'The Price Is Right,' NFC East edition
Bob Barker hosted "The Price Is Right" for 35 years. He died at the age of 99 on Saturday. To honor his legacy, we're naming those in the NFC East who are right on the money.
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Pollard, running back: Whether you believe NFL running backs are overpaid, underpaid or somewhere in between, there’s no denying Dallas got it right with Tony Pollard. Taking over for Ezekiel Elliott and playing under the franchise tag, Pollard will make $10,091,000 in 2023.
Barring a contract extension for someone like Jonathan Taylor, Pollard will enter the season as the NFL’s fourth-highest paid running back. With 1,378 total yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022, Pro Football Focus has Pollard rated as the league’s fourth-best running back.
With more carries on the horizon and free agency looming, both numbers should go up in 2024 if Pollard stays healthy.
New York Giants
Andrew Thomas, left tackle: The numbers aren’t quite as symmetrical for Thomas, but they’re close. His cap hit of $9,291,778 ranks first among offensive tackles for 2023, but factor in a signing bonus of $8,271,016 and Thomas’ average cash value drops him to second place.
ESPN.com ranks Thomas as the fourth-best tackle. PFF has him third. That’s close enough for us. Exact figures weren’t necessary on "The Price Is Right," so we’ll give Thomas a break.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts, quarterback: Even after signing a five-year, $255M contract extension in April, Hurts’ 2023 cap hit of $6,154,286 ranks 27th among NFL quarterbacks — but take the average of his entire contract, and his ranking jumps to No. 3.
Third place is exactly where Hurts landed on NFL.com’s Top 100 Players of 2023, one spot behind Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson and just in front of the 49ers’ Nick Bosa. PFF ranks Hurts as the fourth-best quarterback, but with Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow tying for first, Hurts technically has its third-best score.
Washington Commanders
The franchise: Some feel Joshua Harris, new owner of the Washington Commanders, overpaid with a record $6.05 billion to buy the team from Daniel Snyder, but demographically speaking, it’s a pretty good figure.
According to Sportico.com, Washington is the seventh-most valuable franchise in the NFL. Thanks to new stadiums and larger populations, teams in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas all remain more valuable than the Commanders.
Of course, if the franchise changes its losing ways, the team’s value will only go up. Given that Snyder was originally looking for $7 billion to sell the team, the Harris group can feel like it got a fair deal.
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