And you say, “What’s mine?”
And somebody else says, “Where what is?”
And you say, “Oh my God
Am I here all alone?”
Because something is happening here
But you don’t know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Less than two months ago, the Browns had one of the better up-and-coming safety tandems in the NFL. In Sean Jones and Brodney Pool, they had two young players with ample starting experience, each just starting to enter their prime.
The situation now is just one more awkward tackle shy of catastrophic. Brodney Pool is nursing yet another concussion, and the league is increasingly aware of their cumulative consequences and the special dangers of repeated blows suffered in close succession. Frankly, this history does not bode well for the long-term future of the 24-year-old safety.
Yet it is his return to form that might be the last strand of hope for controlling the Steelers’ potent offense this Sunday. That’s because Jones is now on the shelf indefinitely getting some damaged knee cartilage surgically repaired.
The problem first surfaced over a month ago with swelling after the August 7 preseason game, but Jones opted against arthroscopic surgery at the time. ”I was trying to push through it so I could get through the season and maybe do it after the season.”
He played in the next preseason game, then shut it down in preparation for Dallas. Now he’s probably out for at least a month. If he ever returns to his near-Pro Bowl form of 2006, it won’t happen until close to Thanksgiving.
It makes me wonder whether his contract situation had anything to do with his decision to hold off on surgery until it was inescapable. While Wheelie, the Detroit Diva, and JC all made different noises about wanting new deals this offseason, the first in line for an extension should have been Jones.
He’s in the final year of his five-year rookie contract, earning $2.145 million and counting $2.415 million against the salary cap.
Back in July, when high-status scribe Terry Pluto called Jones the Browns’ most important defender and the key beneficiary of the coordinator switch, he reported thusly:
He has 10 interceptions over the past two seasons and is capable of making some big plays. He’s not done it consistently. He was on the field for 100 percent of the defensive plays a year ago. The Browns have had some preliminary contract talks, but nothing serious. They probably will wait until after the regular season before deciding how to handle Jones’ contract for 2009 and beyond.
My question is: why nothing serious? He’s clearly a core player and just 26 years old. Was this a final tryout year? Did Jones’ agent indicate a demand for much more than his proven worth? Does Phil Savage figure he can just slap the franchise tag on him for 2009 if necessary?
Picture yourself as the player in each of the two positions: in the contract year versus just signed to a long-term deal. Does your reaction to preseason knee swelling change based on those incentives?
It might. Multi-millions hinge on his performance in 2008, so it’s understandable he’d be reluctant to opt for surgery any earlier than absolutely necessary. But had he been signed, a rehab period of a month or two is not such an obstacle. It’s easier to accept an August surgery if that puts you in position to come on strong as the season extends perhaps into January. It’s the difference between short-term and long-term thinking.
Now the Browns have lost Jones for the short term, beginning right in a crucial stretch of regular season division games.
And they may have lost him for the long term as well.
