(11-26-2023, 09:04 PM)carp8dm Wrote:

(11-26-2023, 08:54 PM)JagFan81 Wrote: Well this is the big unknown with the contract. I don't see Lawrence as a guy who would demand to be the highest paid player and that would give you more flexibility with the cap to use elsewhere. I wouldn't play hardball as we need Lawrence more than he needs us, and by that I mean he could easily get paid $55m+ by any number of other teams so he holds the cards. I think Shad and Baalke would want to give him an offer around $55m+ a year to prove how much they value him and what he's done for the franchise. It will be interesting to see how Lawrence approaches it as I wouldn't be shocked to see him take something like $48m a year just to try and help the team but wouldn't call him greedy if he becomes the #1 paid QB.

Exactly.  

You pay Lawrence whatever he thinks he's worth.  He's not a running QB.  So as long as you have an O-Line like we had today, he's gonna be around for 15 more years.

But...  if we sign him as the highest paid QB, we're gonna lose a lot of talent and will probably take a step back.  Baalke's credibility is on the line here.  There's money on the table that Trevor can either decide to snatch now, or delay for later.  But the only way that happens is if Baalke can provide a clear plan of how that money not given will enhance his future earnings...

Part of that is keeping the key players on this team.  I haven't looked at the cap situation for next year...  But yeah, that's gonna be a thing moving into next year.

Trevor Lawrence is legit.  But he's also a QB that needs some top flight help based on the how the AFC is.  You can't just rely on Trevor Lawrence to get us to the SB.  He needs help, which means he needs high priced players on the offense and the defense.

I get you and this is a problem a lot of teams with top young QB's moving onto 2nd contracts are going to have to decide. Where you spend your cap to maximise your QB. The Chiefs this year have gone heavy on D and have Kelce and a good Oline but the receivers are poor and then someone like the Bengals who have a lot spent on O but the D is suffering. There's no sure way and it's what makes or breaks a GM and HC career. 

I would have absolutely no problem paying Lawrence #1 money and wouldn't criticise the FO for doing so. The cap is always rising so in a couple of years after it would be a more reasonable contract and you would have cap still to work with. Cap wise for next year we are $38m under the cap but Allen, Ridley, Agnew, McManus, Cleveland are FA agents so will need resigning. We have some easy cuts like Cam which saves $17.7m so we have plenty of ways to maneuver and pay everyone but it will make difficult decisions down the line but that's also true of all the top teams.

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