WFT's Off-Season Thread

[Scalper]

Originally Posted by punch it in

He hasn’t missed a start in 6 years, and the money is not an issue. It is a strange situation. And honestly who gives a shit about a pff grade. The guy is our starting right tackle and better than anyone else on our team to currently to man that position. This is not progress, it is a problem. A weird, unexpected problem.

Moses gets blown up off the edge more than you'd like. He is steady, but not elite. The question isn't do you like Moses, in a vacuum, but do you like Moses, in terms of his opportunity cost, other players, short term and long. He is due $9.65M this year with $1.9M dead cap if cut, $7.75M savings. He is also due $7.75M next year but can be cut then with no dead money. Moses is solid but not a world beater, and is a much better run blocker than pass blocker. I prefer edge blockers who can pass block first. So let's rephrase the question:

We just signed a viable above average starting LT for $5M, and have three viable guys at RT, Cosmi, Charles, Lucas, earning less total than Moses. The smart long term move is to cut Moses after this year, if you can get a 4th or 6th round pick instead, that is a free pick, trying to trade him old-school Pats style move. FO again smartly recognizes that our OL was a paper tiger that got owned by better teams and is systematically improving upgrading, by addition subtraction. Give them loads of credit for this. You can get 80% of the production of Moses, and pass blocking just as good, for half the price or less, while emphasizing long term. This is another incredibly smart move that shows our FO gets it. Whatever Moses was in his late 20s, he is losing a step, in pass protection especially. And that is playing next to Scherff.

Not paying Moses saves just under $17M over two years. That is a lot of money for a RT. In a vacuum, Moses is more dependable and proven than other options, but long term, that $17M might be the difference between keeping Allen or not. Jonathan Allen is 26 and if we sign a 4-5 year deal, we get him for his entire prime. I would prefer Allen and Charles or Lucas or Cosmi at RT and Allen resigned, or another STUD FA next year in their prime, versus Moses at RT and no Allen or stud FA. So would I rather pay an above average but not elite RT who is 31 this year and 32 next, or lockup a key contributor Allen long term for the rest of their prime, while plugging in a very solid option at RT with only modest drop-off, and virtually none in pass blocking which matters most?

Trying to trade Moses is a super smart long-term move, which shows FO gets the hard-nosed long-term realities of salary cap. And remember, all those FAs we've signed with lowball deals this year balloon years after. Love the idea of rolling over money to next year. We can only hope we find a sucker to bite on a trade. Doubt we will, most teams probably wait for us to just cut him, but if we can get even a 5th rounder I take the trade in a heartbeat. Love this trade, and love trying to rebuild OL to make it dominant like DL. Can't be afraid to give younger guys reps. My dream scenario would be Cosmi LT, Charles RT, but that is probably a pipe dream, both winning starting jobs.