Maurice Jones-Drew Holdout: MJD Justified for Refusing to Attend Training Camp

Maurice Jones-Drew shouldn’t budge from his holdout until he’s offered a new contract.

According to Mike Freeman of CBS Sports, MJD is frustrated with his current deal and he should be. It isn’t just about the money other top-flight halfbacks are earning compared to him. Not only is Jones-Drew underpaid, but his current agreement is setting him up for a payday plummet in the future.

Vito Stellino of The Florida Times-Union reported that Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Kahn has no intension to offer the three-time All-Pro a contract extension.  MJD’s response: Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Jones-Drew will not attend training camp.

MJD isn’t stupid. He knows a running back’s shelf life is short. While Jones-Drew just led the NFL in rushing yards last season, at 27 years old, that 30-year-old wall is inching closer.

With two years left on his deal, he’d become an unrestricted free agent at 29. No matter how big a back’s name is, it’s difficult to receive a monster contract offer at that age.

Jones-Drew must holdout because his value will never be higher than it is right now. He’s touched the football a whopping 1,083 times over the past three seasons. If MJD continues at that pace by the time his contract runs, he won’t have enough left in the tank to demand a mammoth payday.

Over the next two years, he’ll make $9.4 million annually. This offseason, Arian Foster agreed to a deal that will pay him $18 million in 2011 and Ray Rice signed one that’ll net him $17 million. Foster and Rice aren’t worth nearly twice as much as MJD.

Given that the Jags won’t win a single game this year without Jones-Drew, he holds all the leverage. And who’s going to show up to games to see that offense? With rumors of a relocation swirling every offseason, a massive drop-off in attendance numbers is exactly what Jacksonville doesn’t need right now.

Jones-Drew should sit back and relax until Kahn calls with an offer.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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