OT: Justin Jefferson signs a team friendly deal for $35 million a year

[BaconGrundleCandy]

KC have won their Super Bowls with ELITE qb and ELITE O line with average to mediocre WRs.

They then grabbed Hollywood brown at a discount and jumped us fot a lottery ticket in Xavier Worthy.

I expect KC to compete for years.

The gap between Mahomes and Allen, Jackson etc is that large. Like Brady, Mahomes changes what you can get away with. Also Kelce is a HOF player that can't be excluded when doing the "what each QB brings to the table" arguments.

Houston then went and traded for a underpaid, under appreciated Diggs and l locked up their best wr for under market value.

That WR/TE Corp could be great with a healthy Collins.

If AR5 stays healthy that division could be one of the best in the league after being mediocre or below average for all these years.

These are the two best run teams in the league right now.

Phila, Balt and SF are up there depending on the day.

Point is Higgins and Aiyuk both come with huge risks especially at 30 mill range,

Higgins can be perform without Chase taking coverage away and not having Burrow?
Aiyuk is very talented but how much of it is that system where they just seem to plug and play guys who can make big plays in that Shanny offense?

I disagree. Aiyuk is one of the better wrs in the league and has steadily improved his rr from his rookie year. He basically had to learn how to play the position in the pros and has done a great job doing so.
I don't know about "plug and play" when it comes to his system. Like i don't think hes a QB whisperer either. He doesnt necessarily make players better moreover put them in their best position to succeed. Aiyuk is a great player on his own at this point. Maybe 2 years ago but I'd have np paying him. Never had more than 110 targets I believe.

Limited sample size but Higgins performed well without Chase and has never had more than 110 targets in a year. Give him WR1 targets and he's a 1200/10 guy. Plus looking the big picture. He's a true X this team could use. Baker bouncing back and forth between X/Z. Polk and Pop moving around everywhere.

Both are proven outside guys that have had multiple good years with limited targets. Again think of adding them to the big picture here and what that would be worth overall. Not just them the individual player.

 

[Joey007]

We really should consider going after a receiver next offseason. Maye will be on the cheap for the next few years.

 

[BTTA]

A QB on a rookie deal used to be the ultimate cap cheat code. Now, WRs on rookie deals may be the new cheat.

As someone pointed out, having a QB and the top 3 WR's all on rookie contracts will go a long way toward being able to build and maintain an OL and a defense. Imagine having $80M of the cap dedicated to two players.

KC is interesting. Their top 5 cap hits are Mahones, their LG, RT, TE, and a safety.

I think this will also lead to more renegotiations and hold outs from players who signed deals a couple of years in the mirror and see inferior players making significantly more.

 

[Brotherblues]

How often do these deals backfire when it's a consensus mega stud in his prime? Money allocated to known great players, healthy of body and mind, in their prime, is money well spent.

Would you rather have Jefferson or split his salary 3 ways so you can have Nelson Agholor, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Devante Parker?

 

[NormZauchin]

It's interesting how, ultimately, NFL rule changes shift money to and from players at different positions. With the decade long rule changes emphasizing passing offense, quarterbacks, wide receivers, and left tackles have benefitted financially to an enormous degree. Meanwhile, running backs and run-stopping defensive lineman have seen their value decline. "Mama don't let your babies grow up to be running backs."

 

[rabidfireweasel]

WR is the second highest paid position in football. It pays more than elite pass rusher or LT. This is the standard:

30M+ for an elite WR1: Jefferson, AJ Brown, St. Brown and soon, Chase.
25M+ for an above average projected WR1 (elsewhere): Waddle, Nico Collins
20M+ for talented guys with questions but some production.

That is just the rate. You don’t have to like it, but no one is coming here for less than that. Due to MA taxes, uncertainty at QB and the Patriots not winning a playoff game in a long time, we will likely have to overpay to get one or keep one.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

He is definitely moving on up

 

[jimnance]

He is definitely moving on up

There's one line from that theme song I never got" ..beans don't burn on the grill.."
WTF?? How the hell do you cook beans on a grill?
I keep picturing the beans falling off the grill into the fire

 

[h0c2000]

There's one line from that theme song I never got" ..beans don't burn on the grill.."
WTF?? How the hell do you cook beans on a grill?
I keep picturing the beans falling off the grill into the fire

 

[Gumby]

It's getting insane. NO WR is worth that kind of money.
Sure, call me old school and out of touch [me too]...
….

To spend QB money on a WR, or ~1/7 of your cap on a 1/52 player is insane.

What gets more insane is when that 10-20% of your cap gets hurt & is sitting on sidelines for 8 games+.

 

[ahmed]

These numbers are only going to continue to go up so it's probably time you get it out of your head it's a overpay.

Given what Jefferson gives you and Ridley gives you, id gladly pay Jefferson this money.

Yup - cap can't keep increasing with only QBs getting the benefit.

$35MM for one of the top 2-3 WRs at his age is worth it when you see QBs are getting into $60MM territory. Elite LTs and DEs will get there soon enough too.

 

[ahmed]

Over a 17 games pace in 2023:

Ridley : 22M for 1016 yds. 21653.5 $ / yard
Jefferson 35M for 1825 yds (1074 yds over 10 games projected to 17 games) 19178 $ / yard

In fact the Vikings are paying less for a yard of production from Jefferson than the titans for Ridley.

With none of the unique Ridley risk!

 

[ahmed]

It's getting insane. NO WR is worth that kind of money.
Sure, call me old school and out of touch...
I know the Cap is increasing almost as fast as Bidinflation, but that amount of investment into 1 of 5 necessary pass catchers is stupid.

There is 1 QB, and if he is an above average player with processing & accuracy & poise, he can be the difference in your team having a losing record or playoff contention. So he is worth $30-$40M.

But you need 3 solid WR's, 1 prime pass-catching TE, and 1 flex pass-catching RB in this league.

To spend QB money on a WR, or ~1/7 of your cap on a 1/52 player is insane.

Man you are way behind the times. The QB you are describing is getting $60MM, not $30-$40MM lol

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

We will see where we stand next offseason but if WR is still a need I would spend the money to secure a wr1. Like Minny we have a qb on his rookie deal.

 

[Gumby]

There's one line from that theme song I never got" ..beans don't burn on the grill.."
WTF?? How the hell do you cook beans on a grill?
I keep picturing the beans falling off the grill into the fire

So my understanding is that Southern poor black viewed fish and beans as free (from fishing) and cheap (beans from own garden) food. But now that the Jefferson’s ‚made it‘; they could afford to buy food at the store.

So now that they made it they don’t have to cook fish on grill (outdoors so doesn’t smell) and the beans (whether in a pot or frying pan) on the grill with the fish.

In the rural South back then, poor people ate a lot of fish. Even if you didn’t have a job or any money, you could always go fishing. Fish stews were common fundraisers (potatoes, fish and seasoning). And groups of poor people would get together to pull seine nets when the shad or herring were running (swimming upstream to spawn). Seine nets are tightly woven to catch everything within its enclosure. At “landings” on creeks and rivers, people would put out in a rowboat to set the seine net, and then return to shore. A mule or tractor would then pull both ends of the net onshore, and people lined trestle tables to clean the fish, coat them with salt, and put them in wooden barrels to sell to merchants. You can find accounts of this process in George Washington’s papers because Mount Vernon is on the Potomac River.

Daddy loved fried fish, but Momma didn’t want to cook it in the kitchen because it stunk up the house. So Daddy bought a camp stove and a large, oval cast iron frying pan so he could fry fish outside.

The line is often interpreted as a metaphor for progress and success. In the context of the song, it signifies the improvement in living conditions that the characters have experienced as they have moved up in the world. It suggests a contrast between their current life of comfort and luxury and their past struggles or humble beginnings.

Overall, the line conveys the idea that with hard work and perseverance, one can improve their circumstances and move up in the world, leaving behind the difficulties and challenges of the past. It is a celebration of success and the rewards that come with it.

 

[stinkypete]

We are still overvaluing the hell out of the position. The only recent precedents we have for a QB making a major leap with the addition of a WR is Allen and Burrow. Otherwise, Carr declined with Adams, Hill has bought Tua about one extra win a year, Amari Cooper never elevated anyone, Ridley did nothing for Lawrence, Hopkins made Murray no better.

A elite-tier WR will not put a team over the top unless it has a QB who already is able to put a team over the top.

 

[JohnJH]

The question may now be whether you will pay either $30 plus million a year. If you could get either to sign in the low $20 millions a year, it would be a steal.

I'd take Higgins for 20 Million a year (give or take), but continue to build up the rest of WR Corps and hopefully Polk and/or Baker (a long with Douglas) can become true #2 WR's, and then hopefully draft a Waddle/Chase/Jefferson type #1 in the next draft or in 2026. It would aslo be nice if Maye becomes the type of QB that can make #2 and #3 caliber WR's better.

 

[rabidfireweasel]

I'd take Higgins for 20 Million a year (give or take), but continue to build up the rest of WR Corps and hopefully Polk and/or Baker (a long with Douglas) can become true #2 WR's, and then hopefully draft a Waddle/Chase/Jefferson type #1 in the next draft or in 2026. It would aslo be nice if Maye becomes the type of QB that can make #2 and #3 caliber WR's better.

Higgins is going to get at least $25M. 20M may have gotten done in April, but not now with the Waddle and Collins contracts.

Perhaps you won’t want him at that figure, but he is not signing a long term deal for less than 25M unless he gets hurt or regresses.

 

[borg]

You get what you pay for

For example............Cam Newton..........Patriots salary $1.75 mill

 

[Thunderhead]

We will see where we stand next offseason but if WR is still a need I would spend the money to secure a wr1. Like Minny we have a qb on his rookie deal.

What happened last time we had a rookie QB in Foxboro? Oh yea, surrounded him with the worst weapons in the NFL and a patch work offensive line. I'm dubious of this team being willing to spend big and doubt they would ever give a WR $35M per year... okay maybe in 5-10 years after more inflation, but not this offseason or next.