Worst PAFFL Contracts

For every great contract there usually is at least one bad one, if not two.  So in an effort to highlight the good, this is to highlight the bad. 

Worst PAFFL Contracts - these are defined as high cost per production value, so I won't include any players with a contract less than say $10 (unless they're out of the NFL) and won't include solid performers unless they're way over paid. 

QB's

• Vince Young ($55, 2009) - Beavercats - VY is a winner but not in fantasy football where outside of an eight game stretch his rookie year he's been terrible on a per start basis for fantasy leaguers.  He's still young with a lot of upside but at $55 he's been highly overrated and overpaid the past two years.
• Matt Leinart ($55, 2009) - LFP - Similar to VY except he hasn't won and never showed the potential of VY and worse he's behind the always productive Kurt Warner.  Leinart certainly is still the QB of the future in Arizona but that future may not come until '10 at which time he'll have been way overpaid. 
• Brady Quinn ($55, 2010) - South Whore - This is slightly unfair since he's not been given an opportunity but that's the point.  Assuming he gets the starting nod next season, the Jibbers will have spent the equivalent of $110 on him per year for his two starting seasons (4 years at $55), then be required to pay him $80+ after that.  If he develops into an Aaron Rodgers by sitting and learning, that's fine but if he never develops into a quality starter that's a lot to spend. 
• Jon Kitna ($55, 2010) - Pomona - This is one of the worst contracts in the PAFFL.  Kitna was always a good backup QB and never even an adequate starter, so this was bound to blow up now that Mike Martz is gone.  This will be a PAFFL cut in '09. 
• Alex Smith ($55, 2008) - Isotopes - Smith unfortunately has been a bust and while this one is more on the Naughty Thoughts who took the brunt of the cost early on, it remains a terrible PAFFL contract.
• Rex Grossman ($56, 2009) - Team Kitty - Grossman is another of the sure '09 cuts, he should have been cut prior to this year but the decision maker on this one was too pig headed to do so.  It's still amazing to me that Grossman had so many chances, and in the end was the only thing standing between the Chicago Bears and a super bowl championship. 
• John Beck ($31, 2010) - Naughty Thoughts - This '07 2nd round selection is mature but looked out of place last year playing in Miami.  He needs a change of scenery but at this point is a bust and a bloated paffl contract.
• Tarvaris Jackson ($37, 2009) - IMT - Jackson is the poster child for potential but at QB its much harder to turn potential into productivity.  In this case Jackson will be known in the PAFFL as the player packaged along with Maroney to nab Irie a stud QB in Ben Roethlisberger. 

RB's

• Larry Johnson ($55, 2009) - Isotopes - This is a strange one as LJ is as talented as any RB in the NFL but he's not a team player and has been on the verge of being suspended for much larger periods of games in the past.  Given that he was a bust last year and is off to another terrible start this year, its beginning to look like LJ maybe a lost cause. 
• Ron Dayne ($12, 2009) - Isotopes - Dayne isn't even in the NFL anymore.
• Brian Leonard ($21, 2009) - Fightin' Irie - Leonard was a 2nd round pick last year but he's not even the backup in St. Louis and is essentially fantasy useless.
• Selvin Young ($55, 2010) - BINGO - Young is on the verge of losing his job due to the lack of production, the return of rookie Ryan Torain to the lineup and the better than expected effort from veteran Michael Pittman.  At $55 for anther three years this is looking like a likely cut in '09. 
• LaDainian Tomlinson ($125, 2009) - East Bay Funk - I know its hard to say LT has been a bust b/c he hasn't, he's a hall of famer who off to a slow start.  Which is true but when you allocate 25% of your cap to one player he needs to produce close to 25% of your points and be a dominant top 10 producer, and LT just isn't doing it this year.  He turns 30 this off-season and after 300+ touches in eight straight seasons, he maybe finally hitting the career wall - which is expected but that will make this contract a terrible one in '09.  Then again he could still turn it around and score 15 TD's and combine for 2000 yards to meet his contractual obligations. 
• Chris Brown ($36, 2009) - East Bay Funk - Brown is on IR and hasn't been fantasy relevant in a couple of years outside of a fluke game here or there.  Net net he'll be a cut next season. 

WR's

• Matt Jones ($16, 2008) - Pomona - Jones is off to his best start but even that's not going to justify his low cost, and his recent 3 game suspension for cocaine usage won't help.  Net-net he's been a bust.
• Torry Holt ($59, 2008) - Jack Trippers - this was a LFP cost and to be fair Holt was recently a top 5 fantasy WR but he's fallen hard in '07 and '08, and now isn't even a sure fire top 30 fantasy WR.   
• Donte Stallworth ($29, 2008) - Firkin Crawlers - Stallworth has been the constant tease, displaying incredible talent but lacking any consistence or durability.  If he could ever stay healthy and dedicate himself

TE's

• Mercedes Lewis ($14, 2008) - Pomona - Lewis has been a bust since entering the league in '06 as a 1st round pick.  Fortunately his college teammate and 2nd round selection that year, Maurice Jones-Drew, has been so good that people don't dwell on Lewis' underperformance.
• Vernon Davis ($23, 2008) - East Bay Funk - Davis is just one of the latest examples of a workout warrior who wows scouts at the combine but never materializes into a quality NFL starter.  Maybe he will but this is his third year and he still makes too many mistakes to be worthy of starting for an NFL playoff team.

Summary:

1. Teams aren't making many mistakes at WR or TE, very few guys are 3-yeared above $10 at those positions and they are typically safe bets
2. QB's are tough, they are expensive and if they're not starting they're unproductive
3. The proliferation of committee's is making less 'busts' but also less value since the production is shared among multiple players. 

Comments

[Jibaholic]

I hoping that the Brady Quinn experiment will payoff next season. Could have been worse as I really wanted Brandon Jackson at $55 but Firkin beat me too it and then cut him the following year.

I think Garrett Wolfe @ $10 should be on this list. He is a total waste of a roster space and that IMT would trade top 5 WR in 2007 Braylon Edwards for him, Jerry Porter (another waste of a roster spot)and a late rookie pick (that got them Ray Rice which has been the only upside in this trade for IMT but could have just as easily got him in the aunction)is as Deion Sanders likes to say "mind-boggling".

[Beavercats]

I agree Wolfe hasn't been productive but a RB drafted in the 3rd round to a team that was still searching for its starter (as Chicago was until it Matt Forte this year) at $10 a season is not a bad gamble or risk. At this juncture though its a bad contract, though as I said I only listed out guys above that who have been complete busts...remember IMT would nearly have lost two weeks ago w/ Wolfe's special teams TD score :) so he hasn't been a complete waste.

[Jibaholic]

They could have easily spent that money plus Jerry Porter salary to get a Steve Slaton/Eddie Royal/Donnie Avery, etc ...

Considering that Chicago never gave that guy a shot after Benson sucked and the other AP sucked is two strikes. THEN after that they spend a 2nd round pick on Forte. That is strike 3.

[Beavercats]

You can also get better deals but hindsight is 20/20.

They couldn't have gotten Slaton since he was topped but Avery & Royal could have been picked up by every PAFFL team for under $10 but only the PAFF did.

[Jibaholic]

I guess that is why they are the "Incompetent Managed Team".

The fact that they have one two Janksters just shows how lucky this shit is.

[Beavercats]

Yep, luck does play a huge role in winning....which is why keeping good karma on your side is key to pulling in the luck :)

[Jibaholic]

While their was a small caveat on Brady Quinn making this list, his performance on TNF should allow him to develop nicely for next season.

Could make the best contract list next year :)

[Beavercats]

RE: Quinn - I like him and as I said its unfair b/c he hadn't been given a chance. I definitely think he has a chance to be on the 'good contract' list...