Let me tell you about Danny. He is a short football player who came into the league undrafted in 2008. He was featured on "Hard Knocks" and received much praise for his work in training camp. However, the team let him go, and he ended up on the division rival. He is now a big part of his current team's offense.
Do you know who I'm writing about?
In 2010, he is a starter for the St. Louis Rams, who have like, nobody else. At least, no one I've heard of. So now he's got a chance and he's clearly taking advantage. But I certainly can't fault Dallas or Philadelphia for moving on without him.
That's the same thing that happened with our own former RB Danny Woodhead.
Danny was signed in 2008 but was injured for most of the season. Last year, he was playing behind two experienced backs in Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, as well as a rookie with high potential, Shonn Greene. This year, he was playing behind two experienced backs in LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, as well as a rookie with high potential, Joe McKnight.
We did what we could to keep him last year, but a four game suspension complicated things. We waived him and signed him back. We made him a WR and added him to the roster. This year, another suspension complicated things, and we waived him but lost him because the Patriots put him on their 53-man roster.
The guy we used to call White Chocolate is now producing in New England, where they simply call him Woody. They had some injuries at running back, and so he is taking advantage of his chance.
If Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk were healthy, and if Denver HC Josh McDaniels and Belichick weren't buddies on very good terms and reached a deal on Laurence Maroney, I don't know how much playing time Woodhead would have gotten. If the Patriots weren't playing the Jets on Week 2, I don't know know if he would have ended up in New England. If we would have kept him and let McKnight go, I don't know if Joe wouldn't be starting for the Patriots. Or Chauncey Washington, for that matter.
Danny Woodhead is making the Jets look bad for letting him go, just as any player would want to do. I'm actually happy for the guy, while I'm happy that we have been winning without him. Just like I'm happy that we let LB Jonathan Vilma go to the Saints because we have David Harris. Just like I'm happy Jonathan Goodwin found success with New Orleans while we have the best center in that league.
We still haven't seen what Joe McKnight is capable of. We're seeing Woodhead because he is the next man up after the guys in front fell to injury. We didn't see much of Shonn Greene while Jones and Washington were playing well. Derrick Blaylock, Kevan Barlow and Cedric Houston were all ahead of Litlle Leon before we found out just how great he was.
So what's my point? Sometimes players find success somewhere else. Let's commend Danny for making the best of his chances. But let's not condemn the Jets for having to let him go.
Also, I'm just really tired of hearing about all this.