Jets: We don't really want to win this season ...

[cranberry]

... or protect their quarterback.

I guess they showed ol' Pete Kendall who's boss, though. Now they'll have rookie Jacob Bender, who played tackle in an offense that didn't pass the ball at Division I-AA Nicholls State, playing starting left guard in the NFL. This sends a great message to the rest of the team. And watch your blindside there, Chad Pennington.

 

[KP]

But it's Mangenius...

 

[cranberry]

It was genius when he got a Division II caliber linemen to play at Division III Wesleyan, I suppose. The NFL, not so much.

I'm just a casual fan when it comes to football, though. Do you think this move is Mangini's doing or that it comes from higher up? I read that it stems from a squabble over $1 million.

 

[shockey]

It was genius when he got a Division II caliber linemen to play at Division III Wesleyan, I suppose. The NFL, not so much.

I'm just a casual fan when it comes to football, though. Do you think this move is Mangini's doing or that it comes from higher up? I read that it stems from a squabble over $1 million.

mangini and tannenbaum run the show without interference. methinks they're straining to be like belichick/pioli.

 

[cranberry]

shockey, you're a football guy, right? Starting left guard is kind of a tough place to be setting an example, don't you think?

I suppose the kid's probably a great pulling guard if they decide to switch to a single-wing, though.

 

[outofplace]

The Jets really made this ugly, too. If I understand correctly, they did everything possible to screw with Kendall. They had him taking snaps at center. They stuck him in the rookie dorm at training camp.

Then they cave?

Hell, do what the Steelers are doing with Alan Faneca (a much better player than Kendall and a younger one). Ignore him and let him play. He wants money? Make him earn it and get it next offseason.

 

[The Big Ragu]

The Jets really made this ugly, too. If I understand correctly, they did everything possible to screw with Kendall. They had him taking snaps at center. They stuck him in the rookie dorm at training camp.

Then they cave?

Hell, do what the Steelers are doing with Alan Faneca (a much better player than Kendall and a younger one). Ignore him and let him play. He wants money? Make him earn it and get it next offseason.

I don't think it was a smart move by the Jets. They are a worse team now. But in all fairness, this was not a one-sided Jets beating up on Kendall thing. He signed a four-year deal before last season. Now he wanted $1 million more than he agreed to for this season. He was making himself a distraction in order to get it. This was definitely a two-sided dispute. He actually earned the money with what he did last year (whether Tannenbaum promised it during the off-season, which seems unlikely). He had signed a contract below his worth. But the flip side is that he was 33, a bit of question mark, and looking for some security and guaranteed money. He got it. Then when he had a season in which he single-handedly did a lot to just hold that team together, he wanted more than what he had agreed to. Washington is smart to pay it, because he is worth it. And he'll fit in really well with Washington's veteran line.

But the Jets didn't just decide to mess with him for no reason. He forced their hand a little. He refused to take part in the offseason conditioning program; it's technically voluntary, but no one opts out in the manner he did unless they are trying to land in a coach's doghouse. He was very vocal about this, making himself as much of a distraction as possible. He made it pretty clear that he was only reporting to training camp only to avoid the fines, but that he wasn't going at it with full effort. The Jets didn't start having him take snaps out of position until it was pretty clear to everyone that there was little chance left he was going to play for them this year.

 

[outofplace]

The Jets really made this ugly, too. If I understand correctly, they did everything possible to screw with Kendall. They had him taking snaps at center. They stuck him in the rookie dorm at training camp.

Then they cave?

Hell, do what the Steelers are doing with Alan Faneca (a much better player than Kendall and a younger one). Ignore him and let him play. He wants money? Make him earn it and get it next offseason.

I don't think it was a smart move by the Jets. They are a worse team now. But in all fairness, this was not a one-sided Jets beating up on Kendall thing. He signed a four-year deal before last season. Now he wanted $1 million more than he agreed to for this season. He was making himself a distraction in order to get it. This was definitely a two-sided dispute. He actually earned the money with what he did last year (whether Tannenbaum promised it during the off-season, which seems unlikely). He had signed a contract below his worth. But the flip side is that he was 33, a bit of question mark, and looking for some security and guaranteed money. He got it. Then when he had a season in which he single-handedly did a lot to just hold that team together, he wanted more than what he had agreed to. Washington is smart to pay it, because he is worth it. And he'll fit in really well with Washington's veteran line.

But the Jets didn't just decide to mess with him for no reason. He forced their hand a little. He refused to take part in the offseason conditioning program; it's technically voluntary, but no one opts out in the manner he did unless they are trying to land in a coach's doghouse. He was very vocal about this, making himself as much of a distraction as possible. He made it pretty clear that he was only reporting to training camp only to avoid the fines, but that he wasn't going at it with full effort. The Jets didn't start having him take snaps out of position until it was pretty clear to everyone that there was little chance left he was going to play for them this year.

Oh, I agree that both sides created the problem. But pulling childish crap like sticking him in the rookie dorm? That's just ridiculous.

Alan Faneca has been every bit as pissed off at the Steelers as Kendall was with the Jets. But it hasn't been nearly the problem and he is exactly where he belongs -- playing out his contract in Pittsburgh.

 

[Big Chee]

1

I don't think it was a smart move by the Jets.

This is something often said as a Jet fan.

**sigh** I guess the young genius is beginning to show his youth pulling that childish move of sticking Kendall in the rookie dorm. Leave the subtle messages back in college and HS.

I won't stress the move too much (being hopeful). Quality offensive lineman can often be found in the later rounds or lower divisions, much like DBs. But these are the Jets we're talking about here.

**sigh**

Clemens better keep his arm warm on the sidelines this season.

 

[cranberry]

Yeah, he was a big distraction to the team. This from Newsday:

Kendall left a legacy on the offensive linemen who remain here.

"He came to this team when I was just becoming a starter and I took a lot from him," said starting right guard Brandon Moore, now the elder statesman of the line. "Just watching him go about his business and being a pro and learning how to approach every week, that's what I'll take from Pete."

"One of the greatest things about Pete is that he is a teacher and he helped with a whole bunch of guys," said center Nick Mangold, one of Kendall's star students as a rookie last year. "It'll be tough not having that kind of teacher around."

Even Bender, who appears to be Kendall's successor and will likely start on Saturday against the Giants, said he learned from Kendall.

"I would come to the sideline and Pete would say 'You took this step wrong' or 'You did this,'" Bender said. "I was thankful to spend some time with Pete. Pete helped me a lot in transitioning to guard and I'm still learning."

 

[Big Chee]

Yeah, he was a big distraction to the team. This from Newsday:

Kendall left a legacy on the offensive linemen who remain here.

"He came to this team when I was just becoming a starter and I took a lot from him," said starting right guard Brandon Moore, now the elder statesman of the line. "Just watching him go about his business and being a pro and learning how to approach every week, that's what I'll take from Pete."

"One of the greatest things about Pete is that he is a teacher and he helped with a whole bunch of guys," said center Nick Mangold, one of Kendall's star students as a rookie last year. "It'll be tough not having that kind of teacher around."

Even Bender, who appears to be Kendall's successor and will likely start on Saturday against the Giants, said he learned from Kendall.

"I would come to the sideline and Pete would say 'You took this step wrong' or 'You did this,'" Bender said. "I was thankful to spend some time with Pete. Pete helped me a lot in transitioning to guard and I'm still learning."

Oh boy!!! I have to wonder if anyone within the organization took into account how much he meant to the other linemen on the team. The Jets had enough problems with having an up front push for their running game. This trade doesn't help matters.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Oh boy!!! I have to wonder if anyone within the organization took into account how much he meant to the other linemen on the team. The Jets had enough problems with having an up front push for their running game. This trade doesn't help matters.

It isn't something you had to take account of. It was pretty plain to see. He was Nick Mangold's personal tutor last year. As I said, he probably earned the money with what he did last year, and on top of it doesn't seem smart for the Jets to have held the line (no pun intended) on this one because they are a worse team now. But there is the "no one player is bigger than..." attitude in the NFL and the fear that if you cave to one guy, you are looking at mass hold outs and a lot more situations like this. Holding the line no matter what has actually worked fairly well for some other teams.

 

[outofplace]

Oh boy!!! I have to wonder if anyone within the organization took into account how much he meant to the other linemen on the team. The Jets had enough problems with having an up front push for their running game. This trade doesn't help matters.

It isn't something you had to take account of. It was pretty plain to see. He was Nick Mangold's personal tutor last year. As I said, he probably earned the money with what he did last year, and on top of it doesn't seem smart for the Jets to have held the line (no pun intended) on this one because they are a worse team now. But there is the "no one player is bigger than..." attitude in the NFL and the fear that if you cave to one guy, you are looking at mass hold outs and a lot more situations like this. Holding the line no matter what has actually worked fairly well for some other teams.

Why not just hold their ground on the money, but hold him to his contract? Treat him with respect, but expect him to play.

Kendall may have started this, but the Jets really screwed it up every way possible.

 

[Hammer Pants]

In the "We Can Cut Your ****ing Ass Anytime We Want To" League, there are times don't mind when players outplay their contracts and demand more money.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

**** that guy. Everyone's replaceable. Jets won nothing with him, they can win nothing without him. Redskins have not proven to be geniuses with their recent personnel moves, so they can suck it as well.

 

[Hammer Pants]

**** that guy. Everyone's replaceable. Jets won nothing with him, they can win nothing without him. Redskins have not proven to be geniuses with their recent personnel moves, so they can suck it as well.

If the NFL wouldn't allow teams to cut guys so easily, then it wouldn't have as many guys hold out every year.

I'm no jock-sniffer, but I can't stand how NFL players can just be cut so easily. I'd fight for every damn penny I was worth, too.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Records of the Great Pete Kendall's teams:

1996 SEA: 7-9
1997 SEA: 8-8
1998 SEA: 8-8
1999 SEA: 9-7
2000 SEA: 6-10
2001 ARI: 7-9
2002 ARI: 5-11
2003 ARI: 4-12
2004 NYJ: 10-6
2005 NYJ: 4-12
2006 NYJ: 10-6
2007 WASH: 7-9

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

**** that guy. Everyone's replaceable. Jets won nothing with him, they can win nothing without him. Redskins have not proven to be geniuses with their recent personnel moves, so they can suck it as well.

If the NFL wouldn't allow teams to cut guys so easily, then they wouldn't have as many guys hold out every year.

I'm no jock-sniffer, but I can't stand how NFL players can just be cut so easily. I'd fight for every damn penny I was worth, too.

I agree with you. I would do the same thing as Pete Kendall if I had the chance. He got his, and he will once again play for a crap team.

I am directing this more at those lamenting the loss of Pete Kendall. It's laughable.

 

[pallister]

Flyover country doesn't give a damn about Pete Kendall and the Jets.

 

[spnited]

And some of us in the NY area don't give a **** about Pete Kendall, either.