As a few have said on this board: it's simply the math.
There's only so many teams, and so much money in this Covid Cap year.
There's many notable names of vet players sitting at home with no dance partner. And they're not going to get one if they hold out for money and terms they used to get.
The two commentators (former players) lamented that it is a buyer's market and that if any number of a host of these guys wants to play and get a paycheck, they are likely going to have to take the first offer they're given (probably a 1 year on the cheap deal) because there may not be another. But it also raises the specter that very likely the guys they replace are also going to be some decent vets that are cut and appear on the market because the replacement vet is willing to take less.
Yep. It's not disrespect to the players. It's just the math.