[Schneed10]

My problem with trading so much for Chad Johnson is the opportunity we're giving up to pay a 1st round pick only about $1.0 million per year. Players picked in the latter half of the first round make 1-2 million per season. We're rumored to be ready to pay Chad Johnson $21 million guaranteed. The guy's already 30, and I don't like the labor strife that appears to be bearing down on the league.

Right now, you have to say that there's a greater than 50% chance there will be a lockout/strike of some kind within the next few years, possibly involving the voiding of the current CBA, which would push the league into one last uncapped season. In that scenario, all signing bonus money would accelerate and hit your cap that season.

Given this likely scenario, I don't like the idea of adding a big bonus to the payroll. We'd be setting ourselves up for a total dismantling of the team should a last uncapped season come to fruition.

Given that we don't have tons of cap space the next few seasons, and a lot of bonus money is tied up in Cooley, Portis, and numerous others, I'd relish the opportunity to pay our 1st round pick only $1-2 million per season.