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What you fail to consider is the effect a one year $20M deal or any number of one year deals for top tier money to FA does to the salary structure of the team going forward. Brady is making $10M per on his present deal, actual take home in year 6 $6.5M. If one year of Peppers is worth $20M, what is 5 or 6 more years of Brady going to cost you. Multiply that equation by a NT and a LG and a PK and all the players yet to become FA here...
Another thing you fail to consider is the limitation Kraft faces due to revenue stream. We aren't the 'Skins, who could get away with cash over cap extravagances indefinitely - not that it mattered - because of the revenue that team and that 90,000 seat stadium generate. Kraft has wealth that extends beyond the team, unlike some owners. But he won't spent it on the team. He expects that segment of his business to cover it's own operating costs. When they don't is when you get into trouble as a business man.
First of all, they can trade for Peppers and try to give him a long term deal and if they can't they eat the $20 million. Asante Samuel's cap hit didn't hurt the Pats when they franchised him in terms of other players. I don't see the coorlation. Brady is going to get $10-13 million a year no matter what Peppers gets for one year. Brady's not stupid and think if Peppers refuses to take a long term deal and he plays one year and $20 million that he deserves $20 million a year. Brady hasn't even asked to be the highest paid QB the last time he was negotiating his contract although he had the right to.
Second, Kraft makes almost as much of a profit as Snyder. Kraft might not make as much money from attendence in the game, but he makes more money on marketing deals like CBS Scene and other things that he does with strategic partnerships.
Third, prior to Belichick coming here (even the first year he was here), Kraft had no problem overpaying for his players. In 1999 and 2000, he made Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, and Drew Bledsoe the highest paid players at their position (or in the top 2). It took something like six year before another CB got a better deal than Ty Law got in 1999. Just because the Pats became cap conscious under Belichick and Pioli doesn't mean if Kraft has an opportunity to let his fan side buy players without cap ramifications to better the team doesn't mean he wouldn't do it. Don't forget the Pats are the second most profitable team in the league.
Fourth, the new CBA may make whatever anyone makes in an uncapped year moot. If the league gets their way and slows down the growth of the cap exponentially, we may see a trend of players salaries either slowing growth, freezing at the level they are, or even shrinking a bit.
This is mostly theory and a moot point anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if the Pats signed Peppers this offseason, but I would be if they signed him to an one year $20 million deal. I am really talking hypothetical. I could see them giving him an one year well above market deal like his current salary, but not over $20 million.