Parity of mediocrity - The salary cap and free agency was designed to give teams parity in recruiting players and supposedly elevate the level of play by ensuring that no team could monopolize player talent. However I think this diffusion of talent just ensures combined mediocrity as no team can really develop an edge or ensure roster stability. This parity of mediocrity has lead to dead heats in standings which make for interesting playoff battles, but it negates the regular season and makes the entire season ride on just one playoff game. Unfortunately I think we are going to see more teams with losing records win playoff berths and eventually Superbowls.
QB salaries – Are out of control and a precedent has been set where teams are paying grossly inflated salaries to mediocre QB's and ruining their salary cap which cripples their ability recruit and retain and develop talent. Which leads to teams which are completely reliant on QB play and who have mediocre regular season records. All of their salary cap is going to the QB and starving the rest of the team for talent. An example of this is Ryan Tannehill who has been paid like an elite QB, but in reality has a completely mediocre record and a salary cap hit that shackles the team to him for the foreseeable future. Right now Miami couldn't afford to move him if they wanted to because they have overpaid him and they have to economize at every other position because of his dead salary weight.
Rookie QB churn and burn – The NFL already had a problem with identifying, recruiting and developing QB's through the draft. However now the situation has gotten increasingly worse because veteran QB's of even modest talent are signing humongous contracts which makes more teams rely on the draft because they can get a rookie for cheaper than an experienced QB. This is just going to lead to an increased reliance on the draft and increasingly mediocre QB and team records. I think this bodes ill for rookie QB's because the leash will be even shorter.
The rise of the backup - Backup QB's have taken on an increased importance this year due to the age of a number of starting QB's and their decline in play. Unfortunately many of these backups are being thrust into starting positions and they just don't have the experience or talent level for it. Also these backups are increasingly winning huge contracts which denudes the salary cap and ensures mediocrity at other positions. This is the first year I remember where so many teams were left with no viable QB candidates this late in the season? I would hope it doesn't end up like the CFL this year where a rash of QB injuries meant that no less than 24 different QB's started and out of those 24 very few had more than 6 starts under their belt.
The coaching carousel - This offseason could be a record year for the number of NFL coach openings. The list includes Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, Houston, San Diego, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Saint Louis, Washington, New Orleans and the New York Giants. That's a lot of head coaches and assistants on the move and it won't just be the unsuccessful teams who's coaches are on the move. It will also be the successful teams who's ranks are depleted to fill these vacancies, which won't improve the overall level of play.
Thoughts?
QB salaries – Are out of control and a precedent has been set where teams are paying grossly inflated salaries to mediocre QB's and ruining their salary cap which cripples their ability recruit and retain and develop talent. Which leads to teams which are completely reliant on QB play and who have mediocre regular season records. All of their salary cap is going to the QB and starving the rest of the team for talent. An example of this is Ryan Tannehill who has been paid like an elite QB, but in reality has a completely mediocre record and a salary cap hit that shackles the team to him for the foreseeable future. Right now Miami couldn't afford to move him if they wanted to because they have overpaid him and they have to economize at every other position because of his dead salary weight.
Rookie QB churn and burn – The NFL already had a problem with identifying, recruiting and developing QB's through the draft. However now the situation has gotten increasingly worse because veteran QB's of even modest talent are signing humongous contracts which makes more teams rely on the draft because they can get a rookie for cheaper than an experienced QB. This is just going to lead to an increased reliance on the draft and increasingly mediocre QB and team records. I think this bodes ill for rookie QB's because the leash will be even shorter.
The rise of the backup - Backup QB's have taken on an increased importance this year due to the age of a number of starting QB's and their decline in play. Unfortunately many of these backups are being thrust into starting positions and they just don't have the experience or talent level for it. Also these backups are increasingly winning huge contracts which denudes the salary cap and ensures mediocrity at other positions. This is the first year I remember where so many teams were left with no viable QB candidates this late in the season? I would hope it doesn't end up like the CFL this year where a rash of QB injuries meant that no less than 24 different QB's started and out of those 24 very few had more than 6 starts under their belt.
The coaching carousel - This offseason could be a record year for the number of NFL coach openings. The list includes Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, Houston, San Diego, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Saint Louis, Washington, New Orleans and the New York Giants. That's a lot of head coaches and assistants on the move and it won't just be the unsuccessful teams who's coaches are on the move. It will also be the successful teams who's ranks are depleted to fill these vacancies, which won't improve the overall level of play.
Thoughts?
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