The Eagles splash of the 2016 offseason came in locking up star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, agreeing to a six-year extension worth $103 million dollars, with $63 million guaranteed.
In comparison, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh received $114 million over six years, with just under $60 million guaranteed in 2015. Similarly, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt inked a six-year deal worth $100 million, with $52 million guaranteed in 2016.
Neither Miami nor Houston has seen a tremendous return on their massive investments. In fact, Miami was one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season, allowing 126.2 rushing yards-per-game (28th in NFL), and 376.2 total yards-per-game (25th in NFL). The Dolphins were closer to the middle of the pack in opponent points-per-game, allowing 24.3 in 2015 (18th in NFL).
While the Texans were among the league leaders in opponent yards-per-game last season (310.4, third in NFL), they were quite pedestrian against the run, giving up 102.2 yards-per-game (11th in NFL). Houston barely cracked the NFL’s top ten in points-per-game, allowing 20.2 in 2015 (10th in NFL). Granted, the Texans defense is undoubtedly stout, and they finished 2015 with a respectable record of 9-7, but Bill O’Brien’s team was trounced in front of 71,800 of their own fans by the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-0, in the AFC Wildcard round.
These statistics and rankings beg the question, is any defensive lineman worthy of being paid a massive contract like that of Watt, Suh and now Cox?
Fletcher Cox had a career year in 2015, with 50 solo tackles (71 total), 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. However, this great individual season was unable to keep the Eagles from turning in a woeful defensive season as a unit. Philadelphia allowed 26.9 points-per-game last season (28th in NFL), 401.6 yards-per-game (30th in NFL), 134.6 rushing yards-per-game (last in NFL), and 267.1 passing yards-per-game (29th in NFL).
When you take into account these alarming statistics, it’s no wonder the Eagles brass thought long and hard before offering their gargantuan defensive tackle an equally huge contract extension.
In a league changing its rules to favor scoring each and every season, there are still plenty of teams whose top paid player plays on the defensive side of the ball. In 2015, there were 13 teams who had their highest-paid player on defense:
- Buffalo Bills – Marcell Dareus, team record 8-8
- Miami Dolphins – Ndamukong Suh, team record 6-10
- Houston Texans – J.J. Watt, team record 9-7
- Washington Redskins – Ryan Kerrigan, team record 9-7
- New York Jets – Darrelle Revis, team record, 10-6
- St. Louis Rams – Robert Quinn, team record 7-9
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Dante Fowler Jr., team record 5-11
- Baltimore Ravens – Jimmy Smith, team record 5-11
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy, team record 6-10
- Philadelphia Eagles – Byron Maxwell, team record 7-9
- Kansas City Chiefs – Justin Houston, team record 11-5)
- Detroit Lions – DeAndre Levy, team record 7-9
- Arizona Cardinals – Patrick Peterson, team record 13-3
While four of these 13 teams made the NFL playoffs last season, only one of them advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs, the Cardinals, and combined they finished with a 2-4 record in the playoffs.
Make no mistake, Fletcher Cox is a monster in the trenches, often demanding double-teams which lead to advantageous one-on-one matchups for his fellow defensive lineman. Having said that, offensive coordinators had no trouble putting up points against the Eagles last season with the run or the pass.
Clever play callers can often neutralize any defensive lineman without much trouble by running screens, draws, three-step drops, or allocating an extra blocker in their direction.
The five teams whose highest paid player was a defensive lineman last season had a combined regular season record of 36-44, while only one of those teams, the Texans, managed to make the playoffs. And among NFL organizations whose top earner is a defensive lineman entering 2016, Houston’s 37:1 odds to win the Super Bowl lead the way.
The narrative is clear, teams who pay a defensive lineman most of anyone on the team are essentially non-factors in terms of winning a championship. The money given to Fletcher Cox could have been better spent on improving the offensive side of the ball, or not at all.
Patrick Del Gaone is a staff writer for Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Del_Gaone.
