In a Thursday appearance on Sirius NFL Radio, Jets tight end Chris Baker talked about his current contract dispute with the Jets. And Baker’s comments only reinforce our belief that the front office has a serious credibility problem in the locker room.
“They said go out and have a good year and we will talk,” Baker said, via Dan Leberfeld of Scout.com. “I did my part, and they haven’t done their part.”
Baker added that he hopes the Jets will “step up and honor what they said.”
Though he is staying away from voluntary offseason workouts, Baker wouldn’t commit to skipping mandatory activities and/or training camp.
The problem is that the Jets seem to be throwing around vague promises, which then become issues of interpretation. In Baker’s case, maybe they have a different interpretation of the term “good year.”
But that’s all the more reason to be precise and specific with these players. They will rely on the things that are told to them, especially when those things will affect the size of their paychecks.
And so we think it’s no coincidence that Pete Kendall and Laveranues Coles and now Baker have claimed that the team has broken promises. And we have a feeling that more players will eventually feel this way if the Jets don’t make dramatic changes to the way they deal with players who hope to improve their financial situations.
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May 2nd, 2008 at 8:21 am
It amazes me that the Jets are doing this. The owner will end up clearing house if this continues. I don’t see how you can motivate a team to win if you’re not holding up your end of the bargain.
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:45 am
Two important things I don’t think have been mentioned with Baker.
1) He signed a new three-year $5.4mm deal in November 2007 (yes, 6 months ago)
2) He has the same agent as Kendall
Also, as some one mentioned in the previous Jet post, Coles has consistently complained throughout his career. It’s annoying, but as a team leader and best WR (in a thin WR corps) I think the Jets and their fans are fine with having a double standard for Coles. However, with Coles, he didn’t get more money, just his next two years of salary were guaranteed.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:48 am
If these players are too stupid to get these promises in writing, shame on them and their agents. If you don’t like your contract, get a better agent and STFU!
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Rating: 2.6 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:54 am
I wonder what he and the rest of these over paid babies would saying if he had not had a good year and the team said hey we need you to take a pay cut because you did have a year matching your pay? we all no contracts are not guranteed but signing bonuses are so shut up and play for the contract you willingly signed!
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Just wait til he gets a job ’super sizing it!’ Just pass me fries man and no B.S! The real world beckons…
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
If what NYJets fans says is accurate in regards to a contract Baker signed 6 months ago than the only coincidence with these 3 Jet players is that they’re whining, immature , spoiled buffoons that happen to play for the same team. No wonder they’re so god awful. And it also says something about management to assemble this collection of trash.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 am
The Baker receiving a new contract thing isn’t mentioned for one reason. It isn’t really true. It ended up being a three year, $5.4Million contract but it replaced the 4 year, $6.6Million contract he was in year 2 of at the time. It was more or less a salary advance that upped last year’s pay. This year he makes $680k, and next year in the final year of the deal something like 2.1 or $2.2Million.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 am
i would expect more from you guys, taking the bait from extortionist players/agents and beat reporters like rich cimini, who love a controversy, so they have something juicy to cover.
they’re just re-running the same play, calling tangini liars, cimini makes the case that things are out of control, and the organization is forced to put out another fire.
i would expect more from a leader like coles, but not from medium-talent baker or ye olde loudmouthe kendall.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 am
So, let me get this sraight… Baker goes to the Jets looking for more money… The Jets say, “Maybe after the year go out and have a great year we’ll analyze our situation”… Then the guy puts up very mediocre numbers - Decent “FOR A JETS TE” but, in the bottom half of actual NFL TE’s.. And now he’s running around like He was promised some wind fall….
And I realize the Jets offense / QB situation wasn’t the greatest but, come on… Either way, It’s not like you just put up Gates like numbers or the running game lit it up… You put up an ok year and the Jets just went out and got a blocking TE AND a recieving TE…
If this guy put up 1,000 yards and TD’s I’d say WHOA THE JETS ARE CRAZY!!!! And we would have something here. But, this is sick.
Play your games all you want, sit out all you want but, hey, it is what it is….. And hopw about a little patience here… See how things play out and closer to the season maybe they throw you a bone cuz they need another nice mediocre TE around.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
@TomBrady
Salary advance?…not exactly. It guaranteed roster bonuses and salary. NFL contracts are all about guaranteed money. The simple fact is that he got a signing bonus when he signed the original deal (2 offseasons ago when no team showed interested in him when he was an FA) and then six months ago he got a big chunk of money guaranteed in his contract.
I am not saying he isn’t a decent TE, but 41 receptions on a 4-12 team is not a platform to demand more money from…regardless of a ONE YEAR deal given to a back up TE.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
What is with the anti-Jets sentiment on PFT? Ok, here’s the deal. If you’re going to go off and bash the Jets based on outside sources, go and check the Daily News today, where a source says straight up that the Jets made zero promises to Baker. Furthermore, the guy ranked, what, 19th in the league as far as TEs are concerned and is ranked 20th according to his contract. Sounds about right to me.
Even if the Jets did say, “Have a good year and we’ll talk,” Baker didn’t have a GOOD year. He had an OKAY year. And that comment means that the Jets can say, “Ok, you did better this year, but as a 4-12 team, we need to make some improvements, so sorry, you’ll have to continue making pretty much what you deserve, as awful as that is.”
And let’s be honest here. If you sign a contract, you should be obligated to obide by it. Why do we give these guys a pass? If you think you’re going to be getting better and better and deserving of more money in the next few years, don’t sign a four year deal! Sign a one year deal and then go to the highest bidder…since money is clearly all that matters, right? If you sign a deal, come back to us and ask for more once that deal expires. That’s it, that’s how it should be, and it’s ignorant and stupid to criticize a team because they’re not handing out free raises to mediocre players left and right.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I agree with you LAJetsFan, What’s up with the anti-Jets sentiment Florio? I tell you why LA he’s a Pat’s homer. All that aside Baker is a decent TE but easily replaced.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)