Russell Wilson is the best value at QB when considering salary
The quarterback is the most challenging position on the football field. This player touches the ball on almost every play and is essential to success. That’s why it makes sense to find a solid QB and lock him up to a long term contract. Obviously this is easier said than done. My opinion is that teams pay too much for mediocre talent. I’m going to breakdown AND RANK who I believe are over, under, and fairly paid QB’s.
Team Contract 2013 cash
Underpaid
Russell Wilson Seahawks 4 years, $3M $749,193
RG III Redskins 4 years, $21.12M $5.28M
Colin Kaepernick 49ers 4 years, $5.13M $1.28M
Cam Newton Panthers 4 years, $22M $5.51M
Tom Brady Patriots 5 years, $57M $11.4M
Andrew Luck Colts 4 years, $22.11M $5.53M
Matt Ryan Falcons 6 years, $72M $12M
Worth Payment
Aaron Rodgers Packers 7 years, $130.75M $18.68M
Joe Flacco Ravens 6 years, $120.6M $20.1M
Roethlisberger Steelers 8 years, $100.12M $12.51M
Peyton Manning Broncos 5 years, $96M $19.2M
Drew Brees Saints 5 years, $100M $20M
Andy Dalton Bengals 4 years, $5.22M $1.3M
Christian Ponder Vikings 4 years, $10.16M $2.54M
Eli Manning Giants 7 years, $106.9M $15.27M
Michael Vick Eagles 1 year, $7.5M $7.5M
Josh Freeman Bucs 5 years, $32.42M $6.48M
E.J. Manuel Bills 4 years, $8.89M $2.22M
Ryan Tannehill Dolphins 4 years, $12.67M $3.17M
Jake Locker Titans 4 years, $12.59M $3.15M
Overpaid
Mark Sanchez Jets 5 years, $58.25M $11.6M
Philip Rivers Chargers 7 years, $98.31M $14.04M
Sam Bradford Rams 6 years, $78M $13M
Jay Cutler Bears 5 years, $49.9M $9.98M
Matthew Stafford Lions 5 years, $76.5M $15.3M
Tony Romo Cowboys 7 years, $119.5M $17.07M
Carson Palmer Cards 2 years, $16M $8M
Brandon Weeden Browns 4 years, $8.08M $2.2M
Blaine Gabbert Jaguars 4 years, $12.01M $3M
Matt Schaub Texans 5 years, $69.7M $13.94M
Matt Flynn Raiders 2 years, $11.5M $5.75M
Alex Smith Chiefs 3 years, $24M $8M
Conclusion
My list is pretty easy to understand. The current QB’s who are underpaid are the ones who had breakout seasons last year. I used to laugh hysterically at Russell Wilson’s numbers and call him the worst fantasy QB in the league. It’s funny how quickly that can change. RGIII is great if he stays healthy. Kapernick proved any and everything in the playoff game against the Packers. I think Cam has a huge skill set with a weak mental aspect to the game that can develop. Brady is Brady and Andrew Luck proved it wasn’t all luck. These QB’s are all solid and you can build a team around them.
The next section is easy to decipher because the QB’s who are worth it are the one’s who have won Superbowls. Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Brees, Flacco, and both Mannings are deserved of the money they make. They’ve proven it before and they are all veteran QB’s who with the right team, show they can win it all. The next part of that list are players who generally aren’t getting paid that much and are unproven. All Ponder has to do is hand the ball off. Dalton is making squat. Vick is a huge question mark with upside potential. I’m still not sold on Freeman. Manual, Tannehill, and Locker haven’t shown much.
The 0verpaid players are the ones who make a lot of money and don’t lead their team to victory. They all have fundamental flaws to their games which prevent them from taking the steps forward. Sanchez isn’t an NFL QB so I don’t care how much money he makes, it’s too much. Rivers shows glimpses of being a quality QB but he’s not able to control his emotions. Sam Bradford seems to win some games but I don’t see stardom in his future. Cutler and Stafford both throw too many picks and get by more on stats than wins. I actually like Tony Romo but I don’t think he should be making as much as he does for reasons stated above. If I owned a team, I’d chose an unproven rookie over Carson Palmer. Weeden and Gabbert suck although Weeden has some upside, Gabbert doesn’t. Matt Schaub isn’t bad I just think he’s making too much money. Matt Flynn has had one good game stat wise in a game that didn’t mean anything. Alex Smith can’t throw the ball but is a smart QB.
So there you have it. All the QB’s broken down by value when considering how much money they are making this year. If you want my advice, any single player in the underrated column would be nice to have on your fantasy team this year.
Decent QBs have a lot of leverage. If you’re the Cowboys, you’d rather overpay for Romo than get great value on a bad FA QB (which is all that’s left unsigned). I do think Romo’s better than he gets credit for though, but agree 17M a year is a bit high.