Steelers re-sign Landry Jones. [Archive]

steelreserve

03-09-2017, 04:56 PM

My only hope is that he operates on stored-up negative energy, so if we make a big deal out of calling him a bum at every opportunity, he'll come in be able to pull out one more good game.

That, or he fulfills the Gradkowski/Leftwich/Batch role of injured-for-the-season backup QB and we have to find another one.

- - - Updated - - -

Who'd he blow to keep his job? What a mess

Same person he blew to keep it for the past three years, apparently. Dude has some serious animal porn blackmail on the entire coaching staff and FO is my guess.

Born2Steel

03-09-2017, 04:59 PM

Landry Jones gets more press than any 3rd string QB in history.

BlackAndGold

03-09-2017, 05:10 PM

839975484062633984

tube517

03-09-2017, 05:20 PM

Is anyone really surprised?

DesertSteel

03-09-2017, 05:28 PM

I'm surprised that this hasn't made the front page of ESPN.com :whistle:

Moose

03-09-2017, 05:31 PM

Guess he brought out the 'sex with animals' pics he has of someone in the F.O. again.

GBMelBlount

03-09-2017, 05:35 PM

We can't really splurge on a backup when we already spend more on our offense (if I am not mistaken) than any other team in the NFL.

I think Jones is good enough to go .500 with this team anyway.

This could keep us in the hunt if Ben is out for even up to 1/2 the season.

B&G

03-09-2017, 05:35 PM

The problem is, that when he is forced to play, we always play some turtle ball crap...turn him loose, if he can't cut it then so be it, but you can't play that conservative in a pass happy league

WCSteeler

03-09-2017, 06:09 PM

My only hope is that he operates on stored-up negative energy, so if we make a big deal out of calling him a bum at every opportunity, he'll come in be able to pull out one more good game.

That, or he fulfills the Gradkowski/Leftwich/Batch role of injured-for-the-season backup QB and we have to find another one.

- - - Updated - - -

Same person he blew to keep it for the past three years, apparently. Dude has some serious animal porn blackmail on the entire coaching staff and FO is my guess.

LMAO

WCSteeler

03-09-2017, 06:14 PM

839975484062633984

Seems like there is a draft upcoming to replace Mr Handoff, can Mahones or Kaaya be any worse straight outta college? After 4 years the guy can't figure the system out let alone make simple throws��

tube517

03-09-2017, 06:17 PM

839970552139878400 :chuckle:

Psycho Ward 86

03-09-2017, 06:26 PM

839975769153630210

Look around the league at what back ups or back up level starters are being paid. I dont like Landry Jones but this is a bargain.

SteelerFanInStl

03-09-2017, 06:32 PM

839975769153630210

Look around the league at what back ups or back up level starters are being paid. I dont like Landry Jones but this is a bargain.

I don't like him but I can't argue with that. It's a cheap contract.

BlackAndGold

03-09-2017, 06:35 PM

Seems like there is a draft upcoming to replace Mr Handoff, can Mahones or Kaaya be any worse straight outta college? After 4 years the guy can't figure the system out let alone make simple throws��

They are not going to draft a QB in the first 3-4 rounds(doubt they draft one at all). And those players are not better than Jones. Zero signs that they are. (albeit I like Mahomes)

st33lersguy

03-09-2017, 06:40 PM

I don't like that it appears Landry will once again be the no. 2, but what are you gonna do when the price of all the decent back-ups are more than what they are worth? At least they save a good amount of money at $2.2 million a year

teegre

03-09-2017, 08:45 PM

839975769153630210

Look around the league at what back ups or back up level starters are being paid. I dont like Landry Jones but this is a bargain.

This... this again... and, this once more.

fansince'76

03-09-2017, 08:46 PM

http://oi61.tinypic.com/jt2ss2.jpg

This. The guy sucks.

Mojouw

03-09-2017, 09:00 PM

I don't like him but I can't argue with that. It's a cheap contract.

That is so cheap that if at any point between now, the draft, training camp, week 12 - whenever. They can totally cut this dude for 600K. That is spare change for a NFL team.

Means they don't HAVE to draft a guy. But doesn't mean they can't. Type of move that good franchises make.

teegre

03-09-2017, 09:02 PM

That is so cheap that if at any point between now, the draft, training camp, week 12 - whenever. They can totally cut this dude for 600K. That is spare change for a NFL team.

Means they don't HAVE to draft a guy. But doesn't mean they can't. Type of move that good franchises make.

...this, too.

BlackAndGold

03-10-2017, 08:29 AM

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 08:47 AM

All hail Landry Jones, aka one of the best back ups in the league.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc5g4_MwE_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mifRTFsqv_w

Also almost played as good as Ben did against New England. He sucks so bad. :rolleyes:

Go back to judging his preseason play when he's surrounded by players that won't even make the 53 man roster.

No he did not play "almost as good as Ben" against the Pats. Jones threw bad passes, Ben had drops by receivers. Huge difference. Landry Jones is our 3rd string QB. He backs up the backup. Every backup we've had during his time here has played ahead of him until that backup also got hurt. But I agree, he is probably the best 3rd string QB in the NFL. This signing is a no brainer because he signed for so cheap. NOTHING to be excited about.

BlackAndGold

03-10-2017, 08:57 AM

No he did not play "almost as good as Ben" against the Pats. Jones threw bad passes, Ben had drops by receivers. Huge difference. Landry Jones is our 3rd string QB. He backs up the backup. Every backup we've had during his time here has played ahead of him until that backup also got hurt. But I agree, he is probably the best 3rd string QB in the NFL. This signing is a no brainer because he signed for so cheap. NOTHING to be excited about.
The Ben quote was sarcasm, albeit Jones did play well, for a back up.

He is in fact the 2nd string QB. Was the 2nd string this past season, and probably will be this upcoming season.

Post 666 was used on defending the back up QB.

86WARD

03-10-2017, 09:21 AM

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 09:44 AM

Jones is a serviceable back up QB. He's not the worst, he's not the best. But for the money they paid him, he's a steal. 2-years at $4.4M for a back up QB and the only guaranteed money is a 600K signing bonus? That's a steak. Jones could've found a better deal out there...lol. He's being paid as a third stringer.

Yep. Good cheap signing, nothing to be excited about player-wise. We know who and what he is. The biggest issue with Jones is for as long as he's been here, he still can't run the entire offense. Is it ability or smarts?

steelreserve

03-10-2017, 10:07 AM

To clear up a few points in this thread:

1. Third-stringers do not sign for $2.2 million a year; they sign for the league minimum. This was not a third-string price.

2. Our last backup quarterbacks' contracts were:

Gradkowski - 1 year, $965,000 / $85,000 guaranteed
Vick - 1 year, $970,000 / $0 guaranteed
Batch - 1 year, $990,000 / $65,000 guaranteed
Leftwich - 1 year, $825,000 / $65,000 guaranteed

We are not getting a bargain. We are paying him twice as much as we've paid our other backups and with 10 times more guaranteed money.

Moreover, the other quarterbacks' deals qualified them for the Veteran Minimum Cap Benefit, which means when you sign a veteran to the league minimum for a player of his experience, your cap charge is the same as signing a rookie to the league minimum. So we're taking 4 times the cap hit for Jones.

3. We already have a comparable backup quarterback under contract for next year (Mettenberger). While there's no guarantee he's any good either, and you always do want to keep a second- and a third-stringer on the roster, we weren't exactly wanting for options at the position.

4. Jones is the latest player who's taken on the status of a clogger. As long as he's on the roster and not injured, he's going to get the job no questions asked, and we don't really evaluate anyone else. We won't draft anyone. Mettenberger is now locked in as the third-stringer who doesn't see a snap and then leaves next year. If Jones was a top backup QB, that might make sense, but he's not. He's just installed in that role by default.

5. Best backup in the league. That's laughable. I'd say that honor went to Dak Prescott last year. All joking aside, while he may not be the worst, he did nothing to distinguish himself from perhaps 15 other guys on that list last year.

6. Yes, everyone knows the backup is rarely going to be as good as the starter. No, the people who don't like Jones aren't just angry that he's not every bit as good as Roethlisberger. That would require being very stupid, and few people really are that stupid, so please stop using that rhetorical argument. The people who don't like Jones correctly see that even for a backup, he's just average at best and has obvious problems that aren't going away probably ever. There is no reason to "settle" at that position when a) there's nothing to lose, and b) trying out other options effectively costs you nothing.

So overall, it looks like all we've done is lock ourselves into two years of mediocrity at the position while paying more than we usually do. It's the equivalent of re-signing Jarvis Jones for depth at linebacker. Not gonna get any pats on the back from me.

86WARD

03-10-2017, 10:29 AM

Not all third string QBs sign for the minimum. It depends on the experience. Yes, Jones is paid highly for a "third string" guy, but he's experienced and he's not really a third string guy. He's a homegrown "prospect" who has shown improvement over time. Sure he's not the best back up QB in the league, but he's not the worst. He's decent and serviceable and could play .500 football in Ben's absence. To get a quality veteran back up QB, you probably have to pay 1.5 to 3 times that much. So for a veteran back up QB with playbook experience, it's a bargain.

As for the Steelers back ups and salaries you listed...lol. Come on. That list is a list of terrible QBs. Jones is arguably better than all of those guys at their stage. Gradkowski by the way was 1.65M at a time.

Mettenberger has no playing, no game time experience with this team. Jones gives them a better chance to win...if they are going to win.

Lastly, they didn't lock themselves in to anything other than 300k this year and 300k next year. Bargain. If Mettenberger beats Jones out like you seem to think is possible and maybe a guy they draft or sign later does the same, Jones is gone with an extremely low cap hit.

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 10:35 AM

Look around the league. What are the numbers back up QBs are being shopped for right now, this minute? Landry Jones signed for 2.2mil/year the first week of FA. Even he knows there's nothing out there for him. Look at Osweiler and what's happened to his career, even he would be an upgrade. Glennon is a career back up, and what is his new contract? Jones didn't even test the waters. How loudly does it need to be said. This is no big deal.

Mojouw

03-10-2017, 10:36 AM

Huh. If only there was a way to research all this and make a ruling between the two differing viewpoints. Oh. Wait. Google is a thing. I'll be damned.

$2 million per year is now what a cheap back-up QB costs. It is almost like all those basic economics principles about the market setting a price relative to supply and demand actually operate out in the real world.

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/68498/309/2017-nfl-free-agent-list

Past contracts are not a valid comparison. Those were all several salary cap levels ago and a few were from previous CBAs. The veteran minimum thing doesn't come into play here. Unless all of the details that have been reported to date are incorrect (possible!) - Jones if (and I argue when) he gets cut cost the Steelers 600K. That's it. That is what this contract really is. It is a 600K insurance policy against the draft and the rest of the off-season (http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/03/new-contract-details-steelers-qb-landry-jones/).

In terms of the "quality" of Jones as a back-up. That is far harder to quantify. I don't like him. I want to see an honest competition between Jones, Mettenberger, and someone else this off-season. But looking at this list - http://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchartpos/QB - -it gets really hard to name 5 sure-fire "better" options once you take Garrapallo and Savage out of the running.

I still would argue hard that Colbert and Company MUST find a way to come out of the draft with a 4-7th round gamble on a QB (Kaaya, Peterman, Kelly, etc). But this contract doesn't lock them in to rostering Jones.

Finally, this is classic Colbert. He annually attempts to go in to the draft with as much of his potential final 53 set as he can. Then they can sit back and "let the draft come to them" - a fairly favored Colbert phrase.

Cassel (no details but raw numbers are out there) 2 years 5+ million
Mallet - 1 year - 2 million
Schuab - 2 years 9 million!

steelreserve

03-10-2017, 11:33 AM

In terms of the "quality" of Jones as a back-up. That is far harder to quantify. I don't like him. I want to see an honest competition between Jones, Mettenberger, and someone else this off-season. But looking at this list - http://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchartpos/QB - -it gets really hard to name 5 sure-fire "better" options once you take Garrapallo and Savage out of the running.

That's the one part of this deal that makes me not like it the most - Jones as a roster clogger. Because I think re-signing him means there's NOT going to be an honest competition, or any real effort made to improve the position. We've settled on Jones as "good enough," or at least that's the sign that's being sent loud and clear. And that would be a bad mistake because while there may be worse backups, he's certainly not very good.

The money part honestly doesn't even bother me much. $900,000 or $2 million is still chump change, relatively speaking. But all these people fawning over it like it's a "steal" (or a "steak" - actually said, lol) ... come on. We didn't pay $2 million for Kirk Cousins here. $2 million is the cost for a BAD BACKUP with little potential, and that's what we got.

fansince'76

03-10-2017, 11:36 AM

The money part honestly doesn't even bother me much. $900,000 or $2 million is still chump change, relatively speaking. But all these people fawning over it like it's a "steal" (or a "steak" - actually said, lol) ... come on. We didn't pay $2 million for Kirk Cousins here. $2 million is the cost for a BAD BACKUP with little potential, and that's what we got.

Exactly. Whoopee, we're not paying a bunch for a backup QB. Problem is, we're still fucked if Ben goes down for a considerable length of time. And we can pretty much count on Ben missing 2-3 games a season (at a minimum) at this point.

Edit: And 2-3 games a season is the difference between a first round bye and a WC berth or possibly missing the postseason altogether, especially if the Bengals and Ravens get their shit together again.

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 11:39 AM

Exactly. Whoopee, we're not paying a bunch for a backup QB. Problem is, we're still fucked if Ben goes down for a considerable length of time. And we can pretty much count on Ben missing 2-3 games a season (at a minimum) at this point.

What a 'mic drop' looks like.

Mojouw

03-10-2017, 11:46 AM

That's the one part of this deal that makes me not like it the most - Jones as a roster clogger. Because I think re-signing him means there's NOT going to be an honest competition, or any real effort made to improve the position. We've settled on Jones as "good enough," or at least that's the sign that's being sent loud and clear. And that would be a bad mistake because while there may be worse backups, he's certainly not very good.

The money part honestly doesn't even bother me much. $900,000 or $2 million is still chump change, relatively speaking. But all these people fawning over it like it's a "steal" (or a "steak" - actually said, lol) ... come on. We didn't pay $2 million for Kirk Cousins here. $2 million is the cost for a BAD BACKUP with little potential, and that's what we got.

I can agree with that to a point. I'm not certain I buy into the "roster clogger" concept until you start paying guys big-time guaranteed cash. I actually argue that Jones is a good signing as long as there is still some sort of competition for the back-up role.

It prevents a "panic" signing or forcing the Steelers hand on draft day. If you don't sign Jones and 5 QBs go off the board in round 1 - guess what your round 2 pick has to be then? Not that toolsy CB/S hybrid you've been planning on, but that shot in the dark QB that you were hoping would fall to Round 5.

That is why I think Jones is a good resigning. The Cousins, Hoyers, etc of the world are never going to sign for single digit millions to be back-ups. Those days are over. The NFL is so QB focused and needy right now that anything better than Landry Jones is 10+ million per year and wants a chance to start.

Finally, I have to counter the other popular back-up QB argument a bit. Which Super Bowl caliber team isn't screwed if their elite QB goes down with an injury? Seriously. Someone needs to find me the back-up QB situation where the front-line Pro Bowl starter goes down and the back-up is totally gonna make everything be okay? It doesn't exist in salary cap football. And I swear, don't bring up Cincinatti - because Andy Dalton really isn't that good. The ONLY other one is NE. That's it.

steelreserve

03-10-2017, 01:32 PM

I can agree with that to a point. I'm not certain I buy into the "roster clogger" concept until you start paying guys big-time guaranteed cash. I actually argue that Jones is a good signing as long as there is still some sort of competition for the back-up role.

It's not the money that does it. Jones just seems like one of those guys who they are going to give WAY more rope than usual, and preferential status for the job, no matter whether he can get the job done or not. Call it a feeling. Probably enhanced by the fact that he stuck around for so long in the first place. Definitely fits the Justin Brown/Jarvis Jones/Steve McLendon mold.

(Note: I put McLendon on that list not because he was terrible - his performance at his position was better than Jones' - but since we basically didn't look for a real nose tackle for 5 years because we had this stopgap guy who wasn't really a long-term solution for the role.)

Anyway, that's what I dislike. That there's probably not much competition and not much inclination to try and improve. You're right, hardly anyone has a backup QB that's starter material unless they get lucky. But we are in a position where there is a chance of getting better and not much chance of getting worse.

What do you do in poker if you have a jack-high hand of nothing? You draw some cards. You're not likely to make your hand worse, and if you did, so what. This is the equivalent of not drawing any cards and putting in a modest raise. Only the cards are all face-up and everyone else can see you have a jack high.

Mojouw

03-10-2017, 01:44 PM

Dupree, Moats, Chickillo, like 3 other guys I can't remember their names, and Harrison all were brought to the team because Jone stinks. He really only got a "pass" the one year he came off the broken wrist.

Justin Brown played for one year because he would block and Cotchery wouldn't.

McClendon is much closer to Hargrave than anything else. If you want a "real NT" we still don't have one.

What cards do you want the Steelers to draw? That's what gets me started on all these threads. Everything is a complaint with no realistic proposed solution.

Trubisky, Watson, Kizer, and Mahomes are more than likely off the board before the Steelers pick in Round 2. So are the "lets dump Landry" crowd arguing for a Round 1 pick on a QB?

If not a Round 1 QB - then what is your plan to enter training camp with a 4 QB roster (typically what the Steelers do) that is better than Roethlisberger + Jones + Mettenberger + Camp Arm/Random Late Round Draft Gamble?

I mean they are going to pick someone up. They do almost every year. If you don't re-up Jones you have to pick 2 guys up. That is really hard to find. Trying to get two realistic potential back-ups at the scarcest position in the league in one off-season cycle?

I think the real complaint that everyone has is that Jones never seems to get "pushed" for the job. Well, to be fair, this may be the first camp where there is someone around to push him. Gradkowski was always injured. If the Steelers just knuckle-under and don't give Mettenberger a chance to be the back-up - well then that's where I think some of the arguments come in to play. but now? What else is supposed to happen? Honestly, I don't get it. Go in to the draft needing a QB?

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 02:03 PM

Mojouw

03-10-2017, 02:24 PM

I think a lot of the "complaints" are more associated with the attitude of going into camp with Jones as the #2. Mojouw, you're correct, there are no other cards. No other solutions to realistically propose. Jones should have been resigned, and 2.2/year is probably about right. Not worthy of drawing excitement though because it's nothing new. People claim on here that Jones is better than most backups, when most backups in the FA market are signing for 10Mil/year contracts. Which should clearly show Jones is NOT better, in fact 8Mil/year not better. His interview after the signing he just keeps saying how glad he is to just have a job. Nobody is saying he should be the future of the franchise but c'mon, don't we want more effort than that?

How many weeks and months are we from camp? And this whole Jones is never challenged thing is also kind revisionist BS.

2013 - drafted and was the #3 behind a newly signed Bruce Gradkowski
2014 - Again is the #3 behind Gradkowski
2015 - Attempt to do the same thing. Except Gradkowski gets hurt. They bring in Vick. Vick sucks. Jones gets called on.
2016 - Again they try to go with Gradkowski as the main back-up. His hamstring disintegrates in his first preseason action. Jones is installed as the back-up and Mettenberger is plucked off waivers to further insulate the team from having to play a lucky fan at the position.

So where is this myth that they Steelers have shown a dogged determination to insist on Jones being the back-up? Every year since he was drafted they have attempted to install someone over him as the #2 QB. Injuries and Vickness have prevented that plan from working. Actually learning from previous mistakes, they force-fed Jones snaps in the preseason the last 2 years in attempt to make sure he could do something when called upon. It is almost like they are attempting to coach and develop a player. Weird.

2017 will be the first year EVER that Landry Jones appears to be entering the season as the #2 QB on the depth chart. Despite the fact that the conversation around here makes it sound like that has happened since 2013.

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 02:49 PM

"Vickness"! :lol:

steelreserve

03-10-2017, 04:51 PM

My point is that any random card you could draw in place of Jones - even a random 6th-round chucker from the FCS, or like ... Charlie Whitehurst or someone - would probably not be any worse than Jones; however, there is a chance they might be better.

If they were worse, it'd be marginal, because Landry Jones is not an acceptable quarterback in the first place IMO. I just don't see the point in keeping a player like that.

Maybe others look at the situation and think, what are our alternatives? Street free agents? I'm saying yes, you could probably expect roughly the same level of play out of whatever bad backups are available from the bottom of the barrel as you could from Jones, or who knows, maybe you get lucky and they're better. I just think that with the exception of one good half against Arizona, his play has overall been about as poor as we've seen from any other random player who's held that position for us in memory.

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 04:53 PM

Kurt Warner was signed off the streets as a backup. Green got hurt and the rest is HoF history.

steelreserve

03-10-2017, 05:40 PM

tube517

03-10-2017, 05:47 PM

"Vickness"! :lol:

That is one for the ages in the SU vocabulary history.

If you read Mojouw's posts carefully, he will put in an easter egg or two in there occasionally. :chuckle:

JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue

03-10-2017, 06:29 PM

Not a fan of Jones but think we got a cheaper version of Brock O and swear they are they same QB.

Born2Steel

03-10-2017, 06:30 PM

I mean, forget the Kurt Warner or Tom Brady stories; those are referred to all the time, but they're mostly blind luck and not something you can count on.

The question is whether Jones has done anything to distinguish himself from the rest of the struggling losers on the discard pile. I would argue not really. So the slim chance that some rando comes in and makes the position at least a bit better is preferable to the zero chance that Landry will, with no real downside either and probably a cheaper contract.

Jones is a prospect that didn't work out. You can get those anywhere. Or maybe one does work out.

But Warner and Brady are EXACTLY the point. Both were nothing backups that nobody gave a shit about. If Green and Bledsoe don't go out, probably neither happens. We already know Jones is not that guy, nor will he ever be that guy. Drafting a QB, any QB is better than sticking with already not good enough. Getting a FA QB that has been a career backup is still better than sticking with already not good enough. Favre is another perfect example. Nobody cared about Favre. He went to GB from Atl in a trade and got the start because of injury. Come to think on it, that's how Ben got his first start as well. It's really not an oddball thing to try something new when the old doesn't quite work. Do you think Osweiler could succeed after a year or two backing up Manning and BB, with Bell, Brown, and Bryant as weapons? Maybe, I don't know. But we do know Landry Jones cannot.

steelreserve

03-10-2017, 06:47 PM

But Warner and Brady are EXACTLY the point. Both were nothing backups that nobody gave a shit about. If Green and Bledsoe don't go out, probably neither happens. We already know Jones is not that guy, nor will he ever be that guy. Drafting a QB, any QB is better than sticking with already not good enough. Getting a FA QB that has been a career backup is still better than sticking with already not good enough. Favre is another perfect example. Nobody cared about Favre. He went to GB from Atl in a trade and got the start because of injury. Come to think on it, that's how Ben got his first start as well. It's really not an oddball thing to try something new when the old doesn't quite work. Do you think Osweiler could succeed after a year or two backing up Manning and BB, with Bell, Brown, and Bryant as weapons? Maybe, I don't know. But we do know Landry Jones cannot.

Well I agree with you on one thing: If nothing else, keep turning over cards. I'm not going to EXPECT a lot out of random low draft picks or street free agents, but they won't be worse than Jones and they might be anywhere from a little to a lot better. And even if they're worse, that's like going from a jack-high hand of nothing to a ten-high hand of nothing. Still not good enough to get you anywhere.