NFL Inflation

[*ochocincos*]

(12-07-2017, 03:25 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I've noticed that the Bengals set a value for a position that they won't exceed. The problem is those values seem to be set in 2012 dollars.

IF the cap keeps rising by $10 million a year...so will salaries.

Bengals will increase to some extent, mainly for skill positions and CB and DL.

I think what would be interesting is to take contracts from previous years and multiply by the inflation to see what the equivalent would be now.

Let's look at Clint Boling as a great example, who signed an extension in 2015 for $5.2 mill a year, when the salary cap was $143 mill.
The cap has raised just above 16% from 2015 to 2017.
Boling's $5.2 mill a year would equate to just above $6 mill a year.

Let's look at Atkins, who signed a 5-year extension in 2013 for an average of $11 mill a year.
The cap has raised about 36% since 2013.
Atkins' $11 mill a year would equate to $14.9 mill a year now.

Now Dunlap, who signed a six year extension in 2013 for an average of $6.7 mill a year.
Same 36% increase.
Dunlap's $6.7 mill a year would equate to $9.1 mill a year now.

Atkins and Dunlap are approaching a contract year and I fully expect will be seeking about the new average that I listed above (at least).
If you give Dunlap and Atkins extensions around that, it will take up $24 mill of the cap for 2019 assuming some of it isn't consumed into 2018's cap.
Add in AJ's $15.1, Dalton's $16.2, DK's $11, and Burfict's $8.5 and you're at ~$75 mill already.

So you can see from the above calculation that it's not entirely stupid for the Bengals to have a set limit for what they want to spend on positions based on how they prioritize the position. You can't pay everyone the going rate for top talent. You have to let some players walk. No team pays for elite talent at every position.

We know the Bengals prioritize the following positions:
- QB1
- WR1
- LT (reportedly were going to give Whit $10+ mill a year but he chose LAR for more years and ultimately more $$)
- DE
- 3T
- CB1 and CB2
- top LB

If you want to see the Bengals prioritize interior OL with $$, that likely means going light at one of the above positions to compensate.