Bump N’ Run w/ KT: Jets And Fitzpatrick Still Playing Hardball And Giants May Make Playoffs After All

We are in the middle of NBA Free Agency but let’s be honest…everyone is thinking about football. Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the return of the Bump N’ Run with KT. It’s been a while but it is time to begin talking football as we are just weeks away from the beginning of NFL Training Camps. Much has happened in the local and national football scene since March and while I can’t get to all of it, we will look at some of the biggest stories from this offseason going into training camp. Let’s start with the most asinine story top date and it deals with a local team…

(Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images)

The Jets And Ryan Fitzpatrick Are STILL Playing Hardball

The last BNR featured a section where I implored the New York Jets to keep Fitzpatrick in the fold. I was going with the Teddy KGB thought set from Rounders and saying, “Pay that man his money”. Now after a few months of sitting and watching I believe that both sides, Fitzpatrick and the team, need to get off their high horses and just reunite already.

Fitzpatrick wants NFL starting quarterback money which is around $12 million a year. The Jets meanwhile, a team with no leverage with Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg as their QB’s on the roster, wants to give Fitzpatrick around $6 million per season. Fitzpatrick has missed OTA’s and is willing to miss parts of training camp to prove his point that he is valuable to the Jets. The Jets are talking a big game saying that Geno has looked good during OTA’s where there are no pads, no pass rush and no one really even paying attention.

The end game will be a reunion between Fitzpatrick and the Jets. He just wants to feel wanted and he will feel that way once Geno Smith throws four interceptions during the first day of training camp. The Jets should just frontload his contract and give him his money upfront with a smaller base salary over two seasons. That I believe will end all of this.

The Giants May Actually Make The Playoffs

Full disclosure, yes I am a New York Giant fan. As a columnist however, I’ve seen the moves that the team has made this offseason and I believe that while they may not win the NFC East, they may compete and earn a Wild Card berth in the playoffs.

The Giants added CB Janoris Jenkins, DE Olivier Vernon, and DT Damon Harrison and the drafted Eli Apple in the first round of the NFL Draft. Those moves make the Giant defense a lot more formidable in the NFC East (although linebacker and safety are still question marks). The Giants offense was never the problem (8^th in total offense in the NFL) while the defense was a disaster ranking 32^nd out of 32 teams in the NFL in yards given up per game. The addition of a healthy Victor Cruz gives Eli Manning one of his weapons back, along with the drafting of Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard giving the Giants another dimension to the offense.

It’s only July but the Giants could be that dark horse in the NFC if the new names perform up to their abilities and the old reliable names such as Manning, Beckham, and Rodgers-Cromartie continue their good play. If all of those things occur, first year coach Ben McAdoo could have a successful rookie season with the New York Football Giants.

Moving The Chains

• While the Giants got better over the offseason, the biggest move within the division was the Washington Redskins picking up Josh Norman on a five-year, $75 million contract. Odell Beckham’s worst enemy will now face the Giants twice a year and pester the Giant receivers every year for the next five years. That is a scary proposition.
• What are the Denver Broncos doing? Peyton Manning retires, which many saw coming, and then they sign Mark Sanchez to be their new starting quarterback and tutor Paxton Lynch who the team drafted number 26 in the NFL Draft. Now GM/President John Elway is playing hardball with All-World linebacker Von Miller as Miller is refusing to do anything with the team, including training camp. You go from winning a championship to possibly struggling to make the playoffs this season which I am predicting. Mo’ money, Mo’ problems I guess.

That’s all for this edition of Bump N’ Run but don’t worry I will be back next week at my normal Tuesday slot to give you the latest in football news and thoughts. See you next week!