The list was meant to reflect this idea of having to have players on rookie contracts in order to resign players or add through FA. Some of those guys are years away from resigned. Some won't be resigned.
But it's the rookie contracts that helped pay for Mack, and will help pay for Mitch and Jackson a few years down the line.
From a team building aspect, which of those starters gets resigned when it's time and who doesn't is interesting if we keep in mind that resigning to a second contract affects future resignings and FA.
this is why i thought the rookie contracts were really bad for vets. if you aren't a star you take a pay cut or get replaced by a friendly rookie deal. explains things like the Ha Ha deal. also makes picks very valuable imo and that part of Pace's off seasons has been scary. lf to this draft, esp if we are really trying to deal Howard.
The list was meant to reflect this idea of having to have players on rookie contracts in order to resign players or add through FA. Some of those guys are years away from resigned. Some won't be resigned.
But it's the rookie contracts that helped pay for Mack, and will help pay for Mitch and Jackson a few years down the line.
From a team building aspect, which of those starters gets resigned when it's time and who doesn't is interesting if we keep in mind that resigning to a second contract affects future resignings and FA.
this is why i thought the rookie contracts were really bad for vets. if you aren't a star you take a pay cut or get replaced by a friendly rookie deal. explains things like the Ha Ha deal. also makes picks very valuable imo and that part of Pace's off seasons has been scary. lf to this draft, esp if we are really trying to deal Howard.
its the same thing like what is happening in baseball. The MLBPA threw the minor leaguers (ie future MLBPA members) overboard in exchange for certain perks, and didn't anticipate owners throwing vets overboard in exchange for the younger players.
Right now in football, its a given (correct or not is besides the point) that with a QB that is above average and a few elite talents scattered around on OFF and DEF, you can play rookies or vet mins and be competitive (ie make the play offs or be in the race until the end.) So instead of being balanced roster cap wise, teams are skewed toward a few elites (Mack, Hicks), a few semi-elites (Goldman, Robinson), a few guys who are 'need pieces' (Burton, Gabriel) and then the rest (ranging from Leno to Jackson) of the team.
The only way the Bears could take on Mack was to bite the bullet of draft picks and somewhat limited ability to sign FAs in future years. So I think Pace will continue to sign the Clinton-Dixs and that new WR from Atlanta to fill things out knowing his core is set for a few years and to buy time until the extensions begin to come due. People keep saying the extensions are 'down the line,' but Pace still needs to account for that.
I don't think the sky is falling, as the actual number of times a team has been in cap hell and suffered for it doesn't really match the breathless media reports. But we might see guys like Nichols, Bush, and Floyd move on because cheaper replacements can be found in the draft or in FA. I'M NOT SAYING THOSE GUYS WILL BE LET GO, JUST THAT GUYS WE LIKE WILL LEAVE. Just like the cap goes up, so do salaries, so Mitch in two years is going to make change, as will Jackson, Whitehair and in 3 years guys like Daniels and Miller. Mack will still be on the books as well.
IMO unless Mitch really bombs, he's going to get top 10 money at QB, its how the market moves.