Brand J

I’m going to have to dismiss your argument if you insist on referring to future years where salaries and the cap aren’t in existence. You couldn’t tell me in 2018 what it would look like, definitively, in 2022, so it’s not a fair argument. Also, apologies in assuming you had access to the earlier Spotrac content. I thought you were purposely being cagey so as to not support my argument 😂

Yes, I’m not arguing future numbers, because we don’t have those. All we can objectively evaluate is the trajectory of contracts from then to now. It’s a simple question to an issue you said doesn’t exist - are QB contracts consuming a much greater percentage of the salary cap year to year?

We’ll have to agree to disagree here, Gunner, because lesser players arguing for max contracts is no different than Carr arguing in the present to be paid like Mahomes. A ceiling on player positions doesn’t mean a lesser player’s value or worth would then be equal to their superstar peers across the board.

I said they’d argue for more than what Mahomes got, partly because the cap is higher. You said there were QB contracts right now at 24% of the cap. There weren’t many, of course, but it exists. If what I fear is not happening, are you suggesting QB contracts have not risen percentage wise - relative to the cap - since 2013, the earliest year on that Spotrac sample you sent?

Those players could argue for max value contracts, but do you believe those teams would pay it? You guys are looking at it from - max value means negotiations would cease to exist and they’ll all just push for that number. I don’t agree. I do agree the market does not adequately recognize QB tiers, but at the end of the day, an agent has to negotiate the best value for his client. Setting limits on how much a position can occupy the cap won’t stop those negotiations.

As to the first in bold, how do you figure when there are contracts right now that exceed 20%?! QB contracts are getting richer, when Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert’s time comes, they’re going to argue for more than what Mahomes got. Why? Part of the reason will be because the cap is higher. Putting the arbitrary 20% number once again at the forefront, their contracts could surpass the percentage. If QBs are worthy of being paid the max percentage, then pay them, there’s only a handful of those guys in the league anyway. “Every” contract wont be pushed to the max, that’s just silly. For those that are, teams can be assured the bloating contracts can never occupy more than “20%” of the cap. Since you’re struggling to understand the concept, I’ll compare it this way… the NBA has a salary cap along with max value contracts and rules within those contracts. See here. MLB has no salary caps and player contracts in that league continue to balloon. Like the NBA, the NFL has a salary cap. You seem reluctant to compare the trajectory of contracts to earlier times, but the argument I was making is that QB contracts are consuming more of the salary cap year by year, percentage wise. That’s fact. Setting percentage limits would not only help ensure the contracts remain reasonable, but would also assuage current renegotiating arguments when players see there are others making more than them.

You seem hyper focused on this 20% number. I told you, it’s just something I threw out, that’s not where the importance lies - it lies in making sure the contracts of one position don’t continue to balloon to the detriment of the league and it’s other players. Every QB’s agent will want more than what the previous one signed for and will argue for it. That’s how things get out of hand because the team has no choice but to pay - if it doesn’t, another franchise will. Let max contracts come to the NFL in the coming years, I’ll be sure to tag you.

You probably would’ve said the same when the rookie contracts weren’t out of hand 😂 You don’t speak for the owners and again, I can’t access the content without paying for the premium. The fact you didn’t reference the earlier years tells me the percentage has in fact gone up. Percentage allocation gives players max value contracts, it does make sense and is used in other leagues.

I can’t access prior years, think I have to register. Pick 2013, 2014, and 2015, what percentage of the cap did the top QB salaries tie up? Now do the same for the last 3 years. Has that percentage increased as I suspect it has? Again, it’s not a problem until it becomes a problem and I equate it to the cap that had to be put on rookie contracts because they ballooned out of control. Once upon a time those contracts weren’t a problem either… As to the bold, league owners can and will step in to institute corrective measures as they see fit, if the situation dictates.

That’s the great thing about an ever increasing cap - it also increases the amount a max player can earn, even if there was a fixed percentage. It doesn’t have to be 20%, that was just me throwing out a number, but it’s true with everything - it’s not a problem until it becomes a problem. If I had the time, I’d go back and dig into what QBs used to make in relation to the salary cap and I can bet you the percentage to which their contracts have occupied the cap has grown significantly in the last few years and there’s nothing in place to limit what that number can reach. Again, there’s no harm in setting proportional limits. If you think there is, or that QB salaries won’t continue to climb - percentage wise - in relation to the salary cap, then we can agree to disagree. The evidence is already there.

I’d say Trey Smith was the steal of the draft. A late 1st, early 2nd round talent that dropped to the 6th because of health concerns. Knowing we needed interior help, I’m still kinda upset Beane didn’t gamble on him in the 5th or 6th round, instead we picked players who are no longer with the team.

But at least it’d put a ceiling on it and teams wouldn’t have to worry about that 24% of the cap ballooning to 30% because an agent did his job well. It’s reminds me of the cap they had to put on rookie salaries because those were getting outrageous. There’s no harm in a max deal per position that represents a percentage of the cap. If anything it benefits the other players/positions who might have made less money otherwise. That would be Keyshawn Johnson and he said it as recently as The Perfect Game.

Impact plays/splash plays, call it what you want, it’s semantics and points to the same issue - Tremaine doesn’t make many of them. “Ignoring all the impact plays that don’t happen” is quite possibly the most baseless argument I’ve ever heard one use to defend a player. It’s an argument built on supposition and assumption. We might as well say, “Mario Addison makes impact plays when he rushes and forces the QB off his spot - even if he misses the sack - because it prevented the QB from seeing a player running free in the secondary.” That’s your argument. I don’t judge Tremaine or the rest of the defense by what they do against teams like the Jets, Texans, and Panthers. How does he and everyone else fare when they face a competent offense? “Tremaine doesn’t get sacks because he’s not asked to rush the passer” (actually he does rush the passer, but sucks at it), “Tremaine doesn’t get interceptions because QBs don’t like throwing at him” (truth is he lacks ball skills, awareness, and has suspect hands). What else? Oh, “Tremaine doesn’t force fumbles because Bills defenders aren’t coached to go after the ball” (it’s preached ad nauseam to go after the football, I’ve heard defenders say this time and time again and even brought in Peanut Tillman to teach the technique). The sad thing is you can’t even recognize the amount of excuses you’re making for the player because you’re convinced he’s something more than he is. If you watch the Beane presser, you’ll also see he describes Tremaine as “getting better” playing with strength, getting off of blocks, and developing the alpha male mentality leaders need. You’ll also see it’s quite obvious from Beane’s body language and the way he speaks about Tremaine, he’s not completely sold on the player and like all of us, wants to see his game raise a level before talks of a contract extension. I half think you’re just trolling with your excuses. This was in an article before the Patriots matchup with the Bills on MNF: But didn’t you just say QBs are scared to throw in his direction?

That’s true… for now.

I still believe… convinced actually… that if the Bills were up by less than 3 points, they would’ve played those 13 seconds differently and with more urgency.

I was just thinking this same thing. It is inherently unfair for a QB to make so much money. Yes, it’s the most important position in sports, but they are still 1 of 53. I’d like to see percentages incorporated if there aren’t any - QB max percentage is 20% of the cap. DEs are 15%, CBs are 13%, etc. Spread the money a little further and more equitable.

Is Lamar’s agent still his mother? Or has he found a proper business partner?

When asked in his season ending presser about Edmunds, Beane essentially said he “does a great job with the play calls and getting everyone lined up.” That was his biggest praise. He didn’t sound at all like a GM who was ready to sign Edmunds to a long term extension. Since his rookie year, Edmunds makes almost no impact plays (INTs, FFs, FRs, sacks) and still makes many of the same mistakes. Brace yourself for disappointment when Edmunds moves on after his 5th year option. You’ve been by far his loudest supporter. It’s not “a small group of fans” as you alluded to, it’s the majority - proven by the poll here where 75% of TBDers want to move on from Edmunds in some fashion. We’d all love for Tremaine to be a player other teams have to game plan or account for, but I don’t think he’ll ever get to that point. He is what he is and it’s closer to a JAG than playmaker.

Don’t know where the Chiefs draft ranks, but without a 1st round pick and selecting later than us, I know they had a better draft - Bolton, Humphrey, and Smith look to be high end starters.

When Roman was jettisoned and Lynn was promoted to OC, I actually thought the offense looked and ran a lot smoother with him calling plays. Maybe a lot of that had to do with play calls getting in much earlier, they were lining up around the 19 second mark as opposed to 10 seconds with Roman, but the running game didn’t miss a beat and the passing game seemed improved.

Edmunds’ stats as a rookie blow away every subsequent year. When he was a rookie we got the splash plays to go along with the mistakes; now we get the same mistakes but none of the splash plays. I’m not sure why he has regressed rather than progressed. It’s reminiscent of Lotuleile. There are a number of plays where it looks like Edmunds goes half speed, like a player who lacks the grit, tenacity, and hunger to stop the opposition. Forget playing like his “hair is on fire,” he plays like someone whose number one objective is to avoid injury. We can and must do better at that position and if Beane can find a trading partner this off-season I’m all for it.

Wonder what happened to Leftwich.

If the Rams win this game, I can convince myself the Bills would’ve stumbled like the Chiefs and wouldn’t have won the championship.

I remember London Fletcher said playing MLB is a lot like playing RB in terms of knowing where and when to hit the correct hole. Go back and look at that 20 yard run by CEH in the championship game. My god, Edmunds just runs into the mess of bodies in front of him, rather than moving to the right of the pile and stopping the RB before the run ever got started. I honestly don’t know what he was expecting to stop by running into the backs of his teammates and I don’t care if that’s where his “assignment” sent him (like I’m sure his defenders will say.) He has absolutely no field awareness and those who think Beane is keen to extend him, go back and watch that presser, doesn’t sound like a GM who is sold on the player.

Tired of hearing about Beiniemy to be honest. I think he needs to assume full OC duties on another team to get his just due. Either he takes a project QB and gets him to excel, or he coordinates an offense that gets more out of less talent, but his influence on an offense needs to be felt and not overshadowed by Reid.