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laram
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zn
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dzrams
I know how you view the DT position. That’s fine; I respect that. I don’t think NFL powers that be view it the same way.
Great left tackles may be hard to come by but that doesn’t negate the fact that DTs are the 3rd highest paid position. You look at the first two highest paid positions of QB and DE and it’s obvious why. Clearly NFL GMs value QBs and DEs as they should. But now you’re trying to tell me that they don’t value DTs the 3rd highest but for some reason choose to pay them at that level anyway? That doesn’t pass the smell test.
Moreover, economics 101 disproves your theory. The first law of economics is supply and demand. When something is in great supply, the price and value of it will increase. If DTs are sooooo easy to find, then the supply is plentiful. That would have a downward effect on their salaries. But the reality is, their salaries are much higher than LTs. This means that either they are not much easier to find (not in greater supply) OR the demand for them is much higher than it is for LTs.
You mention trends. I believe the modern trend of high powered offenses is why the DT position is so highly paid now. The NFL is desperate for pass rushers. Other than QB, people who rush the passer are considered the most valuable commodity in the game.
And FWIW, here’s the answer to your question of number of Pro Bowl LTs on new contracts versus Pro Bowl DTs. It’s even.
LT Pro Bowlers, Under 30, Recent Contracts
Trent Williams – $13.6 mil.
Russell Okung – $13.25 mil.
Terron Armstead – $13 mil.
Tyron Smith – $12.2 mil.
David Bakhtiari –$12 mil. – Pro Bowl and All Pro in 2016
Average: $12.81 mil.
All of these LTs are pro bowlers, under 30, and have all signed contracts in the last few years. I left Joe Thomas, Andrew Whitworth, Jason Peters, Branden Albert, Duane Brown, and Joe Staley off the list because they are over 30 and past their prime. The contracts they recently signed reflect that.
DT Pro Bowlers, Under 30, Recent Contracts
Ndamukong Suh - $19.0625 mil.
Fletcher Cox - $17.1 mil.
Kawann Short - $16.1 mil.
Marcell Dareus - $16.095686 mil.
Gerald McCoy - $15.866667 mil.
Average: $16.84 mil.
All of these DTs are pro bowlers, under 30, and have all signed contracts in the last few years. I left Haloti Ngata and Kyle Williams off the list because they are over 30 and past their prime. I left Geno Atkins and Linval Joseph off the list because they have not signed recent contracts.
You have 5 pro bowl LTs with new contracts versus 5 pro bowl DTs with new contracts. The number of new contracts doesn't favor the DTs at all. And yet the DT salaries are nearly 33% higher. That’s a huge difference.
Interestingly, just in terms of caliber of player, I would say the LOT list you give here is higher overall quality than the DT list you give here. This tells me DTs are getting overpaid...just by a bit but still. What that in turn tells me is that
TOP DTs are harder to find, at least comparatively.
One thing that might back that...make a list of A to A- level LOTs. Guys you would take, regardless of age, if you you had to start a team and wanted an LOT.
Then do the same thing with DT.
My bet is that the LOT list would be longer.
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Plus I would look at the success of the LT's teams vs the DT's team and I believe there is no contest.
Like I said trends come and go in the NFL...IMO this perceived DT craze is a trend.
Give me a stud LT anyday.
But I don't look at it as either/or.
More teams can find a quality LOT (who isn't as important to Kromer anyway) than can find a Donald.
Rams are aiming at being a team that can do both.
And no I don't regard either one as,. by themselves, a key to success. Otherwise Trent Willians, Joe Thomas, and Jason Peters would have been on more winning teams than they actually have been.
Meanwhile the last 5 superbowl winners the starting LOTs were Nate Solder, Ryan Harris, Okung, McKinnie, and Will Beatty/David Diehl.
A team can work around/.work with having just a pretty good or decent LOT.
When you have an elite DT, it's the OTHER team that has to find a way to work around that.
In terms of admiring elite DTs, btw, my own interest goes way back. To the likes of Olsen, Page, Greene, Sapp, Randle, Lilly, Klecko, and that type. I don't personally regard that interest as a fad thing.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2017 11:16AM by zn.
