Falcons Ink New Deals With Mike Jenkins, Jon Babineaux

by Dave Choate on Nov 26, 2008 8:00 AM EST in Falcons News

For much of the year, the focus has been on how well the Falcons have made their present situation a sunny one. On Tuesday, they took a step toward securing that future by locking up a couple members of the team.

In my mind, both of these moves are solid without being slam dunks. Michael Jenkins is a fundamentally sound wide receiver who blocks very well and has improved significantly as a route runner over the past couple of years. He's also only managed more than 50 catches once in his five years with the team and hasn't been quite the red zone target it was hoped he would be when he was selected in the first round. In short, Jenkins is the very definition of a solid wide receiver.

A four year committment and $20 million may end up being a bit much, particularly if Harry Douglas turns out to be a little more than that. Still, there's no denying that's he been a good fit for this particular team.

Jonathan Babineaux for five years (and ??? money) seems to make sense on the surface, and it's becoming clear that the Falcons want to lock guys up for a long while. Babineaux is another solid player who can start for the team and is solid against the run while not being a total slouch against the pass. The team really needs a better pass rush, and Babineaux isn't suddenly going to sprout a quarterback killing rocket on his back.

Given (again) his versatility as a guy who can play a little defensive end if needed, Babineaux will likely be around for close to the life of his contract as at least a backup. If the financial terms are reasonable, keeping around a talented defensive lineman rarely ends up hurting you. It's a smart move.

You can probably tell that I'm happy but not excited with these moves. What are your thoughts?

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Got no problems with these

Especially Babs who is usually pretty solid, and occasionally has a huge game thrown in… he likes the back field and so do i.

MJ… little much $$$ although to be fair he wouldnt get as much in a modeling contract…ugh. But he has been a great target for Matt so why not?

" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln

by tapate50 on Nov 26, 2008 8:42 AM EST reply actions

Sweet!

I like Babs. He’s been here for a bit, and he plays hard. A five year deal is great for him and for us, especially when we draft/FA a new DT and he’ll maintain a situational role.

In the “what have you done for me lately” league of the NFL, a lot of people seem to forget that a little bit of consistency goes a long way, and keeping Jenkins, assuming he’s working hard and developing well with Matt Ryan, is part of that.

Besides, at this point, do you REALLY want to question Thomas Dimitroff? He’s just like you and I, he puts his pants on one leg at a time. The only difference is that after he’s done putting his pants on he drafts/signs/generally manages superstar quality players.

In the end, I’ve gotta agree with Tapate above. I’m a big fan of Babs, and I’m excited to see a 5 year deal for him, and Jenks probably got a little more than he deserves, but he’s been improving constantly, and if he keeps it up, he might end up being a steal. I’m done betting against Thomas Dimitroff. Sure, I’ll question decisions, but if it’s on the fence, I’ll just split the difference and assume he knows EXACTLY what he’s doing.

We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.

by iRonin on Nov 26, 2008 9:34 AM EST reply actions

morale

More than anything rewarding your players does wonders for team morale. It makes everybody want to work hard especially when you make the goals team goals. I’m really happy for them.

by dollmanr on Nov 26, 2008 3:08 PM EST reply actions

Dave...

You need to be a little more excited, because these guys are good players. It shows that we will have a base for the future as well. Remember Mike Jenkins had to deal with Vick as a QB so that’s probably why he has only had 50+ Rec once. I like these moves a lot, I think we can make some moves at some defensive lineman next offseason to complement the predator and babs.

dollmanr makes a good point what it does more than anything is it boosts team morale. You might even see Babs get a few more sacks so never discount what job security can do for a player.

by Grayson on Nov 26, 2008 4:36 PM EST reply actions

Pay this man his money

Jenks, after 11 games, currently rests a cool 34 yards off his career season-high. If he can finish the season between 700-800 yards, in his first year in a new offense as the #2, he deserves $5 mil per. Look at what Dallas is giving to (and gave up for) their #2 WR.

Babs is definitely solid. Just wish we knew the $$ attached to his contract, but as someone posted above, Dimitroff has given me 0 (that’s ZERO) reason to doubt him up to this point. Hell, he could sign Joe Horn to a 4-year, $19 mil deal and I’d probably trust him.

Wait, someone already did that ish. Nevermind.

by Tron5000 on Nov 26, 2008 6:54 PM EST reply actions

Value for the dollar is key

If the Falcons overpaid Mr. Jenks, they didn’t do it by much. If he’s an underachiever for a first-round pick, he has still produced fairly well as a #2 WR. $5M might seem like a bargain in a few years.

Locking up productive players for the long term is a great way to do business, unless you structure the contract like McKay did for Vick. Our Heroic Comrade learned a thing or two working for the Patriots, da?

by tom slick on Nov 26, 2008 7:51 PM EST reply actions