Baker, Cotchery look like prize catches By ANDREW GROSS / THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: January 10, 2007) Tight end Chris Baker got his new contract last offseason after testing the free-agent market. The Jets likely will offer wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery an extension this offseason rather than risk losing him. What the two have in common is the strides their careers took in 2006. In a season when quarterback Chad Pennington won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and linebacker Bryan Thomas earned a five-year, $25 million extension, Baker and Cotchery also established themselves as core Jets."It was my first year starting, and it was a learning process for me the entire time," said Cotchery, who set career highs with 82 catches, 961 yards and six touchdowns in his third season. "I know I'll be able to build on what I've done. I've still got to build on what I've done, but I've got a good starting point." Baker, meanwhile, set career highs in his fifth season with 31 catches and 300 yards, and he tied his career best with four touchdown receptions. More importantly, he played in every game and proved he could do more than block. He missed eight games in 2005 with a broken ankle."When you've got your core players - pretty much everybody on offense who started is locked up - coming back next year, that's an important part to have that continuity," Baker said. Fullback B.J. Askew and right tackle Anthony Clement are potential free agents. Baker, a Queens native who considered signing with the Dolphins, is signed through 2009 with a base salary of $850,000 for next season. Cotchery's deal expires after 2007, and he is due a base salary of $460,000. Based on his numbers, he should be looking at a lucrative new deal, perhaps in the $2 million range for a base salary.Jets coach Eric Mangini repeated numerous times during the season how Cotchery's offseason work allowed him to come into training camp and quickly and decisively supplant Justin McCareins as the Jets' No. 2 receiver. Given the pounding Laveranues Coles took this season and the fact that he :beer: said Monday he'll probably play three more seasons at most :beer: , Cotchery seems the heir apparent to the No. 1 role."When you have a coaching change, sometimes it takes a lot of getting used to," said Cotchery, who caught 25 passes without a touchdown in two seasons under former coach Herman Edwards. "But we grew as a team, and we bought into everything that (Mangini) was trying to get accomplished. Now that we know what we were trying to get accomplished, we can build on it and get better in the offseason."But while working for Mangini is all about working hard, the coach did tell his players before they scattered for the offseason not to overdo it."I told them to relax, enjoy the offseason," Mangini said. "It's been a season where we've all worked very hard and need some time to recharge the batteries. I told them to appreciate their families." That's welcome news to Baker, who has a week-old son. And Baker hopes it bodes well for next season's training camp, as well."Maybe it will be - being the fact he knows the guys in the room know what needs to get done and how they're going to react to stuff - hopefully it'll be a little bit easier," Baker said. "But that's probably wishful thinking." Note: The Jets signed defensive tackle Zarnell Fitch to a reserve/ future contract. Reach Andrew Gross at agross@lohud.com and read his Jets blog at www.lohud.com/blogs. > http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070110/SPORTS01/701100393/1043/SPORTS
3 more years? Damn, he's planning on retiring at what? 32 or so? It's wierd for a player to come out and say something like that. Usually they predict a year or two. I hope it's not just his disliking of Mangini.
Damn 3? I was hoping for at least 4 to 5 more. he does take a pounding and plays w/ injuries which would sideline most. ehem Santana Moss
And here I thought the majority of this topic was about Coles.... What was I thinking...... Anyway, 3 more years is bullshit.
if Coles isn't bullsh*tting, this should say something to everyone who overreacted about that WR thread (using a relatively early pick on WR). now it may not be so out of the question because WR's generally take a couple of years to settle into the NFL. cheers
Who knows? I think he'll retire when the pounding just gets to be too much. If every year is like last year, then yeah, 3 years sounds reasonable.
He's not really a Marvin Harrison-type, who dives to the ground before contact. He'll fight for the extra yardage and usually takes a beating in doing so. Also, considering that Chad usually floats it out there for him to get decapitated, 3 more years seems pretty reasonable to me. Besides, he'll be 32 or 33 by then anyway. What I find weird is that he would come out an say it now. I'm not sure if he was just speaking his mind or hinting something to Mangini. But whatever the case is, he just killed any chance for a long term contract I guess.
Maybe he feels that's when Chad will be done and he's no interest in working with another QB, maybe he was just running his jaw. It's nothing to lose sleep over now, anyway.
~~ I wouldnt ~~ doubt it~~ can you blame him ? ? ? ? he's always getting rocked~~ Ill take 3 more years~~~
There was a Yahoo report earlier in the week that said his career was winding down but it never gave a number.
Only 3 more years? Can't blame the guy if he wants to be able to play with his kids in the future and maybe he's got things he wants to do after football. Lets remember the man has been in the league for what? 7 seasons now? Playing 10 or 11 years in the NFL is a long time, longer than most and I'll take another 3 or 4 more years from Laveranues anyday. That's plenty of time for us to make a series Super Bowl run.
