Would you pay Baker $40 million a year right now?

[CBrownsman]

21 hours ago, ReggieCamp said:

This is where I am.

The chances of him going off this year are pretty high, and that just means more money next year.  Get it done now.

Plus, getting Baker's contract done before Lamar and Josh Allen will make them more expensive for the Bills and Ravens to sign.

Completely agree.  Even if he doesn't go off, what's the solution? Try for another 20 years to get anywhere near him again?  Sign him, show loyalty, and do it now so it's cheaper.

[MWil23]

I’d see if I could get him at a 4 year at $150 at $35 million per. Lock him up the next 6 years and then sell him on a bigger contract in 2026 but saving cash now allows him to keep Chubb and Teller.

[nugpimpen]

New TV deal will make cap skyrocket soon, 40 mil will look like value. Do it asap.

[NudeTayne]

Almost had a heart attack when I see Taysom Hill 4/$140 but then saw details. Still...every QB who gets signed this season--forget about next off-season--is gonna drive Baker's price up. Berry and Co. need to get this done already.

[Thomas5737]

Baker, or his agent, may not even want to talk contract yet. I'm sure they want Allen and Jackson to set the market. If the Browns really wanted to get a deal done this offseason (or thought that they could) they could have done it before picking up the 5th year option on Baker and gave him new money in 2022 instead of the set money for the 5th year. It probably would have helped lower the deal a little. They could say instead of picking up the 5th year option for 2022 at 19 million we'll pay you 35 million and you'll sign for a couple million less per season as a mutual show of good faith while both sides benefit.

[NudeTayne]

1 minute ago, Thomas5737 said:

Baker, or his agent, may not even want to talk contract yet. I'm sure they want Allen and Jackson to set the market. If the Browns really wanted to get a deal done this offseason (or thought that they could) they could have done it before picking up the 5th year option on Baker and gave him new money in 2022 instead of the set money for the 5th year. It probably would have helped lower the deal a little. They could say instead of picking up the 5th year option for 2022 at 19 million we'll pay you 35 million and you'll sign for a couple million less per season as a mutual show of good faith while both sides benefit.

 

[AkronsWitness]

12 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

Baker, or his agent, may not even want to talk contract yet. I'm sure they want Allen and Jackson to set the market. If the Browns really wanted to get a deal done this offseason (or thought that they could) they could have done it before picking up the 5th year option on Baker and gave him new money in 2022 instead of the set money for the 5th year. It probably would have helped lower the deal a little. They could say instead of picking up the 5th year option for 2022 at 19 million we'll pay you 35 million and you'll sign for a couple million less per season as a mutual show of good faith while both sides benefit.

Thats the problem though, if the Browns let Jackson/Allen set the market then they will be paying more money in the longterm. I liked Bakers play a lot this year, but he isnt worthy of getting Jackson/Allen type of money--which his agent will without a doubt bring to the table in negotiations and expect.

[Thomas5737]

45 minutes ago, AkronsWitness said:

Thats the problem though, if the Browns let Jackson/Allen set the market then they will be paying more money in the longterm. I liked Bakers play a lot this year, but he isnt worthy of getting Jackson/Allen type of money--which his agent will without a doubt bring to the table in negotiations and expect.

Lamar averages 150 yards passing per game. His TD percentage is crazy high but he can't keep you in games or win you games passing, he needs the running game (which he currently lends himself to) so if for some reason the running game falters (especially his own) we aren't looking at a QB who has shown he can keep your team afloat with his arm. He is crazy explosive running the ball and is a huge reason they win games and the Ravens would be stupid not to pay him what he wants because he makes them better and makes them money but he is a riskier signing as far as a QB than Mayfield.

Josh Allen has 1 season of being better than below average. He is coming off of a great year and should get his extension done asap because his value is sky high right now. Prior to last year though he had 30 passing TD and 21 interceptions. A QB rating in the high 70s which isn't starter quality or close to it in this era.

 

Baker has had 2 good years and one bad year. He has the highest volume passing of the three, way more yards per game passing than Lamar and over 20 more per game than Allen. Baker has passed for over 3500 yards each year, the other two have done it once each. Baker has had over 20 passing TDs each season, Lamar two (only 7 starts as a rookie) and Allen once. Baker had a great running game this year... the first half of the season. Then it stopped and was just somewhat effective and Baker carried the team down the stretch. The running game just chewed clock late and did put a game or two away after the passing game put the team in position to win.

I think Allen and Lamar may end up making more than Baker but right now I think both are the bigger risk and less proven as passers. They obviously are better runners but that is important now, not what you want to rely on in the future with the contract extension. They will all have to do it with their arms eventually, I'm putting my faith in Baker's arm before the other two.

[bruceb]

11 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

Baker has had 1 three-quarter good year, 1 good half year, 1 mediocre half year and one bad year.

fify

[Thomas5737]

31 minutes ago, bruceb said:

fify

You didn't. He played 14 games as a rookie, or 1 fewer game than Lamar has played in each of the past two seasons are those 3/4?

Baker had 11 TDs in his last 11 games in 2020, 15 in his first 7. He had 4 100+ rating games in his first 7 games and 3 in his last 9. He completed better than 69% of his passes 3 times in the first 7 games, just twice in his last 9. Which half was mediocre? Just for confirmation.

[bruceb]

9 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

He played 14 games as a rookie, or 1 fewer game than Lamar has played in each of the past two seasons are those 3/4?

Started 13...81.25%. Closer to 75% than a full year.

10 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

Which half was mediocre?

Also had 7 INTs in his first 7, 1 in his last 9.

But you do make a point...better than average in the first half of the 2020 season, but not as good as in the second half.

[Thomas5737]

1 hour ago, bruceb said:

Started 13...81.25%. Closer to 75% than a full year.

Besides the playoff win against the Steelers, to me his most impactful game was his first against the Jets where he went 17-23 for 200+ yards and turned a 2 TD deficit into a win. You can't discount that game, it was the night that fate turned for us. It wasn't immediate and there were more bumps in the road to be had but most Browns fans felt it. We went from being a total dumpster fire to an organization with hope and that was a time we still had Hue Jackson as HC. Not an easy accomplishment.

So to me, that game counts obviously. He won as many games that night as the team won in the previous 35 games. So 14 of 16 games or 87.5% of a season.

[bruceb]

4 minutes ago, Thomas5737 said:

Besides the playoff win against the Steelers, to me his most impactful game was his first against the Jets where he went 17-23 for 200+ yards and turned a 2 TD deficit into a win. You can't discount that game, it was the night that fate turned for us. It wasn't immediate and there were more bumps in the road to be had but most Browns fans felt it. We went from being a total dumpster fire to an organization with hope and that was a time we still had Hue Jackson as HC. Not an easy accomplishment.

So to me, that game counts obviously. He won as many games that night as the team won in the previous 35 games. So 14 of 16 games or 87.5% of a season.

Still not a full season, and clouded by the wide-open, unsustainably  successful play calling that Kitchens brought to the table.

The fact is that his historical performance is not consistently good enough to project.

Pick up his option, see if he can repeat -- or, ideally -- improve on his 2020 performance and go from there.

He certainly is not worth Mahomes money.

 

[JDD]

Hope he takes less than 40. 28-32 with more guaranteed money would be best for the team while still having a large deal. He needs to figure out if he wants to be the highest paid QB or have a better team around him. I don't think the highest paid QB has won a SB, maybe I'm forgetting one but it seems like the most money doesn't equal a ring. Keep guys like Chubb, the OL, and someone to get their QB on the ground happy and things will work out. Also living in Cleveland with that kind of cash will go a lot further than other places. 

[JDD]

13 hours ago, bruceb said:

Still not a full season, and clouded by the wide-open, unsustainably  successful play calling that Kitchens brought to the table.

The fact is that his historical performance is not consistently good enough to project.

Pick up his option, see if he can repeat -- or, ideally -- improve on his 2020 performance and go from there.

He certainly is not worth Mahomes money.

 

Agree he isn't worth PM money. I don't think PM is worth that much of the cap IMO. 

Hopefully that money going to PM in KC helps open up the AFC since they won't be able to keep their stars around for extended contracts and they will need to sign more tier 3 players.