(11-26-2023, 09:18 PM)JagFan81 Wrote:

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

Cam's injury, though really tragic, actually helps cement some of our cap savings...  You're right, there are opportunity costs that can be mitigated.  My main point is that Trevor could go the Lamar Jackson/ Russel Wilson/ Deshaun Watson route and try to get the most money he can get and damn the team's needs...

I think Trevor Lawrence isn't that type of guy.  But even with that, it's not like Trevor Lawrence's agents aren't going to try and get the best deal they can for him...

But you're right, there is plenty of room to work with.  I just hate to think about how many of my favorite players we may be loosing over the next couple years.  Devon Lloyd, for instance.  Dude is balling now.  He should be a 2nd contract Jaguar.  Oloukun should be a re-signed jaguar.  I mean, this defense has so many good players that should be kept.  But I have a sinking feeling we're gonna lose some of these guys, and it's just gonna make our life a lot harder getting to a SB.

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