We are far enough into the NFL season to really judge a player’s performance. Which NFL players give the most bang for their teams’ buck?
This season, Dak Prescott is proving to give the Cowboys one of the best quarterback situations in the NFL moving forward. Whatever happens, the Cowboys are clearly comfortable with life after Romo now that Prescott has proved his worth. What makes Prescott even more valuable is that he is still on his rookie contract.
Having a quarterback, the most valuable position in the NFL, making money that takes up a tiny portion of the salary cap can give the team an extended period of time to overspend on free-agent talent in order to fill out the roster around them. It brings up a great debate; who currently has the most valuable contracts in the NFL? We will break down the top ten bargains in the NFL based on the value they provide to their team compared to the cap hit against them this season.
Aug 26, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) runs against New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams (25) in the first quarter of the game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
10. Antonio Brown
In 2012, Brown signed a five-year, $41.9 million deal. To put that into perspective, Tavon Austin signed a four-year, $42 million deal this offseason. In 2015, it was joked about how the Browns paid Dwayne Bowe $1.8 million per catch. In 2015, Brown was paid roughly $52,000 per catch.
Antonio Brown was on such a bargain of a deal that the Steelers took $4 million from his 2017 contract and pushed it into his 2016 salary. Even with the bump in pay, Brown ranks ninth among wide receiver cap hits this season. He is behind players such as Jeremy Maclin and Vincent Jackson, and in the same neighborhood as T.Y. Holton and Michael Crabtree.
Pretty much the only thing these receivers have in common with Brown is how much money they make. Over the past three seasons, it is tough to argue any wide receiver being more valuable or talented in the NFL. Through seven games this season, he is averaging seven catches per game and has five touchdowns.
The Steelers used the talent of Brown to create a juggernaut on offense. They also used the savings of not paying him like a top receiver to get themselves out of salary cap hell. The team had a lot of backloaded contracts and just last year was relieved of the dead money to LaMarr Woodley. This year they were able to swallow a $15 million cap hit to Lawrence Timmons while maintaining good standing with the cap. These are the things that signing Brown to a bargain of a deal can bring, and the Steelers will most likely pay him well next season to thank him.
Oct 16, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is hit by Buffalo Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (57) after throwing a pass during the second half at New Era Field. Buffalo beat San Francisco 45-16. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
9. Lorenzo Alexander
Through seven games, it may surprise some who is the leader in the NFL when it comes to sacks. Names like Justin Houston, Bruce Irvin, and Von Miller top the list of highest paid outside linebackers, but way down the list is Lorenzo Alexander, who leads the league with nine sacks.
To be fair, based on what the Bills paid the guy, they hardly expected to have signed the NFL sacks leader to this point either. The Bills signed Alexander, formerly on the Arizona Cardinals, to a one-year deal that gives the Bills a $600,000 cap hit.
Alexander is the definition of a surprise breakout. He is 33-years old, and before this season had amassed 16 starts in nine years. In that time he compiled nine sacks. Through seven games of his 2016 season, he has already matched his career sack total.
In terms of the future value of the deal, there is none. Alexander is most likely a one season wonder and next season the Bills will have a big decision to make. Alexander will be hoping to get paid for his on-field success, and some team will more than likely give Alexander more than the league minimum to attempt to rekindle this magic. On the other hand, this is a player who will be 34 years old, and until 2016, has not started more three games since 2010.
For the time being, the Bills should just sit back and be happy with the success of the hidden gem they found in Alexander. Getting nine sacks out of a player making less than $1 million is highly unlikely for a single season let alone just seven weeks to date.
Nov 30, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) runs on the field before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
8. Desmond Trufant
Talks have already surfaced about a potential extension coming for Desmond Trufant. At the moment, the fourth-year cornerback is still on his rookie deal, and currently, presents a $2 million cap hit for the Atlanta Falcons.
At this point, it is almost undebatable who the most valuable player on the Falcons defense is. Entering the season, Trufant represented the sixth-highest cap hit on the Falcons defense and is the 14th highest paid player on the team. His cap hit is about $100,000 less than punter Matt Bosher.
As far as cornerbacks in the NFL, it is tough to find one better than Trufant. Trufant is underrated, mainly because of his low interception numbers. However, when it comes to manning up on a wide receiver and forcing the team to go to the other side of the field, Trufant is one of the best in the business.
In terms of NFL cornerbacks, Trufant ranks 52nd as as cap hit. He has started every game since his rookie season and has been one of the only stable pieces on a Falcons defense that would be a major issue if it were not for Trufant. He is a hidden gem, and when he gets his big contract this offseason, it will be much deserved as he has already exceeded his rookie deal by a long shot.
Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith (77) in action during the game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium. The Redskins defeat the Cowboys 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
7. Tyron Smith
In terms of debating who the best left tackle in the NFL, it is starting to become consensus more than argument. Anybody who does not rank Tyron Smith as the top tackle in the league will need to bring a strong argument, because most NFL fans would brush them off as crazy.
At this point, Smith currently has a $6.8 million cap hit, ranking him 13th among left tackles, and outside of the top twenty in terms of all tackles.
The Cowboys played this thing really smartly, though. This year is the first year in what will be an eight-year deal for the All-Pro tackle. Next year, Smith will likely be the highest paid tackle in the NFL. However, as the year’s pass, the salary cap is guaranteed to go up, so long as the NFL continues to make the profit. With an increased salary cap, teams have more money to spend and will by making the next guy in line a higher paid player than the player before them.
As Smith continues to ascend into his prime, he will begin to see other left tackles make more money than him. By the time his eight-year deal is over, there is no telling how many tackles will have re-upped on a new contract that will equal a higher cap hit than Smith.
The Cowboys did this thing absolutely right. They drafted well, therefore giving them Smith. After acquiring Smith and realizing what they have, the team was quick to extend him. Every year they waited to extend him would have only made his price tag go up. It is just another reason why this team is in the position they are.
Aug 1, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) during Houston Texans training camp at Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
6. Deandre Hopkins
Hopkins has to look at the Brock Osweiler contract and just shake his head. While his teammate is making $18 million per year to miss the star wide receiver, Hopkins is on the books for $2.4 million this year, essentially one-ninth of what his quarterback is taking in. Hopkins even tried to holdout this year for a new contract to no avail.
The Texans are happy to have such a bargain in Hopkins. He is currently ranked as the 54th-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. Good luck naming ten wide receivers more talented than Hopkins. Heck, it is a stretch to name five wide receivers more talented.
Last season, Hopkins caught 111 passes and turned in 11 touchdowns. While this season has been a bit of a disappointment, most of that has to do with the play of Osweiler, much more than the play Hopkins.
Hopkins is scheduled to be on the books for just $7.9 million next year. Even with the increase in pay of about $5 million, he still would barely rank in the top twenty among wide receivers. The Texans have used this time to get most of the guaranteed money that they owe to Osweiler out of the way, and also got them a free agent acquisition in Lamar Miller.
The Texans were able to add to Hopkins thanks to Hopkins, and he will hopefully get his deserved extension this offseason.
Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) runs after a catch against Baltimore Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb (21) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
5. Odell Beckham
Beckham is only in his third NFL season, but has already shattered some impressive early career records, and has a ceiling as high as anyone. In 33 career games, Beckham has 28 touchdowns, is averaging just over 100 yards per game, and is averaging 14.9 yards per reception.
Beckham has done all of this on a rookie salary and this season has a cap hit of $2.8 million. He currently ranks 45th in salary among wide receivers in the NFL. The Giants, fortunately also have him on the books for $3.3 million next season, and will have a reasonable option price for the 2018 season as well.
The Giants knew that they had this value in Beckham, and with the free money, the team decided to put a ton of money into their defense this offseason.
Oliver Vernon, Damon Harrison, Janoris Jenkins and more were added this offseason and a good portion of their salary cap hits will be taken care of by the time that the Giants will need to pay Beckham his due.
While the defense has yet to take a big step forward, these names are still some of the better performers of the unit. To add three true game changers on the other side of the ball of Beckham while keeping a top five wide receiver makes life a heck of a lot easier.
Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) celebrates after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (not pictured) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
4. Aaron Donald
When thinking of the best defensive players in the NFL, Donald is one of the first names to come to mind. When looking at defensive lineman, only Donald can enter a conversation with J.J. Watt as the biggest impact player in the NFL. That said, Donald enters the season with a $2.7 million cap hit, and next year is still on his rookie deal, slated to make $3.2 million.
Among Rams players, Donald ranks 16th in salary on the team. He ranks sixth on the defense and as crazy as it sounds, there are four defensive linemen on the Rams with a greater cap hit than Donald. He also ranks 72nd among defensive lineman in the NFL, which just seems ridiculous.
Donald has 23 career sacks in 35 career starts. He is a once in a generation player, and the Rams have found themselves a gem in the 25-year old Pitt product.
Unfortunately for Rams fans, this team seems to still be in a rebuild type of mode and were not able to add any key free agent additions with the money that Donald had saved them in the salary cap.
Either way, given the production that Donald brings when it comes to stopping both the run and the pass, Donald has to be looked at as a complete steal through three years.
Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) calls a play in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
3. Dak Prescott
It was touched on earlier, but Prescott has the Cowboys in a great place. The part that is better than any of the names listed so far, is that the Cowboys can wait about three more years before deciding to give Prescott a big time quarterback extension.
The Cowboys may spend that time turning the franchise into a monster. Whatever happens with Tony Romo, he will cost the Cowboys a pretty penny in 2017. However, in 2018 and 2019, the Cowboys can mostly have Romo off of the books and will be putting some of the smallest amounts of financial resources into the quarterback position of anyone in the league.
The best thing the Cowboys can do is extend their own. As mentioned, Tyron Smith is due to a big jump in pay next season. Zack Martin, La’el Collins, and Travis Frederick will all be due new deals in that time period. Given that this team was built on an offensive line, they should be looking to look extend all three.
They will also have resources to spend on the defensive side of the ball. Mo Claiborne was looking like a bust before a strong 2016 campaign. All of a sudden, the Cowboys could be in line to extend another one of their own to build for the future. Questions at pass rusher and linebacker remain, and can all be answered with Dak Prescott scheduled to make less than $1 million per year over the next three years. The 16th highest paid quarterback this season has a cap hit of $16 million this year. Having that advantage is one of the biggest in the all of the football, and it will be interesting to watch the Cowboys navigate it moving forward.
Oct 13, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws a pass during the first quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
2. Philip Rivers
Is Philip Rivers the most underappreciated football player in the NFL? At this point, Philip Rivers is hardly even a dark horse contender for the MVP, but the case can be made that the award is his for the taking. This season he lost his star wide receiver Keenan Allen and passing back, Danny Woodhead. Antonio Gates has been injured, and he had relied on rookie Hunter Henry and unknowns Tyrell Williams and Dontrelle Inman. They’ve averaged 3.5 yards per carry which rank 28th in the NFL. Still, Rivers is completing 66 percent of his passes, he has 13 touchdowns to four interceptions, and his Chargers are 3-4 and right in the thick of the playoff race.
Rivers signed a four-year $83 million deal through the 2019 season. For comparison, Brock Osweiler just signed a four-year $72 million deal. This season, seven quarterbacks cost over $20 million against the cap. Rivers’ cap hit is $16.5 million, which ranks 17th in the NFL among quarterbacks.
The Chargers have always been known as a stingy type of organization. Getting the hometown discount from Rivers has to be commended when thinking about how much he could have been paid on the market.
Oct 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) motions to the bench on a close play during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
1. Tom Brady
Tom Brady tops another list, what a surprise. Still, the Patriots are getting a major bargain considering the market, and the fact that Brady is tied up with the team until 2019.
Brady signed a two-year, $41 million extension this offseason, and it was the best deal that the Patriots have given him. It may end in a Kobe Bryant type of farewell at age 42. However, for the next two seasons, he has $13 million and $14 million cap hits respectively. Even in 2018, when he will cost $22 million against the cap, the salary cap will most certainly be on the rise, and the contracts of younger quarterbacks will be higher. Even at his $22 million cap hit, he would be paid like Joe Flacco and Matthew Stafford. Other teams would be going through the same thing, and he will not have the highest cap hit by a long shot.
Meanwhile, the Patriots will continue to find the cap space to bring in names such as Chris Long to help sure up their defense while they still have Brady. They also will continue to stockpile their picks around Brady and most likely plan for life after Brady in 2019.
In the meantime, there is no doubt about it. As far bang for your buck goes, getting Brady at nowhere near the most expensive price in the league is the best deal, not to mention how much better his is than most of the leagues.
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