2018 NFL Contracts Explained

Here I’m going to look at the current yearly value for a player in each position. I’ll give examples of recent contracts and speculate, just before we move in to free agency, what ransom the player’s agents should be pitching in at.

The salary cap has been increased again so we should see a rise in the asking price for players at all positions.

QUARTERBACKS

Franchise QB – 27m-33m per year

Drew Brees just signed a 2yr 60m (ave 30m) contract to stay with the Saints, Jimmy Garappollo signed a 5yr, 137.5m (ave 27.5m) contract earlier in the year. Kirk Cousins may well blow these two contracts out the water

Starter – 20m per year

Sam Bradford just signed a 1yr, 20m contract with Arizona

Vet Back-Up – 3.5m-5.5m per year

Nick Foles signed a 2yr, 11m contract with the Eagles last year, that didn’t work out so bad did it? Other vet backups, such as Geno Smith and EJ Manuel were signed to contracts average around 1.2m per year but for a top level back up you’d have to pay a good deal more.

1st Rd Rookie – 4.5m-9m per year

Mitch Trubisky was signed to a 4yr, 29m contract last year as the #2 pick, Pat Mahomes was taken 10th overall and received a 4yr, 16.4m contract. This year’s first rounders project to make a little more depending on their draft position.

RUNNING BACKS

Workhorse – 5m-6.5m per year

Eddie Lacy received a 1yr, 5.5m contract last year from the Seahawks, Latavius Murray got a 3yr, 15m contract from Minnesota. Top quality backs don’t tend to reach free agency and there aren’t really any available this year. Jonathan Stewart, Adrian Petersen and DeMarco Murray are currently unsigned but they should not received too much money given their age. If Leveon Bell, for example, reached free agency then he should get in excess of 12m per annum.

Change of Pace – 3m-6.5m per year

Dion Lewis is an intriguing change of pace back available in this year’s free agency, he should be looking for money upwards of 6m per year. Danny Woodhead, just release by Baltimore got a 3yr, 8.8m contract last year.

Vet Back-Up – 1.5m-3m

New England signed a pair of committee backs in 2017, Mike Gillislee signed a 2yr, 6.4m contract and Rex Burkhead signed a 1yr, 3.2m contract. Both contracts are on the high side for back up type runners so I’m pitching the max at 3m.

1st Rd Rookie – 3m-7.5m per year

Leonard Fournette got a 4yr, 27m contract last year and Saquon Barkley should eclipse that.

Full Back - 1.5-3m per year

One of the best Full Backs, Anthony Sherman, just signed a contract extension with the Chiefs but I don’t know the detail of that yet. In 2015 he signed a 3 yr, 7m contract.

RECEIVERS

Top End Receiver – 13m-18m per year

Davante Adams signed a 4yr, 58m contract to stay in Green Bay late last year. Alshon Jeffrey, arguably a better receiver than Adams, is on a 4yr, 52m contract. Allen Robinson has just signed with the Bears with a 3yr, 42m contract and Sammy Watkins with the Chiefs at 3yr, 48m. I don’t yet think we’ve seen the peak of receiver contracts this year.

Deep Threat – 8m-12.5m per year

Paul Richardson has just signed a 3yr, 42m contract to join the Redskins. Last year, former Redskins receiver Desean Jackson signed a 3yr, 35m contract with the Buccs. Jackson is about as good as you get as a deep threat so I’ll add a little bit to the max figure to cover inflation.

Slot Receiver – 6m-10m per year

Miami has signed just signed two ‘slot’ receivers in Albert Wilson 3yr, 24m and Danny Amendola 2yr, 12m. Former Fin, Jarvis Landry, was looking for upwards of 13m per year but that’s too high for a slot guy.

Back-Up – 2m-5m per year

Andre Holmes signed a 3yr, 5.5m contract with the Bills in 2017. Holmes caught 13 passes so wasn’t factored in the pass game too much. Some teams play a lot of 3 or 4 receiver sets so the price may vary for a supposed back up depending on scheme but, generally, you wouldn’t want to pay more than 5m per year

1st Rd Rookie – 3m-7m per year

Corey Davis was the first receiver taken in the 2017 draft and received a 4yr, 25.5m contract. Davis was taken 5th overall by the Titans but it doesn’t seem like there is a receiver in this year’s draft that will be taken so high

TIGHT ENDS

Top Level – 6.5m-8.5m per year

Trey Burton just signed a 4yr, 32m contract with the Bears. In 2016, Travis Kelce inked a 6yr, 46.8m contract with the Chiefs. If a player like Kelce or Rob Gronkowski became available now, given that Burton is not a top level tight end, they could possibly push 10m per year

Pass Catching – 4m-7m per year

Cameron Brate just resigned with the Buccaneers on a 6yr, 41m contract. In 2017, Jermaine Gresham signed a 4yr, 28m contract with the Cardinals

Stop the Press; Jimmy Graham has signed with the Packers (contract unknown)

Blocker – 2.5-3.5m per year

Blocking Tight Ends are hard to find these days. One of the best, Anthony Fasano, signed a 1yr, 3m contract with Miami last year

Vet Back-Up – 2m-3m per year

Ryan Griffin signed a 3yr, 9m contract with the Texans last year. Teams really don’t want to be investing heavily in their #2 Tight End unless they mainly play 2TE sets. Luke Willson got a 1yr, 3m contract in Seattle to back up Jimmy Graham.

1st Rd Rookie – 1.8m-3m per year

OJ Howard signed a contract with the Buccs paying nearly 3m per year after being drafted #19 in 2017. I can’t see any tight end going that high this year

OFFENSIVE LINE

Franchise Tackle – 11m-15m per year

Russell Okung signed a 4yr, 53m contract last off-season with the Chargers. Andrew Whitworth signed a 3yr, 33.8m contract with the Rams. Both of those players are top left tackles but someone like Joe Thomas on the open market would surely command 15m per year.

Right Tackle/Swing Tackle – 2m-11m per year

I just realised this covers quite a large spectrum of player. Ricky Wagner signed a 5yr, 47.5m contract with Detroit in 2017 to make him one of the highest aid right tackles in the league. Players such as Andre Smith at Cincinnati and Jordan Mills at Buffalo could only get contract paying approximately 3m and 2m per year respectively.

Top Interior Lineman – 7m-13.5m per year

Andrew Norwell has just signed with the Jags on a 5yr, 66.5m contract and, as the best interior lineman available in this year’s free agency, that is a perfect marker for the going rate. Last year Kevin Zeitler got a 5yr, 60m contract from the Browns so we’ve moved on a little.

Versatile Interior Lineman – 3m-7m per year

Steve Wisniewski got a 3yr, 9m contract off the Eagles last year. Zach Fulton, in this year’s free agency is expected to be signed for roughly 7m per year.

1st Rd Rookie Tackle – 2m-3m per year

Garrett Bolles signed a 4yr, 11m contract with the Broncos last year as the #20 pick. The first tackle off the board this year could be just outside the top ten and would get around a 4yr, 12m deal.

1st Rd Guard/Center – 1.5m-3m per year

The first interior lineman taken last year was Forrest Lamp by the Chargers at #38, he got a 4yr, 6.9m contract. Quenton Nelson is expected to be a top ten pick so he should get around 3m per year.

PASS RUSHER

High Level Pass Rushing End – 13m-18m per year

In 2016 the Giants set the benchmark by giving Olivier Vernon a 5yr, 85m contract they followed that up by giving Jason Pierre-Paul a 4yr, 62m contract in 2017. We haven’t yet seen a big contract given to a pass rusher in 2018 but, if a top pass rusher became available they’d be searching for at least 15m per year.

High Level Pass Rushing OLB – 8m-17m per year

Jabaal Sheard signed a 3yr, 25.5m contract with the Colts in 2017 but he’s not an elite pass rushing linebacker. Chandler Jones, an elite linebacking rusher, is on a 5yr, 82.5m contract.

Situational/Back-Up Pass Rusher – 3m-5m per year

Connor Barwin has just come off a 1yr, 3.5m contract with the Rams as a situational rusher. Pass rushers, as back ups, would command more money than most reserves given their importance on 3rd downs.

1st Rd Rookie Pass Rusher – 2.5m-9m per year

Myles Garrett, taken #1 overall in 2017 by the Browns, got a 4yr, 30.5m contract. Derek Barnett, taken #14 by the Eagles, got a 4yr, 12.9m contract.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

High Level Defensive Tackle – 10m-19m per year

Ndamukong Suh’s contract makes this difficult but he’s soon to be a free agent again although I can’t see him topping the 19m a year Miami gave him in 2015.

Nose Tackle – 6.5m-11m per year

Brandon Williams, one of the best nose tackles in the league, got resigned by the Ravens on a 5yr, 52.5m contract last year. Dontari Poe was signed to a 1yr, 8m contract as an above average starter. Teams may not want to pay these guys too much given that they generally are only 2 down players.

3-4 End – 3m-15m per year

Again, a massive variance in pay here. Calais Campbell, the best of his type, got 15m per year off the Jags. Lawrence Guy, got a 4yr, 13.5m contract from the Patriots as a decent starter level performer. Campbell is the exception as you’d generally not be wanting to pay over 10m for an end in a 3-4 scheme.

Rotational Lineman – 1m-4m per year

This depends on the team and how much they like to rotate their d-line but they’re not going to want to overpay for a 2nd/3rd string lineman. Frostee Rucker signed a 1yr, 1.1m deal with the Cardinals last year so he’s a good example of a veteran player, in a rotational role, signed to a low end contract.

1st Rd Rookie – 2.5m-7m per year

Solomon Thomas got a 4yr, 28.2m contract last year as the #3 pick. Vita Vea projects to be the first d-lineman taken this year at around the #10 spot so should get approximately 4m per year.

LINEBACKERS

High Level Inside LB – 6m-11m per year

Anthony Hitchens has just signed a contract paying him 9m per year with the Chiefs. Last year, Lawrence Timmons signed a 2yr, 12m deal with the Dolphins. Both players aren’t in the elite category so around 11m looks like the max level.

Starting Weak/Strong Side LB – 4.5m-10.5m per year

The 49ers paid Malcolm Smith over 5m per year from last year. At the higher end, New England gave Donte Hightower 43.5m over 4yrs. Nobody projects to get paid higher than Hightower this year so I’ve set the max at 10.5m

Vet Back-UP – 1.5m-3m per year

Paul Worrilow signed a 1yr, 3m contract with Detroit last year, he’s a borderline starter and you wouldn’t really want to pay a back up linebacker more than 3m per year.

1st Rd Rookie – 2m-4.2m per year

Jarrad Davis got a 4yr, 11m contract after last year’s draft as the #21 pick. At least 2 linebackers project to be taken higher in this year’s draft and they both should command upwards of 3m per year.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Shutdown Corner – 12m-18.5m per year

Richard Sherman has just signed with the 49ers on a 3yr, 39m deal. Last year, AJ Bouye signed a 5yr, 67.5m contract as one of the best, young corners in the league.

Starting Corner – 5m-12m per year

Morris Claiborne signed a 1yr, 5m contract with the Jets in 2017, Brandon Carr signed a 4yr, 23.5m contract. Both are average starters but, given the importance of the position, average starters can sometimes be overpaid.

Nickel Corner/Vet Back-Up – 2m-4.5m

I’ve lumped these two types of player together as they are generally going to see the same type of pay-day. Nolan Carroll got a 3yr, 10m contract from Dallas last year as a decent back-up/spot starter

Starting Safety – 3.5m-12m per year

Reshad Jones signed a 5yr, 60m contract with the Dolphins last year to make him one of the highest paid safeties with a 12m per year average. Safeties, generally, are one of the cheaper positions in the NFL hence the broad range of possible wage.

Vet Back-UP Safety – 1m-4m per year

Bradley McDougald just signed a 3yr, 14m contract with the Seahawks, he is a borderline starter and may well be for the Hawks this year. His contract therefore shows the high end of the back up range.

1st Rd Rookie Corner – 2.5m-4m per year

Marshon Lattimore, one of the best defensive rookies in 2017, was taken at #11 and got a 4yr, 15.5m contract. Around the 10-20 spots in the first round of this year’s draft is where we expect to see Cornerbacks taken so they should look for approx. 4m again.

1st Rd Rookie Safety – 2m-5.5m per year

Jamal Adams got a 4yr, 22.25m contract from the Jets after being selected #6 in last year’s draft. With Safeties Fitzpatrick and James being projected at a similar level this year, we could see them with the same contract as Adams.

#nfl #2018NFL #NFL #NFLContracts