Post by davidl on Jun 15, 2024 13:12:03 GMT -6
The QB position is so critical, I’d like to go the opposite direction — a roster cap PLUS a separate cap on the QB position. This would allow all teams to keep their QB1 without financially wrecking the team.
Trevor's contract is going to take up ~20-percent of their cap ($55mil of a $255.4mil cap). That still leaves 80% to work with. Adding a few other upper-tier contracts will still be doable - und then you go with value signings as much as possible. But to make it all work, the team needs coaching staff that can truly develop young project-talent players. And even more critically important will be the need to have a GM & scouting department that's skilled enough to make almost every draft pick count. No trading away draft picks for "buying" many FA vets at full-retail prices - because that is simply not sustainable.
A championship team will live or die by the draft (gotta have that constant fresh inflow of solid talent on cheap rookie contracts). Think about it. Rookie deals last at least 4 seasons, and teams get 7 picks per year... plus, if you truly work this model you will get some very helpful compensatory picks (the Patriots would get up to 10 overall draft picks some years). So, over a 4 year period a GM will have somewhere between 30 and say, ~35 to 37 picks (depending upon comp picks and trades of some older players... Belichick was so skilled at that when Brady was there). That is significant if the GM can draft well and the coaches can develop those mid to late round guys at a decent rate (keep in mind that over half your roster is made up of backups).
I 100% believe that the importance of the draft picks will become pure gold in the hands of a great GM/coaching staff. It's the only way I can see to sustain winning while paying so much of your cap to keep a guy like Caleb Williams.
