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When Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan talk about why the Tim Tebow trade was made, they often bring up the loss of Brad Smith. But you know what, that should not have happened.
Tannenbaum brought up the loss of Smith again, yesterday, during a media tour at the Super Bowl.
“We felt like after the 2011 season, we lost something with Brad Smith not being there, so we felt like bringing Tim in, he was going to be a guy who could replace Brad’s production,” Tannenbaum said.
This idea that they needed to bring in Tebow to replace a player, they let walk without a fight, is an argument that I have some issues with.
Why did Mike he let Smith leave in free agency? This idea that they couldn’t afford the deal Buffalo offered him is poppycock.
Considering how much Smith brought to the table for the Jets on and off the field, how is a four-year deal, for 15 million, too much money. There was only a $2 million upfront signing bonus in this deal.
This was around the same time they Jets gave the mercurial Santonio Holmes a $50 million deal, with $24.5 million guaranteed, when they were bidding against themselves.
Instead of overpaying Holmes, why not cut that offer a little bit, and give some of that money to Smith, one of the most respected players in the locker room, and a salt of the earth human being, who didn’t want to leave?
So Think about what happened in a short period of time in the summer of 2011 – Brad Smith and Jerricho Cotchery (two guys I thought would retire as Jets – two good players and impressive people with great character) were out, and Holmes was locked up long term.
These events showed bad judgment, and really hurt the Jets’ locker room to boot.
I have never bought the concept that the Brad Smith contract was that crazy. First of all, he probably would have taken a little less to stay with the Jets.
He and his family had settled in Livingston, New Jersey, and didn’t want to leave.
And because of the mistake of letting Smith walk, with no attempt to keep him, in 2011, this led to a Tebow trade that turned out to be a disaster.
I don’t know what happened to Mike his last couple of years with the Jets.
He did some very good things over the course of his seven years as GM, but the last couple of years, he kind of lost his touch to a certain degree.
The Tebow trade, the Holmes’ contract, the Sanchez extension, releasing Jerricho Cotchery and signing Derrick Mason – it was just one shaky move after the other.
I don’t like to call for people to be fired.
We are often talking about people with wife’s and kids.
I don’t look at this stuff like fantasy football moves.
But I can understand Woody reaching his breaking point.
I think when you move on from two inexpensive bedrocks like Cotchery and Smith in a matter of weeks, and reward Holmes, you have lost your feel for team chemistry and the pulse of your locker room.
These guys were so beloved, not only in the locker room, but with the coaches and everyone in the building.
I’m sorry, that was inexcusable.
And did irreparable damage.
January 30, 2013
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