2016 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB
Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR
Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT
Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB
Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR
Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G
Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR
Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR
Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT
Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE
Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB
Jets: Brian Winters, G
Lions: Larry Warford, G
Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S
Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB
Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE
Rams: T.J. McDonald, S
Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT
Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT
Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE
Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR
Titans: Brian Schwenke, C
Washington: Jordan Reed, TE
Raiders Announce New O.Co Coliseum Deal
5:28pm: Davis called the deal a “win-win situation,” according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “It gives us an opportunity to work on a permanent facility here in Oakland,” Davis said. “It gives us some certainty for this season as well as flexibility for the next two seasons. . . . My heart is here in Oakland.”
Davis also hired real estate executive Larry MacNeil, per Smith, to assist in negotiations for a long-term stadium deal in Oakland. MacNeil previously aided the 49ers in their move into Levi’s Stadium
5:18pm: Options for 2017 and 2018 are part of this agreement, Bair reports (on Twitter). The Raiders have played on one-year options for the past two seasons. This furthers the team’s flexibility as it searches for a long-term stadium solution in the Bay Area and elsewhere.
5:13pm: The team announced the agreement, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Bair notes the Raiders will pursue other options for their long-term future during this span. Sources told the Bay Area reporter the team will take an extensive look at San Diego if the Chargers decide to join the Rams in Los Angeles.
3:58pm: The Raiders will announce a new one-year agreement with O.co Coliseum today, Albert Breer of the NFL Network confirms (Twitter link).
2:00pm: The Raiders will make an announcement on the future of the franchise later this afternoon, according to a press release issued today (Twitter link via Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News). While it hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, the team is expected to announce – at 3:00pm pacific time – that it has reached an agreement to extend its lease for at least one year at Oakland’s O.co Coliseum.
[RELATED: Raiders expect to play in Oakland in 2016]
Once the Rams’ Inglewood stadium project was approved, with the Chargers getting first dibs to join Stan Kroenke‘s team in Los Angeles, it left the Raiders in limbo for the time being. The Raiders will get the opportunity to join the Rams in L.A. a year from now if Dean Spanos and the Chargers turn down that option and remain in San Diego. But for the short term, Mark Davis doesn’t have many viable options outside of renewing his lease with O.co Coliseum and remaining in Oakland for now.
We heard a couple weeks ago that the Raiders were discussing a short-term lease with O.co Coliseum and the city of Oakland. However, the club has also been exploring possible relocation options. Davis recently paid a visit to Las Vegas, where a plan for an NFL stadium has been proposed, and San Antonio is said to be courting the Raiders as well. If the Chargers end up relocating to Los Angeles in 2017, the Raiders also figure to consider San Diego as a potential long-term home.
Assuming today’s announcement isn’t a total shocker though, it appears the Raiders will spend at least one more season in Oakland. If the team reaches a short-term lease agreement with O.co Coliseum, that deal will likely feature an option year or two, notes Bonsignore (via Twitter). That would give the franchise some flexibility in 2017 and beyond as Davis considers all his options, and would lock in the price of rent for the short term.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Justin Tuck Announces Retirement
FEBRUARY 11: During an appearance on Big Blue Kickoff Live, Tuck said he plans to sign a one-day contract to retire as a Giant, tweets Lance Medow of the Giants’ Radio Network.
FEBRUARY 1: After playing 11 NFL seasons, veteran defensive end Justin Tuck has decided to call it a career, according to Mike Garafaolo of FOX Sports, who reports that Tuck will be retiring. The 32-year-old confirmed his decision on Facebook, and in comments to Garafolo.
“It’s been like a tug of war, and finally the rope broke,” Tuck said of his decision on whether or not to end his playing career. “And where I fell was retirement.”
Tuck’s final NFL season in 2015 was cut short due a torn right pectoral muscle, which landed him on the injured reserve list last October. Unlike Ravens wideout Steve Smith, who reconsidered his plan to retire once he suffered a season-ending surgery, Tuck isn’t determined to play one more healthy season before moving on to the next stage of his career — even though he thinks he’s capable of doing it.
“Physically, I feel like I can play with the best of them,” Tuck said. “It’s hilarious I got hurt on the most fluky play ever, but it’s part of it and maybe that was God trying to tell me something. I’m looking forward to being able to do something else.”
A third-round pick back in 2005, Tuck didn’t play much for the Giants during his first two seasons, but racked up 10 sacks as a part-time player in 2007, and then earned All-Pro honors in 2008, when he recorded 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. The Notre Dame product, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, contributing to a pass rush that helped limit Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense during those games, spent nine years in New York before spending the last two with the Raiders.
For his career, Tuck appeared in 147 total regular-season games, including 127 for the Giants. He totaled 66.5 career sacks, getting into double-digits in four separate seasons, including his final year with the Giants in 2013. The two-time Pro Bowler also picked up 5.5 sacks in the postseason, with four of those sacks coming in Super Bowls against the Pats.
Despite enjoying his time in Oakland, Tuck, who would have been a free agent this offseason, admitted that a return to the Giants might have been the only scenario in which he continued his career in 2016. However, the Giants made his decision easier when they made a coaching change at season’s end.
“If Coach (Tom) Coughlin would’ve come back another year, I probably would’ve (considered) coming back,” Tuck told Garafolo. “I didn’t even venture down that road. I think I would’ve given a lot of consideration to it.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Rumors: L.A., Irvin, Bailey, Morgan
In a terrific piece for ESPN The Magazine and Outside The Lines, Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. provide an in-depth timeline for how the Rams‘ move to Los Angeles played out, describing the process as having turned into an “open war” among NFL owners, many of whom would have preferred to see the Chargers‘ and Raiders‘ Carson plan approved.
The story is chock-full of fascinating details, and is worth reading in its entirety. However, one of the most intriguing items relates to the Raiders — according to the ESPN duo, most team owners wanted to avoid having the Raiders return to Los Angeles, in part because there were concerns about Al Davis‘ burned bridges, and local gangs co-opting team apparel. Those reservations ran so deep, the report suggests, that some owners wouldn’t even consider the Carson proposal.
If that’s true, one has to wonder if the league will allow the Raiders to make the move to Los Angeles a year from now, if the Chargers are ultimately able to work out a deal to remain in San Diego, passing their L.A. option onto Mark Davis and the Raiders. It’s believed that the same deal agreed to by the Chargers would be on the table for the Raiders, but we’ll have to wait to see if that’s indeed the case.
Here’s more out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- It is believed to be “highly unlikely” that the Seahawks will re-sign or franchise Bruce Irvin before he becomes a free agent next month, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Assuming he does, in fact, reach the open market, Irvin is on track for a big payday, according to Florio, who suggests that the linebacker should easily surpass $10MM as teams prioritize pass rushers.
- Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said in December that wide receiver Stedman Bailey, who was shot in the head twice last fall, likely wouldn’t play football again. However, Bailey isn’t willing to call it a career quite yet. Although he acknowledges the health risks and says that he doesn’t want to risk further serious injury to his head, Bailey will try to “continue to live out my dream,” he says in a YouTube video (link via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
- Former NFL wide receiver Josh Morgan accidentally shot himself with a loaded gun and was charged with misdemeanor reckless use of a firearm, according to TMZ Sports. Morgan, who was selected by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, spent seven seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Brees, Haden, Others Get Salary Guarantees
Several NFL players are on contracts containing language stating that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantee for the 2016 season if they remained on their respective teams beyond the third day after this year’s Super Bowl. That third day came and went on Wednesday, and while not every player with a guarantee deadline locked in that money – Nate Allen was cut by the Raiders, while Dannell Ellerbe reworked his deal with New Orleans – most of those guys had their contracts remain untouched.
Per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, here are the players who were assured of full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 after remaining under contract on Wednesday:
- Drew Brees, QB (Saints): $10.85MM of $19.75MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. This gives Brees a little extra leverage in contract negotiations with the Saints, but doesn’t drastically change his outlook — he’ll be back in New Orleans next season, likely with an extension in hand.
- Joe Haden, CB (Browns): $10.1MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. Concussion issues wiped out most of the 2015 season for Haden, but he was in no real danger of being cut before this amount – previously guaranteed for injury only – became fully guaranteed.
- Jairus Byrd, S (Saints): $7.4MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. So far, Byrd hasn’t exactly lived up to the massive deal he signed with New Orleans two years ago, but there’s still so much dead money left on it that it makes sense for the team to keep him around.
- Curtis Lofton, LB (Raiders): $3.5MM of $5.35MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. Lofton’s first year in Oakland certainly wasn’t his best, and the Raiders could’ve cleared his entire salary from their books if they’d cut him along with Allen, but the team has so much excess cap room that it can afford to bring back the veteran linebacker and hope for a better season.
While there are a few more contract guarantees to keep an eye on in February, including several for Seahawks players, most guarantee dates arrive in March, at – or shortly after – the start of the new league year. So we shouldn’t expect to see many teams cutting players to narrowly beat those guarantee deadlines for at least a few more weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Draft Rumors: Spence, Jack, Cowboys
Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Spence is an interesting prospect with one of the more unique “red flag” situations in this year’s class. Spence, a former star at Ohio State, was dismissed from the Buckeyes after two positive tests for ecstasy. In 2015, Spence shined for the Colonels, but he’ll now have to answer questions about his history. They say that honesty is the best policy, and that’s exactly the approach that the defensive end will be taking heading into the draft, as Tony Pauline writes for PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
Last year, cornerback Marcus Peters wound up being a first-round pick of the Chiefs despite his own off-the-field issues. Peters’ strategy was to accept just about every interview and visit request from NFL teams and Spence will be taking a page out of his book. It’s probably not a coincidence that Peters and Spence share the same agent.
Here’s more on the NFL Draft, courtesy of Pauline:
- Decision makers have indicated to Pauline that UCLA’s Myles Jack will go “very early” in the draft. Pauline admits that he, personally, is not a fan of the linebacker, but NFL decision makers are referring to Jack as a “rare athlete.” There are concerns about his size, but scouts are quick to point to Shaq Thompson, the Panthers first round pick in 2015, as an example of a player who was not held back by his statue. Jack, they say, is also a much better prospect than Thompson.
- In an informal survey of NFL execs, Pauline says that this is the consensus for how the first five picks will go: 1. Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss, left tackle), 2. Jalen Ramsey (Florida State, defensive back) 3. Jared Goff (Cal, quarterback), 4. Jack, 5) Joey Bosa (Ohio State, defensive end).
- Ramsey going that early would be disappointing to the Cowboys as Pauline hears that the FSU star sits atop their wish list. Dallas owns the No. 4 pick in the draft. Ramsey, a former top ten recruit out of high school, shows promise at both the cornerback and safety positions. Last season, he tallied 3.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass break-ups. In 2014, he had a gaudy stat line of 79 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and12 pass break-ups.
- Former LSU cornerback Rashard Robinson is drawing a lot of interest and the Raiders and Giants are among the teams impressed by him. Robinson played at LSU in the 2013 season, but a series of issues led to him being jettisoned from the program. Robinson was suspended indefinitely in 2014 and was denied reinstatement to the program in 2015. Robinson has red flags, but he’s also a 6’2″ corner with talent.
- Safety Keanu Neal (Florida) is getting late first-round consideration from teams. In fact, several teams view Neal as the “best-looking safety in the draft” thanks in no small part to his explosive play. A leg injury slowed him down somewhat in 2015, but scouts are putting more stock into film from the 2014 season when he was healthy.
- Indiana defensive tackle Darius Latham has promise and, talent-wise, projects as a second/third round talent. However, like Spence, he has some off-the-field issues that need to be addressed. Latham was suspended back in September for a student ethics violation – the second suspension of his collegiate career. The Indiana standout measures at 6’4″, 310 pounds and finished his IU career with 81 tackles, 31 solo, 7.5 sacks (42 yards), 18.5 tackles for loss (66 yards), two fumble recoveries, one interception, seven pass breakups, and two blocked extra points.
- Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez is generating buzz after he tallied six tackles in the Senior Bowl, Pauline writes.
Extra Points: Combine, Brees, Chargers
The NFL has decided that prospects that have been convicted of domestic violence and sexual assault will be barred from the NFL scouting combine, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes. “It is important for us to remain strongly committed to league values as we demonstrate to our fans, future players, coaches, general managers, and others who support our game that character matters,” stated NFL Football Operations Executive Vice President Troy Vincent in the memo to NFL teams. Last year, Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson was uninvited from the combine at the last minute after he was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape. He went undrafted and his court case is still pending.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com ran down 18 key NFL offseason dates and notable contract deadlines. As he details, the third day of the waiver period – Wednesday, Feb. 10th – will be significant for a number of big-name players, including the Saints’ Drew Brees and Jairus Byrd, the Browns’ Joe Haden, and the Raiders’ Curtis Lofton.
- The Chargers finalized their coaching staff by naming former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees as an offensive assistant and Marquice Williams as a special teams assistant, as Ricky Henne of Chargers.com writes. Rees quarterbacked the Irish from 2010-13, playing alongside current Bolts Manti Te’o, Chris Watt and Trevor Robinson.
- The Colts announced that they have hired Maurice Drayton as assistant special teams coach and Jemal Singleton as running backs coach. Drayton has 17 years of coaching experience, including 10 seasons at his alma mater, The Citadel. Singleton holds 14 years of collegiate coaching experience, including nine seasons at his alma mater, Air Force. He served as the special teams coordinator/running backs coach at Arkansas in 2015.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/9/16
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Steelers announced that they have signed offensive guard Cole Manhart to a reserve/future contract. Manhart originally signed with the Eagles as a UDFA out of Nebraska-Kearney in May 2015. After being released by the Eagles, he spent the 2015 training camp with the Saints, but he was cut in September of that year. Prior to his signing with Pittsburgh, his most recent stint was with the Raiders as a member of their taxi squad.
- The Panthers inked safety Marcus Ball to a deal, per Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Ball ended the season on Carolina’s practice squad.
- The Rams signed former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Steelers cut wide receiver David Nelson, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Eagles cut Matthew Tucker with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.
Workout Notes: 2/9/16
NFL’s 2016 free agent period doesn’t officially open until March 9th, but players who didn’t finish the season on a roster – or who have since been cut – are free to work out with teams and sign contracts right away. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has several updates on those free agents who are visiting and/or auditioning for NFL teams, so let’s round up the latest:
- Before he agreed to sign a reserve/futures contract with Washington, former Steelers first-round defensive lineman Ziggy Hood tried out for the Raiders. Oakland also brought in former Fresno State edge defender Tristan Okpalaugo for a visit (Twitter links).
- Veteran defensive back Jeromy Miles and ex-Broncos tight end Dan Light recently auditioned for the Chiefs (Twitter link). Miles, who has appeared in 67 career regular-season games for the Bengals and Ravens, was cut last September by the Giants, while Light lost his practice squad spot in Denver following the team’s AFC Championship win over New England.
- The Bengals recently worked out – but did not sign – offensive tackle Sean Donnelly, safety Zach Elias, running back Alonzo Harris, running back Storm Johnson and wide receiver Rico Richardson (Twitter link). Those players were part of a larger group of eight, with the remaining three players earning contracts.
- Former Cowboys defensive tackle Ken Bishop, a seventh-round pick in 2014, worked out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link).
- Former Pitt offensive guard Jason Pinkston recently visited the Steelers (link). The Steelers also recently worked out linebacker Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo, wide receiver Issac Blakeney, long snapper Matt Dooley, defensive back Montell Garner, offensive guard Cole Manhart, wide receiver Tobais Palmer, cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz, and defensive tackle Josh Watson (Twitter links).
Raiders Release Nate Allen
Less than 12 months after signing him to a four-year contract, the Raiders have parted ways with safety Nate Allen, terminating his contract, according to a Pro Football Talk report (via Twitter). Allen will immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers.
After spending his first five NFL seasons with the Eagles, Allen inked a four-year, $23MM contract with the Raiders in free agency last March. That contract rightly raised some eyebrows around the league, but all of the fully guaranteed money included in the deal was paid out in the first year. That means the Raiders won’t carry any dead money on their cap for Allen going forward.
As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets, Allen’s $4.9MM base salary for 2016 would have become fully guaranteed on Wednesday if he was still on the Raiders’ roster, which explains why he was cut today. After paying him $7MM in his first and only season in Oakland, the Raiders will be off the hook for Allen’s cap hits of $5MM in 2016, $6MM in 2017, and $5MM in 2018.
Although he started 69 games in his five seasons in Philadelphia, Allen’s performance was up and down. Still, he had a fairly strong season in 2014, racking up 62 tackles, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass deflections, and a sack. Injuries derailed his 2015 campaign, however — he was placed on IR with the designation to return after Week 1 due to a knee injury, and while he returned later in the season for a few games, he never got fully healthy, and ended up back on IR to finish the year.
Assuming his knee is good to go for 2016, Allen could be a decent bounce-back candidate for a team in need of a safety this offseason. He’ll likely come at a much cheaper rate than he did a year ago.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.