Around the NFL Preseason week 3

Is refusing to even negotiate an extension meeting in the middle though?
Not at all. Jags are playing hardball. MJD sticking to his guns. We have all seen this before.

Hold out lasts throughout training camp and preseason. The two parties get together the day after the final preseason game and they reach a compromise of some sort. And I think a lot of it will be the Jags waiving a majority if not all of the fines MJD has incurred wince his holdout started.

Same story, different team, different player, different year.

And some player on a team will pull this next year as well. Mark that down. And the outcome will mostly likely be the same.

MJD saw that contract extension that Forte landed with the Bears this year. Forte gets something in the neighborhood of 17 M GUARANTEED. That is what MJD is looking at. He does not have that type of guarantee.

I can appreciate the integrity of the players contract. If you sign a contract, you see it through. MJD signed a contract, so he should play that contract. Makes sense.

As for the "one-year" wonder argument. That if a player has one good year, he should hold out for a new contract. There's a bit more to that than what is on the surface. The answer for the most part is NO, that should not be allowed to happen (ala DeSean Jackson)

MJD led the league in rushing last season. But he also led the league in rushing attempts. And he also led his team in receptions. He averages over 8 receipts per game. And he averages over 21 rushes per game. That is almost 30 offensive touches per game, on a team that averaged a little over 60 offensive plays from scrimmage per game in 2011. Yeah, MJD LITERALLY represents 50% of the Jags total offense.

He gets more touches than any player in the league. That equates to more chances of injury than any other player in the league.

There was a new CBA signed last year. MJD's current contract was signed under the old CBA.

MJD wants to get paid..PERIOD. He wants (and based on what he brings to his team, probably deserves) GUARANTEED money. All the Jags have to do is sign him to an extension with an exceptable amount of guaranteed money, and MJD will play.

With more touches than most players in the league, it only takes one hit to end a season or worse a career.

Again, I appreciate the integrity of a contract. You signed it, play it, see it through.

And for the first time I can recall, I am actually on the side of the player on this one.

I think the players have fueled this theory that football is their life long job and whenever football ends for them their life long job will be over. Lets as fans be a little more savey then that and realistic. We know the average number of yrs a football player plays is 10 yrs. That is not a life long career. The players themselves need to wake up and realize that football is not going to last for them and that they will need a secondary career to build around. Thats what college was for so they could get the education and knowledge of a job field they would eventually end up in after football.

Owners: want to pay as little as possibe and get the most reward. Sign players to contracts and not have to worry about reworking contracts. and if players can't play for whatever reason... cut them.

^ the key here is the owner is still responsible for a portion of the contract even after the player has long gone. Heck does Randel El, Haynesworth, and a half a dozen other players ring a bell. I'm sure we are still paying on someone.

Players: want the big $$$. A house, car, bling, partying, etc. etc. They want to rework their contracts when they have a good season.... would they be willing to rework them for lower salaries if they have a bad season? Their mind set is "I want to get paid cause football won't last forever and I could get injured and never play again." HELLO... um, thats why you took classes in college to get a job skill.

I'm on the fence. Always have been. Maybe leaning more towards the owners since the players agreed to the contracts, they signed saying they would take that money for each year. If they thought they were better then they were they should not have signed for so little money. Not everyone gets to start out in the penthouse, usually you have to start at the bottom and work your way up through the company which means you to probably took a job for less then what you thought you were worth and hopefully later got better pay. or you leave for another company that will, ie; Free Agency.

Difference is, you and I work at a place where we are easily replaced and are not in the NFL. The Jags need MJD more than he needs them. You take care of your own, this just shows that the Jags will suck for a while. They could afford Laurent Robinson to a 30 million dollar contract, but can't afford Drew?

i disagree a little bit. rb is such a replacable position. rashard jennings could probably give them 1,000 + yards and they easily make up the rest with Blackmon and Robinson in the passing game. plus, jones drew plays on a loser. the jags aren't going anywhere with or without him and the owner knows it....giving him the upper hand.

Not at all. Jags are playing hardball. MJD sticking to his guns. We have all seen this before.

Hold out lasts throughout training camp and preseason. The two parties get together the day after the final preseason game and they reach a compromise of some sort. And I think a lot of it will be the Jags waiving a majority if not all of the fines MJD has incurred wince his holdout started.

Same story, different team, different player, different year.

And some player on a team will pull this next year as well. Mark that down. And the outcome will mostly likely be the same.

MJD saw that contract extension that Forte landed with the Bears this year. Forte gets something in the neighborhood of 17 M GUARANTEED. That is what MJD is looking at. He does not have that type of guarantee.

The difference was Forte was making under a million dollars and Jones Drew is makng 5 million. I doubt Jones Drew will get 17 mil guaranteed with the mileage he's got on his body.

MJD and the Jags owner need to sit down and work something out. I see no reason why they can't toss him a little bone.

In MJD's case I understand both sides position.
But, right now the Jags have all the leverage, especially if they think Jennings can be serviceable.

In MJD's case I understand both sides position.
But, right now the Jags have all the leverage, especially if they think Jennings can be serviceable.

Yes, Jones-Drew has literally been their entire offense for years...his workload has been the highest in the league, so he's earned the paycheck.

However, the team has run him into the ground and shortened his career, so it's a risk to pay him.



Come to the Redskins, Maurice. You won't have to make the annual London trip with us.

Yes, Jones-Drew has literally been their entire offense for years...his workload has been the highest in the league, so he's earned the paycheck.

However, the team has run him into the ground and shortened his career, so it's a risk to pay him.

Come to the Redskins, Maurice. You won't have to make the annual London trip with us.IDK about him coming to the Redskins.

MJD is a beast, he's a great running back but the team around wasn't good enough to benefit form his production.
And I doubt the team is good enough to benefit from it right now as they groom Blaine Gabbert.
And by the time the passing offense is reading to carry the team MJD will be all used up.

From a franchise perspecitve it doesn't make sense to reward a player for past performance, especially when it likely will not benefit from there production going forward. (benefit in the case being playoff contention)

If I were the Jags owner, and i know im not, but if I were, two things I would do.

1. Increase the rest of his contract a mil per year for the next two remaining years, so he would make 5.4 and 5.9 million per year through the 13-14 season.

2. Add one more guaranteed year at 4 mil for the yr onto the ass end of the contract
so he would make 4.0 mil the last year of his contract, in which he would be 31 years old. He would be quite the geriatric if he lasts that long, with his running style and the reliance the Jags lean on him for, but I will say I think that he deserves it. Even if he completely takes a step back THIS season, I find it hard to believe the Jags would cut him in the last year, when he is only set to make 4.4 million next year.

Throw him a bone, like Matty said, give him 1 mil a year more for the next two years, and then guarantee a 4th year at 4 mil. Seems lie a fair compromise, and both sides would be happy.

*It would keep him in the top 8 RB's average salary for this year (so far, barring any additional late signings or salary adjustments)
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IDK about him coming to the Redskins.

MJD is a beast, he's a great running back but the team around wasn't good enough to benefit form his production.
And I doubt the team is good enough to benefit from it right now as they groom Blaine Gabbert.
And by the time the passing offense is reading to carry the team MJD will be all used up.

From a franchise perspecitve it doesn't make sense to reward a player for past performance, especially when it likely will not benefit from there production going forward. (benefit in the case being playoff contention)

I don't know. I kinda like the thought of him coming here. What is more dangerous in the zone rushing scheme than a ridiculously shifty quick as lightning back that is built like a rock, yet is only 5 foot nothing?Add to it that he is a respectable pass protector. Thats not to say he's Clinton Portis, but he does very well for his size (better than any of our current backs I'm afraid, maybe even Hightower) and he would take A TON of pressure off of Griffith in his rookie campaign. He still has 3 or 4 good years left I say, plus, his workload would definitely be lower here, since we have a decent passing game with our QB and WR's. The only thing we AIN't got here is Jacksonvilles line, which I'm sorry to say is vastly superior to ours right now...............

But, it could work. Wouldn't cry a river if we cut cooley, moss, brown and someone else, restructured a contract, maybe two, and tried it.