story of the break up is (and neither does anyone else on this board). If I had to guess, I’d say it probably had more to do with 2011 than 2010. He probably wanted a 2 year deal like the one he just got in KC and the Jets weren’t willing to do that. That would be totally consistent with the way TJ tried to renegotiate last year and with the history of how the Jets have been dealing with players coming toward the end of their careers. Whatever the reason that TJ is now a Chief, there is absolutely no reason to bash him. The guy played his heart out for us for three years, put up great numbers, and earned every penny that the team paid him. I wish him luck in KC. From now on, let’s talk about the future of the Jets.
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um
if TJ took less money or equal to with KC because he felt slighted by the jets and/or had a grude because he was cut then it just makes him stupid/idiot for not signing with the jets who have a chance to win a SB in the limited time he has left as a RB…just my thoughts…
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dakar,
you make a good point. KC sure ain’t coming close to any superbowls anytime soon.
I really have no clue. All any of us are doing is guessing anyway.
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um
true that…but he did do a great job as (jvsvn pointed for us) while he was here…just my thoughts…
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I hope the bleeding isnt being stopped by B Poole….We will need a much bigger bandaid than him with what has been happening here recently.
Alot of these moves do scream of cutting back which would annoy me big time. I still have hope that this is a minor bump in the road
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JoeMustGo says:
TJ would have been nothing but an expensive insurance policy against Greene getting hurt. I appreciate everything he did while here, but he’ll be out of the league in a year.
Prediction: two years from now, Rhodes will be in training camp with his third team after two disappointing years in Arizona. He will end his unremarkable NFL career after being cut by Cleveland in 2012, and will embark on an equally undistinguished acting and modeling career.
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mm in md says:
jjets, i live in the d.c. burbs. i’d like to wave the flag for rock cartwright, ex long-time rb with the redskins. i hope the fo isn’t completely sold on chauncey washington, he has no career stats to speak of!
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I didnt think i had to explain that i was exagerating. I apologize wright did not make every tackle.
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Brad says:
I’m with Ramble on this topic. Both of these positions needed to be upgraded. With Leon questionable, would of liked to work something out with TJ to have him come back for one more year and hearing what he got just baffles me. But I am going to assume that last year when TJ wanted a new contract or restructure his contract- taking some of that 6mil due to him this year and bring a couple mil to him last year- the Jets said not doing a thing- so why would he want to restructure things now for us, when Tanny wouldnt do a thing for him last year. So I understand things from TJ’s standpoint.
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To all of you think we are cutting players, just to save money, think about it. We lost Broadway Rhodes,32 yr old Jones, Wright, how did’nt make that many tackles as he did the year before.And the guys on the fence , let em go too. It’s deep draft and and we can still win with what we have.Tanny’s going to make us not only better but younger. P.S.S. I don’t see Wash or Dallas spending like crazy. Only a few teams have opened their purse strings.
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Bent says:
Reality – sorry if that was snippy. My main point was that we have other STers just as productive.
For the record Wright is great and also a nice guy with great attitude. I am sorry to see him go, but you can’t pay a gunner $1.2m and he obviously wanted to play closer to home since he signed so quickly.
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Bent-
Yeah, I saw that piece by Cimini about the pride thing, but it was lacking any evidence at all. Seemed like Cimini speculating based on some word of mouth he heard (ie, rumor).
Which, to my mind, is as good as making the thing up out of thin air.
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You right good point.
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Bent
No it does, its just that it was such a short slow down. He still put up those great overall season stats
Like if he was awesome the first 8 games, then was putrid the last 8, maybe you could see more of the writing on the wall
plus
He was banged up a little at the end of the season, it could happen to anybody, even a 20 something stud who took the playoffs by storm
Guess a lot of teams so that stretch that you were talking about at the end because only really the Chiefs were making a TJ a competitive offer
Time will tell on the move but usually getting rid of an older back seems to be the right move the vast majority of the time
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*saw that stretch
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Bent says:
Eddie – all true. Good post.
Ben – agreed, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t seen as the source of this rumor.
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WOJF says:
They will let Leon walk for the pick ,as they should, and use it to sign an RFA.
The mistake was letting TJ walk over peanuts, not letting Leon test the waters, a second round pick for a part time player coming off a major injury is a no brainer.
That said, I am shocked TJ did not get more money in this market, his knee must be bad.
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Give Leon The Damn Ball says:
i love TJ but he was so clearly done at the end of the season, especially in the playoffs. he just looked like an old running back past his prime.
wish him all the best in kc
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TB-
You write: “I have been feeling sick to my stomach over our offseason moves!”
Yeah, TJ signing with KC hit me like a kick in the gut. And losing Rhodes and Murrell and Wallace Wright. It sucks, frankly.
I’m hoping we see some moves to bring in a solid safety, as well as a reliable vet RB.
This isn’t related directly—except that I’ve been a Mets and Jets fan since day one, five decades ago. (I saw both teams play in the Polo Grounds, I saw the Jets play when they were the Titans.) But I’ve been sick over the moves the Mets DIDN’T make in the offseason—this offseason as well as the previous one—in terms of the starting rotation. There’s only one reliable starter we can count on. Which sucks, big time. And the FO did absolutely nothing about it. Nada. Zip.
Now the Jets are not in the same postion—thank god—as the Mets. We have a great HC, we have great, young players, we have gamers, we have a winning culture now. (The Mets, by contrast, have only one gamer on the entire team, Santana.)
There’s just some new holes that Mike T has created, and I guess I’m worried he might not fill them. Or not fill them properly.
And as I said before, if Leon is gone, then I’m officially pissed.
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Bent-
No problem.
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I am suprised how many people have giving up on leon.
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Bent says:
I want to keep Leon, but every time I say that they get rid of the guy…
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I am done buying jerseys!
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Anyone have any good info on leons rehab.
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Regardless of what the arguments are, whether we are better off with or without, with or without the pick we get in return….
Personally, if we lost Leon, it would be a very, very, very sad for me.
Like when Stienbrenner let Pettitte walk, it bothered me until he came back
Leon is a Jet in my eyes, always has been, always will be
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atrain says:
leon must stay….
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i would like for the jets to keep leon this year and if he hasnt lost a step give him a long term deal in 2011…but hopfully leon will have a new agent by then aswell…just my thoughts…
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Zenlaw says:
So many great posts in this thread. I’m with those of you with totally mixed feelings. I won’t reiterate what others wrote so eloquently.
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greenie says:
yes, hearing that jones actually signed elsewhere came as a jolt. people keep saying that he deteriorated fast but as a backup he’d have been excellent to keep.
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Jets-Fan-4-Life says:
This news sucks… Thomas Jones was a leader, and a great teammate. Granted he was slowing down with age, but the most important aspect everyone on this blog has missed was the offensive chemistry!!
This group of players have been together for 3 years without change. They eat, sleep, and play as a cohesive unit. You can not just put another power back behind Sanchez and expect the linemen to know how he will run or what direction he will run if the play breaks down.
This will be a BIG issue for 2010, because Greene was used part time, Leon was out (but even when he is playing he gets more passes then touches).
Good luck Thomas from one Jones boy to another!!
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mike s. says:
old legs are old legs… we can easily find a younger back-up RB.
But getting a late 4th round pick for Rhodes… that was crazy! -
C Low says:
I think the Jets were honest with TJ and told him that he would not be the #1 RB In 2010. You won’t here this in the media because TJ is a pro’s pro……In regards to Rhodes and a 4th rounder its called addition by subtraction. Its obvious the dude has fallen off a cliff mentally, the dude is a safety who DOESN’T TACKLE and has horrendous range. I’m glad we got a 4th and 7th.
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If there was a ST HOF Wallace Wright would be first ballot
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Brendan says:
TJ took probably less $ over a 2 year span than the Jets would have given him, or at least the same amount, to go from a team that just went to the AFC Championship with a rookie HC and a rookie QB to a bottom dweller in rebuilding mode. His pride must have really taken a hit when they released him.
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Bent says:
Horrendous range? Rhodes?
Sorry, but no. There are plenty of reasons why they cut ties with him, but lack of range was not one of them.
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Eric says:
This was always about $$ with jones – sad to see him go though – he didnt’ get paid like he wanted and he definately wont win in KC
we will look back on this next year when he gets cut by the cheifs and say it was a smart move by Tanny and Rex.
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jets17 says:
If the chargers dunt draft jahavid bests he cud be our guy!
LOOK WHO’S TALKING
Basically, Rhodes said the defensive coaching staff played favorites, giving their former Raven players more opportunities than him to make plays. He took that as “a slap in the face.” He also accused the coaches of not making him feel comfortable, and he ripped the organization for a smear campaign, claiming it leaked stuff about him being too preoccupied with his off-the-field interests.
“The D coordinator and the rest of those guys didn’t feel like I was the focal point — or one of the focal points — on the defense,” Rhodes said. “It was more like, ‘Oh, we brought in our guys … and our guys know the system, so we’re going to let them run things and you guys just learn it and fill in with them,’” Rhodes said. “To me, it doesn’t work that way. Not to sound arrogant, but I’ve always been the guy that coaches would say, ‘Okay, you run the defense, you help them get lined up and make plays. It was kind of a slap in the face.”