Excellent points about QB, K and P positions CW. There are lots of details to work out with the broad concept, but I think it would be well received by fans. Losing aging stars as cap casualties is a cold, hard financial decision and it stings for fans and players alike.

Offensive linemen reach their peak in their late 20s to early 30s. Many are good well into their 30s.

The reason players with 8 years on a team aren't common today is because of the salary cap. Put in your rule and we would see it all over the place, especially in large markets with more revenue. The reason the salary cap was put in place was so that teams wouldn't be able to stockpile these players you are talking about. Before the cap teams kept players their top players for as long as they could play regardless of compensation. That is how the dynasties where built.

Tramon was always around the ball and accumulated 33 passes defended and 10 INTs in his first 3 years. We all know how his 4th year went :)

I wouldn't characterize that as not catching on immediately. He was pretty darn good from the get-go.

Good idea Dobber. A couple of "over 30" exemptions (excluding QBs, Ks and Ps) would work well and I am sure the NFLPA would agree to it. The question might be what "give back" would the owners want for it.

The comparison with Drake is interesting. Drake has been significantly more productive than Doubs AND doesn't carry the concussion baggage. He makes about $3M more than Doubs is scheduled to. He's the #1 WR on the team, and Doubs isn't going to be the #1 WR on the team. They have each caught 15 TD passes in three seasons. So if you think they're comparable, that's fine. I don't think so. I think Doubs ceiling and Drake's floor are pretty much at the same spot.

" If a player had to choose between 1) making the league minimum and being on a Super Bowl team or 2) making a top 5 salary and miss the playoffs?"

Being able to choose is one thing, being able to command a top five salary is a separate thing...and every player can make the league minimum. Of course just about every player would like to be top 5 at their position and collecting the payday that goes with it.

I would argue that as you move down the player quality curve, more will choose to win a SB ($171k bonus).. Salaries don't change by much as you move to the bottom of the pay ladder...and there's a pretty meaningful payday that comes with playoff wins and winning an SB--one that is pretty significant in comparison to league salary.

"Of course they want both but their finical security comes first and foremost as it should."

Are you saying you couldn't be secure in your fifth year (this is assuming you had the chance to choose your next contract rather than being under team control as ERFA and RFA players, so year 5) of making about $1M per year? Yeah, I'm being argumentative and of course we come at it from different perspectives: we're not 25 year olds.

What is it about "Not questioning your logic at all" and agreeing with you that money is the driving force that you didn't understand? Your reply reads like I totally dismissed your comment. Also, your anecdotal at the beginning of your post is flawed. Most high end paid players have this thing called an ego that tells them they alone can turn around a losing team. Also, when a player signs and gets paid a lot, they aren't thinking that the team is going to be a losing team throughout their contract. How could they know? So many things happen during a season of football. Lastly, the parody in the league is insane. Every year there is a worst to first and a first who falls. Saying a player is willingly signing a bigger contract while looking into a crystal ball at a team that will lose 11 games every year (how could he know?) he's there is disingenuous. Both can be true. They are chasing the bag while also hoping they will be on a winning team. Winning also gives them more national coverage, more endorsements and yes, that makes them more money.

Interesting conversation. But can't you say that about most industries. Don't most lawyers care more about their career earnings than the law firm they work for? Don't most engineers care more about their career earnings than the engineering firms they work for?

I'm sure this isn't unique to professional athletes.

"What do you think a player would choose if he had to, 1) Being a bench player making league minimum on a Super Bowl team or 2) Making a top 5 salary and being on a team that didn't make the playoffs?"

You are offering a false choice, BB. If "a player" and "had to" choose, he would easily choose #2 and possess market value of a top 5 salary.

Then, "a player" with a "top 5" talent could choose to completely ignore losing franchises and only market his services to successful teams.

Why would such "a player" choose #1 to be a back up...if he "had to" choose one of your options?

No player has the option to be a bench minimum vs. a top 5 salary. This is a straw man deal. Those players are in different universes.

Words fall from keyboards

Drifting into haiku form

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I am not counting Doubs out...far from it.

Very intelligent and a soft spoken introvert, everything I have read points to a young man incredibly focused on his craft. Still waters run deep. But his coaches and QB know his work ethic. I read he uses the JUGS machine more than any Packer receiver.

Those reliable hands have been created by that work ethic. He's trustworthy when called on...a very important skill, especially in the Red Zone. Opponents know that too...as he draws consistent coverage helping his mates get open too.

He leads the group. Isaiah Likely with 14. If Doubs can maintain without incurring the concussions, he has Market power. I would not count him out.

Williams does need a great deal of work. His last year in college he had a 12% drop rate, not good at all. He also played at TCU, not exactly a pro style offense. They basically play a refined version of playground football. His rout tree is very basic. Where he was good, ironically, is contested catches (while dropping a lot of easy, wide open slants and crossers). He is also very good after the catch. But not much happens after the catch in the NFL unless you know how to get open and actually catch the ball first. He has a low floor and a high ceiling, where those two measurables converge will define his career. I'm hoping he develops. GB could use those talents for years to come.

I'm saying that Reed is a lock for the 53, as is Golden and Williams. Wicks, unless he has a terrible camp. That's four right there.

Additionally, we have the guys like Hardeman, and we'll get Watson back at some point.

Now, we could conceivably trade Doubs and save $3.5M, or we could keep him and risk losing $3.5M if he takes another concussion. Additionally, he's taking the roster space and reps away from somebody else who might be here for a longer time.

Do we really have no idea how Golden might do? What I'm reading is that he looks like a real good pick who's going to be on the field a lot. So is Reed. At best, Doubs is competing with Wicks for that #3/#4 spot, and when Watson returns, it'll be the #4/#5 spot. We don't need to spend $3.5M on that.

As regards Williams development, he was drafted to run with the ball. A short pass/long handoff and then run. I don't think the learning curve is going to be that steep for what we want him to do this year.

Hardman was brought here by the team as a FA even though Doubs was already on the roster. Why? The people at 1265 can count. We brought him in just to cut him?

And of course, the elephant in the room is that Doubs is a huge medical question. Why do you want to keep a guy that's a big risk for $3.5M when you can keep a guy like Hardman....who also plays special teams....for less than half that?

Amen to that!