RF23 - It Wouldn't Be Me

RF23 – (Labor Day Weekend Edition)  It Wouldn’t Be Me

Jacksonville Jaguar Running Back, Maurice Jones Drew, ended his summer camp holdout after holding out for a better contract, which, if he kept to his convictions, a new contract would have set him up to retire comfortably.  Key word, is

If.

Jones-Drew rushed for 1606 yards last year, which lead the league over-all.

Key word is,

Leverage.

That’s right, Jones-Drew had more than enough leverage to hold out and force the Jags to either trade him to a  team that would give him an extension and the last contract he was seeking OR the Jags recognize that Blaine Gabbert is in desperate need for a more potent threat than him in the Jags backfield.  That threat is Maurice Jones-Drew, period! point blank!

Both the Ravens and Texans took care of their running backs with nice contracts.  Both running backs more than out-performed their contracts for more than one year, in particularly Ray Rice for the Baltimore Ravens.  Arian Foster, an undrafted running back, all but bolstered the Houston Texans offense, making them the favorites to win their division taking over from the Indianapolis Colts, until Andrew Luck finds his groove.

Public Opinion:  Every so called NFL analyst agreed with Jones-Drew contention that he out performed his contract and had leverage.  Fan opinion agreed that Jones-Drew deserved a new contract and either the Jags should have traded him or paid him. 

My Opinion:  Ain’t no way, I would have showed up for camp, knowing that I led the league in rushing, was at the top or either top five rushing in every season, I played and oh by the way, I was a steal seven years ago, when the Jags drafted me, although I was a better running back than Reggie Bush, who is now playing for his second team in the same seven years.

Chile puhleze!

I’m going to get every single dollar I generate for the Jags! I’m going to get every cent for every yard I gain and if one of those yards produce a win…I want my loot!!

But since MJP ain’t me, I hope he does this.

He needs to stop out-performing his current contract and play for what his contract calls for.  Obtaining decent pay for a good running back, like Jones-Drew, with no prospect of going to the playoffs or even sniffing the Super Bowl as a participant is…

What a current contract pays for.