NFL Salaries

[flames_fan_down_under]

I was just looking through some salary figures and I was shocked to find out some of the salaries being given out in the NFL. I always thought that the MLB was bad but there are some huge contracts in the NFL to players I have never even heard of (I'll watch the highlights but by no means do I follow the NFL that vigorously). So i just wanted to ask some of you NFL nuts on CP about some of these salaries and how they come about. For example Richard Seymour of the New England Patriots made 24 million dollars in 2006?? How does this happen? I have never even heard of Richard Seymour and he is making considerably more than Tom Brady. Or Bryant Mckinnie of the Vikings making 17 million a season? Once again, never heard of him. So NFL guys, how does this come about?

[Flames in 07]

Richard Seymour is one of the best DLineman in the league.

Also year to year salaries vary massively as signing bonuses tend to be of more value than the annual salary on a number of longer term deals. This way if a team has cap room they can sign a big name, pay alot of his money all in one year and be cap friendly in the future.

[moon]

NFL players make the least of all the pro sports. Their contracts are not guaranteed so most often they never make it to the end of their deals as well. Therefore the players often want deals that are front loaded and with big signing bonuses which might be affecting the numbers that you are hearing.

I don't know where you heard that Seymour made 24 million because that would have killed the Pats salary cap. He may have made that in real money if they gave him a huge signing bonus but no way was that his cap hit or his salary. Also Seymour is probably one of the top 5 interior defensive linemen in the game and maybe top ten defensive player in the league so he is pretty good and Brady took less money so that the Pats could sign more guys.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Thanks Moon and Flames in '07. I did know that of all the major sports leagues the NFL has the lowest average salary, I guess I was just a bit shocked to see some of these guys making MLB like money. And moon here is where i got the figures on Seymour:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/teamSalary?statsId=17

[corporatejay]

interesting site.

Another thing you'll notice is that a lot of the top paid players on some teams are lineman which is why you've probably never heard of them. That being said, offensive lineman are well paid, and the left tackle being the most well paid position (on average) in the league (according to "the blind side").

most people think of lineman as big burly fat guys who just stand in the way. What they don't realize is they are having to block guys who weight nearly 300 pounds with the explosiveness of a running back. Having a good offensive line can make or break your team. Want proof? look at the Denver Broncos and their running backs from Terrell Davis onward. Guys go on to tear up the league, move to a new team and don't have the same success. The broncos were well regarded for having the best running offensive line in the game for years.

That was rambly, but i think you get it.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

interesting site.

Another thing you'll notice is that a lot of the top paid players on some teams are lineman which is why you've probably never heard of them. That being said, offensive lineman are well paid, and the left tackle being the most well paid position (on average) in the league (according to "the blind side").

most people think of lineman as big burly fat guys who just stand in the way. What they don't realize is they are having to block guys who weight nearly 300 pounds with the explosiveness of a running back. Having a good offensive line can make or break your team. Want proof? look at the Denver Broncos and their running backs from Terrell Davis onward. Guys go on to tear up the league, move to a new team and don't have the same success. The broncos were well regarded for having the best running offensive line in the game for years.

That was rambly, but i think you get it.

Not to mention that look how much Larry Johnson's production has fallen off with the loss of Shields and Roaf, as well as Alexander's play without Hutchinson...and on the flip side, look at both Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson WITH Hutchinson. I firmly believe that to build a successful offence, you HAVE to start with the OL, especially at LT. They can make an average QB look good, and a good QB look very bad.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Not to mention that look how much Larry Johnson's production has fallen off with the loss of Shields and Roaf, as well as Alexander's play without Hutchinson...and on the flip side, look at both Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson WITH Hutchinson. I firmly believe that to build a successful offence, you HAVE to start with the OL, especially at LT. They can make an average QB look good, and a good QB look very bad.

As a saints fan you must have loved this little diddy from Ricky Williams.

Q. Does an offensive line make a running back or does a running back make an offensive line?

RICKY WILLIAMS: I think a running back makes an offensive line. I think everyone in this league has a bunch of talent and I think a good running back gives an offensive line a lot of confidence and they are just going to get better



Oh Ricky, you are such a ######......how good are you making that dolphins line?