(01-02-2024, 01:36 PM)Caldrac Wrote:

(01-02-2024, 01:16 PM)The Real Marty Wrote: 50% of the team's salary cap would be 112 million dollars a year!  It's not going to be 50%!

What agreement do you think would "please him for the time being?"  And what do you do when he turns that down, because he wants to be paid like a franchise QB?

I think he would be fine with a top 12 contract. That's why I keep going back to the Josh Allen deal that Buffalo gave him. Lawrence is good, not great. He still has to overcome some of his own inadequacies. I am not quite ready nor comfortable putting him on a pedestal just yet. 

The turnovers are still an issue. Whether it's fumbling it, forcing it or a miscommunication. It's on his stat sheet. Him playing hero ball most of the time is an issue. I can only give the kid so much slack and excuses three years into his career. First year was a scratch. Second year was a revelation. Third year was a revelation in a bad way. 

He's not capable of carrying this offense on his own yet. It's not all on him. That's on the front office and the coaching staff to give him some breathing room. Which they failed in doing so during the 2023 off season. The 2024 off season has to be a massive step in the right direction. His extension is probably not something I am ultimately worried about right now. 

There's time to see what he can do. I think this off season needs to be more about:

1. Resigning Josh Allen on defense.

2. Bolstering the offensive line. Starting with LT between restructuring Robinson's contract or cutting him. The LG position is still an issue that's up in the air pending Ezra's decisions. Fortner needs to be on the bench. Scherff is not the answer at RG. 

3. Bolstering the defensive line. You have Allen. You have Walker. That's it. We're HOPING Hamilton and Smoot will be better next year. I still think you have to look at signing up or drafting interior defensive lineman and bigger ends that can set the edge for Allen and Walker to blitz even more inside. 

Lawrence's contract can wait in my opinion. Let's not rush this for the moment. Let's see how the rest of this year plays out, which, we may or may not make the play-off's, and then, let's see how the team responds next year with another off season to fix these issues above. 

THEN we can visit his contract situation in 2025.

All of your points make perfect sense, but unfortunately really don't matter much at the end of the day.

Is Justin Herbert a great QB who can overcome problems around him and carry his team to the playoffs?
No.

But he just got paid big time. 

The reality of the QB market and the number of QB needy teams that are always out there is what will determine Lawrence's value. And if the Jags brass have faith they can get TL the pieces to compete for the division annually they are going to pay him thusly IMO. 

We've seen this scenario happen with a dozen imperfect QBs dating all the way back to Derek Carr's second contract. 
(there were others prior to that - but it is more regularly occurring in the years since then) 

If the Jags brass and TL+agent have a conversation where both sides are willing to give it a year to marinate, that is fine, but I believe the likelihood is that it ends up costing more in the long run that way.

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