thats why you sign him now. this was a fun discussion. I think if they don't reach a deal this offseason, they'll franchise him. Didn't that happen to Asante Samuel?
Yes but this way we can wait a yr and offer him the contract later on. If we do it this yr, he'd have no motivation. And what if he has a major injury in 2009? Hope not but its a possibility. Also, I think he is asking for more than $4mil. I think the Jets would jump to a 4 yr $4mil a yr contract but I think its more like a $6-7mil he is demanding and Jets are trying to keep it around 4-4.5. Pure speculation of course but its seems like a good guess.
It escalates. For someone with a low contract, the actual tender number is going to be a lot higher than the 110%. For the 1st and 3rd compensation, it's about $2.8 million. Given the fact that I'm sure we'll want to retain him, I don't see any reason why we wouldn't offer that tender.
If theres no salary cap, give him a 4 yr $40 mil contract for all I care. Woody makes way more than what he'll be paying out. NFL will go outrageous with everyone asking for a raise, even Haynesworth. Hell, the Deadskins might even agree to it.
No way would I give him $6 - 7 million this offseason. However, I also wouldn't use the fear of injury as a reason to want to see his negotiations pushed to the next offseason. I'd much prefer to wrap him up for $4 to $5 million per this offseason and have one fewer player to worry about. Leon also doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who derives all of his motivation from his financial status. His agent has been driving this nonsense, as just about everyone else close to the situation has recognized.
They have absolutely no reason to franchise him next year. It makes absolutely no sense to franchise an RFA. The difference between the max tender and the tag is more than $3 million, and they accomplish essentially the same thing. If he gets through RFA next year and we STILL can't sign him, we'll worry about the franchise tag in the following offseason.
Like I said, I like Leon and I wouldn't mind a reasonable deal this yr. I also think his motives are non finance related, but how sure can we be? Maybe he would put in his 90% effort and not 100? Can't say for sure but we know for sure he'll play his heart out if his production was to determine his value if no new contract is reached. The fact is, Jets are interested in signing him. If they weren't, we wouldn't hear all these contract talks. Sounds like a good sign. The Jets are using their leverage in contract talks and its basically up to Leons agent to see how they feel and how the RFA would play out next yr and the following if no contract is agreed this yr.
Article from tonight's Ledger on LW's contract situation: New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum facing tough decision regarding RB Leon Washington by Dave Hutchinson/The Star-Ledger Thursday May 21, 2009, 8:29 PM The Jets and general manager Mike Tannenbaum are facing a difficult dilemma regarding a new contract for RB Leon Washington in light of the uncertainty surrounding the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. As the current CBA agreement stands, Washington, entering his fourth season, would be only a restricted free agent in March, 2010, not unrestricted, as he would've been under the old agreement. The NFL Players Association and owners are in talks for a new deal. Meanwhile, Washington is skipping the team's organized team activities after attending the strength and conditioning program until almost two weeks ago. Right now, Washington, who is scheduled to earn only $535,000 in the final year of his contract in 2009 as a restricted free agent, could command a maximum salary of roughly $3 million per season. Under a new agreement, Washington's market value as an unrestricted free agent would be approximately $5 to $7 million per season. That massive gap has complicated matters. The best-case scenario is for a new CBA to be in place sooner rather than later, but it's highly unlikely one will be hammered out by the start of training camp and Washington may be a no-show without a new contract. He is, however, expected to participate in the mandatory minicamp next month. While I'm told the Jets want to do the right thing and feel Washington has been a productive player, business is business. The club doesn't want to pay Washington almost twice what it would have to if he's still only a restricted free agent in 2010. Interestingly, there are 116 players in a similar situation as Washington, including Giants QB Eli Manning and Chargers QB Phillip Rivers. Of those players, only three -- RB Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville), CB Cedric Griffin (Minnesota) and LB Parys Haralson (49ers) -- have signed new deals. The Washington camp is countering that Jones-Drew (four-years, $32.8 million -- $17.5 million guaranteed) and the Chargers' Darren Sproles (one-year, $6.621 million) have set the market (new CBA or not). Both are similar triple threat players as Washington, able to score via the run, reception or return.
^ Jones Drew's contract isn't terrible because its guaranteed less than 20mil. But since leon has never put up his type of numbers, he shouldn't be demanding roughly 8 mil over 4 seasons. A 4 year 29 mil with 15mil guaranteed should be his new contract.
i had it at 24 mil, but then I realized that if the guaranteed money is less than half, and the rest is in incentives, then he will have to bust his ass for the full contract. That way it ends up at around 5 mil a season, due to the clauses in the contract.
Tannenbaum will get it done. He's been very good at re-signing our young players, and I seriously doubt he will let Leon hit the open market.
I say $5.5 mil per yr max with incentives, but try to keep him around $4-4.5. $5mil for Leon way too much. We really don't wanna pay that much for his kick returning abilities. That money is for him backin up TJ. We can find quality kick returners for dime a dozen. Just pick up Justin Miller and he'll be as serviceable as LW as far as kick returning is concerned. Leon is good, but we can't realistically pay $5-6 mil to a backup RB to TJ and pay $6-7 mil to TJ (assuming if we give him a new contract-impossible). I don't know why but most of the websites have Leon down an UFA. Anyone know why? Some of the reports are conflicting.
Leon isn't so much a backup than he is a RB 1b. He just wasn't used enough by Mangini - which was a huge outcry by our whole fanbase. If they do end up paying him an accrued sum of 5 mil a year, they better use him like it. Give him 9-12 carries a game, since they'll be running the ball 30+ times each sunday, and make him valuable in the 3rd down situations as well as returning the kickoffs. That'll make him earn his money. TJ will be gone by 2010. They aren't giving him a new contract.
Last yr for TJ...bet on that for sure... And yes, LW needs to be further utilized. He was probably the least utilized player on the Jets roster last yr. I wanna see LW and Clowney more in action this yr along with Keller.
