JJ Watt Cardinals 2 yrs 31 mill

[GleefulGary]

This is the NFL. Not MLB or the NBA. You can make a case for about 15-20 teams having a chance at the SB next year if a few things go their way. Cards are in that group.

Thanks. Wasn’t sure what league we were talking about here.

In all seriousness, Arizona was probably the best team willing to pay him a lot of money. There were better teams and situations that didn’t want to pay that much. Pretty clear what Watt valued most, and that’s the money.

I still don’t think Arizona is that good, but their DL will be. Secondary and OL is pretty meh, so yeah, they won’t win anything important.

 

[RepStar15]

So happy this is over with. I never thought JJ Watt would become a Packer, unless he agreed to a ridiculously low contract they likely offered him. Cannot imagine the Packers offered more than a 1 year 6 million kind of deal or even 2 year 10 million.

 

[Dantés]

This is the NFL. Not MLB or the NBA. You can make a case for about 15-20 teams having a chance at the SB next year if a few things go their way. Cards are in that group.

Not a realistic one.

The Cardinals opened in Vegas tied with 4 other teams as the 19th most likely club to win the Super Bowl in 2021.

It's fine. J.J. prioritized the money above winning. We can all accept that without trying to pretend that the Cardinals are any sort of serious contender.

Because it's just a fact that if, before today, if anyone on this board had made a list of the top 10 teams most like to win a SB, the Cardinals would not have appeared.

 

[Mondio]

If Reggie wasn't juicing back in the 80s and taking other forms of PEDs I'm the future Emperor of the Moon.

Maybe he was, but Reggie didn't pull the incredible shrinking man routine when his playing days were done. If he did some, it wasn't to the level grown brows like JJ and Clay have and they'll be half the size they were a few years after their playing days are done.

Regardless if Reggie was or not, he didn't out take what his frame could handle, JJ is IMO. and it only breaks down faster from here.

 

[ARPackFan]

To much for a player likely to miss 5 or 6 games a season.

 

[easyk83]

Maybe he was, but Reggie didn't pull the incredible shrinking man routine when his playing days were done. If he did some, it wasn't to the level grown brows like JJ and Clay have and they'll be half the size they were a few years after their playing days are done.

Regardless if Reggie was or not, he didn't out take what his frame could handle, JJ is IMO. and it only breaks down faster from here.

Watt ran a very respectable 4.86 40 pushing 290 pounds at his combine. White reportedly weighed in at 300 pounds and ran a 4.6 which is straight up freakish.

In the post steroids testing era no one is managing a performance like that anymore and that was before guys really started prepping for the combine. Besides, steroids and PEDs are notorious for their cardiac toll. Reggie's massive and fatal heart attack at the age of 43 might not be conclusive but it does look like smoke to me.

I dont recall the source but I've heard more than once that they are all using PEDs, you just get caught if you're greedy and or stupid.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Watt ran a very respectable 4.86 40 pushing 290 pounds at his combine. White reportedly weighed in at 300 pounds and ran a 4.6 which is straight up freakish.

In the post steroids testing era no one is managing a performance like that anymore and that was before guys really started prepping for the combine. Besides, steroids and PEDs are notorious for their cardiac toll. Reggie's massive and fatal heart attack at the age of 43 might not be conclusive but it does look like smoke to me.

I dont recall the source but I've heard more than once that they are all using PEDs, you just get caught if you're greedy and or stupid.

I think if the NFL saved samples from various players for 5-10 years and re-tested them, we'd find that a lot of athletes TODAY are juicing. The trouble is most of these guys are using sophisticated systems and pay to play.

 

[PikeBadger]

The owners are more than willing to lock out the players while the players have a short career and aren't able to survive a lockout to the same degree billionaire owners are. Sounds to me like you have no clue about leverage.

What does the owners cut have to do with Watt’s situation? Sounds like you’re creating a straw man to give you an opportunity to ***** about owners again. Very weak.

 

[Pugger]

TO be fair I am not sure any of the sources linking the Packers were interested were more than folks drawing conclusions since Watt grew up in Wisconsin and of course loved Green Bay.....I mean in all honesty, not a single team out there wouldn't be "interested" in Watt if they can afford him




To be fair, Watt may have very well been wanting to be a Packer more than anything...but you dangle that insane amount of money can change a tune rather quickly I'd imagine.

I suppose a lot of folks thought he'd want to play for the team he grew up cheering for that is a perennial contender. He went for the money and AZ could accommodate him. Not many of the contenders could for that kind of coin.

 

[lambeaulambo]

on to more pressing issues...such as getting another punter in camp...don't even think about it Bill...

 

[Mondio]

Watt ran a very respectable 4.86 40 pushing 290 pounds at his combine. White reportedly weighed in at 300 pounds and ran a 4.6 which is straight up freakish.

In the post steroids testing era no one is managing a performance like that anymore and that was before guys really started prepping for the combine. Besides, steroids and PEDs are notorious for their cardiac toll. Reggie's massive and fatal heart attack at the age of 43 might not be conclusive but it does look like smoke to me.

I dont recall the source but I've heard more than once that they are all using PEDs, you just get caught if you're greedy and or stupid.

This isn’t about if Reggie used or not, regardless I think his body tolerated and was able handle whatever he did to it, at least for his playing days.

The most important factor is salary cap, there was none when we signed Reggie. Today every dollar you spend for one gives you less for others. I wouldn’t think it wise to dedicate a very large sum to a man I think needs a lot of help to perform at a level that makes him worth it, and who’s body is breaking down because of it.

 

[XPack]

Time to start a Von Miller thread then?

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

Right, I dunno why we're still rambling on about it.

This was Watt's first FA and likely his last. He had for 2021 $17M guaranteed with the Houston dumpster fire and took about $500k less to go to a team with better ownership and a chance to make the Playoffs but not so much win a Super Bowl.

He probably wanted to play for the Packers or the Bills but my guess is at the most either team was willing to pay was around $13.5M, possibly less. At the end of the day, Watt prioritized money as this was probably the most he's going to make the rest of the way. Watt might find himself a future NFL or NCAA DC, (become Jim Leonhard's DC when he becomes HC of Wisconsin?) but that still won't come close to what he's making now.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

What does the owners cut have to do with Watt’s situation? Sounds like you’re creating a straw man to give you an opportunity to ***** about owners again. Very weak.

No, people complaining about player's not sacrificing money is my issue...they need to blame the owners for implementing a salary cap to save them from their own stupidity; yes, the salary cap helps the Packers a LOT but it does nothing more than keep owners from making contract mistakes. Blaming a player with a career life of 10 years for not getting everything they can out of that limited career comes off as nothing but fandom; meanwhile, the owner, who is worth billions, gets a blank check.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

You need to do a better job of reading what I'm saying so you don't end up tilting at windmills.

I am not someone who believes players should act like fans. Nor did I say that JJ should have taken less money to play in Green Bay or anywhere else.

What I said was that his camp's schtick about being about winning as the top priority was posturing ********. He went to the highest bidder, despite that being a non-contender. And again, that's totally fine-- it's his prerogative to play for the most money. But it gives the lie to how he presented himself going through the process.

If he wasn't willing to play for, say 11-12M for a team like the Bills then it's obvious that his posts about how winning and supporting casts are his top priorities were just fluff he was putting out to project a certain image to the public.

Anybody that believed "winning is everything" is either 4 years old or being disingenuous. OBVIOUSLY money mattered, or he would have signed for the vet minimum with the Chiefs. It's not unreasonable to think that the Cardinals might not be as good as the Bills next season; did you really think the Bills would be as good as the Bills prior to last season?

 

[Dantés]

Anybody that believed "winning is everything" is either 4 years old or being disingenuous. OBVIOUSLY money mattered, or he would have signed for the vet minimum with the Chiefs. It's not unreasonable to think that the Cardinals might not be as good as the Bills next season; did you really think the Bills would be as good as the Bills prior to last season?

Again, you’re either failing to read or incapable of understanding.

No one said money was irrelevant. He said it was secondary to winning.

Based on his choice, that was clearly a lie.

And yes, I picked the Bills to win the east and generally have been bullish on Allen. No one saw that season coming from him, but there was a lot more reason to believe in them a year ago.

Right now, I would pick the Cards to finish 4th in their division before I picked them to finish 1st.

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

Interesting

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Safe to say the Packers weren't even in the Top 3, no mention of the Bills either.

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I'd certainly like to know said criteria....

 

[Ogsponge]

Show me the money! But in all seriousness, anyone with a brain knew the Packers would not be able to offer him enough money.

 

[Pugger]

Interesting

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Safe to say the Packers weren't even in the Top 3, no mention of the Bills either.

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I'd certainly like to know said criteria....

So JJ thinks Murray is better than Mayfield and Tannehill (lord knows who will be the Colts QB with Rivers retiring)? If JJ went to TN that team would be closer to a ring than AZ is right now.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

So JJ thinks Murray is better than Mayfield and Tannehill (lord knows who will be the Colts QB with Rivers retiring)? If JJ went to TN that team would be closer to a ring than AZ is right now.

He'd be playing against Houston twice a year in TN... Maybe wasn't cool for him.

Either way, pretty clear this team isn't taking a player with an injury history and committing a lot of money unless they're coming at a relative discount.

 

[Dantés]

Interesting

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Safe to say the Packers weren't even in the Top 3, no mention of the Bills either.

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I'd certainly like to know said criteria....

Charles Robinson (Yahoo) is disputing this. He's been told that other teams were trying to land Watt in the 12M/season range, and that the Cardinals outbid their competitors.

I think some local radio guys in Phoenix are trying to spin away from the narrative that Watt took more money to play for a lesser team, which is almost certainly the reality.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

I'm happy for JJ Watt - Arizona is good fit for him, and he got paid. Good for him.


As for the Pack, I'm hoping they focus on some tier two or three FA's, as I believe that's where the value will be this year.

Go Pack Go!

 

[adambr2]

The criticism of Watt for his choice of Arizona based on his comments about winning are ridiculous. First of all, Watt never said he had a short list of the top 4 most likely contenders. There are plenty of teams that can consider themselves contenders and the Cardinals are absolutely on that list. He did turn down more money from similar teams to go to Arizona, if the reports are to be believed. Maybe, maybe not. If you're a believer in Murray and the other young talent on that team, which Watt obviously is, it's not that hard to see them as a contender. It's a very competitive division and they could go anywhere from 1st to 4th but the 49ers still don't have a franchise QB and Seattle looks positioned for a major decline with or without Wilson. Plus there's always the additional incentive that in the NFC if you can just make it to your conference title game you get to play the Packers and then you're already in the Super Bowl.

I really don't think anyone saw Tampa Bay as a contender a year ago. I don't think anyone thought Philadelphia was a legitimate Super Bowl contender in '17-'18. What our vision is of the league doesn't necessarily match reality. I can see the appeal of Arizona. I'm sure money was a factor and I'm sure winning was a factor but good grief. You'd think from the reactions that he said he was only going to Kansas City or Tampa Bay and wound up in Jacksonville.

It doesn't matter what we think of the Cardinals. It matters that they sold JJ Watt on their organization.

 

[Poppa San]

As for the Pack, I'm hoping they focus on some tier two or three FA's, as I believe that's where the value will be this year.

Screw the tier two approach. I think the Packers are one tier one player anywhere on the defense (except maybe backing up Z and Gary) away from being a dominant defense. Even a top flight skill player would not be as an efficient use of cap space.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's not about the money or the money isn't the most important thing always makes me laugh.

Exactly, I said this before and I will say it again. I think money today talks way more than it ever has. 20 years ago, contracts might differ by 5 or 6 figures/year, but not 5 or 6 million! We are talking about money that in one year, will set up a player, his family and possibly relatives and friends for life and that is just in one year.

So I have to laugh when people bring up the idea of "he might play for a discount in Green Bay". Sure, maybe if the deals are even close to being in the same ballpark, but would you give up several million just to play football in Green Bay? JJ Watt was already set for life, but this just extends out what he can do. He has earned it and if the Cardinals want to pay it to him.....congrats JJ.