Wanstedts last two years where the most damaging to the team, as he signed veterans players that had "potential" or where just entering the latter half of their careers. He signed these guys to long term contract that end in 08 and 09. While these contracts are not garaunteed and we can cut a player bear in mind that we take a substatial salary cap hit because the contracts are drawn out so they reduce their annual salary but the players are rewarded through other forms of compensation such as amortized bonuses, and other bonuses. When you read this list tell me if you think that these were signings that were in the best long term interest of the team or the player individually?
By the way before you start preaching to me about ZT and JT, those guys are very very good football players but the contracts they receive are that of franchise conerstone players which theya re not. ZT is not Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher, and JT is not Julius Peppers, but they sure got paid like them. Same holds true for CC as well. These guys are signed for many years and if saban were to cut them next year it would be a disaster for the team financially. They are bad contracts that no other team would want as part of a trade either. This is probably why he did not start trading away some of the players last year, when he should have let alone cutting them, these players have all the leverge in negotiations because they know the franchise is royally screwed if they wre to cut them. Here is the list:
Salary Cap Hit= Salary+Amortized Bonuses+Other bonuses
2006 Salary Cap Hit: ( These numbers were very comparable to 05 so I doubt 07 numbers will change)
CC: 6,500,000 ( Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?) signed to 2009
Booker: 3,100,000 (( Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?) signed to 2008
McMichael: 5,300,000 (Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?)signed to 2009
Jeno James, 3,200,000 (Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?)signed to 2009
Taylor: 11,000,000 ( when you pay this much for a player you are doing it for more than just sacks, and tackles, he has to be a dominant presence and someone that has to be accounted for on every single down, and even when they do he still dominates his opposition, do you think JT is worth 11M? relative to his production 6M yeah but not 11M) signed to 2009
Thomas: 7.2M ( same comments for him as for JT) signed to 2008
Mare: 2.3M signed to 2009
We have 7 players contributing to almost 50% of our salary structure ( $38.6M) this year. The rest of the pot goes to the other 40 players which answers the questin as to why we have no depth.
None of these players produce in the big game they get lost in the game. Have these players ever gone on the road as under dogs and pulled out defining wins consistently ( Jets at the Meadowlands, Pats at home, blow out losses to Rams, 49ers in year past). We have watched these players for a decade and we have more tales of sorrow than jubilation. So my answer to that is no.
In summary cut saban some slack, these are real financial numbers and they speak volumes as to what he can and can not do. They speak more concretely than most of the philosophical arguemnts about poor perfomance etc etc.
Go phins in 07!!
By the way before you start preaching to me about ZT and JT, those guys are very very good football players but the contracts they receive are that of franchise conerstone players which theya re not. ZT is not Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher, and JT is not Julius Peppers, but they sure got paid like them. Same holds true for CC as well. These guys are signed for many years and if saban were to cut them next year it would be a disaster for the team financially. They are bad contracts that no other team would want as part of a trade either. This is probably why he did not start trading away some of the players last year, when he should have let alone cutting them, these players have all the leverge in negotiations because they know the franchise is royally screwed if they wre to cut them. Here is the list:
Salary Cap Hit= Salary+Amortized Bonuses+Other bonuses
2006 Salary Cap Hit: ( These numbers were very comparable to 05 so I doubt 07 numbers will change)
CC: 6,500,000 ( Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?) signed to 2009
Booker: 3,100,000 (( Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?) signed to 2008
McMichael: 5,300,000 (Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?)signed to 2009
Jeno James, 3,200,000 (Is he earning his keep, has he ever earned his keep?)signed to 2009
Taylor: 11,000,000 ( when you pay this much for a player you are doing it for more than just sacks, and tackles, he has to be a dominant presence and someone that has to be accounted for on every single down, and even when they do he still dominates his opposition, do you think JT is worth 11M? relative to his production 6M yeah but not 11M) signed to 2009
Thomas: 7.2M ( same comments for him as for JT) signed to 2008
Mare: 2.3M signed to 2009
We have 7 players contributing to almost 50% of our salary structure ( $38.6M) this year. The rest of the pot goes to the other 40 players which answers the questin as to why we have no depth.
None of these players produce in the big game they get lost in the game. Have these players ever gone on the road as under dogs and pulled out defining wins consistently ( Jets at the Meadowlands, Pats at home, blow out losses to Rams, 49ers in year past). We have watched these players for a decade and we have more tales of sorrow than jubilation. So my answer to that is no.
In summary cut saban some slack, these are real financial numbers and they speak volumes as to what he can and can not do. They speak more concretely than most of the philosophical arguemnts about poor perfomance etc etc.
Go phins in 07!!
