I'm optimistic

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(12-21-2020, 02:45 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: No doubt in my mind had the inked Zeitler a year before he hit free agency it would have been at 10 or less.

The highest paid right guard in the league in 2016 (the year before Zeitler left and what they would have used to set his market) in terms of cap spent was J.R. Sweezy at 9.5 mil.  And even he was on average deal of 6.5 per, and that was his highest paid season.

The highest paid left guard was Kelechi Osemele who was on an 11.7 millon dollar deal.  The rest were all under 7 mil cap hit for 2016.

Player contracts when they hit the open market are always inflated.  It's a simple supply and demand situation.  The supply is extremely low and the demand is extremely high.  Teams will overpay for that missing piece to win out over competing offers.

Had we offered Zeitler early, like the Steelers did with Decastro, we would have seen a much lesser number.  Remember, Decastro signed for just under 10 million.  And when Decastro signed he was coming off an All Pro season.  Zeitler hadn't made a Pro Bowl at that point..

IMHO, you extend the year early, prior to the 2016 season, and you're most likely look at a 7.5 to 9.5 mil average on a deal, depending on guarantees.  You get a nice price for early security for the players, before the market resets, and with you only competing against yourself for his services.

For whatever reason, they chose not to pay.  I think the obvious question becomes: If you don't value a Guard enough to pay them near top dollar then why did you value a Guard enough to take them in the first round in the first place?

It makes no sense.  Zeilter lived up to his draft position, and to expectations.  Yet we had no long term plans for him.  Stupid.

Making matters even worse is, we elected to pay Dre Kirkpatrick 11 million dollars a season that very same offseason offseason.  This is  a guy who didn't even start until year 4!  He never looked the part of an elite corner.  Yet we ponied up the money for him and just let Zeitler walk.

2 guys from the very same 2012 draft class.  Both first rounders.  We paid the near-bust, and let the guy who started from day 1 hit free agency.  Duke Tobin should be fired for this move alone.

Abso-damn-lutely! I couldn't remember the numbers floating around at the time...but looking back, I also feel like we could've had him for under 10 mil. I had also forgotten that Dre was extended that off-season. They could've swapped players to extend, and saved around 2 mil to boot! Frickin insanity I tell ya.