Ja’wuan James’ High-floor Production Should Get Him Paid This Offseason

[DKphin]

I think not by the Dolphins. He gets cut. I wish him well in his future endeavors.

Ja’Wuan James has been good, not great in his five-year career – unspectacular if you will. And that quality of play at tackle, contrary to popular belief, is well worth his expected price tag this offseason.

James, a former first-round pick, should see a multi-year deal worth upwards of $7 million per year given his positional value, durability and, yes, unspectacular production.

“So many teams are simply looking for consistency at tackle and James brings that,” PFF’s Mike Renner writes in our January top-50 free agents article. “His lowest pass-blocking grade over the past four seasons is only 67.3, which is far from liability territory.”

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...production-should-get-him-paid-this-offseason

 

[Kdawg954]

Still think 5/42.5 million is the floor. 5/50 would not be surprising.

 

[Travis34]

Still think 5/42.5 million is the floor. 5/50 would not be surprising.

I just can’t get behind making him the highest paid RT in the league

 

[FINMAN1]

I just can’t get behind making him the highest paid RT in the league

I'm with you on that.
He's had his share of breakdowns since he's been here, but I think some of may have been scheme.
With that being said. I still view him as slightly above average, and not worth a big payday in Miami.

 

[maralieus]

So if we make a good but not great RT the highest paid RT in the nfl, we’re almost certainly going on a have the highest paid RT and LT in the league when we re-sign tunsil. How is it we always end up with “the highest paid so and so” every time we re-sign someone??

 

[Phinatic8u]

Thanks but no thanks. He's a good player, but you don't need to pay good great.

He's not worth substantial amounts of cap space.

 

[Ruckus45]

On the flip side, above average OL are hard to find. Homegrown young OL are even more important to have on the roster. 5 for 45 with team friendly year 5 makes sense.

Lock up the tackles for 5 years, lock up X so the DBs stay young and talented. Draft a QB and have that salary flexibility with really good players in other important positions.

 

[Gonzo]

If all he gets is $7 million and this team passes, it deserves its continued failure. That’s not even top 5 pay and creates an unnecessary hole that will require another high draft pick to fill. ****ing stupid, so I fully expect them to do it.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

If all he gets is $7 million and this team passes, it deserves its continued failure. That’s not even top 5 pay and creates an unnecessary hole that will require another high draft pick to fill. ****ing stupid, so I fully expect them to do it.

Yup. All depends on the money

 

[.....]

We can't cut everyone who's due a pay increase. We don't have enough draft picks to fill all the holes, and FA's don't come cheap.

If his demands are reasonable and not top dollar, I say pay him.

 

[Phinatic8u]

If all he gets is $7 million and this team passes, it deserves its continued failure. That’s not even top 5 pay and creates an unnecessary hole that will require another high draft pick to fill. ****ing stupid, so I fully expect them to do it.

You don't need a high draft pick to fill a RT spot. It's the least important spot on the OL IMO.

Use a 3rd or a 4th and hopefully you hit.

But you're right, if it's only 7 million Miami needs to resign him quickly. He;s worth that as a RT.

 

[The Goat]

I'm hopeful this gets done. Has James or his agent said anything to the effect of "Top paid RT in the league?" I would absolutely be on board with something like 5/45, front loaded. Eat the salaries and the dead cap during 2019 and 2020, and move forward.

 

[TannDaMan17]

RT's are extremely valuable, ask Rick Wagner or Morgan Moses's agents...

 

[Phinatic8u]

RT's are extremely valuable, ask Rick Wagner or Morgan Moses's agents...

Agents love them no doubt, but NFL teams don't pay Right Tackles the same money that they pay Centers, Guards or Left Tackles. Hence why it's the least important.

If Miami can sign James to a Morgan Moses type deal it'll be a win win for them. Get a decent player under contract that you drafted.

 

[TannDaMan17]

Agents love them no doubt, but NFL teams don't pay Right Tackles the same money that they pay Centers, Guards or Left Tackles. Hence why it's the least important.

If Miami can sign James to a Morgan Moses type deal it'll be a win win for them. Get a decent player under contract that you drafted.

Center's may be more valuable than RT's, but not guards.

Guards are easier to find, if Morgan Moses was a guard he wouldn't have gotten paid what he did becasue he's really just average.

RT is quickly becoming one of the most valuable positions in the modern pass happy NFL, and they are hard to find.

Look at what how the Eagles won the SB, with a superstar RT and a JAG at LT and LG, I'm sure teams noticed that.