Post by Divebitch on Aug 25, 2013 9:47:00 GMT -5
Was just watching a replay of last night's Dolphin-Bucs game, and I see this Sturgis guy. Okay, he looks great, but a 27 year old top 5 kicker (IMO), top 10 at worst, in his prime, is gone. So I look for him, and find this: www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/23151541/dolphins-cut-veteran-kicker-dan-carpenter - 8/14, surprised I had heard nothing about this, it was probably much bigger news in Miami.
They say they saved $2.7 mil by this move. Surely they pay Sturgis something. So let's assume Carpenter made $3.2 mil. I don't fully understand about typical pay scales for kickers. I think it was a year ago that I posted a thread on how damned stupid the Jags were giving a $4.5 (?) a year contract to Josh Scobee, a below average kicker, that may be generous. Several people actually came to their defense with what I felt were lame arguments. Anyway, I understand that as critical a position as it is, the skill set requirements are very limited. IOW, there are dozens, if not hundreds of FAs out there willing and able to take your job. No big playbook to learn. With raw talent and a big leg, I'd think it just takes a little coaching, tweaking, practicing, learning the art of the occasional onside/squib kick in the off-season, and you're good to go week 1.
If all that is true, it seems reasonable there would be some kind of understanding that the pay scale ceiling for a kicker might be (just throwing a number out there) $2 mil a year. Player take pay cuts often enough to help the teams cap, or at least keep their job, as opposed to the alternative, no job at all. Just a matter of fair market value.
Any Miami fans out there that know the details of Carpenter's contract? Was he a FA? Was he offered a pay cut? It seems a little cold to cut a semi-veteran in mid August without a second thought. Even at thisl ate date, he's gotta be a better option than what many teams have in place. I think he could get a job very soon if the cost is reasonable, at least I hope he does. But they got rid of Jake Long. So aside from Mike Wallace and Richie Incognito, where is any big money going? I'll bet they're below 3/4 of the cap, maybe even 2/3. If true, then the owner may just be greedy. I say "may", cuz I really don't know the details.
They say they saved $2.7 mil by this move. Surely they pay Sturgis something. So let's assume Carpenter made $3.2 mil. I don't fully understand about typical pay scales for kickers. I think it was a year ago that I posted a thread on how damned stupid the Jags were giving a $4.5 (?) a year contract to Josh Scobee, a below average kicker, that may be generous. Several people actually came to their defense with what I felt were lame arguments. Anyway, I understand that as critical a position as it is, the skill set requirements are very limited. IOW, there are dozens, if not hundreds of FAs out there willing and able to take your job. No big playbook to learn. With raw talent and a big leg, I'd think it just takes a little coaching, tweaking, practicing, learning the art of the occasional onside/squib kick in the off-season, and you're good to go week 1.
If all that is true, it seems reasonable there would be some kind of understanding that the pay scale ceiling for a kicker might be (just throwing a number out there) $2 mil a year. Player take pay cuts often enough to help the teams cap, or at least keep their job, as opposed to the alternative, no job at all. Just a matter of fair market value.
Any Miami fans out there that know the details of Carpenter's contract? Was he a FA? Was he offered a pay cut? It seems a little cold to cut a semi-veteran in mid August without a second thought. Even at thisl ate date, he's gotta be a better option than what many teams have in place. I think he could get a job very soon if the cost is reasonable, at least I hope he does. But they got rid of Jake Long. So aside from Mike Wallace and Richie Incognito, where is any big money going? I'll bet they're below 3/4 of the cap, maybe even 2/3. If true, then the owner may just be greedy. I say "may", cuz I really don't know the details.