I think what’s key is it’s tough to round out your roster when you are paying the QB 15-20% of your cap.
This is the concern I have with Rodgers. I know that’s what the market rate is for decent QBs, but take a look at the highest paid QBs in the league. Ryan, Stafford, Cousins, Goff, Rodgers. All of those teams have flaws or holes in the roster. And they can’t be filled unless you hit home runs in the draft or don’t miss at all on free agents.
NFL teams are set up by where you draft a young QB and hope you nail it while they are still cheap and affordable. Sometimes it works (like Mahomes) and sometimes it doesn’t (like Trubisky).
Teams aren’t going to stop looking for the next young QB because once a QB obtains that big contract the team is on the clock and has to reset or be OK with being OK- sort of like what the Packers are dealing with now with Rodgers. Sure, they can make the playoffs but this isn’t a contending team. Not with the question marks at WR and DL and LB and TE and probably OL.
New England finally got there but take a look at the Rams. Or the Seahawks from a few years ago when Wilson was younger. I mean, they looked like they would be dynasties at the time. The Rams are a mess and the Seahawks are nowhere near the Legion of Boom days. Why? The QB eats up too much cap space and you can’t fill out the roster accordingly because even Ron Wolf GM types (ie the best) aren’t perfect.
The moment the Packers gave 12 that deal they were already thinking about how to move on in the future hence the Love pick. Rodgers is a smart guy and he knows this. He also knows that things don’t last forever. Take a look at Manning, Rivers, Brady, Montana, Favre, etc. Teams move on. Some team will be willing to give 12 a shot even at that ridiculous salary knowing he’s probably half or two thirds the player he was in 2010-2011. That player isn’t ever coming back folks. And this roster isn’t good enough as assembled to get them over the hump until they clear cap space to add a few more players and free agents. It also assumes in 2-3 years that Love is legit.
This is much more of an 8-8 team than a 13-3 team we saw last year.