How the Jets Decide To Handle Thomas Jones' Contract Will Send a Message

The New York Jets’ front office will need to decide exactly what it is they are looking for out of the 2009 season.

No head coach, general manager, or team president in the NFL would ever admit to having anything other than lofty expectations for their team.  

To do so, after all, would be career suicide.  

However, that doesn’t mean that internally, the coaching staff and front office may not have other ideas and expectations as to how the season will play out.

In the case of the New York Jets, general manager Mike Tannenbaum, in collaboration with the coaching staff and front office, will need to decide whether or not they believe the Jets can legitimately contend for the AFC East title in 2009, or whether this coming season will be viewed as a transition year with a new quarterback and coaching staff in place.

Why do the Jets need to make this kind of decision?

Because the answer to that question will inevitably dictate how the team will handle the Thomas Jones situation.

Thomas Jones recently reported to the Jets’ voluntary team practices, despite being in the midst of a contract dispute with the organization.

Jones is in the third year of a $20 million deal, which has already padded his bank account with more than $13 million.

Jones is set to earn $900,000 this season with an additional $3 million coming his way in March of 2010 as a roster bonus, if the Jets decide to keep him on at that point.

In this day and age of foreclosures and mass layoffs, it’s tough to feel sorry for a guy that has earned more than $13 million over the past two years and is assured of an additional $900,000 this year.

But Thomas Jones has a legitimate gripe here, and depending upon how the Jets front office foresees the 2009 season playing out, he may even have the upper hand.

Jones led the AFC in rushing last season with 1,312 yards and has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons.

In terms of an NFL running back’s career lifespan, at 30 years old, Jones is certainly not a young pup anymore.

However, there are few running backs in the league that are as physically fit as Thomas Jones and the Jets also have very little to worry about in terms of his attitude and commitment to the team.

Jones has been attending voluntary team workouts and doing everything that has been asked of him, all while keeping his mouth zipped in the face of a looming contract dispute that could turn very ugly, very quickly.

Jones could be sitting at home relaxing on his couch right now while leaving it up to his agent to go out and settle his dispute with the Jets.

But that’s not Thomas Jones.  It never has been.

Jones is a football player and a workhorse.

If the Jets decide they want to contend for the AFC East title this season, they had better be careful with the Thomas Jones situation, as Jones will be vital to the team’s chances of success.

Whether it’s Mark Sanchez or Kellen Clemens starting on opening day, the Jets will have an inexperienced quarterback at the helm.

In a situation like that, who do you think will need to carry most of the weight on the offensive side early on in the season?

Yup, you got it—veteran running back Thomas Jones.

Until either Mark Sanchez or Kellen Clemens becomes comfortable in running the Jets’ offense, Thomas Jones will be expected to carry the offensive unit upon his back.

If the Jets truly believe that 2009 will be a transition year for the team, then they may not need to do anything at all with Jones' contract.

If he wants to play, he can do so under the same contract, whether he’s happy or not.

The Jets always have the option of giving rookie running back Shonn Greene some more experience this season.

The Jets are expecting Greene to move into the starting role in the next year or two anyway, which is part of the reason why Jones is looking for some financial security now while he sill holds some clout over the Jets.

Whatever the Jets decide, they better do so soon because if they do have aspirations of contending for the AFC East this year, they had better handle the Thomas Jones situation now before it gets ugly.

The Jets certainly do not want to bite the hand that will more than likely feed them victories early on in the 2009 season.

How the Jets decide to handle Thomas Jones’ contract could very well send a clear message as to how the front office perceives the team’s chances for success in 2009.