Thats just the way they roll.
Brady is at 20M and Gilmore is at 13M. Every other guy on their roster is under 10M.
They aren't paying anyone, especially a WR, big dollars. They don't care what the market says. They tried to sign Cooks, but they weren't gonna get him anywhere near what they were willing to pay. Just because thats the way the Pats roll shouldn't be interpreted as a negative towards Cooks and all that he's on his 3rd team talk.
I don't believe a team like the Packers would have let Cooks go, when they paid Davante Adams 14.5M. I mean, which guy would you rather have?
Bottom line is that teams are either willing to pay for good players on their 2nd contract or they aren't. The Pats way works for them because of coaching and Brady. I wonder how well it works when both are gone.
Anyway, here is the list of WRs from the 2014 draft and their salaries. Some are still on their rookie deals, you can see the difference. Where does Cooks fit? You tell me.
~ max ~
“The consciousness of good intentions disdains ambiguity.” - Alexander Hamilton