That didn’t take very long. Less than a week after the free agency period opened, an NFL team may be thinking about extending a contract offer to Leon Washington. ProFootballTalk cites a “league source” saying that Washington has been “spoken with” San Francisco.
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Rich Cimini reports that the New York Jets will likely tender two of their restricted free agents within the next few days. Cimini believes that both Brad Smith and Leon Washington will be tendered at the second round level. That seems more than reasonable for Smith but it’s a calculated risk to put Leon in the same boat.
In Washington’s case, he will earn $1.759 million next season with the second round tender. If the Jets had opted to tender him at the first round level, he would earn $2.512 million (more on restricted free agency here). Personally, I would like to see the Jets give him the $2.512 million. Even with his injury, Leon is probably worth at least $2 million and potentially above $3 million per season. Let’s not forget that last year his agent, Alvin Keels, was trying to convince the Jets to pay him $6 million per year. Clearly, there aren’t going to be any teams that offer him a contract like that. But it seems like the Jets are leaving themselves open to risk by trying to save $800,000.
The most likely scenario is that Leon won’t get any significant offers. He’s coming off of a major injury and other teams won’t have a good read on his current health status. Additionally, there are a couple big name running backs that are already free agents. So the market for Washington’s services is probably very limited. At the same time, it’s not very hard to imagine a team offering Leon a deal close to that $2.5 million per year mark. And don’t be surprised if the Patriots make that offer. It would make sense since their running back depth is pathetic, they have three second round picks, and they’d screw the Jets by just making an offer in the first place.
Sure, the Jets can always match any offer or let Leon go to that team to receive the pick as compensation. But it would be foolish to tender Leon at only the second round level if they actually expect him to receive offer sheets. In the worst case, the Jets will have to pay Leon anyway or receive just a second round pick. Even in the best scenario, Leon doesn’t receive any other offers but becomes even more frustrated with his contract situation.
Tags: Brad Smith, contract, football, free agency, leon washington, NFL, restricted free agent, second round pick, tender
Both New York City NFL teams are among the better teams in the league. On Sunday, the Jets made an effort to come back from their recent slump while the Giants showed vulnerability. Neither team looks quite as good as they did early on in the season. Though, it seems like both teams are on track to challenge for a playoff spot if they can maintain consistency and overcome injuries.
Everything went right for the Jets in the shutout of Oakland on Sunday afternoon — at least in terms of football. The Jets rolled up over 300 yards on the ground and Mark Sanchez had an impeccable (9 for 15 w/ 143 yards and a TD), though limited, performance. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene both went for over 100 yards while Greene scored his first two NFL touchdowns.
On defense, the Jets were formidable forcing JaMarcus Russell into three turnovers before he was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. The one thing that did bother me is that both Russell and Gradkowksi seemed to have limited success targeting receivers downfield. Dwight Lowery and Donald Strickland seemed to have a hard time locking down their men and Darrelle Revis even blew an assignment or two. Though, it’s likely this was part of Rex Ryan’s defensive strategy. Oakland is so bad that they depend on a basic passing game that relies heavily on tight end Zach Miller and running backs as receivers. Last week, the Eagles allowed Miller and Gary Russell to catch 11 balls on 16 targets. The Jets held Miller and Russell to just four catches on six targets for only 17 yards. So Rex Ryan’s plan worked out — it’s just annoying to see Louis Murphy and Heyward-Bey actually making plays.
Unfortunately, the injury bug that’s plagued the Jets reared its ugly head again. Leon Washington suffered a gruesome lower leg injury in the first half that was classified as a compound fracture. The bone broke through the skin and required immediate surgery on Sunday night. Rich Cimini of the Daily News thinks that the injury could be “career threatening” and that it likely means the Jets will bring back Thomas Jones. However, that’s basically a knee-jerk reaction. There’s no indication that Washington’s compound fracture was any more serious than a typical open fracture. The Jets didn’t even put him on injured reserve immediately with hope that he could return this season. With Leon likely out for the rest of the season, the Jets will have to make adjustments in the passing game and pick a new return man. It also shakes up the running back situation for 2010. Next offseason, Thomas Jones is due a $3 million roster bonus. TJ is quality and you have to respect what he brings to the table. Though, guys like Mike Bell, Correll Buckhalter, Fred Jackson, etc. are all useful RB2 types that make less than Jones’ potential bonus. The Jets could even target LenDale White, who’s scheduled to be a free agent, or they could simply draft a new running back instead of pay the hefty price for TJ.
The Jets seem to have righted the ship for now. The Jets schedule is seemingly favorable for the rest of the season. In the next three games, the Jets will play their most important (and two of the last three) divisional games against Miami (next week) and New England (week 11). You can bet that Rex and co. will be studying the Patriots during the week nine bye even though they face Jacksonville in week 10. If the Jets can beat the Pats, they can make a push for the best divisional record in the AFC East. The Jets face both Tampa Bay and Carolina in their remaining games and finish with a brutal stretch against Atlanta, Indianapolis and Cincinnati. The most interesting matchup may come on December 3rd against Buffalo in Toronto when Mark Sanchez gets a chance to make up for the worst game of his career and potentially move the Jets into a favorable standing in the division.
Facing the man that kept the seat warm for Eli Manning, the Giants fell to the Cardinals in the Meadowlands last night. It was seemingly a favorable matchup for New York since the Cardinals were banged up at receiver and lacked a true primary running back.
The good news is that Hakeem Nicks is emerging as the go-to receiver for the Giants. The rookie is averaging a whopping 19.7 yards per catch and now has 315 receiving yards while scoring a TD in each of the last four games. It’s also worth noting that Steve Smith was targeted 10 times but only made four catches. Due to watching the Yankee game, I’m not sure if this was the result of coverage or drops. Though, it seems to indicate that Smith is getting much more attention than he was early in the season.
It’s likely that the Giants faced the inevitable slump brought on by a rash of injuries. The Giants were already without LB Michael Boley (knee), DT Chris Canty (calf), and S Kenny Phillips (knee) while Aaron Ross (hamstring) also missed the game. Other than injuries, Eli Manning’s poor overall performance contributed to the New York loss. The former number one overall pick was just 19 of 37 and threw three picks.
The Giants are certainly a power in the NFC East and should be a decent bet for a playoff berth. However, they’re not quite as good as advertised (hyped?). Injuries are the primary concern at this point and it’s hard to believe they can be a contender with Ahmad Bradshaw seemingly outperforming Brandon Jacobs. At the same time, the Giants are 5-2 and that record includes four “gimmes” against Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Oakland, and Washington. It’s likely the Giants will be pretty close to .500 during the next nine games of the season. The schedule is considerably more difficult with opponents including Philadelphia (twice), San Diego, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Minnesota.
Tags: ahmad bradshaw, brandon jacobs, bruce gradkowski, eli manning, football, hakeem nicks, injuries, jamarcus russell, leon washington, mark sanchez, new york jets, NFL, Rex Ryan, Shonn Greene, steve smith, thomas jones
Before the season, I said that the Jets probably wouldn’t open up the playbook until at least mid-season. Since experience immediate success, Sanchez has faltered in recent weeks and now leads the NFL with 10 interceptions. As a result, Rex Ryan has intimated the Jets may simplify things for Sanchez. The Jets head coach compared the situation to Roethlisberger’s rookie year saying:
“Was it just the play of Mark Sanchez that got us beat? No. But we have to realize that this isn’t a guy that’s played 20 years in the league . . . He’s got an unbelievable amount of talent, but we’ve got to be smart with him. I remember Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh was smart what they did and they won a ton of games.”
Ryan also noted that defensive adjustments have resulted in Sanchez taking longer to read coverage. That’s a nice way to let Brian Schottenheimer off the hook. The Jets OC has probably fallen in love with his new toys a bit too much. First, he had Sanchez throw 31 attempts in his first NFL game. Second, Braylon Edwards was targeted NINE times in each of his first two games on the Jets. The Jets shouldn’t try to turn Braylon Edwards, a guy who is typically among the leaders in yards per catch, into a possession receiver. Sure, part of that is on Sanchez and Cotchery has been hampered by an injury. But the Jets already have dangerous offensive players that have been neglected.
It was clear in the preseason that Sanchez immediately jelled with Dustin Keller. However, Keller has just 93 yards in FIVE games since gaining 94 yards in the opener against Houston. After seeing only one target in the game against Miami, Keller was targeted a whopping 10 times against Buffalo. The other semi-forgotten weapon in the Jets passing game is Leon Washington. Little Leon was only targeted twice in the Dolphins game and had eight targets last week. Short passes to Keller along with screens and swing passes to Leon will open up the field for big plays. It wouldn’t be surprising to see more wide receiver screens either. Expect Sanchez to start looking a lot more like a game manager as he was in the New England game.
Tags: braylon edwards, brian schottenheimer, dustin keller, football, jerricho cotchery, leon washington, mark sanchez, new york jets, NFL, Rex RyanNew York Jets running back Leon Washington may have broke camp on Friday morning without his coveted contract extension, but he did receive a special bonus for his unique contribution to the team. Little Leon finished in 3rd place for the Jets new “King Ugly” competition that we wrote about here at BigLeagueScrew the other day. As the rules state, the 3rd place finisher received 75% of the money pooled for the competition. First place, and the official King Ugly crown went to safety James Ihedigbo while second prize went to defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. I’m not so sure this bonus will placate Washington and his contract demands for the season, but at least he knows he’s made a lasting impression on his teammates. Check out Mark Cannizzaro’s coverage of the final day of Jets camp below for the full story. You can also check out some of the ugliest athletes of all time here, here, and here.
Leon's reaction to being dubbed the 3rd ugliest player in the organization can probably be summed up by his gesture here
Via the NY Post:
Tags: king ugly, leon washington, new york jets, NFL, nfl football, Rex RyanRex Ryan surprised the players last night by telling them there would be no practice today.
The Jets were scheduled to conduct one final practice today before breaking camp, but Ryan opted to blow it off and let the players return home after a mandatory 7 a.m. breakfast.
He let the players know after their activity night last night, which included the anticipated “King Ugly” contest, the annual rookie talent show and a game of jeopardy.
Safety James Ihedigbo was the winner of “King Ugly,” quite a dubious honor. Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was second and RB Leon Washington third. Ironically, the third-place winner gets 75-percent fo the money put in and the second-place winner gets 25-percent. As Ryan said the other day, the winner is so ugly he doesn’t deserve any money.
Washington, of course, is involved in a contract battle with the Jets and is vastly underpaaid. So he now has some added funds to feed his family.
Anyone in the Jets organization could put up $1 per vote for the contest and there was no limit, so ballot stuffing was a definite.
The Jets reconvene tomorrow at their Florham Park, N.J. facility, where they will conduct a practice open to the public.
The Jets have increased their offer to Leon Washington to $4.5 million per year according to sources. It’s rumored that Washington and agent Alvin Keels are seeking around $6 million per year — in the range Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren Sproles received. I’m inclined to believe that this is the Jets’ take-it-or-leave-it offer. Leon is under contract for this season and he will be a restricted free agent next year… so he doesn’t have very much leverage.
Via New York Daily News:
Tags: football, leon washington, NFL, training campCORTLAND, N.Y. – When the Jets made their initial contract proposal to RB Leon Washington, believed to be around $2 million per year, he found it so insulting that he skipped some of the offseason workouts.
They’ve increased their offer considerably. According to sources, the Jets have an offer on the table that averages $4.5 million a year. Washington is believed to be seeking $6 million per year. Thing is, if the Jets go higher than $5million, they’d be paying him more than Thomas Jones, the starting tailback.
Washington is due to make $535,000 this season. The two sides continue to talk, although nothing appears imminent.
The New York Jets opened training camp in Cortland, New York and expectations are high. Rex Ryan has injected his hard-nosed attitude into camp and it has both players and observers abuzz. Most of the attention has centered on first-year quarterback Mark Sanchez and his competition for the starting job with veteran Kellen Clemens. Rey Ryan stated that Clemens is currently penciled in as the number one QB while Sanchez will be given an opportunity to win the job. After the jump, we’ve got a training camp photo gallery, Rex Ryan’s full press conference transcript, and links to more training camp coverage.
Tags: cortland, football, kellen clemens, kris jenkins, leon washington, mark sanchez, new york jets, NFL, Rex Ryan, Shonn Greene, thomas jones, train camp, vernon gholstonMaybe Rex Ryan knows something that we don’t. Due to some jockeying over a contract extension Jets RB Leon Washington has been absent from OTAs this offseason. With training camp rapidly approaching, Washington, his agent Alvin Keels, and Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum have tried (albiet unsucessfully thus far) to hammer out a deal that would keep Little Leon in green and white for years to come. Considering the months long standoff that has taken place, it is somewhat surprising to see the comments from Jets’ coach Rex Ryan in a piece by SI.com’s Peter King.
Leon Washington evades defenders, contract extension
King writes:
Tags: leon washington, NFL, NY Jets, Rex Ryan, Shonn Greene, Sports IllustratedI think the one player I’m really looking forward to seeing under a new coach is all-purpose back Leon Washington of the Jets, whose head man, Rex Ryan, is certain to use Washington more liberally than he was used a year ago. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Washington — assuming he reports to camp on time, seeing that he’s in a contract dispute with the team right now — touch the ball 300 times this year. Last year, he had 76 rushes and 47 receptions, to go along with punt- and kick-return duties (77 returns total). He touched it 200 times last year, 123 from scrimmage.That number from scrimmage has to get to 200, whatever the Jets choose to do in the return game; Washington is simply too explosive to let him touch the ball 7.7 times per game from scrimmage. “I hate defending against players like that,” Ryan said last week. “He had six touchdowns on 73 carries last year. That number has to go up — drastically. And it will.”
I like Leon Washington, I really do. But he doesn’t deserve the money that he’s demanding. Leon Washington was a key contributor to the Jets last year — this is clear. Is he underpaid in the final year of his rookie contract? Yes, he’s scheduled to earn only $535,000 as a base salary next year. However, the Jets should not yield to his demands to around $6 million per year.
Last year, Leon Washington set the Jets single season record for all-purpose yardage. He’s proven to be an extremely versatile player as a change of pace back and a returner. There’s no denying that Little Leon is a key contributor to the Jets offensive attack. However, I don’t think he’s established himself as a premier back in this league as his salary demands might indicate.
Leon Washington would like to run away with $6 million
Washington had 448 rushing yards on 76 carries for a whopping 5.9 YPC with 355 receiving yards. Those are great stats when complemented by his return numbers. That being said, Leon’s impressive 2008 doesn’t look that much better than the best seasons of Brian Mitchell.
At the same time, I seriously doubt that Leon would be a capable number one back. He actually had 151 carries in 2006 but had only 4.3 YPC that year. Even if he did develop into a solid RB1, it’s probable that he would have less of an impact in the return game. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I would argue that Leon Washington’s value is maximized in his current role — one that isn’t worth $6 million a year.
The Jets have to play hardball here and that means there’s a chance Leon walks. But is that really such a bad thing? The money that he wants is more than any running back drafted outside of the top 5 overall. For less money, the Jets could have signed almost any of the free agent running backs from the 2009 class. Realistically, Leon Washington is easily replaced by a late first round to early third round running back. The fact that he offers so much in one package is nice but not necessary. As much as I love Leon, the Jets can’t afford to appease a former 4th round pick that is replaceable.
Tags: football, free agents, leon washington, new york jets, NFL, running backs
