The upcoming dumbest day of the year

[CobraKai]

Just want to put this out there before everyone starts bellyaching about how awful it is that we can't sign Rodger Saffold or some shit. It's from last season but you'll get the picture.

http://grantland.com/features/bill-barnwell-first-day-nfl-free-agency/

Those inquiries begin in Indianapolis, where Jim Irsay took to Twitter with 23 exclamation points before revealing that his organization had signed Donald Thomas!!!!!!!!!!!! and Lawrence Sidbury!!!!!!!!!!!! The terms on those two contracts aren’t yet public at the time of writing, but the three deals by the Colts for which financial figures were released were among the most curious contracts of the day. Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus got $34 million over five years, with a $10 million bonus forming part of his to-be-announced guarantee, and Cardinals cornerback Greg Toler took home $15 million over three years to presumably serve as a starter across from the re-signed Darius Butler.

What was truly shocking was the the four-year, $16 million deal Indianapolis gave to Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden. Last seen befuddled and terrified at the sight of Colin Kaepernick and the Pistol in the NFC divisional round, Walden was a practice-squad journeyman who caught on as an injury replacement during Green Bay’s Super Bowl run. He was below average in 2011, couldn’t find a long-term deal around the league, and was only a starter in 2012 because the guy the Packers drafted to replace him (Nick Perry) got hurt. The guy he traded reps with during that Super Bowl run, Frank Zombo, was not tendered by the Packers on Tuesday and now is available on the market. Zombo is arguably every bit as good as Walden is, if not better, so why is one of those two players going to get a league-minimum offer while the other one gets $4 million per year? Because Erik Walden signed on the opening day of free agency. That’s why.

The teams making moves mostly have one thing in common: They’re not paying their quarterback(s) a lot of money. The Colts have one of the best contracts in football under center, with Andrew Luck getting about $4.5 million per year for the next three seasons. Ryan Tannehill isn’t a finished product, but his average cap hit over the next three years is less than $3.5 million. And the Seahawks are the quintessential example of being able to leverage your savings at quarterback elsewhere; Russell Wilson’s contract maxes out with a cap hit of just $950,000 in the fourth and final year of his deal, and that’s not due until 2015. That’s going to allow the Seahawks to spend liberally elsewhere, which is exactly what they did in trading for Percy Harvin and locking him up to a five-year, $67 million deal with $25.5 million guaranteed. This will continue to be a big story in the coming years: When a team hits the jackpot on a rookie quarterback, it’s going to be much easier to build around that passer than it was in recent years, when a quarterback drafted in the top 10 would be tying up significant cap holds from day one.

The Ravens also lost outside linebacker Paul Kruger on Tuesday, as the division-rival Browns ponied up $40 million over five years with $20 million guaranteed to try to finally bring a pass rusher to Cleveland. Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, they’ve averaged 1.96 sacks per game, which places them dead last in the league. They’ve had only two instances of a player reaching double digits in sacks, so you can understand their interest in Kruger, who had 12 sacks over Baltimore’s final 12 games (including the playoffs) last season. To justify his price tag, Kruger will need to produce as an every-down linebacker in Cleveland

4.5 sacks in 2013

etc etc

 

[boozeman]

Just want to put this out there before everyone starts bellyaching about how awful it is that we can't sign Rodger Saffold or some shit. It's from last season but you'll get the picture.

http://grantland.com/features/bill-barnwell-first-day-nfl-free-agency/

The only thing I will be bellyaching about is if we sign Hatcher back with Ware's money. That would be horrible.

Other than that, this is going to be a boring free agency period. Most teams are re-signing their own top talent.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Like I was like oh hey we can save $1.5m by cutting Parnell but then I was like wait wtf who would I rather have for a measley $1.5M.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Then again micheal Bennett signed for like 1yr$/4M

 

[Sheik]

I hope ware goes to Seattle or SF.

 

[Jon88]

Like I was like oh hey we can save $1.5m by cutting Parnell but then I was like wait wtf who would I rather have for a measley $1.5M.

And that's why we're in cap hell. Paying someone 1.5 mil to ride the bench when you can be paying a 1, 2, or 3rd year player for less than half.

That's what happens when you suck at drafting. You overpay people because you can't afford to lose them.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

I think Parnell is good he's worth it IMO

 

[CobraKai]

And it's gonna be even stupider since the cap went up so much.

Somehow against all odds we are saving ourselves from ourselves.

 

[Jon88]

I think Parnell is good he's worth it IMO

Not if he doesn't play he's not.

This team needs to learn how to draft offensive lineman. We've hit on 5 in 20 years. That's ridiculous.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Eh good insurance free is fkn weird plus they could trade free for like a safety and start Parnell if he looks good. Free was a bargain

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

How about make the franchise tag worth the average salary of the top 3 earners at your position

 

[CobraKai]

I mean we used to pay LP Ladoceur that much money basically. It's 1.1% of the cap. I think you're being dramatic.

 

[Jon88]

I mean we used to pay LP Ladoceur that much money basically. It's 1.1% of the cap. I think you're being dramatic.

That's because Jerry thought long snappers were the 3rd most important position on the team.

It's not good business to pay backups over a milion a year if they aren't going to play more than 5 snaps a season. It helps when you learn to draft like New England and when to let players go, like New England. I'll be glad when they get around to learning that.

We pay Kyle Orton $3 million a year and he comes in for Romo and sucks ass. We could be paying a young guy with upside 1/10th of that and get the same results.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

That's what's funny is like we're pissed we're over the cap but we also know we're overpaying so many guys. Darrenn McFadden would just break our hearts anyways

 

[CobraKai]

Kyle Orton almost got us to the playoffs. Do you even remember Stephen McGee?

 

[Jon88]

That's what's funny is like we're pissed we're over the cap but we also know we're overpaying so many guys. Darrenn McFadden would just break our hearts anyways

Jerry is proud to be overpaying backups. I heard him say it.

 

[Jon88]

Kyle Orton almost got us to the playoffs. Do you even remember Stephen McGee?

No he did not. He sucked. What about Stephen McGee? Why can't we be like these other teams who have backups with upside? Then we can trade them for a high pick or keep them as starters.

Instad Jerry wants to pay that 31 year old fag $3 million a season and he sucks.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Like who ?

 

[Jon88]

Like who ?

We need to start drafting QBs like other teams do. QBs like Stephen McGee won't cut it.

 

[CobraKai]

It almost never works. And then you've wasted a draft pick on someone who can't contribute and can barely run the second team in camp, so all your young wideouts don't have a chance in hell.

I'm not saying we shouldn't do it, I'm just saying your magical land of lets draft this guy late then turn him around for picks is a pipe dream. For every Matt Cassell there are 856 Kevin O'Connell's.