Thanks to Brian Bassett over at thejetsblog for having this, the video of Chris Baker on SNY's Wheelhouse late yesterday afternoon, posted this morning.
Sprinkled in with some pandering - which sounded as bad as anything heard out of the three presidential candidates - from the panelists, were a few good questions. And I agree with Bassett that the most important one came at the end.
Q: Did the organization ever tell you, ‘we will give you a new contract?’ Were those words ever spoken to you?”
A: Yeah, when I first signed it was, 'You go out and perform and we’ll see what happens. We’ll talk.' And there’s not much talking being done in the past few months."
Obviously, a they-said, I-heard situation that won't lend itself to an easy resolution. If Baker's recollection of that conversation is accurate, that's a pretty non-specific promise he claims the Jets made. The implication of a potentially bigger contract down the road is there, but then again, "You go out and perform and we'll see what happens," isn't the same as "Perform and we'll tear this contract up and do another one." Also, there was no mention of the contract money fronted Baker toward the end of last season.
The Jets do not comment on players' contracts - and haven't on Baker's to this point - so right now the only parties talking in public are Baker and his agent. That's fine as long as behind the scenes there's some kind of dialogue, but from listening to Baker yesterday afternoon, it doesn't seem like there is. Looking for good news from the interview? Baker did not sound especially angry and refrained from using any loaded or bridge-burning language in his answers. And each time he's spoken about this, he has emphasized he wants to stay in New York. I still don't see this as a Pete Kendall reprise. Yet.
Comments (14)
Baker doesn't have a leg to stand on. He's a barely above average player trying to hold the Jets up for more cash. Won't happen. Not when they've got first-round money in Keller.
Throw the guy a bone. What if keller gets injured? Give the guy 500,000 or more just to be happy, Will that kill the Jets?
Adam, what is wrong with you? give him $500,000 more? he has a contract. it pays him a lot of money. i'm not sure how much you make, but i am well below the NFL minimum. Baker is making a lot of money for playing a game - and he doesn't even do that all that well. he is average at best. but the larger point is when he signed that contract, he gave them his word. if he didn't like it, he never should have signed it
I have no strong feelings on Baker's deal either way (as long as he doesn't go Kendall, I'd be happy to see them throw him a bone but again, no strong feelings), but ml, that's a terrible take - everyone knows NFL contracts are not guranteed, so if teams can cut a guy who is "under performing" his deal, then it's fair for players to do the same.
To me the issue is defining that performance vs his pay.
Give him the money for the 2009 season and extend his contract. If he doesn't perform he will be cut, and if he has a 2nd consecutive good season he will be rewarded next season. I wouldn't budge on the 2008 year he has already taken that money in a signing bonus and in 2007.
Until I watched that interview, I felt pretty strongly that he should not get a new contract. My reasoning was more about ridiculous players all over the league are about their contracts. Risk is built into a contract - not just that you'll be healthy, but that you may not be as good as we think you'll be - you may be better. So to me, even if you play way better than your contract, you don't deserve a new one until that one runs out.
(Although I've heard there are questions about the Jets honoring contracts when players underperform which would be hypocrtical.)
However, when he says they told him if you perform we'll consider rewriting a new deal, it does make me rethink my position a bit. I could see that happening. Yes I think it's a mistake to take people at their word in the business world, it makes me at least sympathize (for lack of a better word) with him a little bit.
Unless it was different people that made this "promise". If that's the case, he should probably just suck it up for the next two years and consider this a learning experience.
WTF? I thought when Rock left we'd finally have a good Jets beat reporter covering our beloved team. Why can't Berger come back?!??!
It's getting pretty obvious Boland doesn't like the Jets and likes the Browns, and was probably happy at the time of the 1986 playoff games.
Now he's hoping for another Kendall situation.
Unbelievable.
I think that:
1) Baker says that he did everything that he was asked to do (including staying in and blocking a lot to help a weak offensive line)
2) He still had his best year statistically.
3) The Jets have a 6yr. body of work to judge his value to the team by.
4) The Jets should decide if they want to keep Chris Baker as their TE, if not then trade him now while he has some value.
5) The Jets want to keep him, they should decide what his replacement value is and work out a new contract that pays him close to that.
6) Check out the Kendall-Faneca difference in $$$s. Kendall only wanted a million more than what he was making and also had done what the Jets asked him to do (including taking painkiller shots in his back in order to play). He was not exactly a company man, but he cost a lot less.
Baker: Yeah, when I first signed it was, 'You go out and perform and we’ll see what happens. We’ll talk.' And there’s not much talking being done in the past few months."
If a man is told we'll talk when you just talked and signed a contract, that means that they'll talk (about a new contract). This is implied. There's not a specific promise here, but the Jets surely didn't mean talk about the weather.
If the Jets aren't living up to their word in their relations with Chris, then Chris has every right to call them on it. And one of the few ways a player can bring pressure on a team (unfortunately) is bad PR.
When his old contract was up, he had the opportunity to test his market value through free-agency. If he thought he was worth more than the Jets paid, he should have gone somewhere else then.
Obviously, the Jets were paying at or better than market value, or he would have gone somewhere else. If he had reason to believe that he was going to have some kind of breakout year that would significantly improve his value in a short period of time, his agent should have negotiated for incentives clauses, a shorter term contract, or escalating pay towards the end of his contract (which would in effect put the Jets in a position of determining wether he has improved enough to be worth the money & if not, they would cut him, and make him a free agent to negotiate with any other team).
If he didn't think the contract was fair or equitable, he should not have signed it.
I want the Jets to cut Baker. Think about the reality check that'd give him...name one team that sees value in Baker?
41 receptions, 409 yards, 3tds last year. He was the #1 TE AND he was one of three receiving options (Coles, Cotchery and Baker). You've got to be kidding me if you guys think this guy deserves more money for a year like that? Coles I can see. Rhodes I can see. Kendall I couldn't because he never improved he just stagnated. Baker has performed the past two years but the performance has been lackluster at best. He's not fast, he's got good hands, but that's about all you can say...He's got competition at TE now and why would the Jets pay a 2nd or 3rd string TE more money (Keller or Frank would possibly be above him in the depth chart since Franks is a better blocker and Keller's a better receiver).
Personally, I don't see the "performing" that he did and I certainly don't see how it warrants more money. He signed a contract. The management should save face and if he choses to walk, let him walk. We've got Frank and Keller to fill his empty spot.
Are you kidding me? This guy is making an obscene amount of money. In the real world, people work their butts off for a fraction of what even the worst football players, on the very end of the bench, get paid. Baker needs to spend a day digging ditches for $10 to see what real life is like. The Jets should announce once and for all, as a team policy, they will NEVER renegotiate a contract to give a player more money in response to their whining. A contract is a contract- if you don't like it, then don't sign it in the first place. The Jets are bound by their contracts (no, they can't just cut a player and stop paying him- unless someone else picks up the player and pays his salary, the Jets are still responsible for paying him), and the players should be bound by them as well.
In what world do you finish 4-12 and then demand more money? When a company does a lousy job and fails to meet expectations for the year, do the employees demand that the company rip up their employment contract and give them a big raise? Baker is a joke, just like Kendell. I like Coles as a player, but he is also a cancer- constantly complaining about everything ("practice is too tough.. I need more money.. waaaah"). the Jets need to clean house and get rid of Coles, Baker, and everyone else with a bad attitude who spreads dissent.
Taking it way too far Doug. Baker getting cut I agree with....Coles is still worth the money he's getting. Let's be honest, without Coles last year we may have pulled a Miami Dolphins. If we get to see Clemens this year we could possibly see Coles emerging as a true #1 WR.
I guess I would ask, who would you replace Baker with if you cut him?
Right now the Jets would have Bubba, Keller, Pociask and Dearth (insurance). Is that the TE crew you would want to open the season with?