Daniel Snyder, in his on-going quest to emulate the Yankees style of management, has shelled out something like 50 million for Clinton Portis. Is it just me, or does this seem a tad high for someone who has been running behind one of the better O-lines in the league for the past few seasons?
I’m becoming more of the opinion that overall talent is more important on a team than the big superstars, if the last few superbowl winners are any indication. I’d think they’d be better off signing a couple of mid tier free angents than sinking all that cash into one player who will be running behind a pretty suspect line.
When he was playing at the U. of Miami, I doubted he’d have anywhere near this great a career, because he was fumbling the ball so much. Apparently he’s improved…?
I keep hearing a lot of the football pundits saying that Portis is a product of the Denver system, which made such obscure folks as Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson 1,000-yard rushers. I agree with this to a point. I think it’s a little hasty to give Portis this kind of money, especially since he’s a comparatively small and fragile guy. Besides, he’s been in the AFC West, not the best defensive division. Putting him in the NFC East with run defenses like Dallas and New York will probably slow him down a bit.
I think it’s also telling that Butch Davis (Portis’s college coach) passed over Portis once he got to the pros.
Butch Davis passed over Portis for William Green, who has yet to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (and was suspended for most of last year for violating the league substance abuse policy, IIRC).
Portis has rushed for 1,500+ yards in both of his seasons. Not exactly a great move on Butch’s part.
Is Portis worth that kind of money? No. LaDanian Tomlinson has put up similar rushing numbers AND caught 100 passes last season, without anything even approaching a passing game to keep opponents from putting 8 in the box. Jamal Lewis has already carried the Ravens to one Superbowl, and was essentially their entire offense last season (it was the closest in 52 years any team has come to putting up more rushing yards than passing yards, I think). Then you’ve got Priest Holmes, who’s scored more touchdowns in the last three years than anyone.
Portis is good- very, very good- but doesn’t deserve to be paid more than those three. You could make a case for giving him a better contract than Ricky Williams, I suppose.
It’s very easy to critisize with the 20/20 clarity of hindsight. Every scout in the world had Green ranked as the #1 RB coming out of college that year. Most had TJ Duckett ahead of him, too. Portis didn’t go until pick # 51 (IIRC), so everyone passed on him, about half the teams did twice.
Is Portis worth it? Very hard to tell at this point. He’s very talented but was in a dreamland for RBs in Denver. I lean towards no at this point but a big year in Washington will quickly change my mind.
Now, my ass is sore from riding this fence. I must go.
Well, I think he was definitely underpaid in Denver, but 50 million seems to be quite a bit for him (not that it matters how big the contract is with NFL-style contracts, of course…any sum can really be a bargain).
With the amount of running a Gibbs-lead team will be doing? Probably so. If he can keep healthy (and I doubt he can; it’s a combination of several factors most of which have already been listed here), then he’ll earn every cent. And if he can’t, there’ll be about 9 million dollars riding the bench for at least a few games.
I was depressed through out the playoffs, happy for him and sad for us. Then I was even more down when I found out Gibbs was coming and missed the chance to turn Stephen Davis into the likes of John Riggins and Ernest Byner.
Oh well, I must on.
Now, onto this Portis deal. He’s definitely overpaid. 50 MILL?? please!! Do not get me wrong, he is good. I’d rathher throw that much money at Corey Dilllon. While I am at it we should trade the Bengals Mark Brunnell for Jon Kitna. (How do you bench that guy)
Stephen Davis is about eight feet from a long downware slope that ends right about where Jerome Bettis is. I give him two more good years, max. Corey Dillon has maybe four years in him, depending on how much of a load he’s carrying wherever he ends up.
Also, you have to remember that while John Kitna had a good year last year, he didn’t have an unbelievable year (considering the quality of the recieving corps and running game he was working with). Also, that unbelievable year is pretty well offset by the seven forgettable ones he’d had prior to that.
Actually, he did take the Seahawks to a wild card game once, IIRC.
I find it even more interesting that the Broncos will be paying Bailey almost 10 mil a year. I can’t see spending that money on anyone but a QB or a RB, and they’d better be perennial probowlers at that money.
I’m a little irked at the Brunnel signing. I liked Ramsey when he wasn’t being driven into the turf by the opposing defense. I’m a little tired by Snyder buying whatever new shiney free agent he can get his hands on. I’m also confused on how he can afford to with the salary cap. The rest of that team must make minimum wage, plus tips.
Shut down corners are harder to find than 12-1500 yard rushers. The only position harder to fill is QB (and that’s the hardest position in professional sports).
Shutdown corners: Champ Bailey, Ronde Barber, Dre’ Bly, Terry Cousin, Al Harris, Brian Kelly, Ty Law, Ken Lucas, Chris McAlister, Mike Rumph, Pat Surtain, Charles Woodson, Sam Madison.
1000+ (not 1200+) rushers (2003): Jamal Lewis, LaDanian Tomlinson, Clinton Portis, Fred Taylor, Priest Holmes, Ricky Williams, Travis Henry, Curtis Martin, Edgerrin James, Eddie George, Domanick Davis.
I’s quibble with your idea of a shut down corner. For example, Barber is a good corner, a great corner, but he is a cover 2 corner, not a “shut down, leave on an island, PrimeTime type of corner” which Bailey is.
Off of your list I’ll give you Bly, and Law and up you T. Newman from Dallas. None of those others are in the same league as Bailey. Denver is getting THE best corner in the game, for one of the best RBs in the game.
I also think you left Ahman Green off of your list of RBs…
I think it depends on scheme a lot. I remember Green Bay playing against Washington, and Favre throwing on Bailey and Smoot all day, with pretty mediocre WRs at the time. He may be a great corner, but there is no such thing as a true “shut down” corner, imho. Is he one of the best? Yes. But I think you can scheme around a pair of mediocre corners easier than a mediocre RB.
>>>>Shutdown corners: Champ Bailey, Ronde Barber, Dre’ Bly, Terry Cousin, Al Harris, Brian Kelly, Ty Law, Ken Lucas, Chris McAlister, Mike Rumph, Pat Surtain, Charles Woodson, Sam Madison.<<<
Shutdown Corners: Bailey, Woodson, McCalister, Law
Don’t forget, Michael Bennett is healthy this year. He could be considered a 1200+ RB, judging from his end of the year 2003 stats.
I dunno, I think 50 mil is too much. And, it’s damaging long term for salary cap considerations. Spread that cash to the O-line, and any running back becomes 1000+.
Most NFL deals are not like baseball deals. The only thing guaranteed is the signing bonus, which is prorated through the length of the contract. I doubt Portis sees the entire value of the contract (just like Manning will not see $98 mil either), the numbers are inflated to make the agents look good.
But Mike Rumph a shut down corner? You can’t be serious. He was the corner that teams threw at intentionally. He’d barely be a serviceable nickel back.
That being said, Portis is good (better than O.Gary or M.Anderson in that system), but not 50 million good.
DaveX, thank you for jumping on that Mike Rumph reference. I can’t picture his name in any context other than Joe Buck saying, “And Rumph gives up another touchdown!” or “That ball hit Rumph in the facemask” or “They should’ve cut Rumph at the half for how bad he played in the first 10 minutes.” He’s bad. Also, from the first shutdown corner list: Terry Cousin!? He’s not even the best shutdown corner on his team! Ditto Al Harris.
To continue the hijack, I don’t think Terence Newman of the Cowboys is a shutdown corner yet. He showed a lot of promise last year, but he made quite a few rookie mistakes and teams still threw at him.