Bushrod...

Kurgan said
Problem is beatty is a much better tackle than bushrod. If he got 7.5 mln/year i think bushrod is worth 5 mln. Now, what he is worth is not what he will get paid, but still..i hope we don't stick with him for that much money

What are you referencing to determine this? Beatty had one good year (last year). Before that he was know as an injury prone project:

He missed 14 out of 48 possible games (Injury Prone?)
He started only 16 of 34 possible games (Not seen as a Full Time Starter?)

I'm don't have any OLine stats other than the above to reference, if you have more feel free to share. The stats above support the assumptions of injury prone and project (only starting 16 out of 34 games says he was not seen as a FT starter).

Saint_Ward said
Well, it all depends on how that market shakes out. Could be higher than we think. Jake Long is coming off an injury, but when healthy is an Elite LT. Also, we get too hung up on the total salary and the per year average, which is almost meaningless. It's all about signing bonus and other guaranteed money.

I looked at 6 somewhat recent LT deals for high caliber players.

Joe Thomas - 10M/yr (8 yr 80.5M)
Jason Peters - 10.1M/yr
Jordan Gross - 9.4M/yr
D'Brickashaw - 9.2M/yr
Doug Free - 8M/yr
Michael Roos - 7.2M/yr (signed in 2008 though...)
Beatty - 7.5M/yr

So, you'll pretty much see two or three levels (depending on how you like to break it down). Basically there is a 7-8M/yr club and there is the 9-10M/yr club.

I do not think Bushrod is in the 9-10M/yr club and it sounds like he does not either. I think 6-7.5M is a good number for Bushrod.

If Bushrod is going to stick to 8M/yr we should sniff around the J. Long camp and see if he will accept 8M/yr. I know he has been injured a lot (lately) and his play has declined but at 8M/yr it would be a good get for us. He would benefit majorly from playing with Drew vs. Moore/Tannehill.

Another name to watch is Sebastain Vollmer. He is an elite RT that has played LT for NE before. He is injury prone also but if Bushrod sticks to 8M we could pay him top RT money 7M and move him to LT.

I agree with you about the total salary/average per year statement.