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LaCanfora: Jets and Their Bloated Contracts


CrazyCarl40

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-la-canfora/21130213/bloated-contracts-lack-of-discipline-dim-jets-future-hopes

The Jets (4-7) are on the brink of another lost season following another lopsided defeat Thursday night, a predicament that several players who have been in that locker room in recent years attribute to an overall lack of discipline, as well as a sense of entitlement furthered by contracts loaded with guarantees and specific language that in essence binds players to the team regardless of how they act and how poorly they might perform.

Coming off a 49-19 defeat at home to New England on Thanksgiving, questions continue to swirl about the future of head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum, and several NFL executives who have surveyed the Jets' 2013 salary cap situation, contractual obligations and locker room culture believe it will be difficult for any new coach or general manager to quickly turn the team around if there is a new regime in place this offseason.

Guys love playing for Ryan, according to several players with the Jets in recent years, but maintain there is not sufficient discipline and deterrents in place throughout the organization to eliminate the kind of chemistry and inter-personnel problems that have plagued the team the past two years. And players are further empowered and emboldened, the former Jets said, by a roster short on talent and depth to push for starting spots as well as a bevy of recent contracts that,in the cases of a malcontent like Santonio Holmes or a slumping veteran like Mark Sanchez, preclude the team from cutting them.

Holmes is due $7.5 million guaranteed in 2013, for skill, cap and injury. That means that if the Jets part with him, he is still owed that money (Holmes had similar language in his deal for 2012, which prevented the Jets from being able to cut him after his meltdowns led to their rapid descent down the stretch last season). Sanchez is due $8.25 million fully guaranteed in 2013 (and then makes another $500,000 in workout bonuses from being on the roster). Furthermore, according to sources with knowledge of the contract, there are no offsets in the contracts -- so the player, if released, could earn a full salary from the next team that signed him -- and the contract language dictates that if they are released, they must be paid the full amount they are owed within 30 days. In many cases there is offset language in such contracts and guaranteed payments can be spread out over a much more lengthy period of time.

Also, the Jets owe corner Antonio Cromartie $4.75 million guaranteed in 2013, David Harris has $9.5 million of his $10.9 million salary guaranteed. Sources who have studied their contract situation expect Bart Scott and Calvin Pace to be among those not back next season, regardless of who is making decisions there, but the restrictive contract language will limit other options. The Jets project to be over $20 million over the 2013 cap, sources said.

And, in what could be the biggest issue for the team in the offseason, their best player, corner Darrelle Revis, will be coming off of season-ending ACL surgery and seeking a contract extension, as his previous deal was constructed with an eye toward re-negotiating in 2013. With ACL injuries becoming less significant to overcome these days (see Adrian Peterson) don't expect the injury to deter the demand for a new contract with the top defensive players in the NFL earning $15 million a season or more since Revis signed his deal in 2010. Revis is set to earn just $3 million in base salary and $3 million in bonuses in 2013.

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Nothing new, it's going to be a sh*t year next year as well. Let's just hope it's only next year. If the team is smart, which they aren't, they won't mortgage the years after 2013 when we could actually be in good position to be players. If there is even whispers of the word extension, to anyone besides possibly revis, Tanny and that whole front office should be publicly sodomized. New era stockades.

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Nothing new, it's going to be a sh*t year next year as well. Let's just hope it's only next year. If the team is smart, which they aren't, they won't mortgage the years after 2013 when we could actually be in good position to be players. If there is even whispers of the word extension, to anyone besides possibly revis, Tanny and that whole front office should be publicly sodomized. New era stockades.

I do not believe that queazy, churning feeling in the pit of my stomach is an indication of confidence in The Three Amigos being smart.

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I've been saying this for a while. The cap situation is a mess, and it makes cleaning house that much more problematic. Whoever takes over is going to have a very difficult first year.

In some ways though that is what you need. A new guy has nothing invested in Sanchez, Harris, Holmes, etc...which often makes it easier to part ways. That's how they did it in 2005 too

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I want to throw up.

The QB contracts are what concern me the most. They have two QBs that make decent money but neither of them is a QB.

The Tebow trade is inexcusable. We gave up a slot that yields good value in price to talent for a $2.5 million punt protector who Rex refuses to play. And that's not even counting the 5th rounder we gave up to move for Hill. There are specific reasons that you hold on to those picks and it's because when you hit skids like the Jets are in now, you can at least focus on bringing up your young guys and getting them some playing time while holding your vets accountable for bad play, and more importantly, you have some light at the end of the tunnel financially. The Jets have nobody excepting Ellis and Davis (who are still green as all hell), to for the former and they're unable to do the latter since there's nobody on the roster to come in and even be capable. You can't continuously trade away the affordable for the expensive every single year and not expect this to happen eventually. David Harris should have never been given that f'ing contract, Bart Scott should be cut, and unfortunately neither seem to have been options because there's nobody to fill the void. It's complete negligence and the fact that he wasn't canned on Friday morning just goes to show that the cluelessness is a direct reflection of an idiot owner.

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In some ways though that is what you need. A new guy has nothing invested in Sanchez, Harris, Holmes, etc...which often makes it easier to part ways. That's how they did it in 2005 too

Unloading them is certainly a start, but they're still on the hook for a ton of dead money if/when they do, no?

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The Harris, Holmes, and Sanchez contracts are inexcusable and guarantees that all 3 will be on the team next season.

Rather than cutting all 3 (and still paying them), I think the bigger statement is to put them on the bench and let the other 50 players know that the best play, the rest sit.

I understand the cap issues for '13 but I still don't understand why people are writing it off already. A lot can change between now and then and as long as there is a new QB next season I think this is potentially a 10 win team, especially with a last place schedule.

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I understand the cap issues for '13 but I still don't understand why people are writing it off already. A lot can change between now and then and as long as there is a new QB next season I think this is potentially a 10 win team, especially with a last place schedule.

All a last place schedule means is that the Jets have two potentially easier games than the Pats outside the division. There's no great advantage to that anymore. As for '13, the team might get a bump from a coaching change. That happens, especially as players realize they're playing for their jobs all over again. But who's that new QB gonna be? There really aren't any FAs that stand out, and the Jets will be too cash strapped to sign an elite one, anyway.

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All a last place schedule means is that the Jets have two potentially easier games than the Pats outside the division. There's no great advantage to that anymore. As for '13, the team might get a bump from a coaching change. That happens, especially as players realize they're playing for their jobs all over again. But who's that new QB gonna be? There really aren't any FAs that stand out, and the Jets will be too cash strapped to sign an elite one, anyway.

I mentioned it once before and it's not a popular idea, but I say sign vick to a one year deal. He's definitely geting cut by Philly and unless another team offers him a multi-year deal, this is probably his best chance to win the starting job. I say sign him for one year, let him build his name again, then cut him and go with someone new. It'll allow us to sit sanchez, groom some young guys, not extend anyone again and possibly win some games.

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The Harris, Holmes, and Sanchez contracts are inexcusable and guarantees that all 3 will be on the team next season.

Rather than cutting all 3 (and still paying them), I think the bigger statement is to put them on the bench and let the other 50 players know that the best play, the rest sit.

I understand the cap issues for '13 but I still don't understand why people are writing it off already. A lot can change between now and then and as long as there is a new QB next season I think this is potentially a 10 win team, especially with a last place schedule.

This is the only thing good that can come from it. But it won't happen with Rex. Maybe a total FO/coaching overhaul could do that with a "there's a new sheriff in town" attitude. But Rex is such an advocate for his starters even when they're playing badly or becoming disruptive that it won't happen.

There is no fear of losing jobs with the Jets unless a player's contract makes him expendable.

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This is the only thing good that can come from it. But it won't happen with Rex. Maybe a total FO/coaching overhaul could do that with a "there's a new sheriff in town" attitude. But Rex is such an advocate for his starters even when they're playing badly or becoming disruptive that it won't happen.

There is no fear of losing jobs with the Jets unless a player's contract makes him expendable.

I'm not advocating for him, but if Rex won't due it himself, this team needs a Brian Kelly type who won't stand for players just sitting back and having unequivocal job security. I was, and still am to a point, one of Rex's biggest supporters, but unless there is something I just don't know, there's no reason to have such blind loyalty to a player as he does sanchez. If the kid turns the ball over twice a game for 4 games in a row, there's no reason not to yank him, put in GMC and evaluate the kid. He can still give his spiel that Sanchez is this starter, but say that his performance was deserving of being pulled and that's what happened. I've seen some of the greats get pulled, it happens.

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Unloading them is certainly a start, but they're still on the hook for a ton of dead money if/when they do, no?

**** it lose out this year, grab one of the three D studs available in the 1st round, play a college roster next season,mand get the 1st overall pick, and grab Clowney, Defense is set for years, draft nothing but, QB's, RB's, WR's, and OL with every other pick in those 2 drafts, start 2014 fresh, only holdovers left are D'Brick, Mangold, Kerley, Hill, Ellis, Wilkerson, Coples, Revis, D Davis, and maybe Cro still, add Clowney, and either J Jones, Teo, or the Utah kid, and the D will be nasty, hopefully we get a Harbaugh type HC who knows how to coach an offense even one with little to offer, and build it to greatness with in 2 years.

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This is the only thing good that can come from it. But it won't happen with Rex. Maybe a total FO/coaching overhaul could do that with a "there's a new sheriff in town" attitude. But Rex is such an advocate for his starters even when they're playing badly or becoming disruptive that it won't happen.

There is no fear of losing jobs with the Jets unless a player's contract makes him expendable.

If Woody has any football IQ at all then Tannenbaum is gone after the season before he can make any desperate moves to save his job and kill the cap for 2014 too. Once Tannenbaum is fired Rex is pretty much a goner as well.

I think the new coach has some decent pieces to work with. There probably isn't a franchise QB in the draft so the Jets are going to have to make do with what is available. Henne, Moore, Alex Smith - all upgrades over Sanchez and serviceable NFL QB's. They need 2 OGs, a safety, and pass rushing DE/OLB.

10 wins is not inconceivable next year given a new regime.

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Unloading them is certainly a start, but they're still on the hook for a ton of dead money if/when they do, no?

Yeah but I think the important thing is to get it over and done with now rather than extending the pain into 2014. Basically I think the jets won't be able to turn it around until they face reality that the current unit isn't capable of making a run and the longer they refuse to admit it the harder it is to get back to winning

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Yeah but I think the important thing is to get it over and done with now rather than extending the pain into 2014. Basically I think the jets won't be able to turn it around until they face reality that the current unit isn't capable of making a run and the longer they refuse to admit it the harder it is to get back to winning

Yep. While it may not "pay" to cut them until 2014, they should keep as much dead cap space off the 2014 books as possible. Surely they must know that neither Holmes nor Sanchez will be here in 2014. I mean, they have to know that. Looking at your '14 cap page there will still be over $7M in dead cap space for those two if we keep them for all of 2013.

If they bring either one back in 2013 it's about pride not football.

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Yeah but I think the important thing is to get it over and done with now rather than extending the pain into 2014. Basically I think the jets won't be able to turn it around until they face reality that the current unit isn't capable of making a run and the longer they refuse to admit it the harder it is to get back to winning

You can't just throw the season on 2013 and expect that 2014 will magically be a super bowl run. Whoever the new coach is next season needs to lay the foundation for the future and start implementing "their program". The best way to send a message is to put underperforming, overpaid players on the bench and then release them in the off-season.

Holmes may force his way out but Sanchez should be holding a clipboard as the highest paid backup QB next season. Let him finally compete in camp for the starting position and may the best man win.

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**** it lose out this year, grab one of the three D studs available in the 1st round, play a college roster next season,mand get the 1st overall pick, and grab Clowney, Defense is set for years, draft nothing but, QB's, RB's, WR's, and OL with every other pick in those 2 drafts, start 2014 fresh, only holdovers left are D'Brick, Mangold, Kerley, Hill, Ellis, Wilkerson, Coples, Revis, D Davis, and maybe Cro still, add Clowney, and either J Jones, Teo, or the Utah kid, and the D will be nasty, hopefully we get a Harbaugh type HC who knows how to coach an offense even one with little to offer, and build it to greatness with in 2 years.

Yes! Draft more defense! It's been working so well so far!

Note: sarcasm.

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"Guys love playing for Ryan, according to several players with the Jets in recent years, but maintain there is not sufficient discipline and deterrents in place throughout the organization to eliminate the kind of chemistry and inter-personnel problems that have plagued the team the past two years.

And players are further empowered and emboldened, the former Jets said, by a roster short on talent and depth to push for starting spots as well as a bevy of recent contracts that,in the cases of a malcontent like Santonio Holmes or a slumping veteran like Mark Sanchez, preclude the team from cutting them."

Athletes are like chicks:

You treat them with respect, they can't handle it, and they will destroy the relationship.

Like dogs, they only respect a firm hand. You can't treat them like people.....

BD

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The Harris, Holmes, and Sanchez contracts are inexcusable and guarantees that all 3 will be on the team next season.

Rather than cutting all 3 (and still paying them), I think the bigger statement is to put them on the bench and let the other 50 players know that the best play, the rest sit.

I understand the cap issues for '13 but I still don't understand why people are writing it off already. A lot can change between now and then and as long as there is a new QB next season I think this is potentially a 10 win team, especially with a last place schedule.

I don't even think the Jets get that much of a break with a last place schedule.

The Jets next year play the NFC South out of conference. That means games against Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and a bad Carolina team.

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I don't even think the Jets get that much of a break with a last place schedule.

The Jets next year play the NFC South out of conference. That means games against Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and a bad Carolina team.

Last place schedule gets you JAX and KC next season.

2nd or 3rd place would get you IND/TEN and SD/OAK

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I mentioned it once before and it's not a popular idea, but I say sign vick to a one year deal. He's definitely geting cut by Philly and unless another team offers him a multi-year deal, this is probably his best chance to win the starting job. I say sign him for one year, let him build his name again, then cut him and go with someone new. It'll allow us to sit sanchez, groom some young guys, not extend anyone again and possibly win some games.

So I've been thinking about this, and I think it creates more problems than it solves. If he comes here and plays well, there'll be pressure to resign him long term. If he sucks, he just cost money and accomplished nothing. They could put themselves in the same sort of clusterfvck situation by simply starting Tebow next year - the only difference being that it won't cost them any more of their limited cap space.

Hopefully some other QB options pop up between now and the draft. Right now it looks pretty bleak.

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So I've been thinking about this, and I think it creates more problems than it solves. If he comes here and plays well, there'll be pressure to resign him long term. If he sucks, he just cost money and accomplished nothing. They could put themselves in the same sort of clusterfvck situation by simply starting Tebow next year - the only difference being that it won't cost them any more of their limited cap space.

Hopefully some other QB options pop up between now and the draft. Right now it looks pretty bleak.

Yea, I'm sure you're right. It was more of a reactionary idea to a one year competition for sanchez, with regards to not complicating cap in 2014. Ideally we bring in someone like Mike Glennon, who is my new QBcrush, to compete and start or sit behind sanchez for a year. But bottom line, they are going to have to dump tebow and bring in actual competition for Sanchez; be it Matt Moore (not sure if he's an UFA) or someone along those lines.

Just to plug it again; the Jets should take a long hard look at Mike Glennon.

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