its funny how there's this perception change when you get to blocking tight ends - blocking is incredibly important for OL and they get paid top dollars for their position because their job is thought of as so important and fundamental to a team and team-building in general especially in the current NFL where there's a dearth in quality
and yet when it comes to a blocking TE who grades out as a middle of the pack OT as a blocker (which is insane btw) and also adds a dynamism and flexibility element to your offence by virtue of being a receiving option and a movable piece behind the LoS pre-snap and can be motioned also but 6m a year is suddenly too much?
it doesnt make sense to me - honestly there's no way you get that sort of blocking production out of a rookie especially in year 1 and even if you get a good one you're not guaranteeing a replacement for boyle anyway and you're then also making a pick that you might have used on another position or BPA to specifically pick up a blocking TE when your roster is already full of (if boyle isnt around) only 2nd years as the veterans in the room... that's not a recipe for success either even if the former rookies have showed up and performed well
i mean he's not even getting that much - he's only making 1m/yr more then TJ Hockenson who's never even played a down in the nfl yet...
and in terms of value - he's not even the highest paid blocking tight end in the league
Haven't we had this conversation on the forum already? If you look at the TE contracts in Boyles range, you have guys named Cj uzomah, Tyler croft, Vernon Davis, Rhett Ellison, and Jack Doyle.
Tell me he is not obviously better than everyone in this range barring Doyle who imo he is comparable to. We paid market to below market value for a guy who is a perfect system fit.
1. Just because a punch of other teams made worse decisions than ours doesn’t mean that our decision wasn’t inherently bad. Sorry guys, that’s not a valid argument at all. It’s bullshit rationalization. If that’s the market, you just don’t participate. Having Nick Boyle isn’t going to make or break next season at all. Find another blocking TE for cheaper. They might not be as good, but again, if you’re relying on your blocking TE that much, something is seriously wrong. You should be spending that money elsewhere like idk.... the oline.
Doesn’t work in the real world. It’s still money that is spent poorly. It’s why we’ve historically been behind cap wise. Contracts like this for players that aren’t worth paying screw the future cap and the rollover cap. It’s why the Jets and co have insane amounts of money. THATS NOT ARGUABLE. Get that through your heads.
2. Idc if Hock is only slightly underpaid. Hock is going to be a better player if he’s healthy. So yes that’s a lot of money.
3. Boyle is a good football player. Not saying he isn’t. But he doesn’t make or break the offense. But yes, that’s too much money to give to someone who’s value really isn’t much. “But this team”, isn’t a valid argument to me because if you’re using him that much you should be using your money to fix the other problems on the team. “We aren’t going to get the same from a rookie”. Again, If we are expecting that producing as a blocker from a TE, something is seriously wrong. Rookie status be damned.
It’s a lazy way for the organization to patch a long persisting problem when they could be using their limited capital to actually fix problems.
I don’t care if there were worse contracts given. If that’s the blocking TE market, you don’t participate. Wait for the draft. Use the money better for a position that’s ACTUALLY going to fix a problems on the team.
Oh and just so I can debunk the weak veterans argument too. Because Mark Ingram, Marshal Yanda, Ronnie Stanley, Earl Thomas, Jimmy Smith, Tony Jefferson, Brandon Carr, and Brandon Williams can’t hold the locker room down. Give me a break