Hate to say it but, agree. Look at the teams with the best left tackles in football. Cleveland with Joe Thomas, Miami with Jake Long, etc. Where have those teams been and where are they headed?
If Jake Long wants to break the bank, let him do it elsewhere.
No way in hell I would pay him top 5 OL money. Not because I dont think he is a top 5 OLman. He probably is. I just dont see the value in that position anymore with how the game is played.
The refs have taken over protecting the QB at the instruction of Goodell. While you still need a LT to keep your QB from getting pressured and as a result either getting sacked or turning the ball over, its not like a QB is going to get "killed" as its always phrased around these parts. Name the last starting QB to take a hit IN THE POCKET and as a result miss signifigant time? Was it Palmer? Brady? Isnt that why they put those rules in?
The league knows there are only so many good QBs and they are what drive their product. They cant risk them getting injured. So now you can still sack the QB, but you cant HIT him....... ANYWHERE. You must tap him on the shoulder, and gently wrap your arms around him and fall over. Otherwise, its a 15 yard penalty and a 2 million dollar fine.
This rule makes the LT less signifigant.
But, the biggest reason the LT is no longer nearly as signifigant as years past...... the game has moved almost to a 7 on 7 flag football type of game. You win by passing the ball. The QB is given all the rules he needs to pick a defense apart and put points on the board. CBs can not breathe on WRs. Seperation is easier to get and the QBs can stand back there and fire without fear of getting clobbered.
QB, WR, TE, CB, and pass rushers are the guys who matter in this game. Those are the top 5 positions. You get playmakers in those spots, you win. Paying a LT top dollar will hurt your ability to get playmakers in those positions that matter most.
Jake Long isnt so great at nullifying those playmaking, pass rushing, DEs and OLBs anyway. That in itself makes him much less valuable at even his own position. Unless he were willing to play for the average starting LT salary, and I know he isnt, I wouldnt bother signing him. In fact, Id trade him already.