NFL Playoffs: How Do Payrolls Translate To Postseason Appearances?
While football fans anxiously await the outcome of the AFC and NFC Championship games to see who has earned the right to advance to the Super Bowl, I was wondering how the uncapped 2010 season worked out for the teams that spent the most on their team payrolls.
Did the teams with the deepest pockets realize a good return on their investment? Where did the final four teams, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, rank on the payroll list?
Some of these results may surprise you, and some teams that were thought to be cheap, spent some serious dollars.
The list was generated from Altius Directory, so if you want to see a link, here you go: http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Sports/nfl-salaries.php
On with the list, and just for fun we will correlate every team rank on the list with the matching space on the Monopoly board game starting with Mediterranean Avenue and ending up with Advance To Go.
32. Mediterranean Avenue: Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
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Cheapest payroll in the NFL gets the first board property—Mediterranean Avenue, and the winner is: The Kansas City Chiefs.
Who says you have to break the bank to be a playoff team? The Kansas City Chiefs finished the regular season atop the AFC West with a record of 10-6. They spent $83 million on their payroll, by far the least amount spent of any team, according to the Altius Directory list.
They appear to be well positioned to spend some of the money they saved when the NFLPA agreement is completed, when free agency begins in earnest. Maybe if they spent a little more, they might have won their first round playoff game.
31. Baltic Avenue: Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
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Why is Coach Harbaugh yelling? Maybe he is asking the Ravens to open up the coffers and spend some of the profit on payroll.
The Ravens wound up with a $90 million payroll, which was the second cheapest in the NFL. With a regular season record of 12-4, the Ravens only had to spend $7.5 million for each win, which is mind boggling when you compare that figure to the amount that the Carolina Panthers spent for each of their wins.
So far, the two cheapest teams, both somehow managed to win a berth in the playoffs. Hmmmm. Noticing a trend here?
30. Reading Railroad: New England Patriots (14-2)
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For someone that made their fortune in the paper product business, you would think Robert Kraft would be able to fork over a little more cash to his players. New England Patriots finished with the best regular season record at 14-2, but had the third cheapest payroll with only $92 million on the books.
Maybe if the team had kept a few more veterans, instead of loading up on all the rookies, they would have been able to win their first playoff game this year. Oh well, think of the extra money Kraft can spend to make sure Tom Brady's surgery went well!
With respect to our Monopoly game, if you look closely at the fine print on the Reading Railroad card, you will see that the final stop is in North Reading, MA. Sorry, couldn't resist that one.
Yes, I know, three cheapest teams, all made the playoffs so far. So much for parody with respect to NFL budgets. Somebody call Roger Goodell quick.
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29. Oriental Avenue: Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
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How is it that the Indianapolis Colts wound up spending only $93 million on their payroll in 2010? Well, for one thing, Peyton Manning's new contract hasn't hit the books yet.
You would think that with all of the injuries the team suffered that they would have had to really dig deep to bring in more talent, but $93 million was where the buck stopped, at least as far as Indianapolis is concerned. Looks like Bill Polian did another wonderful job, working with a smaller payroll, but still found a way to get his team into the playoffs yet again. Is there a better General Manager in the NFL?
For those of you counting at home, that makes four straight playoff teams out of the four cheapest payrolls. Something doesn't seem to be adding up, does it?
28. Vermont Avenue: Green Bay Packers (10-6)
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Wow, that is unbelievable. Five of the 12 playoff teams with the cheapest payrolls in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers spent only $94 million on their team payroll in 2010. Maybe with all the money the Packers saved, the fans that own the team can all put in some more money to fill in the missing holes in their cheese head hats. Come on, those hats can't be that warm in December, going to games with the cold air coming off of the frozen tundra.
Maybe they were really saving up some serious payroll for a reserve fund, knowing that once Brett Favre really retired, there would be more law suits popping up from his prior years with the team. No, that couldn't really happen, could it?
27. Connecticut Avenue: Denver Broncos (4-12)
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Why are these men smiling? Their team only won four games all year long, and they spent the least amount of any team that didn't qualify for the playoffs.
The Denver Broncos 2010 payroll came in at $95 million, and it breaks the streak of the prior five teams that all made the playoffs. Does this mean that the Broncos are set to spend all kinds of money on free agents in 2011 to keep new coach John Fox happy?
Time will tell.
26. St. Charles Place: Detroit Lions (6-10)
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How fitting that the Detroit Lions wound up on St. Charles Place, just one more way to say thank you to Charles Rogers, for all the bountiful return he provided them on the big investment.
The Detroit Lions spent $95 million on their payroll in 2010. Maybe if some more Fords were sold, they could have brought some other high priced free agents besides Kyle Vanden Bosch to shore up the team.
The Lions may be turning a corner however, especially since Matt Millen left the team. How many drafts can one person botch in a row? The worst record of any team in NFL history over an eight year period. Millen should have donated all his Super Bowl rings to trade in for some better free agents. The faster that the Lions can become a winning team, the faster they can remove the legacy that Millen left behind.
25. Electric Company: Atlanta Falcons (13-3)
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The best regular season record in the NFC at 13-3 belonged to the Atlanta Falcons, who spent $96 million on their payroll in 2010. Such a shame that the Falcons along with the Patriots, the top two records for the season, made such a quick exit from the playoffs.
Atlanta appears to be well positioned to capitalize on the free agent market once the new NFLPA deal is signed. They appear to have a bright future ahead for their organization, so it is fitting that they wound up with Electric Company on the game board.
24. States Avenue: Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
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To have been the first modern era NFL team to go to the playoffs with a losing record is quite an accomplishment. The Seahawks at least wound up going over $100 million with their payroll, finishing the season at $102 million.
The Seahawks got a taste of the playoffs, along with the satisfaction of knocking out the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. The big playoff run by Marshawn Lynch should be sufficient to jack up ticket prices so the Seahawks can spend more money to find the talent that Pete Carroll needs to take the team to the next level.
23. Virginia Avenue: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6)
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Tampa Bay had a very nice turnaround season, as they attempt to get back to the playoffs. The Bucs spent $104 million on their payroll in 2010, which is far more than a buck an ear. Sorry again!!
They Bucs are a young team with a young coach that believes he has the best team in the NFL. If they make another leap in the standings next year, Raheem Morris may very well be correct.
22. Pennsylvania Railroad: Houston Texans (6-10)
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The Houston Texans can look up to the sky for a super hero to come to the rescue of their defense, or they can reach in to the coffers and sign some expensive free agents that will plug the holes. In 2010, the Texans did spend $108 million on their payroll, only to finish on a down note.
The Texans came in to the 2010 season as the sleeper pick to be part of the playoffs this year, but their defense was just so bad that they wound up with a losing season and serious questions remain if they can reach the playoffs in 2011 or not.
21. St. James Place: Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
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The 2010 Philadelphia Eagles spent $109 million on their roster, but it wasn't enough to realize any playoff wins this season. A bitter loss to Green Bay, and the NFC East Champions are now home to figure out what went wrong.
The big question mark for 2011 is the same as it was for 2010, who is going to be the starting quarterback?
From Donovan McNabb, to Michael Vick, to Kevin Kolb, the Philadelphia Eagles have been able to generate plenty of rumors, trade scenarios and headlines to keep the sports web sites churning.
20. Community Chest: Cincinnati Bengals (4-12)
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The Batman and Robin show came to an end. All good things must end eventually, right? How about the not so good? The Bengals ended the 2010 season with a team payroll of $109 million.
They brought in the high priced free agent Terrell Owens, but similar to what his recent history suggests, he is looking at another one year contract and done. In and out of town just like that. I wonder if the city of Cincinnati surrendered the key to the city like Buffalo did?
The Bengals have Marvin Lewis back for 2011, even though he thought he wouldn't return unless changes were made. Chad Ochocinco saw his contract picked up, and promptly started lobbying to play for other teams. Good thing that spring training is right around the corner, because the Reds are looking to repeat.
19. Tennessee Avenue: San Diego Chargers (9-7)
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A terrible start, a strong finish, and another year in the books for the San Diego Chargers. Somehow they need to get out of this rut they are in, because the end results stay the same.
The 2010 Chargers invested $111 million on their payroll, and that number would have been much higher if Vincent Jackson had not gone AWOL for the start of the season. Jackson's holdout allowed the Chargers to save some serious payroll, which they in turn can use to convince Jackson to stay with the team, once the CBA is done.
The Chargers were able to complete this awkward season due to the lengthy holdouts and emerged with a new personality. Gone are LT, Shawne Merriman, and probably others will follow as well. It is amazing that they could have the number one ranking on offense and defense as they did for so much of the 2010 season and not be a playoff team. You know the talent is there.
18. New York Avenue: Washington Redskins (6-10)
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It seems difficult to believe that the Washington Redskins team payroll in 2010 was only $111 million, With an uncapped year, owner Daniel Snyder had the ability to go out and find the most expensive free agents that he could possibly want to be part of his team.
Why, he could go out and bring in talents like Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth to lead his team on offense and defense, couldn't he? He could go out and hire the best coach that money could buy, Mike Shanahan, couldn't he?
He could find a way to make all of the pieces get along and work in harmony, couldn't he? Well, Mr. Snyder, there is always next year.
17. Kentucky Avenue: Carolina Panthers (2-14)
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In 2010, the Carolina Panthers spent $112 million on their payroll. For a team that went 2-14, that comes out to a whopping $56 million for each win. You have heard the term "expensive win" before, but that is taking it to the extremes.
The Panthers will have the first draft pick in April, and will be hoping that the new CBA agreement means that owning that lucky player won't set them back even further. The Panthers hope their first pick will go a long way towards turning this franchise around.
Carolina is the end of the bottom half of the list, now we start to get in to the high rent district, the top 16 payrolls in the NFL.
16. Indiana Avenue: Buffalo Bills (4-12)
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Ralph Wilson, the Hall-of-Fame Owner of the Buffalo Bills, has been widely regarded as one of the cheapest owners in the NFL. Yet, here we are, coming out an uncapped year, and there are the Buffalo Bills in 16th place, sitting there with a $113 million payroll. What gives?
Wilson freed up some money by not resigning Terrell Owens, and saw another expensive contract leave when Pro-Bowl lineman Aaron Schobel decided to retire and walk away from the millions he had coming to him. Brad Butler also retired, so think how much the payroll would have increased had both returned.
As it is, the Bills have a number of key free agents that saw their contract expire at the end of the season like Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner and Drayton Florence. General Manager Buddy Nix is trying to figure out how to best upgrade the NFL worst run defense. Does he trade down from the third overall pick or does he take the best available athlete approach like he did last year with C.J. Spiller? The Bills have been missing from the playoffs since 1999, and the fans want results.
15. Illinois Avenue: Miami Dolphins (7-9)
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In 2010 the Miami Dolphins spent $114 million on their payroll.
No matter how much money Dolphins owner Steven Ross spends on the new season, he is going to have a head coach in Tony Sporano looking over his shoulder. That of course is the end result of the widely publicized pursuit that Ross felt was needed to try to allure Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh to Miami.
It should be interesting to say the least to see how the players treat Sporano during training camp. Is he a lame duck, or will they feel like he is really in charge? Either way, there are some major fences that need to be mended, and whatever the payroll is, it may not be enough to smooth over all the problems.
14. B & O Railroad: New York Giants (10-6)
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When you go 10-6, you like your chances to be in the playoffs. The New York Giants spent $115 million on their 2010 team, only to be on the outside looking in when the playoffs started.
The Giants will be trying to convince defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to stay for one more year, when some team will surely hire him to be a head coach. Fewell appears to have gone 0-6 in head coach interviews during the off-season, and since Leslie Frazier was promoted, it may be Fewell's turn in 2012.
The Giants seem to have the talent but are in a tough division. Curious to see what free agents they try to bring in, but with a payroll already at $115 million, how much room will they have to maneuver with the new CBA, whenever it is completed?
13. Atlantic Avenue: St. Louis Rams (7-9)
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Owners of the most expensive rookie contract in quarterback Sam Bradford, the St. Louis Rams spent $116 million in team payroll in 2010.
The Rams have a young team that is on the rise, and can breath a sigh of relief that franchise quarterback Sam Bradford endured his rookie campaign without getting injured again.
Now, if they can continue to put some other key pieces in place to help Bradford out, the Rams may be headed in the right direction.
12. Ventor Avenue: New York Jets (11-5)
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I don't know if there actually is a Ventor Avenue in New York City, but if there is you know the apartment prices are out of sight.
The New York Jets, have made it back to the AFC Championship game for the second straight year, with a team payroll of $116 million for 2010. The Jets had to endure the holdouts of Darrelle Revis and Nick Mangold, but were able to figure out a way to make it all work.
The Jets have lots of momentum coming in to the game in Pittsburgh, so it remains to be seen if the Hard Knocks team makes it to the Super Bowl or not. We will all be watching.
11. Water Works: San Francisco 49'ers (6-10)
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What better team to occupy Water Works, then the city by the bay?
The San Francisco 49ers spent $118 million on payroll in 2010. The season, which was supposed to include a playoff trip, resulted in disappointment and a losing season. Out with Mike Singletary and in with Jim Harbaugh.
The 49ers hope that Harbaugh will be able to continue his hot streak and coach the 49ers back to the top of the NFC West, where a .500 record would have been good enough to win it all. Looking at the current shape of the NFC, maybe 8-8 next year will be good enough to win the division in 2011.
Now for the Top 10 payrolls in 2010.
10. Marvin Gardens: Chicago Bears (11-5)
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The Chicago Bears wound up in the top 10 in payroll in 2010, spending $120 million on their team. The Bears have their franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler, and brought in All-Pro Julius Peppers to give opponents more to worry about than Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Israel Idonije.
The strategy worked as the Bears will be hosting the Green Bay Packers for the 2010 NFC Championship game this weekend.
The Bears have a tenacious defense as usual, so if they can keep the defense in tact, and find a way to keep improving their offense, they should be back for another playoff run in 2011.
9. Go To Jail: Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
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The Jacksonville Jaguars made a run at the playoffs in 2010, but just fell short. For their trouble, they spent $122 million on the 2010 payroll.
Jack Del Rio looks like he is still going to be back for another year. He still doesn't think his quarterback David Garrard is elite, and we don't know what his honest opinion is of back up Trent Edwards, but it can't be very positive.
The Jaguars are still in Florida and remain one of the more enigmatic teams in the NFL. By the way Jaguars fans, nothing personal about the "Go To Jail" card. It just is what came up for your slot going around the board. You are not being accused of taping other team's practices, of forming an illegal wall along the sidelines to trip the gunners, or anything like that. Hope we have cleared up the record on that.
8. Pacific Avenue: Arizona Cardinals (5-11)
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Derek Anderson must like playing in Arizona, because he can golf all year long. Couldn't do that in Cleveland, so you would think he should be happier, unless it was a bad tee shot. Oh well, I have seen enough of his passes to not be surprised by anything he does off of the tee.
The Arizona Cardinals spent $122 million on their 2010 payroll. They no longer have to worry about big contracts to Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart or Anquan Boldin, but still found a way to spend $122 million. And to think that I thought Cardinal's owner Bill Bidwill was another cheap owner like Ralph Wilson. Sometimes it takes awhile to break common public opinion.
Fore!!
7. North Carolina Avenue: Tennessee Titans (6-10)
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The Tennessee Titans spent $126 million on their team payroll in 2010. The Titans were thought to be another team ready for the playoffs like San Francisco and Houston, but all three came up short in 2010.
The Titans have the never-ending saga of Vince Young versus Jeff Fischer to put to bed once and for all. Bud Adams stopped giving fans of other teams the bird, but defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil picked up the slack for him. Now, he is also looking to be out the door, as he is going to be relieved of his duties.
Well, at least the Titans were able to convince Chris Johnson to come to terms when he held out earlier this year. Everything is not doom and gloom, is it Titan fans?
6. Pennsylvania Avenue: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
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Going around the Monopoly board, we next come up to Pennsylvania Avenue, and lo and behold, who is next on the payroll drum roll list but the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can I get a Terrible Towel wave from the crowd?
The 2010 Steelers are hosting the New York Jets this weekend for the AFC Championship game. The Steelers spent $128 million on the payroll and whatever else they had to dole out to the various lawyers to keep Ben Roethlisberger on the playing field. Big Ben appears to have cleaned up his act, so bravo to him for a little overdue maturity. Better late than never, right?
The Steelers organization does things the right way and they continue to excel on the field. Looking forward to seeing what happens this weekend, and if they can return to the Super Bowl one more time.
5. Short Line Railroad: New Orleans Saints (11-5)
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Fresh off of their Super Bowl win, the New Orleans Saints tried to keep the 2009 team together as best they could. They spent $131 million to land them the top five of NFL payrolls.
The Saints found out what prior Super Bowl Champions have learned before them; it is difficult to repeat. The Saints at least qualified for the playoffs, but a loss to the 7-9 Seahawks on the road still has to be considered to be a disappointing end for the defending champions season.
At least they don't have far to go to find a place to drown their sorrows. By the way, Mardi Gras is 45 days away and counting, in case you were wondering.
4. Park Place: Cleveland Browns (5-11)
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This is another team that caught me by surprise. When you think of teams shelling out big bucks, the Cleveland Browns don't spring to mind, but here they are, sitting at the number four slot with a team payroll in 2010 of $131 million.
Park Place in Cleveland? Time to re-examine the landscape of the NFL. The Browns have a young quarterback they like in Colt McCoy. It appears that as of today they are going with Dick Jauron as their new defensive coordinator, so that should be interesting.
Having watched Jauron in more press conferences as the Buffalo Bills head coach than I care to admit, it will be interesting to see if he shows more emotion in this role, or if the stoic one returns. Bills fans know what I am referring to.
3. Luxury Tax: Minnesota Vikings (6-10)
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Brad Childress, Brett Favre, and Randy Moss. Those are some of the names of story lines that frequented articles involving the Minnesota Vikings in 2010. For much ado about nothing, it is therefore appropriate that the Vikings find themselves squarely on the Luxury Tax space. You are welcome Zygi Wilf. Wonder if there will be a special audit as well?
The Vikings took a team that was supposed to contend for the NFC Championship, and found a way to turn it into a losing season. Brad Childress coddled Brett Favre all off-season and probably lost the team due to all of the hand holding.
The Vikings have a good coach in Leslie Frazier and the addition of Mike Singletary to the defense should keep things on the up and up. Too bad the team is aging to the point that they might have to break the thing apart and build it back up again.
2. Boardwalk: Dallas Cowboys (6-10)
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Boardwalk and Jerry Jones. Beautiful. Guess that is kind of fitting after all. The Cowboys owner builds his new stadium, hosts the Super Bowl game, and his Cowboys come up 6-10. Somehow that is poetic justice if I ever saw it.
No wonder Jerry is holding his head. Maybe he should have his head examined and fire himself as General Manager and bring in someone that actually knows what they are doing. If not, go ahead and spend $146 million on your team next year, which is what the Cowboys spent in 2010. That was good for number two. If you are wondering who is number one, there is only one other owner that would probably want to be thought of as on a par with Jerry Jones. Can you guess who?
1. Advance To Go: Oakland Raiders (8-8)
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Al Davis spent $152 million in 2010 on his 8-8 team. He clearly saw no problem in taking advantage of the no cap year to put together the best team that money could buy.
When you look at the current pictures of Al Davis, you have to wonder if it is time for him to bring in someone else to run the team. Sure Davis has made some strange moves over the years, but there is a nice collection of talent in Oakland that is in place. Too bad that he had to fire Coach Cable, who seemed to be turning things around in Oakland.
So, there you have it. If we look at the overall dollars spent compared to teams in the playoffs, it breaks down like this:
Most Expensive Payrolls (1-10)—three playoff teams—New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Chicago
Next 10 Most Expensive (11-20)—one playoff team—New York Jets
Bottom 12—Least Expensive Payrolls—eight playoff teams—Philadelphia, Seattle, Atlanta, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New England, Baltimore, and Kansas City.
I think the final blurb—eight playoff teams among the bottom 12 payrolls is an eye-opening result. It shows that organizational strength, good general managers, pro personnel and coaching staffs can be the bigger factor over buying good players. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and sometimes you don't. On to the new collective bargaining agreement to see what 2011 has in store.
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