Player Mobility - Why NFL Teams Have Revolving Doors

Free Agency can be described as exciting, depressing, heart breaking, and intoxicating. In regards to the most interesting time for the NFL during the offseason, it easily surpasses the draft which, if you read my article related to this topic, could use some attention from the higher-ups who are instead focusing on implementing rules that will lead to the slow decay of the top sport in the US. With the most rigid cap in sports, superficial contracts still somehow emerge in which they're over-paying players, and then there are the cancer/ego players who move more often than Lindsay Lohan moves through rehabs. As a Ravens fan, I at first developed a skeptical stance towards what Ozzie Newsome, the GM, is currently doing; but when digging deeper into the recesses of his moves, they're downright smart. Sure, some GM’s make terrible decisions such as the Jets with Tebow, the Redskins with Haynesworth, and Derrick Dockery with the Bills, but being a GM with the constraints they are up against makes it the hardest office position in Sports. Well, maybe besides the commissioners who are generally loathed by teams, players, and fans alike. 

Salary Cap:

The NFL’s salary cap, based around a desire to maintain parity, is the leading cause for player movement. It’s hard to maintain a roster good enough to win the Super Bowl every year or keep a team stacked with Pro Bowlers due to the fluctuation of contracts, offers for them for more money on the market, and simply not having enough $ to keep everyone within the cap space. If there were no salary caps, the NFL would turn into the MLB, where big-market teams usually prevail. It’s rough when your team has a great year, then gets dismantled, but the sport wouldn’t continue to grow and develop without the cap.   

Superficial contracts:

By Superficial contracts, I don’t mean that they stare longingly at themselves, shun others who are not as attractive or good-looking like Kim Kardashian, or wear designer clothes just to grab a cup of coffee; but that number that everyone sees as $120 million dollars is rarely what a player is going to see. Sure sometimes incentives can surpass that number, but it’s really rare that that number is even reached. At most, a player will receive about 50% in guarantees, a base salary, and the rest coming from incentives. That means if a player is hindered by an injury, gets careered, or has a slump, that money will be gone faster than Carly Rae Jespen. Tom Brady looks like the most stand-up team-first player in all of sports after he restructured his contract, but he tripled his guarantee and was one of the few players who had a clause in his contract that barred any type of pay cut due to injury. If he gets careered next year, then the Patriots will be waist deep in wasted cap room. Welker on the other hand only receives 2 million more to leave a franchise where he became an A-lister and was the main receiver to become a number 2 guy in a new system. That $2 million after team fees, league dues, should not be enough to draw a player away from his life, but there were some issues with his contracts in the past which I’m sure was one of the reasons he high-tailed it out of there, and more importantly he has some solid/ more enticing incentives in place from Denver.

Essentially, there is more to a contract than that final amount. Sure, restructuring takes place as happened with Big Ben and Brady and surely Flacco since in his 3^rd season in this current contract he would be making potentially up to $28 million, but there are certain situations where a player does not have the ability to restructure because a team does not want to provide them with definite/attainable incentives and guarantees. That’s when a player walks.

Over-Paying Players:

Over the years, this has been a standard trend within the NFL, especially when their Q-rating is at an all-time high. Look at Albert Haynesworth; the cancerous and lazy player who, because of two pro bowls and all-pro seasons in 07 and 08, was awarded a $100 million contract by the Redskins. His size, speed, and football acumen were all outstanding, but to be paid that amount of money in a position that does not have the same impact as, say, a sack artist like a D-End, a versatile middle-linebacker, or a ball-hawking safety, at an age where the linemen start showing signs of pounding against refrigerators is asinine. The Ravens lost Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe this year (Among others). After one hot-streak, Kruger was handed a 5 year $40 million dollar contract. In 2010, the man struggled to get playing time until he was moved to an outside linebacker in 2011. He still did not start, managed 6.5 sacks, and 15 tackles. This past season, he had 14.5 sacks and an extensive amount of tackles, but his sacks really appeared when Suggs returned. Kruger was relatively dormant when teams only had to scheme around him. He’s not worth top-tier linebacker money if he is not truly THE X-Factor. Danell Ellerbe had 1 break-out season and received a $35 million dollar deal with the Dolphins. He is injury prone and has been a head-case and just earned more money than the Ravens or most teams would/should pay for him. Both players, though, played in the national spotlight on the Super Bowl winning team, which is why they are being overpaid. 

Cancers:

It’s hard to see beyond the veil, but there are players that cause dissension within the locker rooms. We are not, as mere spectators, privy to all of the details and events that transpire, but look at some of the players whose performances did not justify their release. Terrell Owens (4 teams), Randy Moss (5 teams), Haynesworth (4 teams), Vince Young (3 teams- OK, so he only had 1 decent season anyway), Adam “Pacman” Jones (3 teams), Chad Johnson/Ocho-Cinco (3 Teams) and Brett Favre (4 teams). This year, it seems like there are some issues with Ravens' Safety Bernard Pollard as he's an absolute wrecking machine, hard worker, but will be likely being playing for his 4^th team in his 7 year span as the Ravens decided to release him. There are obviously some issues before Baltimore, as a player of his caliber is worth more than $2.735 million for two-years, which the Ravens paid him. Egos can create issues within a locker room as well, just ask Revis and his island. Revis right now seems to be wanting a new contract every year, which is why there's a discussion of wanting to trade him. Because of said discussions, it seems he wants out even more now due to feelings of disrespect.

It is amazing to see the transformations from year to year. The NFL is a business and in order to maintain greatness or, in business terms, a "profit", GM’s and owners need to make tough decisions. I’m sure an organization hurts even more than the fans do when losing an asset, but it makes no sense to over-pay or keep a good player around if his personality can overshadow his abilities. Players, on the other hand, need to do what’s best for them in a job where injury is prevalent, stability is difficult, and most careers are short. It’s a difficult time for us fans, sure, but there is plenty of time before the start of a season. Teams can still fill gaps and get better by Fall.

-Kyle