JohnC

I'm not shifting the argument on the Fitz and Jet issue. It is simple: What is his talent level and what is his worth to the team. Of course the team's cap situation is a factor in this discussion but it isn't as central as most people think it is. If Fitz was a sterling talent the Jets would adjust other salaries and jettison players to secure his services. They are not foolish enough to do it for this smart but limited qb. With respect to the Bills making an error in losing Fitz because of contract reasons I disagree with that premise and evaluation. The Bills made a decision based on the facts on hand at the time. That's all you can do. A hindsight reassessment is a futile exercise of the non-real world of "what ifs". Buddy Nix was far from being one of the better GMs in the game. But he made the right decision in not over-paying for a mediocre talent. Fitz is Fitz. You don't go anywhere meaningful with Fitz driving the bus. The Jets are not an outrageously stupid organization. They were smart enough to get rid of their former insufferably loud and braggadocio HC and quickly reap dividends from that staffing subtraction. The Fitz issue is a standard issue that all teams contend with: the relationship between talent and pay scale. They have made a judgment that seems very reasonable to me. Will they eventually sign Ftiz to a contract? They will if Fitz becomes more realistic with his contract expectations. If not, they will move on and not be troubled by his departure. The attached link is from the Buffalo News and by Mark Gaughn http://www.buffalonews.com/columns/mark-gaughan/power-take-jets-have-fitz-in-tough-spot-so-he-should-cut-bait-and-sign-20160505

Fitz is not an average starter, and never has been. At best he is a functional starting qb. I do consider him an average backup qb. A role that fits him very well. Would the Jets prefer that he return to the team? In their price range, yes. Will they up their offer? They will if Fitz becomes more realistic with what he wants to get. Outside of the Jets I don't know of any team interested in him. Fitz was an economics major at Harvard. He knows as well as anyone that the market will ultimately determine his value. So far the market is silent. That is a loud testament to his value.

Does it appear that the Jets are panicking over their contract stance with Fitz that might lead him to leaving? It doesn't to me. Whatever option they have to take, Smith or whatever pedestrian qb they can find, they are willing to take that route. What does that say how they value Fitz? It's certainly not a ringing endorsement. The Bills have recently been in this qb quandary situation. They signed a virtually retired and out of shape Orton just prior to the start of the season. Was it a good option? Not necessarily but it was the best option available. It wasn't too long ago that Buddy made it clear that Fitz was over-paid and needed to take a pay cut if he were to stay. He left. My point is that organizations constantly make talent value judgments expressed through contract offers on players. Especially after watching Fitz's game with the Bills in Buffalo their GM's position seems very reasonable and understandable to me.

The Jets have demonstrated their assessment of the caliber of qb Fitz is with their paltry offer. Fitz had a good season last year. But that performance (at least to the Jets front office) doesn't reflect his career body of work and what they think of his prospects in the upcoming season. I have clearly stated that I consider Fitz to be a mediocre qb who at best is a good backup as a veteran presence. After watching him over his extended career I'm confident that my evaluation of him is fair and reasonable. My answer is simply yes. The GM would be willing to let Fitz take a hike if he wants to do so and not be bothered by it. If you watched Fitz's performance in his last game with the Bills with the playoffs on the line you would have a better understanding as to why their organization is taking the stance that they are so far firmly adhering to. Fitz is Fitz. That should be enough of an explanation for most people. When the Jets' GM watched Fitz in his game against the Bills for a playoff spot he had to be mortified. If Geno isn't an adequate replacement then the Jets will seek another option from the market if Fitz leaves. I'm sure the Jets would rather keep Fitz for a particular price (low) but if not they'll make do.

The Jets have taken a tough contract stance with Fitz. You disagree with it. So far they have not moved off of their marker. You make the point that most of the qbs I listed couldn't outperform what Fitz accomplished with them. That doesn't mean that they can't come up with an adequate option to Fitz that will also fall within their established contract parameters. You may think that Geno Smith is a preposterous option at qb but they don't necessarily think that. Let's be realistic here. Fitz is not at the top of the food chain when ranking qbs in the league. He is a fading mediocre vagabond qb who is not going to get your team anywhere. His last game against Buffalo certainly left a stinking impression on the Jet brain trust that if they are going to get mediocre qb play then they should pay at a commensurate rate for that type of dismal play. Where you and I fundamentally disagree on this issue is that we have different assessments on Fitz. During the last season he played above where he usually played at. The last critical game he resorted to being the Fitz that Bills' fans are very acquainted with. When you have garbage you pay for garbage. It's as simple as that. You are buying into your own created myth that doesn't exist. Fitz is Fitz no matter how much you try to inflate him. The Jets recognize what they got and they are appropriately responding to the reality they are facing. Although the Jets might prefer keeping Fitz at a particular price it is evident that they don't fear losing his services. That indicates how much/little they value him.

What good is making a legal claim against a cockroach who as you stated cost him millions of dollars by using his twitter account to vindictively put him in a bad light? The cockroach has no money to go after. The best thing that Tunsil can do is separate himself from the leeches that surround him and concentrate on his career. Tunsil doesn't need to extend the saga in which he was wronged, he needs to get away from it.

If need be the Jets could go with Geno Smith. Or if they want to go on the garbage market they can pursue at very cheap prices qbs such as: Mike Glennon, Matt Moore, Zack Mettenberg, Chad Henne, Shaun Hill, Matt McCloin, Brandon Weeden, Dan Orlovsky, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Colt McCoy, Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer, Matt Hasseleck, Derek Anderson, Matt Schaub, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones. Within this pile of mostly garbage there are plenty of candidates who are in the Fitz caliber of talent. The Jets have set down the marker to Fitz. I'm sure the organization is willing to insignificantly up its offer. But as I have repeatedly said in my many posts on this topic they are not unafraid to move on from him if they can't get him at the price they have in mind. It is still very early in the offseason. If need be they will seek an in-house or outside the organization option to replace the qb that started for them last year. You may think their strategy is unwise but the organization apparently believes it makes sense for them.

There is no doubt that Fitz has more value with the Jets than with any other team. That is more of a commentary on his nonexistent value on the market. You keep insisting that the Jets have to take a more generous stance on Fitz because they have no other options. So far they haven't budged off of their position as to how they value him as measured by their paltry contract offer. Fitz is a mediocre qb that shouldn't be starting on any team with serious aspirations. You portray the Jets' situation as if it is dire. They are not acting as if it is. Who will replace Fitz if he leaves the franchise? I don't know. But mediocre qbs are not difficult to find. Just search through the nearest garbage heap and you will find an abundance of comparable garbage to work with.

It's apparent that whoever the replacement for Fitz might be the Jets aren't overly concerned by the possible departure of Fitz. The organization is willing to pay him a low starting salary because that is what they believe he is worth. If it is not agreeable to Fitz then he can retire or hook up with another team as a backup for a smaller contract than he would have gotten from the Jets.

Fitz certainly was a starter for the Jets. The organization valued him to the extent that he was offered a minimal contract. The Jets are not acting as if they would be facing a calamitous situation without him. I'll repeat the same question that I have stated in a variety of posts: What team would be interested in Fitz if he was on the market, which he was? None. Just because the Jets haven't replaced Fitz at this point doesn't mean that they won't be able to find a replacement as mediocre as Fitz. Those caliber of qbs are readily attainable.

The NFL is a system predicated on value. It isn't only about who starts or doesn't, it is about worth/cost$$$ relative to talent. Do I need to remind you that we let Fitz leave because we weren't going to keep him at a certain price level even as a starter. There is nothing new about the process, every team works within the same system. The Broncos needed a starter after Peyton retired. They ascribed a value to Osweiller that they were not willing to cross. So Osweiller found a team that was willing to pay the price. Was signing Sanchez at a much cheaper price a good value response to the departure of Osweiller? In their calculation it was, at least for now. They then moved up in the draft to sign a good qb prospect. There is no doubt that the Jets contract offerings were due to cap considerations. But where I separate myself from your perspective on this issue that their contract position is more attributable to how they evaluate his talent level. Another factor in supporting the team's position is that there isn't much appetite for this very smart but limited qb.

A qb can be a starter and still not be a starting caliber qb for a team. Fitz is what he always has been i.e. a good backup who has started for a number of teams that then let him go. He has played for six teams with Buffalo being the only team that kept him for more than two years. Will the Jets up their paltry offer to him? Probably so. But Fitz is not going to get a contract that he believes he is worth. I'll repeat what I have said on other postings: No other team is interested in Fitz as a starting qb, even if it is as a bridge qb. If you think otherwise then tell me which team is interested in him?

What I liked about this draft is that Whaley didn't over-think it. He took players at where they were ranked and got a pleasant surprise when Ragland was still on the board in the second round. The Bills are not in a position such as the Browns are in where they are in a full rebuild mode that calls for maneuvering to get more picks. This wasn't a brilliant draft---it was a sound draft. It was a mature way of doing business and it was a good way of doing business. What is there to complain about?

It appears that the Jets are not too worried about losing Fitz. Who will they replace him with? I can't say right now. What I can say is that it appears that the Jets are not very concerned about the the risk of losing Fitz because of their limited contract offer. Do the Jets still have time to acquire a bridge qb to replace fits if that situation materializes? I believe so. I've never said that Fitz doesn't have options. His option is to retire if he is not satisfied with the contract offer. You might consider that good leverage but I don't. I'm comfortable in saying that he doesn't have much value in the NFL market. That is evident by the lack of interest from other teams. Fitz had a good year last year with the Jets. The Jets apparently consider it as an aberration. Fitz is trying to use last year's performance as a baseline for negotiating a new contract. The Jets simply are not accepting that premise in their negotiations with him. We'll just see how this plays out. The Jets will probably raise their offer and it will reflect the value you they place on him. I'm confident that it won't be too high.

No one is arguing that Fitz doesn't have the right to leave the game if he decides the offer isn't worth the risk. The bottom line is that in this negotiation the Jets do hold the cards as to whether Fitz will play for them at a particular price. The Jets have placed a value on Fitz and it appears that they are sticking to that range. That is similar to what the Broncos did with Osweiler. They placed a value on him and weren't willing to go higher. Osweiller had options in the market and signed a lucrative contract with Houston. That is not the case for Fitz who has minimal leverage in the negotiation.

Hoyer, McCown, Josh Johnson, McCoy etc. Go check the backup list for each team and you will come up with a surplus of pedestrian qbs. I'm not crticizing Fitz. He has had a long functional career and made a lot of money as mostly a backup qb. If he believes that for his health and well-being it is not worth the risk taking what he considers low ball starting qb money then he should retire. His health and well-being and family considerations certainly should be at the center of his calculation as to whether he should continue playing or retire. My central point in this discussion is what is his worth to the Jets? They have made their position clear with their contract offer. You properly framed this issue. What is his worth to the Jets and for Fitz is it worth it to him with respect to his well-being and family considerations. It's a non-sentimental calculation in a non-sentimental (cold blooded) business. It's not an issue of right or wrong as it is an issue of judgment.

I'll repeat the question that I asked in a prior post: Name another team that would be interested in Fitz as a starter? Name another team in the league that would be interested in Fitz as a high cost backup? We are not talking fairness here. We are talking what the market is.

And with their offer the organization is saying that although he started last year he is not a starting caliber of qb in this league. It's not difficult to understand Fitz's position. But putting aside the Jets team for this discussion is there a team in the league willing to bring on Fitz as a starter? I don't believe so. Eventually Fitz and the Jets will come to terms. But it will not be at the level that Fitz has staked out. For Fitz what are his options? For the Jets pedestrian qbs can be easily had on the market.

The discussion about qb rankings is more than about qb rankings. It is about tiers of qbs and the value associated with that particular tier. Fitz is in a tier of qbs that is in a pedestrian class. Or another way of looking at it is very replaceable without much notice. The Jets have a good understanding where Fitz falls on that totem poll as a starter. He is at or near the bottom. For them he is very expendable when the price exceeds his level of talent and worth.

It makes a lot of sense. He is a backup caliber of qb. He started on the Jets last year because they had no other options. That is not much of an endorsement for a 14 yr career backup who has moved around the league as if he is a gypsy running from the law. Let's look at Fitz's options: No other team in the league is interested in him as a starter. In addition, no other team in the league is interested in him as a high cost backup. I'm sure the Jets will up their offer with the realization is that hey know what his worth is in the qb market. Fitz is Harvard educated economic major. He knows as well as anyone that he is worth not what he thinks he is worth but that he is worth what the market says he is worth. Fitz had a good year last year as a starter. It was an aberration. Fitz has had a long mediocre career mostly as a backup. That's what he is worth. Good backup money plus a little more.

As in any sport too much emphasis is placed on athleticism when the real core evaluation issue is how well does one play. A player can shine at a combine setting and have eye popping physical traits but that doesn't mean in game situations that those traits will reflect how one performs. In my mind Chad Johnson might not be an elite #1 goalie but he is better than your standard backup goalie. There is no doubt that the GM favors Robin Lehner as a #1 goalie. But it would be very risky to have Lehner as your top goalie especially when he has a history of injuries without having a Chad Johnson type goaltender as a backup.

I've taken the same stance since the beginning of the issue. Nothing odd about it.

They don't need to be involved in any shenanigans because Rex will still be on our sidelines with his cool sunglasses.

Rex Ryan is our head coach. The Pats still have a major advantage.

I disagree with the Brady suspension. As I stated in a prior post out of support for Brady I will stop posting until he is back on the field. I'll stop once the season starts. The deflategate process was a tarnished and corrupt process. My stance is more about how Goodell has conducted himself in this matter than it is about Brady.