Nicolas Cage's name added to Best Actor debate

Nicolas Cage is a good actor. He has proven so in fine performances such as Leaving Las Vegas ( Oscar win ) Adaptation, Moonstruck, Raising Arizona and Matchstick Men to name several. But lately he has been doing " pay for play " films, one after another like he is on a record setting pace for film releases by one actor. His itinerary is booked years in advance. Hence, a lot of sleep walking roles as of late.
He will next be seen in a collaboration with the eccentric German filmmaker, Werner Herzog in The Bad Lieutenant. His performance will require him to play a coked out, dangerous detective, in a obvious over the top manner. Herzog is a gonzo, fearless filmmaker, that seems to be able to get good performances from his actors... Klaus Kinski, Kaspar Hauser, Christian Bale for example, and he seems to have pulled a good one from Cage as well.
Several critics have lauded the film and his performance.
My analogy is that the Best Actor category is a pretty crowded one now, with Jeff Bridges, Tobey Maguire ( category placement confusion for his role ? ) and Cage's name also tossed into the debate. I say the more the merrier. It's better to have a competitive field than a weak one, as it seems like this year in the Best Actress category with two no-names ( one a first time actress no less ! ) leading that particular category.