09-28-2017, 12:28 PM
(09-28-2017, 12:08 PM)ochocincos Wrote: $12 mil is 20% higher than the top mark you mentioned. 20% is a pretty high bump.
At the end of the day though, the Browns had the money to use and needed/wanted a top-end RG.
In the scheme of 8-10 MILLION, I don't think it's that big of a bump.
And when you actually look at his contract (Browns have an out after 3 years) he only makes 10 million per year, 2.4 mil of the "12 million a year" is signing bonus which doesn't have to be a yearly pay out but could have arranged differently.
The chances of Zeitler seeing the last 2 years of his deal are slim because he goes up in price to the Browns. So they will likely* take the out.
Kelechi Osemeli who is older and played fewer years in the league, got a higher GTD money on signing but took far less in overall guarantees.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/oakland-raiders/kelechi-osemele-9870/
Compare his to Zeitler's
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/kevin-zeitler-9837/
Here are the other top guards:
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/david-decastro-9834/
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/oakland-raiders/gabe-jackson-14491/
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/joel-bitonio-14444/
The market reset in 2016.
So Zeitler's 12 million a year (Osemele also signed a 5-year 60 million deal) is really just about how the Browns structured the deal. They could have shifted GTD money around instead of the 2.4 each year.
But then again, great guards rarely get to hit free agency in their prime. Osemele is the only other one that did of that top bunch and he also got 5-years 60 million, just structured differently.
