The only thing worse than not having an elite franchise QB...

I was just kidding around man. I was being a sarcastic ass but I was being a sarcastic ass in general, not directed towards you. You're good I wasn't trying to disagree with your posts or anything

 

Getting paid 100 mill to be mediocre at a job is every American's dream. God bless these men. Just kidding. No I'm not. Just kidding. Maybe.

 

I'm not sure you can say that. Sanchez has played pretty well in the playoffs and both AFC championship games we lost were not his fault.

(Ind game) 17 of 30 with 257 passing yards 2 TD's 1 Int (93.3 qb rating)
(Pit game) 20 of 33 with 233 passing yards 2 TD's 0 Int (102.2 q rating)

 

Teams do this because they fear being in the situation the Jets are in where everything else is held hostage by QB mediocrity.

Nothing good comes from moves prompted by fear. It's a reactionary posture to be in with mostly downside built into the equation.

 

Steelers are amazing at finding wide receiver talent - wherever it's Plaxico or Sanders, they continue to produce. Even Mike Wallace was a good prospect for them. 2005, and 2008 they had a great defenses - especially 2005 where Big Ben did little to nothing in the Superbowl. I think you make a good argument about Ben being an elite QB, I may have to change my opinion on that - I think a lot of credit goes to that defense early in his career, and Todd Haley for changing the way he plays the game.

 

I can't say I blame teams, though.

The contracts are overpayment for QB's like that, but what can you do? Let him walk or trade and then risk being having a complete bottom of the barrel type QB play?

 

For sure. Early on in his career he was nowhere near an elite quarterback but he's moved to be one ever since the rape incident. It seems like he screwed his head on after that.

Sanders is really the only receiver to ever go on and be as productive as he had been with Big Ben. It helps that the Steelers draft perfect to his strengths in speedy down the field threats (similar to what the Ravens do with Flacco). These are down the field big play throwers.

Haley has helped him use the short play to set up the big ones in combining a lot of quick hitters with down the field throws.

His problem along with that team is that they are so all over the place with how they play week to week. They lost to the Buccs, Jets, Browns, Saints and barely beat the Titans and the Jags while blowing out the Colts, Ravens once, Panthers and Bengals.

It's tough to get a read on the Steelers and Roethlisberger because they play down to bad teams and up to good teams so I can understand why his inconsistency could potentially push him out of the elite category for some people.

 

Teams are also realizing that the cap is expanding pretty fast, largely in order to accommodate the new normal, which is going to be $20 million+ a year for a "starting" quality Qb. I don't think it's a move based on fear but on a realist view of how the Qb position works regarding their small supply and overwhelmingly huge demand.

I can't really blame the Panthers or Dolphins for signing their guys this off-season. It's going to be really interesting watching the Seahawks-Wilson conversation unfold, however.

 

I agree with you about Cam Newton problem is Goodell has lowered the bar so much that now 9-7 teams can reach/win Super Bowls. The passing rules have leveled the playing field between superstar QBs and average-above average QBs.

The Panthers have won a division title, they made the playoffs with Cam.

It can get worse MUCH worse at the QB position it's a no brainer for them.

 

When you overpay for something you overpaid for it. The cap is real. It's a competitive limitation on a team's overall prospects.

The interesting thing is that when a team makes a real commitment to a player like Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan they put a huge amount of pressure on the teams that actually have a great young QB. If Flacco is worth $20M a year what is Andrew Luck actually worth?

 

I guess the going rate for above average Qbs is about 20 mil per which is what Cam got. I think the next guy who is going to get it is going to be Rivers. I'm sure it was a tough call for Carolina. The guy has great talent but hasn't played up to it.

 

I think one guy who was expected to be in this 20 mil per stratosphere is RG3. But it's not even 100% certain he will be the starter this year in Wash. Next year (2016) is his 5 year option year and he is due to get 16 mil. If there is a battle between Griffin and Gruden you would have to think Griffin could win. Not sure their owner would back up a 2nd year HC (after he's let go so many). So it'll be interesting to see what transpires there this season. He has the talent to be elite.

 

The Russell Wilson situation is the most fascinating one upcoming. The Seahawks starting left tackle (Okung, a good one), 3 - technique (Mebane), nose tackles (Rubin, McDaniel), middle linebacker (Wagner) and outside pass rusher (Irvin) are all free agents. This along with all of their lower depth chart corners (Lane, Blackmon) and two of their three top receivers (Kearse, Lockette).

They will essentially have to dismantle the team and let most of these free agents go especially Okung, and Wagner.

It would be pretty awesome to see them do something outrageous like pay Wilson an absurd amount of money every other year while making like a million while the other guys get paid.

 

That would be hilarious if they paid RG3 20M

 

Well, they will have to make a decision on him. And he's due 16 mil in 2016. If he has a breakout season this year they'll probably give him the deal. But he's regressed after a great start. Not impossible he could reverse that.

 

the combo of Gruden and RGIII doesn't seem to mesh well, from both a scheme and personality standpoint.
Redskins are in a bad situation imo.. i can see RGIII moving on, AND a new coach brought in.
the GM has already changed.

 

i can't imagine how they will fairly compensate Luck.
they better hope he is satisfied getting a similar pay day even tho he is WAY better a QB than Newton, etc..

 

I think the answer is that Luck will be worth the $20M+ a year and almost no other QB's are worth that. I don't know that he'll see it that way but paying your QB a 7th of your cap is ridiculous. Put him out there with a team that is 89% as good as the other teams aside from him and that becomes clear.

Colts-Pats last year. Luck was the more valuable QB even matched against one of the best of all time but his team got crushed because the Pats roster was better top to bottom than the Colts.

 

I guess the team's that pay for these players have to hope that these guys are good enough to at least get their teams to the playoffs somewhat consistently and then remain good enough after they've made all their money and are in their mid to late thirties to want to take Brady like paycuts and gear up to go get rings.

I think it ends up depending on how good/bad the rest of the team is surrounding these players. It could end up looking like the fact that teams like the Panthers should let their Cam Newton type players walk and go 2-14 to grab a top 2 pick. I don't like the philosophy at all but it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the league learns from the team's now paying their Tannehill's, Daltons and Newton's.

It's what makes the league cyclical. While it's geared towards passing and is considered a passing league do teams end up seeing the downside of paying that much for mediocre quarterbacks and move to place all their funds in the running game and defense?

I'm convinced the Seahawks are going to do something innovative with Wilson's contract because that's Carrolls style. It might just be about coaxing the player into doing whatever it is they want to do.