Nnamdi Asomugha – Pay cut or no pay cut?

ESPN recently reported that Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was asked to restructure his contract by his team. But the question is, will he do it? Nobody knows exactly what thoughts are going through Asomugha’s head right now and as a result, let’s take a look at what could happen if he either takes the pay cut or doesn’t take it… Restructure: Philadelphia needs Asomugha to restructure his contract. Why? Because Asomugha, 31, is currently guaranteed to make $4 million this year, and could make as much as $15 million. On July 29, 2011, Asomugha signed a five-year, $60 millon dollar deal ($25 million guaranteed) with Philly.   Due to the large amount of money that Asomugha is owed, he should take the money if he cares about his team. Asomugha had 47 total tackles, 0 sacks, 1 interception, and 12 pass deflections this season. All in all, those aren’t the greatest numbers for a cornerback who in 2006 had 49 total tackles, 1 sack, 8 interceptions, and 19 pass deflections. In short, he doesn’t deserve what he’s earning anymore. Also, if Asomugha doesn’t accept the Philadelphia’s terms and gets released, it might be harder for him to ask for more money from teams based on the situation he would have just had with Philly. Don’t Restructure: As ESPN’s Skip Bayless said, Asomugha didn’t give himself that deal, the Eagles did. Asomugha used to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league. As a result, he deserved the money he is earning now at one point. There are plenty of cornerbacks in the league, but cornerbacks as good as Asomugha don’t end up as free agents very often. As a result, if Asomugha didn’t restructure his deal, he would either be kept by Philadelphia under his current deal or would end up as a free agent. The free agency part of this situation has both its positives and negatives. As stated earlier, if Asomugha ends up a free agent, teams might be hesitant to give him more money after he underperformed in Philly. At the same time, Asomugha is a rare cornerback that doesn’t end up in free agency often and as a result, he could command a bigger deal. Follow me on twitter: @MrLauterbachXLJ