For those who are seriously questioning the Byron Jones contract, let me add a couple of words of caution here.
1) We had the money and it HAD to be spent somewhere. There is, as I always point out, an NFL minimum. Teams are REQUIRED to spend a set % of the maximum salary cap.
2) When we signed X, his pay was routinely questioned as being too high... "a desperation signing" many here wailed girlishly... and yet, a couple of years later, the cap has grown and his salary looks so low that many are saying "the poor, poor man needs a raise."
3) Jones only has guaranteed money through next year. His 2023 salary is 13.5 (plus a 500k bonus), and his 2024 salary is 12.5 (plus a 500K bonus). He can be released/traded easily after next year and those salaries wouldn't prevent it.
I think the hysteria here is a bit much.
1. This is not fully accurate. While there is a set minimum of the cap, it is based on a 4 year cumulative average of spending at least the cap floor, which is 89% of the total cap every year. This means in one year you may only spend 80% of your cap, but in the other years maybe you spend 95% . . . either way that will get you to your cap floor percentage. Did you know in 2018 we only rolled over $69,000? We basically were at the cap limit.
2. This is also not accurate. The X "guaranteed" money was always very reasonable and team friendly. People that look at the AAV alone continually make that mistake. From that aspect he may of been the "highest paid CB" . . . but from a guaranteed dollars aspect it was an extremely good deal for Miami . . . and it gave them a very easy out if X remained injured or did not live up to expectations. The fact that X had the best year for a DB in recent memory is a benefit for him and for Miami to get such quality play from a draft pick.
3. Jones deal was a product of unrestricted free agency. You can get X cheaper when he is on a rookie deal and has to play another season before becoming a UFA. The Jones deal was always designed as a 3 year deal with team options afterwards. When a quality player at a premium position, in the prime of his career, is able to test free agency . . . that is to the benefit of the player. It just doesn't happen very often but Dallas decided to invest in their offense and had to franchise Dak. Its clear Flo values the CB position as a key component of his defense and 2020 showed that philosophy to be a correct one. He also wasn't fully certain of the X situation so Jones provided him a buffer in case X continued to have some injury issues or off the field ones.
Jones signed a 5 year/82.5 million deal in free agency. When Miami is making that deal, in their eyes, its a 3 year deal with a similar AAV getting Jones in his prime year, and then giving themselves a team option the final 2 years when Byron is in his 30s.