Jones Quietly Grounding And Pounding
by David_Wyatt on Dec 9, 2009 5:50 AM EST
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PrintI was taking a look on NFL site this morning to just have a look at the stats ahead of the game this Sunday where I noticed that Thomas Jones has been nominated for the NFL's ground player of the week after rushing for 109 yards on 23 carries in the win over Buffalo on Thursday. I hadn't seen this mentioned and I thought that typified the kind of season that Jones is having, quietly effective, media attention small, credit probably smaller.
Is Thomas Jones the most undervalued, under appreciated player on the Jets roster?
The 109 yards against the Bills was Jones 5th 100 yard game this season, and pushed him over the 1,000 yard mark for the fifth consecutive year dating back to his 2005 season with the Bears. In fact he was just 52 yards shy of having 6 consecutive 1000 yard rushing seasons as he came up short in 2004 with 948 yards.(only played 14 games)
Consistency, work ethic and production, what more do you need from a back?
Before the season many expected Jones to be heading into his final season with the Jets, we have a back who we wanted to get more touches in Leon and we had just drafted a similar player to Jones in Shonn Greene. Jones is due a $3 million roster bonus before next season, and financially things are tight.
However any motion of that happening has been cut down before it ever managed to really materialise, Leon went down, Greene has developed a bad case of fumblelitus and Jones has maintained the consistency, the work ethic and the production, even entertaining the idea of cutting him is lunacy, and if Mike Tannenbaum even considers it he should be locked up in Farview.
If we need to make cuts in certain area's of the team to release some financial flexibility then look to other areas because Thomas should be here to stay, at least for the 2010 season, and maybe beyond, his birth certificate might say he is 31 but he plays like he is still in his twenties.
Vote for Thomas Jones to win NFL's Fed Ex Ground Player Of The Week.
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Abzolutely right!
Thomas Jones has been the best offensive player on the team, matched only by Cotchery. I was reading calls to cut him and I thought that was positively insane. Nothing wrong with looking to the future but the guy is still 31, not 37! And don’t let him go until you’re sure someone of equivalent caliber is in place to take up the slack. (and I don’t think Greene is, at least not yet) He has been the most consistent part of the offense.
This is funny, at the beginning of the year
Everyone on here said he was too old and it was all O-line. And i quote..
" ya i agree man, Jones wouldnt have done much last year if it wasnt for the O-line"
The most yards in the AFC last year with 15 or so TDs, and hes doing even better this year.
Greene or Washington alone couldnt do it like him.
Not saying you or any of the staff David but some of these bloggers who think they know, have no idea. Makes me sick, now everyone will agree, after shittin on him.
He may be getting older, but his work ethic is second to none and hes still a beast!!
Curtis "my favorite" Martin - 1 of the best!
He is a young 31.
The announcers during the Bills game pointed out that at the start of his career, he didn’t really play that much.
So his body doesn’t have the wear and tear you would expect from a 31 year old RB.
and the home of the... JETS!!!
Agreed. And they HAVE to bring him back next year.
Ease Greene in some, maybe splitting their carries by year-end. Plus, we don’t know what type of player Leon will be.
As you say, he’s a young 31 and Greene can learn a lot from another year watching TJ work and prepare.
I don’t think giving T.Jones that $3 mill will be a hard sell but we are going to have to make room somewhere, cap savings if Rhodes is traded is close to $6 million…..just saying. Bryan Thomas takes home a nice packet and doesn’t do much either, might be worth looking to move.
Writer/Assistant editor
Eternal optimist
New York Jets
Gang Green Nation
www.ganggreennation.com
I think the tough thing with Jones will be the years. He’s gonna want some security at his age, and especially after watching Leon get injured. How long do we want to keep him, with Greene in the roster?
and the home of the... JETS!!!
I would probably feel confident offering him a 3 year deal, but have the 3rd years salary made up of target based incentives. He will feel confident he can match them, we guard against the dreaded decline that backs are supposed to suffer after 30. Greene can still get his carries, you can work three backs. Leon’s injury is definitely a worry though.
Writer/Assistant editor
Eternal optimist
New York Jets
Gang Green Nation
www.ganggreennation.com
Most undervalued?
Jones has been great, but I think he is slightly undervalued at best. Most articles and comments these days have been touting Jones work ethic and numbers — the guy led the league in rushing last year and is #3 this year, how undervalued can that be? The most undervalued player is usually one that you do not see tons of articles about how good they are.
My vote goes to Brandon Moore. The O-line cannot go unnoticed for their role in TJ’s monster two seasons, yet it seems most overlook them. And while Brick, Mangold, Faneca and Woody have all been to Hawaii and are much more well-known, Moore is the only one who was here in 2004, the year Curtis led the league in rushing the year after everyone thought he might be done.
Good point about Brandon Moore
It’s easy to overlook the guy when you’ve got Alan Faneca on the other side, former SB champ and was the highest paid lineman in the league at one time (if not still).
and the home of the... JETS!!!
and before you sh*& on me...
I think TJ is awesome, I love him, just don’t see him as “undervalued” — he is a Pro Bowler who is valued pretty highly for his greatness. That was my point.
lastly
I wonder how many people knew Moore has started 85 consecutive games. This is a guy who was a DE in college and was released this offseason.
Brandon Moore
Interestingly, Rex Ryan just spoke very highly of him during today’s conference. He was considering other guys like Kemoeatu, but he said he was glad the guy stayed, and Bill Callahan really convinced him to try to keep Moore.
and the home of the... JETS!!!
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