Imagine if there was a team that appeared in multiple finals during this span but ended up empty handed ππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππποΏ½οΏ½ππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ
TRIGGER WARNING for USA Republicans cheering for Folarin Balogun:
Born in Brooklyn.
To Nigerian parents.
Grew up in England.
Plays for #USMNT.
That's a lot of diversity, and that's what makes America great. πΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈ
So is this overpaying? Only if you think James is a slot corner. Heβs not - heβs the most versatile DB alive. 5 sacks, 94 tackles, All-Pro, playing every level of the defense. The $5.9M premium over a Harris-type deal is the price for everything else he brings. Thatβs fair.
Chris Harris Jr. was the gold standard. Peak in 2019: $12.05M on a $188.2M cap - 6.4% of the cap. Adjusted to the 2026 cap of $301.2M that equals $19.3M. James is at $25.2M - 8.37% of cap. Nearly $6M more cap-adjusted than the best slot corner in history ever made.
Derwin James: $25.2M AAV. Highest-paid safety in NFL history. οΏΌ But the AP named him slot corner All-Pro two years running. He played 385 slot snaps in 2024 and 351 in 2025. So letβs actually compare this to the history of slot corner money. π§΅
Mack is 35 on a one-year deal. Mesidor is a rookie. Tuipulotu IS the Chargersβ pass rush long-term. They have the cap space. Get it done before the season starts and the price goes even higher. #BoltUp
Slater and Alt back is the headline. The concern is everything between them. Strange is a first-round bust trying to resurrect his career. Biadasz is 9th-rated at center. Slaughter has never played guard in his life. A lot of front office faith in unproven pieces.
Slater and Alt healthy for training camp is the biggest story out of OTAs. Herbert took more hits than any QB last year without them. Two Pro Bowl tackles back for a full season with McDaniel calling plays. This changes the offense entirely.
Picture this. Super Bowl. Rams vs Chargers. Garrett wins DPOY on the most terrifying defense in football. Herbert second in MVP behind Stafford. On the biggest stage, the best pass rusher alive lines up across from Slater and Alt. He never gets there. RING ONE. #BoltUp