Repost of Jarrett Bell's USA Today column

[Gavin in Va Beach]

Salaries of cornerbacks have gone through roof

 

Gristle for the Nate Clements trade/resign factions, with arguments for and against.

 

 

For trading-

 

Yet with rules designed to tilt an advantage for offense — including the emphasis last season to enforce illegal-contact infractions after a 5-yard chuck zone from the line of scrimmage — some are wondering if the cornerbacks are worth the premium bucks.

 

The New England Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four seasons with an undrafted rookie, Randall Gay, starting down the stretch run. The Patriots' other starter for the bulk of the season, Asante Samuel, was a fourth-round pick in 2003 who also broke into the lineup because of injuries.

 

"The way the game is played now," Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy says, "it's tough to think a defensive back is going to have that much impact."

 

Adds Savage, "You have to be very careful when watching cornerbacks now."

 

For resigning, money is no object

 

Still, McKay, co-chairman of the league's competition committee, won't join the party suggesting the rules and wide-open style of play will cause cornerback cash to plummet.

 

"I think people still realize corners, no matter what you do, at some time they're going to be on an island and you'd better have good ones," McKay says. "I think they continue to get paid at a very high rate."

 

and

 

"Every year the free agency market is a little bit different," says Titans coach Jeff Fisher, going with young cornerbacks as Rolle and Tennessee's other previous starter, Andre Dyson, are on the market. "But everybody needs a corner. In fact, you need more than three corners. You need that fourth and fifth corner, too, to play today's game. So we're all looking for good quality corners."

 

But at what price?

 

Lamont Smith, the Denver-based agent who represents Rolle, has heard the argument that cornerbacks are not worth as much as they used to be but thinks otherwise. He has already polished his sales pitch.

 

"It all depends on what type of cornerback that you have," Smith says. "If they can run, then it puts more of a premium on him because a receiver can't just run by him. Secondly, even if you've got a receiver like Randy Moss on the field, you can still have a shutdown cornerback. You just use him to take away the No. 2 receiver, then use your safety to help cover the No. 1 receiver."

 

My opinion? Thanks for asking.

 

Nate is worth the money. Boneheaded plays at times yes, but a damn good corner in a league where they are a rarity. Could we win without him? Yes, New England showed they could win the Superbowl with a converted receiver playing corner, but Nate is a big reason our defense has been as good as it has the last couple of years and I'd hate to risk the continuity. He's still pretty young and escapes the injury bug *knock on wood* for the most part. Pay this fine young man TD.

[Sound_n_Fury]

Salaries of cornerbacks have gone through roof

Could we win without him? Yes, New England showed they could win the Superbowl with a converted receiver playing corner, but Nate is a big reason our defense has been as good as it has the last couple of years

310446[/snapback]

 

IMO, no corner is worth the mega-bucks being thown at them today. Look at the following article and tell me a CB is worth more than a QB to any team:

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/arti...urricane_force/

 

"In an oddity that some find difficult to explain, the five highest-paid cornerbacks in the league last year banked more on average ($8.816 million) than the five highest-paid quarterbacks ($8.078 million)."

[Kelly the Dog]

IMO, no corner is worth the mega-bucks being thown at them today.  Look at the following article and tell me a CB is worth more than a QB to any team:

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/arti...urricane_force/

 

"In an oddity that some find difficult to explain, the five highest-paid cornerbacks in the league last year banked more on average ($8.816 million) than the five highest-paid quarterbacks ($8.078 million)."

310464[/snapback]

It's not hard to explain at all when you throw in Antoine Winfield's 12 million which wasn't an accurate indication of his salary and which dramatically skewed all the numbers. Next year's average will be significantly less than this years.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

IMO, no corner is worth the mega-bucks being thown at them today.  Look at the following article and tell me a CB is worth more than a QB to any team:

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/arti...urricane_force/

 

"In an oddity that some find difficult to explain, the five highest-paid cornerbacks in the league last year banked more on average ($8.816 million) than the five highest-paid quarterbacks ($8.078 million)."

310464[/snapback]

 

I agree that corners shouldn't be worth as much as a QB, but they should be close as they are probably asked to do the most on the defensive side of the ball and can change a game by shutting down a receiver/taking one back for a TD. I'm definitely not saying that the #2 corner and nickles should make enormous jack, but your #1 corner should be a stud and studs get paid.

[Sound_n_Fury]

It's not hard to explain at all when you throw in Antoine Winfield's 12 million which wasn't an accurate indication of his salary and which dramatically skewed all the numbers. Next year's average will be significantly less than this years.

310471[/snapback]

 

Even if you discount AW, the average salary of the top 5 CBs this year is $6.4 million (the figure used for the franchise tag). It'll likely be $8 million-plus by 2006.

[Kelly the Dog]

Even if you discount AW, the average salary of the top 5 CBs this year is $6.4 million (the figure used for the franchise tag).  It'll likely be $8 million-plus by 2006.

310482[/snapback]

6.4 million doesnt seem so outrageous for one of the top 5, 8.8 million does. Plus TyLaw's 9 million skewed it, and Samari Rolle's 8 million is off the books this year, too (although Woodson's 10+ is on it because he got 120% of last year's franchise.

[stuckincincy]

Bring back the bump and run. Added benefit - bigmouths like TO cease to exist.

[34-78-83]

Bring back the bump and run.  Added benefit - bigmouths like TO cease to exist.

310508[/snapback]

 

Pleasant thought considering TO's mouth but he could easily trash a bump and run like yesterday's news.

[Sound_n_Fury]

6.4 million doesnt seem so outrageous for one of the top 5, 8.8 million does. Plus TyLaw's 9 million skewed it, and Samari Rolle's 8 million is off the books this year, too (although Woodson's 10+ is on it because he got 120% of last year's franchise.

310507[/snapback]

 

LOL! How many guys do you want to exclude before you get a salary figure you're comfortable with.

[Kelly the Dog]

LOL!  How many guys do you want to exclude before you get a salary figure you're comfortable with.

310532[/snapback]

Umm... all the players whose numbers arent going to approach the numbers from last year? I don't know of any 12 mil deals like Antoine's or 9 mil like Law's or even Rolle's 8 mil, do you? The ones I know and left on are Surtain and Woodsen, who will have those numbers. Please let me know the long list of CBs whose numbers are going to be over 8 mil on their team's cap this year? The reason I took them off should be obvious.

[RVJ]

And its going to get worse $$$$$$$$$

 

NBC is happy about taking over Sunday night games. ESPN is giddy to get Monday Night Football. But when the NFL announced its new broadcast package, the happiest ones of all were the players and agents. Total broadcast revenue will increase by at least 50 percent when the new deals go into effect in 2006 - from $2.45 billion a year to at least $3.75 billion. The players get 65 percent of revenues, so you can expect a big bump in salaries in '06. It'll be a great time to be a free agent. Nate Clements, are you listening?