Expensive Quarterback Mistakes in the NFL, and How to Avoid

I don't even think that's accurate.  Emery threw another $5 mil into the first year as an amortized bonus so he could sign Jared Allen.  Now if we want to point a finger at a guy we grossly overpaid based on his production then he would be a great place to start.

So while Cutler was paid $22.5 mil in 2014 his salary was only $17.5 mil and it's never been more than that either.  That $5 mil was added at Emery's convenience not at Cutler's demand yet the press tore into that $22.5 mil number to say he was the most overpaid player in the NFL.

Bullshit.  The numbers were all there to look at just as I have.  It's those who either chose not to or who purposely chose to ignore it in order to mislead fans who should be doubted and questioned as to their motive.  Cutler has always been an easy target for their hack job.

These are his salaries for the past 3 years and he's making less now than he was in 2014.  So in comparison to the deals and tags handed out to others somebody please prove to me how he's been so "overpaid" and kept the Bears from bidding for top shelf talent.  That's a bunch of crap.

2014 Contract details by year 31 $17,500,000 - - - $1,000,000 $18,500,000 $38,000,000
2015 Contract details by year 32 $15,500,000 - - - $1,000,000 $16,500,000 $29,500,000
2016 Contract details by year 33 $16,000,000 - - - $1,000,000 $17,000,000 $19,000,000

Note; Those $1 mil amounts are that amortized $5 mil from 2014 not additional bonus income each year.  They add to the cap but not his pay. His pay is what's in black.

Now here's what the rest of his contract calls for.

2017 Contract details by year 34 $12,500,000 - $2,500,000 - $1,000,000 $16,000,000 $2,000,000
2018 Contract details by year 35 $13,500,000 - $2,500,000 - $1,000,000 $17,000,000 $1,000,000
2019 Contract details by year 36 $17,500,000 - $2,500,000 - - $20,000,000 -
2020 Contract details by year 37 $19,200,000 - $2,500,000 - - $21,700,000

Note; And again the $1 mil amounts are the balance of that amortized $5 mil from 2014 not additional income.  His salary is in black.  The other $2.5 is LTBE bonus that may or may not all be earned but must be accounted for in the cap. Whatever amount isn't earned is cap credit for the following year.

So his 2017 base salary is $4 mil less than it was in 2014 when QB salaries are soaring.  The other $2.5 mil is a per game bonus so it's prorated based on how many games he' actually active for.  If he misses 5 games due to injury then that bonus it reduced by $780k and change.  So I'll listen to bitches about him not playing well but not about being overpaid.  That isn't the case and it never has been.

For those who think we should trade for a 3 year older and more frequently inured Tony Romo, besides whatever that costs us in picks or whatever, his what his deal looks like.

2017 Contract details by year 37 $14,000,000 $5,000,000 - - $5,700,000 $24,700,000 $19,600,000
2018 Contract details by year 38 $19,500,000 - - - $5,700,000 $25,200,000 $8,900,000
2019 Contract details by year 39 $20,500,000 - - - $3,200,000 $23,700,000 $3,200,000

So not only is his salary higher throughout but he has deferred salaries in the form of restructured bonus money attached to his deal as well.  If that's not on Dallas then it will be for whoever picks up that contract in trade.  But at the very least he's costlier then Cutler and arguably no better a QB either.

So "moving on" isn't always as easy, economical, or wise as it appears to those not willing to do a little research.  If as Ric wanted to claim Cutler's contract has forced us to only pursue 2nd tier UFAs then the exact same would be true with Romo or any other established vet QB.  If you want to save money at QB you have to draft them.  We haven't lately and prior to that when we did we failed to even draft just one anywhere near as good as Cutler had been.

I'm not defending Cutler's play here I'm just presenting facts that are all too often ignores or twisted and distorted to arrive at a preconceived conclusion.  So look at the actual facts and you all can draw your own conclusions.