Jones not leaving Jets for a while Dec. 17, 2009 - by Dan Parr > http://www.profootballweekly.com/2009/12/17/jones-not-leaving-jets-for-a-while
I was hating on Jones in the offseason assuming he'd decline rapidly this season. But he has been mashin' this year, and if they were to re-do his salary for next year I'd have no issue with him coming back for one more. T Jones has made a lot of us on this board look stupid for chirping him.... He's carrying our offense.
He is the best player on the offense and he was the best player on the offense last season. The notion that anybody wouldn't want him back is ridiculous.
I don't hate Jones, but he typically has a slow start and this season was no exception as far as the way he was playing - and I will usually criticize him for that. But last season as well as this season he turned it on and has since been having one of the best seasons of his career. I haven't had one of those 'goddammit TJ' moments for close to a month now. I think that having Greene waiting for reps on the sideline had a lot to do with that this year, because it wasn't really until they started giving reps to SG that Jones really started going for it. Tannenbaum is a shrewd negotiator, and I think he is savvy to the age-to-decline ratio of runningbacks, it showed with the way they traded up for Greene. I think that if they lock TJ up for something 3-4 years long, it will take into mind that decline and have some sort of plan to replace him, given the huge emphasis that Ryan has placed on having a dominant running game. Leon's future with the team... I am not so sure of at this point.
Old reliable - rarely fumbles, continues to produce at a high level. He's been an extremely valuable player for us during his time here. He's not a flashy back but he's extremely reliable and productive. You could make a pretty good argument for him being the team MVP this season.
I had issue with TJ in the past when he seemed to trip over the white lines on the field. I think though that the guy is a class act. A guy that put aside his personal feelings and put the team first(Hey Kerry are you listening?).He could have made a stink about his contract and taken it to the media but he hasn't. I respect the hell outta this guy. On the field his play has spoken loudly. He has been nothing but a consistent force in the top rushing attack in the league. You would think with the loss of Leon we would be suffering in the backfield but TJ has picked up the slack tremendously. He can run he can catch and he can block. Truely an all around back. I feel we owe it not only to the team but to TJ himself to bring this guy back to finish up his career as a JET.
I think it was mainly because he wanted to re-do his contract for more money and the view was "no, you have been paid in full and in advance - now just perform"
the hatred came from not hitting the hole fast enough and then diving forwards instead of taking on defenders. After Greene's carries increased, TJ began to run with a whole new sense of purpose. He is now one of the best RBs in the game. He was never a bad RB. Sometimes it just looked like he wasn't giving 100% out there. Keep in mind this was for maybe a small handful of games.
Watching him live at the fins game last year, my buddy and I came up with the term, Deceptively Good. He didn't look great doing it, but he always gets it done. After seeing him at the Tampa game though, I have to say he looked better than deceptively good. He was quick, spry, and making cuts like an animal. That first TD run to the corner of the EZ was a work of art. Old reliable...it's gotta be da gunz.
He'll play next year for the money he's scheduled to make (thanks to the no cap situation). After that he could either be re-signed as the #3 back (so veteran minimum) behind Leon and Shonn (think Fred Taylor for the Pats)... that would be a good scenario for us. His role after 2010 also depends on the development of Shonn Greene.
The guy's been a workhorse his entire Jets career without Greene even in the picture. But I suppose that was Leon motivating him. And Benson motivating him in Chicago. Etc? He's self-motivated, plain and simple and at the end of his career he will go down as one of the greats. After Curtis Martin - this guy is the most likely Jets candidate for the HOF.
I agree with that, but Jones will be the starter. Leon hopefully will be the 3rd down back and Greene will be watching and learning.
With all due respect, I think that your theory is ridiculous. Jones is one of the hardest working individuals in the NFL, and it's the main reason that he was so successful. You don't stay as well conditioned as Jones has over the past decade without some serious motivation. To be honest, I don't even think that he's done much differently since the beginning of the season. There was an adjustment period because the offense was different with Sanchez under center than it was with Pennington or Favre, and before the Braylon Edwards acquisition teams spent way more time stacking the box to shut Jones down. Once the entire offense started gelling as a unit, it got TJ a little more space and he's played great.
Jones has been great. How many POSTS a day are being merged now. There is like two new posts a day. Getting a bit ridiculous never new threads about playoff situations, sanchez..... Its getting too vanilla in here. Hate to say it but I think we need ToddisGod back to atleast add some "unique" change .
Do you whine like a little girl in every post you make about thread merges? Get over it. Edit: BY THE FUCKIN WAY.... I just noticed that you seem to be constantly criticizing the mods while rallying to the cause of ToddisGod - someone that got banned 4 days before 'LongGaines' registered. How CUUUUUURIOUS!
Leave him alone, man. If anyone is qualified to make such observations, it would have to be a guy that joined 10 days ago.
