Roquan Smith

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(08-11-2022, 06:58 PM)Synric Wrote: Salaries rise and 2021 was a down year salary wise (year Leonard was paid). We've already seen a large increase in what players are making so 19 to 22m a year for Roquan Smith is not out of the question.

I'd rather see Jessie Bates at 16m than Roquan Smith at 20m. Safety has a high WAR than LB.

Elite players are immune to salary "down years". In 2021...

Trent Williams became the highest paid LT
Darius Leonard became the highest paid ILB
Marshawn Lattimore became the 2nd highest paid CB
Dak Prescott became the 3rd highest paid QB despite missing 11 games in 2020
Corey Linsley became the highest paid C
Frank Ragnow then jumped him to become the new highest paid C
Joe Thuney became the highest paid non-Franchise Tag G
Joel Bitonio then tied him as the highest paid non-Franchise Tag G

I'm sure there's a lot more I am missing, but I felt like 8 is plenty of evidence that down year salary wise means absolutely nothing to elite players.

Darius Leonard is a completely different level of impact player, and is paid accordingly. He's not a comparison point for anyone else. Again, he's at $19.7m, the 2nd highest paid is at $17m, the 3rd highest paid is at $14.5m, the 5th highest paid is at $10.25m... so yes, $19-22m/yr is out of the question unless someone really loses their mind (and later their job) in some FO.

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WAR is barely useful in the MLB, a game where there's giant sample sizes in a 162 game schedule and far better statistical breakdown of player contribution and almost always clear-cut results of plays that can be judged. WAR for the NFL sounds completely useless.