We screwed up the Spencer Tag

[CowboysLaw87]

I'm pretty bummed about how badly we mis-read the market for pass rushers. We tagged Spencer so as to not risk losing him on the open market, and the result is a 1-year, 10.6M contract.

Kruger- 5 years, 40M = 8M/year
Avril- 2 years, 15M = 7.5M/year
Bennett- 1 year, 5M = 5M/year (obviously)

This combined with all the other short deals for reasonable money means one thing... it was such a buyer's market that guys took short, inexpensive deals so as to try the market again in the next year or two. If we simply let #93 hit the market, we'd have either been able to get him back on a cheaper 1-year deal (in the 6-8M range), are got him on a reasonable 3-5 year deal for significantly less than I thought.

Now, there's no way he'll sign an extension! He's getting more $ this year than all these other FA pass rushers by far, and will be able to re-try the market next year when the financial landscape may be more beneficial from the players' perspective.

We messed up... and it's going to cost us significant money, whether we intended to keep him for 1 year or for the long run.

 

[Future]

The thing is, Spencer is better than all of those guys. He'd get more money than Kruger from pretty much everywhere.

 

[egn22]

doesn't this actually benefit us when negotiating a long term contract for him?
the franchise price only remains if we don't work out a deal with him right?

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

doesn't this actually benefit us when negotiating a long term contract for him?
the franchise price only remains if we don't work out a deal with him right?

Ah, nice to hear a voice of reason here on CZ.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

doesn't this actually benefit us when negotiating a long term contract for him?
the franchise price only remains if we don't work out a deal with him right?

Yep...IF they can come to terms on a deal. THAT is the thing. If they try to low ball him or he just feels he wants more (no matter the current market). He could just keep this year's tag money and be a FA next year.

 

[9darter]

The thing is, Spencer is better than all of those guys.

That's the thing and nothing else. But I still don't like the tag.

 

[Stash]

doesn't this actually benefit us when negotiating a long term contract for him?
the franchise price only remains if we don't work out a deal with him right?

How is it to our advantage?

He either gets the deal he wants or he gets $10 million plus at a time when guys are getting much less.

 

[Bowdown27]

If spencer would have hit the market he would have received way more than any of them got.

 

[Risen Star]

I don't like the tag and I don't like the idea of two over 30 DEs being paid big money. This is a perfect example of why this team has given out so many bad contracts over the years.

 

[basstapp]

How is it to our advantage?

He either gets the deal he wants or he gets $10 million plus at a time when guys are getting much less.

Spencer doesn't want 10 million a year. He wants a long term deal and security with guaranteed money. Next year Spencer will be on the wrong end of 30 and might not secure a contract that he would if he signed now. I think the cowboys have plenty leverage if they want a long term deal to happen.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

The thing is, Spencer is better than all of those guys. He'd get more money than Kruger from pretty much everywhere.

At best Spencer is on the same level as Avril. I don't think most non-Cowboys-fans would say Spencer is clearly better.

 

[Risen Star]

Spencer doesn't want 10 million a year. He wants a long term deal and security with guaranteed money. Next year Spencer will be on the wrong end of 30 and might not secure a contract that he would if he signed now. I think the cowboys have plenty leverage if they want a long term deal to happen.

And that's why you don't give it to him. Because he figures to be a less productive player over the life of the new contract than he has been prior to it.

There is life after all of these players.

 

[Risen Star]

At best Spencer is on the same level as Avril. I don't think most non-Cowboys-fans would say Spencer is clearly better.

He's coming off of a career year so people are anointing him.

The fact remains he's been an underachieving player most of his career. No way would I give him a huge deal as he enters his 30's. This has bad contract written all over it.

 

[Future]

At best Spencer is on the same level as Avril. I don't think most non-Cowboys-fans would say Spencer is clearly better.

Then they don't know what they are talking about.

 

[visionary]

And that's why you don't give it to him. Because he figures to be a less productive player over the life of the new contract than he has been prior to it.

There is life after all of these players.

exactly

i laugh whenever i see fan reaction to these things saying "pay the man, he deserves it"

in football, well-run organizations pay players based on what they are expected to do over the life of the contract they are being given, not what they have done in the past

"deserve's got nothin to do with it" (clint eastwood whisper)

 

[cowboysooner]

And that's why you don't give it to him. Because he figures to be a less productive player over the life of the new contract than he has been prior to it.

There is life after all of these players.

That is why a 1 year deal is a pretty good idea. Spencer carries 90% of the risk in this scenario.

The deal that shocked me was Michael Bennett. He had good production to only get $5mm. That is the only deal so far that I would say I'd rather him than Spencer.

 

[CowboysLaw87]

doesn't this actually benefit us when negotiating a long term contract for him?
the franchise price only remains if we don't work out a deal with him right?

Right, and what I'm saying is I doubt we work out a deal with him. He'll see this "buyer's market" and see guys on his level (whether you think he's slightly better or not is fine, but still same general level) getting far less than the 10M/year average he was expecting. This likely convinces him to pocket the 10.6M this year and shoot for a big money 3 or so year deal next offseason.

Avril has averaged 9.66 sacks per year over the last 3 and is younger. I expected Avril's market value to exceed Spencer's, or be about equal. Even he couldn't get big money or a long term deal. Spencer would've likely re-signed with us for something like 1 year, 7M or 3 years, 24M... either way significantly less than what we'll give him in 2013 and beyond.

 

[Risen Star]

exactly

i laugh whenever i see fan reaction to these things saying "pay the man, he deserves it"

in football, well-run organizations pay players based on what they are expected to do over the life of the contract they are being given, not what they have done in the past

"deserve's got nothin to do with it" (clint eastwood whisper)

Right. You never pay for past performance. Something we've done consistently during the Jerrah erah.

 

[TheSport78]

He's coming off of a career year so people are anointing him.

The fact remains he's been an underachieving player most of his career. No way would I give him a huge deal as he enters his 30's. This has bad contract written all over it.

 

[Future]

Right, and what I'm saying is I doubt we work out a deal with him. He'll see this "buyer's market" and see guys on his level (whether you think he's slightly better or not is fine, but still same general level) getting far less than the 10M/year average he was expecting. This likely convinces him to pocket the 10.6M this year and shoot for a big money 3 or so year deal next offseason.

Spencer can't be expecting 10 and change per year, or he would not have signed the franchise tag. Unless he and his agents are idiots, they'll know that between 8 and 9 is what he would command on the open market, especially considering what all these guys are getting.

Nobody is going to pay him 10+ per year on a long term deal, unless he goes off for 20 sacks this year. I