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Jets Risking Divided Locker Room in Fitzpatrick Negotiations?

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JetNation

JetNation

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Brandon Marshall

By Glenn Naughton

 

Well, it just wouldn’t be the New York Jets if an off-field story didn’t grab a headline during OTA’s.

A time that should be spent basking in the optimism of a new season being just around the corner, a camp already overshadowed by Ryan Fitzpatrick’s contract status is now completely overshadowed by one of Gang Green’s best players.

Star Wide Receiver Eric Decker was absent from today’s workout for reasons that were unknown at the time of head coach Todd Bowles’ press conference, but now we know why.  Or, at least somebody is telling us they know why.

Brian Costello of the New York Post sent out a tweet earlier tonight, saying that Decker’s absence is a direct result of not having Fitzpatrick under contract.  These are of course voluntary workouts, so Decker won’t face any fines or other type of disciplinary action.

Not long after Costello’s tweet, Kimberly Jones of the NFL network replied to Costello with a simple “confirmation”.  So, like it or not, two reporters with access to the team are claiming Decker’s absence is in fact out of frustration toward the organization.

The question now is, how does this impact the team as a whole?

If players start choosing sides, is there a risk of dividing a locker room that had seemingly grown so close last season?  Of course a player skipping voluntary workouts in support of a teammate isn’t going to make waves the way knocking out the starting QB would, but it’s not exactly the type of start the Jets and their fans envisioned.

It’s something the front office will have to consider in their negotiations with Fitzpatrick and whether or not they allow it to impact the offer they currently have on the table.  With nobody knowing for sure how much the Jets are offering or Fitzpatrick is demanding, one thing we know for sure is that the Jets themselves have said that both sides will have to find “middle ground” if a deal is going to be struck, implying that there is some wiggle room to up their offer.

Also absent from today’s workouts, Decker’s fellow-receiver, Brandon Marshall and center Nick Mangold whose wife gave birth yesterday. However, Marshall’s absence was unexplained, but would it come as that much of a surprise if he and Decker were showing their joint support for Fitzpatrick?

With Todd Bowles in charge, there’s no chance of the team dissolving into the chaos they experienced during the Rex Ryan era (and the early Bowles era), but with several young quarterbacks on the roster, a protest by one of their top targets in the name of the player they’re all hoping to unseat, isn’t an ideal start to a season that many will hope ends with a Jets playoff berth.

Never a dull moment.

 

 

 

 

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AFJF

AFJF

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3 minutes ago, Villain The Foe said:

The only think divided is Jets fans when it comes to Fitzpatrick. 

Agreed.  As long as the FO and coaching staff is on the same page, I'm happy.

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AFJF

AFJF

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Just now, Villain The Foe said:

Atleast we can yell at each other for hours, then immediately agree on something! lol. 

Hours?  Jesus it's late.

Gotta' stay up for a bit....working on a Geno article :)

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AFJF

AFJF

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1 minute ago, Mainejet said:

What's that? When will he be CUT?

LOL...nah, but I do wonder sometimes if they're being legit about carrying 4 QB's.  Crazier things have happened.

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Villain The Foe

Villain The Foe

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2 minutes ago, Hitman Harris said:

You realize that is the very definition of insanity, right?

I thought Fitzpatrick and Playoffs in the same sentence was, not playoffs and a QB still on a rookie contract with a career ahead of him. 

 

Goes to show that when the world thinks you're insane...your on the right track. 

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Hitman Harris

Hitman Harris

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Just now, Villain The Foe said:

I thought Fitzpatrick and Playoffs in the same sentence was, not playoffs and a QB still on a rookie contract. 

 

Goes to show that when the world thinks you're insane...your on the right track. 

LOL.. nah man. Doing the same thing more than twice and expecting a different result. 

Geno is trash and always will be. As bad as Fitz may suck, Geno is absolutely much much worse. 

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Mainejet

Mainejet

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10 minutes ago, AFJF said:

LOL...nah, but I do wonder sometimes if they're being legit about carrying 4 QB's.  Crazier things have happened.

Quite frankly, I do not. I think the only reasons why Geno has not been cut is 1) They're not sure if they get Fitz back. and 2) They're not sure if Petty is along enough to become the backup. If those two things get cleared up soon, Geno is gone. I do think Fitz will resign, then it's just a matter of seeing if Bryce Petty is ready for a promotion. This administration has no loyalty/obligation to Geno. I also believe they'd really rather not have him around. The fight was too much for them, the players, fans, etc..

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AFJF

AFJF

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1 minute ago, Mainejet said:

Quite frankly, I do not. I think the only reasons why Geno has not been cut is 1) They're not sure if they get Fitz back. and 2) They're not sure if Petty is along enough to become the backup. If those two things get cleared up soon, Geno is gone. I do think Fitz will resign, then it's just a matter of seeing if Bryce Petty is ready for a promotion. This administration has no loyalty/obligation to Geno. I also believe they'd really rather not have him around. The fight was too much for them, the players, fans, etc..

I don't doubt what you're saying as I expect Geno to be cut loose if Fitz is back, but if he looks significantly better than Petty, I wouldn't rule out keeping him around while Petty and Hack learn the ropes.

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Greenseed4

Greenseed4

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Do you guys remember when that 0ne poster said that Jason guy posited something about Decker and Skrine being ideal restructure candidates (based on age, talent, and current contracts) to fit Fitz under the cap?

WELL...Decker publicly hitching his wagon to Fitz (1) stresses that he would go to "some" lengths to support him being on the roster, which (2) opens the door to having that conversation with Mac, which (3) would add years (and potentially dollars) to his own contract.  Strategically speaking, It's a good business move with little lost. Besides, who THE HECK really cares about OTAs with a long weekend coming up? Rookies, fringe roster players, free agents learning the offense, and guys jockeying for depth chart movement. Decker is firmly entrenched in the offense. His lack of motivation to run routes for Geno is getting blown out of proportion.  He played all of 2014 with Geno; the familiarity is there.  

He's probably yachting with his fam and made a call to Costello going with the whole BFF narrative because it fits multiple agendas and doesn't hurt him, OR THE TEAM, one bit. 

Doesn't make him a bad guy, any more than Marshall being absent doesn't make HIM a bad guy, but nobody's talking about that bc it's a "non-story". 

This. Also a non-story. 

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Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown

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2 hours ago, jetrider said:

The New York Post reported that Marshall's absence was unrelated to any kind of Fitzpatrick-related protest:

I was told Brandon Marshall's absence from OTAs was not any statement or protest about Fitzpatrick.

Why are fans so quick to brand Marshall with this foolishness?

 

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AFJF

AFJF

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For those who missed it, this portion of OTA's is 100% voluntary.  Decker hasn't missed a single second of required activities and I doubt he will.

I predict Marshall, Decker and Mangold see zero impact from any days they miss during this time frame.

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JetNation

JetNation

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Geno Smith

By Glenn Naughton

 

Sometimes life just isn’t fair…and this is one of those times.

Unfortunately for Jets quarterback Geno Smith, the NFL has no time for sob stories.  It’s a league for grown men that will force players to deal with varying degrees of adversity at any given time.  Smith has already seen his share after having his jaw broken when he was punched by a teammate during training camp last season, and now this.

Just two days in to a voluntary OTA (Off-season Training Activity), one that was supposed to allow Smith to showcase his physical skills and off-season development, under the watchful eye of his coaches in Florham Park with his top targets on hand, there’s already a hiccup.  It’s being reported that one of those targets, wide receiver Eric Decker will not be present.  Decker’s absence isn’t due to injury or a prior commitment, the standard reasons given at this time of year, but because he’s taking a stand for the man ahead of Smith on the depth chart, Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall was also a no-show, but his absence isn’t believed to be related to the Fitzpatrick contract situation at this time according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.

The underwhelming Smith is a polarizing figure among Jets fans.  Some see him as a place holder who will be cut loose if and when Fitzpatrick re-signs, while others are enamored with his arm strength and his week 17 performance against the Miami Dolphins two seasons ago, in which he threw 3 TD’s for the second time in his career while posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

Meanwhile, Decker enjoys a great deal of popularity due to his on-field production as he teamed with Marshall to become the only pair of Jets wide receivers to score 9 or more touchdowns in a single season while also putting up over 1,000 yards.  That being said, IF the reports of Decker sitting out these sessions are in fact  accurate, and it’s in support of Fitzpatrick, it’s a bad look for Decker.

It appears Jets wide receiver Eric Decker is unhappy with the contract status of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

It appears Jets wide receiver Eric Decker is unhappy with the contract status of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Like it or not, Geno Smith is a New York Jet right now, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is not.  While this portion of OTA’s is not mandatory, as a team leader, Decker would be doing his part in helping keep the offense running smoothly by getting as many reps as possible with every QB on the roster, not just Smith.  Looking out for his friend is plenty admirable, and he did just that recently when he publicly stated that Fitzpatrick “is the best quarterback for this team right now”.  That alone should have been enough.  Let your feelings be known through the media, but don’t allow those feelings to potentially impact the team.

More importantly, there’s no other way for Smith to view this other than a snub from one of the team’s more popular players at a time when he’s trying to turn things around for himself while some are speculating he may be on the chopping block.

It was probably awkward enough for Smith when Decker and Marshall made a video  not long ago, pleading with Fitzpatrick to return to the team and assume the starting role.  Now, another distraction looms as the third-year player is sure to be peppered with questions regarding the lack of support shown by one of his most important weapons and he’ll be expected to say the right things and publicly support Decker.  He’ll likely echo the words of Head Coach Todd Bowles and point out the fact that the workouts are not mandatory and players are free to do what they like.  Awkward, to say the least.

There are no shortage of Jets fans and analysts who don’t believe Smith has what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.   However, if he’s going to get the chance to show once and for all if that’s the case, he deserves the full support of his teammates and can do without the additional distractions this will undoubtedly bring.  Because whether or not the reports regarding Decker’s absence are accurate, you can bet the New York media will be prepared with a brand new list of non-football related questions ready to go for Geno next week, when all he’ll be trying to do, is focus on football.

 

 

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AFJF

AFJF

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20 minutes ago, ljr said:

Guess I need to turn mine on! 

It was their no. 1 topic.  Crazy Booger McFarland said Fitz should "stay in his hammock" until the Jets offer $15 mil.

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The Crusher

The Crusher

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2 hours ago, slats said:

Decker and Fitzpatrick are best buds. He's supporting his friend as much, or probably more, than he's supporting his QB. This is a non-issue. 

Here's an article from USA Today: http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/05/17/eric-decker-believes-jets-offense-can-have-same-success-with-geno-smith/

Meh, he is taking advantage of this to spend more time with hot wife and kids.  Deep down nobody wants to go to work before they really have to. Hell most people don't want to go at all.  

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AFJF

AFJF

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2 minutes ago, YankeeJet22 said:

Glenn.  Dump this article and thread.  He's on vacation.

He is, and that could be the only reason, but I don't see why he'd need to sit at home in order for it to be a protest.  If I was super rich and had a couple of unexpected days off Id take a vacation too.

I agree he should be there to support Geno, though.

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AFJF

AFJF

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6 minutes ago, YankeeJet22 said:

Glenn.  Dump this article and thread.  He's on vacation.

Can't recall if Decker missed any OTAs since getting here.  

Anyone else remember if he took a vacation instead of putting in some work?

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AFJF

AFJF

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7 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:
 9 hours ago

Despite rumor & reporting elsewhere I'm told skipping of OTAs by three has "absolutely nothing to do with Fitzpatrick situation."

Crazy isn't it?  A bunch if "insiders" with conflicting reports.  Of course people will believe the one they prefer which makes sense.

Either way, I like it when teams have 100% attendance, and it's too bad Geno's top guys have chosen not to show up at a time that's so critical to him and his career.

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YankeeJet22

YankeeJet22

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11 minutes ago, AFJF said:

Can't recall if Decker missed any OTAs since getting here.  

Anyone else remember if he took a vacation instead of putting in some work?

They're voluntary.  He's a 30 year old WR.  He doesn't need work.  He needs to have his legs all season.  I wouldn't be surprised if Bowles whispered to him and BM to stay away.

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AFJF

AFJF

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13 minutes ago, YankeeJet22 said:

They're voluntary.  He's a 30 year old WR.  He doesn't need work.  He needs to have his legs all season.  I wouldn't be surprised if Bowles whispered to him and BM to stay away.

JMO, but I think the team is better off with him here to help with the young QBs.

Sirius XM morning drive basically said coming in to work with Geno and risk injury is a waste of their time but I disagree.

 

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