Thomas Jones Traded To The New York Jets

Our 2nd big trade of the NFL offseason as my Chicago Bears traded RB Thomas Jones to the New York Jets.

When I first heard about the compensation they received, which was trading Thomas Jones and their 2nd round pick (63rd overall) for the New York Jets 2nd round pick (37th overall), I was disappointed. I thought they could have done better by getting a stand alone draft choice instead of using Jones to move up.

However, upon second review of the deal, I'm pleased with the situation. Veteran RBs are hard to trade because they require both a draft choice in return along with a new contract. Thomas Jones will be 29 years old when the 2007 season starts, and while he doesn't have as much mileage on his legs as most 29 year old featured RBs, he still is getting to the age where RBs start to see a decline in their production. Instead of receiving a stand alone 3rd round pick, which was reportedly an option, they wanted to move up in the 2nd round instead. The Bears now possess the 31st and 37th overall picks, putting them in an advantageous position. They can either nab two potential starters with these picks, or they can use them to move up in the first round if someone falls that they covet. The Jets acquire a solid starting RB and only move down in the 2nd round. I think this trade is beneficial to both sides.

Fantasy Impact: Thomas Jones remains the same as he was a Bear the last several seasons, a solid RB2 selection. He won't see a lot more carries in New York, but without Benson there, he should remain the primary option on 1st and 2nd downs throughout the game. Jones excels at both catching the ball and blocking, but the Jets remain high on 2nd year man Leon Washington, and Washington will probably assume some of the role on 3rd downs that Jones had in Chicago. Washington remains intriguing enough to draft as a end-of-the-roster RB, but I don't know if he'd see the majority of the carries if Jones got hurt, dulling his upside.

Cedric Benson becomes a rock solid RB2. He won't be a factor in the passing game as he doesn't catch the ball and block as well as he should, so he'll never be an elite RB1, but he'll handle most of the carries and score most of the TDs. Some may be scared by his "injury history", but he was a workhorse through both high school and college at elite programs, and his two injuries in the pros have been freak knee injuries. He loves to run over people and is quicker to the outside than most expected him to be. Adrian Peterson will assume the backup RB position on the Bears and will handle 3rd down duties. He's a nice RB4, or a handcuff for Benson owners. He'd be productive if Benson ever went down.