Big spending teams on WRs don't make the playoffs often enough

[blueblood70]

With all the discussions about tagging George Pickens and how or why we should keep him long term, or if we should keep both he and Cedee Lamb…There’s an interesting fact about the teams who are top ten spenders each year on WRs:

They don’t usually even make the playoffs.
In fact, in the last 5 seasons (2021-25), the top ten most expensive WR rooms only made the playoffs approximately 46% of the time.
For example, here are the top ten teams spending big on WRs in 2025:

1. Cincinnati-$50.9 million
2. Tampa Bay - $47.5 million
3. Miami - $41 million
4. Chicago - $35.3 million
5. Tennessee- $33.6 million
6. Indianapolis- $33.4 million
7. Detroit $30.4 million
8. San Francisco $29.1 million
9. Washington $28.7 million
10. Dallas $28.2 million

Of those ten teams only three made the playoffs in 2025.

I won’t take up a huge amount of space here listing each team from 2021-24. But I did my homework and only one team in the last 5 years that spent top ten money on WRs won a SB - the 2023 chiefs.

So as we discuss how to allocate future cap space, let’s remember that having the highest paid WR room does not translate to playoff success very often. Not saying WR talent isn’t important. Just saying be wise and discerning on spending big money on them.

Here’s the link I used: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/position/_/year/2025/table/active-reserve/type/cap_total
(You can look up positional spending by year)

That can be true for any position. You only have so much money to spend, and while you can bend or even circumvent the salary cap, it still exists, and eventually those void years will hit your dead cap.

You should have a premium, highly paid wide receiver, ideally paired with a good quarterback, at least one great lineman, and the same on defense. But you can’t pay two pass rushers top-tier money, when filling a position, you want one elite player you pay big for, and the rest should be on rookie deals or budget contracts, not cheap, but more like tier-two free agents.

Building a team should focus on depth rather than being top-heavy with all your money tied up in a few stars, which creates a single point of failure.

Seattle’s approach (even NE), especially on defense, worked well, they kept JSN and filled the receiver room with quality, affordable players.

This ties into why you can’t keep both George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, Pickens will eventually have to go.

The Cowboys’ approach of going year-to-year with Pickens lets them maximize his value, then let him walk for high draft capital, allowing them to draft a cheaper receiver while still having Flo and CeeDee.

 

[blueblood70]

Unless we do this at each position, it's hard to say it's not more coincidence. I mean, how many teams with the top 10 expensive CB rooms made the playoffs? How many with the top 10 OL rooms? WRs alone certainly aren't going to get you there, but that doesn't mean WRs with the right talent at other positions won't. And the cap can be manipulated to help you fill those other positions.

I think a good example of this is the Eagles. They are not on your list, but they gave AJ Brown a three-year, $96 million contract extension in 2024 and gave Davonta Smith a three-year, $75 million extension that same year ... and they won the Super Bowl that year.

They should be on the list anyway because they're not off the hook the dead cap money those void years that everyone said how smart they were because they didn't pay a lot up front You're looking at this wrong They backloaded the contract so they can afford both of them but now the money comes due even without AJ Brown there he is counting against their cap at wide receiver..

So the argument is twofold they did do it and they won a Super Bowl but they did it because a bunch of the contracts were only paying out minimal amounts of dollars those first couple of years, Then he got traded he's gonna be playing for New England partially being paid by the Eagles already that's what all that bonus money and restructures and void years are doing when you finally get rid of a player whether it's in a trade or not you're still paying for them..

He's not smart to pay two players at any position market money at the same time..

And yes there are ways around it the Eagles showed you you can do that but the Eagles are also going to be paying for that for a very long time..


Is why I agree with the Cowboys not giving Pickens a long term deal you keep them for one season and then another and that's what they did they'll have his services for two years for a 3rd round pick and they'll come away with a lot of draft capital Well they have Flo developing right now..

 

[Vtwin]

Agree completely. It's almost always a mistake to tie up so much cap at WR. You have to get lucky in so many other areas to make it work. You have to get career seasons out of your rookie contract guys and your role player guys. You have to have a rock solid o-line or your WR advantage is negated.

Pass heavy offenses are not difficult to contain by the best defenses. There is a reason why Elway got so close but couldn't finish until he had a dominant running game. There is a reason why P Manning got so close but couldn't finish until he got a running game and a defense.

 

[Coogiguy03]

With all the discussions about tagging George Pickens and how or why we should keep him long term, or if we should keep both he and Cedee Lamb…There’s an interesting fact about the teams who are top ten spenders each year on WRs:

They don’t usually even make the playoffs.
In fact, in the last 5 seasons (2021-25), the top ten most expensive WR rooms only made the playoffs approximately 46% of the time.
For example, here are the top ten teams spending big on WRs in 2025:

1. Cincinnati-$50.9 million
2. Tampa Bay - $47.5 million
3. Miami - $41 million
4. Chicago - $35.3 million
5. Tennessee- $33.6 million
6. Indianapolis- $33.4 million
7. Detroit $30.4 million
8. San Francisco $29.1 million
9. Washington $28.7 million
10. Dallas $28.2 million

Of those ten teams only three made the playoffs in 2025.

I won’t take up a huge amount of space here listing each team from 2021-24. But I did my homework and only one team in the last 5 years that spent top ten money on WRs won a SB - the 2023 chiefs.

So as we discuss how to allocate future cap space, let’s remember that having the highest paid WR room does not translate to playoff success very often. Not saying WR talent isn’t important. Just saying be wise and discerning on spending big money on them.

Here’s the link I used: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/position/_/year/2025/table/active-reserve/type/cap_total
(You can look up positional spending by year)

I feel like you can look at this for a lot of different positions????? So what's the answer here Haze, STOP signing these guys to big deals and wrecking your cap. Let them play here until their contract is up (rookie deal), then REPLACE!!!

 

[Diehardblues]

The bigger problem or issue for our QB and offense is he needs 2 viable receivers .

 

[gimmesix]

I feel like you can look at this for a lot of different positions????? So what's the answer here Haze, STOP signing these guys to big deals and wrecking your cap. Let them play here until their contract is up (rookie deal), then REPLACE!!!

Which is impossible. For one, you just don't hit on every draft pick, so the draft and replace system is faulty in function. Second, if you are constantly replacing your better players with possibly lesser players, you are also not strengthening other areas of weakness.

I believe that when you find top-quality players, you hold on to them and build around them, no matter the positions. You replace your mediocre starters instead of signing them to outsized contracts, and you reward those players who are at the top of their positions.

 

[big dog cowboy]

So what's the answer here Haze, STOP signing these guys to big deals and wrecking your cap. Let them play here until their contract is up (rookie deal), then REPLACE!!!

 

[Chuck 54]

My secret sauce for success with a team that pays 2 high end receivers includes:

• Keeping them both healthy
• Having a good QB that can maximize their production
• Having a good run game through a good OL so you don’t need a star RB, nor be forced to pass near the goal line.
• Have a good above avg defense with good coaching, good depth, and always building with youth to avoid huge contracts for DBs and edges.

I think we are close.

 

[Verdict]

With all the discussions about tagging George Pickens and how or why we should keep him long term, or if we should keep both he and Cedee Lamb…There’s an interesting fact about the teams who are top ten spenders each year on WRs:

They don’t usually even make the playoffs.
In fact, in the last 5 seasons (2021-25), the top ten most expensive WR rooms only made the playoffs approximately 46% of the time.
For example, here are the top ten teams spending big on WRs in 2025:

1. Cincinnati-$50.9 million
2. Tampa Bay - $47.5 million
3. Miami - $41 million
4. Chicago - $35.3 million
5. Tennessee- $33.6 million
6. Indianapolis- $33.4 million
7. Detroit $30.4 million
8. San Francisco $29.1 million
9. Washington $28.7 million
10. Dallas $28.2 million

Of those ten teams only three made the playoffs in 2025.

I won’t take up a huge amount of space here listing each team from 2021-24. But I did my homework and only one team in the last 5 years that spent top ten money on WRs won a SB - the 2023 chiefs.

So as we discuss how to allocate future cap space, let’s remember that having the highest paid WR room does not translate to playoff success very often. Not saying WR talent isn’t important. Just saying be wise and discerning on spending big money on them.

Here’s the link I used: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/position/_/year/2025/table/active-reserve/type/cap_total
(You can look up positional spending by year)

I would tweak your argument just a little. Two high priced receivers are not a great recipe for success, I’ll agree with that that part of your premise but I think you need to zoom out your focus just a little.

It’s not really paying two WRs huge money that’s the issue, it’s being too too heavily weighted on a few players that is the problem. When you throw Dak in the mix and two highly paid WRs that’s an issue.

All teams have a few players that make way more than the remaining players on the team, but when the weighting becomes TOO top heavy, or you pay the wrong guys that’s a problem.

When you add in the Ferguson deal, etc. those middle tier guys that get paid when they can easily be replaced are a huge part of the problem. Drafting well helps alleviate and balance it out some, but you have to be willing to let players go when they can be easily and cheaply replaced.

It’s not so much a two highly paid receivers problem——it’s a broader cap management issue. It all comes down to players like Booker. We have him on a cheap contract and he’s playing well. But when he’s on his second contract he will no longer be on a bargain.

If you believe you draft guards well (and we seem to do pretty well on the OL) if you can play him 3-4 years cheaply (or even 5 years and tag him) and then trade him for a high enough pick that you can replace him with an acceptable substitute, that’s money in the bank.

 

[Coogiguy03]

@Bobhaze hey buddy just was looking at my comment, I wasn't yelling at you I was just angry to see this numbers

 

[kskboys]

Unless we do this at each position, it's hard to say it's not more coincidence. I mean, how many teams with the top 10 expensive CB rooms made the playoffs? How many with the top 10 OL rooms? WRs alone certainly aren't going to get you there, but that doesn't mean WRs with the right talent at other positions won't. And the cap can be manipulated to help you fill those other positions.

I think a good example of this is the Eagles. They are not on your list, but they gave AJ Brown a three-year, $96 million contract extension in 2024 and gave Davonta Smith a three-year, $75 million extension that same year ... and they won the Super Bowl that year.

Their cap hits were 8 and 13 mil. Gotta look at all the facts.

 

[kskboys]

I think that's picking nits. The Eagles still were paying two receivers top money by contract. If we give Pickens a new deal next year, his first-year hit will be lower and Dallas will drop down on that list. We'll also likely restructure Lamb's base next year, like we did last year, because it's $28 million.

I agree that the Eagles do a great job at cap management, but every year is about how you want to allocate your cap. Dallas could have given Pickens a long-term deal this year and lowered the amount of his hit dramatically, but that's not what the Cowboys wanted to do.

The fact that the Eagles were 13th in WR spending does not negate the fact that they had given two top contract extensions to their receivers ... and they won the Super Bowl while doing it.

That doesn't make sense. All that matters is the cap hits.

 

[kskboys]

This is so weird. The facts are glaring at you, and yet people are going out of their way to spin it to further their agenda. Really really weird.

 

[kskboys]

Got the point, but I dont think it’s impossible to win with two highly paid WRs, regardless of history. First, it opens up the run game, and good luck to DCs trying to consistently stop it, but it’s not really a matter of that. It’s about practicality and cap allocation.

Personally I’d lean toward not resigning him and replacing him in the first round next year. You probably can’t get another WR1A with the 32nd pick, but you could probably snag a Deebo type if you do your homework.

This one could very much go either way, and many key factors are TBD. If they do ink him to a big ole bag, I’ll remain indifferent, but I won’t go throwing my hands in the air and saying winning can't happen, not for that reason anyway. Much more to know before that decision is due…probably by design (don’t mistake that with me giving the clowns any credit, but just maybe someone who has a seat at the table has finally decided to speak “candidly,” as Jerry likes to say).

Dont forget our annual June mantra….’this year feels different.’

No one's ever done it. Sounds pretty impossible.

 

[kskboys]

Look at Miami # 3 on that list . It’s one thing to spend on WR’s it’s quite another when you don’t have the QB to get them the ball and obviously with Tua they didn’t.

Bengals case in point once Burrow gets hurt there finished and they were . They never have seemed to invest in a dominant OL for him .

With the Cowboys tagging Pickens seems like a sound move and if the Defense is half way competent it should spell much more success then 7 wins given a high powered offense .

I think it’s more team by team then a case of over spending at WR .

Bengals fell off drastically when they let DLine go to pay WRs. Happens all the time. Philly looks to be in the middle of just that. Their D went from 1 to 13 as they let D players walk.

 

[Loso86]

With all the discussions about tagging George Pickens and how or why we should keep him long term, or if we should keep both he and Cedee Lamb…There’s an interesting fact about the teams who are top ten spenders each year on WRs:

They don’t usually even make the playoffs.
In fact, in the last 5 seasons (2021-25), the top ten most expensive WR rooms only made the playoffs approximately 46% of the time.
For example, here are the top ten teams spending big on WRs in 2025:

1. Cincinnati-$50.9 million
2. Tampa Bay - $47.5 million
3. Miami - $41 million
4. Chicago - $35.3 million
5. Tennessee- $33.6 million
6. Indianapolis- $33.4 million
7. Detroit $30.4 million
8. San Francisco $29.1 million
9. Washington $28.7 million
10. Dallas $28.2 million

Of those ten teams only three made the playoffs in 2025.

I won’t take up a huge amount of space here listing each team from 2021-24. But I did my homework and only one team in the last 5 years that spent top ten money on WRs won a SB - the 2023 chiefs.

So as we discuss how to allocate future cap space, let’s remember that having the highest paid WR room does not translate to playoff success very often. Not saying WR talent isn’t important. Just saying be wise and discerning on spending big money on them.

Here’s the link I used: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/position/_/year/2025/table/active-reserve/type/cap_total
(You can look up positional spending by year)

Neither do teams that cant move the ball and score

 

[OGSixshooter]

I've been beating this drum for years now: More money and weapons for Dak doesn't equate to more wins for the Cowboys. Unless you have Mahomes, it's a guarantee of mediocrity.

 

[CWR]

We're a better team with Pickens. Regardless of what others have done this team has a stronger chance with Pickens and Lamb.

 

[Robbieac]

The bigger problem or issue for our QB and offense is he needs 2 viable receivers .

Winner, winner

 

[fivetwos]

No one's ever done it. Sounds pretty impossible.

I wouldn’t say it’s not possible for that reason. You also need to discount much of history considering it was such a different game years ago, with the run game vs pass.

You’ll need to get some production out of several low cost draft picks to compensate, but I wouldn’t term it as impossible.

At the very least, it’s “impossible” to win here for several other reasons that beat that reason lol.