Originally posted by Boltjolt
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2nd round - $2,916,000
Original round/right of first refusal - $1,908,000 Base Salary Cap: $178,000,000 / 51 players = $3.49 million per player.
Why would they sign a longer deal? You only sign a longer deal if the player doesn't think he can get better deal. They are better off playing for the RFA tender and betting on themselves next offseason. If they don't sign the tender now, they are free to shop themselves around. And teams are looking for nickel/dime LB types who can play in the box and upgrade the team speed. I'm not against signing him to a longer deal, but I think he needs to show me a bit more before I give him a bigger deal. To me Phillips needs to play our the tender. If he plays well again, he will get a bigger deal from someone. He isn't going to break the bank, but he is quality player in today's NFL. He is the 11th starter on D, he should get paid like it.
Before anyone gets too down on Phillips, lets remember that even though he missed half of the KC game, part of the Jets game and all of the 2nd Oakland game, he still had more snaps than any of our LB (he played 518 defensive snaps vs Brown at 505). Phillips had 63 tackles (50 solo, 13 assists), 2 int, and a fumble recovery. And while everyone likes to think that the D took the big step up when Perryman came back, we were already winning games. We started getting turnovers in the Giants game, which is when we started Phillips as Will/Dime DB. He is a starter and in terms of how and when the D started to function, he is big part of our defensive success.
That being said, I think we can upgrade that spot. I would not be against trying to get Jenkins on the field in his place, or using Jenkins at SS and Addae at Will/Dime DB (it's really a very similar position). Bring one or more S into the mix and let them compete. The one thing we know for sure, Phillips is a dreadful FS, especially the way we ask our FS to play in the deep middle now. He CANNOT play FS. But let's make whoever we bring in win the job. If all he does is add depth and plays on ST, then fine. I think he would beat our most of the rookie S types we bring in.
The point with tendering is that we get nothing in exchange for him if we don't. He is a starting player on a good D, he deserves to get something, and even a 2nd round tender is a below average player, let alone a below average starter.
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