So, When Does Andy Dalton Get Paid?

[HoosierCat]

Reading all the chatter today about the Colts and Andrew Luck, I was reminded that the Bengals didn't have to spend a first-round pick to find a starting QB. And it's hard to argue that Dalton hasn't racked up some impressive numbers, and he's certainly set all sorts of team and rookie records and broken all kinds of negative streaks. He might break another Saturday.

So...when does Andy Dalton, he of the 4-year, $5.2 million contract, get paid like a starting NFL QB? I don't mean to suggest they give him a $100-million-Carson-Palmer-style deal, but $1.3 million a year average is pretty weak.

I'm going to bet Andy's agent raises this issue in the offseason...

[kingwilly]

Reading all the chatter today about the Colts and Andrew Luck, I was reminded that the Bengals didn't have to spend a first-round pick to find a starting QB. And it's hard to argue that Dalton hasn't racked up some impressive numbers, and he's certainly set all sorts of team and rookie records and broken all kinds of negative streaks. He might break another Saturday.

So...when does Andy Dalton, he of the 4-year, $5.2 million contract, get paid like a starting NFL QB? I don't mean to suggest they give him a $100-million-Carson-Palmer-style deal, but $1.3 million a year average is pretty weak.

I'm going to bet Andy's agent raises this issue in the offseason...

Show me by week 8 of 2012 that 2011 was not a fluke, and we can talk. Until then, let it ride. And by let it ride, I mean that I am ok with the price going up that might occur in waiting. It will be worth it.

[Sea Ray]

Reading all the chatter today about the Colts and Andrew Luck, I was reminded that the Bengals didn't have to spend a first-round pick to find a starting QB. And it's hard to argue that Dalton hasn't racked up some impressive numbers, and he's certainly set all sorts of team and rookie records and broken all kinds of negative streaks. He might break another Saturday.

So...when does Andy Dalton, he of the 4-year, $5.2 million contract, get paid like a starting NFL QB? I don't mean to suggest they give him a $100-million-Carson-Palmer-style deal, but $1.3 million a year average is pretty weak.

I'm going to bet Andy's agent raises this issue in the offseason...

Say what you want about Mike Brown but he takes care of his QBs. He'll take of Dalton too

[membengal]

No rush, and I hope they don't rush. I am thrilled with Dalton, obviously, but there is plenty of room for him to get better, and they need to see it before they pony up a contract. Sanchez was the toast of the league as a rookie, not so much now.

I want to make sure he is going to not be the next Sanchez before giving money.

[Sea Ray]

No rush, and I hope they don't rush. I am thrilled with Dalton, obviously, but there is plenty of room for him to get better, and they need to see it before they pony up a contract. Sanchez was the toast of the league as a rookie, not so much now.

I want to make sure he is going to not be the next Sanchez before giving money.

Exactly. There are plenty of examples of guys who regressed after their rookie yrs. Just this year we saw this with Bradford in St L, Freeman in TB and McCoy in Cleveland

[Spor_tees]

Weekly or bi-weekly?

[Globetrotter]

I definitely would be very patient on this. While Dalton has been very good as a rookie if he was playing as he is right now would we break the bank on him? I think he has gotten to above average must faster then anyone expected and is an exceptional leader and game manager already. I'd wait a bit to see if he got to superstar before I paid him like one. We have enough dudes to pay this offseason.

[walzav29]

We don't want to get Fitzpatricked!

[Stripes]

We saw nearly a full season of Ryan Fitzpatrick in stripes.

Andy Dalton is not Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Edited January 4, 2012 by StripesOnTheStrip

[HoosierCat]

While I agree a wait-and-see approach might be prudent, my gut tells me they get something done sooner rather than later. Especially if we rack up a playoff win (or more than one).

[skyline]

While I agree a wait-and-see approach might be prudent, my gut tells me they get something done sooner rather than later. Especially if we rack up a playoff win (or more than one).

Dalton isn't going to see a dime until some of the higher draft picks from this year start seeing extensions. Wait and see, I guess.

Keep in mind, I'm not calling the Bengals cheap. I feel that they've been very proactive with their free agents and the guys that they value. Still, this rookie salary thing is new to the league and the Bengals aren't going to rush out and do something until they get a feel for how these extensions are going to look like around the league.

[Sea Ray]

There's no reason they have to do anything until after next year.

[Globetrotter]

While I agree a wait-and-see approach might be prudent, my gut tells me they get something done sooner rather than later. Especially if we rack up a playoff win (or more than one).

Dalton isn't going to see a dime until some of the higher draft picks from this year start seeing extensions. Wait and see, I guess.

Keep in mind, I'm not calling the Bengals cheap. I feel that they've been very proactive with their free agents and the guys that they value. Still, this rookie salary thing is new to the league and the Bengals aren't going to rush out and do something until they get a feel for how these extensions are going to look like around the league.

Thats a great point. They might just tick off the rest of the league if they usurp the rookie scale that everyone fought so hard for. In fact there is likely something in there that says you can't renegotiate right away. In the NBA you are given your 4 year deal and can't negotaate for atleast 3 years I think.

[derekshank]

He's in a 4-year contract, and under the rules he has no leverage whatsoever. If he holds out, he loses the opportunity to renegotiate his contract.

I like Dalton, but I see no reason to even think about this until just before the 2014 football season.

[HoosierCat]

Still, this rookie salary thing is new to the league and the Bengals aren't going to rush out and do something until they get a feel for how these extensions are going to look like around the league.

The rookie wage scale won't play any role. And I doubt the Bengals will change their SOP on extensions, which is to offer deals to guys based on what other guys with comparable numbers are making (minus the usual "hometown discount" try, of course). For me, it comes down to what to do with the $5-10 million worth of 2011 cap space they have until the end of the league year to spend vs. the 2011 cap. I'd rather see them get, say, Reggie Nelson re-signed, but he may want to test free agency. If it comes down to a use-it-or-lose-it situation, extending Dalton isn't a bad option.

[skyline]

Still, this rookie salary thing is new to the league and the Bengals aren't going to rush out and do something until they get a feel for how these extensions are going to look like around the league.

The rookie wage scale won't play any role. And I doubt the Bengals will change their SOP on extensions, which is to offer deals to guys based on what other guys with comparable numbers are making (minus the usual "hometown discount" try, of course). For me, it comes down to what to do with the $5-10 million worth of 2011 cap space they have until the end of the league year to spend vs. the 2011 cap. I'd rather see them get, say, Reggie Nelson re-signed, but he may want to test free agency. If it comes down to a use-it-or-lose-it situation, extending Dalton isn't a bad option.

It will absolutely play a role. I'm not talking about how much money a player will make when they get their new deal, but rather when that new deal will be discussed in the first place.

Some kind of norm has to be established that has yet to happen. Are teams going to start extending guys after their first season as a regular practice? Or, would owners see this as basically defeating the point of the new wage scale to begin with and refuse to talk extension until after the 2nd year? These are questions we don't have answers to yet.

As soon as one team extends a guy after his first season, then other rookies will start to expect the same treatment. We haven't seen that trend set thus far, and I don't expect the Bengals to be a team that goes out and sets the tone.

[HoosierCat]

Are teams going to start extending guys after their first season as a regular practice? Or, would owners see this as basically defeating the point of the new wage scale to begin with and refuse to talk extension until after the 2nd year? These are questions we don't have answers to yet.

Sure we do. They are "no" and "yes." Of course extensions after one year aren't going to become a regular practice. And speaking broadly I expect the owners will be happy to push off extension talk as long as possible. They always have before.

But we aren't talking about a typical situation. We're talking about a starting QB who has performed at a high level and who is making the NFL equivalent of pocket change. And that's a situation that IMO ought to be addressed sooner rather than later.

[COB]

If it comes down to a use-it-or-lose-it situation, extending Dalton isn't a bad option.

They're set and they've got $10 million that they either spend on salary or they have to just pay it to the league? Mike will sign himself to a one day player contract at league minimum with a $10 million signing bonus, then pay himself the ten million and cut himself the next day. And he'll probably figure out a way to pay no income tax on the signing bonus.

[kingwilly]

While I agree a wait-and-see approach might be prudent, my gut tells me they get something done sooner rather than later. Especially if we rack up a playoff win (or more than one).

Dalton isn't going to see a dime until some of the higher draft picks from this year start seeing extensions. Wait and see, I guess.

Keep in mind, I'm not calling the Bengals cheap. I feel that they've been very proactive with their free agents and the guys that they value. Still, this rookie salary thing is new to the league and the Bengals aren't going to rush out and do something until they get a feel for how these extensions are going to look like around the league.

...add to this that if you are Dalton why would you take the early blue plate special deal when you know that if you have a comparable year your value goes up?

Doing a deal early makes no sense. Too much risk for Bengals (is he truly the long-term answer), settling for too little for Dalton (performance rises over time, value rises along same path).

[skyline]

Are teams going to start extending guys after their first season as a regular practice? Or, would owners see this as basically defeating the point of the new wage scale to begin with and refuse to talk extension until after the 2nd year? These are questions we don't have answers to yet.

Sure we do. They are "no" and "yes." Of course extensions after one year aren't going to become a regular practice. And speaking broadly I expect the owners will be happy to push off extension talk as long as possible. They always have before.

But we aren't talking about a typical situation. We're talking about a starting QB who has performed at a high level and who is making the NFL equivalent of pocket change. And that's a situation that IMO ought to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Well, sure. But, have they talked contract extension with Newton?

That's all I'm saying. The Bengals won't budge until someone else does, and at this point we really don't know yet when that's going to be. I suspect talks will heat up after next season, but the Bengals are going to wait it out, regardless. If the Panthers decide three years is appropriate for Cam, then I'd expect Cincy to follow suit.

[Arkansas Bengal]

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts cannot be renegotiated until after the second year. So Andy won't see any more money until 2013 at the earliest.

[HoosierCat]

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts cannot be renegotiated until after the second year. So Andy won't see any more money until 2013 at the earliest.

Actually, players can't renegotiate rookie deals until after the end of their third season under the new CBA (the idea was to prevent holdouts). What I've never seen clarified is whether teams can offer new deals during that time.

[Sea Ray]

If you extend Dalton now what about AJ Green? There are a lot of reasons why this is premature to bring this up now

[Spor_tees]

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts cannot be renegotiated until after the second year. So Andy won't see any more money until 2013 at the earliest.

Actually, players can't renegotiate rookie deals until after the end of their third season under the new CBA (the idea was to prevent holdouts). What I've never seen clarified is whether teams can offer new deals during that time.

What's to stop a guy from holding out? Are they going to send the contract police to his house and make him come to the stadium?

[Spor_tees]

Still, this rookie salary thing is new to the league and the Bengals aren't going to rush out and do something until they get a feel for how these extensions are going to look like around the league.

The rookie wage scale won't play any role. And I doubt the Bengals will change their SOP on extensions, which is to offer deals to guys based on what other guys with comparable numbers are making (minus the usual "hometown discount" try, of course). For me, it comes down to what to do with the $5-10 million worth of 2011 cap space they have until the end of the league year to spend vs. the 2011 cap. I'd rather see them get, say, Reggie Nelson re-signed, but he may want to test free agency. If it comes down to a use-it-or-lose-it situation, extending Dalton isn't a bad option.

Sure it's a bad option. Have you really seen enough from Dalton to give him a huge new contract? I mean wasn't that the point of the new CBA and the gripe of the veterans that young guys shouldn't be making a ton more money than guys that are vested? What if the Browns would have extended Peyton Hillis after last year? They would have wasted a ton of money this year, and might even have cut him this up coming season. It's a slippery slope that would send the NFL right back into the situation it was in before.