Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Do you agree with the assertion that the Brock Purdy extension, five-year, 265, good for an average annual value of 53 mil, is the perfect template for Houston, Texas, the C.J. Stroud, who, I mean, he's next man up at this point, next offseason.
00:20He is the dude who I think it's very evident that he will sign an extension.
00:24I think that he has proven the given, right, the idea that, hey, he is that guy, that he is above whatever the modern quarterback Mendoza line is.
00:34At one point, I used to call it the Andy Dalton line.
00:36I don't know what the current line would be, but he's above that level of talent, whatever it is, where you go, no, no, no, this is the guy that we keep going with.
00:42This is the guy we keep rocking with.
00:43And, of course, he's well above that, at least in my eyes and I imagine in the eyes of a lot of Houstonians.
00:47But you see Brock Purdy, after going through the literal mystery-relevant contract of making pennies on the dollar comparatively to his peers of starting quarterbacks,
00:59he finally gets paid after what was kind of a tumultuous negotiating process, and he gets $165 million guaranteed in the first three years, $181 guaranteed overall.
01:13And you, Lopez, seem to believe that this is the perfect deal, and I'm like, I don't know how you get this deal, but why do you view it?
01:19Yeah, I was wondering, how did y'all feel about the deal overall?
01:21Was it too much money?
01:24I actually quite love the deal for Brock Purdy.
01:27The reason why I'll get there, I think one of the things that I, the kind of ideas that I've stood on and I believe strongly in is we get thrown off by big numbers.
01:37America as a society, we're not good with math.
01:40Like, we are afraid of math, so when numbers get real big, we get real scared, we get real dicey.
01:45And so we all see $53 million, we go, ooh, that's a big number.
01:49I think with the way that the NFL has gone, the numbers are so big, especially for quarterbacks,
01:54that I think it's much more helpful to make things percentage of the salary cap when we talk about this,
02:00so that we have a better understanding of what that actually means.
02:03And at signing, when you talk about the percentage of the salary cap at signing for any given quarterback,
02:09Brock Purdy's percentage was 18.98 of this upcoming 2025 salary cap.
02:16That is the percentage.
02:17That is good for 14th when it comes to percentage of salary cap at signing.
02:22He is below Josh Allen, Jerry Goff, Tua Tungvaloa, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray.
02:29Are you getting the sense of what I'm – he's below all those quarterbacks,
02:32and so I think relative when it comes to production, because we're out of the range of talking about you as a Mr. Irrelevant now.
02:39You got paid, and you're just a starting quarterback, and you have to deliver on that space.
02:43But delivering relative to your contract is actually also going to be a little bit easier here,
02:47because it puts him in that place where you're like, just be a top-half quarterback,
02:52which I think that he is a bar that he can clear without the idea of who is he playing with and all those things.
02:57I think his talent – he's convinced me to a place where he's talented enough to be a top-half quarterback.
03:04Which is not a – if you meet too high, then you set yourself up for failure.
03:07Right.
03:07And this is why I come back to what your question was, or what your assertion is here, Lopez,
03:11the idea that C.J. Stroud – and I'm like, if you can get this, sure.
03:13But I do not look at C.J. Stroud and ask him, can you just be above the top-half of quarterbacks in the league?
03:18I'm not talking about the dollar figure here.
03:20What I'm talking about is how they did this.
03:21Okay.
03:21And that's why I feel like – and I heard the morning guys talking about this.
03:26Figgy just asked, how did you get there?
03:27How do you think this is the – no, this is the template.
03:30And the reason I say that is what you can do with him, bigger number, a bigger guarantee,
03:36but front-load it, front-load the guarantee and spread out the bonus.
03:41If they can convince C.J. Stroud – and there are incentives for C.J. Stroud to do this,
03:46and I'll get to that in a little bit, then all of a sudden what you can do is all these other salaries
03:52that you're going to have to pay, all these other players that you're going to have to pay,
03:55you can afford them a lot easier.
03:57Because keep in mind, Brock Purdy right now, through 2020 – well, there's only an $8 million more cap hit for him.
04:06And that is very, very friendly.
04:08In this season?
04:08Yeah, in this season.
04:09That is very, very friendly.
04:10If you can front-load it, still give C.J. Stroud the big money,
04:16but make the cap hit a little lower up front,
04:18then all of a sudden these other salaries you can afford.
04:21And there are reasons why there's an incentive for C.J. Stroud to do this.
04:26What is the biggest problem right now with the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud?
04:29The offensive line.
04:30Sure.
04:31The questions about the offensive line.
04:33We don't know what Cam Robinson's going to be in the future
04:35or how long he's going to be here.
04:36I don't know how much you want to consider him when it comes to the future.
04:39In the future.
04:40At all.
04:40Same thing with a lot of other players.
04:42And that's with all of our players that you have questions.
04:47We talked about that.
04:47You have questions everywhere on the offensive line.
04:49You're going to need to pay some offensive linemen,
04:51get some offensive linemen in here.
04:52You're going to need to pay a lot of other players that are,
04:55Will Anderson being one, that are coming up.
04:57The incentive for C.J. Stroud to do this is he's still going to get his money.
05:00He's still going to get a large guarantee.
05:02But if you can structure it the way they structured Brock Purdy's contract,
05:06the Niners are set.
05:08Like, they have gotten all their players.
05:10The window is open.
05:11They're paying them.
05:12They're going to be able to manipulate and work the cap.
05:15And I think Fred Warner is the only other one that they still need to pay.
05:20If you can front load it, defer bonus money,
05:23I think it says a lot to the organization.
05:25I think it says a lot to teammates.
05:27Like, you can talk about how C.J. Stroud is well-liked all you want.
05:30But what talks?
05:32Money.
05:32Yeah, money is a proxy for respect.
05:34In all these spaces, and I imagine it, your job, too.
05:36If you've been at a place for a while,
05:38and they have not given you a level of uptick in your pay,
05:42at some point you go, these people don't respect me.
05:44Right, right.
05:44Like, if you get your money, Figgy, you get your money, Reggie.
05:50Obviously, this is a fantasy world.
05:52You're damn right it is.
05:54Yeah, I was trying to figure out which money you were talking about.
05:56It took me out of the game for a second.
05:58But you both leave enough for someone else to also get paid?
06:02That says a lot more than you being a great dude and you being a great dude.
06:05You know what I mean?
06:06How far do you go with that?
06:07Because, I mean, one of the things that we've established,
06:09and, of course, quarterback is just an entirely different circumstance, right?
06:14How far do you go with this?
06:15Like, do you end up in the range where you're doing a Patrick Mahomes 10-year deal
06:19where now we can do all sorts of cap, some vacuum extensions,
06:26and mess with money, and all those types of things.
06:28Do you think, one, obviously that seems like that would be advantageous,
06:31but, one, does that necessarily track with what Nick Cassero has seemed to do
06:35with his team, with his players, which is actually give them shorter deals
06:39and make it so that they can get back to the table sooner?
06:42Yes, but not at quarterback.
06:44Okay.
06:45But not at quarterback.
06:46But do you think he goes for that?
06:47Yeah, I was wondering.
06:48I don't know if CJ will go for that and his team will go for that.
06:52Here's why he could go for it.
06:53Longer-term deal.
06:54Let's say 10-year deal.
06:55No trade clause, just like Purdy.
06:58That's the thing that I've been looking at with this Brock Purdy.
07:00No trade clause, just like Purdy.
07:02Because you know what that does?
07:03That tells Purdy, I'm set.
07:05I'm going to get paid.
07:06I have control of the entire situation here.
07:09It tells the Niners, and the Niners are actually telling the league,
07:12we love this guy, and it gives stability, which is a word that they love to use at NRG,
07:17just like anywhere else.
07:18It gives stability to the roster.
07:20Everybody coming up for a contract knows CJ Stroud is going to be our quarterback.
07:26In San Francisco, they know.
07:28Better or worse.
07:29Top half.
07:29Top third.
07:30Top five.
07:31Doesn't matter.
07:32Brock Purdy is going to be our quarterback.
07:33You've got stability, you've got the, obviously, security of a 10-year deal.
07:37You're going to get your money.
07:38It's just a matter of how they do the bonuses and defer money and all that other stuff
07:42and the guarantee.
07:43I think this is the way the Texans need to do it with CJ Stroud.
07:47Forget the two, three-year deal.
07:49That's out the window with CJ.
07:51He's going to get a 10-year deal.
07:52I mean, I don't see any way they're going to go six or seven with him.
07:56They're going to go 10.
07:56I think in a perfect world, they would like to go seven or 10.
08:00But I'm just wondering, you know,
08:03you've got the age.
08:05That's right.
08:05So I'm just kind of curious, is that their plan?
08:09Are they down with the team?
08:10Because I haven't seen them go with a 10-year deal.
08:12I think Mulligetta wants the highest guarantee in history,
08:15and he could get that.
08:16Just a matter of how you put it together.
08:18You know, and where you get the bonus, defer the bonus money,
08:20give them a no-trade clause.
08:23I think this is the way the Texans have to do it.
08:25Well, that's interesting, because when I saw the Brock Purdy deal,
08:28again, five-year, 265, on that 53 million average annual value,
08:34good for 14th percentage of the cap at signing, right?
08:38When I saw that, and I saw that he got a no-trade clause,
08:41he is one of, I believe, nine quarterbacks who has that.
08:44And the thought I had was, is that the cost of waiting, right?
08:48Is it that you waited so long that you lost the level of leverage,
08:50and you were like, here, this is one of the things I can do to sweeten the pot?
08:53Or was that just a trade-off for a better number?
08:56Because depending on how you view that,
08:57not saying that, you know, the league all the way around
09:00is going to operate exactly the same from front office to front office,
09:03but does that then operate in that way for C.J. Stroud?
09:06Because that's one of the things you're kind of asserting is,
09:08put in a no-trade clause, and that's fine.
09:11Is that something you'd want to do?
09:12Because the leverage and, you know,
09:13the concerns that that causes on the back end can be problematic.
09:16And I know in this moment, and I would agree with this thought,
09:19C.J. Stroud, you're not going to have to worry about a no-trade clause.
09:21We want you here.
09:21But no-trade clauses are not necessary until they are.
09:24You know what I mean?
09:25Exactly.
09:26Circumstance pops up, and all of a sudden,
09:27the no-trade clause becomes a nuisance.
09:28Is that something that is worthwhile in order to, I don't know,
09:31squeeze out a couple extra million or add an extra year on a contract or what have you?
09:36See, I think it's good for both sides.
09:37I really do.
09:38In this case.
09:40I mean, do you think the Texans are envisioning won't their quarterback?
09:46No, but I think that also you have to be careful in just because you don't envision it in that space.
09:52Like, as a – what is the word that our guy Nick Casario likes using?
09:56As an actuary for, you know, the situations of the organization,
10:01you have to consider worst-case scenarios or what have you.
10:04And even situations where you still want him, right?
10:06Like, what happens if you end up in – and I don't think that you get to this place
10:10because, again, they have showed a willingness to get the deals done early rather than late.
10:14But what happens if somehow you end up in a place where you're like the Cowboys and Dak Prescott?
10:18They were drawing these things out, and as you did that, you had to add more.
10:22You had to give no-trade clauses.
10:23And then the next time you came around to a deal,
10:25that was then leverage that was used to put you in a worse place.
10:27And the way that you're trying to make a deal that gives you more flexibility,
10:31that in turn on the backside can give you less flexibility,
10:33and far be it for me to argue against players.
10:35I just wonder, from an organization perspective,
10:37is that something you give up just to give it up?
10:39Well, I think it's something you give up to make sure you get the right deal for the organization.
10:43And that's another part of it.
10:46You know, and this is probably the most key thing.
10:49If C.J. Stroud proves in 2025 that he is a perfect fit for what they want to do under Nick Caley,
10:57then I think that becomes easier.
10:59Well, how much does the Nick Caley fit happen?
11:01Because if it goes very well, I imagine Nick Caley not long for this Texans world.
11:04No, but I mean, that style, that offense, that system or whatever,
11:08because that's the biggest reason Brock Purdy became good to begin with
11:12and got this contract secondly.
11:15He's a perfect fit for what Shanahan does.
11:17I hear you, but I also think that when it comes to getting paid,
11:20I think you draft and you acquire based off playing a vacuum.
11:27Like, how good are you?
11:28Because, again, one of the things is once you get paid,
11:30and I know that you're trying to manipulate this in a way so that you have maximum maneuverability,
11:34but once a quarterback gets paid because of the salary that they command,
11:38it makes it harder, and it means that the quarterback is going to have to do more on their lonesome.
11:41Thankfully, we've already seen when C.J. Stroud has to do something on his lonesome,
11:44he can do a little bit of something.
11:45Now, of course, you would like it so that he does not have to.
11:48But, yeah, I think that you operate more in a vacuum on what his talent is,
11:53which I think that we're in large.
11:55I don't agree with that.
11:57Like, Brock Purdy is a niner and is getting that money because he's perfect for Shanahan's system.
12:02Well, that's the funny thing about Shanahan, though.
12:04I think Shanahan operates with a level of hubris, and I say that without judgment,
12:08or all judgment that's due in that instance,
12:12where the system is so strong that whoever comes in can run it.
12:15Now, that's fair, you know, because if Kaylee leaves, like you were talking about,
12:19you have to have a certain type of guy that can run that exact same thing.
12:23But you already will know that C.J. fits that system.
12:26And D'Amico is still going to be the head coach.
12:28He won't be going anywhere.
12:29And Casario will still be the GM.
12:32He'll bring in a guy that runs that type system.
12:33I think that's what really works in this deal.
12:36Either way, I think one thing that feels very evident,
12:38C.J.'s next up, and, like, there's nothing in your mind that you absolutely need to see
12:43in order for that deal to get done, is there?
12:45Nothing.
12:46Is there anything that could take you to a place where you're like,
12:48no, I don't want to see that C.J. get an extension?
12:50Nothing.
12:51Like, outside of, like, gruesome injury.
12:53You've heard me say this in the past.
12:54I think you could argue C.J. Stroud was more impressive this past year than his rookie year.
12:59You have said that.
12:59I would say sign him up as soon as you can, man.
13:02Let's get it over with.
13:05Somebody said give C.J. a 10-year, $700 million contract with the ability to be flexible.
13:09The Chiefs did it right.
13:10Mahomes got his bag, and when the team doesn't do a ton to help him, it's the best route.
13:16But see, it was easy for Mahomes to do that because they were winning Super Bowls at that point, man.
13:21So he wanted to be there, clearly.
13:23I'm just kind of wondering if, like, C.J.'s team and C.J. himself is thinking, like, man, let me see where this organization is going.
13:32Well, that's up to him.
13:33Especially with the offensive line, like, y'all got rid of my best guy.
13:36Let me see what y'all do.
13:38I want to protect myself a little bit.
13:39So maybe I don't want to commit 10 years.
13:43It's always interesting how, like, what is supposed to be a relationship that is all love turns into a little bit of –
13:48there can be a little bit of adversarial nature to it because the money –
13:51ultimately trying to get the money right is a tough situation.
13:54Don't envy that situation.
13:55But Nick Casario is about to be – he's next up, right?
13:57Like, you're the next guy to figure this out.
13:59I'd be very interested to see if he sticks with his general M.O. of what it's been with giving other guys deals
14:04or if it's different just because he's a quarterback.
14:05We've got an opportunity to see what that looks like, I imagine, next offseason.