Quote:
Originally Posted by Racehorse
Amen!
However, we could have done more, which would make some happy at the time of the signing, but then possibly suffer from buyer's remorse when the signing blew up.
Something about high dollar free agents not working out well for the new teams. Maybe they became complacent by finally signing the big contract. Maybe they fit the old scheme better. Maybe they played well beside someone who masked their deficiencies. I don't know, but often they do not pan out. The lower contract guys have to try to earn more in their next contract, so maybe they work a little harder?
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That’s an excellent observation Racehorse, and I think there’s a lot of truth to it. My guess is that there are a variety of reasons high-end free agents so rarely live up to their contracts: (1) they are often changing schemes and football players are not plug-and-play types whose skills translate exactly to a new team, (2) the player was overrated coming into free agency, which is why they weren’t signed by their former team – who was in the best position to gauge their talent level - to begin with, and (3) if they were driven to excel by the hope of financial gain, this drive is now extinguished by their large contract.