You dont pay a player until you have to

[john van brocklin]

In the world of the NFL salary cap era.
I hope Jerry learned his lesson extending Rat and Barber when they still had years left on their contracts.
You especialy don't do it when Jay was close to 30 and Barber played the kind of physical running back style that has a very short shelf life in the NFL.

The only smart extentions when a player has years left on their contract is at QB, if you have a really good one like Jerry did with Romo.

 

[Nightman]

In the world of the NFL salary cap era.
I hope Jerry learned his lesson extending Rat and Barber when they still had years left on their contracts.
You especialy don't do it when Jay was close to 30 and Barber played the kind of physical running back style that has a very short shelf life in the NFL.

The only smart extentions when a player has years left on their contract is at QB, if you have a really good one like Jerry did with Romo.

That is a good way to lose a lot of young players. By signing them early you usually get a discount and get to pro-rate their any signing bonus over the remaining years that you were going to pay anyways. I hope you realize that the Ratliff deal was in Dallas' favor in terms of the cap and guaranteed money.

 

[Jenky]

In the world of the NFL salary cap era.
I hope Jerry learned his lesson extending Rat and Barber when they still had years left on their contracts.
You especialy don't do it when Jay was close to 30 and Barber played the kind of physical running back style that has a very short shelf life in the NFL.

The only smart extentions when a player has years left on their contract is at QB, if you have a really good one like Jerry did with Romo.

So no to Dez Bryant?

Calvin Johnson
3/13/2012: Signed an eight-year, $150.5 million contract. The deal contains $60 million guaranteed, including a $16 million signing bonus, all of Johnson's base salaries in years one through four, and $9 million of his 2016 salary. 2013: $715,000 (+ $20 million option bonus + $4.285 million "signing" bonus), 2014: $5 million, 2015: $12.5 million, 2016: $15.95 million, 2017: $16.5 million, 2018: $17 million ($3.5 million guaranteed if team "buys back" final two years), 2019: $18.25 million, 2020: Free Agent

 

[AbeBeta]

By the time you "have to" you end up bidding against other teams. That can drive prices way up. See Doug Free.

 

[SWG9]

So no to Dez Bryant?

Calvin Johnson
3/13/2012: Signed an eight-year, $150.5 million contract. The deal contains $60 million guaranteed, including a $16 million signing bonus, all of Johnson's base salaries in years one through four, and $9 million of his 2016 salary. 2013: $715,000 (+ $20 million option bonus + $4.285 million "signing" bonus), 2014: $5 million, 2015: $12.5 million, 2016: $15.95 million, 2017: $16.5 million, 2018: $17 million ($3.5 million guaranteed if team "buys back" final two years), 2019: $18.25 million, 2020: Free Agent

I would really think twice about handing a WR that kind of money. They just aren't that essential, and that includes Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant.

These are the kind of hard decisions that you have to make because you just can't retain everyone without paying some kind of penalty down the road.

 

[DogFace]

I would really think twice about handing a WR that kind of money. They just aren't that essential, and that includes Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant.

These are the kind of hard decisions that you have to make because you just can't retain everyone without paying some kind of penalty down the road.

Wrong.

 

[roughneck266]

As pass happy as the league has become I don't see how wide receivers arent essential. The rules have been tailored for that very thing.

 

[cowboyschmps3]

Is it time for Dez?

 

[Corso]

I would really think twice about handing a WR that kind of money. They just aren't that essential, and that includes Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant.

These are the kind of hard decisions that you have to make because you just can't retain everyone without paying some kind of penalty down the road.

How are WR's not essential?

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Why wasn't everyone upset when we extended Lee a few months ago? A 27-year old who's never had a healthy season and is switching to a new scheme. What say the geniuses on that one?

 

[john van brocklin]

Why wasn't everyone upset when we extended Lee a few months ago? A 27-year old who's never had a healthy season and is switching to a new scheme. What say the geniuses on that one?

I did not like the Lee extention AT ALL.
Here was a guy who has missed playing time every year he has been in the NFL, and had college injury issues as well.
He had played well, but was not a pro bowler and we paid him mega bucks, not a good decision.
I like Lee, and he has potential, but you pay performance, not potential.

 

[Vintage]

I did not like the Lee extention AT ALL.
Here was a guy who has missed playing time every year he has been in the NFL, and had college injury issues as well.
He had played well, but was not a pro bowler and we paid him mega bucks, not a good decision.
I like Lee, and he has potential, but you pay performance, not potential.

Everyone pays potential.

 

[john van brocklin]

Everyone pays potential.

Who is everyone ?
Maybe draft picks , but after that first contract is up you don't pay potential squat !

 

[Vintage]

Who is everyone ?
Maybe draft picks , but after that first contract is up you don't pay potential squat !

Everyone is every single team.

 

[john van brocklin]

Everyone is every single team.

I agree with draft picks, but that is it.

 

[Nightman]

Who is everyone ?
Maybe draft picks , but after that first contract is up you don't pay potential squat !

Ratliff wasn't potential. He was producing at a Pro Bowl level. Your way has everybody but rookies and the QB on one year deals. No thanks.

 

[john van brocklin]

I have no problem paying a younger player like Dez a big contract , because his production warrents it, and he is young enough to hopefully avoid a lot of injuries older players over 30 get do to the wear and tear of the game.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I have no problem paying a younger player like Dez a big contract , because his production warrents it, and he is young enough to hopefully avoid a lot of injuries older players over 30 get do to the wear and tear of the game.

Me and you seem to be on the same page about Sean Lee and Dez Bryant. For some reason, it seems like you can criticize every player on this team except for Sean Lee. I understand that fans love him because he brings great leadership, a great mindset, and that old-school lunch-pail tenacity. But he hasn't done nearly enough to deserve all the praise. He was beginning to show signs of being a Pro Bowl caliber player (before injuries derail his chance to shine every single season) but he never really reached that level. He's not as proven around the league as Dallas fans seem to think. He's also about to be 28. Dez, on the other hand, is already at a Pro Bowl level, is getting better every year, is only 24, and has never had injury problems. I agree with the OP's point of this thread that you don't pay a player until you have to, but I also agree that are some guys you pay no matter what. If you have a Tom Brady/Peyton Manning/Aaron Rodgers, you pay him no matter what. Same goes for if you have a Calvin Johnson/Adrian Peterson. Same goes for a Demarcus Ware/Jarred Allen when they were younger. And I would say same goes for a Dez Bryant at 24 years old. But I would NOT say same goes for an unproven Sean Lee who's about to be 28.

 

[SWG9]

How are WR's not essential?

Productive WR's are relatively easy to find and relatively cheap. There are solid producers on the market at a fair price every year.

If it were me, I would rather have a deep and diverse group of solid, but not spectacular WR's and allocate the premium resources (money, draft picks) elsewhere.

Essential might have been the wrong word, but I definitely wouldn't place a premium on WR's.

 

[SWG9]

Ratliff wasn't potential. He was producing at a Pro Bowl level. Your way has everybody but rookies and the QB on one year deals. No thanks.

But he wasn't on a one year deal, he still had 2 years remaining on his last (team friendly extension). That's part of the OP's point; you don't always have to rush into big extensions for some of these older guys when there's no pressing need to.