Expect $8 to $10 million per year for McPhee

**Bigfish** · 02-25-2015, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by LukeDaniel

This is a thread that should even be. McPhee should never ever ever ever ever ever reached free agency. This was such a simple problem to avoid.

Nice post, I read the whole thing. You bring up a good point, have the Ravens ever signed a player early? They came close to a discount with Flacco, but waited until he forced them to pay retail.

**Ravenalytics** · 02-25-2015, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by Bigfish

Nice post, I read the whole thing. You bring up a good point, have the Ravens ever signed a player early? They came close to a discount with Flacco, but waited until he forced them to pay retail.

Webb?

**arnie_uk** · 02-25-2015, 04:10 AM

Totally agree luke. you'd think they would have learnt after flacco

**GOTA** · 02-25-2015, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Bigfish

Nice post, I read the whole thing. You bring up a good point, have the Ravens ever signed a player early? They came close to a discount with Flacco, but waited until he forced them to pay retail.

The last major player that I can remember them signing a year early was Webb. It's not been a great deal because of injuries.

Before this season McPhee was coming off of 2 less than stellar years. His rookie season was great but he followed that up with a 1.5 sack season where he really looked lost in Pees offense and then a 2 sack season which was better but still nothing special. In his contract season McPhee really lit it up. The Ravens probably could have locked him up cheap after 2 mediocre seasons but they might not have wanted to after that. They probably wanted to see more before committing big money. The Ravens have never been a team to pay based on potential. Unfortunately by the time he breaks out he's too expensive.

**Captain Offense** · 02-25-2015, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by GOTA

The last major player that I can remember them signing a year early was Webb. It's not been a great deal because of injuries.

Before this season McPhee was coming off of 2 less than stellar years. His rookie season was great but he followed that up with a 1.5 sack season where he really looked lost in Pees offense and then a 2 sack season which was better but still nothing special. In his contract season McPhee really lit it up. The Ravens probably could have locked him up cheap after 2 mediocre seasons but they might not have wanted to after that. They probably wanted to see more before committing big money. The Ravens have never been a team to pay based on potential. Unfortunately by the time he breaks out he's too expensive.

And the other part is what the player can do without the cast of characters around him. With the schemes and the assignments, they can tell if somebody is more of a "Five-Tool" Player (so to speak) or just a cog in the machine. Just because somebody is a big performer in an assignment does not mean they are able to be worth the coin as a prime player. Other teams may believe that the one who looks good in the Ravens' games can be "The Man" on their team and will pay the piper. And in some cases, the Peter Principle" comes into play and it is a bad deal. The problem for the Ravens is that the guy may step up in his contract year when he did not show any signs of being worth it before that.

And of course there are Mentally-Challenged Teams that have the money and over-pay. More power to McPhee to pick somebody's pocket (with their consent).

**JAB1985** · 02-25-2015, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by GOTA

The last major player that I can remember them signing a year early was Webb. It's not been a great deal because of injuries.

Before this season McPhee was coming off of 2 less than stellar years. His rookie season was great but he followed that up with a 1.5 sack season where he really looked lost in Pees offense and then a 2 sack season which was better but still nothing special. In his contract season McPhee really lit it up. The Ravens probably could have locked him up cheap after 2 mediocre seasons but they might not have wanted to after that. They probably wanted to see more before committing big money. The Ravens have never been a team to pay based on potential. Unfortunately by the time he breaks out he's too expensive.

not to mention, McPhee knowing Art Jones was going to be elsewhere, had to have known he was in line to get those snaps and maximize his value. Whos saying he wanted to sign a cheap deal a year early? These guys bet on themselves more often than not. I dont blame the Ravens one bit for wanting to see what hes capable of first.

Yesterday did make it clear though, that I dont think theyre even going to make him an offer. Theyre confident in their DL "depth" stepping up. I just hope this isnt another case like with the secondary where we went from a strength, lost a few guys and thought we had depth to step up and quickly found out there wasnt any. I could easily see that being the case with the unknowns we have as depth right now.

**jimjim5** · 02-25-2015, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by LukeDaniel

This is a thread that should even be. McPhee should never ever ever ever ever ever reached free agency. This was such a simple problem to avoid.

Do you think that McPhee would have turned down 5 years/$20m with a $6m bonus last August???

From the McPhee side of the camp, it would be a no brainer. To that point in his career, McPhee had probably made around a little over $2 for his first 3 NFL seasons. The chance to get a $6m bonus would be a huge incentive to allow him to "cash in" without leaving anything to injury-related chance. For a player with a good-but-not-great reputation, it was the perfect opportunity to secure the guaranteed windfall that every player playing on their rookie contract craves. .....

Before anyone brings mention to the current cap situation......Under a 5/20 proposed scenario.....McPhee's 2015 cap figure would have been roughly $2.2m ($1m base salary and $1.2m prorated signing bonus). Certainly that number is going to jump off a balance sheet at you as an excellent value. .......

What bugs me is that a franchise that is so often looking for a bargain in the draft and a bargain in free agency doesn't look for bargains within their own roster.

I personally think that the Ravens organization wants happy players. Young players playing for that next contract are hungry, however veterans that get low-balled will become unhappy. This is no different than you and your work scenario. If a low-ball offer like that would offend me, don't you think it would offend McPhee? I think the Ravens brass want these young men to cash in. This is their livelihood. The front office and coaches have accepted this fact of NFL life, and this is one of the reasons why the team has been successful. Players want to play here, and players leave here happy because they left the Ravens organization understanding their value.

A 5 years/$20m with a $6m bonus from the Ravens organization is low-ball and would be considered bush league IMO.

**JAB1985** · 02-25-2015, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by jimjim5

I personally think that the Ravens organization wants happy players. Young players playing for that next contract are hungry, however veterans that get low-balled will become unhappy. This is no different than you and your work scenario. If a low-ball offer like that would offend me, don't you think it would offend McPhee? I think the Ravens brass want these young men to cash in. This is their livelihood. The front office and coaches have accepted this fact of NFL life, and this is one of the reasons why the team has been successful. Players want to play here, and players leave here happy because they left the Ravens organization understanding their value.

A 5 years/$20m with a $6m bonus from the Ravens organization is low-ball and would be considered bush league IMO.

He didnt earn even that size of contract prior to this year, so thats a huge gamble. this notion were suppose to just guess and gamble with our roster is crazy to me. By that notion we could have extended Chykie Brown for a contract as he was in for a big role. he didnt deserve one and then we would have been left with egg on our face when he ended up failing and stuck in a bad contract. that will burn you more often than not which is why NFL teams dont do it but for bonafide stars, who typically are cheaper to not extend a year prior anyway. McPhee was not a star prior to this year and his ability to be more than a part time player is going to be the first question mark going forward. you dont extend players with no history prior in hopes they step up.

**Kyle Cactus** · 02-25-2015, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

McPhee was not a star prior to this year and his ability to be more than a part time player is going to be the first question mark going forward. you dont extend players with no history prior in hopes they step up.

:word

There's a lot of benefit to having young players finish out that last year of their rookie contracts before signing them. It's an extra year to evaluate their worth. It's one more year you haven't exposed yourself to injury risk on a player with a big contract. And if you sign it a year early, you're usually giving up a bargain season at the end of the contract anyway! If the whole point is to save money, you need to acknowledge that quite a bit is saved by allowing most players on their rookie deal to actually play under the terms of their original contract.

Inevitably, there's a price at which it makes sense for the team to sign a player a year early. But it has to be low enough to overcome all the advantages listed above. I imagine the Ravens offer this price whenever they have a player they're sufficiently comfortable with. But that doesn't mean that the player and their agent are willing to accept it. There may be cases we never really hear about.

The Ravens offered Flacco a contract before the last season of his rookie deal. They had their number, Flacco/Linta wouldn't take it. It looked like like the Ravens did the right thing sticking to their number ... right up until the playoffs. And if Joe was motivated by playing for his contract, and that gave him the extra edge to put up the ridiculous performances of that playoff stretch, then it was still a good decision on the Ravens part!

As was mentioned before we also did Webb early. He's probably my favorite Raven, but that didn't exactly work out well for us.

**GOTA** · 02-25-2015, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

not to mention, McPhee knowing Art Jones was going to be elsewhere, had to have known he was in line to get those snaps and maximize his value. Whos saying he wanted to sign a cheap deal a year early? These guys bet on themselves more often than not. I dont blame the Ravens one bit for wanting to see what hes capable of first.

Yesterday did make it clear though, that I dont think theyre even going to make him an offer. Theyre confident in their DL "depth" stepping up. I just hope this isnt another case like with the secondary where we went from a strength, lost a few guys and thought we had depth to step up and quickly found out there wasnt any. I could easily see that being the case with the unknowns we have as depth right now.

I agree that they won't make him an offer. What's the point? It will be so much less than he'll get on the free market. I don't want to read how the Ravens lowballed McPhee. Better to shake his hand and wish him luck.

**lobachevsky** · 02-25-2015, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by LukeDaniel

This is a thread that should even be [sic]. McPhee should never ever ever ever ever ever reached [sic] free agency. This was such a simple problem to avoid.

Even 20-20 hindsight is only worth what one's field of vision encompasses. For many (if not most) it offers little more than a really sharp image of their colon linings. Not to cast dispersions on anyone in particular...

If McPhee has a good to great year for some other team you will of course never cease reminding us how right you were. But if his knees give out this year or next, or he flops without a stellar supporting cast, you'll be off pontificating about some other issue & hoping no one remembers how wrong you were.

IMHO your I-know-more-than-the-whole-Ravens-FO shtick was past its best-by date when Moses was floating in the bullrushes, Luke. I think I'll trust Oz on this one.

**lovefootball** · 02-25-2015, 10:48 AM

The team hat pays McPhee the most will be hoping for a lot. That he can play with their existing players and get the results he had with the Ravens. Who knows, many defense guys that left Baltimore were average at best with their new team. JJ just retired after 3 years with the chargers and really didn't have great years with them. Adalius Thomas was great with the Ravens but nothing with the pats on a consistent basis. Many others that got a big contract and left were average too.

So buyer beware, what you saw with the player you're spending big bucks for, may not give the results you are hoping for.