You say that "It can't really be compared to PF21 because the whole model is different". I think that's the problem to be fair though. I understand the model is different and yes it can be compared to '21. I can literally load a file in '22 and '21 and compared directly player to player as I have done. And contract demands are up 50% as a direct comparison of how the system has changed. The only tools we have is to drop the position maximums even more (most are around $18 million) but if you drop any more then the elite players are paid too low.
So to transfer the above discussion in NFL terms, here are the largest cap hits for WR for example. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/ca ... -receiver/
The top WR (or position max) has a $22 mil cap hit. Right now players in our league rated in the mid/upper 70s are getting 45% demands of the max. 45% of $22 million is $10 million. This $10 million number would make an NFL WR the 12th highest-paid WR. The upper 70s rated WR in our league is the 100th best WR. So we have the 100th best WR asking for 45% of the max essentially making it to where he is asking to be paid like the 12th highest WR.
Quite simply, the new system is up 50% from the prior system causing MAJOR game-breaking issues. career backup type players should not be asking for 45% of the MAX. Joey Bosa is paid $20 million a year. The 10th highest paid DE is paid $10 million. You can see high sharply NFL contracts decrease from the max. To me, contracts aren't a straight line depreciation from the max. There's a handful of stars getting paid MAX-type money and then a quick drop-off. The system in '21 I thought seemed to do a better job of looking at how comparable players is paid and having players demand that. Now the system doesn't seem to care one bit how comparable players are paid completely ignoring a leagues financial ecosystem.