- 4 hours ago
Bobby took us Below The Belt and reacted to the breaking news that Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a record four-year, $168.6 million extension with the Seahawks. They discussed how this deal resets the receiver market and what it will mean for George Pickens’ ongoing contract talks with the Cowboys.
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00:00Let's just break the market over and over again.
00:04That's what's going to happen with George Pickens.
00:06There's going to be slim pickens around here after they pay him.
00:09You know what I mean, guys?
00:10Let's talk about it in Below the Belt, which is sponsored by Academy Sports and Outdoors.
00:13Nobody like that? Nobody like slim pickens?
00:15Okay.
00:15What's your fault?
00:17All right.
00:18We got breaking news from Ian Rappaport and others, but I like Ian more.
00:23The Seahawks and Jackson Smith and Jigba, Rockwall's own, have a deal as he is now the highest paid wide
00:30receiver in the NFL.
00:31He gets a four-year, $168 million contract extension with $120 million guaranteed per his agent.
00:41That is four years, $42 million, and even with the guaranteed money in there, effectively, it is a three-year,
00:48$40 million deal.
00:49Just means he'll be back at the negotiating table a little sooner.
00:51And this is in advance of next offseason, if you do want to tag George Pickens, Pukanukua gets up for
00:59a deal and will undoubtedly continue to push that market higher.
01:03And so there it is.
01:04The Dallas Cowboys probably seeing George Pickens' market continue to grow because, as some people say, they'd be like, well,
01:10Jackson Smith and Jigba, he's better than George Pickens.
01:13Right.
01:13It does not matter.
01:13When the ceiling gets pushed up that high, the floor for some others raises as well.
01:17It's like, well, I'm at least close enough to him.
01:19Even if I'm not him, I'm $10 million off from him, so I should be $32 million or I'm $8
01:24million off.
01:25I should be $34 million or whatever it is.
01:27This is why you engage.
01:29Now, again, I do try to be fair to Steven and Jerry when they're like, well, the agent doesn't want
01:35to engage.
01:36Like, George, everyone has their boards up of who's eligible.
01:40And David Muligeta knows that JSN and Pukanukua could get paid, so we don't need to have a conversation with
01:48you until their deals hit, and then we can start with that higher floor that Bobby just referenced.
01:53So it's not always – I do believe that.
01:55I try to be fair to the Cowboys in that regard.
01:56It's not always on them on the yacht or being asleep and all the other jokes that we can make.
02:02Like, some of the agents want to wait until someone else comes in.
02:07Let's see where T.J. Watt comes in before getting to Micah Parsons' deal.
02:11Yeah, there's still two sides, yada, yada, yada, that have to play ball.
02:16Man, he jumps it by two mil over Jamar.
02:20Right.
02:21I mean, look, this is – I don't think – if the Cowboys come in here and say, well, you're
02:2610 million off JSN, I – I would – if I was George, I'd be like, all right, that's kind
02:32of insulting.
02:33Okay, but 10 million off JSN makes you the – one, two, three – fourth highest paid receiver in the
02:41league.
02:42That feels fair.
02:43That feels more than fair based upon the ranking.
02:46The ranking feels fair.
02:47So let me just give you per year.
02:48Mm-hmm.
02:48All right?
02:49It's 42-40.
02:50We're at 42 for Jackson.
02:53Congrats, Rockwell, by the way.
02:55Jamar's at 40.
02:57Then we fall to Lamb at 34.
03:02Then we get to DK at 33, and Garrett Wilson, 32 and a half.
03:07To me, right, like, we start above DK.
03:12Like, if I'm David Muligeta, it's like, we can start around C.D. Lamb.
03:18He may be thinking, you know, more than that.
03:19But for us talking in this room, he's better than DK Metcalf.
03:23Or I think that's where he should at least start off.
03:27So we go 34 to 42.
03:32Now we got an $8 million gap.
03:36Yeah, my assumption is the Cowboys will say, well, he's got one year of this.
03:41Yep.
03:42And David would say, yeah, he has the only year he played with a competent quarterback.
03:48Yes.
03:48He was a top three receiver in the NFL.
03:51And loved by his quarterback and loved by the other receiver and loved by the team we all hear.
03:57I would bet that, like, maybe they're looking at now Muligeta and George, 38?
04:05Yeah, I was thinking 37.
04:07Somewhere in that.
04:08They might not get it, but that's their sweet spot.
04:12I'm sure they would say the same sort of thing.
04:14Like, well, Puka's going to get done, and all these people are going to get done, and that's going to
04:17drive the market up higher.
04:18You're paying to lock me in at a rate for a couple years.
04:21Okay, well, he needs to be above where CeeDee was two years ago when he got his deal because the
04:26market's changed.
04:27So he needs to be at 36 or something like that.
04:30So they'll be – I'm a –
04:32So you think this does come into play?
04:34It's not – okay, like, Puka and JSN, they're better than you, so forget about that.
04:39We're still here between 34 and 38.
04:43Yeah, I think it's –
04:44Because you're not Jamar.
04:46That's 40.
04:47So 34 to 38.
04:48Lamb, 33 to 38.
04:50Yeah.
04:50Because we think, you know, CeeDee is better than George, in my opinion.
04:53And I think they would say, yeah, we're not asking for CeeDee.
04:56CeeDee signed $34 million two years ago when the salary cap was $40 million less.
05:01That's not as big a percentage as you're paying us $36 right now.
05:04So we're still owed less than CeeDee.
05:07We're playing ball with you.
05:08That's less than CeeDee, Lamb.
05:10It's with inflation.
05:11And if you get up close to next offseason, if he's pushing close to Jamar Chase and he's asking for
05:1640 to go,
05:16yeah, but Jamar Chase signed his 40 a couple years ago, so it's different.
05:19It's not a – that's not what it is now.
05:21So they would view –
05:22Man, I wish that worked in radio that way.
05:24They would view –
05:24Holy mackerel.
05:25They used to.
05:26Yeah.
05:26Used to get inflation.
05:28Absolutely.
05:29Inflation percentage increase.
05:30So they would look at, let's just say, $36 million.
05:34They would look at that as taking less than CeeDee because of the percentage of the cap.
05:38Yeah, it's less than CeeDee signed for at the time.
05:40It's a smaller contribution.
05:41Yeah, just like, for instance, they would go, Troy Aikman signing for $6 million in 1994 is more relative to
05:48the cap than what this person's asking for now when they're asking for $35.
05:52And so they say that may be more, but it impacts the structure of your ability to build around the
05:58financial constraints more so to do that $6 million.
06:01So they would say CeeDee was a bigger commitment than this would be because of the amount of money you
06:06have to spend.
06:06What's the number this has to get to, RJ?
06:09I already know Bobby's.
06:09Bobby's is – he's on the phone now.
06:11What's the number this has to get to for you to say, all right, we'll trade him for a first.
06:15We'll shop him.
06:18First and hopefully change.
06:20Oh, let's see.
06:23I mean, hell, man.
06:24If he gets to $40 million, you're going to have $135 million on three guys.
06:30Is that right?
06:31Dak's still around $60?
06:32Yeah.
06:32Just average?
06:34Are the cap's $300?
06:36Yeah, $302 or whatever it is.
06:38So you have $170 million to spend on 50 players.
06:42You could do it, but that's barely over $3 million a player, right?
06:47Yeah, but they would also say, if the cap keeps growing $25 million a year, what's the matter?
06:52Yeah, I don't know.
06:53I don't know that there's a – I mean, there's obviously a number I would say no to, but I
06:57mean –
06:57What if it's $40?
06:59I think I would still do it.
07:01Dang!
07:02The Super Bowl champs – I mean, just signed a guy for $42.
07:07See, I would simultaneously say –
07:09So what?
07:10They're built different.
07:11They are.
07:12They have Sam Darnold.
07:13We have Dak Prescott.
07:14I know you should be able to win.
07:15Sam Darnold doesn't make close to $60 million.
07:18You got to look at how the roster's constructed.
07:21You have to look at what you need and how imbalanced you are, unbalanced, whatever the hell the word is.
07:26I think both can be true at the same time.
07:29Like, I'm picking up the phone and trying to see if somebody will give me a first because just asset
07:34management, I'm thinking I probably need some other things.
07:37But at the same time, it's not like an Aubrey situation for me, whereas I don't want to pay Aubrey
07:43that amount.
07:44I want to – he can be worth it.
07:45I don't want to do it.
07:46Pickens, it's like if I don't get anybody to pick up the phone and nobody will do it or whatever
07:49else, I'm more than happy to just say, all right, then give them the deal.
07:52And go move forward or just give them the extension and move forward with it.
07:55I'm fine with that.
07:56It's just – to me, it's like, yeah, I would be fine with the – I would rather see if
08:00I could get some extra assets.
08:01But if nobody comes through with a first, I'm not just going to say, well, I'll let them walk because
08:04I can't spend that money.
08:05I'll spend the money on them still.
08:06What money?
08:0836 to 38.
08:10I'll tell you this.
08:12By the way, breaking news, Jackson Smith and Jigba getting the Seahawks extension, 42 per.
08:17The reason I would do the 40 is simple.
08:21Like, you know, you do have, I think, a two-year window here.
08:25We're all looking at that.
08:27Maybe three.
08:29You might as well just take a chance.
08:33Now, granted, it's a lot of money and you are going to lose somewhere else.
08:39Yeah.
08:39There's no doubt.
08:40You're going to lose somewhere else.
08:41But I just cannot look the fan base in the eye if I'm the Jones family and say we got
08:47rid of Micah and we got rid of George in back-to-back off seasons because of $40 million.
08:52The problem now is, after free agency, let's just say I deal him.
08:58What have I done to one of my windows?
09:01I didn't take the money allocated to George to spend it unless I pull a trade out.
09:08Yeah.
09:08Unless I do.
09:09So, like, I lose him and I don't replace with a $40 million impact after free agency.
09:16Right.
09:17Unless, yeah, like you say.
09:18So, one of the year, one of the three-year windows, not gone, but it's not maximized.
09:22Sure.
09:23Because now, if you trade Pickens for a one, what they could say is, well, what we did was we
09:31moved him and we cleared up finances to make a trade later, maybe even if it's not that impactful.
09:36But it was more the draft capital that we got that we were able to draft one of these high
09:40-impact-can-contribute-right-away-now receivers while still adding to the defense.
09:44And now we're at better finance.
09:45So, they might look at it and say, well, we can still justify it as getting the most out of
09:50that window.
09:50It's just spent differently or applied differently.
09:53Yeah, but you're not getting the most out of it, you know, like with a first-round receiver.
09:57Probably not.
09:58Most likely not.
09:59No one's coming in and putting up Pickens' numbers, you know, next year.
10:04And, by the way, I'm fine with...
10:05There's a significant question of whether Pickens would put up Pickens' numbers like that again, though, too.
10:09Yeah, well, I'm not that worried about it.
10:11No, I think he's still going to be good.
10:12I do think there's a good chance that might be Pickens' career high.
10:151,500, that's a ridiculous year.
10:17And there were a lot of times where Lamb was out and he was the guy in all the catches.
10:20But he gave me 1,300, 1,200, and 8.
10:23Yeah, I would say if they're both playing next year, I would guess that Pickens is going to end up
10:27with 1,100 to 1,200 yards.
10:29What are the total of Sam Payton?
10:30682 asks, why can't we trade Dak or CeeDee instead of George?
10:34Because it's not financially possible.
10:36You can't trade Dak.
10:36325 says need to trade Pickens ASAP.
10:39Another 325 says when has waiting on a contract negotiation actually helped Dallas?
10:45682, we just need Pickens until Dak is gone.
10:48We need Pickens until Dak is gone.
10:50I think the Cowboys might be looking at it that way.
10:53I think the Cowboys are looking at, we just need a lot of these guys for the next three years.
10:57I'd be more disappointed that they trade him for just a 1 than if they paid him 40.
11:02Okay.
11:03What if it's a 1 and a 3?
11:07I think I'd still be disappointed in that return.
11:09I think, personally, maybe I'm just, maybe I got George Blinders on.
11:14But I think that, I cannot sit here and say...
11:17What if that financial flexibility turns into a trade for Crosby over the summer?
11:20So then you got a 1, and because of the financial flexibility, you added Crosby.
11:24I'd rather have George than Crosby.
11:26You would rather have George than Crosby and a 1?
11:28No.
11:29Oh, oh, oh.
11:31I'm saying, yeah, if you made three picks in the first round in April,
11:34and then you added Crosby in the summer.
11:37And let me throw this in...
11:39Via trade?
11:39Mm-hmm.
11:40Let me throw this in while you're thinking about it.
11:44The attractive thing, if you're going to think about trading George,
11:48he's so young, he doesn't have to go to a finishing piece team.
11:52In my opinion.
11:53Right.
11:53It opens it up.
11:54So now let me give you the first, and maybe it's a top 15 pick.
11:59Because I know you.
12:00And I know you love having multiple first round picks.
12:04I do.
12:04And I can give you this draft with three first rounders.
12:07That's a game changer.
12:07And I can give you two in the top 15.
12:11You promised me they're going to replace you.
12:13Let's say Rams, we're talking about trading their first rounder to go pick up a receiver.
12:17AJ Brennan, let's say they trade the pick right after you, so you have 12 and 13.
12:22It's interesting.
12:25I mean, I would need a receiver.
12:28Replacement, right?
12:29Which you could get one at 13 if you wanted, yeah.
12:32I mean, it's a deep draft.
12:33You could get one in the third round who could probably be a contributor.
12:35Like Cleveland's looking for receivers.
12:37Now six, that's going to be too rich, probably.
12:40Miami.
12:41They just traded Waddle.
12:42They need to build.
12:43George being 25, like.
12:46That's a Mulugeta client, too.
12:48Malik, Willis, if they went, let's go pair my guys together.
12:51Like Kansas City.
12:54Did they sign a receiver that I'm forgetting about?
12:56Not one better than George.
12:58I know that.
12:58I get it off the top of my head.
12:59They're probably not paying.
13:00But, yeah, the Rams were interested in A.J.
13:03They're at 13.
13:05Baltimore's at 14.
13:07Tampa doesn't need him.
13:08The Jets, like.
13:10The Jets have multiple picks.
13:11They're at 16.
13:12They could do something stupid.
13:14And, again, he's 25.
13:15So, like, let me give my quarterback Garrett Wilson and George Pickens.
13:22With Brees Hall.
13:24Yeah, that's a nasty receiver group.
13:26Right?
13:26So, just something to think about with the market.
13:29I mean, that's three first-round picks in a year.
13:32Carolina's at 19.
13:34Did Carolina sign someone I'm forgetting about?
13:36That receiver?
13:37No.
13:38Like, give Bryce some firepower.
13:40So, you'd have 19, 20.
13:42Tatt and Pickens.
13:42Huh?
13:42Tatt and Pickens together.
13:44Tatt and Pickens together with 19.
13:46With 12, 19, and 20.
13:48That's very intriguing.
13:50Because let's just assume they hit on two of the picks.
13:54Yeah.
13:55It's, you know, it's, you've reset your roster.
13:58You've reset your roster.
13:58And I'll see you later.
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