Tical21":27b46t8u said:
Talking heads would tell you to always pay your quarterback. But what happens? Every year but 1, for 20 years now (Peyton, 07) these quarterbacks get these big contracts and go lose in the playoffs or Super Bowl to the Pats, or some team with a better roster than them. It isn't just a quarterback that wins Super Bowls. It is a great quarterback WITH a great roster. With the way QB salaries have ballooned over the past 10-15 years, it has made it more and more difficult to do. You might have a tiny window the last few years of a QB's contract before he gets re-upped again where his contract isn't as prohibitive, but then you go right back in the tank.
Even us. We won a Super Bowl with a QB not making much, paid him, and the roster and results went down down down. Now, it is more because of drafting than the weight of Russ' contract, but when you're paying a QB a lot, you don't have any margin for error. I wouldn't say paying Russ was the biggest factor, but it wasn't a coincidence either.
I'm sure there are more reasons. You asked why paying your elite QB lessens your odds of winning a Super Bowl. There's a myriad of answers, but the point is, it really does. 1 out of 20 is a pretty big sample size.
People usually point to the Patriots and how much Brady makes as the shining example of this theory. "Hey if Russell would just take less like Brady does, then we could be like the Patriots and go to more SB's."
All I'd ask is do you think it's about the cap space, or do you think it's more about Brady himself, and more importantly the scheme and cultures of Belichick?
I'd say it's the latter far more than the former. The Patriots now have a 20 year history of just plugging in anybody into key roles on both sides of the ball, through attrition and injury, it doesn't matter.........and yet they still win. It's not because they have 10M more of cap space due to Brady's salary.
So yes, paying Russell lessens our cap space to sign and retain players. But IMO it's FAR more about entrusting Pete and John to draft well and build another SB roster AROUND Russell, and far less about the numerous issues of trying to win a SB without him.
Either we trust John and Pete, their philosophy, their culture and their schemes........or we don't.