Report: Jason Snelling Has Offer From Falcons, Hasn't Taken It
by Dave Choate on Aug 7, 2011 7:30 AM EDT
in Falcons News
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PrintWhen the off-season began, I was not alone in predicting that Jason Snelling would draw signifcant interest across the league.
After all, Big Snell is a relatively young back who runs well (4.1 yards per carry average over parts of four seasons), blocks well and can catch a pass or two ( 7.9 yards per catch as a career average). Not exceptional, but for a former seventh-round pick, it's actually superb. Given Michael Turner's struggles with injuries, ineffectiveness and stone hands over the last season or two, Snelling has been a terrific reserve.
It was fair to assume that those talents would be in demand on the open market, but the rapid devaluation of running backs has reached a peak in 2011. Ronnie Brown is a former Pro Bowler and took peanuts to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Snelling, who is arguably as valuable as Brown, has met with the Rams, Giants and Chiefs and walked away without a deal.
Now the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Jason Snelling has a deal on the table from the Falcons, but he obviously hasn't taken it. There's no word on how many years or how much money is involved in that deal, so I can't tell whether Snell is turning his nose up at a good deal or trying to get something that will actually pay the bills.
At this point, it appears that Snelling has no market. His well-rounded skill set is useful for only a handful of teams now, given that many around the NFL have signed new backs, and those teams have no recorded interest in him. The Falcons could use Snelling, because the alternative is the bloodcurdling prospect of Burner going down and being replaced by a 5'7" rookie and Gartrell Johnson. Ye gods.
Given that, it's honestly surprising that Snelling hasn't come back. It appears he'd like a shot at more playing time and better money, which is understandable. I'm just not sure he's going to get it, and I'm really not sure whether he's realized that.
So what's going to happen now? Knowing for certain that Big Snell has an offer on the table, I'm more inclined to think he'll eventually return, which already makes yesterday's stab at a roster invalid. But the longer he waits, the less time he has to get ready and the better the chance that Jacquizz Rodgers seizes the #2 spot on the depth chart. He's in a bit of a tough spot.
Ultimately, this whole post has been a fancy way of shrugging my shoulders. I hope Snelling comes back, but I'm unsure he will. What do you think?
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Come home Snell.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Aug 7, 2011 7:41 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Snell will return to the ATL.
He checked out what other teams were offering and now realizes that the Falcons are the best place for him and they probably offered the most money so far too.
Due to the lockout, I think this season will resemble last year a lot. I think the teams that were good last year will be good again this year. there will be a suprise team or 2, but I think this year kinda follows last years script, except of course the team that wins the SB will be different, since our Falcons will finally take that last final step and bring home the Lombardi trophy to the dirty dirty!!
I'm with Ball Hawk.
Come on back, Snellraiser! He may not run the ball quite as well Turner, but I sometimes feel better when he’s on the field rather than MT (put the rifles down people) because his ability to catch open up the offense a bit.
by A. "Falmouth" Thomas on Aug 7, 2011 7:51 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
GB game #1
He was a big part of that win.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Aug 7, 2011 10:21 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Oh, and I'd
refrain from using the words “turn his nose up at…” Miko Snelling WILL open up a can on ya.
by A. "Falmouth" Thomas on Aug 7, 2011 7:56 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
If Snelling comes back to us
I will throw some sort of parade. I loved knowing he was there, always made me feel comfortable with our RB depth. Please come back Jason, we love you mate.
by Turner_The_Burner on Aug 7, 2011 8:07 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Meh...
You said it yourself, RBs are not as valued anymore.
Isn’t Jerome Harrison still available? He’d be an okay backup. Point is: Snelling is replaceable. Still.
I want Snelling back, but if he’d rather not play at all, so be it.
"Don't go ninja'n nobody that don't need ninja'n!" ~ Kung Fu Hillbilly.
Ditto
Get Harrison. Snelling will be 28 by the playoffs.
by widderslainte on Aug 7, 2011 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Eh. I don't love Harrison
If he was traded straight up for Mike Bell, he can’t be that special. And on top of that, he was let go at the end of the year. Pass…
"He has lived up to the legendary billing... And the legend is born in Calvin Johnson!" -Wes Durham
by sportsfan4life2012 on Aug 7, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Who's Snelling's agent?
Fire him Jason, I can do a lot better.
by mr92687!!! on Aug 7, 2011 8:59 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
He'll be back
I think his value to us is more than his value to other teams. We know TD offers more than generous contacts to players that we need. Knowing that I say he comes back, or takes less from a worse off team at a chance to start.
"I'm about rings now"
~Arthur Blank
by CollegePark4Life on Aug 7, 2011 9:13 AM EDT reply actions
I would guess he had someone in his "inner circle" telling him he is worthy of a starter workload and money
He might be talented enough, but in my opinion, there is not enough evidence to conclude that yet. I think the Falcons will offer him the most money, but it isn’t starter money. I say at this point, send an offer out to Kevin Smith, formerly of the Lions. He has decent size, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and will probably accept just about any offer at this point. I like Snell, but if he hasn’t accepted a deal yet, he might be looking for something that he won’t get.
"He has lived up to the legendary billing... And the legend is born in Calvin Johnson!" -Wes Durham
by sportsfan4life2012 on Aug 7, 2011 9:36 AM EDT reply actions
I thought doing the same thing to
1) Force Jason’s hand
2) We need to get somebody in this short camp to learn the playbook.
Totally agree with you two
We should do what the Giants did to Bradshaw: bring in another RB who you’d rather not sign in order to force Snell’s hand. I say we have Laurence Maroney in for a visit. He’s big, younger than Snelling and can catch the ball. If Snelling still wants to play hardball, I say go ahead and sign Maroney.
Laurence Maroney???????????????????
Snelling and his agents would laugh hysterically. Try again.
He can do everything Snelling can do
He’s not a star but neither is Snelling. Dude averaged like 750 yds rushing per year in New England’s pass happy offense. I like Kevin Smith as well but the surgery scares me a bit. There aren’t many other backs on the FA list at this point so if we want a Snelling-esque RB, Maroney’s size and catching ability fits that mold.
*Surgeries*
Smokey says: Only you can BVG forest fires.
Moot point now, but Maroney is washed up now
why do you think the Pats got rid of him and you haven’t heard from him since. Plus, he has some character issues (google him). Not a fit anyway.
Agree with the approach, but not Smith
Smith has had a lot of injury issues as well as a tendency to put the ball on the ground. As much as I appreciated Snelling’s contributions over the last couple seasons, the reality is that he is easily replaced by any one of a number of FA RBs still available (Ricky Williams, Betts, Darby, J. Harrison, Bell, Maroney, etc.), particulary for a guy who will be fighting for snaps.
Smith has had injury issues
But look at the other options. Williams is 34 and way past his prime. Betts is 32, has major fumbling issues, and struggles to get into the endzone. Darby is 28 and was replaced by Jerious Norwood and Caddy Williams. Harrison is 28, couldn’t keep a job in Cleveland’s backfield, wasn’t wanted in Philadelphia, etc. Bell is 28, been with 4 teams in six years, has averaged 4 yards a carry once in his career, and doesn’t have the best hands. Ironically, Harrison and Bell were traded for each other. Maroney is 26, hasn’t averaged 4 yards a carry since 2007, and couldn’t break through in an awful New England backfield. Smith is 24, the best receiver of the group, and coming off an injury. I’m not saying he is a perfect fit, but he has the most potential, could produce nicely for us, and since he is coming off surgery, he should be very cheap.
"He has lived up to the legendary billing... And the legend is born in Calvin Johnson!" -Wes Durham
by sportsfan4life2012 on Aug 7, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
He's been in the system just as long as Turner,
so missing some training camp won’t kill him. My guess is that while no other team is giving him serious consideration now, his agents are advising him to wait it out because invariably, a starting RB will get hurt in the preseason and Snell all of a sudden has the upper hand.
To me, this is similar to the Grimes situaiton, which was totally blown out of proportion. I don’t buy for a second that he was taking the extra time to spend with his wife and 10-month old. That makes no sense, given that the lockout afforded players much more time with families that they were accustomed to. His new agents advised him to wait it out in case some issue came up which would give him leverage. It was a good strategy and makes what DLed wrote much more credible.
What issue would come up that would give him leverage?
No matter what happened with the team, he had 2 choices.
1) Play for the 1 year tender
2) Sit out the season, not get paid and not gain an accrued season. This would mean having to play for the 1 year tender next year.
Even if the lockout gave him time to spend with his family, why wouldn’t he want more of that? An NFL schedule takes up a lot of time and he will probably not see a lot of his son until the end of the season. There was absolutely no financial advantage to Grimes sitting out, so we will have to accept the reasoning provided to us by both his mother and his wife.
At some point we'll all realize what's more important to Snelling.
It may be money, location, or it may be being atop the depth chart, but it damn sure ain’t playing for the Falcons.
Well said
It sure does seem like he wants a change. I like the guy, but good riddance if he doesn’t want to accept his role in ATL.
That's what I said a week ago
He clearly doesn’t wanna be here, I wish he did but it’s obviously not there. We are the ONLY team to give him an offer and he still is waiting for someone else. I honestly don’t know if I want him back if he doesn’t wanna e here.
by dirtybirds233 on Aug 7, 2011 1:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Ye Gods? LOL!
I haven’t heard that since the last time I watched the Music Man.
Runningback is the easiest position to learn in football. The only challenge to it is making the correct blitz pickups.
The fact is that we can probably sign just about any one of the free agents and get just as much production from him. I think we may all be missing out on the change in philosophy from the OC. Remember, we need more explosive plays?
If Snelling comes back, Great! If he doesn’t, oh well. We are going to be a more passing type team this year and therefore our second or third string rb isn’t as big a deal.
Where'd you hear that?
I hope its true. Like many others I hope that if he’s not signed by tomorrow, the Falcons bring in a couple guys like Smith, Harrison, etc. and see what they’ve got. Light a fire under Snelling. If he won’t sign by midweek, sign someone else. We can’t waste time in this shortened offseason. Also, has there been any word about a FA CB to challenge for the nickle spot?
Rotoworld reporting
based on a D Orlando Ledbetter tweet. Judging by DOL’s track record this offseason I’ll wait until a more trustworthy source reports it. I do hope it’s true but DOL’s been less than accurate lately.
Pat Yasinkas is reporting it as well
"He has lived up to the legendary billing... And the legend is born in Calvin Johnson!" -Wes Durham
by sportsfan4life2012 on Aug 7, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
But he didn't quote a source
so he could be basing on DOL’s story/tweet. He’s burned us by reporting things that were false before so I’ll wait until it’s independently confirmed.
John Clayton has also reported it on Twitter
It’s Sunday, things are going to be done slowly. Still, take it for what you will.
Good news
I’m glad to hear he’s back. I just wasn’t ready to believe it without independent confirmation. DOL hasn’t been the most trustworthy source lately.
Call me skeptical
if you like, but after the Noel Devine reports came up and then got shot down…I’ll believe this when it comes directly from the team website.
TG just tweeted Snelz is Back!
It's all about Process...
by Vishnu_falcon on Aug 7, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope so.
It would make the RB lineup very interesting. Would JS have to compete for his job or is it a given? IMHO, Turner is obviously the premier RB. Snelling is his backup. Jaquizz should make the roster. The question marks become Phillip Sylvester, Gartrell Johnson and Antone Smith.
"League source"
Is what Yasinkas quoted, for whatever thats worth. Personally, I’d be relieved to see Snell back. Now if we can find some help in the secondary, I think we’re set.
Apparently
It’s a 1 year deal. I’ll take it. We didn’t break the bank for him either. He’s probably gone next year though if he plays the same way he did in 2010.
Ah Snelling, you complete me.
Who else feels good about where we are? The most complete Falcons team fielded to date IMO.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Aug 7, 2011 1:06 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I agree this is one of the best Falcon rosters ever assembled The only 2 spots i’m a Lil concerned with depth wise are WR & CB. I know we don’t have any more cap space but cutting DE C Davis would free up enough to sign a cheap vet at both spots. We would be fine without Davis at DE.
by DaDirtiestBird23 on Aug 7, 2011 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Glad to see Snelling back!
We all know he is a good back up for Turner but he is also back up for Ovie if needed. Its a good competition for 3rd down time with Rodgers.
It's all about Process...
The team should teach Snelling the meaning of humility
I think he got a big head after the Arizona game and thought he was worth more than he actually is. Snelling fits OUR team nicely but he’s just another guy to the rest of the league. Say what you want about Norwood, but he knew his role. Norwood is waaaay more talented than Snelling but he embraced his backup role to help the team. I hope Smitty puts Snelling at RB4 (below Quizz and Gartrell) and makes him earn his way back up the depth chart.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy he's back...
hopefully he signed because he wants to be back to help us win-not because we were his only option and he needed a paycheck.
either way with a 1 year deal hes going to have to show up to improve his position next year. blame the lockout not snelling, he deserves the chance to see what interest he gets. he’s probably in shape if he wanted to test the market and he knows the playbook so its not like this was detrimental to the team.
by Botchelism on Aug 7, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Snelling at RB4...
Methinks that’s a bit harsh. As Botchelism said, the guy wants to see what’s out there. Mind you, this guy was a practice squad fodder not too long ago. Before that, he was a last cuts guy. He knows how quick it can disappear. Dropping him to 4th string is cutting off the nose to spite the face. GJ’s highlight as a Falcon is fumbling the ball so forcefully that it flew 15 yards out of bounds like it was shot out of a cannon. I know you’re probably just venting leonw92, but breathe man breathe! Or you’ll end up like me and my haunting Clay Matthews nightmare…ah the darkness is back…
You were doing so well until the very end
But I agree about not dropping JS to the #4 spot. Neither Johnson or Smith are candidates for the starting rotation, not based on what they’ve shown so far.
After JS’s experience as a FA that was probably humiliating enough. Him being back will also help settle down the offense a little.
Back in the fold
Snell is a competent 3rd down back, which is a very good thing to have in the NFL.
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