It was that statement and also the playoff game in which Edwards asked Abe to just go out and "give it a try," just for a couple of downs. Abe refused to do even that (during a playoff game, mind you), and that's when I knew we didn't have a team player.
How can Abe bashers look stupid when he just went down (possibly until week 5) after three quarters of football? He missed more playoff games than he played in his time here. Once he had a belly ache, I think. Michael Jordan once scored 45 points with a belly ache in a playoff game. Is Johnny Abes a talent? Absolutley? Is he injury prone? fer sure (so far) Is he a wussie? You betcha!
I loved Abe when he was hear, I understood why he had to go and I feel for him. He just can't stay healthy.
Jack Youngblood played with a broken leg for the Rams. Curtis cried because of the pain of two twisted ankles in '02. Even Chad played with a damaged rotator cuff in '04 to string out the season and win two playoff games (I'm pretending Brien made his two field goals). Abraham sat on the bench in the fetal position.
The injury has nothing to do with the trade. He could have stayed healthy here or there or gotten injured here or there. What if Mangold goes down? The trade can not be evaluated after 1 week of the NFL season. Yeah he went down again, but who is to say he won't come back and get 25 sacks next year or if Mangold goes down with a shredded knee, ending his career? I loved the trade, the fact that we got an extra 1st was amazing but I don't think this should even be a factor anymore.
Some of those to the detriment of their career and therefore to the team. I'm not bashing those guys for having enormous hearts, but just because you play injured doesn't mean you are smart or in it for the team. What if Curtis had broken an ankle that year and never came back, that would have screwed us over worse than we are now (although maybe we would have made some different decisions). Basically, it is a players choice what they do with their body and shouldn't be faulted if they aren't comfortable with playing. Johnny boy is long gone so let's celebrate who we got and move on from this slob.
the guy ALWAYS has something wrong with him. it isn't that the trade looks good because he got injured, but just shows that it was a smart move getting rid of this injury prone player.
anyone have a link to the Falcons message board? i wonder if they're saying, "gee, those Jets fans over at TGG were right...he's injured already." cheers
Look, Abraham could of had 15 sacks and the people will come out with "Should of kept Abraham."...Now that he's hurt, the people that are "Look at Abe now." So, the pro-Abraham people are quiet, while the non-Abe people are talking. It happens all the time, not before long we'll see the anti-Chad and anti-Mangini people come out of their nests... Look, personally, I do not think Abe would of fit in the 3-4. He is at his best in the 4-3, and with the DLine alongside him(Coleman,Jackson,Kerney) he had an excellent game last weekend...I just do not think he'd fit standing up on the edge...
Releasing Kevin Mawae created the need for a Center. The Abraham first round pick was used to replace Mawae. John Abraham and Kevin Mawae for Nick Mangold is the signature for Tangini.
The problem with Abraham always was that football is a man's game. It's played by people who gut through injuries and have a high pain tolerance. JAbe just is not in that class and his absences from the lineup always hurt the Jets as much as his presence helped them. This is a contact sport and if you cannot stay healthy you're no kind of star, even if you can sack 13 guys (that's JAbe's career high, BTW) in one of the seasons where you stay healthy. If JAbe had produced like Reggie White or Bruce Smith or Michael Strahan when he was healthy we'd be having a different conversation, but he didn't.
Kevin Mawae hanging on for another big pay day instead of quitely taking a pay cut and accepting the fact that he is now part time to back up talent created the need for a center. Mawae is no longer an all pro, he is no longer a starting caliber center. Mangold has been the single best perfoming player on the OL. Great pick which we would not have gotten unless we unloaded Abe.
http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/187381 He played the full seasons three times out of six years. Isaac Bruce had a similar problem early in his career, hamstring and groin problems, but managed to go on and have a near HOF career. In neither players case were the injuries career threatening. Rams fans were ready to dump Bruce after his third hamstring year. http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1294 Why didn't Tangini just release Chad Pennington who has never survived an entire season in his career?
