Alterraun Verner: Sam Shields Contract May Push CB Beyond $10 Million
Jan 23, 2014; Honolulu, HI, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Alterraun Verner (20) at practice for the 2014 Pro Bowl at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Did the Green Bay Packers just price Alterraun Verner out of the Tennessee Titans’ price range? Pro Football Talk reports that Sam Shields, another borderline No. 1 cornerback who’s only one year older than Verner, has just re-signed on a four-year, $39-million contract. That’s $9.75 million per season.
Here were a few tweets concerning the re-signing. These tweets were either from fans or individuals who cover their respective teams.
With Shields deal, will likely take $10mil+ to get Verner. Probably not gonna happen at that price for Rams
— Ramblin' Fan (@RamblinFan) March 9, 2014
Packers may have just helped push Verner's demands above the Spielman limit.
— The Viking Age (@TheVikingAge) March 9, 2014
(The third tweet covers the Minnesota Vikings).
The Titans, Rams and Vikings are three teams who are considered among the most interested in Verner’s services. It’s interesting to see that people who cover them all had similar reactions to Shield’s new contract: they’re not confident that their teams will dish out double-digit per season money for the 2013 Pro Bowl cornerback.
Shields is another young cornerback who played second-fiddle in the Packers defense. Although Tramon Williams is considered as the No. 1 cornerback, Shields has progressed into an above-average cornerback who has the speed and athleticism to make up coverage errors. While he’s a good player, the immediate reaction appears that the Packers overpaid to keep one of the few positives on an average-at-best defense.
Another team who’s been placed among the interested: New York Jets. As of Feb. 26, the Jets had approximately 26 million cap space. NY Post writer Brian Costello suggests that a price tag of $10 million or more could scare them off. The Jets may need a replacement for Antonio Cromartie.
How does Shields stack up with Verner? Check out this tweet from Rotoworld senior football editor Evan Silva:
New $39 million man Sam Shields was @PFF's No. 52 corner in 2013, among 110 qualifiers. Grimes was No. 2. Vontae Davis 3. DRC 5. Verner 12.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 9, 2014
So the No. 52 cornerback gets 4 for 39. The No. 2 cornerback got 4 for 32. The No. 12 cornerback (Verner) will get…?
Things have gotten interesting. They’ll get very interesting when players can officially join other teams on Mar. 11.