I just wonder if Baker told his agent to get him a new deal, his agent failed and then told Chris that he'd been promised one the next year, to cover his own back?
^ Until he has a year where he is less productive then his last, I can't agree. He is stepping up to the plate, and increasing his numbers in the process. This is being done without him in the gameplan to begin with, so it is really hard to tell how much he really could contribute to this team. If only he was being used properly. Good faith and doing what is asked of you should be the only merit/code that exists in this league. It is ludacris to be a shady FO, period, and then have people buy into that. To me I would think that more people would be upset over "shady business", but people just feed into it like candy. I'm sorry, it is one thing to completely fuck up and be hated. I get that. My issue is when you do nothing wrong and you show good faith to your team, while playing to your potential, even when getting held back for the "greater good", but then you still get shit on by the FO and Jets' fans. That is wrong in my eyes. He voices his problems because they are valid with the given situation, yet, he gets hated on by many. This would not be an issue if the FO would do what was promised by them, but that gets overlooked because apparently that is just the "leagues" standard now. Baker only asked to be treated in good faith (out of what had been promised to him) and rewarded/respected for being an excellent team player, who excelled at his position, given his role on the team. I just don't see how anyone can blame a guy who is only stressing that he feels heavily disrespected and lied to. You can place this situation with any job out there, and if you were demoted or lied to, even though you were doing what has been asked of you, would you not feel the same need to voice your displeasure? Especially when most people don't only have theirselves to look after, they have mouths to feed at home, which only motivates you to get what is rightfully owed to you. I look at this just like any other job, sure it pays more, but it is the same concept. Things should not be "changed" just because this is football, these players rely on this to provide for their families, just like anyone else. Meh... I just have not seen one valid explanation for all this hate towards, Baker. I don't get it. It would be easier to take if he was doing something that was out of line, or hurting this team. I just don't see it.
Not bad but our area code is 920 :wink: On a side note: only due to him being a jet, I would like to see Baker as the backup to Donald Lee.
NY POST 6/6/08- re: Baker BAKER SEEING RED OVER STINGY GREEN By MARK CANNIZZARO CHRIS BAKERChris Baker Not a happy camper. June 6, 2008 -- We've all seen this movie before. A JetsNew York Jets player is unhappy with his contract situation and the team is completely ignoring him. The player skips the voluntary offseason programs but turns up for the first day of mandatory minicamp and publicly spouts off about his displeasure with the organization. No, Pete Kendall was nowhere near Weeb Ewbank Hall yesterday. The former Jets starting left guard has happily moved on to the Redskins, who traded for him last summer after a long, hot training camp of railing on Jets management gained him his exit papers. Yesterday was Chris Baker's turn, and the whole thing is eerily familiar. The starting tight end is upset at a promise he said was made by GM Mike Tannenbaum to revisit his contract after he had a career-best season last year with 41 catches. Baker, a more low-key personality than the loquacious Kendall, didn't come out with guns blazing after yesterday's morning minicamp session, but he did get his point across. The juiciest tidbit was Baker's assessment of the ill effect the Kendall mess had on the team last year en route to a 4-12 finish. "His situation was ridiculous and it basically tanked our season last year," Baker said. "Hopefully I don't get put in that same situation. I want to be here, but it looks like we're going down that same road." Baker, who's in the third year of a four-year $6.6 million contract and is due to make a $683,000 base this year, is disgusted at the prospect of being the third-highest-paid TE on the roster, which is what he will be once rookie first-round draft pick Dustin Keller signs. Bubba Franks was signed to a one-year free-agent deal this offseason for $1.65 million, which is what Baker's contract averages out to per year. "Let me ask you a question: If Coach Mangini was the third-highest paid coach on the staff, you think he would be happy about that? You think he would allow that to happen? That's how I feel," Baker said. Baker said his agent at the time, Cliff Brady (Baker has since signed with another agent, Jonathan Feinsod), was told by Tannenbaum during a conversation last season that the contract would be revisited if Baker had a good year. Tannenbaum yesterday disputed Baker's version of the conversation he had with Brady. "I know what was said, so I think Chris and I have a difference of opinion about those conversations (with Brady)," Tannenbaum said. Asked if he thinks the situation will be resolved for the season opener, Baker said, "They haven't done anything to indicate that they want to resolve this, so no. I don't believe so." * First-round draft pick, LB Vernon Gholston, will make his offseason camp debut tomorrow. He's been finishing his schoolwork at Ohio State and, by NCAA and NFL rule, has not been eligible to participate until that's complete. mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
1. His performances, while his career best, doesn't merit renegotiation. It just shows how atrocious he actually was before - since his career best is barely pedestrian for good ones at best - and how he actually has been "robbing" Jets of team salary cap for the duration of his contract. He should learn to shut up and be thankful that there was an organization lenient enough to pay his slow and incompetent sack of shit. 2. I don't want the team to either trade him away or cut. I want the team to deliberately rot him in the basement for the entire duration of his contract - that would be two seasons - so when he finally is out of contract, there will be not a single soul willing to sign him.
Its disgusting that none of these Baker stories talk about the $600k from his 08-09 salary that he was fronted last year. They make it sound like his salary is only $683k this year when in reality its more like $1.3M. That's just poor journalism.
"Baker, who said he asked for a trade before the draft, went to his agent before last season and expressed his dissatisfaction with his current deal. He said Brady spoke to Tannenbaum, who said the team would discuss the tight end's contract after the season." That would have been a year into a four year deal, right? Didn't he realize he got that contract after being such a "hot commodity" on the market the year before? You signed the contract, now deal with it. The Jets don't owe him anything, and coming in playing this game is just going to piss everyone involved off. I wouldn't redo his contract halfway through a four year deal...if anything I'd discuss it at the end of this season.
I love when people try to make excuses for Baker. Like he's some oppressed person with his 1.65 million dollar salary. Ya'll crack me up. :rofl: This guy should be given a broom and a mop and told that his new position on the team is to clean the locker room floors. The hell with cutting him.
NFL.com Jets, Baker need to find a way to coexist This whole thing should be worked we have have alot of good TE's and all of them can be used.
I am not sure of this, it's just what seems to be going on to me. Again, agents need to get shit in writing - they're pro's at what they do and should know better. Especially with a FO that supposedly has a past of reneging on verbal promises. He wasn't even in the meeting where the FO said whatever he is holding them responsible for. We have no idea what was actually said or not said. Our offense was miserable last season. We went 4-12. Don't you think some people should have been brought in?? What about CB's performance was so great that he's an untouchable player? He was recently a free agent and didn't get an offer from any other team before resigning with the Jets. What has he done to significantly increase his value on the open market since then? What has he proven? Chris Baker and his agent are the ones that created the issue and continue to extend it. The FO cannot simply give in to every player that starts bitching like Kendall or you will see it over and over and over again. First of all no one knows if these empty promises were actually made, and second of all you're an asshole if you don't get it in writing. He was never demoted. Where did you get that idea? He's creating this mess himself and it will probably end up getting him demoted. That's 100% on him.
It's not about production or empty promises....Baker doesn't like the fact that the Jets brought in 2 TE's in the offseason that will be making more $$$ than him. I've noticed some posts on this thread talking about faith, trust, and loyalty in regards to the Jets FO.....well, Baker signed a contract in good FAITH, and the team TRUSTS him to be LOYAL and honour the contract. He obviously chose a shittier approach...and I hope the team comes down hard on him for it....stupid clown.
MeanDean, I have to discuss something you keep bringing up. You keep talking about Baker feeling lied to and getting no respect. That's assuming anything he's saying is actually true. According to Tannenbaum, it's not. I guess you're going with the "where there's smoke, there's fire" defense, and I can agree with that, but not the way you mean it. Looking at some examples of recent history with players and the FO, I see a distinctly different picture than you. Coles wanted more money. It wasn't about being promised anything, he just wanted more because he felt he deserves it. In reality, he didn't make a huge stink about it, and in the end, he got a fair deal that protects him. Kendall, with the same agent Baker is now utilizing, made a big stink about broken promises. If you go back to the threads from last year's training camp, you'll see that the only time Pete Kendall was actually speaking to anyone, hell, having any contact whatsoever with anyone, was when he was crying to the media. If he such a victim, why didn't anyone on the team want to associate with him? Yes, where there's smoke, there's fire, but dried up bullshit burns. As for him doing what is asked of him, how much of what was asked was a result of his lack of ability? Schotty Jr. adores tight ends as part of the passing game. Why wasn't he a bigger part? Because he was asked to stay in and block? Well, he definitely did a great job there, considering how great our running game was last year. Oh. Wait. He's an above-average pass catcher, and a below-average blocker. At best, he's an average player overall. He deserves to be third in terms of pay, which he isn't anyway, but whatever. If I were Mangini, I'd have this guy blocking on ST all year. No reps with the offense. Chris Baker can go screw himself.
If Dustin Keller's career best is 41 catches and 409 yards after his 3rd season then he would be a huge bust. Compared to the top TE's Bakers numbers are pedestrian and something that shouldnt be bragged about. Franks has proven to be a red zone weapon and Keller is supposed to be a bit like Shockey. That means that Baker is one his way to backup where a 1.65 million dollar salary would be an overpay.
You'd never see Mickey Shuler whining like a little bitch like this. Hell, Mickey probably didnt see 1.65 million over his entire career and Baker couldn't toss his salad...is that the expression I was looking for? maybe not.
Couldnt agree more. He needs to shut his mouth up and come to camp... We Had shit at depth at O-Line last year and Kendall was a decent veteran Linemen and it was stupid for us to let him go but if Baker does sit out or w/e he wants to we have good players at TE we just required... Bubba Franks past his prime but still a good TE with hands and a great blocker and the Rookie Keller a speedy athlethic type TE so as for this being like the Kendall situation to me its nothing alike. GET YOUR ASS TOO CAMP BAKER THE NOT SO TD MAKER... YEA I SAID IT
WhiteShoeWillie, Thank you for taking the time to address IIMeanDeanII's total and absolute gibberish above. After having read both of his posts (#12 and #14), I hardly knew where to start. I've already posted extensively on this and pointed out the farcity of Baker's position, so I won't waste any more time on this. But you really have to look high and low to find a post as emotionally charged and factually bankrupt as #12 and 14. It's no wonder Baker figures he'll find audience and support. I guess he feels as long as there's a gullable IIMeanDeanII out there somewhere, he might as well give this charade a shot. After all, it worked for Kendall, right? Total farce. We're witnessing the self-imposed, public self-destruction of a perfectly decent TE folks. His argument hasn't one leg to stand on... not one. He never even had the supposed "discussion" face-to-face with Tannenbaum... it was all third hand from his former agent. But now the conversation is gospel... chiseled in stone... and the discussion was a "promise." What complete and utter nonsense. Talk about integrity, honesty and good-faith business dealings? Chris Baker has zero knowledge of any of that and is completely devoid of scrupples by denegrating, castigating and impugning the very organization who feeds him, basically calling them "liars" over a "conversation" he wasn't even a party to, a conversation that, as later discovered, made no promises either verbally or in writing other than to say it would be "looked into." Well, guess what. We looked into it... and decided we needed to bring in Franks and draft Keller when we got the chance to do so, which is what you do when you run a football team and are looking to improve your ranks. The whole thing is so unbelievably childish, naive and immature it's incredible and what's even more incredible is that there's always going to be someone out there who's willing to buy into it!
You're right. The Jets are the only team in the league that has had multiple high-profile disputes of this exact nature (e.g. "they told me they were going to renegotiate and didn't, I renegotiated for them with a promise they would renegotiate later and they didn't") in the last few seasons. That tells you that somebody in Jet's management is making promises they're not keeping. If that was not the case then these complaints would not be happening over and over. I don't know who in Jet's management is making the promises but I do know that they're not helping the Jets a bit by doing so.
Where there's smoke there's usually a fire and there's been a lot of smoke around the Jets on this topic for the last couple of seasons. Believing that this is all the player's fault, or that agents have somehow conspired to do this to the Jets is really not very rational if you think about it. Look at the situation. What the similarities in Kendall's and Baker's stories tell me is that somebody in Jet's management has a list of players that they consider to be the stopgap guys who fill a role but are not in the long-term plans. That person likely says whatever it takes to get the players on this list to renegotiate to a place that is favorable to the club, knowing that they're not in the long-term plans anyway. The problem is that the players have grown wise to this and are now calling the Jets out on the broken promises early in the process, probably realizing that they are not in the long-term picture. This pattern will repeat until whoever is making false promises to ease contract negotiations stops doing that. It's highly unprofessional to be doing what the person is likely doing and they need to clean that up. The Jets don't need this shit hitting the fan every year.
