I too am surprised at the total amount of the Arrington deal. I would have been fine with a 4/14 deal, and happy with a 4/12 deal. I'm not sure about the specifics, but I'm guessing that maybe the total 16 million won't be received, and that they are possibly throwing some dummy numbers on there.
They could always walk away or ask him to take a pay cut or restructure if it comes down to it. Again, I don't know the specifics, but I'd be surprised to see him stay here for 4 yrs and make 16 million dollars.
Another thing to consider is that Arrington works much better in the slot, and that has been the goal for them the past 2 seasons with the draft choice of Dowling. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out. When Arrington does play in the slot he can do it very effectively. Remember that he held Victor Cruz to a total of 24 yds in the most recent SB loss.
Arrington also has good experience and knowledge of our system, and has played in different areas, sides of the field, and roles throughout his tenure here. It's possible that Arrington is trusted with more responsibilities in the defensive backfield than we initially give him credit for. On top of that, he also obviously brings a lot on ST's, has proven that he works hard, and is a typical "Belichick guy" who worked hard from being an UDFA and rose throughout the system. He also can obviously step into the outside starter's role if/when an injury occurs, although we all know his limitations there.
We'll just have to trust Belichick with this one. I'm glad he's back. I just didn't expect his salary to be that high.