Traded to the Jets per ESPN.
Printable View
Traded to the Jets per ESPN.
wow...should be quite a few more carries. I think this will be a great fit. The Jets are a sleeping giant IMO.
Good Fit for TJ, should be the main man, I don't see Cedric Houston or Leon Washington taking many caries from him.
I guess you are looking at the newest Jets Fan [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beer1.gif[/img]
J----E-----T-----S
JETS, JETS, JETS [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Good trade for both teams,according to the draft value chart the #37 pick is worth 530 points and the #63 pick is worth 276 points. So Chicago got a net gain of 254 points, or about the same as the #67 overall pick (3rd pick of the 3rd round.. 255 points). So basically TJ was traded for a 3rd round pick which is about right considering Marshall Faulk in his prime only warranted a 2nd rounder I believe. Chicago might be able to trim some more cap space since Briggs says he wants out now too which will be real good going into next season. Angelo will probably draft well and Im sure that they will take a look at Randy McMichael since hes now on the market and have the extra cap space.
I hate to say it, but I believe the Bears will suffer from this trade. Especially in the next year or two.
I dont care if you put Walter Payton as the Running back the Bears arnt going anywhere with Grossman as the starter
They did go to the Super Bowl last year.
I give Cedric Benson 2-3 years and he will be in a tent with Ricky Williams smoking the peace pipe in the desert somewhere. I beleive they both are cut from the same mold. Cedric has too many emotional issues, he is just a weird cat.
Running back is just too easy of a position to replace someone though. Im sure they would have liked to have kept him but there were other priorities and I said that all along. Even if Benson stinks, there will be plenty of backs on the market next year. Look at Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, Ahman Green, McGahee, etc. Finding someone to run the ball shouldnt be a problem. 90% of nfl rushers success is predicated on line play anyway. Look at TJ's success in Arizona as an example of that. TJ should be a good Jet. Mangini is probably the first good coach theyve ever had.
He is weird but I don't think he's Ricky weird [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Washington did well last year, but I think that potentially that is a good fit for TJ.
Yeah Mega, I understand that, Running Back is probably one of the easiest positions to fill, there are RB's aplenty in the NFL. But for some odd reason, I just don't think Benson is going to pan out. He might even rush for 2,000 yards next year but he is Loco and will eventually break and end up sipping martini's in a skirt in the Bahama's [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img].
Leon Washington is a good running back and made many plays last year. Plus he's a lot younger then Jones, I believe they'll split a lot of the carries...
[ QUOTE ]
I dont care if you put Walter Payton as the Running back the Bears arnt going anywhere with Grossman as the starter
[/ QUOTE ]
ask all the other teams that didn't go anywhere and see just how far Chicago did go. It was the final game. I'd say that is pretty far.
Best of luck to TJ and his new team. may he be part of a foundation that makes the JETS a top tier team
Nice post Xplaya. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Best of luck TJ. We'll stand behind you no matter who you play for!
[ QUOTE ]
I hate to say it, but I believe the Bears will suffer from this trade. Especially in the next year or two.
[/ QUOTE ]
I hope the Bears go 0-16 next year. Go Jets! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Here's the story per T-N
Source: Jones to be a Jet
Associated Press
CHICAGO "? The Chicago Bears reached a preliminary agreement to trade running back Thomas Jones to the New York Jets on Monday for a second-round draft pick.
A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press the Jets will give up a second-round draft pick, 37th overall, for Jones, who rushed for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in helping the Bears make the Super Bowl. The person did not wish to be identified because the trade has not been officially announced.
The 28-year-old Jones must pass a physical and agree to a contract extension before the deal is complete. The Jets also would receive Chicago's second-round choice, No. 63 overall, in the trade. New York would surrender the second-rounder it received from Washington in a previous deal.
The Jets have been looking for a No. 1 running back since Curtis Martin was sidelined a year ago by knee problems. Martin is expected to retire.
Jones rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC championship game win over New Orleans, then had 112 yards on 15 carries in the Super Bowl. He has one year remaining on his contract.
The Bears have decided to go with Cedric Benson, their first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2005, although Benson has not done much yet for Chicago. He also injured his knee in the Super Bowl and had only two carries for minus-1 yard.
Jones, the seventh overall selection in the 2000 draft by Arizona, rushed for 1,335 yards in 2005, becoming the second running back in Bears history to surpass 1,300. The other was Walter Payton.
Jones should fit well in the Jets' offense, which ranked 20th last season. The team recently waived Kevan Barlow and Derrick Blaylock, leaving New York with Leon Washington and Cedric Houston at running back.
Associated Press Chicago running back Thomas Jones (20) outruns Indianapolis' Antoine Bethea (41) during the Super Bowl on Feb. 4. The Bears reached a preliminary deal to trade Jones to the New York Jets on Monday.
[ QUOTE ]
I give Cedric Benson 2-3 years and he will be in a tent with Ricky Williams smoking the peace pipe in the desert somewhere. I beleive they both are cut from the same mold. Cedric has too many emotional issues, he is just a weird cat.
[/ QUOTE ]
I guess its those Texas Rbs for ya [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Yeah that Earl Campbell dude really sucked [censored]. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Earl didn't suck..but he didn't last long either. Eventhough he played for 9 years he missed 29 games (roughly the equivalent of 2 seasons). And that is about the best back Texas has ever produced. Rickey had the tools but became a flash in the pan. Benson is gonna be another Rashaan Salaam. Good for a year or 2 and then bust. Texas backs are overrated anyways...they play in the Big 12. Let 'em get a dose of SEC football and watch the numbers drop. The Bears organization has never known how to manage a team. That's why they have only been to 2 superbowls and won a measley one. More of the same to them I guess...have all the pieces but no desire to finish the job. Classic Chicago Bears ownership.
How is that good for Chicago? TJ helped get them to the superbowl... TJ is the 2nd leading rusher for the Bears behind W. Payton. Jones is a durable back.. I would like to see him playing for the Giants though... TJ broke Barbers record for rushing at UVA.
Benson has had 2 good games his whole NFL career.... he is not durable.... big big mistake.
nobody knows that for sure.. the situation was unfair to both Benson and Jones.. Jones has proven he is pretty good but Benson has yet to prove anything. Who is to know that Benson won't lead the league in rusing next season... I think it is a good move for both teams.. The Jets get a good rb in Jones and the bears free up some cap space...
I do believe Lovie and his staff know more about what is good for the Bears than any of us, although this is the guy that has Grossman starting and losing the Super Bowl.
I was listening to Mike & Mike this morning on ESPN2 and Mike Greenberg said that if Thomas Jones rushed for 1,000 yards with the Jets he would "throw his panties" on the table, or something along those lines, I walked in on it at the last minute.
[ QUOTE ]
Earl didn't suck..but he didn't last long either. Eventhough he played for 9 years he missed 29 games (roughly the equivalent of 2 seasons). And that is about the best back Texas has ever produced. Rickey had the tools but became a flash in the pan. Benson is gonna be another Rashaan Salaam. Good for a year or 2 and then bust. Texas backs are overrated anyways...they play in the Big 12. Let 'em get a dose of SEC football and watch the numbers drop. The Bears organization has never known how to manage a team. That's why they have only been to 2 superbowls and won a measley one. More of the same to them I guess...have all the pieces but no desire to finish the job. Classic Chicago Bears ownership.
[/ QUOTE ]
I was being sarcastic, Earl Campbell is still considered one of the all time greats, just like Sayers and neither had long careers.
2 measly superbowl appearances huh? Do you realize how many teams have never made it to the superbowl? Do you realize the Bears have won the most nfl championships of any franchise? They havent been that successful in the last 20 years because Halas died, Finks died, Hatley died, and McCaskey made alot of the draft decisions. Now Angelo is not ownership and Angelo was voted #8 in Forbes list of best GM's in all of sports. Ownership didnt trade Jones, Angelo traded Jones and on top of that, Jones was the one that asked to be traded, its not like they said, hey dude you suck youre getting traded, TJ didnt want to be there.
Jerry Angelo was smart enough to bring TJ in, he was smart enough to draft Tillman, Briggs, Harris, Vasher, Manning, Hester, Mark Anderson, etc. I think Id trust the guy with draft picks more than I would the lpd sports forum geniuses. The Bears have had 3 12+ win seasons in the Jerry Angelo era including the last 2 with his own coaching staff, I think they will be fine.
I cant believe yall are talkin' about ownership. Ownership is a 80 year old brittle old lady with wooden teeth, she aint making the decisions, its all Jerry Angelo with input from guys like Greg Gabriel and Lovie.
Remember, TJ asked to be traded. It had just as much to do with money as it did anything. You dont see aging running backs get big contracts. He would have been a year older next year and would have walked away scott free with out Chicago getting any compensation whatsoever. Thats why it was a good trade.
Many of you guys still arent understanding that this is salary cap football. Not a [censored] one of you were criticizing the patriots for letting McGinnis, Law, Malloy, Washington, Givens, Branch, Johnson, or Patten go, most without compensation. What did they do without all of those guys, hmmm, win a superbowl and make it within one game of the superbowl again.
What about Indy, where were you guys when they didnt resign Edge to a bigger contract? What did they do without him, thats exactly right.
Indy won a superbowl with Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes. New England won multiple superbowls with Kevin Faulk and Antwaan Smith before Corey Dillion ever arrived. The eagles made it to the superbowl with Correl Buckhalter and a no name Westbrook at the time. Tampa won with Michael Pittman. The list goes on and on. In the nfl, youre seeing most teams split carries with multiple backs.
Adrian Peterson(GA Southern) gets no respect. Not one time in this thread has he been mentioned but if you ask Stripes or any of the other football guru's, they will tell you, AP can play on their team any day of the week.
The bears probably wont go to the superbowl next year anyway. Thats the nature of the league. They will play a tougher schedule and probably be less hungry to win. Look at Seattle, they battled injuries all year, you gotta have some luck to make it to the superbowl no matter who you are.
Running backs are a dime a dozen, look at John Clayton's report on TJ and youll see that. An aging running back has 3rd round trade value and is not going to get what they are asking for, Jamal Lewis is a perfect example as he was cut. Benson may suck, Peterson could be even worse, but your kidding yourselves if you think Chicago is going to go several seasons without a decent running back. Even Dominic Davis got 1100 yards rushing behind the Texans pathetic line.
[ QUOTE ]
How is that good for Chicago? TJ helped get them to the superbowl... TJ is the 2nd leading rusher for the Bears behind W. Payton. Jones is a durable back.. I would like to see him playing for the Giants though... TJ broke Barbers record for rushing at UVA.
[/ QUOTE ]
Better draft picks, if you havent noticed the Bears could use more weapons on offense, a replacement for a linebacker that turned down 63 million dollars, and a strong safety backup/starter for a guy thats always getting hurt. If TJ wasnt traded, then he walks away next year. Now maybe the Jets give him a new contract and makes him happier. Hes still going to get 850,000 dollars from Chicago this coming season as part of his signing bonus.
Doesn't matter what Angelo was voted...the whole club is tight and sorry when it comes to paying players and coaches. The Bears do have a glorious history but since 1996 they are 72-88 (with 24 of those wins coming in the past 2 seasons). They have only had 3 winning seasons in that time span. And yes, its true that 7 teams have never been to the superbowl (Browns, Texans, Jags, Lions, Saints, Cards) but Chicago has only made 2 and only won 1. The Bears are going to hover around mediocre for a few years. Losing good players and coaches will just hasten their descent to NFL oblivion tho.
Lovie's staff is making market value and the Bears have spent more money on the cap than any team in the nfc north coming into this Free agent year, care to tell me how that makes them tight? You must have missed TJ, Tait, Ogunleye, Muhammad, Miller, Brown, Garza, and Clark all getting pretty good FA contracts. TJ and Muhammad were the first FA's scooped off the market in respective years, so the Bears were the first to spend, yet you think they are cheap. Sure they arent going to go out like Washington and waste their money every year, but tell me this, what team wins spending big money in free agency, NOONE. Winning in the nfl is all about how you draft and finding a franchise quarterback. You have to have one or the other.
Other than Rivera, who did they lose? It was no secret Lovie didnt want him back, there was a rift there in style and Lovie was going to lose Babich so he chose to promote Babich. Lovie didnt want Rivera to begin with, he wanted Rod Marinelli but the bucs wouldnt give him permission to interview. Now he has a defensive coordinator that shares the same philosphies.
You dont have to go back to 1996 to have a clue btw, its pretty obvious that Waanstedt and Jauron have never won anything no matter what job they have been in and its pretty obvious that the lack of quarterback stability is the #1 reason why Chicago hasnt been good. Funny how everyone calls Grossman out but hes the best QB the team has had since McMahon. Basically a rookie, he did throw for over 3000 yards, 20 TD's, and had the second most 100 yard ratings of anyone in the league. Sure he was woefully inconsistent and may never be anything better than what he was last year. The whole "the bears are cheap" arguement just doesnt cut it anymore. Yeah they played hardball with Lovie, but why wouldnt you. If your going to buy a new car, you dont go in and say, hey Im going to buy that car for the price thats on the windshield, that would make you the stupidest fuvk to ever do business.
Halas was always known as being cheap and he won championships. The bears and even the cardinals are spending tons of money these days. Just because you negotiate a deal and it takes some time to get done and someone doesnt take your first offer doesnt mean you are cheap.
And believe me, it does matter what Angelo was voted. There are alot of BAD GM's out there. With Angelo and Smith running the show, the team has alot of cohessiveness.
If you wanna go back to 1996, tell me how many championships those big spending cowboys and redskins have won and how many times they have been to the superbowl.
If you call the bears cheap, you gotta call the pats cheap too.
The Pats are cheap..alot of teams would rather have a fire sale than a dynasty...but the Pats had both. Chicago is nowhere close to that level. I hate the Pats and I have always liked the Bears in the NFC..but the truth's the truth. Halas won at a time when winning the championship meant being the best of 12-14 teams. Isn't the same animal as it is now. I'd say the Bears are competitive for another 2-3 years and then they rebuild...with no trophy.
[ QUOTE ]
I do believe Lovie and his staff know more about what is good for the Bears than any of us, although this is the guy that has Grossman starting and losing the Super Bowl.
[/ QUOTE ]
Huh??? The single most reason they lost the SB was because Grossman was starting. I'd rather have an old Drew Bledsoe than a young Rex Grossman any day. The Grossman start plus the Jones trade tells me Lovie doesn't know too much about what he is doing. If it hadn't been for the play of Jones this the year along with the Chicago D, they'd have been sitting at home watching the SB with the rest of the league.
nah, it didnt really matter. They were going to have to score 30 points no matter what. The best team won, Grossman doesnt deserve half the criticism for that. 3 yards and a cloud of dust wasnt going to beat Indy. Chicago's D could have easily given up 40 that game with the offense moving the ball as little as they did. Bledsoe would have been sacked 10 times behind that line. They are great run blockers but they dont have zone blocking schemes which causes them to struggle against the blitz. Blame Grossman, but the guy never has time to step up in the pocket because the pocket is usually pushed into him.
Rushing Stats
Player No Yds Avg Long TD
Thomas Jones 296 1210 4.1 30 6
Cedric Benson 157 647 4.1 30 6
Adrian Peterson 10 41 4.1 11 2
Yeah the Bears are nowhere near the pats because they dont have Tom Brady. Chicago has spent just as much money as anyone else in the league, you just dont want to admit that. Since salary cap football has kicked in, the best free agent to lead a team to the superbowl is Corey Dillion, not exactly a superstar which just shows you win through the draft.
The pats didnt have a fire sale, they just didnt see any reason to resign players for larger contracts that were a part of the system. Why should Chicago give Lance Briggs 70 million dollars when he plays beside the best linebacker in the game. Why have 125 million dollars invested in one position, you cant do that and be successful. They arent cheap, they just realize that Tillman, Harris, and Vasher will all be getting new deals next year. Would you rather sign Briggs and not have enough cap room to resign Harris? That doesnt make alot of sense when Harris is probably the best DT in the league.
If your spending big in free agency, it likely means that you failed in the draft, simple as that. Detroit does it every year and they usually fail in both departments.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I do believe Lovie and his staff know more about what is good for the Bears than any of us, although this is the guy that has Grossman starting and losing the Super Bowl.
[/ QUOTE ]
Huh??? The single most reason they lost the SB was because Grossman was starting. I'd rather have an old Drew Bledsoe than a young Rex Grossman any day. The Grossman start plus the Jones trade tells me Lovie doesn't know too much about what he is doing. If it hadn't been for the play of Jones this the year along with the Chicago D, they'd have been sitting at home watching the SB with the rest of the league.
[/ QUOTE ]
I would have to disagree with that, if it wasn't for the "HOT" play of Grossman the first half of the season, the Bears would not have had the outstanding season and a chance to play in the Super Bowl. Grossman won a few games for the Bears this year and he lost some too, but overall I don't think Rex did that bad this season. Now don't get me wrong, when Rex was bad he was on the level of a Freshman is High School getting his first start against the defending State Champions, but when Rex was good, he looked like a young Brett Farve IMO. Rex only had a couple of games where he played Average but kept them from losing the game. I hope I am making sense. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
[ QUOTE ]
Huh??? The single most reason they lost the SB was because Grossman was starting. I'd rather have an old Drew Bledsoe than a young Rex Grossman any day. .... If it hadn't been for the play of Jones this the year along with the Chicago D, they'd have been sitting at home watching the SB with the rest of the league.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'll have to agree with you on that one. All year the excuse for Grossman was that he was still a young QB. If he doesn't elevate his play next year and continues making so many rookie-like mistakes, Lovie simply cannot give him the same passes he got this past year. I don't think they will do as well next year, but that's why they play the games. It will be fun to watch.
Lance Briggs has said he isn't playing another day in a Chicago uniform...they have let go their D-Coordinator...makes me think about how Chicago became stagnant after Buddy Ryan left...Mike Smith's injuries may force his retirement, the Bears traded their leading rusher, the P-Nut football Chiefs have a better QB than the Bears...yeah..they are on the fast track to the basement again.
Grossman sucked it up at times, but Angelo and Smith said that alot of the time, the media being so critical of him was unfounded. Angelo was with the giants back in the day when they had QB issues. He said the NY media wasnt as brutal on those guys(Graham and Brown I believe) as everyone has been on Grossman.
Grossman in the playoffs was alot different from Grossman in the regular season too. They made him play "not to lose" in the playoffs. In the regualar season, he was up and down. I believe the regualar season Grossman was the real Grossman, unfortunately we dont know what that really is at this time because of the inconsistency. If he does become consistent, he will be a very good QB. If not, then he will just be another guy that wasnt smart enough to play QB.
You wanna talk about TJ, lets talk about Muhammad. Heres a guy that led the nfl in receiving his last year in carolina. Carolina let him go because of A)his age, B)a new contract, and C)another wide receiver already making good money in Smith.
You guys act like the Bears were being mean to TJ or being cheap, but you can look all over and see the same strategies employed by every team. Salary cap football at its finest, get used to it. Youre not going to see many guys play with the same team their entire careers.
Heres my prediction based upon business: TJ will be the feature back in NY and get a decent contract. If hes good, he probably stays there 2-3 years. The Jets will probably backload the contract and if Leon Washington is "the goods", TJ probably gets released or traded again due to age, salary, and Washington getting a new contract. Fortunately for TJ, Washington's contract isnt bloated like Benson's and both of them should be able to fit nicely under the cap for awhile at least. When contracts get backloaded, that usually means a team will cut you before they get to that year so they dont have to pay a player that money. Thats why players fight so hard for the signing bonus, its the only guaranteed money.
TJ is better off in NY. I'm not saying they were "mean" to him...but he clearly wasn't being paid his worth. But for that matter, none of the Bears are really.
Lovie didnt want Rivera back, what part of that dont you understand?
Angelo may trade Briggs for picks but you didnt do your research very well:
From 2002-06, the franchise tag was used 42 times on 30 different players league-wide and not one of the franchised players missed a regular-season game check.
Only three of the 42 players have been traded: cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end John Abraham and wide receiver Peerless Price.
So you see, either Briggs plays or he doesnt get paid. The ball is in the Bears court on this one. The rules are in favor of the team not the player.
And what if Briggs doesnt play(which looks to be 100% unlikley), then Chicago drafts a linebacker that comes in and tears it up. Briggs value as a free agent diminishes as a result of playing beside Urlacher. Briggs has zero leverage.
The bears may play hardball but you have to with Drew Rosenhaus. Look at the money being thrown around this offseason. Nobody on this board will tell you that Nate Clements is worth 80 million dollars.
Briggs words were on SI yesterday...probably still are. I know how this stuff works. I'm just stating facts. Yeah, I'd say Lovie did have a riff with Rivera. Rivera's D has consistantly outperformed the O for the past few seasons in Chi. BTW, Ditka had a riff with Buddy Ryan too...but they kept it together long enough to win a Superbowl...and the team was kept together long enough to do it as well. All I'm sayin is that Chicago's front office is the reason the Bears are usually mediocre.
They will be paid, the majority of their rookie contracts are running out soon. You can only pay so many players under a salary cap.
TJ may be underpaid, but when he signed the deal, he was being paid what he was worth based on past production. Should he have made 30 million dollars based upon his production in Arizona and Tampa? NO and thats really all you had to base his career on. If he didnt like it, he shouldnt have signed the contract, after all he was the first player to be signed in free agency that year. Nobody was going to give him anymore or much more than what Chicago gave him.
Overpaying for players isnt the brightest idea btw, Snyder does it every year. The Bears balked at giving Randel El 30 mill, they offered 22. They drafted Hester instead, I think it worked out ok. Same with Archuletta, they offered him something like 16 mill, the Skins offered 22 so they drafted Danielle Manning. Manning started, Archuletta rode the pine and made a fortune. If being cheap is being smart, then Im all for it.
Arizona hasn't had a 1,000 yard rusher since Otis Anderson in the early 80's when they were still the St. Louis Cardinals. No one can run behind that line, and no one has been able to for the past 25 years. TJ was no different. With TB he showed what he was capable of. The Bears got a bargain with him. But, when your feature back has carried your offense for 2 seasons it is a shame to pay him $800,000 per year. It's a shame. Based on his performance, his deal should have been redone or enhanced. Look at the salaries of the backs in the league who start and see where TJ's salary in Chicago ranks.
In the past when Mike McCaskey was running things and there was no salary cap, absolutely. There wasnt an even playing field, Chicago was cheap and Dallas would spend some money and draft so much better.
Now though, everyone has a chance to win. New Orleans nearly moved the team, have always been considered cheap, and are likely superbowl bound because of Brees. If Chicago had Brees, they would probably be a contender every year. Unfortunately they put their faith in Grossman when Brees was available. Hindsight is 20/20 but Brees looked like a bust after 3 years in San Diego so Im blindfully hopeful that things work out.
I would consider the bears more like the bucs organization than anything. Same front office, same coaches, same type of players. The Bucs have only won 1 superbowl as well but the philosphies have been successful in chicago and indy so Im just going to roll with it. It beats being 4-12 and letting Waanstache run your team into the ground. Being cheap didnt get the Bears in trouble, trading first rounders for Rick Mirer is what made them suck.