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First Mike DeVito and now Matt Slauson.
What is this, a war on the middle class?
According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Tannenbaum made Slauson take a paycut from $1.308 million to $1.05 million.
Here is a player who played a big chunk of last year with a wrecked shoulder. He took Toradol shots to play on Sunday’s.
He needed major shoulder surgery after the season.
Here is a guy who does everything the organization asks him to do with the media, community.
While other guys are very, very uncooperative, he’s the ultimate organizational guy.
And he’s a good player. Not a great player, but a good player.
But Tannenbaum makes him take a paycut. Why? He wasn’t making a heck of a lot.
Are the Jets having cash flow problems?
They pulled the same thing on Mike DeVito, another guy who does everything you can ask of a player.
A few months ago, DeVito was forced to take a $610,000 paycut, lowering his salary to $2.5 million.
DeVito is a rock-solid player, and another guy who does everything the organization asks, on and off the field.
Last year, he hurt both knees at different times, and busted his butt in rehab to come back as fast as possible, after each injury.
The Jets used the selection of Quinton Coples as leverage to make DeVito take a paycut.
That was unfortunate.
Let’s say the Jets had signed a veteran end like Richard Seymour or Mario Williams. Then you could say, “Mike we need you take a pay cut, since you going to backup this veteran star we just brought in.”
But to make him take a cut based on a draft pick, who has never played 3-4 end before, and has proved nothing on the NFL level, wasn’t right.
Look-it, I think Coples has the potential to be very good, but he’s proven nothing on the NFL level.
DeVito deserved better.
You want 53 guys on your roster with the character and fortitude of Slauson and DeVito.
Why are the Jets nickel and diming cats like this?
It’s not like they were making a lot of money by NFL standards.
A guy like Santonio Holmes, who underachieved last year, and can be a pain in the butt, got a deal with $23.5 million in guaranteed money, and he gets to keep all his cash, but a pair of salt-of-the-earth guys have to give money back?
I think the Jets are scared to death of Holmes, so they would never ask him to adjust his salary.
It’s almost like they take advantage of the good-natured guys, who they know won’t give them lip or an attitude about taking a pay cut.
Mark Sanchez got a raise after his mediocrity last year, and Slauson and DeVito have their wages diminished?
Now you can see why Jerricho Cotchery said, “I’m outta here.”
He’s another terrific person on and off the field, who the Jets underpaid and undervalued.
The Jets culture is in a weird place right now.
August 9, 2012
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