Saints WR Chris Olave's Contract Is Already Considered a Bargain

The nature of exploding markets for position players in the NFL is fascinating. Getting a contract done earlier generally leads to great value for the team, as it extends the contract. Once a contract is signed for the highest in the NFL, the record stands for what feels like a minute before someone else signs the next record-breaking deal.

In the case of the New Orleans Saints, the extension of Chris Olave is already looking genius following the Baltimore Ravens extending WR Zay Flowers. 

Now, don't get me wrong, Flowers is a very good player. After back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, the Ravens locked in their best receiving weapon. However, Flowers place among the highest paid receivers is worth a double take. 

Flowers commands the same yearly salary as Justin Jefferson, who many believe is still the best in the NFL. The bottom four of the top ten are getting older. JSN, Chase, Jefferson, and Lamb all deserve their payday. London and Flowers can be debated, although both are extremely talented.

So, where is Olave on this list? At number 11 with an average salary of $ 31 million, Olave is just ahead of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Brandon Aiyuk, who doesn't currently have a team. 

Comparatively, Olave has played in five more games than Flowers (55-50) and caught over 50 more passes and exactly 600 more yards in their careers. Olave has five more touchdowns as well. The injury history for Olave is worth noting, but as a complete receiver, Olave is ahead of Flowers.

The extension settled on between New Orleans and Olave was a perfect deal for each side and only stands to age better as more contracts are signed in upcoming offseasons. Having your number one target locked in and the deal is a bargain is a win-win. It doesn't always work out that way, but it is further proof that both sides wanted this done and getting top dollar wasn't the main focus for Olave and his camp.