Julian Peterson is a heck of a player, but $54 million? Steve Hutchinson is a super guard, but $42 million? LeCharles Bentley is a premier center, but $36 million? If you look at the contracts of the Free Agents who have been signed, I for one am grateful that our new regime is skipping the over priced players. These guys have obviously learned from others' mistakes, and realized that if you overpay for free agents, you wreck your team. Sure, if you are one or two players away from making a real Super Bowl Run, then go for it... But, Adam Archuletta - the highest paid Safety in the HISTORY of Pro Football? We seem to have two young but LEVEL HEADED guys running our team!
54 million is insanity for Peterson, 2 years removed from the achilles and a clear down season last year. At least Hutch and Bentley are among the top 3 at their respective positions. Archuleta's deal is just a total joke, a one dimensional safety making that kind of money.
I agree, but you have to remember no contracts are guaranteed in the NFL, only the signing bonuses. That is what made the Hutchinson case so debateable and in my eyes a bit shady. If he wasn't the highest paid lineman on the team this year, the rest of the contract became guaranteed. The Vikes didn't care but with Walter Jones on their team the Hawks were screwed...
Another thing is that hardly anyone of this players will complete his contract like he signed it. They will have to renegotiate like several Jets players or will be cut or traded.
Preach on GreenGuy. I knew with the free agent market average at best, that there were going to be insane deals. 42 million for a guard!!! a GUARD. Man alive. There is a clause in Hutchinson's contract to where he has to be the highest paid player on the team. Stupid stupid. But hands down worst signing for the money no doubt about it is Adam Archuleta. You nailed it on the head. Im not doing cart wheels for Chathman but Kimo Von was a solid sign. He will bring great experience and great play. We will be pleased with him. Cant ask for much more than that. There are still a few more moves to do though, I am sitting patient because that is what you have to do in this game. I have a feeling we will come out winners but I am pleased what we have done so far. Even if that means no moves at all. All I want is to just keep on signing solid players and matching the money to that.
I agree GG...and the FAKLINS can KICK ROCKS!!!! 2nd rounder for a 1st round pro bowler who's only 27 a SACK MASTER
It's funny that some people see the reality of things and that it's not always good to overpay for someone yet there are many as we especially saw in years past who jump all over the FO for not signing every top FA in the market.
You don't pay that much money to guards or centers. That is ludicrous. You can develop guards and centers and build a solid offensive line on cohesion and teamwork after a few years. Skill position players are where money should be devoted, because they have it or they don't. It might be different if we were talking about franchise left tackles, but we're talking about a guard and a center. -X-
I think its reasonable to pay that much money to tackles and centers but I agree about the insanity of overpaying to such an extreme for a friggin guard. The Peterson contract was awful......52 million for a guy who hasnt played at a pro bowl level since 2003. Still, the worst contract of the offseason was the one given to Archuleta...he isnt anything more than mediocre.
That makes it even worse. Base salaries are usually pretty low, and when you make the contract you're expecting to spread out the salary for cap reasons. You cut the player, and they count even more. Instead of a 5 year $50M contract, if the player doesn't "complete" and you cut them in 3 years, it becomes a 3 year $45M contract, with you being on the hook for $10M of salary cap hit for that year. Unless a player is coming off severe injury or is old and wants to help the team, usually a top player will just flat out refuse to renegotiate, and force you to make the cut. Then they can go sign another contract with another signing bonus, so they make even more money. Just look at the Patriots model, and the Eagles model. Those are the models you want to follow. Not the Bradway model that obviously didn't work. It took the Patriot model to fix the Bradway model, so why not just start with the right model in the first place?
Most of the bigtime FAs won't accept the contracts of the Patriots model, so just like for TO, they will receive a big signing bonus anyway, while the team will recveive a cap hit.
hey it's worked for the patriots and for cincinatti so if thats who we are molding our selves after im all for it. spending a ton of money on freeagents hasnt done anything for washington has it?
Regarding Archuleta, criticize the $10M signing bonus if you want, but not the rest - total NFL contract numbers (6 years, $20M) are a joke, since only one year is guaranteed. Peterson did not get $54M; he's guaranteed only $18.5M. Hutchinson didn't get $42M; he's guaranteed only $16M (although the clause about being the highest paid O lineman on the team is a little odd). Bentley didn't get $36M; he's guaranteed only $12.5M. Having said that, I agree completely with the point of this thread.
Actually if you cut them after three years it usually looks like a 3 year 20 million (because of the escalating salaries in the back end) And yes you probably have a huge cap hit the year you cut someone, but less than if you kept them.
Not to mention one with a back as bad as our QBs shoulder. I'd be surprised if Archuleta was playing in 3 years.
I think the Peterson signing should wake Abraham up...he has a serious chance to get to the Super Bowl with Seattle...I'm pretty sure Atlanta has NO chance. And Seattle just showed that they are willing to pay big money for a player of his quality...I guarantee Seattle can beat Atlanta's contract offer..wake up and smell the coffe Abe..or you'll be stuck with us again!
Does anyone remember what the Ellis contract was? As I recall, Abe was offered the same terms as Ellis but turned it down. I'd be interested to learn how the Jets offer that Abe turned down compares with what has been rumored to be the Falcons agreement with Abe.
