 |
| NFL's Best CB's L-R: Arizona's Patrick Peterson, Seattle's Richard Sherman, Cleveland's Joe Haden. |
The Cleveland Browns are totally crushing the concept of paying the BEST the MOST. Just last month, Earl Thomas (widely believed to be the best safety in football) was rewarded by the Seattle Seahawks with a four-year extension paying him an average of around $10 million per year, $27.75 million of that being guaranteed. This deal made Thomas the highest-paid safety in the NFL, roughly $1 million per year more than the Saints newly signed safety, Jairus Byrd Shortly after Earl Thomas was extended, the Seahawks rewarded All-Pro corner, Richard Sherman, (widely believed to be the best corner in football) also with a four-year extension, reportedly worth $57 million, $40 million of that guaranteed. Both Thomas and Sherman have the on-field statistics and the intangible off field leadership to warrant such lofty contract deals, and both were instrumental in leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory. But… did they get shorted? I know it's difficult for most of us to consider millions of dollars as underpaid or shorted in some way, but when you study the players and the amount of their contract terms, it hardly seems commensurate with their individual production and their production which ultimately led to the ultimate goal of winning games and championships. After all, the Seahawks defensive secondary is tremendously credited for their success over the last two seasons and going into the new season, the Seahawks field the best tandem of defensive backs in football with Thomas and Sherman both earning All-Pro honors as best players at their position.
So, if Sherman owns two consecutive seasons as "All-Pro Corner", "honored as best at his position", with a noticeable lead in nearly every important "defensive back statistic" during his three years in the NFL, and has led his team to a Super Bowl victory… Why is Cleveland Brown's cornerback, Joe Haden, a four-year player, the highest-paid corner in the NFL? The Cleveland Browns trumped both of Seattle's deals with their All-Pro defensive backs, giving Joe Haden a five-year deal worth $68 million, $45 million which is guaranteed? To add to this, Arizona Cardinals corner, Patrick Peterson, is petitioning the Cardinals for a contract eclipsing both Sherman and Hayden, believed to be more than the $68 million Hayden received.
This is what happens when a team like the Brown's overpay a lesser player after the best player signs a lucrative contract making him the highest paid at his position. Now, the dominoes fall and the best players turn out to be underpaid. I completely understand that the term "underpaid" might make most hard-working Americans nauseated learning that a 24-year-old man is being paid millions of dollars for playing a kids game, and is considered by most as "Underpaid". Sadly, in this case, the term actually applies. It's all relative, I think, and you have to use your most unprejudiced-minded thinking. It's a simple case of a lesser talented employee making more money than a superior producing employee, only it's in terms of millions of dollars instead of thousands or even hundreds.
Some analysts will cite the fact that Peterson and Hayden often line up at different positions of the field, making their jobs more difficult and giving them more versatility then Seahawks DB's. The Seahawks have a tremendous starting set of defensive backs from top to bottom and their backups could very well start on most teams in the league. Earl Thomas benefits from a thundering tackler, Kam Chancellor, as he plays centerfield covering the deep part of the field all on his own. Chancellor benefits from the rangy, closing speed of Thomas who can adjust when Kam shoots in to the soft shallow zone for run support. This gives Chancellor the confidence to leave a cover 2 zone, becoming a locomotive and toppling any slot receiver brave enough to catch a pass in a crossing pattern. Newcomer to the lob is, corner Byron Maxwell, who is really the 3rd string right corner behind Brandon Browner (who was out because of injury) and Walter Thurmond (who missed the final 4 games of the season due to suspension.) It turned out, each consecutive backup became better than his predecessor and Maxwell is quietly becoming a superstar as part of the new "Legion of Boom". Richard Sherman, as great as he is, isn't needed to move all over the field and defend the opponents best receiver, as some teams require. Pete Carroll and DC Dan Quinn believe that any of Seattle's secondary personnel can match up against the best the NFL has to offer. It's true that Sherman lines up primarily on the right side, in fact 88% of the snaps he lines up on the right side, (just 2% elsewhere). Because of Seattle's size and speed, there's no need to put in special packages to deal with great receivers on opposing teams. If you study Super Bowl XLVIII, the Seahawks played a straight "press man-to-man" coverage throughout the game and the Broncos posed the best passing offense in the history of the NFL. Denver, with Peyton Manning, broke practically every scoring record there is, with what was considered a dominating core of receivers and tight ends. The Broncos marched out; WR's Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker and TE Julius Thomas, a record-breaking quartet and one of the best passing quarterbacks in the history of the game, in Manning. The Seahawks pounded the Broncos in every way possible and starting CB, Browner, didn't play and his first backup, Thurmond, barely got on the field. What's scary for the NFL, is that Seattle's best defensive backs might be yet to come. Carroll and his coaching staff are very high on last year's rookie, Tharold Simon LSU, (injured in preseason), also Jeremy Lane, who couldn't get playing time because of his lack of experience, but saw limited time in the slot. Another of Seattle's burgeoning stars in the making is DeShawn Shead, perhaps the Seahawks best pure athlete. This doesn't even include the Seahawks 2014 draft class.
When assessing defensive backs in the draft, Pete Carroll and John Schneider, have attracted many scouts around the NFL. Schneider has quite a reputation for finding hidden talent, particularly for their defensive secondary. Aside from first-round selection, Earl Thomas, the rest of Seattle's "Legion of Boom" derived from obscure names and unnoticed player talent. Richard Sherman was a fifth-round selection, Kam Chancellor was also drafted in the 5th round, Byron Maxwell the 6th round and Brandon Browner was a gem found in the Canadian football league. Paul Allen has compiled a tremendous scouting dragnet for talent that extends far beyond the American borders. Now, the Seahawks add a big safety in 6th round selection, Eric Pinkins, San Diego St. and undrafted CB, Dion Bailey, USC, and another undrafted DB, Jimmy Legree, South Carolina. If it's true that history often repeats itself, the NFL is in for more trouble for the Seahawks defensive secondary.
In closing, I'll return to the beginning of this blog. The Cleveland Browns are destroying the natural order in the NFL by overpaying a player who doesn't deserve such lofty contract terms. Richard Sherman isn't going to go hungry, nor will he worry about paying his light bill, but he has a proud nature about him and it's going to bug him that 2 players in the NFL with inferior on-field production are making more money. Many people think that Sherman is petty about his attention to what other people think, but you have to go deeper to understand why he cares. It's all about finding that inside irritant that makes you want to continue achieving, that so-called "Chip on the shoulder" that many players use to help them rise above every previous performance and every other player on the field. Sherman has had his share of twitter-tantrums with other colleagues in the game, and somehow he seems to always backup his talk and he always seems to find that extra spark that makes him the greatest defensive back in the game today. Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson, Joe Haden and the rest can argue with Sherman, state their case and even win a few arguments with Sherman, but he's bound and determined to have the last laugh and after the 2013 season, capping it off with a Super Bowl XLVIII Victory… He's definitely crowing on top of the chicken coup and I don't think it's going to quit until somebody has the courage and the ability to knock him off his perch. Richard Sherman is quick to remind you that he's not just your average NFL shutdown corner to make a lot of money playing football… He will direct even the most respected pundit or personality to refer to him in a particular fashion; On-Camera Fight with ESPN First Take’s Skip Bayless (quotes collected by
USA TODAY): Sherman and Bayless began arguing on air on ESPN’s First Take, and Sherman launched into a take-down.
“Whenever you refer to me, whenever you speak to me, whenever you address me, address me as All-Pro Stanford graduate because those are some accomplishments you will aspire to but never accomplish. You have never accomplished anything…I think you think more of yourself than you can prove…In my 24 years of life, I’m better at life than you…I’m intelligent enough and capable enough to understand that you are ignorant, pompous, egotistical, cretin. I’m going to crush you on here because I’m tired of hearing about it.” - Richard Sherman
INSIDE THE NUMBERS & NUMBERS DON'T LIE
| 3
Year Average |
|
|
|
|
| Sherman |
Stats |
Hayden |
Peterson |
|
|
|
|
| 48 |
GAMES |
42 |
48 |
|
|
|
|
| 20 |
INT's |
10 |
12 |
|
|
|
|
| 61 |
P-DEF |
47 |
42 |
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
TD's |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
| 138 |
TACK |
150 |
151 |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
SACKS |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
| 64.7 |
OPP-QBR |
75.2 |
73.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
