Tim Weaver
The NFL treats running backs like second-class citizens, so it’s always good to see them get rewarded given the punishment they take and how short their careers are compared to other positions. McCaffrey is unquestionably the best at what he does, so he deserves to get paid like it. $16 million a year is actually fair market value, even if the he’s-a-wide-receiver-too argument doesn’t hold up.
That said, from an organizational perspective I don’t undersand why they did this now. If they picked up McCaffrey’s fifth-year option then they still had him under control for two more years at a fraction of the cost. Also, if the team is truly embracing analytics then giving a running back (even a 23-year old) $64 million makes no sense. If McCaffrey was angling for a holdout, then giving in sends a message that Hurney hasn’t learned much from his first tenure as general manager, when he gave out far too many player-friendly contracts and ruined the team’s salary cap situation.
To give McCaffrey more total money than Teddy Bridgewater after allowing Cam Newton to leave for nothing raises serious questions about what kind of team they are trying to build and what their priorities really are. Like everything else this offseason, this move is not consistent with anything resembling a coherent plan. Perhaps when Hurney’s contract is over with we’ll start to see more clarity. Until then, it will be difficult to get excited about the direction of this franchise.
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