So, as usual, Mr. Football know-it-all blowhard was wr...wr...wrong Borges once again.
As for Brady's next deal, this team is his legacy and he will do what he's always done, work with them to achieve a deal that both sides can live comfortably with. His last deal was done as the cap was approaching the $100M range and it averaged $10M per. The cap is now approaching $130M per. Per BB this team is comfortable earmarking in the 10-12% of cap range for the QB position. 90% of that will go to the #1 and future HOF'er.
So a deal that averages somewhere in the $14-15M range will likely satisfy both sides. He may command more in guaranteed money ($40M) or first 3 year take than his lesser peers. He will likely be OK with allowing Peyton to remain the higher paid. Tommy's ego measures worth in rings moreso than $$$. He has said before, what does another million matter (after taxes) once you're making double digit millions. It does more for the team than it would him personally and he gets that. He knows it's not lining his HC/GM or owners pockets here, they are still investing it in HIS team and that is to his benefit.
Peyton's 2004 deal runs through 2012 with $14M salaries at the backend. The last two years are voidable, but they can't be voided until or unless he gets to 2011. Polian has already utilized those years for amortization when he felt the pinch. Manning could let Indy play out the string if they are OK with absorbing cap hits in the $18-20M range, and redo his deal in 2012 at age 36, but I kinda doubt Tom Condon, who is also Eli's agent, will advise him to do that as none of his remaining money is guaranteed (although they could do that as part of a simple extension, too - just guarantee it).
Arizona is paying Warner, who is approaching AARP status, $12M per this year on a 2 year extension. (And what hurts AZ is only they are also simultaneously paying the stiff Lienart for nothing...). Had Brett returned he'd have gotten at least another $10M. (That was another reason GB needed to move on since they had to deal with Rogers, too.) The going rate for top tier QB's is currently $12M+ and upward. And Brady will provide more value than (arguably...) all but perhaps one of them at whatever rate his extension ultimately averages. And his backups will account for a small fraction of the QB budget because that is all they are.
I expect Tommy's new deal whenever it comes to put him back in the top 5 discussion and anywhere from 3-5 depending on how you interpret that... And that is not a problem as long as his true average doesn't top 12% of cap. And as long as we can develop backups and an eventual successor from outside the first round. Again, it's all about % of cap allotted to the position.
