News: Trevor Lawrence and the Jags have agreed to a 5-year, $275M extension

[Adreme]

One of the trends that have led up to these salaries is the concept of "franchise quarterback". The franchises make a financial commitment that requires the QB to start and so all competition is cut off.

The GM's don't dare acquire a backup with the potential to be better and replace their multi-million dollar investment. There have even been star QB's that were upset about the possibility of potential competition.

As such, there is rarely a backup QB that doesn't represent a serious reduction of productivity. The agents for starting QB's must love this, they can ask for the moon because if that QB sits out then that team's season is probably over before it started.

This would never happen in the era before free agency. Teams were built on a career commitment by each player since they would have to be traded or cut to play elsewhere.

Backup QB's never had the option of going somewhere else after 3-5 seasons. Some teams had up to 3 QB's that could legitimately start.

Steve Spurrier, a Heisman trophy winner and 1967 3rd overall draft pick of the 49ers sat for 9 seasons behind John Brodie before being a full-time starter.

Today, many new QB's get almost zero time to acclimate to the pro game, there is very little development. As a result, the list of viable options for a team that covets a good starting QB immediately is practically non-existent.

There are simply not 32 QBs who can even play near the level of a franchise QB and somehow you think a team is going to put resources into getting 2 of them?

 

[Adreme]

How many Super Bowl winners recently have had a QB not on a big contract with a stacked team around them? I don't want to just make the game...I want to win the game so please don't give teams who made the SB but didn't win.

That is not a fair comparison because you basically have Brady, and now Mahomes making that not a rational baseline to build around. If your argument is “just have Mahomes” I am sure 31 other teams would love to but that kind of player is at best once a generation.

 

[Forneymike]

That is not a fair comparison because you basically have Brady, and now Mahomes making that not a rational baseline to build around. If your argument is “just have Mahomes” I am sure 31 other teams would love to but that kind of player is at best once a generation.

If the goal is to win SBs then you need a big time QB that has to be paid. I'm not sure Lawrence or Dak are that but the idea you can roll out some kid straight out of college and win a SB is not true except for maybe an exception. No evidence over the last 10-15 years. The GM's on this site are no better than Jerry and Steven. If they ran this team, we would pick first every year and never win.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

The market price has been set. QB’s that have won a lot less than Dak are getting paid $55M per season. That is the reality.

Yep and only the owners can change it .....maybe. Perhaps they can't change it without concluding, but the NFLPA will be all over it.

 

[baltcowboy]

Dak doesn’t have Lawrence’s 1st pick pedigree or age but statistically Dak is worlds better. I do think if Lawrence, Herbert, Borrow, Dak, and Goff were all free all agents Dak would get the 4th biggest salary.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

How many Super Bowl winners recently have had a QB not on a big contract with a stacked team around them? I don't want to just make the game...I want to win the game so please don't give teams who made the SB but didn't win.

Your first mistake is to make winning the/A Super Bowl standard for getting a "big contract". NO player is given a new big contract with a Super Bowl mandate.......winning and playoffs, yes, no question but not the Super Bowl.

 

[Adreme]

If the goal is to win SBs then you need a big time QB that has to be paid. I'm not sure Lawrence or Dak are that but the idea you can roll out some kid straight out of college and win a SB is not true except for maybe an exception. No evidence over the last 10-15 years. The GM's on this site are no better than Jerry and Steven. If they ran this team, we would pick first every year and never win.

Yes but if we are talking purely about what it takes to win a Super Bowl looking at the recent winners 31 other teams should give up. They should not bother signing anyone or trying or competing because they do not have Mahomes and, this is why we do not use small sample sizes, if you dont have Mahomes or Brady you arent winning and those guys come around once a generation.

This is why we look at who is making the conference championship games and who is making Super Bowls and the situations around them. For example, the NFC tended to have more rookie QB deals but that is because, outside of Brady and Dak, there were not really any second contract guys in the NFC, and certainly not a lot of the top 10. Then in the AFC you do see a lot more rookie guys but again that is because that is where a lot of the young QBs were back then so you have Burrow and Allen in big games as well as lately Lamar and of course Mahomes, and Brady towards the end in New England.

Now whether or not you are better off using the rookie wage scale or going with the franchise guy is hard to say because while rookie QBs tend to do better they also tend to be drafted high in the first round and if you are drafting high in the first round you tend to have a lot more cheap talented players to surround said QB with. Therefore your roster is going to be more loaded because you were drafting higher. Then when you start to be successful with said young QB your draft stock gets worse and by extension the talent on rookie deals does so it is hard to say if it is the rookie QB deal or the inferior draft stock that is what seems to bring about more success.

 

[charron]

Good for TL.

 

[Flamma]

Facts, please share the facts. Tell me some Josh Allen facts (who I'm sure you think is top 3). Tell me some Dak facts... who is a mediocre QB but a MVP candidate? And if he is that loser you say he is then what does it tell you about QB's if said loser is in the running fot MVP? Fact is that you DON'T know football and are dumber than an Eagles fan...FACT!!

Dak is not an elite QB. He's not Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady. Or Dan Marino. Everyone on the planet knows this. You talk about not knowing football? You sound like someone that thought changing the pressure in a football gave a competitive advantage. That issue alone told everyone who did and didn't play football. Dak is a middling QB that needs allstar talent around him to look even decent. No way he's worth 60M a year. Maybe half that if you want to win a championship.

 

[Proof]

What an absolute moron. He can’t possibly believe that.

It's how things work unfortunately. Whether he's worth it or not, (he's not imo) isn't the matter at hand.

 

[Proof]

Unbelievable college career. Beat a Saban team to win a national championship as a teenager. First team all pro 2 years ago. Played hurt much of last year. 24 years old. Why do you think he can’t get to a SB? What a silly take.

first team all pro? where?

 

[Whyjerry]

$200 mil guaranteed but $142 FULLY guaranteed. Football is so silly.

The NBA and MLB are super, super silly.

 

[shabazz]

I remember reading an article prior to last season, where they compared Lawrence/Daniel Jones numbers and they looked identical. Lawrence was suppose to be this can't miss QB prospect and he just hasn't been good at all. Fully understand they have to hope he gets better, but most QB's either hit within the 1st 3 seasons or they don't.

I understand the comps but Trevor is more athletic and strong armed but as for between the ears it may go to Jones....Duke vs Clemson, lol

 

[CowboyStar88]

Notice that Lawrence gets no break for playing for a franchise that was bottom of the barrel. Dak however gets the excuse of not having perfection around him

That part.

 

[plasticman]

There are simply not 32 QBs who can even play near the level of a franchise QB and somehow you think a team is going to put resources into getting 2 of them?

What is a franchise quarterback and what did they do to earn that distinction?

What exactly is the level of a franchise quarterback?

How many quarterbacks being paid like franchise quarterbacks are actually playing up to that level?

How do we know that this "franchise" quarterback is the best option for the team if there are no other options? If they are so special then why do they oppose competition so often?

 

[RonnieT24]

He also hasn’t been that good, 2 years out of three…. Although, I will cut him some slack given his rookie year head coach.

Regardless of what Lawrence did in college, Dak has been far and away the better player at the NFL level. The numbers are not even remotely close no matter which one you choose to hone in on. Completion percentage? Dak's is much higher TD percentage? Dak's is much higher. INT percentage? Dak's is much lower. Yards per attempt? Dak's is much higher. Yards per game? Dak's is much higher. I know I know.. stats are for losers, what about wins and losses? Dak has won 73 and lost 41.. Lawrence has amazingly won 20 and lost 30 so clearly he is the better QB and deserving of more money. Oh wait.. I was looking at that wrong.. Lawrence has a losing record and still signed a huge deal? Geez. No wonder the Jags can't get out of their own way.

 

[FanofJerry]

All these used car trade-in salesmen telling me my vehicle isnt worth much, yet would not take the deal they are offering me if they were me...and buy my vehicle at a much higher price if they could.

This board...smh

 

[Robster8989]

Same APY as Burrow, but a lot less guaranteed money (219 to 142).
Still, for Lawrence to get the same APY as Burrow is nuts IMO. I felt Herbert was a better comp for him. Burrow is better.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Wth is tractor qb potential? Never heard of that

I stole the phrase from Twitter.



Mahomes and Josh Allen are tractor QBs. Kirk Cousins and Dak are trailer QBs.

I doubt there are more than five legit tractor QBs in the league right now. Guys who could take any offense you gave them, good bad or indifferent, and carry them to a bunch of wins. Mahomes, Lamar, Allen, Burrow... anyone else?

CJ Stroud's on that cut line, he definitely made a morsel into a meal with Houston. Herbert's shown that level of ability, but he can't translate it into wins because the Chargers are cursed to lose. I'd say Lawrence is right there with those two.

 

[DFWJC]

The guy still has massive upside, but so far we've only been teased.

His youth and first-year impossible coaching situation buys him some leeway.

All the young guys will keep one-upping each other contract-wise.

But once you get to your 2nd and 3rd large contract, and you're a bit older, I'm not sure the one-upmanship should apply unless you have serious skins on the wall.