6 replies to this topic

[Mike in STL]

http://baltimorespor...pitta-is-worth/

If Pitta is due for a huge breakout season, helping to fill the void left by Anquan Boldin, the Ravens may want to lock him up with a long term deal before he plays himself right out of their price range.

[Mackus]

Top TEs signed this offseason:

Jared Cook 5/$35.1M ($19M guaranteed)
Martellus Bennett 4/$20.4M ($9.25M guaranteed)
Delanie Walker 4/$17.5M ($8.6M guaranteed)
Anthony Fasano 4/$16M ($4.5M guaranteed)
Tony Gonzalez 2/$14M ($7M guaranteed)
James Casey 3/$12M ($4M guaranteed)

I think they'll sign him to something in between Cook and the rest of the pack, though closer to the rest of the pack. 4 years for an average salary in the $5-6M range, with 40-50% of the money guaranteed. One important thing to consider is that he is a bit older than most of those guys. Pitta will play this entire year at age 28, meaning the contract he signs will start his age 29 season. Cook and Bennett are 26 this season, Walker, Fasano, and Casey are 29. That's a big reason why I think his deal will be more like Walker and Fasano's than like Cook's.

[Mike in STL]

Top TEs signed this offseason:

Jared Cook 5/$35.1M ($19M guaranteed)
Martellus Bennett 4/$20.4M ($9.25M guaranteed)
Delanie Walker 4/$17.5M ($8.6M guaranteed)
Anthony Fasano 4/$16M ($4.5M guaranteed)
Tony Gonzalez 2/$14M ($7M guaranteed)
James Casey 3/$12M ($4M guaranteed)

I think they'll sign him to something in between Cook and the rest of the pack, though closer to the rest of the pack. 4 years for an average salary in the $5-6M range, with 40-50% of the money guaranteed. One important thing to consider is that he is a bit older than most of those guys. Pitta will play this entire year at age 28, meaning the contract he signs will start his age 29 season. Cook and Bennett are 26 this season, Walker, Fasano, and Casey are 29. That's a big reason why I think his deal will be more like Walker and Fasano's than like Cook's.

I had seen Cooks contract, and thought it was unusually large. Maybe teams covet him more as a blocking TE, I haven't seen enough of him to know. Because his pass catching numbers aren't great by any means. Maybe Jeff Fisher knows something we don't. Good point about age too. Definitely plays a factor in contract length.

[Mackus]

Cook was arguing he was a WR not a TE, despite his less than amazing reception numbers. He did line up in the slot more often than on the line, which is a big part of the reason Tennessee didn't franchise him, they didn't wanna risk him winning his argument and getting the WR tag (~$10.5M) instead of the TE tag (~$6.1M).

[Mike in STL]

Do you think if he has a Jimmy Graham or Jason Witten type season, Pitta will get upwards of $50 million, even at age 28,29

[Mackus]

Do you think if he has a Jimmy Graham or Jason Witten type season, Pitta will get upwards of $50 million, even at age 28,29

If he has 1000 yards and 10 TDs, then he'll get a really big deal, though I think his age will make the guaranteed portion lower, and even with a huge year I don't think he gets over $50M even on paper, since I don't think he'll get a 7-8 year deal.

Those guys are averaging $7-8M over 7-8 years. Pitta won't get more than 5-6 years and I don't think that even with a huge year that he'll get the $7-8M average that those guys get, simply because they've done it more often (or had far superior numbers over the short term like Gronk did).

[Mike in STL]

If he has 1000 yards and 10 TDs, then he'll get a really big deal, though I think his age will make the guaranteed portion lower, and even with a huge year I don't think he gets over $50M even on paper, since I don't think he'll get a 7-8 year deal.

Those guys are averaging $7-8M over 7-8 years. Pitta won't get more than 5-6 years and I don't think that even with a huge year that he'll get the $7-8M average that those guys get, simply because they've done it more often (or had far superior numbers over the short term like Gronk did).

I agree. It's looking like the Ravens will be a similar cap situation next year. I haven't gone deep into the numbers. While it doesn't look to be another mass exodus, cap space will be limited, and Oher and Jacoby Jones are the bigger names up to be resigned for 2014. I like Pitta a lot. Great hands, makes tough catches. I'd hate for his worth to become greater than the Ravens can afford.