Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Yeah that was the issue, it was the best deal among teams willing to give him that big extension.

Did Oakland overpay him?  Sure.  But that always gets a bad label, and it's not necessarily a bad thing.  They have guys on rookie contracts, and 4 of the first like 34 picks in the draft, so they can afford to overpay for guys.  They might sign Bell too, and overpay him.  But they'll have them.  Then in 3 years, when they have to start paying their guys, they'll cut Bell and Brown.  No harm done.

Not sure I buy that "they don't have the money" argument. Mark Davis could get a loan from anyone and anywhere to raise capital if need be. That team is worth at least $3 billion. At least. If the freaking Clippers of the NBA went for $2 billion on the open market, no doubt about it the Las Vegas Raiders would go for much more. NFL teams are infinitely more valuable than NBA teams, no matter the market. Raiders are probably worth even more now that they are moving to Las Vegas and getting a brand new $1.8 billion stadium.
They made out like bandits trading Cooper- don't think that was anything to do with money. That was to do with his poor declining performance and fleecing the Cowgirls and Jerry Jones for a 1st round pick. I'd have never traded Mack in a million years- but when you pay one defensive player that much money it really starts to hamper the roster. You only pay a franchise QB that kind of money. They made the right choice in the long run, I think.

I don't think they over-paid Antonio Brown at all. His cap # averages out to $16 million a year I think. Actually think it was a great move for them. He's as elite as it gets at his position. Even with his new contract they'd only be #3 in the NFL at spending on WR's in 2019 as it stands right now.

Yes- he's a diva. But Mike Tomlin isn't a real coach and Ben Roehtlisberger is the biggest douchebag piece of shit in maybe the history of sports. I'd bet that Brown will get along much better with Gruden and Carr. Gruden demands respect, he's not trying to be your homeboy like Tomlin is. And Carr is actually a good guy, he's not a sniveling cumstain of a human being like Big Ben is.

What I don't understand is where Oakland is getting the money to pay him at all? 

Eh, he's a terrible human being, but he's a talented one.  Carr sucks.  Most of the top QBs are just such easily dislikable bad people, Ben, Rodgers, Brady, etc... but they win.  Carr might be nice, but that doesn't help you when he airmails another one 5 feet over your head.

Derek Carr has had his ups and downs, but he definitely does not suck. He had no help at all last year. Carr is still young, only 26, with big upside still ahead of him. Give him AB and sign LBell and he'll take off imo.
Gonna have to disagree big time on the second part. Rodgers is a little whiny bitch whose teammates don't like him, but even he is a FAR CRY from Big Ben. Big Ben is probably the biggest piece of shit in the history of the NFL.