Yeah this kind of discussion really seems to be from people that dont understand the business of football.
There is never a negotiation that is "well you're the 3rd best LT / DE / QB in football so we will only pay you the 3rd most"
Remember JC Horn, he was the highest paid CB in football for like 5 minutes, now he's is like #5. This offseason he will be #15. No point stressing about this.