So, wait: why are centers cheaper than guards, again?

[Direckshun]

I have been thinking about this on my own time and haven't asked outwardly, but there's no obvious answer in my mind.

Why is it guards are being paid $20+m/season and Creed is about to reset the market at $16m, maybe $17m?

They handle the snap, which guards don't have to worry about, while also being an effective blocker. And you could argue that a player who can handle the snap and still get out in space is at least as valuable as a guard who doesn't have to snap the ball. You could argue, I think, that he's more valuable.

So what's the disconnect here? Are centers inherently less talented? Or is it simply a matter of centers aren't inflating the market as fast as guards are, and for no other reason? Are centers easier to replace?

Why is one of these positions considered less valuable when they have more responsibilities per snap than their wealthier neighbors?

[Ming the Merciless]

guards have to pull to one side or another , which requires more athletic & intelligence than just snapping

[Chris Meck]

Our centers are required to be able to move and pull, too, usually.

I think it's the 32 starting centers vs. 64 starting guards.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Hoover

50% less demand.

Thats actually a great question from Direckshun, who'd of thunk it?

But Hoover seems to have an excellent, short but sweet answer... it maybe doesn't cover all the bases, but certainly most of them

[Pitt Gorilla]

Average guards aren't going to get that insane money; elite guards will. If you were to compare an elite guard to an elite C, I think the pure athleticism and build be striking. They are simply different dudes.

[Holladay]

Are we talking about basket ball or football?

I read the thread and was thinking BB

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by sedated

Didn't we also win a SB with a street free agent at LT?

I wouldn’t really call Donovan Smith a street free agent. He was an established, Super Bowl winning LT who had been starting for almost a decade. Reiter was literally a league minimum scab we picked up off the scrap heap.

I see your point, though. Many people were uncomfortable just handing the LT job to Smith because he did seem washed. We were lucky enough to squeeze one last decent season out of him, but I definitely wouldn’t roll the dice like that again, and they clearly didn’t want to, either.

[Valiant]

I am sure it has been said.
But I assume getting a good center is about twice as easy as other lineman spots. Honestly unless he wants a discount it would be better to use that money elsewhere and just keep drafting rookies. Especially with mahomes mobility and escaping pressure. That 12mil a year difference between a rookie and vet could be used elsewhere at greater positions of importance.