A closer look at top NFL contracts by position

[shaqattaq]

2 hours ago, KB_fan said:

The dilemma quickly becomes obvious.  We already have 6 positions with players in the top 10 salaries at their position.  But given our roster depth, we've got more such players who need re-signing very soon.  If their play continues on a 2015-level, I'd argue that KK, Norwell and Turner all deserve top 10 money.

• KK:  about $15 million per year.
• Norwell & Turner could each command $7.5 million
• Oher might be a bargain given his good fit with our team and coaches and his age.  Maybe he is worth about $6 - 7 million per year.
• CJ, Addison & Ealy, it's a bit hard to predict, but two of these DEs could easily command $20 million between them if they play well.
• If KB turns into the star we think he can be, he'd easily be looking at $13 million per year.
• Kurt Coleman played like a top 10 safety last year.... If we want to pay him like one next year, that's another $6 - 7 million.

in my humble opinion (which is worth less than a mediocre fullback's salary):

KK belongs up there with Suh, Cox, Dareus, and McCoy. He will get (and deserve) at least 16.5 for 5 years, which would be a bargain.

Turner is going to be a perennial pro-bowler for years to come, he'll get paid as such. that may not bode well for Norwell as guards are easily draftable in later rounds. Unless he is willing to work at a bugget rate (which I hope because I frikkin love that guy)

Oher ($6-7mil) and Remmers ($4-5 mil) are both going to get team friendly contracts. Oher, because he's made his money already and likes it here, and remmers because he's about to usurped at RT and will become a damn good lifetime back up.

CJ will sign another short term, team friendly deal to retire a Panther. Addison is a 1 trick pony who won't demand a lot of money. he could get stolen by another team, but isn't a big loss, his replacement is already on the team somewhere (Cox, DeLaire). Ealy will get a huge contract if he continues to play like he did last season. $15-16 mil wouldn't be a stretch, hopefully G-man finds a way to keep him wit us.

Pay KB, another perennial pro-bowler  if his rookie year is any indication. Ginn, Brown, and Hill are all due also, but I have no idea of their value yet. If Hill has the break out season we all hope he has, he may be snatched up by another team next year. Then again, we may cut him before the season starts. The same can be said for Brown, and, to a lesser extent, Ginn. Ginn has already left chasing a pay day once, and it didn't turn out well for him, so he's likely to be team friendly when he's negotiating; plus he's old.

$6-7 mil for Coleman? I can see that. He played well last year, but is changing positions this season, so we'll see how he fares.

[shaqattaq]

1 hour ago, top dawg said:

Interesting. 

I have alluded to the opinion before that I believe that Getty is in the same mold of Billy B when it comes to player contracts and his system (a.k.a. the Patriot way). I feel that the culture of compromise and sacrifice in order to be a part of a stronger and greater team that ultimately leads to winning is something that is instilled in players if not expressly, quite naturally just by being in an atmosphere that breeds brotherhood. Part of the philosophy is that no one player is greater or stronger than the brotherhood. I feel that Getty feels that if a player wants to be here---part of this excellence---then they will not upset the apple cart by demanding top dollars, but good money that will afford them an opportunity to stay here and be a part of this special system. 

I don't believe Gettleman is ever going to sacrifice the greater good of the team by putting more money than he feels is fair into a player, no matter who they are or whether or not they can command a greater salary on the open market. I believe that players know (or will know) that if you want to be a Panther, then you aren't going to break the bank---Gettleman's budget---to be here. 

All that being said, perhaps more in guarantees, or some other contractual benefits, may keep players like Short or Benjamin here. But, I don't believe that our culture is a fit for dudes who want to be the highest paid at their positions. Moreover, I feel that Gettleman acquires players that can adapt and be developed to fill in as contingencies in case any individual feels the need to get froggy and jump ship over a few mil per year. 

The team has already shown what it can do without Benjamin, and will show what it can do without Norman, and if it comes to it, without Short as well. Gettleman just keeps reloading the roster with talent, and some of those guys, much like Luke, TD and Olsen are going to be willing to make the sacrifice to want to be here simply because it's a great environment to be a part of in the locker room, on and off the field.

 

I agree, both with your statement and this team building strategy. However, both the Pats (cheating pricks) and G-man have core players that they need to elevate the talent around them. Cam/Brady, Olsen/Gronk...The question is, are KK and KB core players? IMO, KK very well may be, and will get a big payday as long as he doesn't try to rape us (talking to you JNo). KB is another question all together since we only have 1 year to look at, and we did very well without him last season. The jury is very much still out on whether he is a needed piece of our offense or just a really good player to have around.

[UpstatePanther]

Thanks for the work you put in @KB_fan. I know you love it, but still. You're awesome. 

Your research scares me, but I am consoled by the fact that not only do we have a savvy helmsman directing our franchise in Gettleman, but we also have a stellar talent evaluator and by 2018, we will have two more drafts by his hand to make up for lost talent.

[SmokinwithWilly]

Dear lord where did you find that much free time?

[Panther53521]

The guaranteed money in KK's contract will be this yrs Franchise tag plus 120% for year 2 plus 120% for year 3. .... 6 yr 96 million with 50 mil guaranteed should keep him in Carolina. If we wait the guaranteed money will increase.

We can keep KK in Carolina by franchising him for 3 years (if that started this year, that would total 49.5 million). Thats where I came up with the guaranteed money.

Thats the problem with Von Millers contract, He wants that 3rd year guaranteed and the Broncos are not offering that.

[KB_fan]

On 6/15/2016 at 0:53 PM, KB_fan said:

There are 290 players earning an annual average of at least 5 million, so roughly 9 players per team with this kind of premium contract, though that number varies quite a bit by team.   (Detroit has the fewest high-contract players - only 5.  Philly has the most with 15!)  New England currently has 6 players with contracts north of 5 million. The Panthers also have 6

Well, now the Panthers have 7 players north of 5 million per year.  LT Michael Oher was just given a 3 year extension:

Pretty much what I expected:

On 6/15/2016 at 0:53 PM, KB_fan said:

Oher might be a bargain given his good fit with our team and coaches and his age.  Maybe he is worth about $6 - 7 million per year.

Maybe a tad bit above what I thought.  But a solid LT is very very worth the money. 

 

Given that the average for the 22 highest paid LTs in the league is slightly above 9.1 million a year, this contract at about 7 million per year is still a bargain.  (The top 10 LTs make north of 11.6 million per year).

Here are the other top LTs and their salaries as of earlier this week:

So Oher comes in around 16th in the league in tersm of average annual salary.

($9,128,169 is the average for all 22 of the above LTs.  $11,685,900 is the average for the top 10.)

 

[the butch]

I think the point is, don't fall in love with any one player . . . especially at a position like safety or WR.  Everyone is pegging KB as a top-dollar player; I'm not so sure.  He still has a lot to prove.  Getts derives value from his system, not what the player gets on the open market.  The necessary result of this is some teams have focused on front loading their roster with big spending on big time players, while other rosters shake it more evenly across the board.  Don't feel upset if KK is demanding 17-19 and we let him walk...

[KillerKat]

Wasn't Cox paid as a DE?

[Montsta]

Everybody here needs to try and step it up a notch to be as valuable as KB Fan. 

Myself included. 

Just kidding I'm tight. 

But seriously KB rocks; go girl.

[GoobyPls]

Clay Mathews was paid as an OLB

 

And a lot the guys you mentioned will not get top money. 

[KB_fan]

5 hours ago, KillerKat said:

Wasn't Cox paid as a DE?

 

3 hours ago, GoobyPls said:

Clay Mathews was paid as an OLB

 

And a lot the guys you mentioned will not get top money. 

As far as positions, I was just going by how they were listed at Spotrac.  Didn't have a chance to verify the data...

 

As for the guys I mentioned, I agree we can't / won't pay them all the kind of money I listed.  (Though I'm 1 for 1 with Oher!)  It was mostly just to illustrate the hard decisions G'man has ahead.  This is the kind of money some of these guys might be able to get from another team if they continue to play up to the level we expect is possible.

I'll be particularly interested to see what G'man does with Turner & Norwell.  Guards are a bit less expensive, and a bit easier to find than LTs or Cs.  But when you've got your QB in his prime and playing at MVP-level, investing significantly in the Oline makes sense. 

Who in particular do you think we'll let walk?

[caatfan]

1 hour ago, KB_fan said:

Who in particular do you think we'll let walk?

I think it all depends on how much a particular player insists on getting. I really don't think our GM is going to play the 'highest paid player in the NFL at my position' game if other teams have gone off the deep end like Philly did with Cox. Some guys are hung up on that extra million or two and others value playing for an organization like the Panthers. Oher is the latest example of the latter. 

[KillerKat]

1 hour ago, KB_fan said:

 

As far as positions, I was just going by how they were listed at Spotrac.  Didn't have a chance to verify the data...

 

As for the guys I mentioned, I agree we can't / won't pay them all the kind of money I listed.  (Though I'm 1 for 1 with Oher!)  It was mostly just to illustrate the hard decisions G'man has ahead.  This is the kind of money some of these guys might be able to get from another team if they continue to play up to the level we expect is possible.

I'll be particularly interested to see what G'man does with Turner & Norwell.  Guards are a bit less expensive, and a bit easier to find than LTs or Cs.  But when you've got your QB in his prime and playing at MVP-level, investing significantly in the Oline makes sense. 

Who in particular do you think we'll let walk?

Well everyone is concerned about what we'll pay KK because of Cox. But half of sites list Cox as a DE. So if they paid him as a DE, then his contract would have nothing to do with KK right?

[KB_fan]

14 minutes ago, KillerKat said:

Well everyone is concerned about what we'll pay KK because of Cox. But half of sites list Cox as a DE. So if they paid him as a DE, then his contract would have nothing to do with KK right?

Well, that logic goes out the window if KK and his agent think that Cox's contract is a good comparable, and from all I've heard & read, they think it's a very good comparable - better than Malik Jackson.  And in fact, based on production, it's not a bad comparable at all.  But as I've said before Charlotte is not Philly in terms of cost of living, so in that sense Cox is not a good comparable, and I earnestly hope KK will figure that out.