Seems to me that if no one has jumped on Meredith so far it's not likely he'll get an offer we won't match or even one at all.
This is why I am starting to like how Pace is handling these transition tags.
It allows him to play hardball on a players market value without poisoning his relationship with the player.
It has risk. Maybe we could have signed Fuller to a more team friendly contract. But my guess is that if we look at it over a number of players (and over a number of years) we will have a real net benefit by using the transition tag.
Seems to me that if no one has jumped on Meredith so far it's not likely he'll get an offer we won't match or even one at all.
This is why I am starting to like how Pace is handling these transition tags.
It allows him to play hardball on a players market value without poisoning his relationship with the player.
It has risk. Maybe we could have signed Fuller to a more team friendly contract. But my guess is that if we look at it over a number of players (and over a number of years) we will have a real net benefit by using the transition tag.
Seems to me that if no one has jumped on Meredith so far it's not likely he'll get an offer we won't match or even one at all.
This is why I am starting to like how Pace is handling these transition tags.
It allows him to play hardball on a players market value without poisoning his relationship with the player.
It has risk. Maybe we could have signed Fuller to a more team friendly contract. But my guess is that if we look at it over a number of players (and over a number of years) we will have a real net benefit by using the transition tag.
GB probably saved us about $1 mil per year over what a deal based on the franchise tag of $15.2 mil would have been. Other than it's structure I don't feel like we came out any worse and Pace has already said they deemed it fair so they committed to match very quickly.
IIRC the NFL has a deal where guaranteed monies need to be escrowed anyway so no matter how it was structured that $18 mil was gonna be spent immediately whether given in cash upfront or not. I think Pace would have liked to have done it with less dead cap but we can still get out with a $3 mil cap savings salary vs cap hit after year two. That's not horrible.
But as far as the tenders to the RFAs go yeah. He's been sharp counting on the injuries both Meredith and Callahan have experienced to limit any offers they might get and still have an option to match one. It's tough so anyone going a whole lot more than the $1.9 mil they're getting for longer term deals right now and if both turn in good performances this year they'll be in line for better offers next year.
This is why I am starting to like how Pace is handling these transition tags.
It allows him to play hardball on a players market value without poisoning his relationship with the player.
It has risk. Maybe we could have signed Fuller to a more team friendly contract. But my guess is that if we look at it over a number of players (and over a number of years) we will have a real net benefit by using the transition tag.
GB probably saved us about $1 mil per year over what a deal based on the franchise tag of $15.2 mil would have been. Other than it's structure I don't feel like we came out any worse and Pace has already said they deemed it fair so they committed to match very quickly.
IIRC the NFL has a deal where guaranteed monies need to be escrowed anyway so no matter how it was structured that $18 mil was gonna be spent immediately whether given in cash upfront or not. I think Pace would have liked to have done it with less dead cap but we can still get out with a $3 mil cap savings salary vs cap hit after year two. That's not horrible.
But as far as the tenders to the RFAs go yeah. He's been sharp counting on the injuries both Meredith and Callahan have experienced to limit any offers they might get and still have an option to match one. It's tough so anyone going a whole lot more than the $1.9 mil they're getting for longer term deals right now and if both turn in good performances this year they'll be in line for better offers next year.
Ya know...
People just make too much out of the contract structure or overpayment of a player. The only time it becomes an issue is if it is systemic. In other words, if bad contract structure or overpayment of players is the norm. Other than that, it really is not an issue. The contract for Fuller sucks to be frank, but it will not matter in a year or two. Same thing with the Glennon deal (which is about the most blatant overpayment I have seen in recent times). It doesn't matter. Things move on smoothly as long as they are one off things. Overpaying for a need impact player does not bother me at all. If that guy fills a need, fine.... he was worth it. You can swallow a whole lot of shit cap like for Glennon, you can certainly do the same for a difference maker.
Then since contracts are never guaranteed for long, if the play falls off, you cut him and find another. This stuff gets microanalyzed. It really should me macroanalyzed. You have to look at the big picture and the effect it has on the team both good and bad. We had about as bad an FA as we could have last year (IMO). Signed Glennon to a crap ton more than anyone else was getting close to even though nothing in his record indicated he would be good. We were one of the top spenders in FA and came out of it with close to nothing. Just a really crappy FA. And here we are after all that overspending and we have recovered. It is when overspending get coupled with bad contracts that you have a real problem. We overspent but Pace purposefully kept the long term impact to almost nothing.
Now, we can;t have that be the way our FAs go year in and year out or we will just churn through cash and get nowhere. That is also where it gets you. But as you can see, we followed up one of the worst FAs by one of the best. Obviously we would be in much greater shape had we had two great FAs, but while we didn't help ourselves, we did not cripple ourselves. Neither the Fuller contract nor the overpayment of almost every FA last year will leave a lasting impact on the team due to the smart contracts.
I do not worry about overpaying with the Bears. At least long term. Pace has and will make his mistakes, but he is smart enough to keep them from hurting us.
GB probably saved us about $1 mil per year over what a deal based on the franchise tag of $15.2 mil would have been. Other than it's structure I don't feel like we came out any worse and Pace has already said they deemed it fair so they committed to match very quickly.
IIRC the NFL has a deal where guaranteed monies need to be escrowed anyway so no matter how it was structured that $18 mil was gonna be spent immediately whether given in cash upfront or not. I think Pace would have liked to have done it with less dead cap but we can still get out with a $3 mil cap savings salary vs cap hit after year two. That's not horrible.
But as far as the tenders to the RFAs go yeah. He's been sharp counting on the injuries both Meredith and Callahan have experienced to limit any offers they might get and still have an option to match one. It's tough so anyone going a whole lot more than the $1.9 mil they're getting for longer term deals right now and if both turn in good performances this year they'll be in line for better offers next year.
Ya know...
People just make too much out of the contract structure or overpayment of a player. The only time it becomes an issue is if it is systemic. In other words, if bad contract structure or overpayment of players is the norm. Other than that, it really is not an issue. The contract for Fuller sucks to be frank, but it will not matter in a year or two. Same thing with the Glennon deal (which is about the most blatant overpayment I have seen in recent times). It doesn't matter. Things move on smoothly as long as they are one off things. Overpaying for a need impact player does not bother me at all. If that guy fills a need, fine.... he was worth it. You can swallow a whole lot of shit cap like for Glennon, you can certainly do the same for a difference maker.
Then since contracts are never guaranteed for long, if the play falls off, you cut him and find another. This stuff gets microanalyzed. It really should me macroanalyzed. You have to look at the big picture and the effect it has on the team both good and bad. We had about as bad an FA as we could have last year (IMO). Signed Glennon to a crap ton more than anyone else was getting close to even though nothing in his record indicated he would be good. We were one of the top spenders in FA and came out of it with close to nothing. Just a really crappy FA. And here we are after all that overspending and we have recovered. It is when overspending get coupled with bad contracts that you have a real problem. We overspent but Pace purposefully kept the long term impact to almost nothing.
Now, we can;t have that be the way our FAs go year in and year out or we will just churn through cash and get nowhere. That is also where it gets you. But as you can see, we followed up one of the worst FAs by one of the best. Obviously we would be in much greater shape had we had two great FAs, but while we didn't help ourselves, we did not cripple ourselves. Neither the Fuller contract nor the overpayment of almost every FA last year will leave a lasting impact on the team due to the smart contracts.
I do not worry about overpaying with the Bears. At least long term. Pace has and will make his mistakes, but he is smart enough to keep them from hurting us.
We signed a rookie GM three years ago. Rookies make mistakes and Pace has had his share. But IMO he seems to not make the same one twice.
GB probably saved us about $1 mil per year over what a deal based on the franchise tag of $15.2 mil would have been. Other than it's structure I don't feel like we came out any worse and Pace has already said they deemed it fair so they committed to match very quickly.
IIRC the NFL has a deal where guaranteed monies need to be escrowed anyway so no matter how it was structured that $18 mil was gonna be spent immediately whether given in cash upfront or not. I think Pace would have liked to have done it with less dead cap but we can still get out with a $3 mil cap savings salary vs cap hit after year two. That's not horrible.
But as far as the tenders to the RFAs go yeah. He's been sharp counting on the injuries both Meredith and Callahan have experienced to limit any offers they might get and still have an option to match one. It's tough so anyone going a whole lot more than the $1.9 mil they're getting for longer term deals right now and if both turn in good performances this year they'll be in line for better offers next year.
Ya know...
People just make too much out of the contract structure or overpayment of a player. The only time it becomes an issue is if it is systemic. In other words, if bad contract structure or overpayment of players is the norm. Other than that, it really is not an issue. The contract for Fuller sucks to be frank, but it will not matter in a year or two. Same thing with the Glennon deal (which is about the most blatant overpayment I have seen in recent times). It doesn't matter. Things move on smoothly as long as they are one off things. Overpaying for a need impact player does not bother me at all. If that guy fills a need, fine.... he was worth it. You can swallow a whole lot of shit cap like for Glennon, you can certainly do the same for a difference maker.
Then since contracts are never guaranteed for long, if the play falls off, you cut him and find another. This stuff gets microanalyzed. It really should me macroanalyzed. You have to look at the big picture and the effect it has on the team both good and bad. We had about as bad an FA as we could have last year (IMO). Signed Glennon to a crap ton more than anyone else was getting close to even though nothing in his record indicated he would be good. We were one of the top spenders in FA and came out of it with close to nothing. Just a really crappy FA. And here we are after all that overspending and we have recovered. It is when overspending get coupled with bad contracts that you have a real problem. We overspent but Pace purposefully kept the long term impact to almost nothing.
Now, we can;t have that be the way our FAs go year in and year out or we will just churn through cash and get nowhere. That is also where it gets you. But as you can see, we followed up one of the worst FAs by one of the best. Obviously we would be in much greater shape had we had two great FAs, but while we didn't help ourselves, we did not cripple ourselves. Neither the Fuller contract nor the overpayment of almost every FA last year will leave a lasting impact on the team due to the smart contracts.
I do not worry about overpaying with the Bears. At least long term. Pace has and will make his mistakes, but he is smart enough to keep them from hurting us.
Well put. Especially this part.
Times have changed so we need to adapt our own thinking over time as well. No matter what the ultimate value of any contract only that which is guaranteed either by the terms themselves or the impact of dead cap needs to be counted. That's really all it's worth the day it's signed and few team will tie themselves to anyone but a HOF type player for more than 2-3 years any longer. And we haven't.
Even Cutler's deal with the most guaranteed $$$ we'd ever offered anyone was done in three years as far as trading or releasing him and those were handing out now are no different. We're actually stuck with rookie 1st round deal longer than anything. If a vet player doesn't perform after receiving a new deal he's only gonna last for two seasons or three at most. Nothing is really a five or six year deal any longer.
People just make too much out of the contract structure or overpayment of a player. The only time it becomes an issue is if it is systemic. In other words, if bad contract structure or overpayment of players is the norm. Other than that, it really is not an issue. The contract for Fuller sucks to be frank, but it will not matter in a year or two. Same thing with the Glennon deal (which is about the most blatant overpayment I have seen in recent times). It doesn't matter. Things move on smoothly as long as they are one off things. Overpaying for a need impact player does not bother me at all. If that guy fills a need, fine.... he was worth it. You can swallow a whole lot of shit cap like for Glennon, you can certainly do the same for a difference maker.
Then since contracts are never guaranteed for long, if the play falls off, you cut him and find another. This stuff gets microanalyzed. It really should me macroanalyzed. You have to look at the big picture and the effect it has on the team both good and bad. We had about as bad an FA as we could have last year (IMO). Signed Glennon to a crap ton more than anyone else was getting close to even though nothing in his record indicated he would be good. We were one of the top spenders in FA and came out of it with close to nothing. Just a really crappy FA. And here we are after all that overspending and we have recovered. It is when overspending get coupled with bad contracts that you have a real problem. We overspent but Pace purposefully kept the long term impact to almost nothing.
Now, we can;t have that be the way our FAs go year in and year out or we will just churn through cash and get nowhere. That is also where it gets you. But as you can see, we followed up one of the worst FAs by one of the best. Obviously we would be in much greater shape had we had two great FAs, but while we didn't help ourselves, we did not cripple ourselves. Neither the Fuller contract nor the overpayment of almost every FA last year will leave a lasting impact on the team due to the smart contracts.
I do not worry about overpaying with the Bears. At least long term. Pace has and will make his mistakes, but he is smart enough to keep them from hurting us.
Well put. Especially this part.
Times have changed so we need to adapt our own thinking over time as well. No matter what the ultimate value of any contract only that which is guaranteed either by the terms themselves or the impact of dead cap needs to be counted. That's really all it's worth the day it's signed and few team will tie themselves to anyone but a HOF type player for more than 2-3 years any longer. And we haven't.
Even Cutler's deal with the most guaranteed $$$ we'd ever offered anyone was done in three years as far as trading or releasing him and those were handing out now are no different. We're actually stuck with rookie 1st round deal longer than anything. If a vet player doesn't perform after receiving a new deal he's only gonna last for two seasons or three at most. Nothing is really a five or six year deal any longer.
Well, this is actually why I sometimes poke the "overpayment" stick at Ric. All of this dissecting all contracts for "overpayment" is hilarious. First it's subjective, so overpayment is like nailing jello to a wall. It's hard to agree. Hell - even Ric (Mr. overpayment) and I disagreed on Glennon being overpaid. He said he was not overpaid (in a truly twisted reality, he was actually defending overpaid), and I thought he had done nothing to indicate he was worth it. If two people can't agree on a real black and white overpayment like Glennon, how are they going to agree on the less blatant "overpayments"?
And again.... going back to my feelings on this. It doesn;t matter. If you expect all contracts to be at or below what a player is worth, you won;t be signing many, and even less will be impact players.
You simply ARE going to have to pay people more than you would like at times. You have to do it smart, you have to try to limit it to players you either need or feel like they will actually be worth even more than todays "overpayment" in the future. You pay more than you would like for some and less for others. As long as it is not systemic and the player makes the team better, I'm all for it. To worry about every instance of paying more than you would like (and it's what Pace would like that matters anyway) is just nuts. The cap is well managed. I don;t worry about it a whole lot unless it is at Glennon levels. And even when that happens, you can't get agreement.... so what's the point of it?