Around the NFL: Cowboys Extend Two; Schweigert Released

SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Breaking news: Raiders cut Schweigert (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=11&entry_id=26657)

PFT reports that a Marion Barber extension is valued at 7 years and 45 million, which is Portis-type money. Risky, but if he stays healthy, he'll be worth it.

Terrence Newman got 6 years and 50 million with 22 guarenteed per Adam Schefter. Not quite Samuel money, but just a hair below which seems to be market value for a #1 corner these days.

I definitely think Barber is worth it. He's a TD machine. He led NFC RB's in 2006 w/ 14 rushing TDs, and has 2,760 total yards and 33 TDs in 3 seasons despite always sharing carries. Plus he's never really been injured, playing in 45 out of 48 possible pro games. He's only 24 and rather fresh with less than 500 career carries. And it's not like he's going to be asked to carry 30 or even 20 times a game since Dallas drafted Felix Jones.

So in my opinion they locked up a durable, hard running, TD scoring, young RB for a good price ($16M in guarantees). It was Portis money 4 years ago when Clinton signed his contract. Take into account inflation/salary cap escalation, and it's really not Portis money anymore. If Barber had the yards/TDs in his first few seasons that Portis did, his contract today would have been much larger.

I think Newman is overrated, but whatever.

Atlanta Falcons | News | Falcons agree to terms with quarterback Matt Ryan (http://www.atlantafalcons.com/News/Articles/2008/05/11-20/Falcons_agree_to_terms_with_quarterback_Matt_Ryan. aspx)

Matt Ryan just got a six year deal. With slots one and three signed, it shouldn't take long for Chris Long, and the rest will fall in to place. No holdouts necessary.

Ryan's deal was 6yrs $72M ($34.75M guaranteed) as the 3rd overall pick, and Long got 5yrs $57.75M ($30M guaranteed) as the #1. Won't that ruffle some feathers? I don't think the rest will just fall in to place when a guy two spots lower than Long got $13.25M more in max value and $4.75M more in guarantees. I think this could create some controversy, at least amongst the top half of the 1st round.

As far as Ryan's contract, it took Peyton Manning about 6 full seasons of dominance in the league before he got that kind of guaranteed money. The rookie pay structure is so flawed.

Yep, it's time to argue about how insanely ridiculous rookie contracts are again lol. Makes me glad our earliest picks were in the second round. I think when a new labor deal gets announced eventually it will include a rookie cap of some kind, almost everyone (owners, players) agree that the current system is flawed, rookies are getting paid for potential while veterans have to earn that money.

Ryan is a Quarterback though, generally they are entitled to over slot money.

Long's deal will probably be worth exactly what other Long's was.

Yep, it's time to argue about how insanely ridiculous rookie contracts are again lol. Makes me glad our earliest picks were in the second round. I think when a new labor deal gets announced eventually it will include a rookie cap of some kind, almost everyone (owners, players) agree that the current system is flawed, rookies are getting paid for potential while veterans have to earn that money.The top end of drafts are getting really insane because no team is willing to let their draft pick go unsigned if they can't agree to a reasonable contract.

The Raiders had a perfect chance last year to so with Russell, and now they are going to be kicking themselves for that deal when he starts playing poorly.

Ryan's a better prospect than Russell, but good luck justifying that contract, kid. We can put the Falcons at the bottom of the NFC South for the next 4 years now.

Meanwhile the Raiders have a fearful defense and if McFadden has a Peterson-type year, they are actually a playoff threat. What a wonderful problem--to have to work around the guy you used the first overall pick on a year ago.

We need another Safety, Doughty isin't gonna cut it, although Landry is so nasty on his own that if ST could do it with moderate help, why can't Landry?

Why is Doughty not going to cut it? If you watched the games, Doughty did pretty damn good. Now no one's going to mistake him for a pro bowler but the bottom line is the guy proved that he's a quality NFL starter, otherwise the team would have made a stronger push to add a safety. There was also a Landry-Doughty Strong Safety comparison that showed Doughty having comprable stats to Landry when the games they played SS were compared. On top of that Doughty started only 6 games yet he was one of the team leaders in tackles (6th best with 53).

I agree with you on Landry though. After watching games throughout the year as well as highlight tapes over the past week I have to say that Landry is probably the most violent player I've ever seen, and personally I love it.

As far as depth is concerned, the team has 3 rookies that could end up contributing. Moore was considered one of the best safety prospects in DI-AA along with Corey Lynch, Horton was a well respected safety prospect out of UCLA, and Justin Scott was highly regarded during his time at Purdue. Now Scott might be a long shot, but I feel like the team will come away with at least one guy that proves he belongs in the NFL and in all likelihood Moore is probably that guy, especially considering the sucess the team has had with 6th round picks (Golston, Blades, Doughty).

I definitely think Barber is worth it. He's a TD machine. He led NFC RB's in 2006 w/ 14 rushing TDs, and has 2,760 total yards and 33 TDs in 3 seasons despite always sharing carries. Plus he's never really been injured, playing in 45 out of 48 possible pro games. He's only 24 and rather fresh with less than 500 career carries. And it's not like he's going to be asked to carry 30 or even 20 times a game since Dallas drafted Felix Jones.

So in my opinion they locked up a durable, hard running, TD scoring, young RB for a good price ($16M in guarantees). It was Portis money 4 years ago when Clinton signed his contract. Take into account inflation/salary cap escalation, and it's really not Portis money anymore. If Barber had the yards/TDs in his first few seasons that Portis did, his contract today would have been much larger.

I think Newman is overrated, but whatever.Great points. I was going to mention the inflation factor, and its something that everyone has to consider in evaluating this deal.

It's a big risk for any Running back. Barbers first three years in Dallas look very similar to Portis' first two years in Denver, so he should be solid into his 30's. But if he gets hurt, and the risk of that is always there, that's a lot of money tied up in a player who isn't helping your team.

Great points. I was going to mention the inflation factor, and its something that everyone has to consider in evaluating this deal.

It's a big risk for any Running back. Barbers first three years in Dallas look very similar to Portis' first two years in Denver, so he should be solid into his 30's. But if he gets hurt, and the risk of that is always there, that's a lot of money tied up in a player who isn't helping your team.

Injuries are always a risk in football, and more so at the RB position. But paying him less because of the possibility of potential injury (especially when a guy has no real injury history) is even more absurd than the rookie contracts given to guys who haven't ever played one play of pro-football.

QBs make more, it'll be fine. schwag is probably going towant more than min and a backup role, so we'll probably skip that whole deal. he could start here, but only until we found someone better... might as well let doughty get his shot, even though he's never going to be a stud, he could be dependable.

and the barber deal is crazy for a back that shares carries... the only lining is that felix was a low round one pick, so he'll only be making about 2mill per for about 5 years...

I definitely think Barber is worth it. He's a TD machine. He led NFC RB's in 2006 w/ 14 rushing TDs, and has 2,760 total yards and 33 TDs in 3 seasons despite always sharing carries. Plus he's never really been injured, playing in 45 out of 48 possible pro games. He's only 24 and rather fresh with less than 500 career carries. And it's not like he's going to be asked to carry 30 or even 20 times a game since Dallas drafted Felix Jones.

So in my opinion they locked up a durable, hard running, TD scoring, young RB for a good price ($16M in guarantees). It was Portis money 4 years ago when Clinton signed his contract. Take into account inflation/salary cap escalation, and it's really not Portis money anymore. If Barber had the yards/TDs in his first few seasons that Portis did, his contract today would have been much larger.

I think Newman is overrated, but whatever.
Nice points on Barber, but I would have liked to see the Cowboys wait until about mid-season to sign him. Like they did with Romo last season. Yeah MB3 had stellar numbers as a #2. But facts are facts and he has only been the "starter" for ONE game since being drafted by Dallas. And that was the playoff game against the Giants this year. The team announced him as the starter a week before that game. I would have liked to measure his value a little more as a starter to gauge his worth.

Newman is really not over rated as many people accuse him of being. He is a good corner that some QB's tend to avoid. That is why you see Henry and the safeties with a lot of interceptions, they just do not throw Newmans way a lot.

Another point on my case for Newman. I think we all can agree that Deon Sanders was a great corner during his NFL career. In the 5 years Deon was with Dallas, Deon Sanders had 14 interceptions. Newman, in 5 years with Dallas, has had 16 interceptions.

I liked the Newman deal. I think he is worth that money and it is not an outrageous number like Clements, Samuals or Hall.