Fantastic. So we moved down in the second round, big deal. The top of the draft is enough of a crapshoot, how can anyone argue with it? Even if he doesn't turn out to be the next Curtis Martin, we gave up virtually nothing for him. Good move.
I understand the motivation here, I just think it's completely off-base and damaging to the Bear's chances to contend for a Super Bowl next year. Here's a thought that has been bouncing around in my head since last night: what if Lovie Smith is a great motivational coach but one who is really wrapped up in his own vision of players and not looking too hard at the actual results? Everybody knows that Smith is highly respected, if not loved, by his players. It's possible that he's also unable to detach his hopes and wishes from reality. This would explain his extreme stubbornness in staying with Rex Grossman at QB last year when all the evidence said go to Brian Griese. Grossman, by all accounts is a very nice guy and a stand up guy in the locker room. Griese is a self-gratifying turd (ok I shouldn't use such harsh terms but they do apply) who is generally disliked, if not hated, by his teammates. So Lovie Smith stayed with Grossman through thick and thin until thin became emaciated and caused the Bears to have no chance in the Super Bowl. As everybody had predicted was the likely result of staying with him. Now Smith has the choice of keeping an unhappy but productive player on his team for another season or of going with the yet unproven high draft choice of two seasons ago who everybody agrees is star material but all have questions about his durability and ability to put that potential to use. My take (and probably the take of most rational NFL coaches) would be that Benson hasn't taken the job from Jones yet in two tries. That Benson has had some nagging injuries and has shown some durability issues in terms of playing through pain. That Benson really is a heavy risk if you just hand him the ball instead of making him pry it out of Thomas Jones quite capable hands. That's not how Lovie Smith saw it, but I think that's how it is. I like Smith a lot but I think he made a mistake here and I think rose-colored glasses (like with Grossman last year) had a lot to do with it. There's no way in hell Bill Parcells makes the trade Smith and Angelo just made.
Love the trade. Jets can now maybe run the football and slow the game down. Keep the game close because I dont trust Pennington in making huge comebacks because of his inability to throw the ball with velocity to the mid and deep parts of the field.
Tangini are making it happen. The Clueless Mr. Ed and Dumbway just waited for thigs o happen to them!
everything I have seen & heard says Smith desperately wanted to & expected to keep Jones, I guess his GM had other plans.
If we want one of the top backs then we are going to have to pay $$$$. Whats the surprise there? Another thing , with an actual threat at RB and a decent passing game this should stop the box getting crowded and keep CP upright for another season at least. I mean half the problem we had playing the better teams was that our running game was virtually nil.
Sounds like they have agreed to a deal. $12 million guaranteed ... 5 years?? Now all Jones has to do is pass the physical. we all know how difficult that can be :lol:
I suppose it's possible that Angelo just broke with Smith and made the trade. It just seems so unlikely that an NFL GM would do that to a coach who had just taken the Bears to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at QB. Especially given that Smith is Angelo's hire so there's no split at all in the FO structure. It is true that Jones basically kept the job the last two seasons because Smith felt he was a better option than Benson at the time. I guess I'm just glad that we didn't bundle the 25, 37 and 63 to trade for Benson. Now that would have been a nightmare.
will go down as one of the best trades in jets history... i think it will be second after the curtin martin trade
Where'd you hear this? If so, it's excellent knews. We have enough cap room to front load some of the SB, and backload the salary to the 4th and 5th years, sort of like what the Pats did with Adalius Thomas. Barring injury, TJ is a lock to be our starting RB through 2009 season. If Leon develops and remains healthy, he could start handling the majority of the carries some time in 2009, and TJ will have a chance to restructure the last 2 years of his deal to stay on as a change of pace or backup. TJ is an extremely well conditioned, young 29. He's barely shouldered the burden of a 25 year old RB.
this trade is an absolute steal... we dropped down in the second round for a starting RB who will probably be here for 3 years. We also replaced the 2nd rounder we gave up with the bears second rounder....we virtually gave up nothing...how can anyone not love this deal!?!
