Football was a game that was nurtured and built upon gaining yards on the ground and winning the trenches. Bill Walsh decided to approach the game differently while pioneering the offensive revolution that would flip the National Football League upside down. The west coast attack would be brought on by the detail-oriented Walsh, who was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was afforded the freedom to throw the ball unlike any other team in the league history. Executing on a throw and catch was now used to move the ball in the same way running between tackle was used for generations before. The “West Coast” offense featured short, timed passes focused on getting players into space and maximizing their athletic ability. These timed throws aimed for simplicity and turned the game away from the ruthless battle in the trenches. It shifted focus and emphasis on a capable accurate quarterback. In today’s NFL, every team is striving to find or retain their franchise quarterback.
What is the coveted franchise QB worth based on roster share? This question is critical when building a championship roster. Where do you draw the line when considering a franchise quarterback? These are questions every organization has to ponder and not many have answers to. The new-age NFL by rule, is offensive driven and QBs are protected more than ever. With the direction the league is going, it is now common that the top 20 quarterbacks will be paid a hefty amount. It is a buyer’s market with every quarterback selling high. They are too valuable not to. An incompetent quarterback is the fastest way to lose games in the ultra-competitive NFL. Even those just slightly above average are cherished and paid handsomely. The top ten passers in the league deserve their money but after that, paying your guy becomes one of the hardest decisions in all of sports. The wrong decision can result in a wasted investment for a player that could potentially impede successful roster-building. A prime example of this are the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, and Baltimore Ravens. You cannot build a roster capable of winning due to the salary share commanded by the most important position in football. Top-tier gun-slingers look something like the list below (rookies including Patrick Mahomes were not included):
Aaron Rodgers
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Russell Wilson
Matt Ryan
Carson Wentz
Ben Roethlisberger
Philip Rivers
Matthew Stafford
Kirk Cousins
Cam Newton
This list is not incredibly short but it is nowhere near the majority when you consider the 32 teams that currently make up the NFL. The rarity of the top-tier quarterback makes those that fall in below that much more valuable. This puts the majority of the league in a conundrum they do not want to be in. For example, do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pay Jameis Winston for the long-term? Paying a mid-tier QB top dollar makes building the rest of your roster extremely difficult. Recent examples of these detrimental situations stated above (Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, and New York Giants) have QBs that are highly overpaid and this creates an imbalance in roster share. Other positions, crucial for winning football games, are hindered by how much the signal-caller is paid. This results in a lack of depth, talent and losses. The mid-tier QB cannot be successful with this lack of talent. Protection for timed throws is just as important as who is throwing the ball. Weapons at the skill positions are essential and a strong defense is always a necessity. Football is a team game and regardless of who is behind center, you must have talent at a lot of different areas to win at a consistent level. In theory, an elite QB can make up for these talent deficiencies and make everyone around him better. On the other hand, a QB such as Joe Flacco, who does not often play at an elite level, cannot make up for this lack of talent. I am not here to argue whether QBs should be paid or not because it is obvious they are needed above all else. I am here to inform you that as a fan, player, coach, or decision-maker in an organization, you must err on the side of caution when forking over big dollars to a perceived franchise QB. Every city, fan-base and corresponding organization longs for a gunslinger to be the face of their football franchise. This does not make for cautious decision-making. The shot at high-level consistency at the games most important position is worth the risk in the minds of many.
You may ask if I would pay Joe Flacco back in 2012 following his Superbowl heroics. I would answer yes. Joe Flacco convinced the football world that his arm talent and clutch ability were worth the investment. The dividends have not paid off like many once thought but no one can blame the Ravens front-office for the decision. The longevity of the contract is the only aspect that can be brought into question. On the other hand, the Raiders ponied up a hefty amount of cash to pay Derek Carr yet were unwilling to make this same investment into a potential hall of fame defensive player. The decision was flat-out wrong but the direction of the offensive-driven league led to this. Carr does not have the pedigree to back up his monstrous contract and the Raiders are paying for it. This will make building a championship in Oakland incredibly difficult. The Los Angeles Rams currently are brilliantly taking full advantage of their budding quarterback on a cheap rookie contract. This new trend of going all in with a talented quarterback on a rookie contract is immensely efficient. Other examples of teams taking full advantage of the talented rookie contract QB are the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears.
Put yourself in the shoes of Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Pace. You are overseeing a young roster with some room to make moves. Your Quarterback is young with a ton of upside, and is currently thriving on a cheap rookie contract. In order to take full advantage of this opportunity you must do everything you can to win in the present. This is exactly what Ryan Pace did. He did not hesitate and pulled the trigger to trade for possibly the most dominant front-seven playmaker of this generation. Khalil Mack is now a Chicago Bear and he has been a huge addition to an already upgraded roster. The Bears look like a team that is set to compete for many years to come. Ryan Pace brilliantly took advantage of his roster flexibility. The franchise QB can make or break this flexibility. The battle to find consistency behind center is everlasting. Should your team’s organization pony up to find the guy to lead you behind center?