Sota and Ty, You guys must not be paying attention to what other QB's are getting. Fitz had a way better year in 2015 than guys like Osweiler or Bradford and they signed big deals. Fitz may not get $18M but he should certainly get more than $10M based on the market.
I think the only way Fitz gets well above 10mill is due to incentives. I think he is well worth more should he be your starter and incentive based upon that is most likely what I'd expect he sees.
If Fitz gets 18 million a year for a few years I would be less shocked than Bradford, Osweiler and Cousins and the fact that Joe Flacco is again the highest paid player!
Cousins is under a franchise tag and that's why he's getting paid so much. The reason why the relatively new guys (Oswieller and even Bradford since he's been out so much with injuries) is that teams are betting (or more more like desperately hoping) that they can be quality starting QB's and willing to pay on a hope and a prayer. Fitz is different because he's been in the league for 11 years and other teams know what he is - an inconsistent QB who happened to have a good year last year. The last 10 years have been average to poor so teams realize that last year was probably the anomaly. Right now he found a system and a receiver (Brandon Marshall) who he clicks with, sticking in NY will be his best chance at any further success. But at 33 years old, I don't blame him for wanting a contract with the most guaranteed money.
When you make an above average QB (NOT AN ELITE QB) the highest paid player in the league, you get average QB's making 18 million a year instead of 10-12 where they should be!
The problem is, there's only 3 elite quarterbacks in the league right now. Only a handful of really good QB's, the rest are average at best. Why team's through huge contracts at average quarterbacks is beyond me. I guess it's wishful thinking. If Denver thought Osweiler was any good, they would have found a way to retain him.
I think Fitz would play well in Denver, and make that team an instant contender again. They have lots of playmaking receivers to hide his flaws. The defense took a step back in losing Trevathon (Who I wanted in GB), but they can still get to the quarterback and have a strong secondary. Green Bay did nothing but bring back its own (again). Teds only signed 1 UFA (Jeff Saturday) in his tenure, Peppers, Woodson, Guion were all cuts with no comp hits. If he does sign anybody it will be somebody who fits that description, but I wouldn't bank on it. The longer Hayward/Raji are FA's the better chance we have of bringing them back. The Browns lost 4 starters from a 3-13 second to last team, then released Manziel. For some reason they still have Bowe as well. They will finish dead last next year and get the #1. Might be good for Hue to build up draft picks. I don't think they will get the Kaep deal done, though that would be intriguing. Manziel might never play another down in the NFL again, he brings Tebow media drama in a negative way. Osweiler got overpaid, he'll be on the streets next year. RGIII won't be starting after training camp wherever he signs.
The more I think about it the less he is worth, 33 years old never got a team to the playoffs, seems like Denver is not interested in his asking price.
You are probably right about what he is actually worth and what he'll end up getting if a team other than the Jets does not outbid them. My previous comments were basically made based on the fact teams are paying other qbs more than they are worth. I don't see 33 yrs of age as any issue though. These days many qbs have their best years well into their 30's.
True Fitz has his best year ever this past season, but signing Fitz would not energize the fans of any franchise. He is average at best.
Just shaking my head at the Browns... Who just released Bowe. Bowe received $9 million guaranteed from Cleveland. He had 5 catches in 2015, meaning he made $1.8 million/catch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kinda like Wallace being wasted in Minnesota with Teddy two gloves and his inability to accurately throw the ball over 25 yards.
2 months into free agency and still no interest from anyone for Fitz, he may end up playing for league minimum.
He claims he will retire before playing with the offer from the jets. My bet is this will go well into training camp before it gets resolved.
The Dwayne Bowe saga was a joke. Minnesota always likes to waste money on receivers too. Wallace and Jennings never lived up to the contract they signed.
