Every NFL Team's Worst Contract

[Tepper's Chest Hair]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2842920-every-nfl-teams-worst-contract#slide0

 

 

Quote

 

The player: Defensive tackle Kawann Short

The bad contract: Five years, $80.5 million with $35 million guaranteed (expires in 2022)

                     

Why it stinks

It doesn't. It just smells a little. It's not a terrible contract, but it is still the worst on the Carolina Panthers' payroll, which reflects well on the team's front office.

Cam Newton is a steal with an average salary of $20.8 million; Luke Kuechly is well worth the $12.4 million he makes per year; Trai Turner ($11.3 million AAV) and Matt Paradis ($9.7 million AAV) are on the rise with big salaries; and at least Dontari Poe can come off the books for just $3.3 million next offseason.

Short might be declining at age 30. His pass-rushing numbers in particular dropped off in 2018, even if he was a Pro Bowl alternate. He's also making a position change this offseason that Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focuspointed out could be a challenge.

But he's the fourth-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, and the Panthers don't really have a way out of his deal until 2021, when they could pay $4 million to escape. By then, there's a good chance he'll be washed up. 

 

I thought this was fair.  Short's contract isn't terrible.  But he does need to step up.  For the most part, right now, we are pretty ok on contracts.  Sure, there are a couple of ones that we aren't getting our full money's worth.  But, honestly, nothing outrageous.  

 

[LinvilleGorge]

Yep, I was thinking either KK or Turner. Really those are the only two "bad" contracts on the books and they aren't terribly limiting.

[Ricky Spanish]

Not bad

[mc52beast]

Says something about the FO when your worst contract isn’t terribly bad. If KK can adapt to Ron’s new defense he should have really good #s this year.

And when I think of bad contracts I think of Nick  Batum on the Hornets. THAT is a bad contract.

[pantherclaw]

I'm not concerned about KK. He's worth it.

[Peppers90 NC]

He earned that contract, the entire defense was bad last year pretty unfair to point one or two guys out. Hopefully he comes back hungry this season.

[Lumps]

1 hour ago, mc52beast said:

Says something about the FO when your worst contract isn’t terribly bad. If KK can adapt to Ron’s new defense he should have really good #s this year.

And when I think of bad contracts I think of Nick  Batum on the Hornets. THAT is a bad contract.

lol come on bro, two months ago it would have been m kalil

and that contract was probably the worst in the NFL

KK has not been worth his contract by any metric you could possible argue for

[ellis]

[Captain Morgan]

Buffalo Bills

 

Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei

The bad contract: Five years, $50 million with $24.7 million guaranteed (expires in 2023)

                  

Why it stinks

This was a tossup between Lotulelei and fellow defensive lineman Jerry Hughes, both of whom make between $10 million and $11 million a year and are tied to the team for several more seasons. But while Hughes is one year older, he's at least a pass-rusher, and he can be released at a small cost in 2021. 

Lotulelei doesn't generate splash plays as an interior defensive lineman, he'd cost $5.2 million to get rid of in 2021, and he was essentially replaced when a team that already had Harrison Phillips and Jordan Phillips used a top-10 draft pick on highly touted defensive tackle Ed Oliver in April. 

Lotulelei isn't a bad player. But the 29-year-old is basically an average starter, and he's coming off a zero-sack, zero-forced-fumble debut season in Buffalo. The Bills probably already wish they could have that free-agency purchase back.

[Captain Morgan]

and Jacksonville

The player: Guard Andrew Norwell

The bad contract: Five years, $66.5 million with $30 million guaranteed (expires in 2023)

                 

Why it stinks

The upside is still there for Norwell, who was one of the best guards in football with the 2017 Panthers and is still only 27 years old. But he's the second-highest-paid interior offensive lineman in the NFL, and it's not as though he was dominating even before he suffered an ankle injury that ended his 2018 season in November. 

His PFF pass-blocking grade ranked just outside the top 10 at his position, which isn't satisfactory for a player who will carry a $16 million cap hit at a non-premium position in 2019. 

With that salary, Norwell will have to prove his 2017 campaign wasn't a fluke. But even if the 2014 undrafted free agent fails to deliver in 2019, he'd cost the Jacksonville Jaguars $9 million to cut in 2020 and $6 million in 2021. 

 

[Captain Morgan]

and the Saints

The player: Quarterback Drew Brees

The bad contract: It's complicated

               

Why it stinks

Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract to remain with the New Orleans Saints last offseason. But he and the team restructured that deal this March, pushing $10.8 million into what is essentially a ghost year in 2020. The problem is that the extra year already carried an eight-figure cap charge, and now the 40-year-old is slated to cost $21.3 million in 2020 dead-cap money regardless of whether he's on the roster. 

That'd be Brees' cap charge if he played for free. If he returns at that $25 million rate he received a year ago, his cap charge would be over $46 million. 

The Saints can keep kicking money into the next season until Brees retires, but eventually they'll have a huge tab and no flexibility with how they can pay that final bill.

[LinvilleGorge]

21 minutes ago, Captain Morgan said:

Buffalo Bills

 

Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei

The bad contract: Five years, $50 million with $24.7 million guaranteed (expires in 2023)

                  

Why it stinks

This was a tossup between Lotulelei and fellow defensive lineman Jerry Hughes, both of whom make between $10 million and $11 million a year and are tied to the team for several more seasons. But while Hughes is one year older, he's at least a pass-rusher, and he can be released at a small cost in 2021. 

Lotulelei doesn't generate splash plays as an interior defensive lineman, he'd cost $5.2 million to get rid of in 2021, and he was essentially replaced when a team that already had Harrison Phillips and Jordan Phillips used a top-10 draft pick on highly touted defensive tackle Ed Oliver in April. 

Lotulelei isn't a bad player. But the 29-year-old is basically an average starter, and he's coming off a zero-sack, zero-forced-fumble debut season in Buffalo. The Bills probably already wish they could have that free-agency purchase back.

Buffalo went from the #26 overall defense without Star in 2017 to the #2 overall defense in 2018 with Star while we went from the #7 overall defense with Star in 2017 to the #15 overall defense in 2018 without Star. 

Stats don't tell the story with DTs who are primarily space eaters and block occupiers. They're facilitators. Their "stats" show up in the improvement of their teammates' performance.

After Fielding the #2 overall defense in the NFL after being near the bottom the previous year, I highly doubt the Bills regret anything about that contract.

[Khyber53]

1 hour ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Buffalo went from the #26 overall defense without Star in 2017 to the #2 overall defense in 2018 with Star while we went from the #7 overall defense with Star in 2017 to the #15 overall defense in 2018 without Star. 

Stats don't tell the story with DTs who are primarily space eaters and block occupiers. They're facilitators. Their "stats" show up in the improvement of their teammates' performance.

After Fielding the #2 overall defense in the NFL after being near the bottom the previous year, I highly doubt the Bills regret anything about that contract.

This 100%. When dealing with defensive tackles in most schemes, the stats don't tell the tale of the tape. Star was never a big sacks and fumbles guy... he took on double teams and tied up the interior allowing KK to be the "star" player. KK hasn't been the same without him, but he has been effective as a traditional DT, especially if you look at Dontari Poe as not being as good of a tag team partner as Star had been.

KK also had faster, younger DEs working beside him back in the day, and last year those guys were moving slow with Father Time riding their backs.

KK's contract is pretty good value, but more performance would be cheered around here. As to Star, I'd take him back at 85% of that contract price.

[t96]

Poe’s contract is worse. We don’t really have any terrible contracts right now though. I’m hard pressed to think of one. Maybe Shaq is a bit overpaid but it’s just 1 year and not by a ton. 

 

Edit: you could add Olsen because of his injuries and missed time but when he’s healthy that’s a great deal...