Moozician wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:50 pm
Snake wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:42 pm
He can be “afforded” even with the cap restrictions this coming season. It’s a matter of how crazy do the Bucs want to get.
And that's what worries me. We gotta "pay the piper" sooner or later, and rather do that when we're in a rebuild mode.
You still pay the piper in 2023-2024 (this coming season), regardless. The roster won't be as good as you'd like it to be, but structuring Lamar's contract in a way that makes year 1 a light hit, allows you to roster him.
After year 1, his cap number likely spikes immediately, but in theory you have a franchise QB entering his age 27 season and the books are clearing.
I get the hang up with all of this...
If you believe Lamar Jackson will be effective for 3 more seasons (at most), you look at this as an attempt to extend the competitive window that would otherwise be slamming shut.
If you believe Lamar will be effective for 5+ seasons when you'll be rostering him, you can live with a less competitive year 1 and feel happy about having an elite QB with a rebuilt roster from years 2-5+.
If I'm making this move, I'm more worried about years 2 and beyond. You just do whatever you need to do to get the man on the team. The cap is growing year over year. Backload the contract and even if he goes kah-blamo in year 4-5, the cap is so big you don't care.
It's a matter of perception.
If I said you needed to fuck up your books in year 1 and not re-sign a guy or two to sign Patrick Mahomes long-term, you'd do whatever is possible to do it. Because you're looking past year 1.
The same perception doesn't apply to Lamar. and there's a lot of valid reasons for that. Late-season injuries, playstyle not aging well historically. He's seen as a short-term option.
Risk vs Reward!