This is not possible. The player's salary cannot be reduced by more than 50% following the uncapped year. Bonus money is included in this calculation.
No offense to the Mangold love but as good as Mangold is, Brick is more important. A good LT is way more difficult to find then a good center. They should lock both up no doubt. But lets put things in perspective. Edit: So no dummies and stroke victims start creating an argument that isn't there. I am not saying Brick is better at his position. I am saying his position is more important, more difficult to fill and much more expensive.
Ok I will bite........ It's a fact that a center is a more easily replaced than an LT. But fire away why is the center more valuable? What basis in fact is your opinion formed on? Because of Shaun O'hara's value or Adam Koets?
Puck, nobody is really wrong or right here. The O-line would be seriously damaged if it lost either one of those guys. I see your point that a LT is harder to replace, but Mangold is the better overall player. I agree.
That is fine. You get my point, is not to argue which is the better player @ his position as that is a silly argument to date. Just you can not rush into contracts because this is an uncapped year. No one knows how they are going to account for signing and roster bonus's. They can all be accelerated and create huge cap problems. To not do that would give an insanely unfair advantage to teams with owners that can afford to open their wallets. If the NFL has shown anything it has shown a willingness to do just the opposite.
The problem with front loading contracts is, as we have seen with TJ, that players have short memories when it comes to the deals they sign and if you sign someone to a 5 year deal heavily loaded to the first two years you know that come year 4 they are going to be looking at their wageslip and saying "hmm I am sure I used to get more than this - more money please!"
The problem with greedy owners is that they backload contracts while the player is putting his career on the line everyday then 2 years down the line when they are due their $$$ it's " HEY! Go fuk yourself and thanx!" because they get lowballed and cut. I had no problem w/ how TJ handled his business because while he got paid, he produced. Then he wanted more money all the while he still played and produced.
Not really because everyone, including the players, knows that those are fictional figures down the line that are never going to get paid, e.g. $12m roster bonuses at the end of year 5 etc. And with TJ, I dont think its a case of being grateful to him, he struck a deal and he got very well paid, he should not have been expecting for more money until the deal had run its course. Edit: the only people I have have sympathy with a low round draft picks who perform far and away above expectations and are stuck on a 4 or 5 year deal paying very little.
We do have to be careful front loading contracts. Someone in the Revis thread said something like pay Revis $60 million in the uncapped year and then 5 million a year after that for 6 years. If a player gets the majority of his money up front and then gets paid peanuts compared to the first year for the next 5 years, he has little incentive to play his best and improve.
There are 1-3 LT's of Ferguson's calibre in the 1st round of every draft. A Nick Mangold comes around once every 5-10 years. I think we're overvaluing Brick here. I'd put him in the 5-10 range. Out of 32 teams, I'm sure there are 9 other starters that could fill his shoes. Mangold is already better than Mawae ever was, or at least right there, and Mawae was considered to be the best in his prime. Maybe you're just forgetting how important that is because the Jets have had the best center in the league for almost a decade... On a side note, did anyone else notice how much bigger Mangold is compared to Mawae. I never really realized what a monster he is. And Moose is right about the uncapped year. There are restrictions in place to keep frontloading to a minimum.
You are arguing the player. As a whole Lt is a much more diffcult/expensive position to fill. Mangold might be a future Hall of Famer. That doesn't negate the fact that LT is a much more difficult position and valuable position to fill. Nobody is over rating Brick. However, a player that can protect the blind side is most important and Brick can. This is the last I will say in this..... look @ draft position of Lt's vs Centers. It pretty much proves what I have been voicing. NFC: Giants: LT- 5th rd, C-UDFA Dallas- both 2nd rnd Eagles- both UDFA Redskins- Lt-1st, C-3rd Bears- LT-1st, C-3rd Lions- LT-1st, C-2nd Packers- LT-2nd, C-7th Vikings- LT-1st, C-6th Falcons- LT-1st, C-7th Panthers- LT-1st, C-2nd Saints- LT-1st, C-5th Bucs- LT-UDFA, C-1st Cards- LT-3rd, C-UDFA 49ers- LT-1st, C-7th Seahawks- both 1st. Rams- Lt 1st, C-4th AFC: Jets- Both 1st Pats- LT-2nd, C-5th Fins- LT-1st, C-2nd Bills- Both 5th Ravens- LT 5th/1st, C-6th Bengals- LT-2nd, C-UDFA Browns- Both 1st Steelers- LT-3rd, C-6th Texans- LT-1st, C-6th Colts- LT-2nd/6th, C-UDFA Jags- LT-1st, C-2nd Titans-both 2nds Broncos- LT-1st, C-UDFA Chiefs- LT-1st, C-UDFA Raiders- LT-3rd, C-2nd Chargers- LT-2nd, C-3rd
I know there is such a high value on LTs because they're out there on an island but if we do not have a good center then it really doesn't matter who we have at LT. Defenses don't put their best player on the edge because it is the easiest way to get to the QB. The shortest distance to the quarterback is right up the center.
It is difficult to argue the point without making like Mangold is easy to replace. Not saying that. Just stating that it is the same with Brick. The Jets will find it more expensive and inefficient to replace him. I will say that a just below Elite LT is about equal in importance to a future hall of fame Center. That is just the facts of their respective positions. They both are improving still. I think both have gotten better and better each year and have proved durable. It would be difficult not to sign either for a very long time.
