An interesting turn of events

I’ve covered the Jets 20 years, and I’ve seen a lot. The big story from this past week, D’Brickashaw Ferguson’s retirement, is one of the more intriguing ones.

I guess the feel good aspect could be that he walked away in good health. Many players push the envelope too far and pay for it the rest of their lives.

Ferguson walks away very healthy.

He erred on the side of caution.

But aside from that, so many elements of this story don’t pass the smell test.

I remember talking to a source at the owner’s meeting who told me the Jets still hadn’t approached Ferguson about taking a pay cut. That was in late March. What were they waiting for?

Hey, we all knew a pay cut request was going to happen, but why not just get too it early in the off-season. Why kick the can on this one? Just get to it.

And why did the Jets bring in left tackle Kelvin Beachum for free agent (he ended signing with Jacksonville) before talking to Ferguson about a pay cut?

You have a player who has been a staple on the team at left tackle for ten years, and you kick the tires on a replacement, before dealing with his future first? This caught Ferguson by surprise.

“That was difficult,” Ferguson said. “I think not to be the guy who automatically is the left tackle was something new to me. I was taken aback. I just wasn’t used to that.”

Ferguson is usually a very guarded person. In this answer, he showed a little ankle.

I’m sorry, this was putting the cart before the horse. Deal with Ferguson first, and then start looking for replacements.

And then asking him to take a pay cut in April, in free agency no-man’s land, was a little unkind.

Ferguson knew darn well that if he refused the cut, and was released, there is little money out there for clubs to spend at this point, after the largesse in the first tier of free agency. Look at what’s been going on around the league the last couple of weeks. Guys are coming in on their hands and knees and taking one-year deals for little money.

Odd timing.

Ferguson deserved better.

Look, I understand it’s a bad idea to make personnel decision for sentimental reasons. You don’t pay people for what they did in the past, or because they are good guys, especially in a salary cap sport. Bill Belichick is the least sentimental personnel guy I’ve ever seen, like when he moved on from Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork. You pay them for what they can do now. It’s the smartest approach.

But just be upfront with Ferguson early on. Don’t beat around the bush, and do things like bring in a possible replacement without setting his situation straight first.

I’m not particularly impressed with how this was handled.

And clearly neither was Ferguson, who used the handling of this situation as a launching point to just move on to the next stage of his life.

I never got the sense he was head-over-heals in love with football. Don’t take that the wrong idea. He worked very, very hard in preparation, and never dogged it on the field. He had a terrific career. I think he liked football, but I never got the sense he was Ray Lewis, foaming at the mouth waiting to hit somebody, in love with.

I think he would played this year if he was paid what he was contractually entitled to, $10.4 million.

But when he got messed around with, he just decided to move on with his life’s work. And he’s extremely bright and should do great in his post-football life.

So while I have a tremendous respect for Ferguson, that retirement presser didn’t do much for me.
I just think there was much more to this than a guy gracefully walking into the sunset.

April 15, 2016

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