We’re still a few weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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Today, we’ll be discussing T.Y. Hilton‘s value as he is in contract discussions with the Colts. Hilton, of course, is a very productive player, but he’s not the sort of prototypical No. 1 receiver that guys like Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas are. This offseason, Bryant and Thomas signed nearly identical deals with their respective clubs worth $70MM over five seasons. That comes out to an average annual value of $14MM, and Hilton is expected to look for at least that much on a new long-term pact.
While Hilton probably isn’t on the same level as Bryant and Thomas, there is something to be said for timing. With the salary cap growing each year, Hilton could have a case for a contract on the same level. There’s also something to be said for the Colts taking the “safe” route and locking Hilton up before he could potentially have the best season of his career in 2015, boosting his value even further.
What kind of a contract do you think the Colts should give to Hilton? Do you think he can match or come close to the deals given to Bryant and Thomas? Let us know in the comment section below!
Honestly, I think TY Hilton is a byproduct of the Colts’ system. Not to say he’s not a good player, but he certainly isn’t in the top echelon. TY will have a phenomenal year this year, I believe, but it will be brought on somewhat by Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. What this year should be is a trial for Philip Dorsett, and if he shows flashes of brilliance, allow him to flourish in the system without overpaying for TY.
I tend to agree with you, I think a lot of Hilton’s success comes from working in the Colts’ offense and having Andrew Luck as his QB. He’ll get paid for sure, but I don’t see him getting Thomas/Bryant cash.
I think T Y isn’t gonna put up the big numbers this year because the ball will be shared with Johnson, Fleener, Gore, Moncrief, Dorsett, Allen, and Boom. Numbers will be down. In the red zone you will see johnson, (Carter 6’5′) and Moncrief with Fleener and Allen. Might be good to wait and not over pay.
That’s a good point – Luck will have a lot of mouths to feed and that could hurt Hilton’s individual production and leverage. I think the presence of Philip Dorsett also gives them a whole lot of leverage too. If he has a breakout season then they can take a game of chicken pretty far w/ Hilton.
Heck no he shouldn’t get anywhere near what dex and dr are making. He’s a bum
He shouldn’t make $14MM AAV if that’s what those two are getting, no. But he’s certainly not a bum either.
As a Colts fan I would give him 5 yr/55-60m mil.
*dez *dt
As good as TY is, and he is good, he just isn’t a superstar receiver that should command quite as much money as those top-tier players.
Dez and Demaryius are big, tall, and strong freakish receivers who can work the entire field. They catch screens, slants, crosses, deep routes and more, with no discernable weakness in theor games. A.J. Green and Julio Jones are the same way.
Yes he benefits from Andrew Luck, but he would be extremely valuable anywhere in the league. He could settle as a more complete version of DeSean Jackson, but he isn’t in the same stratosphere as Antonio Brown. Good for him if he can get $14MM a year, but I thought the Randall Cobb deal would have been a better benchmark for Hilton, and I would rather have Cobb given he choice.
Their* games