Slightly off topic, but when you look up some of the QBs that recently got big contracts, the teams will have to make a decision, have salary cap issues, will have to try to restructure contracts or be forced to release the QB or other high priced players. Here's just a summary of players that will have a cap hit over $10M next year.
Dolphins: Suh ('16: $28.6M...), Tannehill ('16: $11.6M, '17: $20.3M....)
Ravens: Flacco ('16: $28.5M, '17: $31.1M, '18: $24.7M)
Bills: ('16): Williams: $19.9M, Dareus: $14.5M, Clay: $13.5M
Steelers ('16): Roethlisberger: $24M, Timmons: $15M, Brown: $12.4M, Pouncey: $10.5M, Heyward: $10M
Cowboys ('16): Romo: $20.8M, Tyron Smith: $14M, Carr: $13.8M, Bryant: $13M
Panthers ('16): Newton: $19.5M, Charles Johnson: $15M, Kalil: $10.3M
Seahawks ('16): Wilson: $18.5M, Sherman: $14.7M, Lynch: $11.5M
Cardinals ('16): Palmer: $19M, Fitzgerald: ($15.8M), Campbell: $15.2M, Peterson: $13M
Jets ('16): Revis: $17M, Ferguson: $14.1M
Patriots ('16): Brady: $15M, Mayo: $11.4M, Solder: $10.7M
Two things that popped up when looking at the Patriots.
1. They'll likely cut Mayo, or ask/make him to restructure.
2. Gronkowski & Brady's contracts are extremely team friendly compared to how much other players are their positions are being paid on other teams. Gronkowski's cap number for '16 is 10th behind: Clay, Jordan Cameron, Graham, Witten, Jared Cook, Rudolph, Julius Thomas, Dennis Pitta, and Heath Miller. Brady's cap hit for '16 is 19th (behind QBs such as: RG3, Kaepernick, Alex Smith, Matt Ryan, etc.). That's assuming numbers as of now (we all know that many of these players are going to get cut or forced to restructure.
This just reemphasizes the fact that you can't pay top dollar to everyone that wants it, especially in Free Agency. If you tie up $20M+ on one person, and they get injured, you're screwed and will have absolutely no quality depth throughout your roster. They only way you have a chance to be good (if you pay a small set of people a lot) is if you draft well, find cheap undrafted free agents that can contribute, or be able to get veterans on short cheap contracts. I'm sure most of this is pretty obvious to anyone here, I just wanted to bring this up in context of the Jets possibly committing money to Fitzpatrick. I'm sure this subject will come up multiple times during the off-season with regards to Free Agency, and extending Jones, Hightower and Collins.
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