Arizona Cardinals made initial low offer to Michael Wilson

The Arizona Cardinals and receiver Michael Wilson agreed to a three-year contract extension worth a reported $75 million. He gets paid in line with other receivers with similar production. However, it was a long process and, as the Cardinals did with tight end Trey McBride last year before he agreed

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What is the story about?

The Arizona Cardinals and receiver Michael Wilson agreed to a three-year contract extension worth a reported $75 million. He gets paid in line with other receivers with similar production.

However, it was a long process and, as the Cardinals did with tight end Trey McBride last year before he agreed to a deal worth $19 million per year, they started with a ridiculously low offer.

According to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, the Cardinals' original offer was about $10 million less than the deal that was agreed to.

So they offered Wilson about $15 million per year initially. Depending on when that first offer was made, it is ridiculously low.

If that offer came right after the start of free agency when Wan'Dale Robinson got an average of $17.5 million per year

from the Tennessee Titans after four seasons with the New York Giants and cracking 1,000 yards for the first time after never reaching 700, then it would have made sense.

However, if it came after the Green Bay Packers gave Christian Watson, who has never even had a 700-yard season and has not caught more than 41 passes in a season, a deal worth $23 million per season, then the Cardinals were lowballing a player again.

Once that deal came, Wilson shouldn't have been paid less than that.

The Cardinals originally offered McBride $12 million per year after he had a 111-catch season, nowhere near what top tight ends were getting paid. Eventually, they agreed to a deal worth $19 million per year.

Weinfuss noted that the Cardinals increased their offer incrementally in small amounts, which is why it took months.

The Cardinals have long had a reputation of being "cheap." The way negotiations have gone with McBride, Wilson and presumably quarterback Jacoby Brissett, this isn't helping them overcome that reputation.

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