Wise GMs don’t pay for past production.
What’s been accomplished will remain in the past, events that will be cherished in fond memories and nostalgic afternoons. Football, especially at the NFL level, is perpetually forward looking in its perspective. General managers who know what they’re doing respond accordingly, prioritizing future production in the contracts they assemble.
Stunningly, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handed out a major deal to Josh Oliver at the beginning of free agency. How much did it cost to convince the TE to move from Maryland to Minnesota? A 3-year, $21,000,000 deal is what did the trick.