Great post and what most people don't want to hear but all true .
"All true?"
Salary caps are an artificial financial construct agreed upon per collective bargaining agreement by the owners and players union. While teams
must devote a minimum amount of their cap to players' collectively (the 89 percent rule), there is
zero language pertaining to the maximum figure any individual player's negotiated contract can be.
The quarterback position has the largest compensation base on average than any other position. In other words, the position usually eats the largest portion of a team's salary cap pie on average. Individual quarterbacks paid the most are
franchise quarterbacks. Of course, this is not true of
every team in
every season. Again. On. Average. Now, some additional facts:
- Every individual player is an employee of their franchise
- Owners (via themselves or via their general managers) are employers
- Owners (the employers) pay players (the employees). It is never the 'other way around'
So.
When anyone AT ANY TIME makes the assertion that a player's high salary cap number may negatively impact their team's overall salary cap, that assertion
may be true not only for ONE individual player commanding a high salary but EVERY player of ANY team commanding a high salary.
However.
The assertion that a player intentionally works against himself by commanding a high salary is always flawed. Players
negotiate for the best attainable contract. Owners
decide upon the maximum figure they will pay to compensate the player. The following should never be necessary for any conversation about the salary cap but certain people continuely ignore or dismiss these two kindergarten facts:
- An owner can pay a player
- An owner can refuse to pay a player
Jerry Jones paid his franchise quarterback franchise dollars. Jones was not forced, coerced, pressured, bullied, strong-armed or intimidated into paying his franchise quarterback. But he did paid nonetheless. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can make an assertion of any kind. However, common sense is lacking any time someone makes an assertion and applies it to the
wrong individual.
Owners control their salary cap. Praise or blame for the condition of their salary cap is totally owned by them. That should be a key item to remember any time any player's contract will likely balloon but certain people will simply ignore or dismiss it every time. There is a reason why. And that reason is not the player's fault as well.
/rant