Felt like this might be a good place to post a couple questions with regards to the clay contract structure.
First, why do teams offer contracts with the most money up front? In my opinion, it appears to open the door for a decline in player performance and motivation.
Second, why wouldnt it make more sense for the franchise to have contracts that grow or rise as a player continues with a team? I think this makes more common sense and is more typical in most other industries. However, I understand people want to get paid.
Personally, I think having players "grow" into their contracts would benefit the player and the franchise. It enhances the perception of loyalty and progress which can affect team moral in the long term.