Here we take a look at some of the most overpaid players of 2017. To determine who is overpaid, I took the Pro Football Focus players grades and compared them to Over The Cap’s 2017 Salary Cap Value; the highest earners with a PFF player grade under 70 made the cut. I went with a 3-4 Cover 3 base for the defense and a 3-wide, spread offense. While there are some glaring holes, this team is far from terrible. Some players have shown greater tendencies in the past, but had a down year in 2016, leading to a much lower grade than you would expect. First, lets dive into the numbers.
The Money
The cap for this team is obviously huge, $335.15M to be exact. That’s just over double the current salary cap. For the offense, the O-line took up the biggest chunk, with 33.1% of the offensive salary. But the offensive as a whole only took up 42.9% of the total team salary. The defense game in at 55% of the total team salary, with linebackers taking home the most money, 32.7% of the defense.
Draft Years
The majority, 64.2%, of the players were drafted 2013-2011. This makes sense as the the most likely scenario for being overpaid is a play doing well enough on his rookie deal to make his first big contract, then fail to live up to it once he has the money. Below is the full breakdown of the roster by draft year.
| Year | # of Players |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2013 | 15 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2011 | 9 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2006 | 2 |
Teams
One team stood out with the most (5) overpaid players on this roster, the L.A. Rams. The Jaguars and Dolphins each ended up with 4. The Jet and Bears were the only ones with 3 players on the roster. There were 4 teams to end up without a single player on this roster: Falcons, Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens.
The Roster
Offense
Quarterbacks
| QBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jay Cutler | Blake Bortles | Drew Stanton |
| MIA | JAX | ARI |
| $10M | $6.571M | $4.15M |
| 2006 | 2014 | 2008 |
Smokin’ Jay Cutler takes the lead at QB. The Dolphins were forced to overpay for Cutler after Tannehill’s injury. The Jaguars, on the other hand, willing picked up the fifth year option on Bortles, who may not even win the starting job this year. Just like with the Jaguars, Bortles will land as the backup on this roster with Cutler takes the reigns.
Total Position Cap Hit: $20.721M
Running Backs
| RBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Doug Martin | Chris Ivory | Shane Vereen |
| TB | JAX | NYG |
| $7M | $6 | $3.917 |
| 2012 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Todd Gurley | Alfred Morriss | |
| LAR | DAL | |
| $3.77M | $2.138 | |
| 2015 | 2012 |
Doug Martin’s 2.9 yards per carry for a $7m cap hit lands him the top overpaid RB spot. Todd Gurley would take the ball as the as the change-of-pace back, being one of the few guys on this roster still on his rookie deal. Ivory would handle some short yardage and goal line situations, while Vereen would handle the third-down/passing scenario snaps.
Total Position Cap Hit: $22.825M
Wide Receivers
| WRs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tavon Austin | Torrey Smith | Allen Hurns |
| LAR | PHI | JAX |
| $14.997M | $4.875M | $7M |
| 2013 | 2011 | 2014 |
| Travis Benjamin | Cordarrelle Patterson | Markus Wheaton |
| LAC | OAK | CHI |
| $6.5M | $5.6M | $5.25M |
| 2012 | 2013 | 2013 |
The WR group is actually a quality group of receivers, but there is one common theme to all of them: poor QB performance (our in Benjamin’s case, poor o-line). They would line up with Smith at the Z, Hurns at the X, and Austin in the Slot. Patterson would focus on being the return specialist and occasional deep threat.
Total Position Cap Hit: $44.202M
Tight Ends
| TEs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coby Fleener | Julius Thomas | Dion Sims |
| NO | MIA | CHI |
| $7.5M | $5.6M | $5.333M |
| 2012 | 2011 | 2013 |
The tight ends have 2 guys that had great success with their previous teams, but have failed to live up to the hype after getting their big contracts. Fleener comes in as the regular tight end, with Thomas coming in during passing downs and red zone scenarios.
Total Position Cap Hit: $18.433M
Offensive Line
| OL | ||
|---|---|---|
| T Donald Stephenson | T Kelvin Beachum | G Jeff Allen |
| DEN | NYJ | HOU |
| $5M | $5M | $6.438M |
| 2012 | 2012 | 2012 |
| G Shawn Lauvao | C Mike Pouncey | T Joe Barksdale |
| WASH | MIA | LAC |
| $5M | $8.975M | $5.547M |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
| G Zane Beadles | C Eric Wood | |
| SF | BUF | |
| $4.033 | $7.583M | |
| 2010 | 2009 |
The O-line is pretty horrendous outside of the center position (which may be only slightly above average). The Offensive Line is a spot where teams end up overpaying because of the lack of elite talent and the number of spots to fill. Unsurprisingly, all the teams involved had struggling QBs in 2016. Beachum and Stephenson get the start at Tackle, Allen and Lauvao at Guard, and Pouncey at Center.
Total Position Cap Hit: $47.576M
Defense
Defensive Line
| DL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Bennie Logan | Star Lotulelei |
| NYJ | KC | CAR |
| $18M | $7.953M | $6.757M |
| 2011 | 2013 | 2013 |
| Allen Bailey | Sylvester Williams | Sharrif Floyd |
| KC | TEN | MIN |
| $6.156M | $4.667M | $6.757 |
| 2011 | 2013 | 2013 |
The DL has the biggest cap hit on the roster, Muhammad Wilkerson, at $18 million, but he is also, arguably, the best player on this roster. A down year for someone that makes that much will land them in the overpaid category. He gets the start at WSE, with Lotulelei at the SSE, and Logan at the NT. It’s no surprise to see 2 Chiefs players on the interior, as they finished 2016 as the 28th ranked run defense.
Total Position Cap Hit: $50.29M
Linebackers
| LBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Clay Matthews/strong> | Robert Quinn | Jerry Hughes |
| GB | LAR | BUF |
| $15.075M | $10.75M | $10.45M |
| 2009 | 2011 | 2010 |
| William Gholston | Tahir Whitehead | Alec Ogletree |
| TB | DET | LAR |
| $7M | $4.988M | $8.369M |
| 2013 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Lawrence Timmons | Paul Worrilow | |
| MIA | DET | |
| $3.775M | $3M | |
| 2007 | 2013 |
A couple of former, first-team, All-Pros line up at the OLB position. Bad grades in 2016 coupled with big contracts earned them spots on this overpaid roster. Matthews will line up at the Sam, with Quinn (normally a hand in the dirt DE) at the pass rushing, weak side Joker. The rest of the LBs fall in as your typical under performers. For this roster, Ogletree gets the nod at Mike, with Timmons at the Will. This group will be well above average against the pass, but I think would struggle against the run.
Total Position Cap Hit: $63.407M
Cornerbacks
| CBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vontae Davis | Joe Haden | Buster Skrine |
| IND | CLE | NYJ |
| $10.25M | $14.4M | $8.5M |
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Jeremy Lane | Marcus Cooper | Kayvon Webster |
| SEA | CHI | LAR |
| $5.25M | $5M | $3.953M |
| 2012 | 2013 | 2013 |
At the top, the cornerbacks have a couple of experienced veterans. Haden has struggled to come back to form after an injury shortened 2015 season. Davis looks to return to form in a contract year with the Colts. The rest of the CBs leave this secondary open to big plays in multiple-wide formations.
Total Position Cap Hit: $47.353M
Safeties
| Ss | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tashaun Gipson | Patrick Chung | Eric Reid |
| JAX | NE | SF |
| $6.3M | $4.5M | $5.676M |
| 2012 | 2009 | 2013 |
| Antoine Bethea | Nate Allen | |
| ARI | MIA | |
| $3.417M | $3.4M | |
| 2006 | 2010 |
The oldest defensive player on the list, Bethea gets the start at SS over a couple other veterans in Chung and Allen. You would think going from the Browns to the Jaguars would be bad enough, but we give Gipson the start at FS as he struggles to return to his 2014, Pro Bowl form that earned him his big contract with the Jaguars.
Total Position Cap Hit: $23.293M
Special Teams
| ST | ||
|---|---|---|
| K Graham Gano | P Jeff Locke | LS Zak DeOssie |
| CAR | IND | NYG |
| $4M | $1.75M | $1.3M |
| 2009 | 2013 | 2007 |
We kick things off with Graham GaNOOOOOOOOO with his 79% FG% and 3 missed XPs from 2016. We punt it on over to Jeff Locke, who earns the spot for having the lowest yards per punt for punting with an over $1M cap hit. And finally, the long snapper. As a former long snapper myself, I understand the importance and value of the position; but I still wanted to include the highest 2017 cap hit long snapper, regardless of skill, who is Zak DeOssie of the Giants. DeOssie will be pulling in $1.3M this season to snap a ball.
Total Position Cap Hit: $7.05M
The Starting 22
| Offense | |
|---|---|
| QB | Jay Cutler |
| RB | Doug Martin |
| Z | Torrey Smith |
| X | Allen Hurns |
| Slot | Tavon Austin |
| TE | Coby Fleener |
| LT | Kelvin Beachum |
| LG | Shawn Lauvao |
| C | Mike Pouncey |
| RG | Jeff Allen |
| RT | Donald Stephenson |
| Defense | |
|---|---|
| DE | Muhammad Wilkerson |
| NT | Bennie Logan |
| DE | Allen Bailey |
| Sam | Clay Matthews |
| Mike | Alec Ogletree |
| Will | Lawrence Timmons |
| Jack | Robert Quinn |
| CB | Vontae Davis |
| CB | Joe Haden |
| SS | Antione Bethea |
| FS | Tashaun Gipson |
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