NFL’s Fifth-Year Option Salaries For 2021
The NFL’s 2021 salary cap has been set at $182.5MM, marking the league’s first reduction in a decade. With that, the league has also ironed out the value of this year’s fifth-round option for 2018 first-round picks.
Here’s the full rundown, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter):
1. Baker Mayfield, Browns, QB — $18.858MM (playing time)
2. Saquon Barkley, Giants, RB — $7.217MM (1x Pro Bowl)
3. Sam Darnold, Jets, QB — $18.858MM (playing time)
4. Denzel Ward, Browns, CB — $13.294MM (1x Pro Bowl)
5. Bradley Chubb, Broncos, LB — $12.716MM (1x Pro Bowl)
6. Quenton Nelson, Colts, G — $13.754MM (2x Pro Bowl)
7. Josh Allen, Bills, QB — $23.106MM (1x Pro Bowl)
8. Roquan Smith, Bears, LB — $9.735MM (playing time)
9. Mike McGlinchey, 49ers, OT — $10.88MM (playing time)
10. Josh Rosen, Cardinals, QB*
11. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers, S (drafted by Dolphins) — $10.612MM (2x Pro Bowl)
12. Vita Vea, Buccaneers, DT — $7.638MM
13. Daron Payne, Washington, DT — $8.529MM (playing time)
14. Marcus Davenport, Saints, DE — $9.553MM
15. Kolton Miller, Raiders, OT — $10.88MM (playing time)
16. Tremaine Edmunds, Bills, LB — $12.716MM (1x Pro Bowl)
17. Derwin James, Chargers, S — $9.052MM (1x Pro Bowl)
18. Jaire Alexander, Packers, CB — $13.294MM (1x Pro Bowl)
19. Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys, LB — $9.145MM
20. Frank Ragnow, Lions, C — $12.657MM (1x Pro Bowl)
21. Billy Price, Bengals, C — $10.413MM
22. Rashaan Evans, Titans, LB — $9.735MM (playing time)
23. Isaiah Wynn, Patriots, OT — $10.413MM
24. D.J. Moore, Panthers, WR — $11.116MM (playing time)
25. Hayden Hurst, Falcons, TE (Drafted by Ravens) — $5.428MM
26. Calvin Ridley, Falcons, WR — $11.116MM (playing time)
27. Rashaad Penny, Seahawks, RB — $4.523MM
28., Steelers, S Terrell Edmunds — $6.753MM (playing time)
29. Taven Bryan, Jaguars, DT — $7.638MM
30. Mike Hughes, Vikings, CB — $12.643MM
31. Sony Michel, Patriots, RB — $4.523MM
32. Lamar Jackson, Ravens, QB — $23.106MM (1x Pro Bowl)
* Rosen was released from his original contract and, therefore, is not option-eligible
As a refresher, the fifth-year option year is now fully guaranteed. In the past, it was guaranteed for injury only. The values are also dependent on certain performance metrics:
- Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
- One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
- Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the 3rd-20th highest salaries at their position:
- 75%+ snaps in two of their first three seasons
- 75%+ average across all three seasons
- 50%+ in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will get the average of the 3rd-25th top salaries at their position.
Raiders Trade Trent Brown To Patriots
Trent Brown is going back to New England. On Tuesday morning, the Raiders agreed to trade the tackle and a 2022 seventh-round draft pick to the Patriots in exchange for a 2022 fifth-rounder (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Brown was due $14MM in salary, a sum that was too rich for the Raiders’ blood. It was set to be the third year of his massive four-year, $66MM deal, but last year’s setbacks gave them second thoughts. He started strong, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2019 as a right tackle. Then, two stints on the COVID-19 list limited him to just five games in 2020. When asked recently about Brown’s future with the team, Raiders GM Mike Mayock said the jury is “still out.” Now, Brown is out of town.
“When he’s healthy, he’s dominant,” Mayock said after the season ended. “And you’ve got to juxtapose that with his inability to play, week to week, over a two-year period. We’ve got to get a more consistent player. We think he’s the best right tackle in the league when healthy.”
The 27-year-old (28 in April) agreed to re-work his contract as a part of the deal. Instead of two years at $29.5MM, Brown will play on a new one-year, $11MM pact.
Brown enjoyed a tremendous season with the Patriots in 2018. That year, he started in all 19 regular and postseason games en route to a Super Bowl championship. Pro Football Focus was bullish on his performance too, ranking him 32nd among 80 eligible linemen.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/21
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: P Dom Maggio
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: DB Dallin Leavitt
New York Giants
- Released: WR Cody Core
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: DL Pat O’Connor
Raiders To Release Lamarcus Joyner
The Raiders will clear a sizable chunk of cap space Monday. They plan to release Lamarcus Joyner, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Previously rumored, this move will save Las Vegas $8.7MM. That would bump the Raiders to north of $10MM in cap space. Joyner marks the third key contributor the Raiders have parted ways with over the past few days, with starting guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito out the door as well. This news also comes after a report indicated the Raiders are shopping another of their big-ticket 2019 additions (Trent Brown). They have already cut fellow 2019 signee Tyrell Williams.
Signed to a lucrative deal two years ago, Joyner did not work out as a Raider. After excelling at safety with the Rams, Joyner moved to the slot primarily with the Raiders. Pro Football Focus graded him outside its top 80 corners in each of his two seasons with the Raiders, who will again enter a free agency period needing some coverage help.
Joyner has done well for himself financially over the past three seasons, playing on the franchise tag in 2018 and having signed a four-year, $42MM deal in the spring of ’19. Now 30, Joyner will have to settle for a less enticing salary in 2021 in order to continue his career.
Raiders, LB Nicholas Morrow Discussing Deal
The Raiders do not have many players left that predate Jon Gruden‘s return, but they have targeted one they would like to retain in free agency. They are in talks with Nicholas Morrow about a return, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.
A Division III success story who joined the team as a UDFA during Reggie McKenzie‘s GM tenure, Morrow has been a contributor at linebacker in each of his four Raiders seasons. If unsigned by March 17, he will be an unrestricted free agent. The Raiders gave Morrow a second-round RFA tender last year.
The 25-year-old defender is coming off his best season, one in which he started a career-high 11 games. Morrow also established benchmarks in tackles (78), tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (three). Pro Football Focus rated him as a top-30 off-ball ‘backer in 2020.
A Morrow re-up would be interesting, given the Raiders’ actions last year. They spent heavily at linebacker during the 2020 free agency period. They signed Cory Littleton to a lucrative deal and gave Nick Kwiatkoski a respectable pact as well. The Gruden 2.0-era Raiders have also added the likes of Tahir Whitehead, Vontaze Burfict, Brandon Marshall and Derrick Johnson. Only Whitehead played a big role among this contingent and is now elsewhere, but the franchise has been active in free agency at linebacker.
Las Vegas has Littleton and Kwiatkoski under contract in 2021; the two combine to count for more than $20MM on the Raiders’ 2021 cap sheet. It will be interesting to see if the team devotes notable funds to keeping Morrow.
Raiders To Release G Richie Incognito; Return Expected?
6:01pm: It is not out of the question Incognito returns to the Raiders on a new deal, however. The expectation is the veteran guard re-signs with the team on a lower-cost accord, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.
5:48pm: The Raiders are making big changes on their offensive line. Following a Gabe Jackson release, Las Vegas plans to cut Richie Incognito, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Incognito played well in 2019, when the Raiders ended the second of his NFL sabbaticals, and signed an extension late in that season. However, an early-season injury shelved the veteran guard in 2020. Incognito is believed to be healthy and wants to play in 2021, per Rapoport.
An Incognito release will save the Raiders $5.5MM. He was signed only through the 2021 season. The controversial O-lineman played only two games last season, suffering a foot injury that ended up requiring surgery two months later. The Raiders entered Friday with barely $3MM in cap space.
While Incognito is better known for his off-field reputation — the bullying scandal that led him out of Miami and out of the league for the 2014 and another incident that preceded him being out of football in 2018 and left him suspended to start his Raiders tenure — the 37-year-old blocker has been a productive player when available. Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-25 guard in every season he has played since 2010. Incognito made the Pro Bowl in each of his three Bills seasons — 2015-17 — and helped the Raiders’ 2019 O-line rate as one of the league’s best. That group has splintered this week.
In addition to releasing their Week 1 guard starters from last season, the Raiders are shopping right tackle Trent Brown. The player who took over for Incognito, Denzelle Good, is a free agent. Only left tackle Kolton Miller and standout center Rodney Hudson appear to be on solid ground among Las Vegas’ first-string blockers.
Mike Mayock: Raiders ‘Couldn’t Be Happier’ With Derek Carr
There’s been a lot of buzz this offseason, just like the last couple of offseasons, that the Raiders could move on from Derek Carr. That includes a report from about a month ago that a number of teams had called about Carr, and that Las Vegas was at least willing to listen on those calls. 
Nothing much has happened since then though, and Raiders GM Mike Mayock recently sought to squash the speculation. “I think Derek Carr has earned a lot of respect around this league from an awful lot of people,” Mayock told reporters this week, via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com.
“I think Derek Carr had his best year yet, under Jon Gruden. I think he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and we couldn’t be happier with him,” he continued. “If you’re asking me about Derek, I think Jon and I would both stand shoulder to shoulder and pound the table for Derek Carr.”
If you’ve followed the NFL for long enough you’ve probably gotten pretty good at parsing out what’s GM-speak and what’s real, and Mayock’s comments sounded pretty emphatic and borderline definitive. He definitely didn’t do the kiss of death hedge or the “he’s our quarterback right now” that have become so popular in recent years.
At this point it seems like if a Raiders quarterback is going to get traded it’ll be Marcus Mariota, not Carr. Mariota showed well during his brief appearance in place of an injured Carr late in the season, but although there was some interest at first those talks have reportedly cooled recently as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/3/21
Catching up on some minor moves from what has been a busy day as we all gear up for free agency:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: CB Jalen Davis, LS Clark Harris
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed ERFAs: OL Alex Bars, LB Josh Woods, LB James Vaughters, RB Ryan Nall, TE J.P. Holtz
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed RFA: LS Trent Sieg (to three-year extension)
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers from Texans: DB Mark Fields
Raiders Shopping T Trent Brown
This is turning into a seminal day for the Raiders’ offensive line. Shortly after their plans to release Gabe Jackson surfaced, the team is considering moving on from Trent Brown.
The Raiders have discussed Brown with other teams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. They signed the mammoth right tackle to a four-year, $66MM deal — then a record for right tackle deals — shortly after free agency began in 2019.
But Brown ran into issues on multiple fronts last year, limiting him to five games. When asked about Brown’s future with the team, Raiders GM Mike Mayock said the jury is “still out,” per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore (on Twitter).
In two Raiders seasons, Brown has played in 16 total games. He suffered a calf injury in Week 1 of last season but dealt with more extensive trouble soon after, landing on the Raiders’ reserve/COVID-19 list on multiple occasions. The 380-pound lineman tested positive for the coronavirus but was ready to return for a Raiders-Browns midseason game. He landed back on Las Vegas’ COVID list after requiring hospitalization in Cleveland; Brown passed out once at the hospital and needed several weeks before returning to action.
Brown became the rare right tackle to be voted to the Pro Bowl in 2019, with his signing helping elevate the Raiders’ offensive line. Although proven O-linemen annually attract major interest, Brown’s lucrative contract may be difficult to move after his two-season Raiders run.
The Raiders signed the former 49ers draftee after he played a key role in helping the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl title in 2018. Two seasons remain on Brown’s deal. The Raiders would save $14MM by moving on from Brown, who will turn 28 in April.
Raiders To Release G Gabe Jackson
The Raiders will move on from their longest-tenured offensive lineman. They are releasing seven-year starting guard Gabe Jackson, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
This will end a productive partnership, with Jackson having served as a Raiders starter from Day 1. The franchise drafted Jackson in the 2014 third round, where he joined Derek Carr and Khalil Mack as instant contributors from the draft class. His exit will leave Carr as the last man standing from that haul.
This is not a completely out-of-the-blue move, however. The Raiders shopped Jackson during the 2020 draft. By releasing him now, they will save $9.6MM in cap space. The team entered Wednesday slightly over the projected 2021 salary cap. Two seasons remained on the five-year extension Jackson signed in 2017.
Jackson had battled injuries in recent years, failing to make it through 16 games from 2017-19. But he bounced back and started all 16 Raider contests last season, helping Josh Jacobs to a second straight 1,000-yard season. Pro Football Focus has rated Jackson as a middling guard in recent years, after viewing him as a high-end blocker earlier in his career. Jackson, 29, still stands to generate interest on an open market that has been increasingly kind to proven O-linemen in recent years.
This has become a key day for the Raiders’ offensive front. They are shopping Trent Brown as well. At guard, however, Las Vegas has key questions after this Jackson development.
The Raiders played most of last season without Richie Incognito. He and Brown’s absences affected the O-line’s performance, with Jacobs being limited to 3.9 yards per carry. The Raiders used Denzelle Good as Incognito’s backup and drafted Clemson product John Simpson in the 2020 fourth round. Incognito is under contract for 2021, but the polarizing player will turn 38 this year and is coming off a significant injury. Good is a free agent.