Leon Washington: Stay or Go?
by John B on Feb 3, 2010 7:30 AM EST
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PrintI don't think I'm alone being frustrated the Jets didn't sign Leon Washington to an extension a year ago. He's the biggest playmaker the Jets have had in a long time. If Brad Smith is a homerun threat, Leon is this team's version of Albert Pujols, a threat to take the ball to the end zone every time he touches it.
Washington has a 4.8 career average per carry, blazing speed, and an uncanny ability to make people miss in space. He has 4 career kickoff returns for touchdowns. He is a threat as a receiver out of the backfield that Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene aren't.
Yes, he had a bad leg injury, but he's also expected to recover fully. Yes, the Jets could use a first and third round tender on the restricted free agent to be and get some team to bite. Yes, they could refuse to tender him, allow him to sign elsewhere, and open up a spot to sign an unrestricted free agent with a healthy chunk of change. How do you justify taking that dimension from the team? I don't think anybody you would replace him with would be as valuable. I know the Jets made the AFC Championship Game without him, but Washington makes the offense so much more dangerous.
I vote stay, and it might be the easiest decision of the offseason.
What's your vote?
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let's put this in perspective
i think that for what we could get for him in return, paired with the emergence of greene, and what will hopefully be a deep draft(supplemented by tender aquired from leon possibly?), i think the jets could piece together a deadly O without him. not to mention save some $, and still have incredible depth @ the RB position. I personally can’t see deepening what was already the #1 run game, when we had damn near the worst pass game. time to give mark some weapons. i think if we let leon go somewhere else we’ll get a good deal for him, our other Washigton(chauncey) can take the stage as the 3rd part of our godly ground game triumvirate, and we may end up with a more balanced attack. the AFC championship game highlighted some real concerns for me. and i think balance was the most important one of those. we know mark can pass, now he just needs a few more deadly wepons. i know i’m most likely in the minority here, and i’ll probably be grilled by everyone, but i just see too many other directions to risk this much on a guy who had the biggest part of his leg broken straight in half not even 6 months ago. sorry leon, but we need the $, the space, and the picks/players you can bring by landing somewhere else this offseason.
Don't agree
If you want to upgrade the passing game, I don’t see how you can let the only receiving threat out of the backfield on the roster walk.
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Jones, Washington, Greene
3 quality running backs that the Jets have to figure out how to use.
Not the worst problem a coach can have by any means!
2009 Dallas Cowboys: better than the Philadelphia Eagles
2009 New York Jets: my super early just-moments-after-the-Colts-game trendy Super Bowl XLV pick; oh yeah, also better than the Dolphins
2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks: 57-25, even though they beat the Celtics and then lost to the freaking Raptors...
Re-sign Him
Leon is a class act and played without the contract he deserved and look what happened to him. I know the NFL is a business but The JETS need to do what is right he put his career on the line for the team and the fans. I have said it before use him as a slot receiver and an occasional change of paste RB if we keep all three RB’s.
I would keep Leon,
and probably end up letting Jones go. I want Shonn Greene to get the bulk of the carries next year. Jones had a good season on paper, but he is on the wrong side of 30, and to put it simply, is not as good as Shonn Greene is. He is slower, not as strong, and doesn’t break tackles as well. I think his 1400 yard season was mostly due to our offensive line. I like Jones, always have, was stoked when we got him 4 years ago, but it is time to let him go, IMO, and hand the reigns over to Greene.
"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS
KEEP!
Leon is one of our most diverse players who helps us greatly, he’s a great 3rd down back cause he has got speed, and a great kick returner. I think that it would be a huge mistake to not resign him.
by LostOnRevisIsland24 on Feb 3, 2010 5:18 PM EST reply actions
Are you kidding me??
No way the team lets this guy walk. This is the guy we traded Herman Edwards for!! But seriously he is amazing out of the backfield, the screen game was non existent without him, i don’t think i could watch cotchery waving for a fair catch, when there is no one within 20 yds. of him, again. Plus I think he plays with that swagger Rex wants. He is always jawing in the opponents ears after he gets tackled.
HE WILL BE BACK!
A no brainer
I know he had a severe leg injury this season but that’s the only strike against him (some may say its huge though). Leon’s so versatile for the Jets, and was so valuable for them last year. Maybe some forget that since B. Smith did such a good job stepping in for him on both the wildfeline and krs. Speaking of Smith, I think this is also no way a one or the other situation between him and Leon. I would love to see the Jets run a wildcat formation more with both Leon and B Smith in the backfield, maybe to the tune of about 10 plays a game. It plays well to their strengths on the ground and getting the ball to 2 of their biggest playmakers. It can really add a lethal dimension to the Jets offense that is only beginning to be fully utilized by nfl teams. Back to Leon, he’s also just about our only receiving threat out of the backfield, and I would like to see him get some chances in the slot, certainly ahead of Woodhead. Dont let him slip away please.
I checked keep him
But I trust the staff to make the tough position if he can’t get back up to snuff.
Still I think most people at this point, and feel free to comment if you wouldn’t, would let Jones go before Washington or Greene. Washington is such a dynamic player I can’t imagine letting him go but you never know, it may need to be done. Jones is obviously declining and has a low YPC average lately but he still has trade value. After his production for the Bears and Jets coupled with his size and trucking ability you’d think a team would gobble him up for what he’s tendered unless it’s something ridiculous.
I’m pretty thoroughly in favor of neglecting a good looking offense for a Big D – game managing team and pouring all of the resources into putting more teeth into an already great defense. A good slot or hands receiver to take pressure off Cotchery and Edwards can be taken later in the draft or picked up off of waivers.
More than ever as a final eight team Jets have to be prepared to make sacrifices in order to make a serious championship run.
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