Failed better deal protest still haunts Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew – NFL News
The Jacksonville Jaguars might feel to have won by making running back Maurice Jones-Drew, famously known as MJD, budge in the holdout in support of a compelling new deal demand with revised and better financial terms and return unconditionally, but the
player yet finds it difficult to get over the fact that the team denied him the fair compensation chance.
It was sheer stubbornness of general manager Gene Smith in line with reluctance of new owner Shahid Khan that left the player with no other option than return to play on terms of his previous contract which still has two years left on it.
Maurice says of the situation:
"When it comes to that point where they're not allowing you to get compensated for your play, and they won't pay you and they won't show you your value, you have to come back."
A section of media has quoted him from an ESPN interview earlier this week as saying:
"I came to the realization when multiple teams offered multiple picks and players to trade for me, and pretty much the Jaguars wouldn't budge. They weren't going to do anything, and I think that was about the last week of the preseason, teams were calling
Jacksonville and the Jaguars didn't want to do it.”
It is stature of the player that prompted a majority of commentators to back his better payout demand as justified one, given that pay scale of running backs has changed quite remarkably and at the moment MJD’s $4.45 million package seems unjustified. His
previous $30.95 million contract was signed in 2009 and now RBs in the league are earning far higher than Maurice.
An important factor that weighs in support of MJD’s demand is his performance. Last year he was the league’s leading rusher with 1,606 yards. It was his superb performance of 177 yards that helped the Jaguars register their first win versus the Indianapolis
Colts this season. So while his number speaks high of his performance, a better compensation from the team could have been considered money worth spent.
Tags: