Late last week linebacker Lavonte David signed a huge contract extension that certainly caught the attention of people. Playing at the generally underappreciated non-rush outside linebacker position, David not only set the market, he obliterated it. At just over $10 million a season David would earn nearly $1.6 million more a year than DeAndre Levy of the Lions and would earn more than all but three of the rush linebackers in the NFL. But sometimes numbers can be a bit deceiving and to some extent they are in this case. The David deal is a wonderful illustration of ways that a negotiator can build on other contracts and then find ways to improve the bottom line to make sure all sides leave happy. Continue reading Contract Showdown: David vs Levy »