You got me thinking. I said that I would hypothetically trade him to fill an injury void on the jets earlier but I would also trade him to a team that looses their tailback and get maximum value for him. for example If a team would give a 2nd round in 2010 because they lost their starter. I would take it in a second because his value is up.
Obviously, league-wide, there isn't going to be a lot of interest in Jones as a starting runner at his age with his contract concerns - for a high cost. The ideal trading partner would be the one that the Jets were rumored to be talking to: Seattle. But for what I would want in return for him, we wouldn't necessarily need to dance with Seattle. This is my whole point of this thread. Most people, when they heard that there was a possible trade for Jones, thought draft picks, thought wideouts, thought jackpot. We're not going to a any meaningful return on any of those. What we can get is what we need. A depth player on one of the lines and a blocking TE. We sorely need both, and neither is something that breaks the bank in terms of trade value. I think we can get by just fine without TJ. Will there be some bumps in the road? sure there will. Jones is our best pass-blocking back and he's durable. But not irreplaceable. He is what he is, he's what we traded for and hasn't lost a step. He's not broken down and his value will only go down from this point. We can pick up a journeyman like Ryan Torain and maybe someone else to run a legit RBBC. But right now the Jets are in a tentative situation if Jenkins or any of our starting OL come up lame with some significant injury. And none of our TEs can block to save their lives. I'd give up Thomas Jones to change that.
After seeing the preseason game, I'd trade Jones for o-line depth and draft picks (I should have selected other)... I don't think we need a blocking TE, since Keller is too good to ever take out and will be adequate as a blocker, and if the Jets ever want a massive beef upgrade they could always send an eligible OL out to fill the blocking TE spot... however our OL depth is awful and is going to be a much larger need this season than WR will be.
Well, probably the debate we had in this thread. But while I was searching for that thread, I did find instances after the season where you were up to the idea of making changes in the backfield, so that's on me for not paying close enough attention.
Cotch, Keller, running game and you got stucky and clowny who can't possibly be worse than say a Justin McAriens. We can use help at the spot, but I would say when you're 1 injury away from having gaping holes in the OL/DL that should be the concern. All this WR love if great, but if you can't protect the passer or gain any ground yardage, a WR is pretty useless. If they can't stop the run or pressure the opposing passer, then a WR is pretty useless. There are more pressing needs.
Shonn Greene was my absolute favorite prospect in this draft, when the Jets traded up for him I almost broke my TV because I flipped out with excitement. From watching video of him, he looks like Curtis Martin with power to me. Last year really pissed me off because imo Jones was the best option the Jets had, and whenever the guy started getting momentum they'd stop calling his number... it wasn't just him though, it was Keller and anyone else who was having success. Mangini felt strongly about reeling in success to keep players "balanced", which was completely asinine imo. I like Jones as a back but I realize his trade value will vanish quickly, and being that we have Greene I feel Jones is effectively replaced and a trade would serve the long term needs of the team better than keeping him would. If any of our OL go down this year, we're definitely fucked.
Last year we had Favre and Coles..say what you want about them but opposing defenses respected the pass. What do we have this year? Probably a rookie passer and not a feared WR anywhere to be found.
Trust me, people are game planning for Keller this year. As we speak, I can guarantee you the Ravens D has him at the top of the list on things to do.
There are a lot of questions that remain before we tackle if T Jones would be traded. We may just have a good wide receiver core right now. Who could see Levernius coming into his own and being our guy for many years? Leon can?t be an every down back without wearing down and loosing his burner speed due to dings and dents. Shone Green is as someone said "Green". I guess my take would be if shone green pans out and we field a good receiver's this year, then trade him for future draft picks, if there are any takers. I think there won?t be many, if any at all.
first let me say i don't want TJ to be traded. However, keeping with the meme of the thread, i would go draft picks. I've been spoonfed how next years draft is going to be loaded with talent (i really don't follow college ball so i'll have to take other's, clearly more informed, opinions on the subject)... so that's gotta equal win. my $0.02.
That's a silly way of looking at where a player's value is. We drafted a guy who very possibly will be a far superior career back than Jones, he's getting older, AND being that he rushed so well last year (well above his career averages) probably has the highest trade value now that he will ever possibly have. I just believe that the Jets are doing their diligence to not give him away, but to get something respectable in return for him.
Favre's been replaced, and Coles, who had probably his worst year as a Jet, is not enough of a loss to change the entire dynamic of how our offense is played against. Our receiving game was a threat last year, but so was our rushing game. Don't forget that it was Mangini / Schotty who were forcing Favre at the end of the season even though Jones was running like a beast and Favre was wildly inconsistent at the end. Our failures had as much to do with the play calling as it did the talent. if not far more.
