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Bart Scott of CBS had some strong comments on the Ryan Fitzpatrick contract situation. So was he spot-on? Let’s take a closer look . . .
“Fitz don’t have a leg to stand on, man,” Scott said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He is who he is. You can have great teams and great records, but at this point, pretty much everybody knows who he is. He’s a quality guy. On another 20 teams in the league, he would be a backup. The only teams that he would start for are the teams that have bad quarterback situations. He’s a bridge guy.”
Don’t agree that he “doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
Whatever you think of him, the Jets need him.
So that means he has “a leg to stand on.”
Fitzpatrick has his warts, but he had the best QB season for the Jets in a really long time, and helped lead them to a 10-6 record.
So, he has “a leg to stand on.”
Does he have a $15 million-a-year leg to stand on? No, but he has more than a $8 million-a-year leg to stand on.
What about the Houston Texans paying Brock Osweiler, who has seven career starts, $18 million-a-year?
“[Osweiler] hasn’t reached his ceiling yet,” Scott said. “They’re paying for his potential, what he might be able to become. It’s all downhill right now for Fitz.
The Texans contract to Osweiler is somewhat ridiculous. Paying for potential? That sounds like a bad business move. As far as I’m concerned, when you pay a QB $18 million-a-year, you better know what you are getting, not speculating on what you are getting.
And how does Scott know it’s “downhill” for Fitz now. He is 33. You have a few quarterbacks playing terrific football now in their mid-to-late 30’s – Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer. Honestly, I don’t see Fitz’s arrow pointing down just yet.
I’ve always been of the opinion that quarterbacks in their 30’s, if they are healthy, can often do their best work because they have seen so much at such a difficult position. They are high on the NFL QB growth curve.
“You made a lot of money in this league,” Scott said. “Now you can either try and play hardball and not have a team or [have] a tremendous situation to really change the trajectory of your career, so people can change the narrative about what they feel about Ryan Fitzpatrick as a quarterback. He has an opportunity to do that. But it ain’t about the money no more.”
How can he change the trajectory of his career, if it’s “all downhill right now for Fitz?”
If it’s not about money, then maybe Fitzpatrick should quit and get on with his life. He’s very bright and will do well post-football in whatever he chooses. He had the highest Wonderlic score in NFL history. Why play if the money doesn’t matter. Move on with your life. This isn’t playing in the schoolyard.
Of course Fitz loves football and wants to play, but if the money is too low in his mind, it might not be worth the risk. That is clearly what D’Brickashaw Ferguson decided no matter how people want to spin it.
So to say “it ain’t about money no more” is a little crazy. Of course a big part of this is money.
Just like when Bart Scott left the Baltimore Ravens for $8 million-a-year to sign with the Jets. That was about money. The Ravens were the better team with a better coach.
Scott was overpaid to come to the Jets, so why would he begrudge Fitzpatrick trying to get every dime he can and play hardball in the off-season?
I’m sorry there is nothing wrong with that.
And honestly, he does have some leverage, because anybody they turn to now, whether it’s in-house or on the street, is probably a downgrade, and Fitz knows that.
I’m not putting Fitz in Canton, but I do think there is some leverage here.
May 12, 2016
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