Colts extend Zaire Franklin

[Colts.sb41]

 

[Yoshinator]

1 minute ago, Colts.sb41 said:

 

Saw this 5 mins ago, I guess I'm happy about it? Solid player, it doesn't eat into our cap this year, so I'm happy about that. 

[chad72]

Very good contract for a very good player. We are not going to equate him with the Roquan Smith kinds that get paid $20 million a year but for what he brings to the table, very solid contract that keeps him with us for 3 years.

[csmopar]

27 minutes ago, Yoshinator said:

Saw this 5 mins ago, I guess I'm happy about it? Solid player, it doesn't eat into our cap this year, so I'm happy about that. 

If what OTC is showing, it actually gains us a tad over 1 million this year. @w87r is that accurate?

[w87r]

6 minutes ago, csmopar said:

If what OTC is showing, it actually gains us a tad over 1 million this year. @w87r is that accurate?

It's not updated anywhere I see it 

 

I imagine he will count $3-4m more against the cap this year. From $3.3m, to $6-$7m

 

 

Not overly upset, his extension has been an anxiety point for me. But I was afraid of $15-$20m a year.

 

I can handle this I suppose. Not first news I was trying to hear or anything though.

[Patrick Miller]

Good

move by the colts imo.

[w87r]

Will in most likelihood, end up being a 4yr deal worth $34.5m, when you include this year.

 

So $8.6m AAV over next 4 years.

[csmopar]

4 minutes ago, w87r said:

Will in most likely hood end up being a 4yr deal worth $34.5m, when you include this year.

 

So $8.6m AAV over next 4 years.

So a very good deal then for the colts. 

[Nevbot]

I think so, a good deal.  He has been top of the league in tackles for a few seasons now, so production will never be an issue for him. Seems durable, knock on wood.  

Franklin is also very active in the community and is a positive role model for kids and all that. It goes a long way to giving management the confidence in locking up those players nice and early, and in this case at an affordable rate.  Zaire is probably worth more per year and still probably has some upside of improving.  

Getting rid of a next year problem now is never a bad thing. 

[w87r]

6 minutes ago, csmopar said:

So a very good deal then for the colts. 

Not too bad.

 

Better just be an appetizer for the day though.

[stitches]

Hope I'm wrong but... this looks like a lot to me. 

 

Still... good for Franklin. Well deserved payday. 

[John Hammonds]

I feel it needs to be said:

 

Zaire Franklin may have been 2nd in tackles last year, but he also had only a 60.9 PFF score (60 out of 82 qualifying LB's)

 

Is he a team captain?  Yes.  Has he been valuable to our team?  You bet.

But it can also be argued that we could improve on the position as well.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Franklin still has moments of inconsistency.  Hope he improves that.

[w87r]

I imagine the deal will come back something like this:

 

2024 $2.88m base, $3m SB, $510k Roster bonus total cap hit - $6.39m

2025 $5m base, $3m SB total cap hit - $8m

2026 $6m base, $3m SB total cap hit - $9m

2027 $7m base, $3m SB total cap hit - $10m

 

 

So deal ends up looking like

 

4yrs $33.39m $12m SB($15.39m guaranteed)

 

$8.35m AAV

 

***This isn't actually the parameters of the deal, just my speculation to what they might look like.

 

 

***Edited to reflect current base instead of vet minimum 

[lollygagger8]

Nice move. 

 

Let's get a CB and/or safety now

[w87r]

21 minutes ago, John Hammonds said:

I feel it needs to be said:

 

Zaire Franklin may have been 2nd in tackles last year, but he also had only a 60.9 PFF score (60 out of 82 qualifying LB's)

 

Is he a team captain?  Yes.  Has he been valuable to our team?  You bet.

But it can also be argued that we could improve on the position as well.

Pretty much agree with everything you said here.

 

It's not a bad deal though, I was worried for it being a lot worse.

 

So while it wasn't to news I was hoping for this morning, I'm not going to let it spoil the rest, of what I hope to be an exciting day.

[John Hammonds]

Just now, w87r said:

Pretty much agree with everything you said here.

 

It's not a bad deal though, I was worried for it being a lot worse.

 

So while it wasn't to news I was hoping for this morning, I'm not going to let it spoil the rest, of what I hope to be an exciting day.

I agree.  They're not signing him to a top-player contract.  They're giving him a well-earned extension for a valued player.

I'm expecting them to also leave the door open for improvements at the position as well.

[BlackTiger]

Hes a good player that is under rated by pff.  He is more of a run stopper and was better early in the year before GS went out.

 

We need to let him do his thing and find someone else to be more of a coverage LB.  We should be in the market for LBs anyway with Shaq gone.

[w87r]

2 minutes ago, John Hammonds said:

I'm expecting them to also leave the door open for improvements at the position as well.

[w87r]

2 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

Hes a good player that is under rated by pff.  He is more of a run stopper and was better early in the year before GS went out.

 

We need to let him do his thing and find someone else to be more of a coverage LB.  We should be in the market for LBs anyway with Shaq gone.

I think he is graded fine by PFF.

 

I think some often overrate his tackles for yards.

 

It's a fine deal though

 

 Keep the locker room happy by continuing to reward your own 

[Scott Pennock]

Well deserved for a solid player and it’s a nice AAV over the next 4 years! 
 

Now he just needs a backup to play on third and passing downs that is more of a Safety that can cover backs, tight ends and zones! 

[throwing BBZ]

 

 Against the pass,, Z and Speed read and react back in their zones like they have brain freeze.

Ballard/Dodds built a back seven that had Kenny that you Gus surely trusted some to do his job (he was credited giving up 5 tds), but the rest of the "talent" they have accumulated over their tenure was a rather poor mishmash of wannabes.

 Ballard and his team have a solid record of total mediocrity drafting,  building a AFC winning defense. 

 Zaire is a great competitor and can get better, but we need a boatload of high quality defense additions to make us a contender. I don't see him as moving the needle. lol

[richard pallo]

Ballard has a plan in place.  They felt good doing this heading into FA.  He’s obviously a core player and a leader in the clubhouse.  I think it’s safe to say we will be seeing some upgrades to the defense this week in FA.   Can’t wait.

[Chucklez]

Waiting for that outside CB signing announcment (as well as either a re-signing of Kenny Moore or also a vet slot CB replacement). Our DBs need an injection of talent / vet leadership in a bad way.

I dont want to impede the young guys from learning too much, but we cannot head into the draft with what we have now as our "vets".

[BlackTiger]

1 hour ago, w87r said:

I think he is graded fine by PFF.

 

I think they under rate him.  We won games because of plays that he made.  

 

Pff is ok but also pretty flawed.  They weigh every play the same but some are more important than others.  Our LBs in a zone D are going to give up yards between the 20s.  He made stops in the redzone and at the end of games that mattered more than the plays the graded him down.

[chad72]

21 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

I think they under rate him.  We won games because of plays that he made.  

 

Pff is ok but also pretty flawed.  They weigh every play the same but some are more important than others.  Our LBs in a zone D are going to give up yards between the 20s.  He made stops in the redzone and at the end of games that mattered more than the plays the graded him down.

 

Plus, they don't blitz the LBs much in this Bradley D as much as I'd like them to, and I bet his speed will show up there too if utilized that way.

[csmopar]

3 hours ago, stitches said:

Hope I'm wrong but... this looks like a lot to me. 

 

Still... good for Franklin. Well deserved payday. 

Not really.  Puts him just inside the top 15 salary wise BEFORE any of the other Lbs get extended or resigned. Which for how he played the last two seasons, is where he deserves. 
 

Dont forget, Bobby Okereke with less production got more last year when he left. And Franklin is better

[csmopar]

3 hours ago, w87r said:

I imagine the deal will come back something like this:

 

2024 $2.88m base, $3m SB, $510k Roster bonus total cap hit - $6.39m

2025 $5m base, $3m SB total cap hit - $8m

2026 $6m base, $3m SB total cap hit - $9m

2027 $7m base, $3m SB total cap hit - $10m

 

 

So deal ends up looking like

 

4yrs $33.39m $12m SB($15.39m guaranteed)

 

$8.35m AAV

 

***This isn't actually the parameters of the deal, just my speculation to what they might look like.

 

 

***Edited to reflect current base instead of vet minimum 

Very close, Sportac has it at 8.44 mill AAV, OTC hasn’t updated yet

[BlackTiger]

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

Plus, they don't blitz the LBs much in this Bradley D as much as I'd like them to, and I bet his speed will show up there too if utilized that way.

Yeah we have some good blitzers and rarely use them that way.  Wish they were more aggressive 

 

If you sit back in zones you are going to give up a lot of yards in the league now

[GoColts8818]

Franklin is far from a perfect linebacker but he’s a NFL starter level linebacker.  This contract reflects that.  Good to keep a leader in house and a solid tackler.  Not all 22 starters can be all pros.

[stitches]

1 hour ago, csmopar said:

Not really.  Puts him just inside the top 15 salary wise BEFORE any of the other Lbs get extended or resigned. Which for how he played the last two seasons, is where he deserves. 
 

Dont forget, Bobby Okereke with less production got more last year when he left. And Franklin is better

I'd rather have Okereke than Franklin on their respective contracts. 

[csmopar]

3 minutes ago, stitches said:

I'd rather have Okereke than Franklin on their respective contracts. 

Yeah I can’t agree there . Okereke’s cap hit goes up to 15 mil next year, franklins is 7. For less production in every category. 

[stitches]

5 minutes ago, csmopar said:

Yeah I can’t agree there . Okereke’s cap hit goes up to 15 mil next year, franklins is 7. For less production in every category. 

Meh... Okereke is a better player. Raw stats mean very little, especially in different systems. 

[csmopar]

20 minutes ago, stitches said:

Meh... Okereke is a better player. Raw stats mean very little, especially in different systems. 

If you say so. They played in the very same system on the same team. I think he’s slightly better in coverage than Franklin, but I don’t think he’s as good a tackler as Franklin so it might be a wash. But my entire point is that there’s not enough of a talent difference to get me to say the 7-8 million ADDITIONAL in cap space for Bobby is worth it. 

[GoColts8818]

22 minutes ago, stitches said:

Meh... Okereke is a better player. Raw stats mean very little, especially in different systems. 

Human nature is take for granted what you have and over value what you don’t have.  Franklin is a very good tackler and is very good at run defense behind Stewartt and Buckner so fans don’t value that because they have it.  What Franklin is not good at is pass defense and none of the Colts linebackers are so fans want a guy who can do that which Okereke could.  
 

Still if the Colts lost Franklin and the new guy wasn’t as good as he is at tackling fans would complain about letting Franklin getting away because of how good he was at tackling and oh yeah the pass defense is still an issue at the linebacker spot.  
 

the good news is Franklin’s contract lets you keep your very solid run defender and let’s you still get a pass defending linebacker.  There is room for both, especially if one is on a rookie contract.  The Colts have a linebacker hole with Leonard being released.  I’d expect them to use that spot to try to find a guy who is good at pass defense while still keeping Franklin.

 

Again all 22 starters can’t be all pros and can’t be great at everything even if you would like them to be.

[Superman]

5 hours ago, stitches said:

Hope I'm wrong but... this looks like a lot to me. 

 

Still... good for Franklin. Well deserved payday. 

 

I wonder if he was getting noisy behind the scenes. He's a solid piece and his contract was way under market, so I can understand if they didn't want to have another potential contract issue going into 2024. But I would have been looking for his replacement this year or next, not locking him in for three more years. 

[NewColtsFan]

32 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I wonder if he was getting noisy behind the scenes. He's a solid piece and his contract was way under market, so I can understand if they didn't want to have another potential contract issue going into 2024. But I would have been looking for his replacement this year or next, not locking him in for three more years. 

Franklin’s contract was way under market?  
 

How so?    
 

Never mind.   I misunderstood you.  Stiches just cleared that up.  Sorry.  

[stitches]

10 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Franklin’s contract was way under market?  
 

How so?    

His previous contract was at about 3M a year, his new one is at over 10 a year. 

[NewColtsFan]

13 minutes ago, stitches said:

His previous contract was at about 3M a year, his new one is at over 10 a year. 

Thanks….   I misunderstood his meaning.   
 

That explains it.    Honestly I’m not wild about Z’s new contract.   That’s a LOT of money.  

[stitches]

Just now, NewColtsFan said:

Thanks….   I misunderstood his meaning.   
 

That explains it.    Honestly I’m not wild about Z’s new contract.   That’s a LOT of money.  

Agreed... hell, screw it... I will say it. I don't think Zaire is as good as people seem to think just because of tackle numbers.