Why I stopped caring about Player Contracts

[DeaconMoss]

That isn't how QB's get paid. The next one always gets more than the last one. Been that way for years. Lamar, Burrow, Herbert will be next.

I am still predicting LJ to San Fran. He's a super bowl QB in that offense

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

The Cowboys have proven that they can keep who they want to keep by restructuring deals, and extending contracts. Then, if a player stops playing to his contract, they have enough flexibility to cut him (see Zeke Elliott) and absorb the CAP hit. I used to keep a huge spread sheet tracking each player salary, and CAP hits by year. But the money has gotten crazy with the new TV contracts, so it doesn't really matter anymore. Is Jalen Hurts worth 2-1/2 times Peyton Manning when he joined Denver in 2013? Just 10 years ago? Of course not. But it doesn't matter.

The Cowboys pay a staff of accountants to strategize on CAP management. So, since the money is ridiculous, and since the Cowboys can keep whomever they want to keep, why do fans need to care at all? Of course Dak isn't worth $40M/ year. But Diggs isn't worth $20M/year either. It's not my money. And the salaries are ridiculous. I've stopped caring. It's all click bait to me, and I'm not going to bite.

I think the main problem is that NFL contracts have become so bloated and difficult to understand that almost no one is able to comment on them with any degree of actual knowledge unless they spend all day crunching the numbers. NFL contracts have a face value that is reported to the media, but in reality vary wildly in their actual annual cap hit, true number of years, restructurability, etc.

This is what has led to the perception that "the cap does not exist" and teams like the Eagles can continue to sign mega contracts from a seemingly endless pool of cap space. The cap acrobatics that modern NFL teams employ are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to decipher.

This is why I try not to bother caring about what contract a player is signed to since 90% of the time, the actual impact to the longterm fiscal position of the team would take me all afternoon to figure out.

 

[Flamma]

Also keep in mind, the more playoff teams they keep adding, the more teams will sign slightly above average QBs to big contracts. These owners are just happy making the playoffs. Their investment is paying off. Fans are the ones that want to see championships.

 

[Smith22]

uncertainty is better than a Hail Mary shot taken by over paying average QB talent hoping that the rest of the team can carry a team’s average talented QB.

You can't be serious. Look at the Ravens points per game with and without Lamar at QB. I can understand knocking him for injuries, but he is a playmaker on offense.

And please tell me which players carried him on offense. They let his best WR leave town and they have a miserable record when it comes to drafting WRs. He had less to work with last year than Dak........

 

[glimmerman]

The Cowboys have proven that they can keep who they want to keep by restructuring deals, and extending contracts. Then, if a player stops playing to his contract, they have enough flexibility to cut him (see Zeke Elliott) and absorb the CAP hit. I used to keep a huge spread sheet tracking each player salary, and CAP hits by year. But the money has gotten crazy with the new TV contracts, so it doesn't really matter anymore. Is Jalen Hurts worth 2-1/2 times Peyton Manning when he joined Denver in 2013? Just 10 years ago? Of course not. But it doesn't matter.

The Cowboys pay a staff of accountants to strategize on CAP management. So, since the money is ridiculous, and since the Cowboys can keep whomever they want to keep, why do fans need to care at all? Of course Dak isn't worth $40M/ year. But Diggs isn't worth $20M/year either. It's not my money. And the salaries are ridiculous. I've stopped caring. It's all click bait to me, and I'm not going to bite.

IMO hurts isn’t worth what Dak got. But like you said soon the money will be flowing. QB contracts are always going to be stupid. But wait till we pay Parsons. He will set a new record if he plays up to it. And dont be surprised if he holds out early. Also won’t be surprised if Elliot is playing for us this season.

 

[MyFairLady]

Uncertainty can be your friend. It can be an opportunity. You just really never know.

In my opinion, uncertainty is better than a Hail Mary shot taken by over paying average QB talent hoping that the rest of the team can carry a team’s average talented QB.

Dak himself is the perfect example of this. In 2016 he was an uncertainty and as it turned out it was his best chance so far. Plenty of examples of this out there such as Brock Purdy. Also plenty of examples of overpaid average QBs holding a team back.

 

[Smith22]

That still doesn’t make it a great idea. I realize that you either pay them or let them walk. But sometimes you have to make the hard decision.

The Ravens did it right, in my opinion, with Lamar Jackson. Teams are not beating down the door to sign Jackson away from the Ravens.

Of course, next season the Ravens would be paying 20 percent more for the same situation next year. So that’s going to become a factor. But the Ravens get a price break this year.

The injury risk also falls on the player more than the team on the tag. If Jackson suffers a career ending injury this year, he has cost himself a mountain of money.

Now being reported by NFLN they have reached a deal with Lamar. I'm curious to see the numbers.