Thomas Jones to be released

[JMeist]

The NFL doesn't need "every down backs" right now...that sh!t died with Emmitt's retirement...we are in a multi-backfield league right now.

This was the way things were done before Barry and Emmitt made everyone strive for one back, 25-30 carry guys.

Ryan Grant

[Aso]

Wouldn't Darren Sproles be a restricted free agent. He's been in the NFL since 2005 which is only 5 years of service.

[jeffx]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2010/03/02/2010-03-02_the_cutting_edge.html

Some of the Jet players are not happy with this move.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Ryan Grant

18 carries per game.

Chris Johnson was the league leader at 22. Only four runners averaged over 20 carries per game.

In 2000, league leader had 25 carries a game. Eight runners averaged over 20 carries per game.

We are seeing the league go back to a league that has multi-back systems...25 carries per game runners just aren't in vogue right now.

After Larry Johnson and Shaun Alexander in 2006, we haven't seen anyone come close to 25 carries per game.

[FirstTimer]

So he got rid of the payer that wasn't happy and got a draft pick.

He got rid of the key offensive player for a team that just went to the Super Bowl to start an unproven immature 1st round draft pick based soley on the fact that they were paying him a lot of money.

Jones wasn't "unhappy" in Chicago. He just didn't like Benson. Jones was a great locker room guy for the Bears and he loved 99% of the team and his teammates loved him. So much as they went out of their way to try and pound on Benson during the 2006 offseason and hurt him so Jones was the main back on the team.

By the way..with the draft pick they got. They used it to draft Dan Bazuin.

Jones wanted a new contract,

Ok..and that means that JA should have given up the proven commodity in Jones for the unproven player in Benson?

do you pay them both to stay?

No. You trade Benson and extend Jones.

Obviously.

,the Bears got a draft pick

Which they blew on a guy who never even played a down in the NFL

. and kept "their" half back.

Which was the wrong move.

. How did he not handle it properly?

How did they? Jones has went on to have some great seasons, Benson blew up in Chicago, and they pissed away the draft pick.

. The Cedric Benson we saw in Cincy last year is what the Bears thought they had.

Hint. Benson got his act together because Chicago cut him. Chicago did an awful job of evaluating the type of person Benson was in Chicago. JA can't self evaluate players at all.

[Tailback U]

I would absolutely love the Raiders to get Thomas Jones. A hard-nosed no-bullshit veteran running back with an insane work ethic could do wonders for Michael Bush and McFadden.

[FirstTimer]

You're basing your argument on a lot of hindsight.

Hindsight? LOL. I'm saying Angelo has horrible in the moment decision making and literally no foresight. Sorry I expect my GM to have the idea at the time that getting rid of your best offensive player of a Super Bowl run could be stupid.

People could rationlize that Benson was going to be a good back But it doesn't excuse getting rid of a player that already was Is that too hard to understand?

it doesn't mean he didn't work through that appropriately.

It also doesn't mean he did. Which he obviously didn't at the time and even more obviously didn't now.

Under different circumstances, if Jones was kept for another season and his production dropped off

Doubtful, seeing as everyone loved Thomas Jones and would have most likely blamed the Bears declinging offensive line for a drop in production.

Under different circumstances Jones goes for another 1,500 and JA is a genius for getting rid of Benson and everyone is happy.

Then again all we can judge is by what we knew at the time.

Jones ran for nearly 2,800 yards in two season. Was the key cog on two playoff teams and a run to the Super Bowl. He loved playing for the Bears. The teams and coaches loved him. He wanted a new contract(and rightly so). That was the situation at the time. How does that excuse trading him so you can start an unproven commodity for a team that felt it was "in it's window" for a Super Bowl championship?

Meanwhile Benson gets traded to say, I don't know, the FUCKING BENGALS and produces like a madman.

Yeah, Benson produced like a madman for the Bengels and still didn't outrush Jones this year...Hell he didn't out rush Forte last season.

On top of that Benson getting booted from Chicago after his legal issues by his own admission made him change himself. Who's to say benson doesn't have legal problems at the next stop as well before getting his head on straight.

Hindsight is a bitch,

There was no hindsight involved. The move did not make any sense at the time it took place. None. Events have proven that thought process accurate but just looking at the evidence available at the time of the trade the Bears letting go Jones didn't make any damn sense. How hard is that to grasp?

but JA handled it properly with the information and circumstances that

No he did not.

Seriously.

[Senser81]

You're basing your argument on a lot of hindsight.

But the move was heavily criticized at the time. Thomas Jones was the main cog in a Super Bowl offense. There was no way Rex Grossman was going to pick up the slack and lead the offense. What had been seen of Cedric Benson indicated that he wasn't a #1 RB because of his durability and fumbling.

Not having anyone else on the offense, be it QB, WR, RB, TE, to fill Jones' shoes made it a bad move.