The fact is Vernon was paid as a top of the market DE. That's not opinion but fact. He made more than any other non QB in 2016. That's all-pro money, which supports my original point - that you think is flawed based only on your conjecture. He made more than Miller, more than Watt, more than Suh, more than Houston - all of whom set the market previously. The market will be re-set the next time a premier d-lineman comes up for a new contract, but until that happens, Vernon's contract is the standard - and the top of the market.
oliver vernon was paid in free agency and i believe he was neither a probowler or an all pro.
when was the last time a probowler or an all pro edge allowed to reach free agency???
you say he is making all pro money, but the level of all pro money has not been established in free agency.
salaries go up when there is a shortage of talent and a surplus of money.
that is just life.
just like google raised the salaries of their top programmer almost by 100% 3 years ago from around 200k to around 400k.
to everyone else, it seems extravagant.
but that is the price people pay.
most of us are on the outside looking in.