Joey Porter Jr contract negotiations

My experience is that this is not how negotiations work.

Both parties tend to go into negotiations with ranges of acceptable terms on a variety of parameters.

Then they sit down and ideally have some give and take across each parameter.

Note that this is not what we did with TJ's 2nd or 3rd contract where he "dominated" the negotiations by ever metric. I'm sure that going in to those negotiations we were trying to get some kind of a win somewhere. But he was just too good a player so we had to go with what appears to be the top of the range for everything. Because that was still in our acceptable range. And his 3rd contract would have undoubtedly been lower if we could have agreed to a contract early. Because Garrett reset the market while we were negotiating with TJ. TJ clearly understood that this was going to happen. And he had the ability to wait.

Garrett tried to force his way out of CLE (with 2 years remaining IIRC), so they caved on everything. Then he left anyway. But right after those negotiations, TJ said I want just a touch more AAV. Waiting pays for players.

I was really happy when it happened, but it was stupid for Minkah to sign early when he got extended (if he was primarily concerned with income). IIRC, there was at least one other S contract signed after his so he was only the highest paid S for less than an offseason. If he waited, he likely would have gone into the season as the highest paid S. [again, it was a little while ago so I might have the details wrong, but I think this is correct]

I think I heard that there are a couple (maybe a few) good CBs who are in the pipeline to sign extensions this offseason. And I don't think there has been a big CB signing recently. There's this gap between $25mm and $30mm. And if there are multiple good guys to sign, they will all fall somewhere in this gap (maybe even over $30mm, but I hope JPJ isn't there). If you're a player and you think you have any argument to be the best of the guys signing this year, you wait and hope the other guys sign first. Then, you say "I'm better than that guy and I deserve more". IIRC, this is exactly what happened with Watt and Garrett. And why Watt ended up getting a little more AAV than Garrett did. He let Garrett's team do the hard work of resetting the market. Then he just asked for a touch more.

I can't believe that we weren't trying to get in on a deal with TJ before the Garrett signing. Because we probably could have won on at least some element of the deal. But TJ understands the business of the NFL when you're an elite player. His brother had already been through it. So he waited. And maximized his income.

 

I stopped here

I spent my life doing contract negotiations

Wean spend 3 days getting to where I walked in planning to be but we will be where I plan to be or I walk out without a contract

Sure if the other side caves Earl but in 40 plus years that never happened once

 

Funny, I think TJ Watt is laughing his ass off somewhere right now.


Khan dug his own grave, signing a backup OLB to $25 million per year. How can your #1 STARTING CB, not demand more???

 

And he signed for the contract they thought was correct

Not a dollar more

 

Do you think the Steelers planned to be where we ended up in the Watt 2nd or 3rd contracts?

If so, why do you think it took so long (especially the 2nd one)?

Did they just not bother presenting the offer before then?

Or did TJ wait as long as possible to accept market setting deals because he wanted to avoid a little bit of practice?

 

Do you think that the "correct" number they had was the same before and after the market was reset for the position that offseason?

As someone who did a lot of contracts, did the price of specific goods ever change in your mind over time?

The cap in the NFL sees 20% inflation every year. This isn't something that happens linearly across all positions or over time. It happens in "fits and starts" when good players at positions sign contracts when someone else good at that position hasn't signed a contract in a little while.

That's where the CB market is now.

No one knows the "correct" number right now. Except that it's probably somewhere between $25MM and $30MM in 2024 to 2025 cap dollars.

And the structure of NFL contracts matters at least as much as the AAV.

Aside: There's a post on here about Linderbaum that demonstrates how individual contracts reset the market and change what the "correct" value looks like. I think that contract is insane. And if we pay Porter like a top edge rusher (kind of like paying a C like an elite T), then I'll be on here calling for us to fire Kahn. But I think you're right that the Steelers are generally reasonable with the contracts they sign.

 

Tell me

What is the size of the largest contract you were responsible for negotiating

 

Certainly not huge.

Six-figures for research contracts with industrial partners.

I'd imagine that there are lots of people with more experience than I have. I'm sure your experience here is more impressive than mine.

But back to what we're actually talking about...do you think the Steelers changed what they thought the "correct" number was for Watt after Garrett signed his contract?

And if the offer never changed, why do you think Watt waited till the last minute?