This Date In Transactions History: Joe Staley
On this date in 2009, the 49ers signed Joe Staley to a sizable extension, despite the fact that he was only two seasons into his NFL career. The six-year, $42MM attachment raised some eyebrows around the league, but then-GM Scot McCloughan had no doubt that it would benefit the team. 
“Joe Staley is the type of player we want to continue to add to this football team,” McCloughan said. “He’s a tough, versatile, no-nonsense type of guy who wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win football games. Joe is a consummate team player and has been completely unselfish in the way he has approached his role on this team. We know what he means to the success of the 49ers and getting this extension done puts us in a very nice position for the future.”
In the first two years of his career, Staley carried cap numbers of $1.02MM and $1.22MM. Staley’s new deal tacked on an extra six seasons at an average annual value of $7MM per year, giving the 49ers a total of nine years of club control after the time of signing.
The deal was a huge gamble at the time, but McCloughan saw tremendous potential in the former first-round pick and also anticipated some serious advancement in the left tackle market. He was right on both fronts. Before long, Staley’s contract went from bloated to bargain. Today, 18 left tackles – more than half of the league’s starters at the position – make more than $7MM per season.
Nine years ago, not every GM in the league would have bet big on Staley after he allowed 16.5 tackles over his first two seasons. But, with talent and determination, Staley persisted and blossomed into one of the league’s best left tackles. In a 2010 game against the Rams, Staley played through a broken left fibula as he did not want to let his teammates down.
“The X-rays were negative, so I went back out there,” Staley said afterwards. “Then I got kicked again, and I knew it was broken, but I stayed in for a couple plays.”
Staley’s six-year, $42MM deal turned into an below-market deal rather quickly. In 2014, the Niners gave Staley another early extension to reward him and keep him in the fold through 2019. Then, this past April, the Niners gave him another pay bump, giving him $17.5MM over the next two seasons.
Still, Staley’s pay does not quite match his performance. For reference, Giants left tackle Nate Solder is the kingpin at left tackle with an average of $15.5MM per year. Even with the raise, Staley will average roughly half of that over the next two seasons. Last year, Pro Football Focus had Staley ranked as the second-best tackle in the NFL in 2017 while Solder placed at No. 32.
This Date In Transactions History: Colin Kaepernick
In the 2014 offseason, quarterback Colin Kaepernick had been coming off back-to-back seasons in which he led the 49ers to the postseason. That also included a trip to Super Bowl XLVII when they 49ers lost to the Ravens.
It’s fair to see why the 49ers saw Kaepernick as their quarterback of the future and decided to ink him to a six-year contract extension worth up to $126MM in total, $54MM in potential guarantees and $13MM in full guarantees.
The now-30-year-old would not lead the 49ers to the postseason again following the extension and started all 16 regular season games just once before opting out of his contract following the 2016 season. The 49ers had taken Kaepernick in the second round of the 2011 draft out of Nevada.
Kaepernick has yet to suit up with an NFL team since appearing in 12 games and starting 11 with the 49ers in 2016. After Jim Tomsula took over for Jim Harbaugh as the 49ers’ head coach in 2015, Kaepernick was benched eight games into the season in favor of Blaine Gabbert.
Since his release and subsequent free agency, Kaepernick has filed a grievance against the NFL, alleging that owners from around the league colluded to keep him unsigned. The reported collusion stems from his protest of social inequalities in the United States, which included kneeling for the national anthem.
Between the 2012 and ’13 seasons, Kaepernick threw for 21 touchdowns and rushed for nine touchdowns while throwing just 11 interceptions. The team also went 17-6 in the regular season with him as a starter. From 2014-16, Kaepernick was unable to lead the team to a record better than 8-8, including 10 interceptions in 2014 alone.
The 49ers have appeared to find another “quarterback of the future” after signing Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year deal worth up to $137.5MM deal, which was the largest annual salary in NFL history at the time. The $90MM guaranteed in the first three years of his deal still stands as an NFL record.
PFR Originals: 5/27/18 – 6/3/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Although free agency opened nearly three months ago, there are still excellent players available on the open market. Zach Links took a look at the best options, a list that includes Eric Reid, Dez Bryant, and DeMarco Murray.
- Zach analyzed the five clubs that utilized a post-June 1 release this year, and also explained exactly what a post-June 1 cut is.
- We covered four notable moves in our This Date In Transactions History series:
- Ben Levine on the Giants’ release of safety Ryan Clark, which allowed the defensive back to sign with the Steelers.
- Sam Robinson looked back on Pittsburgh’s decision to let wide receiver Andre Hastings walk in free agency and the subsequent choices the Steelers have made in evaluating their own wide receivers.
- I covered the Rams’ release of franchise icon Kurt Warner and his subsequent career rebirth with the Cardinals.
- Andrew Ortenberg on Terrell Owen‘s four-year, $34MM extension with the Cowboys, which would become the mercurial wideout’s last multi-season contract.
- Andrew attempted to get a sense of PFR readers’ opinions on the NFL’s two West divisions, asking which AFC West and NFC West clubs posted the best offseasons.
Poll: Which NFC West Team Had The Best Offseason?
A few days ago we asked you which AFC West team had the best offseason. Perhaps the only division which had a busier offseason than the AFC West was the NFC West. The NFC West is quickly becoming one of the most exciting divisions in football, with a pair of young innovative coaches and several franchise quarterbacks. Each team made moves this spring with lofty ambitions in mind, but only one will reign supreme this time next year.
The Cardinals probably had the most eventful offseason of all NFC West teams. They have a new head coach and totally remade their quarterback room from last year after the retirement of Carson Palmer and free agency departures of Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert left them without any quarterbacks under contract. First they signed Sam Bradford, and weeks later made a splash in the draft, trading up to take Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick. They also added Mike Glennon after he was cut by the Bears. Bradford will likely begin the season as the starter, but with his lengthy injury history, it’s very possible Rosen sees the field early. They cut longtime staple of their defense Tyrann Mathieu and hired Steve Wilks to replace the retiring Bruce Arians as head coach. They brought in Andre Smith and Justin Pugh to help improve last year’s dreadful offensive line, and signed Brice Butler away from the Cowboys as an extra pass-catcher behind Larry Fitzgerald. They’re being cast as the underdogs of the division, but have enough talent on paper to make some noise.
The Seahawks officially dismantled the once vaunted ‘Legion of Boom’, cutting one former staple in Richard Sherman and trading another in Michael Bennett. In a bid to get younger, the Seahawks have moved on from several longtime veterans this offseason. They made what many called the surprise move of the draft by taking running back Rashaad Penny in the first round. The Seahawks’ running game has been abysmal since Marshawn Lynch left, so it makes sense they reached for a running back early. They signed wide receiver Jaron Brown away from the Cardinals, but overall weren’t too active in free agency. The story of the Seahawks’ offseason was definitely more about what they subtracted rather than what they added. Last year snapped a streak of five consecutive seasons of reaching the playoffs, and the Seahawks will face a much tougher path back to the postseason than they have in recent years. With the NFC West set to be the best it’s been in a long time, the Seahawks will need some heroics from Russell Wilson to regain their dominance division.
The Rams made the biggest acquisitions of any team in the NFC West. After coach Sean McVay led the team to an 11-5 record and division title in his first year, he’ll have even more pieces to work with in year two. General manager Les Snead was aggressive in the trade market, acquiring wide receiver Brandin Cooks and All-Pro cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib in exchange for draft picks. The Rams also signed Ndamukong Suh after he was let go by the Dolphins. Due to all the trades, the Rams didn’t have many draft picks, but they still added a ton of talent to the team. They did lose cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who signed with the Jets, but the additions of Peters and Talib should more than make up for that. If quarterback Jared Goff can take a leap next year with a full offseason to digest McVay’s complicated playbook, the Rams should be able to repeat as division champs.
The 49ers were maybe the most quiet NFC West team this offseason. After winning five straight games to end the season once Jimmy Garoppolo became the team’s starting quarterback, the 49ers opted to mostly stay put. They did sign center Weston Richburg and Sherman after he was cut by the Seahawks, but didn’t do all that much in terms of adding pieces. They drafted offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey with the ninth overall pick to help keep Garoppolo upright for years to come. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is confident that he’s found his guy in Garoppolo, and the 49ers should be able to build on last season’s late success and turn it into a playoff birth in 2018.
Which team do you think had the best offseason in the NFC West? Vote in PFR’s poll below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
This Date In Transactions History: Terrell Owens
In 2008, Terrell Owens was coming off a Pro Bowl season and was one of the league’s best, and most controversial, players. On June 2nd 2008, The Cowboys rewarded Owens’ stellar play with a 4-year, $34MM extension, giving him a substantial raise from his previous $7MM annual salary.
Perhaps no player in the history of the league has had as much contract drama as Owens, who famously complained loudly and often about his compensation during his time with the Eagles, which eventually led to his release. Owens signed a seven-year deal with the Eagles, and only ended up playing two seasons for them. His extension from the Cowboys followed a similar pattern. Despite a solid 2008 season in which he racked up 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns, the Cowboys decided he was simply too much of a headache and released him one-year into his new four-year deal. Owens was reportedly blindsided by his release, saying publicly that owner Jerry Jones had assured him his roster spot was safe.
Owens’ contracts were always a big deal during his playing days, and often overshadowed his on-field production. After being a notable snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2017 class, Owens was recently announced as a member of the 2018 class, and will be enshrined in Canton this August. Owens has also repeatedly stated he’s still not giving up hope of an NFL comeback, recently saying he’d like to play for Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
Owens’ 2008 deal was the last multi-year contract he would ever get in the NFL, settling for a few one-year deals with three different teams after his release before eventually finding himself out of the league altogether. Still performing at a high level in 2008, not many would’ve guessed at the time that it would be the last big payday in Owens’ illustrious career.
This Date In Transactions History: Rams Release Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner is now essentially NFL royalty. A Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP, Warner was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2017, serves as an analyst on both television and radio, and was recently considered for a color commentary role on Monday Night Football. But Warner’s fairy-tale career once appeared destined to end with him finishing as nothing more than a flash in the pan, especially after the Rams released him on June 1, 2004.
Warner had been designated as a post-June 1 cut, meaning that while the then-St. Louis Rams had telegraphed their intentions on Warner’s roster status for some time, they waited to officially release him as a salary cap maneuver. Everyone knows Warner’s story up until this point: a former grocery store employee-turned-AFL/NFL Europe star, Warner rose to fame as the captain of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” leading a high-flying Rams offense to two Super Bowl appearances in three seasons.
But things began to change in 2002, as Warner struggled to open the campaign and then missed a chunk of the season with a broken finger. Although he began 2003 as the Rams’ starter under center, he made only one start before giving way to Marc Bulger. St. Louis released Warner following that season, clearing out the remaining three years of a seven-year, $47MM contract he’d signed in 2000.
While it seems ridiculous to ponder with the benefit of hindsight, there was a real possibility Warner’s career could have ended right then and there. Articles (rightly) surfaced with headlines such as “Warner’s career on the decline,” while analyst Phil Simms doubted Warner would ever be a highly-productive quarterback again. “Can [Warner] still be a starting quarterback in this league? Sure,” said Simms. “But I don’t think it could be like before.”
Even Warner and his representatives were bleak on the subject of his future. “Does [Warner] have to find a starting job to be happy? We’re going to keep an open mind,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. “Most teams today have their starting quarterback set.” Warner did in fact land a starting gig by inking a one-year, $3MM deal with the Giants, but he was replaced prior to midseason by No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning. In his nine starts, Warner played well but didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and once again, it was conceivable his career was nearing its nadir.
But of course, Warner’s NFL run was far from over. After signing a one-year pact with the Cardinals, Warner served as Arizona’s starting quarterback for parts of the next three seasons, at times losing snaps to Josh McCown and first-round rookie Matt Leinart. But in 2008, Warner started all 16 games for the Cards and eventually led the club to a Super Bowl which likely cemented his Canton credentials (even though it was a loss). Warner played one more year in Arizona before hanging up his cleats in January 2010, and then briefly considered a comeback attempt earlier this year.
So what’s the takeaway from Warner’s career? To paraphrase Yankees great Yogi Berra, a career is never over until it’s over. Warner looked dead and buried when he was released by the Rams in 2004, but six NFL campaigns later, he was a Hall of Fame shoo-in. Perhaps there’s a free agent still currently on the open market who could experience a similar turnaround, with Warner serving as an example.
The Best Remaining NFL Free Agents
The biggest names in this year’s free agent class such as Kirk Cousins, Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson, and Trumaine Johnson have long been spoken for, but plenty of notable players remain on the board here in June. With a hat tip to James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter), here’s a look at some high-profile veterans who are still seeking work this summer: 
- QB Colin Kaepernick
- RB DeMarco Murray
- RB Adrian Peterson
- WR Dez Bryant
- WR Jeremy Maclin
- WR Eric Decker
- DE Connor Barwin
- LB NaVorro Bowman
- CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
- CB Bashaud Breeland
- S Tre Boston
- S Eric Reid
- S Kenny Vaccaro
Of course, Kaepernick’s situation is more complicated than the rest. Lately, the only updates we’ve heard regarding Kaepernick have been tied to his pending collusion case against the NFL. Former teammate Reid is certainly closer to the NFL radar after an April meeting with the Bengals, but he also believes teams are shying away from him due to his participation in anthem protests. Reid filed a grievance of his own against the NFL in May and has been spotted working out with Kaepernick.
Unfortunately for Murray and Peterson, filing a grievance for age bias against running backs is not an option. The Titans kicked Murray to the curb in March and he has not found a new NFL home despite meeting with the Lions, Seahawks, and Dolphins since his release. Peterson has lobbied the Texans, Saints, Packers, Panthers, Dolphins, and Rams to sign him, but we have yet to hear of any reciprocated interest from those clubs. Given Peterson’s reluctance to be on the lower end of a timeshare in New Orleans last year, one has to imagine that Peterson will not be a real consideration for teams unless a starter gets injured in camp. Murray could be a more attractive option for teams. Although he averaged just 3.6 yards per tote with the Titans last year, he contributed in the passing game with 39 receptions.
Bryant says he has no regrets about turning down a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens, but right now it looks like he blew his opportunity at a solid free agent deal. Reportedly, many teams are unwilling to consider him for even the league minimum, so it seems unlikely that he’ll find the lucrative one-year contract he’s seeking. On the plus side, his former employer says multiple teams have checked in on him.
Things have been eerily quiet for Maclin after he was displaced by the Ravens, though the Eagles and Cowboys considered him internally in the spring. We also haven’t heard a peep about Decker since his spring meetings with the Raiders and Ravens. Both players are roughly in the same boat – they were 1,000-yard receivers in 2015, but they are on the wrong side of 30 and haven’t done much on the field in the last two years. Still, both profile as low-risk/high-reward signings.
Five Teams Use Post-June 1 Designation
Lingering guarantees can be a rough pill to swallow for NFL teams as they move on from players, but the league’s post-June 1 designation allows clubs to spread out the dead money hit over two seasons while reaping greater benefits in the current year. This offseason, five teams took advantage of the rule to carve out some cap space. As Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes, the following clubs now have some extra breathing room to sign draft picks and add veterans in the late stages of free agency: 
- Dolphins: $17MM (Ndamukong Suh release)
- Eagles: $6MM (Mychal Kendricks release)
- Falcons: $3.5MM (Levine Toilolo release)
- Cowboys: $3MM (Orlando Scandrick release)
- Saints: $3MM (Coby Fleener release)
The additional cap space will be particularly useful for the Dolphins and Eagles, who have about $400K in cap room combined. The Falcons ($3.7MM),Saints ($4.2MM), and Cowboys ($8.5MM) are also looking forward to the extra fiscal flexibility. The extra cap room may help to jumpstart the free agent market for players such as Dez Bryant, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, Eric Reid, and others without a home at this stage of the offseason.
The Dolphins have yet to sign any of their 2018 draft picks, including top choice Minkah Fitzpatrick, but you can expect to see some movement on that front once they receive their $17MM reprieve. The Cowboys, Saints, and Eagles have already wrapped their respective draft classes and the Falcons have signed every pick except for first rounder Calvin Ridley, so those four clubs can concentrate on using their extra room for veteran additions, or new deals/contract sweeteners for current players.
Explaining Post-June 1 Cuts
NFL teams will often use bonuses in contracts as a way to spread out a cap hit that might otherwise be exorbitant. For instance, if a player’s five-year deal includes a $10MM signing bonus, that money can be paid immediately but spread out over five years for cap purposes. This way, the cap charge for the bonus amounts to $2MM per year for cap purposes, rather than $10MM in year one.
However, this practice can come back to haunt teams if they want to get out of a contract early. Suppose the team in the above scenario wanted to release the player in the third year of his contract. Even if none of the player’s base salary is guaranteed at that point, the team will still have to account for that remaining prorated bonus money. Rather than counting on the cap as $2MM per year for three seasons, that dead money “accelerates,” and applies to the cap for the league year in which the player is released. In other words, the remaining $6MM in prorated bonus money immediately counts against the club’s cap.
Although these rules apply to many cuts, a different set of rules is in place for players released after June 1. In that case, a team can spread the cap hit across two seasons rather than one — for the current season, the prorated bonus figure stays at its original amount, with the remaining bonus balance accelerating onto the following season. Referring again to the above scenario, that means the player would count against the cap for $2MM in the league year in which he was cut, with the remaining $4MM applying to the following league year.
The guidelines for pre-June 1 and post-June 1 cuts are fairly straightforward, but things become a little more complicated when we take into account that teams are allowed to designate up to two players as post-June 1 cuts even if those players are released before June. This offseason, we’ve seen a number of players designated as post-June 1 cuts, including Ndamukong Suh (Dolphins), Orlando Scandrick (Cowboys), Mychal Kendricks (Eagles), and Coby Fleener (Saints).
In the case of Kendricks, the Eagles were initially slated to pay him a $5.85MM in base salary this year with a $7.6MM cap figure. Under typical circumstances, the release would have left the Eagles with a $3.2MM dead money obligation for 2018. However, through the post-June 1 designation, they will unlock $6MM in cap space starting on Friday with just $1.6MM in dead money this year. In 2019, they’ll be faced with the remaining $1.6MM charge.
Because the cap charge for the current league year isn’t reduced until June, designating a player as a post-June 1 cut isn’t hugely advantageous for teams. By June, just about every notable free agent is off the board, so the new savings likely won’t be put toward a major move.
Still, releasing a player in March and designating him a post-June 1 cut can be mutually beneficial for a player and his team. It allows the player to hit the market when potential suitors still have cap room and are still looking to add free agents, and it allows the club to spread out the player’s cap charge without having to actually wait until June 1 to release him — waiting until that point could mean paying roster or workout bonuses in the interim. Additionally, even if the team doesn’t need that June cap space for free agency, it can come in handy for signing draft picks.
In the case of the defending champs, who faced a serious numbers crunch heading into the offseason, the June 1 designation allowed for some much-needed wiggle room. Before the move, the Eagles had an NFL-low $103K available under the cap.
A couple loose ends related to post-June 1 cuts:
- The same rules applying to players who are released apply to players who are traded — if a team trades a player after June 1, his remaining bonus money can be spread out over two seasons. However, a club can’t designate anyone traded prior to June as a post-June 1 player.
- Teams cannot designate post-June 1 cuts during the final league year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post. The original version of this post was published on April 2, 2014.
55 NFL Draft Picks Remain Unsigned
As shown in PFR’s tracker for NFL rookie contracts, 201 of this year’s 256 draft picks have signed. That leaves 55 drafted players without formalized contracts as of this writing. 
Thanks to the collective bargaining agreement of 2011, rookie contract negotiations are not as arduous as they were in years past. Rookies, generally, will agree to terms in accordance with their slots, though there is some wiggle room when it comes to issues such as offset language. If a player is cut within his first four years and does not have offset language in his deal, he can effectively double dip by collecting on the remaining guaranteed portion of his rookie contract while earning pay from another club. With offset language, the player’s earnings will be capped as the former team can deduct the amount of his new contract from their payout.
Unsurprisingly, 13 of this year’s unsigned players are from the third round of the draft. Third round picks, historically, have been tricky for teams, even under the simplified rules of the latest CBA. Third rounders have a slotted signing bonus – like every other pick – but their base salaries can be negotiated. If a player at a premium position is selected between, say, a guard and a center, he may push for a higher base than each player, rather than using their contracts as a guide.
The bulk of the stragglers come from the first round, where 20 of this year’s 32 selections are unsigned. Players chosen within the top 32 selections, and especially those selected in the top 10, can often exert more leverage in negotiations in order to get more favorable terms from clubs. In 2016, Joey Bosa‘s talks dragged for months over the timing of his signing bonus payment. Ultimately, Bosa’s reps did not get everything they wanted, but they were able to get the Bolts to meet them in the middle.
Right now, Colts guard Quenton Nelson (No. 6 overall) and Cardinals QB Josh Rosen (No. 10 overall) are the only two players in the top ten that have signed their rookie contracts. That number will increase in the coming days, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if some of this year’s top selections do not sign until late June or July.