was Ngata overpaid?

**ballhawk** · 03-09-2013, 04:07 PM

In hindsight, did the Ravens jump the gun? For the highest paid player on the team, does the production match the value? He has pretty much been hurt ever since he signed and just hasn't been the force he was his first five years in the league. I know he is still great a pushing the pocket and eating space, but is it $12mil great? Can we ever expect him to put in a healthy season again? I hope so.

**leachisabeast** · 03-09-2013, 04:11 PM

You could say so far he's been over paid, but even at 75 % Ngata is still one of our best players, and I wonder where our defense would be without him, he was a force in the play offs too, particularly the Denver game. And say if he has a real productive year next season, all this talk will die.

**ActualSpamBot** · 03-09-2013, 04:15 PM

Just look at how much San Fran could move the ball after he went out and his value becomes obvious.

**wickedsolo** · 03-09-2013, 04:17 PM

You could probably make a good argument that he was overpaid, but the reality is he is one of the best DT's in the game and you also have to consider he was up for a new deal literally RIGHT after Albert Haynesworth got that stupid contract from the Redskins.

**jonboy79** · 03-09-2013, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

Just look at how much San Fran could move the ball after he went out and his value becomes obvious.

It's not too hard to imagine jsut hwo great he could be with a lower snap count allowed by us acquiring a better NT then Cheeseburger to play next to him. Further, if we could rtotate Art Jones, McPhee, Bryan Hall and Deangelo Tyson to a point where we could chop off 10% of hsi snap count then he would go RIGHT BACK to being the force we paid for.

**edtude** · 03-09-2013, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

Just look at how much San Fran could move the ball after he went out and his value becomes obvious.

This. He was having a hell of a game until then

**runrayrun27** · 03-09-2013, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

You could probably make a good argument that he was overpaid, but the reality is he is one of the best DT's in the game and you also have to consider he was up for a new deal literally RIGHT after Albert Haynesworth got that stupid contract from the Redskins.

This.

The Haynesworth deal was what Ngata's agent could work off of.

In terms of being overpaid. He's like the Ed Reed of the DL. Teams don't like to run at him becuase of what a threat he is. The problem is people may think he was awful this year but it's a reflecting of the rest of the defence. I thought, from film, Ngata looked good, but his injury history could make a case for being overpaid. Dude needs to stay healthy. I still want him to be moved to NT, but that probably won't happen

**MarkS** · 03-09-2013, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

It's not too hard to imagine jsut hwo great he could be with a lower snap count allowed by us acquiring a better NT then Cheeseburger to play next to him. Further, if we could rtotate Art Jones, McPhee, Bryan Hall and Deangelo Tyson to a point where we could chop off 10% of hsi snap count then he would go RIGHT BACK to being the force we paid for.

Exactly this. When healthy, he's worth every penny.

It's on Ozzie and John to find a way to keep his snap-count down this season (and probably every season from here on out, since he's not getting any younger). I'm sure that was a significant element of Ozzie's post-season assessment, re: needing to improve the interior D. Neither Cody nor Kemo could hold the point of attack well enough to allow us the luxury of taking Haloti off the field for more than a few plays/game, and that has to change.

**Paintballguy** · 03-09-2013, 04:39 PM

He was at a dpoy pace until he got hurt

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**Ravenous1** · 03-09-2013, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

Just look at how much San Fran could move the ball after he went out and his value becomes obvious.

Ngata is a guy whose value becomes abundantly clear when he is no longer out there. SB was prime evidence of that.

**ballhawk** · 03-09-2013, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

He was at a dpoy pace until he got hurt

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That was at the beginning of 2011 though. Two years ago. I just hope the big man isn't breaking down. Aside from his primary responsibilities, he was a playmaker, forcing and recovering fumbles, ints, etc. I just hope he can get back to that level of play. He isn't getting any younger.

**Ravenous1** · 03-09-2013, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by ballhawk

That was at the beginning of 2011 though. Two years ago. I just hope the big man isn't breaking down. Aside from his primary responsibilities, he was a playmaker, forcing and recovering fumbles, ints, etc. I just hope he can get back to that level of play. He isn't getting any younger.

To me this is the primary question regarding Ngata moving forward. How will his health issues of the past several seasons impact his longterm viability.

IMO the Ravens can help that equation by getting someone either in FA or in the draft who can fill the NT Cody/Kemo role effectively. Does not need to be a probowl caliber guy just a guy who can get off blocks and stuff the run. Ricky Jean Francois comes to mind as a good fit or someone similar.

**PurpleApocalypse37** · 03-09-2013, 05:22 PM

yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

**yahoomas** · 03-10-2013, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by ballhawk

In hindsight, did the Ravens jump the gun? For the highest paid player on the team, does the production match the value? He has pretty much been hurt ever since he signed and just hasn't been the force he was his first five years in the league. I know he is still great a pushing the pocket and eating space, but is it $12mil great? Can we ever expect him to put in a healthy season again? I hope so.

Ngatas contract was 9,7 million in average. Less then Suggs. But his 16 million dollar cap hits for 2014 and 2015 is really steep. Obviously he`s not worth that. The FO will probably do something prior to the 2015 season to lower his cap number. A cheaper extension most likely. But if his production drops, he might be flat out cut. Or if we simply can`t afford him, we might trade him.

**pslholder96** · 03-10-2013, 10:24 AM

Ngata's contract was well deserved at the time considering how dominant he was and what the market was for his position.
When healthy he's one of the best.
It's very easy to play hindsight with every player's contract. Charles Johnson's signed a 6 year, 72m deal in July 2011. I think his current cap # is 13M yet he's only 26. You don't think 3 years from now his production will level off and fans of the panthers will be having the same discussion as we are?

**GOTA** · 03-10-2013, 10:51 AM

Was there a team out there that would have been able to sign Ngata for less? No, there wasn't. Ngata got a market value deal.

**jonboy79** · 03-10-2013, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by pslholder96

Ngata's contract was well deserved at the time considering how dominant he was and what the market was for his position.
When healthy he's one of the best.
It's very easy to play hindsight with every player's contract. Charles Johnson's signed a 6 year, 72m deal in July 2011. I think his current cap # is 13M yet he's only 26. You don't think 3 years from now his production will level off and fans of the panthers will be having the same discussion as we are?

I'll go a step further, wehn healthy, he is not ONE of the best, to me, he is CLEARLY the best Dlineman in football. Not DT, DLineman.

**leachisabeast** · 03-10-2013, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

I'll go a step further, wehn healthy, he is not ONE of the best, to me, he is CLEARLY the best Dlineman in football. Not DT, DLineman.

**GaTechRavens** · 03-10-2013, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

I'll go a step further, wehn healthy, he is not ONE of the best, to me, he is CLEARLY the best Dlineman in football. Not DT, DLineman.

I'd say with the exception of JJ Watt, but that's not Ngata's fault - Watt just might have had the best season of any player in NFL history. Offense or defense.

I think the other thing we have to remember is that people actually thought Ngata was a bit of a bargain at the time, which is a rarity for a huge extension. It was the right move to make at the time and Ngata is an asset for us even when injured.

**jonboy79** · 03-10-2013, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by GaTechRavens

I'd say with the exception of JJ Watt, but that's not Ngata's fault - Watt just might have had the best season of any player in NFL history. Offense or defense.

I think the other thing we have to remember is that people actually thought Ngata was a bit of a bargain at the time, which is a rarity for a huge extension. It was the right move to make at the time and Ngata is an asset for us even when injured.

I'll grant you JJ SWAT. sort of forgot about him, not sure how. was thinking of the players we used to compare to Ngata as best DL in football, and players lie Peppers have fallen further/faster then Ngata has.