Interesting that it’s now 2 players who have agreed to pay cuts and staying on the team … I guess on the one hand it’s a good sign that the players want to be here strongly enough to be willing to take less money…so kinda like the culture we’ve talked about building but have never really done it…that is, becoming a desired destination. Of course, the other glass half empty kind of view could be painted as, well they knew they were overpaid before and now are agreeing to a fair price?
I don’t think it’s about believing they were overpaid before. But I think it’s because the player is usually cuttable and will make more on a restructure (and not have to move the family and such) than they will on the open market. This is the case with players that aren’t homegrown. Not sure what Whitehead’s open market value was but I’d guess Lawson would’ve been like a 1 year $4-5 million situational pass rusher somewhere if we cut him.
Yes. Restructures are a total money grab for the player, the more desperate the team is to make room, the better the guaranteed chunk in the deal usually. It's never something noble from players, even a perceived pay cut that he never would have seen in the first place.
lawson would get a good deal. edge rushers are a premium. a box safety not so much. Whitehead probably figured he's better off taking 5.25 guaranteed and most of it upfront as a bonus then to test the market and wind up playing for less money on a shit team.
