I'm actually new to this "argument", but intrigued. Let me play.
While I wouldn't say that a team "Can't" win when a player takes up that kind of cap space, it CERTAINLY has to make it more challenging. You can certainly use my Bengals as a good measuring stick. Look at how much money they have spent in the past 3 seasons building the defense and o-line. METRIC BUTT TONS !!! Now look at what Burrow and Chase make on their rookie deals. 4 yrs/36.1mil and 4 yrs/30.8mil. A combined nearly 67 million for THOSE two ?? Compare that with what Rodgers and D. Adams get paid. 3yrs/150mil and 5yrs/141mil. A combined 291 million.
When it comes time to pay Burrow and Chase, which the Bengals will, where is that increase going to come from ?? Well, I can tell you now that T. Higgins will hit the free agent market and Boyd may or may not come back from the WR corps. Those big time contracts over the past 3 off seasons will be drastically cut. It will require the team to rely heavily on the draft and getting rookies to produce during their rookie contract, along with cheaper veteran players being brought in at a lower number.
It's not to say they can't make it happen at that point, but that was another BIG reason I wanted them to win the Super Bowl last year. That window can open and close quickly. Just my two cents, but certainly nothing I'm concerned in arguing.