J.P. Pelzman says Thomas Jones can blame the Colts for being released.
Maybe Thomas Jones should blame Bill Polian. As it turns out, Indianapolis' decision not to pursue perfection, orchestrated by team president Polian, may wind up impacting the Jets much more than the Colts.
The Jets' subsequent playoff run after their win over the conceding Colts on Dec. 27 gave then-rookie running back Shonn Greene a chance to showcase his talents, and the effects of a nagging knee injury during the postseason suggested that perhaps Jones, 31, is about to decline. So the Jets' impending release of Jones on Friday has a lot to do with what happened during the playoffs.
I don't agree with this on so many levels. Pelzman falls into the trap like so many other writers of assuming the Colts would have won. We won't rehash 15-10. Let's just remember Greene played a big role in winning that game.
Beyond that, I tend to think the decision was made long before that Colts game, like last April. Greene was picked in the Draft with an eye to the future, namely a future where a back on the wrong side of 30 who made rumblings about his contract had a big bonus due in a year. The Jets knew what they had in Shonn. I think they would have been ready to go with him without his big Playoffs.