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Why are all these "experts" saying KC fixed their offensive line? Seems to me they exchanged one 2020 Pro Bowl LT for another. They cut 2013 #1 overall pick Eric Fisher (LT) as he had a torn Achilles, but brought in a Guard - Kyle Long who was a 1st round pick in 2013 who retired after 2019 because of injuries. The media seems to think this is a brilliant move as the 32-year old looks "better than ever." Hard to swallow that because he was a 3x Pro Bowler early in his career. Outside of QB, I don't think anyone is better at 32 than they are in the first 3-7 years in their career. Getting Brown, the last year of his rookie deal - and he is going to seek a big pay day next year. In the last year of his rookie deal - he's counting only $3.4M vs the cap in 2021. Yeah they can franchise tag him, but the franchise tag doesn't automatically mean much as we saw with Le'Veon Bell. His refusal to go back to RT - it doesn't take a genius sports analyst to figure out he knows LT is the biggest paying position on the OL and the Ravens shipped him knowing that he is position to set a new market at LT. Think about Steve Hutchinson after the 2005 season - he got that poison pill contract at $49M and was the trigger to how Alan Faneca got so pissed (the 2007 signings of Darnell Dockery, Lomas Brown and Eric Steinbach to similar deals - even though 2 of those guys were cut shortly after the Guaranteed $ was paid out - meaning they were **** deals.) Faneca collected less than 41% of his contract with the Jets before he was cut after two years. Would the Chiefs have released Fisher if he had not suffered a torn Achilles? Long retired in 2019 due to injuries and signed a deal 4x less than what he walked away from in 2020. KC put out a $80M deal for Joe Thuney from the Patriots - he's got a small cap hit this year but leaps up next year. As seen from names above, many times these big deals are not the best deals. For those wondering how KC is doing it, Mahomes still only counts for $7.4M vs. the cap in 2021 (less than 4%) - that number goes up to $35M in 2022, $45M in 2023, $45M in 2024. Thuney will count just under $4.5M against the cap in 2021 - then just under $20M against the cap the rest of his contract.
Bottom line, the Chiefs are throwing it all in for a win now mode - kicking the can to pay later. Not criticizing them for it, it's what the Steelers have done for years - and what caught up with them very hard.
The Ravens look at Brown and having already paid LT Ronnie Stanley who was signed to a $98M deal and will count $24M and $31M against the cap in 2021 & 2022 - anyone thinking Orlando Brown won't be targeting a similar deal (or more) is out of their mind. They also locked up Marlon Humphrey to a $97M deal and in negotiations with Lamar Jackson and will likely have to come up with $40M+ against the cap (for a QB who has yet to establish that he can throw outside the hashes consistently is kind of risky and you just cannot expect him to continue to rush for 1000 yards going forward and last either). They also have to face TE Mark Andrews impeding FA in 2022. A lot of this team's success is going to lay on the shoulders of JK Dobbins and how much he improves in year two at RB, though I respect the move up to get the RB - the OL has taken a hit in losing two critical pieces with Yanda to retirement and Brown to trading. Getting a #1 pick for someone (Brown) they won't be able to retain is not a bad idea overall - but the question will be the caliber of player they will get -- Ravens are a great drafting team and will need to be with the majority of their front 7 on Defense on the plus side of 30.
The Browns are exercising their 5th year option on Baker Mayfield. You know other QBs got that 5th year option? Jameis Winston, Blake Bortles, Marcus Mariotta, Robert Griffin III -- meaning they are not sold on him and pushing the decision off. They have plenty of other decisions to make, as Clowney is a one year deal - he won't come back for the voidable years in 2022 anymore than JuJu would for the Steelers. There is OBJ, the smartest thing they could probably do is move him and his salary, assuming anyone will be willing to take it. Garrett is signed, but Denzel Ward, Nick Chubb and the aforementioned Baker on the horizon and quick. So a RB - who usually turn out to be bad long term investments in today's NFL and a QB that you're not sold on. The Browns have a 2 year window at best.
The Bills are an interesting team - they are in negotiations with Josh Allen and again, you can bet it's in the $40M range. I'd feel more optimistic about what he can do - but he hasn't quite made me think he's the next Hall of Fame QB yet. They worked out a pretty good long term deal for CB Tre'Davious White already and have LB Tremaine Edwards next. The question is can Devlin Singletary step up at RB to be a big play RB that Allen will likely need to succeed given his style of play?
The Steelers will have extensions to work out with Fitzpatrick and Watt (currently negotiating with) and likely will do so with $100M+ deals. Watt will be first as Fitzpatrick can be pushed back another year with a 5th year option. The way teams are structuring out contracts is complicated - Agents are getting smaller cap hits earlier on while the guaranteed money is paid out, then the bigger money comes in but the cap hit is enormous - so it protects the player a little longer. Everyone is assuming 2021 is Ben's final season. Who is to say that will certainly be the case? (Hopefully it is with him walking off the field with a Lombardi) - but the Steelers will enter into that time where a young QB will be coming in and counting 2x as much as any player against the cap has veteran QBs that get that commitment do.
Bottom line, the Chiefs are throwing it all in for a win now mode - kicking the can to pay later. Not criticizing them for it, it's what the Steelers have done for years - and what caught up with them very hard.
The Ravens look at Brown and having already paid LT Ronnie Stanley who was signed to a $98M deal and will count $24M and $31M against the cap in 2021 & 2022 - anyone thinking Orlando Brown won't be targeting a similar deal (or more) is out of their mind. They also locked up Marlon Humphrey to a $97M deal and in negotiations with Lamar Jackson and will likely have to come up with $40M+ against the cap (for a QB who has yet to establish that he can throw outside the hashes consistently is kind of risky and you just cannot expect him to continue to rush for 1000 yards going forward and last either). They also have to face TE Mark Andrews impeding FA in 2022. A lot of this team's success is going to lay on the shoulders of JK Dobbins and how much he improves in year two at RB, though I respect the move up to get the RB - the OL has taken a hit in losing two critical pieces with Yanda to retirement and Brown to trading. Getting a #1 pick for someone (Brown) they won't be able to retain is not a bad idea overall - but the question will be the caliber of player they will get -- Ravens are a great drafting team and will need to be with the majority of their front 7 on Defense on the plus side of 30.
The Browns are exercising their 5th year option on Baker Mayfield. You know other QBs got that 5th year option? Jameis Winston, Blake Bortles, Marcus Mariotta, Robert Griffin III -- meaning they are not sold on him and pushing the decision off. They have plenty of other decisions to make, as Clowney is a one year deal - he won't come back for the voidable years in 2022 anymore than JuJu would for the Steelers. There is OBJ, the smartest thing they could probably do is move him and his salary, assuming anyone will be willing to take it. Garrett is signed, but Denzel Ward, Nick Chubb and the aforementioned Baker on the horizon and quick. So a RB - who usually turn out to be bad long term investments in today's NFL and a QB that you're not sold on. The Browns have a 2 year window at best.
The Bills are an interesting team - they are in negotiations with Josh Allen and again, you can bet it's in the $40M range. I'd feel more optimistic about what he can do - but he hasn't quite made me think he's the next Hall of Fame QB yet. They worked out a pretty good long term deal for CB Tre'Davious White already and have LB Tremaine Edwards next. The question is can Devlin Singletary step up at RB to be a big play RB that Allen will likely need to succeed given his style of play?
The Steelers will have extensions to work out with Fitzpatrick and Watt (currently negotiating with) and likely will do so with $100M+ deals. Watt will be first as Fitzpatrick can be pushed back another year with a 5th year option. The way teams are structuring out contracts is complicated - Agents are getting smaller cap hits earlier on while the guaranteed money is paid out, then the bigger money comes in but the cap hit is enormous - so it protects the player a little longer. Everyone is assuming 2021 is Ben's final season. Who is to say that will certainly be the case? (Hopefully it is with him walking off the field with a Lombardi) - but the Steelers will enter into that time where a young QB will be coming in and counting 2x as much as any player against the cap has veteran QBs that get that commitment do.
