The Curse of High Salary Players and the Demise of the 2015 Giants

[BleedinBlue]

The structure of pay that each team is allowed to have might create parity - the ultimate goal - but it is what killed our beloved Giants.

 

No matter which team you look at, they can only pay huge salaries to a select handful of players. They have to draft well or find hidden gems somehow to compliment the big-pay studs.

 

Take a look at the Giants' salaries:

 

1. Eli Manning 21 million

2. Jason Pierre-Paul 8.7 million MISSED 9 GAMES (6 games, 18 tackles, 1 sack)

3. Victor Cruz 8.6 million DID NOT PLAY

4. William Beatty 7.5 million DID NOT PLAY

5. Domonique Williams Cromarte 7 million

6. Jon Beason 5.66 million MISSED 11 GAMES (5 games played - 18 total tackles, 0 sacks)

7. Geoff Schwartz 4.2 million WILL MISS 4 GAMES - Broken Leg

8. Erick Flowers 4.3 million

9. Shane Vereen 4.1 million

10. Dwayne Harris 3 million

11 - 53 Everyone else plays for less than 3 million a year and approximately 30 of them play at minimum wage.

 

It doesn't take an Einstein to see the immediate problem. Three-fourths of our four top elite players that suck up most of the team's money - either didn't even see the field this year or just played in a spattering of games and made no significant contributions.

 

When your best/elite players don't suit up - it's tough to be playoff bound.

 

What a difference it would have made if Beatty had a good season while Flowers cut his teeth on the right side of the line. And if JPP was the old JPP with a whole hand. And if Victor Cruz played and took pressure off of Odell, and if Beason could have stayed healthy. It would have been an entirely different story.

 

At least Eli played like the elite player he is. But he played the whole season without the help of the team's best players. Odell of course is an elite player, but we have him locked up for 2.6 million, so he's not a hindrance to the salary cap that doesn't allow us to snatch another elite player in FA.

 

In short: not ALL TC's fault. He can work magic with a bunch of scrubs. If he could only figure out how to manage the clock late in games and get Eli to follow suit, it would have been an amazing season.

[Allstarjim]

Eli was elite for the last two games and at a few other points of the season, he was not elite consistently this year. His numbers will look good, though, but he's lagging behind the elite class in the NFL for most of the season.

[BleedinBlue]

Eli was elite for the last two games and at a few other points of the season, he was not elite consistently this year. His numbers will look good, though, but he's lagging behind the elite class in the NFL for most of the season.

Yeah...especially late in games when he had the lead. He used to amaze at the end of games or the end of a half....at least, when he's behind. Needs to figure out clock management with a lead.

[Tempest]

It isn't the money, there is a bigger picture you are missing. The salaries are off as well...

 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-york-giants/cap/

 

The salary cap for 2015 was 143.28 million

 

This team wouldn't be be better if 10 other players on the roster were making more money or the same as the top ten. We have a roster full of players who are lacking in capability. Roster has too many bit players and there is a severe lack of role players.

 

Money hasn't been holding this team back the last three seasons, it is the talent. You are right about one thing, not all Tom Coughlin's fault.

[Storm]

Eli was elite for the last two games and at a few other points of the season, he was not elite consistently this year. His numbers will look good, though, but he's lagging behind the elite class in the NFL for most of the season.

The 15th best QB, in my book.

[BleedinBlue]

It isn't the money, there is a bigger picture you are missing. The salaries are off as well...

 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-york-giants/cap/

 

The salary cap for 2015 was 143.28 million

 

This team wouldn't be be better if 10 other players on the roster were making more money or the same as the top ten. We have a roster full of players who are lacking in capability. Roster has too many bit players and there is a severe lack of role players.

 

Money hasn't been holding this team back the last three seasons, it is the talent. You are right about one thing, not all Tom Coughlin's fault.

I actually took my stats from the link you post, but under the tab "Contracts" rather than "Salary Cap". If you go to the tab, "Multi-Year", it's a little different. I simply took the numbers for this year from "Avg Salary 2015" per player.

 

It would have been a different season if we had Cruz and Beatty playing the way they did before injuries...and if JPP hadn't blown his hand off.

 

The "bit players" became mandatory after the injuries started piling up. The front office attempted to get some backup strength after last two seasons decimation by injuries, but even the backups they picked up ended up on the IR. TC is working 3rd and 4th players on the depth chart on defense. No amount of genius coaching is going to have a stellar defense using off the street players or players from other teams' practice squads for half the defense.

[Tempest]

I actually took my stats from the link you post, but under the tab "Contracts" rather than "Salary Cap". If you go to the tab, "Multi-Year", it's a little different. I simply took the numbers for this year from "Avg Salary 2015" per player.

 

It would have been a different season if we had Cruz and Beatty playing the way they did before injuries...and if JPP hadn't blown his hand off.

 

The "bit players" became mandatory after the injuries started piling up. The front office attempted to get some backup strength after last two seasons decimation by injuries, but even the backups they picked up ended up on the IR. TC is working 3rd and 4th players on the depth chart on defense. No amount of genius coaching is going to have a stellar defense using off the street players or players from other teams' practice squads for half the defense.

 

Yeah it would have been different if not for the injuries. Injuries have happened every single year, even the super bowl ones and the difference has been the next guy stepping up. We don't have any of those guys either.

 

Alright let us go little further into the bit player roster. These are the key free agents signed at the start of free agency over the last 4 years and I'm going to skip over a few because they weren't even worth mentioning.

 

The 2015 group: Shane Vereen, Jonathan Casillas, JT Thomas, Marshall Newhouse, Kendrick Ellis George Selvie

 

The 2014 group: Jon Beason, Jameel McClain, Quintin Demps, Walter Thurmond, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Trindon Holliday, Zack Bowman, Robert Ayers

 

The 2013 group: Mike Patterson, Brandon Myers, Ryan Mundy, Josh Brown, Cullen Jenkins

 

The 2012 group: Shaun Rogers, Terrell Thomas, Martellus Bennett, Steve Weatherford, Stevie Brown

 

This is a very list of free agents in a four year span. How many of the guys on the list are key signing and made a positive impact on the field?

[BleedinBlue]

Yeah it would have been different if not for the injuries. Injuries have happened every single year, even the super bowl ones and the difference has been the next guy stepping up. We don't have any of those guys either.

 

Alright let us go little further into the bit player roster. These are the key free agents signed at the start of free agency over the last 4 years and I'm going to skip over a few because they weren't even worth mentioning.

 

The 2015 group: Shane Vereen, Jonathan Casillas, JT Thomas, Marshall Newhouse, Kendrick Ellis George Selvie

 

The 2014 group: Jon Beason, Jameel McClain, Quintin Demps, Walter Thurmond, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Trindon Holliday, Zack Bowman, Robert Ayers

 

The 2013 group: Mike Patterson, Brandon Myers, Ryan Mundy, Josh Brown, Cullen Jenkins

 

The 2012 group: Shaun Rogers, Terrell Thomas, Martellus Bennett, Steve Weatherford, Stevie Brown

 

This is a very list of free agents in a four year span. How many of the guys on the list are key signing and made a positive impact on the field?

I'd have to say Vereen and Harris were good pickups this past year. After that, the only one who stands out to me is DRC, Josh Brown and Jenkins. Stevie Brown had one hell of year before injury and never being the same again. Beason would be in that group if he could stay healthy more than 4 or 5 games a year.

 

I think that JT Thomas, George Selvie, and Kendrick Ellis are solid backups.

 

What I've been saying is that I'd rather splurge on two or maybe three top shelf players than pick up 8 or 9 mediocre players for the same price.

[Allstarjim]

I'd have to say Vereen and Harris were good pickups this past year. After that, the only one who stands out to me is DRC, Josh Brown and Jenkins. Stevie Brown had one hell of year before injury and never being the same again. Beason would be in that group if he could stay healthy more than 4 or 5 games a year.

 

I think that JT Thomas, George Selvie, and Kendrick Ellis are solid backups.

 

What I've been saying is that I'd rather splurge on two or maybe three top shelf players than pick up 8 or 9 mediocre players for the same price.

Um, Martellus Bennett and Weatherford?

[Allstarjim]

Casillas I believe has been a good add. Just based on eye test.

[BleedinBlue]

Um, Martellus Bennett and Weatherford?

Oh yeah...they earned their money for us.

[Tempest]

we have a roster full of mediocrity. we need playmakers. Role players.

 

So who are they for 2016 and how do we get them? Question of 2016.

[Storm]

Thurmond and Bowman would have made an impact this year if they had had a little faith.

[Iceman_NYG]

This has been the fucking idiot philosophy for a while now. Why splurge on top shelf players when we can get 6-7 mediocre players for the same price?? As if all 6 are gonna play at the same time. End result - piss poor result at the position.

 

They need to fucking spend on some big names

[Storm]

This has been the fucking idiot philosophy for a while now. Why splurge on top shelf players when we can get 6-7 mediocre players for the same price?? As if all 6 are gonna play at the same time. End result - piss poor result at the position.

 

They need to fucking spend on some big names

 

All fine and good but when the more marquee signings and your own players can't stay....or even get on in the case of Victor Cruz and Jon Beason....what can you really do?

[Iceman_NYG]

The injuries killed. Cruz and JPP predominantly and then Beason. It just destroyed us. We should have tanked the season long back. Credit to Coughlin for keeping us in close games which we eventually lost. Oh well - we did have last second losses to the undefeated Pats and the Panthers didn't we? Any other team would have mailed it in.

[boohyah]

The structure of pay that each team is allowed to have might create parity - the ultimate goal - but it is what killed our beloved Giants.

 

No matter which team you look at, they can only pay huge salaries to a select handful of players. They have to draft well or find hidden gems somehow to compliment the big-pay studs.

 

Take a look at the Giants' salaries:

 

1. Eli Manning 21 million

2. Jason Pierre-Paul 8.7 million MISSED 9 GAMES (6 games, 18 tackles, 1 sack)

3. Victor Cruz 8.6 million DID NOT PLAY

4. William Beatty 7.5 million DID NOT PLAY

5. Domonique Williams Cromarte 7 million

6. Jon Beason 5.66 million MISSED 11 GAMES (5 games played - 18 total tackles, 0 sacks)

7. Geoff Schwartz 4.2 million WILL MISS 4 GAMES - Broken Leg

8. Erick Flowers 4.3 million

9. Shane Vereen 4.1 million

10. Dwayne Harris 3 million

11 - 53 Everyone else plays for less than 3 million a year and approximately 30 of them play at minimum wage.

 

It doesn't take an Einstein to see the immediate problem. Three-fourths of our four top elite players that suck up most of the team's money - either didn't even see the field this year or just played in a spattering of games and made no significant contributions.

 

When your best/elite players don't suit up - it's tough to be playoff bound.

 

What a difference it would have made if Beatty had a good season while Flowers cut his teeth on the right side of the line. And if JPP was the old JPP with a whole hand. And if Victor Cruz played and took pressure off of Odell, and if Beason could have stayed healthy. It would have been an entirely different story.

 

At least Eli played like the elite player he is. But he played the whole season without the help of the team's best players. Odell of course is an elite player, but we have him locked up for 2.6 million, so he's not a hindrance to the salary cap that doesn't allow us to snatch another elite player in FA.

 

In short: not ALL TC's fault. He can work magic with a bunch of scrubs. If he could only figure out how to manage the clock late in games and get Eli to follow suit, it would have been an amazing season.

If you think it's bad, wait till we have to pay Beckham, and we will pay through the roof for him.

[Iceman_NYG]

And we SHOULD pay him. Through the roof. Sometimes I think these disciplinary shit that Beckham is getting hit with will help the Giants at that time. Him and Eli are our offense - that's it. We saw that plain and clear today.

[BleedinBlue]

If you think it's bad, wait till we have to pay Beckham, and we will pay through the roof for him.

You can only pay a few players superstar money. It's a no brainer to pay Odell. He's the best WR in the game and will probably get better. Athletically, he's a freak of nature...and he's ours. Lose him and we'll wait a lifetime for another WR that can do what only he can do and probably die never seeing another one.

 

He'll be the top paid receiver in the NFL and should be. And he needs to be in Giants' blue - period, end of story!

 

What we really should invest in is a whole new training and medical crew. This is the third year in a row that we have been killed by injuries.

[Allstarjim]

This has been the fucking idiot philosophy for a while now. Why splurge on top shelf players when we can get 6-7 mediocre players for the same price?? As if all 6 are gonna play at the same time. End result - piss poor result at the position.

 

They need to fucking spend on some big names

 

Not mediocre players, Ice. Good players, that aren't necessarily superstars. And the reason is because you can't buy a team of superstars in the NFL. You need a lot of good players and some good depth, with a few stars sprinkled in. You got to have the glue guys. This team has a few stars. They need glue guys. DRC is a star and he is able to take away one option on the field for the opposing offense. But guess what, we had no deep safeties, Prince was playing hurt all year, we struggled at nickel corner, and we had no linebacker depth, and no pass rush for most of the year. So what if you get one superstar linebacker, for example... we still have all of those other problems. Because you aren't able to plug all those holes with superstars because of the salary cap, you have to get good, cheaper players that aren't necessarily household names. This team needs a lot of help. Yes, I fully expect the Giants to get a star player in free agency, but they still need a lot more. Guys like Dwayne Harris, who played a role this year and played very well, but not a superstar.

 

And superstars get hurt, too.

[gmenroc]

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas.

[Treehugger]

This has been the fucking idiot philosophy for a while now. Why splurge on top shelf players when we can get 6-7 mediocre players for the same price?? As if all 6 are gonna play at the same time. End result - piss poor result at the position.

 

They need to fucking spend on some big names

Ask the Raiders how well that strategy works. Good teams develop talent.