It appears that Donald Stephenson has improved his chances of making the Broncos’ roster. The tackle has agreed to a restructured deal, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, his $4MM salary for 2018 has been erased, Mike Klis of 9News writes.
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Full details of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that the revised contract will carry a smaller overall cap number, making him a stronger option to play behind starting left tackle Garett Bolles and right tackle addition Menelik Watson. The new pact will benefit Stephenson too, as the guaranteed portion of his deal has gone from $2MM to $2.5MM. He’ll also receive $750K for playing in 50% of the team’s snaps and another $750K if he reaches 70%.
This marks the second time this offseason that Stephenson has agreed to rework his deal. Originally on a three-year, $14MM deal, Stephenson modified the deal in March to lower his 2017 salary.
The veteran started 12 games at right tackle for Denver but graded out as the second-worst tackle in the league among qualifying players, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He was responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties.
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