" Potential fallout from recent landmark deals "... yes, we're mentioned ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

The recent July 15 deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals wasn't a historical moment, but it was an important one for players.

 

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The four long-term deals livened up what was becoming a stagnant market for re-signings. Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas took the top-tier wide receiver market to $14 million per year (Calvin Johnson's $16-million-per-year contract notwithstanding). Justin Houston made a monumental jump with his six-year, $101-million deal. And Stephen Gostkowski's deal for $4.3 million annually created a new landmark for kickers.Two majors factors enabled these deals to get done. First, the rapidly increasing franchise tag numbers helped Bryant and Thomas shatter the previous ceiling for wide receiver contracts ($11-12 million per year). The other factor? The stellar 2011 draft -- which has 12 Pro Bowlers among the top 16 picks and 23 total Pro Bowlers -- has helped drive up the market in a big way. Richard Sherman, a fifth-round pick in 2011, helped set the market for elite cornerbacks at $14 million per year, and Patrick Peterson, a first-rounder from that class, topped him at $14.1 million.

 

In fact, 14 of the current 62 players who make at least $10 million per year came from the 2011 class, and at least seven of the 11 players playing out their fifth-year options should eventually get deals in that same range. (That doesn't include 2011 undrafted linebacker Junior Gallette, who signed a four-year, $41.5 million deal.) These figures are significant because the 2011 class was the first one to endure the rookie wage scale -- and the first to prove that big-time money is on the horizon for those who outperform their deals. Let's review a few potential ripple effects from these recent signings, including how some yet-to-be-extended 2011 draftees will be impacted.

 

~ ~  3. Jets impacted by 3-4 DE market. Watt is -- and will be for the foreseeable future -- an outlier at 3-4 DE. His $16.6-million-per-year salary is massive, but that's OK: Players voted him as the best player in the league this offseason. The secondary market 3-4 DEs has spiked too. Cameron Jordan extended his deal for $11 million per year; Corey Luiget received $10.25 million annually from the San Diego Chargers; and on Friday, Cameron Heyward received $10.4 million per year in new money on a five-year extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Imagine the impact on the New York Jets, who have three great 3-4 defensive ends -- Muhammad Wilkerson (30th overall pick in 2011), Sheldon Richardson and rookie Leonard Williams. Wilkerson is in his fifth-year option and Richardson is up in 2017. It's highly unlikely they'll be able to afford both.

 

rest of above article :

> http://espn.go.com/american-football/story/_/id/13283855/john-clayton-assesses-fallout-landmark-deals-signed-last-week-nfl

[Kleckineau]

Silly how Leonard Williams is penciled in as great without so much as one NFL snap.

[ljr]

Silly how Leonard Williams is penciled in as great without so much as one NFL snap.

True .... But par for the course with Clayton

[kelly]

Silly how Leonard Williams is penciled in as great without so much as one NFL snap.

 

he's gonna be a keeper