Impact of Highest Paid Receivers

[StarOfGlory]

I don't understand the importance of narratives.

Best two-man tandem so we can have the worst D in the NFL. Great idea.

An interesting stat from last season is that only three teams had two receivers get 1000+ yards: Lions, Eagles, and Cowboys. Only the Eagles made the playoffs.

We could keep Pickens IF our front office can identify defensive players in the draft that can make an immediate impact, giving us some cheap NFL-level talent. I would also argue that CD with a good, solid #2 and a TE that can run good routes and move the chains should be enough with a good defense. Hell, I think we know that pass-catching tight ends that can stretch the field at times is the best offensive bang for the buck a team can have.

Do I trust our FO to nail a defensive draft? Recent history says no. Maybe the best thing is to let Pickens go and use some of that money for a solid #2 (maybe one can find a De'Vonta Smith-type talent for $15 mill) and dump the rest into the defense. Draft defense and an OT if one is on the board. Let's not forget that our tackles are, um, not good.

 

[GMO415]

One of the talking heads (Cowherd maybe) was doing a comparison to how teams with the top 10 highest paid receivers fared. If I remember correctly only ONE (Philly) made the playoffs.

Thats a pretty telling statistic. I don’t see how we can have two of them on the same team, unless we want to be the Bengals.

We got 7 wins with them......

 

[kskboys]

Seems to me that it limits you elsewhere only when you don't know what the hell you are doing. It's a relative thing. You can't deny that spending more on defense than offense (2025) is not the best argument against Pickens. Paying him doesn't really limit what you can do in the short term. The contract can be structured/restructured in ways that mitigate the short term impacts to the cap and available cash.

So we appear to be in agreement. But again...Pickens...on the team or off...won't make or break the defense. That's silly.

If his contract is done right.

And there is no doubt that Jerry doesn't know what the hell he is doing.

You got this spending more thingie in your head. That's not what it's about. It's about not overpaying players in general. The Diggs/Bland/Osa contracts were also very stupid, as was Donavon Wilson and Kenneth Murray.

 

[kskboys]

An interesting stat from last season is that only three teams had two receivers get 1000+ yards: Lions, Eagles, and Cowboys. Only the Eagles made the playoffs.

We could keep Pickens IF our front office can identify defensive players in the draft that can make an immediate impact, giving us some cheap NFL-level talent. I would also argue that CD with a good, solid #2 and a TE that can run good routes and move the chains should be enough with a good defense. Hell, I think we know that pass-catching tight ends that can stretch the field at times is the best offensive bang for the buck a team can have.

Do I trust our FO to nail a defensive draft? Recent history says no. Maybe the best thing is to let Pickens go and use some of that money for a solid #2 (maybe one can find a De'Vonta Smith-type talent for $15 mill) and dump the rest into the defense. Draft defense and an OT if one is on the board. Let's not forget that our tackles are, um, not good.

We can keep Pickens if we can limit his cap hits for the next 2-3 years.

 

[kramskoi]

If his contract is done right.

And there is no doubt that Jerry doesn't know what the hell he is doing.

You got this spending more thingie in your head. That's not what it's about. It's about not overpaying players in general. The Diggs/Bland/Osa contracts were also very stupid, as was Donavon Wilson and Kenneth Murray.

I get it K...but spent money is spent money. All I'm saying is that some here want to disband the best man-beating tandem in football...and run with Lamb + lesser, unproven guys...either on the team, through the draft, or through FA. The man was 2nd team All-Pro and it's likely only because of an abominable defense that he wasn't first team. That offense in 2022 regressed compared to 2021 (with Cooper) when it was league best.

We don't have to do this. I think the whole Crosby thing is more wishful thinking than anything. There has recently been talk about drafting Love at RB with the first or second pick. That has thankfully been shut down now that Williams has been extended.

 

[kskboys]

I get it K...but spent money is spent money. All I'm saying is that some here want to disband the best man-beating tandem in football...and run with Lamb + lesser, unproven guys...either on the team, through the draft, or through FA. The man was 2nd team All-Pro and it's likely only because of an abominable defense that he wasn't first team. That offense in 2022 regressed compared to 2021 (with Cooper) when it was league best.

We don't have to do this. I think the whole Crosby thing is more wishful thinking than anything. There has recently been talk about drafting Love at RB with the first or second pick. That has thankfully been shut down now that Williams has been extended.

No, it's not. More like badly spent money is badly spent money.

I like Pickens and hope we keep him, and I hope he's turned the maturity corner. His contract must be done just right to open up a 2-3 year playoff window. Which I'm not sure Jerry will do, as it prolly means knowing you won't contend in year 4 and 5 of the contract. That's the only way I see that would work. Sticking a 30 million dollar salary for him in the 26 season would be detrimental.

I think we're on the same page.

 

[Chuck 54]

Our two wrs are not why we haven't built a defense. I'm not even sure our qb is to blame.

He isn't. We've been sitting on CAP space every year lately, just to roll it over into the next season and still not use it.

The problem isn't the salary CAP; the problem is a front office that always thinks it can win with players that aren't nearly as good as they think they are. Planning the success of your season on rookies, new coaches, and players recovering from surgeries during the season is foolhardy.

 

[Verdict]

We got 7 wins with them......

You can love the players and still hate the contracts enough that having the player is not practical. IMO that’s where we are with Pickens.

 

[aikemirv]

Cowboys had a lot of injuries on defenses that kept them from making the playoffs.

Bengals did not have Burrow at QB most of the season, that kept them out of the playoffs.

Vikings had crap at QB all season long, that contributed to them missing the playoffs.

See the pattern..
It is not because teams had high paid WR’s.

What happens when JSN gets paid in Seattle?
Do they now miss the playoffs, I don’t think anyone will predict that.

Bengals do not have an offensive line at the expense of the WR position - I wonder what Joe Burrow would prefer!

 

[kskboys]

He isn't. We've been sitting on CAP space every year lately, just to roll it over into the next season and still not use it.

The problem isn't the salary CAP; the problem is a front office that always thinks it can win with players that aren't nearly as good as they think they are. Planning the success of your season on rookies, new coaches, and players recovering from surgeries during the season is foolhardy.

Even worse. Our FO are absolute idiots at evaluating players. Forest Gump would be better.

 

[Bobhaze]

We can't win a SB with an average or below average Defense.

That’s what the facts prove. Of the 60 SB winners, 49 of them (82%) had a top defense in multiple statistical areas. Only 11 SB winners (18%) did not have a great defense.

The reason why having a GREAT defense is so important is at some point in a deep playoff run your offense may not be able to give you 20 or more points. Then what? Almost every SB winner had a game where their D had to have a heroic game.

The Cowboys have never made or won a SB without a great defense.