Should QB Compensation Be Carved Out of the Salary Cap?

[st pete gogolak]

Full disclosure.  I've been a Bills fan since 1965 so I'm obviously biased about this because if it somehow came to pass it would benefit the Bills enormously.  That said, QB compensation in the NFL and how it distorts the salary cap is, if not unfair, frankly bizarre and unlike any other sport that maintains a salary cap.  That's because QB compensation is so dramatically higher than any other position.  That's not true in basketball or hockey.  Yes, you pay your superstars but McDavid isn't making double or triple every single one of his teammates.  

 

You're punished for selecting a QB who turns into a franchise QB.  That's if you do it right.  Heaven help you if you pay a QB that lands you in cap purgatory (Prescott, Cousins) or, even worse, one that lands you in cap hell (Wilson).  

 

A carve out probably lets the Raiders keep Carr.  I don't know what the solution is but you shouldn't have to gut your team because you found your franchise quarterback.  

[Nextmanup]

I've often thought about having a separate salary cap or some type of similar control in the league, JUST for the Quarterback position.

 

You would think the NFLPA would love that idea, because the day will come when the QB and a few key players make ALL the money, and everyone else makes league minimum.

 

 

[H2o]

I say it's just the nature of the beast. You have to navigate the situation and draft well is what it boils down to. People will continue to get paid other than QB's, with some teams investing more in them than others. QB will always remain a large chunk of a team's salary cap, especially those fortunate enough to have Franchise one who gets to that 2nd contract or beyond.

[st pete gogolak]

Just now, H2o said:

I say it's just the nature of the beast. You have to navigate the situation and draft well is what it boils down to. People will continue to get paid other than QB's, with some teams investing more in them than others. QB will always remain a large chunk of a team's salary cap, especially those fortunate enough to have Franchise one who gets to that 2nd contract or beyond.

That's just the point.  Is that system a fair system?  What if in the NHL goalies made four times what any other player made?  You could field a good team with a crap goalie or a great goalie with a crap team.  Who would want a system like that?

[White Linen]

The system works as it is.

[HOUSE]

I am enjoying the higher ticket prices.

Let's not mess with it

[H2o]

Just now, st pete gogolak said:

That's just the point.  Is that system a fair system?  What if in the NHL goalies made four times what any other player made?  You could field a good team with a crap goalie or a great goalie with a crap team.  Who would want a system like that?

Just because you have a Franchise QB doesn't mean you have to have a bad team around them. You have to draft well and spend the rest of your $$$ wisely. Brady, Ben Ro, Mahomes, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, and so on. All of these guys took up large portions of the Salary Cap and still had good enough to win the SB teams around them. 

[Billl]

14 minutes ago, st pete gogolak said:

That's just the point.  Is that system a fair system?  What if in the NHL goalies made four times what any other player made?  You could field a good team with a crap goalie or a great goalie with a crap team.  Who would want a system like that?

You want the wealthiest owners to just buy up the best QBs and then have a full cap to work with?  That’s what would happen.

[BarleyNY]

36 minutes ago, st pete gogolak said:

Full disclosure.  I've been a Bills fan since 1965 so I'm obviously biased about this because if it somehow came to pass it would benefit the Bills enormously.  That said, QB compensation in the NFL and how it distorts the salary cap is, if not unfair, frankly bizarre and unlike any other sport that maintains a salary cap.  That's because QB compensation is so dramatically higher than any other position.  That's not true in basketball or hockey.  Yes, you pay your superstars but McDavid isn't making double or triple every single one of his teammates.  

 

You're punished for selecting a QB who turns into a franchise QB.  That's if you do it right.  Heaven help you if you pay a QB that lands you in cap purgatory (Prescott, Cousins) or, even worse, one that lands you in cap hell (Wilson).  

 

A carve out probably lets the Raiders keep Carr.  I don't know what the solution is but you shouldn't have to gut your team because you found your franchise quarterback.  

Just a really bad idea that would horribly damage the parity in the league. The thought of it is rooted in short term self-interest. 

[4th&long]

I don’t know about that but the owners better loosen up that cap. I have never tuned into a game, went to the stadium or bought a jersey because of the owner in the box!

18 minutes ago, White Linen said:

The system works as it is.

Works for who? After waiting 20 years to get this roster built now we get to watch it get broken up because of the salary cap?

[ngbills]

My proposal:

 

Only non-drafted players count toward the salary cap. So you can keep all of your drafted or UDFA and it has no cap impact. But free agent spending is capped and leveled out amongst teams. Rewards teams that draft well rather than punish them. 

[Marvin]

How about tweaking the rules so that they are not so biased for passing offence, so that QBs are less valuable and teams can win with average QBs and a good running game?

[Low Positive]

If the QB position was uncapped, guys like Mahomes would have infinite value. How much do you think Jerry Jones would pay Mahomes in an open FA market. $200 million? More? I have no idea, but it would be a lot more than $50 million. 

[jkeerie]

Steve Tasker mentioned today that there is no longer a "middle class" when it comes to player salaries.  They have risen so drastically, that it is harder to manage your roster as the salary cap is taken up by just a handful on the team.  

[H2o]

20 minutes ago, 4th&long said:

Works for who? After waiting 20 years to get this roster built now we get to watch it get broken up because of the salary cap?

It works for the teams who draft well and spend the rest of their $$$ on the right people. 

[Goin Breakdown]

38 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

I am enjoying the higher ticket prices.

Let's not mess with it

Man this kinda pisses me off thinking of it this way. But you're right. 

[C.Biscuit97]

Yes. The qbs contracts are stupid. So many garbage qbs get paid because you can’t risk losing a decent one and it kills your cap. It’s also kinda insulting to the rest of your team. 

[SoCal Deek]

Did we care about this when we had Peterman? Somebody go back and look through the thread history. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

44 minutes ago, H2o said:

Just because you have a Franchise QB doesn't mean you have to have a bad team around them. You have to draft well and spend the rest of your $$$ wisely. Brady, Ben Ro, Mahomes, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, and so on. All of these guys took up large portions of the Salary Cap and still had good enough to win the SB teams around them. 

 

If you take Brady out, the other five won a total of seven SB, not that impressive considering how talented those 5 were.  Mahommes is kind of an outlier in there too as hasn't been around enough to see what happens long term with team.  So do agree with the OP is hard to field and maintain a top team when the QB makes a disproportionate share of total salary cap.

 

Put it another way, lets assume Bills won SB next season, after that Allen plays another ten years and they never win again.  They win division most years, maybe get to 2nd round of playoffs, one, maybe two times made conf championship.  Would you be happy, and content and not question need for a coaching change.  That's kind of what Ben Ro, Manning, Rodgers, and Brees did.  It was always wait till next year, were always good, but never able to win it all again. 

 

Maybe a better idea than a separate salary cap would be a bonus amount of money not counted towards cap and you get to use it every X amount of years.  All the money can be given to one player or split up between a couple of players if team doesn't have a true franchise QB.  Likely most of time money would go to QB, but not always.  Money comes out of owners pocket, can choose to spend it or not spend it, but gives a team a better chance of keeping core together.

[Success]

Almost everything the NFL does has a goal of parity.

 

It's fair the way it is.  You want an elite QB?  Cool - but you'll have to cut corners elsewhere. Can't find an elite QB?  Spend your money on other impact players.  

 

Theoretically, it gives every team a chance to contend.

 

But we're in good shape. JA's contract will seem cheap the year after next.