The NFL Owners have decided what  top-notch players are worth.  I always say that actions speak louder than words.  For a bunch of owners that have decided that the players are getting paid to much ( opting out of the CBA) their latest actions sure tell a different story  Here is the list of a few new contracts of highly touted players.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson : LT-    10 Million per year ( 6 years) with 38.4 Mil guaranteed

Brandon Marshall:  WR -   9.5 Mil per year ( 5 years) with 12.5 guaranteed ( 6 Mil subject to no league suspension in first two years)

Jahri Evans:  OG-   8 Mil per year ( 7 years) with  19 Mil guaranteed.

Patrick Willis:  LB-  10 Mil per year (5 year) with 29 Mil guaranteed.

DeMarco Ryans: LB- 8 Mil per year ( 6 year) with 21.7 guaranteed

Karlos Dansby:  LB-  8.6 per year ( 5 year) with  22 Mil guaranteed

DeAngelo Hall: CB - 9 Mil per year ( 6 years) with 22.5 guaranteed

Albert Hainesworth DT- 14.2 Mil per year ( 7 years) with 40 Mil guaranteed over 2years

Julius Peppers: DE- 15 Mil per year (6 years) with 40.5 Mil guaranteed  over three years

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady:  QBs- Each will receive something like 20 Mil per year with 50 Mil guaranteed over 2-3 years. These will be the highest contracts ever awarded in the NFL.

I write this article for those Viking fans out there that think AP, Sidney Rice, or  Chad Greenway who all have contracts coming up next year will somehow magically sign for contracts that are not in the 8-10 Mil per year range. Great players are worth a lot of money.

I also remind everyone that players like Ray Edwards are worth much much more than the lousy 2.5 Mil the Vikings paid him on his RFA tender.  Ray and a lot of the 200 other RFAs were really hurt by current CBA. These 200 players will not be easy to sign next year because they have some catching up to do.

I write this for those fans that think the Vikes should just go out and trade for a Vincent Jackson, Logan Mankins, Marcus McNeil, or  Sean Merriman.  Getting these players means paying them the going rate. The new going rate is high. Even with no salary cap there is a limit to what a good businessman will pay. Looking ahead it seems that the Vikes might have enough great players to pay now.  Getting more of these players seems unlikely.

If I could,  I would have the Titans management read this as a reminder that  they pay Chris Johnson $500,000 per year.  I would remind the Jets that they only pay Revis 1 Mil per year.  For these clubs to not pay the best players in the league what they are worth is laughable.

I try to be rational and consistent with my evaluations of the Vikings front office. I try and put things in perspective other than just shout "sign him".  Right now my perspective is that all owners value top notch talent except QBs in the 8-10 Mil per year range.  20-30 Million of each contract will need to be guaranteed.  These are the owners numbers not the players. This is what the owners have decided they can pay players.

When it comes time to pay our players please don't say one of them is asking to much.  They didn't set the market value.  The owners did.  When it comes time please just Pay the Men.